Chapter 32 includes the line, "I need you."
Tang Yi rushed back to the company around 2 p.m. The earliest meeting time with the candidates was 3 p.m., so she didn't have time to rest and immediately started going through the personal files she got from HR.
As a secretary, she didn't have much decision-making power. This meeting could only serve as a simple first screening; the formal interview would have to wait until Zhang Minglang returned to make a decision.
At 3 o'clock sharp, Tang Yi touched up her lipstick, grabbed the documents on the table, and got up to go to the interview room.
When the last candidate came in, it was already past five o'clock, almost time to leave work. Tang Yi didn't seem impatient at all. When the girl pushed the door open, she gestured for her to sit down.
Tang Yi pulled out the last file of personal information, glanced through it, and suddenly raised an eyebrow at a certain spot, looking up at her: "Are you Fang Zhen?"
"Yes, that's me." The girl had a round face and looked very approachable.
"I see that you are interested in the position of secretary. Can you tell me your views on the work of a secretary?"
Fang Zhen fluently expressed many official views.
"Besides that, the secretary is also..."
"Excuse me for interrupting," Tang Yi said, clearly tired of listening. She put down the resume in her hand and rubbed her temples. "I want to hear your insights, not just a recitation."
Fang Zhen paused for a moment because of her direct words. She lowered her head, took a deep breath, and then raised her head as if making up her mind: "To be honest, when you asked me this question, I didn't have anything to say. A secretary is just a job, a job to help the boss manage various things, nothing more."
"In today's society and in many movies and TV dramas, secretaries are portrayed as villains who destroy families. I think this is a complete prejudice. Being a secretary is just like any other ordinary job. I just need to do my job well and not care about the gossip."
Tang Yi's eyes sparkled with appreciation and satisfaction, but she feigned a serious expression and said, "Do you realize you've gone off-topic?"
Fang Zhen nervously clutched her skirt: "I'm sorry, I almost forgot when I brought it up."
"Okay, it's getting late, so let's end the interview here." Tang Yi stopped there and got up to leave.
She clocked out of get off work on time, drove to the city hospital, only to find it empty.
"Yes, the patient in bed number 23 was discharged around 4 p.m.."
Tang Yi frowned: "Was he alone or was he with someone?"
The nurse at the information desk shook her head, indicating she didn't remember.
Tang Yi thanked him, turned around and walked towards the parking lot while sending a message to Zhang Minglang on WeChat.
[Tang Yi: Mr. Zhang, I've arrived at the Central Hospital. Have you already gone back?]
However, the message seemed to disappear without a trace, and no reply was received until the evening.
Zhang Minglang, who had already been discharged from the hospital, was sitting at his computer desk in his study at home, with an open folder on the table, staring blankly out the window.
The document compiled Liu Zhang's working interactions with Zhao Linrui over the past two or three years, as well as all the projects Zhao Linrui had been responsible for since joining the company.
Two years ago, Junmao was running a major project, and almost all of its senior executives were responsible for some part of it. Zhao Linrui was no exception.
At that time, Tang Yi was the secretary of the former president, Mr. Lin, and she was also involved in the project. But strangely, one afternoon, Liu Zhang and Zhao Linrui had a brief communication record. The next day, Tang Yi applied for nearly two weeks of annual leave in advance in the work system, and the reason was left blank.
A key member of the company applied for two weeks of leave without cause, but the reviewers did not question it at all, and even approved it within minutes of the application being submitted that day.
Zhang Minglang couldn't understand what had happened to Tang Yi that afternoon that prompted her to apply for such a long leave.
This is clearly inconsistent with the workaholic Secretary Tang's current style of doing things.
The ambiguous relationship between Liu Zhang and Tang Yi and Zhao Linrui, Tang Yi's rejection of Zhao Linrui, Tang Yi's first uncontrollable sobbing in the stairwell...
There are also communication records between Liu Zhang and Zhao Linrui. Is this a coincidence or is there a real connection with Tang Yi's sudden leave application?
All this information points to a possible, and not uncommon, outcome, but Zhang Minglang only has a vague guess and dares not be certain.
Too many mysteries flooded his mind in an instant, and he couldn't quite figure them out.
His phone vibrated on the table. He glanced at the screen and saw Tang Yi's name, but he ignored it.
The sky outside the window was gradually darkening, and the sunset glow was reflected in the windows of the balcony of the detached villa across the way, with a few birds occasionally flying across the sky.
Zhang Minglang had already made up his mind.
He was going to the branch office to find General Manager Lin and get the whole story. Knowing Tang Yi's personality, he was certain she wouldn't be willing to tell him. He could even imagine her reaction.
A curt "It's my private matter" was enough to shut him up.
But what excuse should we use to go to City B to see General Manager Lin?
This question kept him preoccupied with it until he arrived at the company the next day and strode towards the elevator.
The two executives in front were talking in hushed tones.
"Isn't there a summit the day after tomorrow? Aren't you going?"
"That one in City B? No way, no way. It has no authority whatsoever. I wouldn't go even if they gave me an invitation and begged me."
City B? Summit?
Zhang Minglang, with his keen ears, realized this was a good opportunity. He had been worrying about how to get a chance to visit the B City branch, and now he had the chance.
When Tang Yi mentioned this in her work report to him a little while later, he immediately agreed to go.
Thinking this, Zhang Minglang sat in the chair in the president's office, looking forward to Tang Yi's arrival.
There was a knock on the door, and he, who had been slumped in his chair, almost instantly sprang to his feet, sat up straight, and said, "Come in."
The door opened, and a cleaning lady walked in.
She said to him with a embarrassed look, "I'm so sorry, I forgot to take the cleaning cloth with me this morning."
Zhang Minglang told her dejectedly to come in and take it away.
Before he could collapse again, someone knocked on the door. He jumped up again, his heart pounding, waiting for Tang Yi's face to appear.
However, it was Assistant Zhou who appeared, bringing in a document for him to sign.
Zhang Minglang pulled out a pen, quickly signed his name, and gave him a disgruntled look: "Why are you the one delivering the signed document? Where's Secretary Tang?"
Assistant Zhou felt a chill run down his spine: "Didn't you put me in charge of this? So I'm the one who delivered it."
Only then did Zhang Minglang realize that the document was indeed the one he had given to Assistant Zhou a few days ago to complete. Knowing he was in the wrong, he waved for him to leave.
As soon as Assistant Zhou stepped out, he heard the sound of high heels getting closer and closer.
The door was knocked on again, three regular knocks, neither too loud nor too soft.
Tang Yi has arrived.
Zhang Minglang made a bet with himself in his heart.
If he listened carefully, he could distinguish her knocking sound; it was a sound unique to her, different from others.
He cleared his throat, said "Please come in," and looked expectantly towards the door.
A black shoe tip entered first. Next came a slender, white ankle, a black skirt, a burgundy silk blouse, the collar slightly open, revealing a patch of skin. Tang Yi, wearing frameless glasses, walked in carrying a work tablet.
She stood at the corner of the desk, her long hair cascading down as she lowered her head. Her red lips parted slightly, her tone flat: "Mr. Zhang, today's work arrangements..."
Zhang Minglang felt incredibly busy.
He needed to free his eyes to look at her, to mentally cheer that he had guessed her knocking correctly, and to listen carefully to see if the summit in City B was on her work schedule.
"That's all for now. I'll let you know in advance if there are any additions." After Tang Yi finished reporting, she looked up at Zhang Minglang, waiting for his instructions.
Zhang Minglang only realized she had finished speaking when he saw her lips close.
He asked, "That's it?"
Tang Yi glanced down at the arrangements, making sure she hadn't missed anything, and shook her head: "Nothing at the moment."
"If there isn't one yet, it means there are others, right?"
Seeing her boss looking at her expectantly, Tang Yi had only one thought in her mind: Gastritis shouldn't cause brain problems, right?
Otherwise, why would Zhang Minglang, who always prefers to avoid trouble, seem so eager to work today?
Tang Yi simply put away her tablet, looked up, and asked with a half-smile, "Mr. Zhang, what kind of work arrangements would you like?"
Zhang Minglang had already discovered that whenever Secretary Tang narrowed her eyes and smiled, and started addressing people with "you" (formal), it was time for her to unleash her full power to criticize them.
But he wasn't afraid.
He leaned back casually, clasped his hands together, and asked with a hint of suspicion, "Secretary Tang, you wouldn't have canceled my work assignment without my permission, would you?"
Tang Yi was speechless and wanted to laugh: "I'm not that unprofessional."
"Didn't I receive an invitation to the summit in City B?"
Tang Yi's heart stirred upon hearing this.
I actually received this.
It was just an ordinary summit, with no authority in the industry. Therefore, when the organizers sent her the invitation, she politely declined, as was her usual practice.
She told Zhang Minglang the whole story. After listening, he placed his hands on his desk and leaned forward: "I never went to the branch office in previous years. But now, I want to go."
"People always need to learn from the experiences and lessons of their peers to improve, don't you think?"
Tang Yi, remaining calm, spoke frankly: "President Zhang, if you really go, you probably won't run into many colleagues. As far as I know, the industry doesn't really value this summit."
Zhang Minglang looked extremely confident: "Even the CEO of Junmao went, how could they not go because of his reputation?"
What he said wasn't entirely unreasonable; there was no harm in going anyway.
Tang Yi compromised: "Then I'll go book the tickets now."
Just as she was about to leave, she remembered something, turned back and asked, "Do you need me to come with you this time?"
Zhang Minglang's first reaction was, of course, to refuse.
After all, this trip to City B wasn't for leisure, but to investigate her and Zhao Linrui's affair. If she came with him, it would only create more obstacles.
Zhang Minglang didn't want Tang Yi to know that he was investigating the "private matters" she mentioned, otherwise he would definitely face her resistance.
But he simply couldn't bring himself to refuse the opportunity to go on a business trip and spend time alone with Tang Yi.
After all, he had deliberately refused to let her come along on his last business trip out of spite, and he had felt a little regretful about it for a few days afterward.
After some consideration, Zhang Minglang looked up, a smile playing on his lips, and gazed at Tang Yi, who had a questioning expression on her face.
"I need you."
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