Xue Xiaodie quit her job and stayed in Tang Qi's apartment, drawing for commissions every day. The experience and skills she had accumulated in her previous life, after two months of adaptation, had become even more refined. Coupled with the goodwill she had built with clients recently, her rates naturally rose. Her social media accounts were also gaining followers daily.
Of course, besides her daily drawing, she also chats with Lu Zhe frequently. Especially during breaks between drawing sessions, they exchange information on WeChat about interesting things that happen each day, or funny news...
On this day, Lu Zhe shared something even more joyful.
[I got promoted today! General Manager Xia set up a new department responsible for overseas investments and due diligence. I'm now the head of this new department, and my salary has tripled.]
Xue Xiaodie looked at the message on the computer, pondered it silently for a moment, put down her paintbrush, and started typing.
She typed out a question: "So your job responsibilities will be different from now on?"
Lu Zhe: [Of course it's different. I'll spend much less time in the office. Most of my work time will likely be spent out and about. But it won't be visiting clients or soliciting investment; it will be investing for others, so it should be quite relaxed.]
Xue Xiaodie: [That sounds great, but... what does "due diligence" mean?]
Lu Zhe: [Due diligence. It's about examining whether the company you're investing in is doing its job properly, or if it's setting a trap to scam you. Of course, I also have accounting and finance professionals assisting me with this part, so I don't have to do it all by myself.]
Xue Xiaodie: [But you've never done this kind of work before, and you've already been promoted to department head. President Xia really trusts you.]
Lu Zhe: [That's right. She said I did things in the future, within her timeline. And she even gave me a list of specific small companies to invest in, telling me to contact them accordingly. Those companies were probably ones she was certain would succeed in the future; this credit is practically free.]
Xue Xiaodie: [Since you were promoted so quickly, didn't anyone else in the company have any objections?]
Lu Zhe: [Most others don't know; only HR has some inside information. Besides, many people in the company don't even know my name, and most are unfamiliar with me and wouldn't pay attention to me.]
Xue Xiaodie thought for a moment, then typed out a sentence: "[Then, once you've actually achieved something, will President Xia use that as an excuse to let everyone in the company get to know you again?]"
Lu Zhe: [She didn't say it explicitly, but I think that's her plan.]
Xue Xiaodie couldn't help but sigh.
In this complex and tangled battlefield, she felt she had done her best. However, despite this, there were still some things beyond her control, such as Xia Xiaobing's career advantages.
Following her, Lu Zhe could indeed get promoted, receive a raise, and reach the pinnacle of his life. He could even accumulate status and connections in the industry, and at a speed that most people would envy, he would rise like a rocket. From Lu Zhe's perspective, this was something he should be extremely happy about.
Xue Xiaodie was indeed a little happy for him, but the thought of who was controlling the rocket made her less happy.
But what brought her some comfort was Lu Zhe's next message: "I got a promotion and a raise! Are you free tonight to celebrate with me? Just the two of us, no one else."
However, Xue Xiaodie calmly replied: "Doesn't President Xia want you to accompany him?"
Lu Zhe: [President Xia booked a 7 PM flight. She won't even have dinner; she has to be at the airport by 4 PM. She's going to Beijing to attend an AI startup conference, just her and her newly hired female secretary.]
Xue Xiaodie: [That's good. I won't eat dinner; I'll wait for you.]
Lu Zhe: [Well, I'll talk to you later. President Xia called me over again; it's probably about something.]
Xue Xiaodie: [You're not going to be asked to come on this business trip, are you?]
Lu Zhe: [Probably not, there's another third wheel with her... Wait for me.]
After waiting for a while, Lu Zhe finally sent a new message.
[It's settled. It's just lunch with her, and then I'll take her to the airport in the afternoon. I don't need to go with her. The plans for the evening remain the same.]
————
Lu Zhe and Xia Xiaobing had lunch together more than once or twice. But today, Xia Xiaobing's behavior seemed a little unusual.
The two arrived at a garden restaurant several kilometers away from the software park.
This type of restaurant is the kind Lu Zhe would never consider, given its low cost-performance ratio. It might not be the most delicious, but it's definitely expensive. Its biggest advantage is the pleasant, quiet, and elegant ambiance, with meticulous attention to food presentation and plating.
In contrast, Lu Zhe preferred hot pot and barbecue. He also knew that Xia Xiaobing preferred hot pot even more than he did, so the restaurant they chose for lunch today was quite unexpected.
After sitting down, Lu Zhe looked around and said, "It's the middle of the day and there are no other customers, just the two of us? How quiet is this place... Didn't you say that you should look for places with lots of people to eat?"
Xia Xiaobing looked down at the table, not at him, and her voice was softer than usual. It seemed as if the confident and mature woman had turned into a reserved lady.
She said, "But isn't the environment here very nice?"
Lu Zhe nodded: "Indeed."
The environment was indeed very nice; the space where the two of them were located was quite spacious, and the surroundings were filled with flowers and plants, colorful yet not cluttered. On the white tablecloth were gleaming cutlery and chopsticks, complemented by hazy blue fabric.
This chapter is not finished yet. Please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
