SCHS - Chapter 21
Chapter 21
The boss, dressed in designer clothes and looking radiant, calmly pulled out a baseball bat polished to a shine from under her desk. Tao Wanwan never in her life expected to see such a scene.
Tao Wanwan: So our boss is this wild...? Her eyes showed hesitation as she looked at that 'teach you how to behave' bat, and she asked cautiously yet expectantly, "President Wen, are you planning to beat up Jiang Lei with that?"
Tao Wanwan: That sounds... quite satisfying, doesn't it?
As a mischievous little devil, Wen Shixue had no qualms about picking up a bat and beating someone. And according to her philosophy, Jiang Lei really should be dragged over and given a good beating—dishonest scumbags, reasoning is useless; only a beating will teach them a lesson. But Qin Zhen wouldn't allow it. Just before she could answer Tao Wanwan, she preemptively gave her a disapproving look.
Wen Shixue's great endeavor of 'convincing by virtue' was stopped by a single look. Holding the bat, she silently raised an eyebrow at Qin Zhen. Tao Wanwan foolishly followed her gaze and turned to look at Qin Zhen, who lowered her eyes and said softly, "Miss Tao, please wait outside for a moment. President Wen and I have something to discuss."
Regardless of whether Qin Zhen was directly appointed by Wen Lianchang, in Tao Wanwan's heart, she was an unapproachable, aloof big boss, almost on equal footing with Wen Shixue. Now that these two big bosses wanted to talk, how could an innocent bystander dare to stay and eavesdrop? Tao Wanwan hastily wiped away the tears clinging to the corners of her eyes, responded naively, "Oh, oh, okay, okay," and then very tactfully left.
Once the door closed, only Wen Shixue and Qin Zhen remained in the large office.
Wen Shixue adjusted her posture, looking up at Qin Zhen with a relaxed attitude, and although seated, her aura wasn't weak in the slightest. It was as if she was born this way, or perhaps learned it from her parents; no one had ever seen the word 'weak' associated with her. She asked with a smile, "What did Vice President Qin want to discuss?"
Qin Zhen spoke to her again in that calm tone: "President Wen, you cannot hit Jiang Lei."
Wen Shixue, holding the bat, said, "Why?" After thinking for a moment, she added righteously, "You said before I could knock out one of someone's teeth, but no more. Why won't you let me hit him this time?"
She actually remembered what she said. Qin Zhen was silent for a moment, her mood a little complex, and she felt a strange sense of comfort. She pursed her lips, unconsciously adjusting her tone, softening it slightly: "Last time was because President Wen had already established authority at the board meeting beforehand, and the other party knowingly offended. It was reasonable for you to take action. This time, if you directly beat up Jiang Lei, it will easily give people something to talk about."
Last time, at least it could be said the other party was seeking death knowingly. This time, skipping the warning and going straight to action, it's easy for people to put an unpleasant label on Wen Shixue. Moreover, Jiang Lei might even turn the tables, making it not worth the effort. As Wen Shixue's teacher and supervisor, Qin Zhen wouldn't just watch Wen Shixue's reputation be ruined.
After listening, Wen Shixue sighed regretfully, "That was my oversight." Immediately after, her apricot eyes curved gently, a faint smile spreading in their depths, and she said calmly, "But don't worry, Vice President Qin, I wasn't planning to hit him directly."
Qin Zhen: "?"
Wen Shixue tapped the bat with her finger: "This is for establishing authority at Chenfeng."
Only after hearing Tao Wanwan's complaints did she suddenly remember that she hadn't yet brought out her 'authority-killing bat' at a Chenfeng senior management meeting. If she hit Jiang Lei now, she'd be at a disadvantage. But it didn't matter; it's never too late to mend the fold after the sheep are lost. It would be the same if she used this to establish authority after dealing with Jiang Lei—the mischievous little devil's grand entrance is never late!
However, hearing Qin Zhen consider so much for her, she was still very touched. She had to admit, every time she saw Qin Zhen thinking for her and defending her position, she felt a sense of contentment. Perhaps many people were unhappy with her, would deceive her, would hinder her, but Qin Zhen wouldn't. Qin Zhen was mature and steady, and valued kindness and loyalty. If she said she would take care of her, she definitely would. Like a ray of light in the fog, always shining on her, letting her know she wasn't alone and helpless—having this sincere heart was enough, she didn't need too much.
She put the bat down, stood up, and said to Qin Zhen with rare docility, "Thank you, Vice President Qin."
"Thank you for promising not to betray or deceive me, thank you for thinking of me."
"Although this is just the beginning, I will work hard and definitely lead Chenfeng to success!"
In Qin Zhen's clear eyes, the solemn expression of the young superior before her was reflected, and her heart was inexplicably moved. Although Wen Shixue usually spoke and acted erratically, often going off the beaten path, when she needed to be serious, she wasn't careless in the slightest and knew her goal from beginning to end. Essentially... she was still a lovable good child.
Qin Zhen's gaze gradually softened. Although her tone remained calm, it held a touch more gentleness, yet her words were still formal: "President Wen, you're too kind. I receive a salary; this is simply part of my job."
Wen Shixue tilted her head, pushing her luck along Qin Zhen's logic, and asked with sincere eyes, "Then how about I pay you a lifetime salary, and you let me be your job for a lifetime?"
Qin Zhen was mature and steady, experienced, intelligent and capable, and also good-looking. Most importantly, she had a pair of hands like works of art. How could she refuse? She had already made up her mind that when she became the Chairman of Wen Group in the future, she would still want such a useful Qin Zhen working by her side—smart and pleasing to the eye, who wouldn't be happy with that?!
Qin Zhen was completely taken aback by Wen Shixue's innocent hope. In her many years of work, she had never heard such direct words carrying a hint of girlish expectation, especially since she was... A bit bad.
Having a superior who loved to be so direct and didn't even realize she was flirting was truly bad. Although she knew Wen Shixue was talking about serious matters, Wen Shixue's choice of words couldn't help but make one's imagination run wild, causing a tiny bit of awkwardness to surface in her heart. It wasn't scary if the other person was a seasoned player in love, but it was terrifying if their heart was pure, innocent, and without ulterior motives, because words spoken with innocent eyes were often more moving. Even a thousand-year-old withered tree might blush and bloom upon hearing them.
Qin Zhen felt she couldn't hide it any longer and decided to find a good opportunity to confess her sexual orientation to Wen Shixue. Once she confessed, perhaps Wen Shixue's way of speaking would become more restrained, perhaps she would even keep her distance... But that wasn't something she should regret; it was better than hiding it for a lifetime. She was tired of hiding all these years. If it could give her a moment of freedom, she would be willing.
She quickly calmed down, and the tone that had rarely softened returned to its former calm, unruffled state the next second: "President Wen, you're joking."
Seeing her tone suddenly change, Wen Shixue was also confused. After thinking for a long time, she tentatively asked, "Is Vice President Qin unhappy with your salary?"
Qin Zhen was just about to say no.
Wen Shixue spoke first, joking, "Then there's nothing I can do. I'll just have to give myself to Vice President Qin."
"The daughter of Chairman Wen and Ms. Meng, the President of Chenfeng Jewelry, your boss. Vice President Qin, you've struck gold. Get ready to work for me for a lifetime."
Qin Zhen: "..."
Now, it seemed hopeless to expect her to speak properly. It was better to hope she would continue with the actual business.
Qin Zhen helplessly steered the conversation away: "How does President Wen plan to handle Jiang Lei?" She also reminded her, "If he refuses to admit anything, it will be troublesome."
Wen Shixue's ideas came and went quickly; she was never afraid of not being able to keep up with others' conversations. She immediately followed Qin Zhen's topic: "First, call Tao Wanwan in. I have an idea."
Qin Zhen turned to go but was stopped by Wen Shixue calling out, "Wait."
"Also, order me a cup of cola, it must have ice."
Qin Zhen: "..." At a time like this, she could still think of cola. Truly worthy of her.
...
Tao Wanwan was gone for a long time. Jiang Lei didn't care at first because he had asked the people who were called up, and they all said Wen Shixue only asked about work matters, or perhaps asked a few extra questions about what they planned to eat for lunch, just for reference. It was normal for a young boss to have their own personality in how they did things and spoke. Jiang Lei didn't think much of it. But gradually, Tao Wanwan stayed up there longer than anyone else, and Jiang Lei's heart felt like it was thrown into a frying pan, exceptionally tormented.
He paced back and forth in his office, his face anxious. Could Tao Wanwan have said something to President Wen? Or... reported him?
His face startled, he stopped pacing, his expression softening again as he comforted himself. "No, that little fool Tao Wanwan believes whatever people tell her. After mistakenly believing he had Chairman Wen's backing, why would she still seek help from President Wen?"
Even if she did, he would just deny it vehemently. Then he could create a few fake screenshots and turn around and accuse Tao Wanwan of seducing her superior. He could turn black into white.
This was the drawback of the technologically advanced era. A person needed to be extremely careful to maintain their innocence, while others only needed a mouth, or even just an image, to destroy them. Others didn't care about the truth; they only loved to watch rumors. If they encountered jealous colleagues, they would surely grin hideously, eagerly rushing to kick them while they were down, making the situation even more terrifying.
Jiang Lei comforted himself, "Don't panic, no need to panic. Even if Tao Wanwan reported him, Wen Shixue might not necessarily fire him. He had worked for Wen Group for many years; even without merit, he had put in the effort. Wen Shixue, this newborn calf, couldn't make an example of him, an old senior."
But soon Tao Wanwan returned. When she came back, she was holding a cup of ice-cold cola, and the corners of her eyes were tinged with a slight redness, as if she had cried. But the way she nonchalantly drank the cola didn't look like she had cried; someone might even believe she had just yawned because she was too sleepy.
Jiang Lei was suspicious but couldn't directly ask if she had reported him upstairs. After all, he still had to save face in front of everyone. It was Tao Wanwan who wanted to leave, not him. Tao Wanwan, while reviewing Wen Shixue's instructions in her mind, slowly sipped her cola. Seeing Jiang Lei hypocritically step forward to greet her, a wave of nausea immediately rose in her heart. She turned her body to the side and took a small step back.
Fortunately, Zhu Ziming was quick-witted and skillfully gathered other colleagues to shield Tao Wanwan, getting there a step ahead of Jiang Lei. Although he didn't know what had happened, Tao Wanwan was in a bad mood right now, so it was better to reduce her contact with the department head.
Jiang Lei's path was blocked. He cursed inwardly and stopped helplessly, only able to listen as his subordinates showed concern for Tao Wanwan. "Oh dear, what's wrong with our little Wanwan? Why are your eyes red? Did you cry?"
Tao Wanwan knew she couldn't hide the redness around her eyes, so she nodded honestly, "Mm."
A colleague asked sympathetically, "What happened? Did President Wen scold you?"
Tao Wanwan carefully recalled her lines and obediently replied, "No." She added, "President Wen gave me some chicken soup for the soul. I was very touched, so I... cried."
Colleagues: "???"
Zhu Ziming: "???"
Why did he feel like Wen Shixue was more likely to sprinkle arsenic for the soul???
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