The rich fragrance of coffee spread with the rising steam, morning sunlight caressing her face through the window. She closed her eyes, savoring the moment.
This moment of solitude was interrupted by a knock at the door. She furrowed her brow slightly, holding her coffee as she returned to her desk and responded flatly, “Come in.”
Chen Zhenxing entered, excitement on his face. “Xue Man, you must reward me generously this time. The trip to Hong Kong was fruitful. Our company and Japan’s Fujino Advertising are now the final contenders.”
Ou Xueman was stunned, having forgotten the company’s current situation amid recent events. She smiled apologetically, “Well, okay. If we win, I’ll give you a month-long vacation.” She still didn’t quite understand which project he was referring to.
“You said it, don’t go back on your word. Don’t call me back after a few days,” Chen Zhenxing warned, remembering how she’d previously urged him back quickly.
“Uh,” Ou Xueman said with a smile, “This time, I definitely won’t.” She promised emphatically.
“Let’s talk business,” Chen Zhenxing said, adopting a professional demeanor. “The Asia-Pacific Executive Director will host a briefing dinner in Hong Kong. I know you don’t like attending such events, but as our legal representative, you must show your face.”
Ou Xueman sat in the comfortable leather chair and replied, “Okay, I know. I can’t avoid it.”
— Dividing Line —
In the car, she opened the materials Chen Zhenxing had given her. Just as she was about to read them, her phone rang. It was Owen.
“Xue Man, do you know your company is bidding to be our group’s partner?” Owen asked anxiously.
Confused, Ou Xueman responded, “What are you talking about? Is that true? I had no idea.”
Owen continued, “I just started looking into this and saw your company’s bidding proposal. Wasn’t your deputy general manager Chen Zhenxing? He came to visit me about this. I had my assistant handle the details. You really don’t know about this?”
“Wait,” Ou Xueman quickly opened the materials. The words “Di’s” in the document struck her. So Chen Zhenxing was indeed competing for the Di’s project.
