Chapter 3#
Chapter 3#
Tan Xiao and Zhou Ruofei walked a bit further away.
Zhou Ruofei, having heard Tan Xiao’s address to the person, asked Tan Xiao, “Is that your boss? He’s actually a handsome guy, not at all like a travel agency boss.”
Tan Xiao said, “Wencheng is an internet listed company, not really a travel agency. That person just now was Wencheng’s Executive President. Wencheng doesn’t have a CEO; the Executive President reports directly to the board of directors and is the actual decision-maker.”
Zhou Ruofei didn’t care about any of that and said, “Why does your president act so much like a civil servant?”
Tan Xiao said, “Chinese entrepreneurs are like that. They generally like to dress themselves up to appear close to the system.”
To dispel Zhou Ruofei’s wishful thinking, he still called Tan Yun. It was afternoon in Switzerland, so Tan Yun definitely wouldn’t have time for him.
Sure enough, Tan Yun didn’t answer, only sending a quick message that she was working and to leave a message if it was important.
“See?” Tan Xiao said. “It’s not that I don’t help you; the queen is busy.”
Zhou Ruofei looked dejected and then said, “She doesn’t like to pay attention to me even when she’s free. Actually, I know I’m just not her type.”
Tan Xiao was greatly surprised and said, “Do you really know or just pretend to know? How did you suddenly grow a brain?”
Zhou Ruofei, however, said, “She likes men like your president.”
“Ah? No… not really?” Tan Xiao asked doubtfully. “But my ex-brother-in-law didn’t look like that either.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “That was an arranged marriage, not someone she truly wanted to marry. She didn’t like that French shoemaker.”
That fleeting ex-brother-in-law was no shoemaker; he was the young head of a century-old French leather goods brand.
Tan Xiao wasn’t very clear about his sister’s marriage. Tan Yun was more than ten years older than him. She had a flash marriage and flash divorce many years ago, all happening in Europe, lasting less than a year. At the same time, Tan Xiao was preparing for the Gaokao in China, far away, so he only had a vague impression of the matter.
Zhou Ruofei’s teeth itched with jealousy, jealous of both the ex-brother-in-law and Zhang Xingchuan’s face. He whimsically made a wish: “When I sleep tonight, I’ll transmigrate into your boss, and then go find Sister Yun for an arranged marriage.”
Tan Xiao said, “Then you’d better not dream that dream. Given Wencheng’s size, my boss’s annual salary is at most a little over ten million. Even if my sister really plans another arranged marriage, it wouldn’t be with him.”
Zhou Ruofei said, “Ten million isn’t a small amount.”
Tan Xiao said, “That’s RMB.”
Zhou Ruofei re-wished: “No matter, he’s poor but handsome. If an arranged marriage doesn’t work out, being a live-in son-in-law for your Tan family is also very suitable.”
Tan Xiao said seriously, “Please don’t maliciously slander our president. He’s just a very handsome guy with not much money. What did he do wrong?”
The next day.
As soon as Tan Xiao, the operations intern in the Marketing Department, started work, he was called upstairs by a phone call from the CEO’s office less than ten minutes after sitting at his desk.
In Zhang Xingchuan’s CEO office.
Tan Xiao sat opposite Zhang Xingchuan, not knowing what the CEO wanted to talk to him about, so he just waited to see what would happen and didn’t initiate a conversation.
Zhang Xingchuan wasn’t wearing glasses. His prescription probably wasn’t high, so he wasn’t permanently attached to his myopia glasses.
The office was warm, and the CEO had no outdoor arrangements, wearing only a casual shirt. He seemed a bit more approachable than the previous two times Tan Xiao had seen him. He was originally a very cheerful person, and today he had the image of a warm, friendly neighbor.
The CEO didn’t mention the irrelevant encounter at the restaurant last night; that was the intern’s private matter outside of work.
He only asked Tan Xiao how his internship in the Marketing Department was going, expressing concern in a gentle and appropriate manner.
Tan Xiao handled this conversation with ease. The two exchanged questions and answers, having a lively chat.
Zhang Xingchuan then asked, “How’s that paper on AI and POI coming along?”
Tan Xiao said, “It’s already been submitted to a journal. I’ll know if it gets published after the New Year.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “You’re quite efficient.”
Tan Xiao said, “I had nothing else to do at the time, so I wrote it very quickly. After starting the internship at Wencheng, I got busy and haven’t accomplished anything significant in the past half-month.”
Zhang Xingchuan hadn’t known he was a PhD student at the time and invited him to intern at Wencheng with 100% good intentions.
Now, in this situation, he felt like he, as an alumnus, was being quite disingenuous, tricking a prospective PhD in finance from Tsinghua into coming, only to put him in an operations role in the Marketing Department—using a Damascus steel butcher knife to kill a chick.
Tan Xiao was very clever in social matters. Seeing Zhang Xingchuan’s attitude, he quickly understood that he hadn’t done it on purpose; there was probably some minor, irrelevant misunderstanding.
Tan Xiao was also a broad-minded person and immediately decided not to hold it against Mr. Zhang.
“I didn’t mean anything else,” Tan Xiao said. “I’m not complaining.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “The operations job is too simple for you.”
Tan Xiao thought for a moment and honestly replied, “It’s not necessarily simple. There’s a lot to do, but it’s all very boring. Having to do boring work every day is quite a difficult thing.”
Zhang Xingchuan deeply agreed with this view. Challenging difficult things was more interesting to him. He assumed Tan Xiao meant the same thing.
He planned to have Tan Xiao go to the Finance Division after the New Year. Now that they had talked this much, it wouldn’t be good to force Tan Xiao to continue in the Marketing Department. So he made a temporary adjustment: “Before the Spring Festival, you’ll come here with me.”
He instructed his special assistant to guide Tan Xiao.
The special assistant took Tan Xiao out to arrange the transfer of internship, workstation, and other matters with administration. Then she came back in alone and asked Zhang Xingchuan, “Mr. Zhang, what exactly should I teach him?”
Zhang Xingchuan didn’t care much and said, “Just guide him. Let him learn on his own.”
Even if Zhang Xingchuan was very fond of Tan Xiao, it was unrealistic for the CEO to personally teach a student how to do things.
Moreover, he believed Tan Xiao should have self-learning abilities. If he didn’t even have that, then there was no need for him to continue paying attention to Tan Xiao.
The special assistant, Sister Jiaxin, was initially a bit annoyed at being assigned a temporary “tail,” but Tan Xiao was diligent, sweet-talking, and incredibly smart. Many tasks that had stumped her and required several attempts to understand when she first became the CEO’s special assistant, Tan Xiao understood just by watching.
Within a few days, without her even asking, Tan Xiao could proactively handle nearly a third of her workload.
“Sister Jiaxin,” Tan Xiao showed the special assistant the document he had prepared and said, “Please check if it’s correct. If there are no issues, I’ll send it.”
The special assistant looked at it, nodded, and agreed for him to send it. In her heart, she began to thank Zhang Xingchuan. At the end of the year, everyone was incredibly busy, and he had assigned her an angelic younger brother to help with work. A kind-hearted CEO like him deserved to get rich.
It would be even better if the CEO could let a little more wealth slip through his fingers to her.
Zhang Xingchuan was on the phone. Tan Xiao knocked and came in to deliver a document for the special assistant. Zhang Xingchuan gestured for him to wait.
Tan Xiao stood by, bored, and saw a Twisty puzzle stress-relief toy on the desk. He picked it up and casually squeezed it a few times.
Zhang Xingchuan, on the phone: “…”
He didn’t even see the process clearly, only saw Tan Xiao squeeze the Twisty puzzle a few times with his slender fingers, shaping it into the outline of a “Thinker.”
What a Twisty puzzle sculpture master.
Zhang Xingchuan finished his call. Tan Xiao placed the document in front of him. Zhang Xingchuan reviewed it, found no issues, and signed it.
“How is it?” he asked Tan Xiao. “Is the work in the CEO’s office boring?”
“It’s alright. I’m still adapting,” Tan Xiao said. “Thanks to Sister Jiaxin, she’s really good.”
Zhang Xingchuan agreed: “Jiaxin is indeed very good.”
The special assistant had an ordinary education. She joined Wencheng after graduation, her first position being a flight ticket booking specialist. But she was diligent and responsible, steadily progressing, capable of handling problems, and never afraid to take responsibility. Later, she moved to different departments and was still an outstanding employee every year.
Besides her work ability, she also possessed shining qualities like reliable character, meticulousness, and exceptional memory. Thus, she was noticed by Zhang Xingchuan, transferred to human resources, then to the administrative office, and intentionally cultivated along the way. The special assistant herself also worked very hard. When Wencheng went public, she was transferred by Zhang Xingchuan to the CEO’s office, becoming the CEO’s special assistant in her early thirties, already entering Wencheng’s middle management.
It must be said that Zhang Xingchuan truly loved being a talent scout.
He remembered that the New Year was only a week away, and a few months after the Spring Festival, Tan Xiao would also graduate.
Zhang Xingchuan took the opportunity to ask, “Do you have any plans for your development after graduation?”
He was confident that Tan Xiao would have a clear life plan and now mainly wanted to hear how much intention Tan Xiao had to stay at Wencheng.
During the time Tan Xiao was temporarily with the special assistant in the CEO’s office, Zhang Xingchuan observed him from time to time and was very satisfied. He had even thought about which department to assign him to if he officially joined Wencheng after graduation, how to temper him step by step, and if things went smoothly, he had great potential to become his capable right-hand man in the future.
This time, however, Tan Xiao was quite tactless.
During his time in the CEO’s office, he had also gradually come to understand some of Zhang Xingchuan’s ways of doing things.
The example of Sister Jiaxin, the special assistant, was not an isolated case. Zhang Xingchuan genuinely liked to provide development opportunities for employees, loved to discover the potential of those around him, and cultivate his chosen talents to make them shine. This process gave Mr. Zhang a great sense of accomplishment.
This CEO really had a hobby of “nurturing” people.
Tan Xiao could tell that Zhang Xingchuan’s current target for nurturing was him, but he was 100% certain he didn’t need to be nurtured. He had to decisively reject the CEO to avoid wasting the other party’s good intentions.
Moreover, the resources Wencheng could provide were limited. If he occupied the CEO’s “nurturing niche,” then a talented young person who originally had a chance to stand out would inevitably miss a great opportunity.
“I’m a ‘salted fish’ who goes with the flow; I don’t have any plans,” Tan Xiao confessed. “I might continue to do some academic work and apply for a postdoctoral research station. However, postdocs usually have to take on teaching duties, and I don’t want to mislead students yet, so I need to think about it more.”
Zhang Xingchuan didn’t quite understand at first and said, “Doing academic work isn’t bad, but you studied finance, and with such good conditions, coming out to work would have better prospects.”
Tan Xiao said, “That would be too competitive. I don’t have any expectations of becoming a successful person, so there’s no need for me to compete.”
Zhang Xingchuan was bewildered for a moment and asked with great incomprehension, “You’ve studied all the way to a PhD at Tsinghua. How many peers can compete with you?”
Tan Xiao was quite arrogant about this and said, “Studying and taking exams are as easy as breathing for me. I’m still pursuing my PhD precisely so I don’t have to go out and compete.”
“Don’t joke,” Zhang Xingchuan said. “You’ve been actively interning and practicing since your undergraduate days. Don’t tell me you really have no goals.”
Tan Xiao said, “I’m very serious. I like internships because internships themselves are fun. Besides, only studying without participating in practical activities makes people stupid.”
Zhang Xingchuan: “…”
He had learned about Tan Xiao’s family background: his parents were divorced, and he lived with his mother. His mother had remarried, and both she and her husband were ordinary civil servants in a provincial capital city in the south.
Tan Xiao’s demeanor in dealing with people was well-balanced, likely cultivated by the civil servant family atmosphere.
Such a family didn’t have abundant cash flow, but children growing up in this background wouldn’t have too many material worries.
Zhang Xingchuan thought for a moment and said, “Are you in a relationship? For love to last, it also needs a material foundation.”
Tan Xiao said, “I’m not in a relationship, and I don’t want to be.”
This completely stumped the CEO.
Zhang Xingchuan himself graduated from Tsinghua with a bachelor’s degree, went to the US for graduate studies, gained two years of experience in Silicon Valley, and then returned to China to start his own business. For over a decade, he had diligently moved forward every day, picking the thorns and flowers along the way to achieving his small goals. To him, it was a colorful and interesting journey, and if life were to restart, he would still be willing to do it again.
Indeed, he liked Tan Xiao very much. Tan Xiao was a very intelligent young man who disliked dull and boring things, indicating that his underlying personality was adventurous, knew when to advance and retreat, understood human nature, and his high education was even the least noteworthy of his strengths.
Zhang Xingchuan never expected that such a seemingly well-rounded, standard “competition king” would turn out to be a “salted fish”?
“President,” Tan Xiao, still a curious “salted fish,” asked, “Don’t just ask me, do you have a girlfriend?”
Zhang Xingchuan was at a loss. The “thousand-mile horse” couldn’t run away and even wanted to “manage up” the talent scout.
“I’m single,” Zhang Xingchuan said.
Tan Xiao got along well with his colleagues at Wencheng and occasionally heard gossip. Many people had emphatically said that Zhang Xingchuan didn’t date and wasn’t interested in women because he had a “white moonlight” from his student days. For various reasons, they couldn’t be together back then. The “white moonlight” was married and had gone overseas, and Zhang Xingchuan had never let go, preferring to stay single rather than settle.
Tan Xiao had questioned at the time: “No, are you talking about Zhang Xingchuan or He Yichen?”
He was half-believing, half-doubting the rumors, but genuinely curious how someone like Zhang Xingchuan could still be single in his thirties.
Tan Xiao said, “President, you’re so handsome, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
Zhang Xingchuan looked at him strangely and said, “You’re also very handsome, why don’t you have a girlfriend?”
Tan Xiao said, “How old am I? I’m still young.”
Zhang Xingchuan said, “You’ll be twenty-four after the New Year. Is that very young?”
Tan Xiao said, “I don’t want to have a girlfriend, and you are…”
Zhang Xingchuan didn’t want him to ask and aggressively pressed, “Why don’t you want to date?”
Tan Xiao truly couldn’t explain this question and said, “The reasons are a bit complex. In short, I’m not free to choose.”
Hmm? Zhang Xingchuan raised an eyebrow.
Tan Xiao said, “There are some private reasons. I can’t freely pursue the relationships I want, and I don’t want to deceive innocent girls’ feelings, so I just don’t date.”
Even Queen Tan Yun was forced into an arranged marriage. What ability did he have to choose his preferred spouse? Rather than misleading himself and others, it was better to seal his heart and love.
Zhang Xingchuan: …
Zhang Xingchuan understood.
He had once seen Tan Xiao and a gender-neutral handsome man pulling and tugging, which had already made him a little suspicious.
Now, he heard Tan Xiao’s statement, which seemed to be trying to cover something up.
His favored “thousand-mile horse” suddenly turned into a “salted fish,” and a gay man at that?