"Mr. Xie, hello. I hope you'll guide me more in the future. If I do anything wrong, please point it out," Yao Qiguang bowed, showing respect to his future boss.
Xie Sui nodded, "I'm not one for many rules. Just do your job well. Don't be disloyal; loyalty is paramount, even more important than ability. My office is a bit small. I'll get a bigger one made later and set up a studio for you. Anan, make the arrangements."
When he had bought an entire floor for the company, there were only over a dozen employees brought by Anan. As the business expanded, they had hired several times, now numbering in the hundreds, divided into several departments. The previously prepared conference rooms were now too small and needed renovation, along with the CEO's office to give it some presence.
"Understood, Mr. Xie."
"Secretary Yao, you can go now. Familiarize yourself with the work, and we'll officially start tomorrow."
Yao Qiguang nodded and turned to leave. Xie Sui asked Lin Nan to sit down, "Where did you find him? A secretary is no trivial matter; they must be one of our own." He didn't trust Yao Qiguang. After falling out with those three bigwigs, this person suddenly appeared, making Xie Sui a bit uneasy.
Lin Nan replied, "He's a legitimate university graduate and has worked in several companies, even serving as an assistant general manager. With the current market downturn and many companies going bankrupt, he was looking for a change. I've investigated him; his abilities are good, and his background is clean. It should be fine."
"Let's observe him for now. No need to assign him core tasks yet. By the way, how is the acquisition of Jun Family Group progressing? What's their reaction?" Xie Sui thought it was time to deal with that perverse scoundrel Jun Shao. Without his father, what was he? Xie Sui disdained confronting him; it was unnecessary. The man was as good as dead. Once the Jun family collapsed, he wouldn't even bother looking at him if he knelt before him.
"The Jun family is naturally in a panic. Besides retail investors, some shareholders have also started selling stocks. Many companies' stocks have stabilized, and some have even risen. The Jun family's stocks have been in a steady decline; it's painful to watch. If this continues, they might collapse on their own without us even acquiring them."
"That bad? Doesn't the Jun family have any measures to support their stock?"
"I'm not sure about that."
Xie Sui waved his hand, "Continue the acquisition. Don't let word get out. Once we become the largest shareholder, we'll give the Jun family a surprise. I'll get back every penny that belongs to me." Jun Shao, after being kidnapped, had promised Xie Sui five hundred million but reneged, believing Xie Sui couldn't do anything to him. Xie Sui was determined to make the Jun family pay.
As Anan went off to handle things, Xie Sui was about to call Lin Wanwan when his phone rang. Upon answering, it turned out to be Lin Shishi.
"Brother-in-law, I know I was wrong, I really was. Please, let me out, I'm going crazy, sob..."
Xie Sui's face turned cold, "You're not crazy yet, are you? No one's beaten or scolded you. You're being well-fed and cared for. Are you still not satisfied? Study diligently. When the teachers say you've learned everything, you'll be released naturally. Protect your face; you'll rely on it to earn a living in the future. Don't call me unless it's necessary; I'll arrange for you when I need you. Goodbye." Xie Sui hung up directly. Truly ungrateful, crying about it.
The phone rang again. Thinking it was still Lin Shishi, Xie Sui answered with an impatient tone, "Stop bothering me. I'm not your parents to indulge your bad habits!"
"Who are you angry with?"
It was Lin Wanwan's voice. Xie Sui's expression immediately changed. "Oh, Wanwan, my dear wife. I wasn't seeing clearly. So many people make me angry; I need my dear wife's comfort."
Lin Wanwan chuckled, "Stop joking. My due date is still a month away. Can you come back? I went for a check-up today, and everything is fine."
Xie Sui's eyes softened, "I'll return as soon as possible. Don't worry, Wanwan. I'm truly sorry for leaving you alone at home, not being by your side when you need me the most."
Lin Wanwan felt a pang in her heart. She hadn't felt wronged usually. She was well-fed and clothed, and her mother-in-law, sister, and grandmother took care of her, almost pampering her. But with Xie Sui saying this, she felt a bit down. "It's good you know. I'm fine in every way, but sometimes I miss you and have no one to talk to."
Xie Sui also felt heartache, wishing he could fly to her side immediately. "I'll return as soon as possible. Is everything alright at home?" Although Xie Sui had arranged for bodyguards to protect his family and knew their situation, he still wanted to hear Lin Wanwan talk about it.
"Everything is fine. Our son's studies are all top marks; the teacher praises my parenting. Weiguo is going on blind dates; I've told him he must get married. I give the younger brothers in the family living expenses each month, which they'll have to repay him later, not let their brother support them comfortably..." Lin Wanwan chattered about family matters, and Xie Sui couldn't get enough of listening.
The office door opened, revealing Guan Zhizhi, leaning against the doorframe and making a gesture of knocking.
"Wanwan, I have a visitor here. I'll call you back tonight. I bought you many gifts and had them mailed. Remember to collect them. Goodbye."
"Alright. No need to buy me gifts; we have no more space at home." Lin Wanwan hung up first, and Xie Sui then put down his phone.
Guan Zhizhi had been watching him, seeing a gentle expression on a man's face for the first time, his voice laced with tenderness. His wife must be very happy. "Miss Guan, what a rare visitor. You're not here to stare blankly, are you? Please, sit down."
Guan Zhizhi snapped back to reality and sat opposite him, her expression gloomy. "What's wrong? Who upset our beautiful Miss Guan? Who has such a heart of stone to endure it?" Guan Zhizhi glared at him. He clearly wasn't interested in her, yet he spoke so alluringly. "You know my situation, don't you? Young Master Liu wishes I could pay for his mother's life. Now, many people outside are laughing at me. Liu Zixiong is busy with the group's affairs; he has no time for me."
Xie Sui felt a twinge of guilt. He had indeed sent someone to provoke Liu Zixiong's original wife, not expecting her to die from anger. Guan Zhizhi was also an innocent victim. However, she wasn't entirely blameless; in his past life, she had done this, just six months later.
"Miss Guan, you're not here to vent your troubles to me, are you? I don't seem to be good at comforting people."
Guan Zhizhi said with feigned anger, "I saw how well you coaxed your wife on the phone. You're not bad at it; you're just unwilling, aren't you?"
"That's right. Nothing is impossible; it all depends on willingness. If I'm willing, I'd give my heart. If I'm unwilling, I'd feel wronged even for the slightest effort. Miss Guan is an understanding person. Men are all scoundrels, myself included."