The man stood with one hand in his pocket in front of the floor-to-ceiling window, his dark eyes fixed intently on the towering skyscraper, his back tall and lean.
Gu Chao held a coffee cup, took a light sip, and gazed deeply at the distant, lofty Shen Group building.
Secretary Feng pushed the door open. "President, the jewelry department has repeatedly asked whether we can resume the spokesperson talent show."
After that accident, the entire department took responsibility, and an investigation later revealed the mastermind behind it was Pan Zhiyao. Due to the artist's personal life being involved, it had to be suspended.
At the mention of this, Gu Chao suddenly thought of someone and raised an eyebrow slightly. "I remember there was a contestant in the talent show who performed well. Let's set her as the spokesperson."
"Are you referring to Song Weiwei, President?"
Gu Chao nodded lightly. "Draft a cooperation plan as soon as possible."
The delay in the new product launch had caused considerable losses to the jewelry under Lan Zhen.
"By the way, the new product spokesperson has always been handled by Miss An. She's been suspended for so long. Should we consider calling her back?"
Without the reminder, he would have almost forgotten that the chairman's wife of Lan Zhen was still at home feeling wronged over this matter. Shen Xiaoxing had returned to the Shen Group recently and was probably too busy to even remember this, right?
With no classes on the weekend, An Ruo was难得 resting at home. She had just turned on the TV and watched for a while when she suddenly received a call from Secretary Feng.
"Assistant An, how have you been resting at home these days?"
"Not well. It's too empty at home, so I can only go back to school to teach and pass the time." An Ruo asked excitedly, "Secretary Feng, you didn't call just to ask about my recent situation, did you? Has the President allowed me to return to work?"
"Oh, I wanted to surprise you, but I didn't expect you to guess it." Secretary Feng chuckled. "That's right. The President has resumed the new product launch, and he's already decided on the spokesperson internally. There's some follow-up work that needs your attention, so he's asked me to formally notify you that you can come back to work in the next couple of days."
After hanging up, An Ruo was so happy she could barely contain herself. She clenched her fist and thrust it above her head, shouting, "Yes!"
An Che, who was coming downstairs to get water, saw her laughing so joyfully and walked over curiously. "Sis, what's got you so happy?"
"I can go back to work!"
He had heard about the accident that happened during her work.
Hearing this, his expression instantly relaxed. "Really?"
"Yeah. Secretary Feng just called personally to notify me about returning to work. Finally, I don't have to stay idle at home."
"You haven't been idle, though. Haven't you been taking care of brother-in-law?"
"That's true."
"I think even if you don't work, you can still take good care of brother-in-law at home. Besides, it's a chance to build some feelings between you two."
An Ruo smiled, then glanced at him. "You seem pretty close to him. Why do I feel like you're more affectionate toward him than me?"
"Not at all." An Che widened his eyes and looked at her seriously. "Of course, I'm closest to you, sis!"
"He's so good to you. Shouldn't you be the tightest with him?"
"Whether he's good to me or not doesn't matter. The key is that he's good to you."
An Ruo ruffled his hair. "Then we have to repay his kindness too."
...
Lan Zhen Group.
The day after Secretary Feng's call, An Ruo returned to her post. Manager Yao briefed her on the new product matters that had occurred during her absence.
"The President thinks Song Weiwei performed well. Making it to the knockout rounds shows she's got solid skills. With this incident, Lan Zhen doesn't plan to continue the competition. For now, she's the only suitable candidate besides her."
An Ruo had a good impression of Song Weiwei. According to the data, her scores in various competitions were extremely high. Setting aside the fact that she was a victim, she was indeed quite qualified for this spokesperson role.
Besides, this was Gu Chao's chosen candidate. As a subordinate, what objection could she have?
Seeing no issues with the agreement, An Ruo nodded. "Contact Miss Song's agent and set a time to sign the contract."
"Got it. I'll handle it right away."
After Manager Yao left, she went to the President's office to report to Gu Chao.
She knocked politely, and the man inside said in a deep voice, "Come in."
An Ruo placed the coffee cup she was holding on the desk. Secretary Feng had asked her to bring it in on her way. "President."
Gu Chao looked up at the sound of her voice. Seeing it was her, a faint smile appeared on his face. "You've been resting at home for so long. How's your mindset now?"
"Ready to take orders from you at any time, President."
Gu Chao studied her. He felt she had changed a lot during this time—no longer as cold and rigid as before. Now, there was more approachability in her expression, and her speech carried a touch of humor.
It seemed the couple had been getting along well lately. She must be thriving under A Xing's influence!
"Arrange the signing for the spokesperson as soon as possible. Also, I think you have good leadership skills. It's a waste to keep you as a mere assistant by my side. How about this: the film project Lan Zhen is investing in is still in preparation. You'll oversee it." Gu Chao took a sip of coffee and said casually, "You can report to HR later."
On her first day back, a windfall fell into her lap, leaving An Ruo stunned.
"President, this..." She gave a wry smile. "My abilities are limited. Giving me such an important position might be too much for me."
"Don't sell yourself short. I have faith in you, and I believe you can handle this role well." Gu Chao leaned back in his executive chair and rocked slightly. "But don't think being an art director is easy. You'll need to show me even greater strength than you have now."
Since Gu Chao thought so highly of her, why should An Ruo keep refusing? How could she know she wasn't up to it without trying?
Leaving the President's office, An Ruo immediately went to HR to report. With Gu Chao's prior instructions, the art director position had already been cleared for her.
Yang Sisi walked in with a stack of files. "Director, these are the handover documents. If there's anything you don't understand or need clarification on, just call me."
An Ruo looked at the clever and adorable girl before her and smiled lightly. "What's your name?"
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Yang Sisi. You can call me Sisi."
An Ruo nodded, took the files, and began flipping through them slowly. "Alright, go ahead with your work for now. I'll call you if I need anything."
Before leaving, Yang Sisi brewed her a cup of tea.
Meanwhile, Secretary Feng reported An Ruo's assignment to Gu Chao in detail.
"Yang Sisi has been with the company for two years. Though she's a newcomer, she's competent and has strong execution skills."
Assigning a seasoned assistant might lead to reluctance to work under a green young girl.
Gu Chao nodded slightly. Shen Xiaoxing had specifically asked him to find a comfortable and easy position for this girl, but after thinking it over, aside from the film department, nothing else was truly easy.
And An Ruo had a stubborn temper, was meticulous, and extremely sensitive. If he gave her a truly cushy job with good pay, would she even believe it?
Gu Chao waved his hand, dismissing Secretary Feng.
He thought for a moment, then picked up his phone and sent the news to the man, along with a photo of An Ruo that Secretary Feng had secretly taken.
Far away in the Shen Group's President's office, the man was buried in work for the new development zone. His phone on the desk lit up. He rubbed his temples, opened it, and saw a message from Gu Chao.