C18 The Business Department Doesn't Accept Trash!

"What can I possibly do when faced with such a conniving old man...?"

In the taxi, Chen Qingchuan was on the phone with Zhao Hongwu.

He wasn't calling to complain about the old man's 'crimes'; rather, he was handing over the management of the provincial branch to Zhao Hongwu.

Since he was about to start working at Su Xue's, he simply wouldn't have the time to oversee the provincial branch's operations. He could only provide oversight on major decisions.

As for Zhao Hongwu... she seemed to be taking pleasure in his predicament. "I think I've stumbled upon a golden opportunity."

"I'm going to prepare a red banner right now, welcoming the son-in-law home, and then sell it to Zhu Yuhong and Su Jun for 100,000 yuan. Those two will be tripping over themselves to buy it. Wow, with 100,000 yuan, think of all the spicy hotpot I could buy. Just the thought of it is thrilling..."

Chen Qingchuan abruptly ended the call. The old man was a trickster, and Ms Hongwu was reveling in his misfortune. Life was becoming unbearable!

Of course, he could choose to be unfaithful to his word, but Chen Qingchuan had never broken a promise in his life.

He believed the old man had seen this integrity in him, which is why he had staged such a dramatic scene to deceive him.

In the office, Su Xue was puzzled by Chen Qingchuan's presence.

When Chen Qingchuan explained the old man's intentions, Su Xue simply responded with an "Oh," her beautiful face betraying no emotion. In truth, she didn't know what to feel or how to act around Chen Qingchuan.

Fortunately, Chen Qingchuan was soon assigned to the Business Department, where the educational requirements were not as stringent, and the job offered more freedom. He wouldn't be confined to an office all day. As for his previous role as a security guard, Su Xue couldn't bring herself to assign him there again.

Chen Qingchuan had no complaints about his new position and accepted it with enthusiasm.

Led by the secretary, he was escorted to the Business Department.

Initially, there was a buzz of curiosity about Chen Qingchuan's arrival, but the intrigue only deepened after the secretary announced Su Xue's plans for him.

"What's the deal with dumping this deadweight into our Business Department? Is it some kind of joke about my leadership, as if we're just twiddling our thumbs here?" Zhang Sihai, the head of the Business Department, confronted the secretary outside the office.

He couldn't help but wonder what Su Xue was thinking by bringing in someone like Chen Qingchuan without any apparent reason.

The secretary simply stated it was Su Xue's decision before departing, her role being to arrange, not to explain.

Dissatisfied and irked, Zhang Sihai returned to the business area with a frosty demeanor. The office was abuzz with chatter about Chen Qingchuan's arrival until Zhang Sihai's palm struck the desk with a resounding smack, silencing everyone instantly.

He then swept his stern gaze over the employees. "What is this, a social club? Have you all met your targets?" he barked.

The room fell silent. Calls were made, reports were written, and not a soul dared to waste another word.

It was clear that Zhang Sihai commanded respect on his turf.

He then summoned Chen Qingchuan. "You, to my office, now!"

Zhang Sihai strode to his office with Chen Qingchuan trailing behind him nonchalantly.

No sooner had they left than the office buzzed anew:

"I knew it, Zhang has no time for that loser. What does it matter if he's Director Su's husband? Zhang won't stand for any nonsense!"

"That guy's not going to last long here with Zhang's fiery temper."

"Hey, let's place bets on when he'll get the boot!"

"Count me in! Who else is in? I'll bankroll it. Let's have some fun with this..."

The office was alight with the thrill of the wager, while the subject of their bets was in Zhang Sihai's office, receiving a stern lecture.

"Regardless of your connection to Director Su, you're in my domain now. You'll follow my rules and meet my standards. Fail to hit your performance metrics, and you're out, no matter what Director Su might say!"

Zhang Sihai delivered a stern lecture, but Chen Qingchuan responded with a dismissive "Oh" and that was the end of it.

Zhang Sihai was so frustrated with Chen Qingchuan's lack of initiative that he wished he could physically remove him from the premises. The more he looked at him, the more irritated he became.

He couldn't fathom why Su Xue had placed Chen Qingchuan in his department. It was utterly exasperating.

"Get out, just get out. You're a thorn in my side!" Zhang Sihai exclaimed.

"Feeling's mutual," Chen Qingchuan retorted as he sauntered out, leaving Zhang Sihai gaping in disbelief.

What did Chen Qingchuan mean by 'mutual'? Was he implying that Zhang Sihai was also a source of annoyance? The idea that he, a respected business manager, was scorned by someone he considered worthless was deeply unsettling to Zhang Sihai.

So, ten minutes later, Zhang Sihai had someone fetch a task plan and toss it to Chen Qingchuan.

"Zhang has spoken. You've got three days to get up to speed with the business. After that, you're hitting the streets to distribute flyers. You've got one week to secure 700 valid users. Fail, and you're out on your ear. Got it?" the messenger relayed.

Chen Qingchuan couldn't be bothered to engage with the messenger. He had no desire to enter into a battle of wits with such a trivial adversary. In his view, it would be more entertaining to find a corner to relieve himself into an anthill.

Meanwhile, a female colleague named Huang Nini approached. After handing Chen Qingchuan the business materials Zhang had instructed her to prepare, she turned to the messenger and said, "Zhou Lei, he's new to our Sales Department. Asking him to bring in seven hundred valid users in one week seems a bit much, don't you think? Maybe you could mention to Zhang to ease up a bit."

Zhou Lei scoffed, "Why should I speak up for him to Zhang? Just because he's Director Su's husband?"

"Give it a rest. Everyone knows that's a marriage in name only. Who knows how long he pleaded with Director Su to finally land a spot in our Sales Department. But let's be clear: our department has no room for dead weight. You either shape up or ship out!"

After finishing his spiel, Zhou Lei swiftly packed up his things and headed out to drum up some business with a confident stride.

Watching Zhou Lei's retreating figure, Huang Nini stuck out her tongue in disdain. "What a piece of trash!"

She then turned to Chen Qingchuan and said, "Don't waste your time on that guy. His sales skills are subpar, but he's an expert at brown-nosing. He's nothing but a sycophant!"

Chen Qingchuan chuckled and then inquired, "Why are you sticking up for me, calling me 'trash'? Aren't you worried about alienating your coworkers?"

Huang Nini responded, "I've got to have your back. You were there for me before, so now it's my turn to support you. We're just looking out for each other!"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. What's with that look? You better not tell me you've forgotten who I am!"

Hmm, the girl had a cherubic, plump face and was undeniably adorable, but Chen Qingchuan genuinely didn't seem to recognize her.

Huang Nini facepalmed at Chen Qingchuan's bewildered expression.

"People say that important folks tend to be forgetful, but you don't look all that important. So how come you're so forgetful?"

"A month ago, to be exact, at ten o'clock on the night of the ninth, during a heavy rainstorm. Does that ring a bell?"

Chen Qingchuan's memory seemed to be jogged at last.