Zhan Bei Jue put down his phone. Lu Ming Zhe's nanny took out a tissue to wipe his hands. Vice President Gao came in.
The New Year had not only failed to plump him up, but it had made him even thinner.
Seeing him enter with a worried expression, Zhan Bei Jue immediately guessed that nothing good had happened.
As expected, Vice President Gao stood before him and became emotional.
"Mr. Zhan, I've come to resign."
Zhan Bei Jue looked at him indifferently, saying nothing. Vice President Gao continued on his own.
"I'm getting old, my abilities are insufficient, and my energy can't keep up. I can't manage those young, strong lads anymore."
"Please find someone more capable, approve my resignation, and let me go home to enjoy my twilight years."
This is the problem with talking to older people; they like to beat around the bush and always want others to guess their thoughts.
If anyone else had spoken to Zhan Bei Jue like this, he would have definitely lost his temper.
But the other party was Vice President Gao.
Having spent more than half his life at Zhan's, he was a veteran, having contributed effort if not merit.
Zhan Bei Jue secretly sighed in his heart and looked at him with a placid expression.
"What happened? Vice President Gao, if you have something to say, please say it directly."
Glancing at Lu Ming Zhe beside him, Vice President Gao looked as if he wanted to speak but hesitated.
Lu Ming Zhe, a psychologist, how could he not understand his body language?
"It's nothing, you say your piece. I'm your friend, Mr. Zhan, not a business spy."
Zhan Bei Jue did not refute his words, indicating that it was true.
Vice President Gao could only recount the abnormality in the technology department over the past week.
"Everyone has indeed worked hard, especially after the new product was launched in the second half of last year, taking on tens of billions of orders at once."
"Every engineer was exhausted dealing with the endless minor issues. Their working hours increased, but their salaries did not.
"After a long time, everyone had their grievances, and I understood that, but I didn't expect them to go this far. It's like a mutiny, demanding that I talk to you about a salary increase at the beginning of the year."
"Given that we just lost such a large project, how can you expect me to open my mouth?"
He ended up opening his mouth after all.
Regardless of whether his earlier resignation was a tactic or genuine frustration, Zhan Bei Jue smiled faintly.
"I don't think things are that simple."
"Oh?" Vice President Gao looked at him quizzically.
Zhan Bei Jue gestured with his chin towards the chair opposite him, "Sit down and talk."
Vice President Gao sat down opposite him.
Zhan Bei Jue said, "If they were dissatisfied with their salaries and had grievances about their work, it should have been reflected in their daily work and life."
"It shouldn't have taken until now for you to notice."
"Vice President Gao, a sudden outburst of emotion, and collectively at that, haven't you considered other possibilities?"
Vice President Gao: "..."
"Besides, Zhan's has explicit regulations for salary increases, and they're not unaware of them."
"Even if they wanted to ask for a raise, they wouldn't ask for something so outrageous, knowing it violates company policy..."
Vice President Gao finally understood.
"So, what you're saying is..."
"Exactly. If I'm not mistaken, the salary increase is just their excuse. The ultimate goal is to collectively leave."
This was too terrifying.
They couldn't even be retained with a salary increase, and they wanted to leave en masse?
If the entire technology department left, leaving him as the sole commander, what could he even do?
Vice President Gao was furious: "Who is so audacious?"
"Knowing that Ge Rui is a subsidiary of Zhan's Group, and daring to poach people from you, are they tired of living?"
After saying that, he belatedly reacted again.
His eyes lit up: "Could it be her?"
Zhan Bei Jue's expression was indifferent, unreadable.
Vice President Gao was truly puzzled.
"I'm confused, completely confused by you people."
"Mr. Zhan, what exactly is your relationship with Engineer Jiang?"
"We worked together before, after all. Even if we couldn't become lovers, we shouldn't be enemies."
"Why does she insist on opposing you? Poaching projects and people, just because Ke Jing Yu is backing her, she's so arrogant?"
This was actually a good opportunity.
Jiang Nan Fang had blocked Zhan Bei Jue's phone and WeChat, refusing to communicate with him.
If she really wanted to poach the entire technology department to help with her new project, Zhan Bei Jue could use this opportunity to talk to her and communicate properly.
But on second thought, this was rather pointless.
Using work to force her to bow to him, wasn't that no different from taking advantage of a crisis?
She was already angry enough because of Ke Teng's matter. Although he really wanted to see her, Zhan Bei Jue would never dare to be too hasty.
Instead, it would backfire.
Sighing again in his heart, he said, "Of course, we are not enemies."
"We are friends, and perhaps future partners. Whatever she wants to do, let her do it."
"You go to the company now, take the entire technology department with you, and go find her."
"Find her? What for?"
Vice President Gao was very angry, he really disliked the current arrogant Jiang Nan Fang.
"Let a bunch of us grown men be at her beck and call, it's too much of an insult to our dignity!"
Zhan Bei Jue remained indifferent.
"How can Hua Tai's technical strength compare to ours? With her alone, how could she have taken on such a large project without poaching people?"
"At a time like this, as her godfather, who else will help her if not you?"
"...Mr. Zhan..."
Zhan Bei Jue raised his hand to interrupt him.
"I didn't say you have to stay there forever."
"While arranging things there, you also need to take care of things here. How to balance them will depend on your personal capabilities, Vice President Gao."
"If we lack personnel, we can recruit more. You've been in the industry for so many years; I'm sure you already have engineers you admire."
"Zhan's is not short of money. As long as you like them, you don't need my approval; just recruit them all."
"..."
To help Jiang Nan Fang, he was willing to lend her the entire technology department and recruit new people on his side.
Zhan Bei Jue was so happy to be making wedding dresses for others, when did he become so noble?
However, Vice President Gao only dared to say this in his heart.
The company belonged to him, and he was just an employee.
He would do as he arranged.
"Understood, Mr. Zhan. I'll go back and make arrangements now."
Vice President Gao left, and Lu Ming Zhe tilted his head with a knowing look, sizing up Zhan Bei Jue.
Seeing his sly expression, Zhan Bei Jue knew that a dog's mouth would not spit out ivory.
He placed his hands on the table and slowly stood up.
"If you don't want me to scold you, then shut up. After you've eaten, come out for a walk with me."
Lu Ming Zhe's words were cut off by his scolding, and he couldn't help but mutter.
"Zhan, you are too much of a scoundrel."
"For your ex-wife who broke up with you eight hundred years ago, you're so subservient, like a lapdog."
"I come all the way here to serve you, yet you're so rude to me. How can you be so ungrateful?"
"If you don't want to stay, you can leave anytime. I'm not begging you to stay here."
Zhan Bei Jue slowly walked out.
Lu Ming Zhe also admitted defeat to himself.
Despite this guy's sharp tongue and cold demeanor towards him, he still followed him like a lapdog, unable to leave him alone.
Alas, this must be what they call "brine-cured tofu, one thing subdues another."