In the coffee shop, Xu Jing and Su He's assistant, Lan Xi, sat opposite each other.
"Miss Lan, you didn't ask me here just for coffee, did you?" Xu Jing was efficient and disliked beating around the bush. Seeing the other party's reluctance to speak, she took the initiative to ask.
"Miss Xu must know who I represent." Lan Xi had a neat short haircut and wore a very old-fashioned pencil skirt. She was completely different from Xu Jing, who was dressed in a refined and fashionable professional style. However, her opening remark hit the nail on the head and was quite memorable.
"Is... President Lu the one who sent you to find me?" Xu Jing was a smart woman and quickly guessed her intention.
Lan Xi smiled at her appreciatively. "Miss Xu is indeed shrewd. You must have heard about your company's recent situation. To be frank, I'm here to poach talent."
Xu Jing had never encountered such direct communication before.
She stirred the brown liquid in her cup with a spoon and spoke unhurriedly, "It seems this matter can no longer be kept secret."
"B City is not that big; any news will spread like wildfire. As the saying goes, a wise bird chooses its tree to perch on. I believe Miss Xu will make the right choice." Lan Xi didn't waste words and got straight to the point.
Xu Jing had indeed thought about changing jobs.
However, she had been with the company for so many years that she felt some attachment. Moreover, in their line of work, experience and connections were crucial. Once she left her original company, she would have to start from scratch.
She was over forty years old, and giving up everything to start over would require considerable courage.
Besides, she might not be treated favorably in a new company.
With so many unknowns, she needed to consider it carefully.
"I think I understand Miss Xu's concerns," Lan Xi said, taking out a file bag from her side bag and pushing it towards Xu Jing. "Miss Xu might as well review the information inside before giving me your answer."
Xu Jing, half-believing, opened the file bag and scanned its contents at lightning speed.
Lan Xi took a sip of her coffee and showed no signs of impatience.
Xu Jing took a deep breath and slowly put the file bag back. "Give me three days. I'll think it over carefully."
"No problem," Lan Xi replied readily.
The two of them didn't engage in much small talk, spending less than ten minutes in the coffee shop before parting ways.
There was no lingering.
Xu Jing drove back to her car with the file bag, her heart in turmoil.
Her potential new employer had offered very generous terms. In addition to a substantial salary guarantee, she was also offered a director position. What truly tempted her was a promise: if the company went public in the future, she would receive a 5% equity stake.
People strive for advancement; the old saying that water flows to lower ground is not always true.
Xu Jing had worked hard not just to work for others her whole life. She also wanted to reach management and have a certain say in the company.
Lu Yanbei's offer was truly enticing.
Xu Jing stared at the file bag for a long time before finally putting it into her drawer.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing the flashing name, Xu Jing hesitated for a long time before pressing the switch for her Bluetooth headset. "I'm driving. We can discuss anything when I get back to the office."
"It's about yesterday's matter. Has Su Lin agreed to renew his contract?" the other party asked impatiently.
Xu Jing's grip on the steering wheel tightened unconsciously. "He's on vacation and unreachable at the moment."
"You haven't even tried to contact him, have you?"
Xu Jing inexplicably felt annoyed. "You know his temper. When he's not working, he just disappears..."
"I don't care what method you use, you must get him to renew his contract with the company, understand?" the other party said almost as a command.
This attitude chilled Xu Jing.
They didn't even have a decent attitude!
Xu Jing, who had been wavering between the old and new employers, found her scales tipping towards the other side. Thinking of Su Lin's relationship with that person, she couldn't help but smile wryly.
She had done enough for the company, enough to repay the chairman's appreciation back then. Over the years, she had led her artists to help the company grow step by step, never slacking. Now, when the company faced difficulties, she had intended to weather the storm with them. However, looking at the company's recent actions, she felt disheartened.
The reason she stayed with this company, besides the chairman's promotion, was that it was a company with principles and integrity. Here, her abilities could be fully demonstrated, and her artists had a certain degree of freedom. This good environment made the company a breath of fresh air in the industry.
The artists focused on their careers, bringing profits to the company, and the company diligently cultivated them, achieving a win-win situation.
But now, to make money, they were even accepting some bad dramas, an act that lacked integrity and was truly hard to accept. Moreover, company social events had clearly increased, and artists were specifically asked to attend. Everyone understood what that meant.
Xu Jing had always been disgusted by such behavior.
However, she was just an agent and had no say in the company. Recently, many of her artists had complained to her, saying they didn't want to take on trivial assignments and were even so tired that they ended up in the hospital. Yet, she couldn't make decisions for them.
These were all people she had mentored. They had achieved some success in the industry and had a bright future ahead of them. With the company's reckless actions, their future might be bleak.
Xu Jing pulled her car over to the side of the road and rested her head on the steering wheel, motionless for a long time.
Facing such a choice in middle age was indeed difficult.
Ten minutes later, she picked up her phone and sent a message to Lan Xi, with an attached condition.
Lan Xi's reply was quick, just four words: "Pleasure working with you."
*
Forty minutes later, Xu Jing rang Su Lin's doorbell.
"Jing Jie, why are you here?" Su Lin, wearing home clothes, looked as if he hadn't woken up.
"If I don't come, are you not going to start filming?" Xu Jing glared at him in annoyance.
"There have been too many harassing phone calls lately," Su Lin pursed his lips and invited her in.
It wasn't Xu Jing's first time here, and she went to the living room as if she owned the place. Seeing the scattered waste paper all over the floor, she couldn't help but rub her temples. "Can't you even clean up?"
Su Lin casually kicked the trash can and got a bottle of mineral water from the refrigerator, handing it to her. "My assistant won't be back until tomorrow."
"Don't you have hands?" Xu Jing felt the young man was incorrigibly lazy.
"My hands are for writing songs, not for doing manual labor," Su Lin replied with a straight face.
"Fine, you're right!" Xu Jing supported her forehead and got down to business. "Your contract expires in another six months. What are your plans for the future?"
"No plans," Su Lin still had that carefree demeanor.
"The company... is in a bit of trouble lately. To raise funds, they might make some unreasonable demands," Xu Jing reminded him kindly.
Su Lin immediately stated his position. "Anything is fine, except for acting and variety shows."
"Now, you don't have a choice!" Xu Jing sighed helplessly.
"Then I'll terminate the contract," Su Lin declared domineeringly.
"Don't be childish! Terminating the contract requires compensation!" Xu Jing said.
"Isn't it fifty million? I have plenty of money!"