In the coffee shop, Xu Jing and Lan Xi, Su He's assistant, sat opposite each other.
"Miss Lan, you didn't ask me to come here just for coffee, did you?" Xu Jing was efficient and disliked beating around the bush. Seeing that the other party was hesitant to speak, she took the initiative to ask.
"Miss Xu must know who I represent." Lan Xi had neat short hair and wore a very old-fashioned pencil skirt, a completely different style from Xu Jing, who was dressed fashionably and elaborately. However, her opening statement hit the nail on the head, leaving a deep impression.
"It... Mr. Lu sent you to find me?" Xu Jing, being smart, 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 honest, 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 said unhurriedly, "It seems this matter can't be kept quiet any longer."
"B City is this big; any news will naturally spread like wildfire. As the saying goes, a good bird chooses its perch. I believe Miss Xu will make the right choice." Lan Xi wasted no time and got straight to the point.
Xu Jing had indeed considered leaving.
However, having worked at the company for so many years, she had developed some attachments. Moreover, in their line of work, experience and connections were crucial. Once she left her current company, she would have to start all over again.
She was over forty years old, and starting from scratch would require considerable courage.
Furthermore, moving to a new company did not guarantee preferential treatment.
With so many unknowns, she needed to consider carefully.
"I understand Miss Xu's concerns," Lan Xi said, taking an envelope from her bag and pushing it towards Xu Jing. "Miss Xu, why don't you review the information inside before giving me your answer?"
Xu Jing, half-believing, opened the envelope and scanned through the contents at lightning speed.
Lan Xi took a sip of her coffee, showing no intention of rushing her.
Xu Jing took a deep breath and slowly put the envelope back. "Give me three days. I'll think it over carefully."
"No problem," Lan Xi replied briskly.
The two of them didn't engage in much small talk and left the coffee shop separately after less than ten minutes.
There was no lingering.
Xu Jing got into her car with the envelope, her heart in turmoil.
The new employer had offered extremely generous terms. In addition to a substantial salary, she was offered the position of director. What truly captivated her was a promise: if the company were to go public in the future, she would receive five percent equity.
As the saying goes, people strive for higher ground, and water flows downhill.
Xu Jing had worked hard not to spend her entire life working for others. She aspired to reach management and have a certain degree of influence within the company.
The offer from Lu Yanbei was truly tempting.
Xu Jing stared at the file for a long time before putting it into a drawer.
Just then, her phone rang. Seeing the name flashing on the screen, Xu Jing hesitated for a long time before pressing the button on her Bluetooth headset. "I'm driving. We can talk about it when I get back to the office."
"It's about yesterday's matter. Did Su Lin agree to renew his contract?" the other party asked impatiently.
Xu Jing's grip on the steering wheel tightened involuntarily. "He's on vacation and unreachable at the moment."
"You didn't even try to contact him, did you?"
Xu Jing felt inexplicably annoyed. "You know his temper. When he's not working, he just disappears..."
"I don't care how you do it, but you must get him to renew his contract, understand?" the other party said, almost in a commanding tone.
Such an 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 gradually tipping. Thinking of Su Lin's relationship with that person, she couldn't help but smile wryly.
She had done enough for the company, more than enough to repay the chairman's past appreciation. Over the years, she had led the artists under her to help the company grow step by step, never slacking off. Now, when the company faced difficulties, she had originally intended to weather the storm with them. However, seeing the company's recent actions, she felt a sense of desolation.
The main 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 utilized, and the artists under her had a certain degree of freedom. This positive environment made the company a refreshing presence in the industry.
The artists focused on their careers, bringing profits to the company, and the company diligently nurtured them, achieving a win-win situation.
But now, in order to make money, they were even accepting terrible scripts, a bottomless approach that was truly appalling. Moreover, the company's social engagements had clearly increased significantly, even requiring artists to attend, and everyone knew what that meant.
Xu Jing had always been disgusted by such behavior.
However, she was just a manager and had no say in the company. Recently, many of the artists under her had complained about not wanting to accept boring assignments, and some were even exhausted to the point of hospitalization. Yet, she couldn't make decisions for them.
These were artists she had personally nurtured and who had achieved some success in the industry, with bright futures ahead of them. With the company's reckless actions, their prospects seemed dim.
Xu Jing pulled her car over to the side of the road and rested her head on the steering wheel for a long time without moving.
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 a condition attached.
Lan Xi's reply was quick, just four words: "Pleasure working with you."
***
Forty minutes later, Xu Jing rang Su Lin's doorbell.
"Sister Jing, why are you here?" Su Lin, in his home clothes, looked as if he had just woken up.
"If I don't come, are you not planning to start filming?" Xu Jing glared at him, annoyed.
"There have been too many spam calls recently," Su Lin pursed his lips and invited her in.
This wasn't Xu Jing's first time here, and she went straight to the living room, familiar with the layout. Seeing the floor covered in discarded paper, she couldn't help but rub her temples. "Can't you clean up a bit?"
Su Lin carelessly 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 thought the boy was truly incorrigibly lazy.
"My hands are for writing songs, not for manual labor," Su Lin replied with a straight face.
"Fine, you have a point!" Xu Jing rubbed her forehead and got down to business. "Your contract is due to expire in six months. What are your plans for the future?"
"No plans," Su Lin replied, still nonchalant.
"The company... has been in some trouble lately, and to recover funds, they might propose some unreasonable demands," Xu Jing reminded him kindly.
Su Lin immediately stated his position. "Anything except filming and variety shows is fine."
"You don't have a choice anymore!" 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 just fifty million? I have plenty of money!"