Returning - Chapter 2
Chapter 2: Struggle
Huacan was one of the five major jewelry conglomerates in the country, with wholesale and retail operations spanning East Asia, Southeast Asia, North America, and other regions.
For the past three years in the United States, Zhao Yu had been serving as the assistant to Fu Tao, the Marketing Director for North America.
When Fu Tao was transferred back to China, her application to return with him—a well-regarded assistant—was naturally not rejected.
Huacan's headquarters was in Donghai City, a place Zhao Yu was no stranger to; her entire four-year university career had been spent here.
After returning to China, Fu Tao took charge of the entire East China region's marketing operations, working directly from the headquarters. Zhao Yu had been hired overseas, reporting directly to Fu Tao. Now, having entered the headquarters, although she was still Fu Tao's assistant, she officially belonged to the Secretarial Management Department.
There were many employees in the department. On the surface, everything seemed harmonious, but behind the scenes, there was no shortage of cliques forming, open rivalries, and veiled conflicts. This situation wasn't much different from her time overseas.
"I heard she's an orphan. How could a little assistant afford that kind of car?"
"Don't they all say she has something going on with President Fu? The new car is most likely a gift from President Fu."
"Climbing into a man's bed for money. Truly shameless."
"You can't put it like that. What if it's true love? Anyway, President Fu is single. Who knows, one day she might just become Mrs. Fu."
Listening to the gossip of a few colleagues, Zhao Yu merely gave an indifferent smile. Hugging the documents in her arms, she crossed the corridor and knocked on the door to Fu Tao's office.
Fu Tao was inside alone, reviewing reports. After hearing her work report and noticing her complexion wasn't great, he asked, "Not feeling well?"
Zhao Yu smiled. "There are always a few days every month when I'm not in the best state. Don't worry, President Fu, it won't affect my work."
"If you can't hold on, you can go back and rest. There's nothing pressing today."
"Thank you, President Fu. I'm fine. If you have anything that needs doing, please just give the order."
Fu Tao was an excellent superior. It wasn't just with Zhao Yu; he was always kind and considerate towards all his other subordinates as well.
But Zhao Yu knew that with Fu Tao, she was a little bit special.
If she was willing, there was indeed a high probability that she could, just as those people gossiped behind her back, become Mrs. Fu.
Objectively speaking, aside from being slightly older, divorced, and having a child, Fu Tao could almost be considered a perfect man. Strong work capability, a gentle temperament, good looks and physique, and high charisma.
A man like that wouldn't be a bad husband at all.
Unfortunately...
Zhao Yu lifted her eyes, staring fixedly at the constantly changing string of numbers on the elevator display panel, at the floors she was not yet qualified to access.
Fu Tao's position wasn't high enough.
The elevator doors opened, and a young man in a sharp suit stepped out.
Zhao Yu stepped aside to yield, calling out expressionlessly, "President Xue."
The man nodded, casually glancing at her. His gaze didn't linger on her face for even a moment longer before he strode directly towards Fu Tao's office.
Instead, it was the female secretary following behind the man who shot Zhao Yu a couple more glances, wearing an ambiguous, half-smiling, half-mocking expression.
After taking the elevator down to the underground parking garage, Zhao Yu finally took out her phone and opened the information she had previously commissioned someone to investigate.
Xue Zi'ang, 25 years old. The eldest grandson of Xue Yuanyang, Chairman and CEO of Huacan. The group's Marketing Vice President, Fu Tao's immediate superior.
A notorious playboy like this had no shortage of beautiful women around him. Even with all her confidence, Zhao Yu knew she absolutely wasn't so stunningly beautiful that a single glance would make someone unable to forget her.
The most critical point was that she and Xue Zi'ang worked at the same company. Although this man had a reputation as a womanizer, he generally avoided entanglements with people under his immediate professional roof. For now, this was a disadvantage.
Just Xue Zi'ang alone wouldn't be easy to handle, let alone her even bigger target.
Huacan Group's business consisted of two main divisions. Huaqi was responsible for various investments, with General Manager being Xue Zi'ang's mother, Liu Ling. Huajin focused on managing fine jewelry, and its General Manager, who was also the Group's Vice Chairman, was Xue Zi'ang's uncle, Xue Zhan.
Although Xue Zi'ang's father was the eldest son of the Xue family, he had long since passed away due to illness. Xue Zi'ang, the eldest grandson, had little professional ambition. The only one who could take over the role of Chairman in the future was Xue Zhan.
The man in the photograph had handsome features and sharp, piercing eyes. Compared to Xue Zi'ang, this Vice Chairman Xue was clearly much more mature and exuded the commanding presence of a group leader far more strongly.
After meticulously reviewing all the information once more, Zhao Yu turned off her phone and started her car.
Following Fu Tao's instructions to meet a client on his behalf, by the time she was done, it was almost time to clock out. Not needing to return to the company to punch her card, she simply booked a private room in a nearby café to meet someone for a personal matter.
The person who came to see her was Zheng Yue, a manager from a small insurance company.
Zheng Yue brought several contracts for her. After she examined them carefully, he asked, "Does this meet your approval?"
"As long as it won't be exposed, it's fine."
"Rest assured, the contracts are genuine. I've spoken to everyone who needed to be informed. With a deal this good, no one would expose it."
Zhao Yu handed him the prepared check. "Three million is the insurance compensation. The rest is your final payment. I only have one requirement."
"I understand. Don't you worry, that scenario is absolutely impossible. I will transfer the compensation payment to the other party's account through our company channels. They will definitely not discover any issues."
It was a long time after Zheng Yue had left before Zhao Yu finally got up to leave.
Her car was parked right outside the café. It was an SUV that cost two hundred thousand, nothing close to being considered a luxury car.
But for someone like her, with no family or connections, making a living alone in a first-tier city and only drawing a meager salary as an ordinary little assistant, being able to afford a car like this was already an impossibility.
That was precisely why such gossip and rumors spread, why people assumed her relationship with Fu Tao was improper, convinced she was spending Fu Tao's money.
Of course, she wouldn't get angry. Although the people had gotten the specific man wrong, this money of hers had indeed been obtained by being someone's kept mistress.
She was never a good woman to begin with; there was no need to put up any pretenses of virtue.
Just as she pulled her car out from the roadside parking space, her phone rang.
The person calling her was Deputy Manager Cui from the Secretarial Management Department, her direct superior.
"Zhao Yu, where are you? Can you come back to the company?"
"It'll take about half an hour to get there. Manager Cui, what's happened?"
"There's been an anonymous report filed against you and Marketing Director Fu Tao, alleging an improper relationship and that you used this relationship to undermine fairness in promotions. The Administration Department and Human Resources are investigating. President Xue Zi'ang is also here. You need to come back immediately."
Zhao Yu smiled as she hung up the phone.
Last week, a Deputy Manager position opened up in the Secretarial Management Department. After the internal competition notice was issued, Fu Tao had recommended her and given her excellent marks on the initial assessment.
Combined with the recent gossip swirling around her and Fu Tao, a formal complaint like this was only natural.
In truth, improper relationships were rampant throughout the company. But the company only cared about work capability and performance; it fundamentally didn't interfere in the private lives of its employees.
Especially with someone like Fu Tao, a Marketing Director who generated massive revenue for the company, even if he really was playing some sort of exploitative game for the sake of a little assistant, the senior management would only turn a blind eye.
So Zhao Yu knew perfectly well that this so-called investigation was nothing more than going through the motions dictated by the company's complaint and reporting mechanism.
But even if it was just going through the motions, this play had to be performed flawlessly.
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