Chapter 18

Su Tao raised her clear eyes, stood up and walked to the window, calmed her expression, and said in an unperturbed voice: "Is the news reliable?"

"They all called me, just short of coming to snatch her openly!" Zhang Qi Guang's voice contained anger.

After pausing briefly for a few seconds, Su Tao gave a light "Oh", and said: "That's between your bosses, what does it have to do with me?"

"Su Tao, he's clearly coming after you. Did you think he could get over you after you avoided him for a year? But now it looks like obviously not."

Su Tao looked at the city center square in the distance, the elderly exercising, mothers leading children to play, and young couples flirting together playfully.

The mundane scenery didn't make Su Tao fall into memories. Usually when she thought back, she would use this method, always making her cherish the present.

Su Tao's rationality returned to reality, and she seriously considered solutions to the problem: "What do I need to do? Go find him?"

"How could that be possible, do you think I'm that kind of person? When I first helped you get away from him, I would absolutely not push you back into the fire pit again. I just wanted to let you know that he hasn't given up on you, so you can be mentally prepared."

Zhang Qi Guang's words made Su Tao feel a warm current in her heart. He had always protected her, put himself in her shoes and thought for her. "Brother, is there anything I can do to help you?"

"You don't need to do anything. Even if XiaoRu is not around, you will always be my sister. As your brother I would never push you out as a shield. Don't worry, I have my own ways to deal with this. You just be careful."

"Oh my, those beautiful legs, nevermind, gotta go!"

Because of his last sentence, all the previous warmth instantly evaporated. Su Tao decisively hung up the phone.

Zhang XiaoRu was Zhang Qi Guang's sister, and also Su Tao's good friend in college. Two years ago, she ran abroad because she was dissatisfied with the marriage arranged by her family and had been out of touch ever since.

This past year, Su Tao was able to avoid Xie Jin because she had borrowed Zhang XiaoRu's identity.

She didn't expect to cause so much trouble for her brother just by making a public appearance. Su Tao sighed lightly. She hadn't figured out what to do either.

Her original intention was to avoid any connection with Xie Jin.

-

Liu WanTao knew Su Tao was in a meeting. Under the pretext of looking for materials, she deliberately went to the main office area to wait for them to finish.

She casually grabbed some documents and looked at the people coming out of the conference room. She walked over and asked, "Why the long faces? What's going on?"

Sun XiaoJie used to be Liu WanTao's subordinate. Although she had previously felt Liu WanTao was not great, now that she was no longer her supervisor and had been scolded by the new supervisor, she felt closer to Liu WanTao instead.

"Sis WanTao, we all got scolded." Sun XiaoJie glanced at Su Tao's office and complained in a low voice.

Liu WanTao looked surprised. "With her gentle appearance, she scolds people too?"

The others came over to chime in and complain: "She scolds people without cursing, acting all high and mighty, saying any newbie could be trained up and we could be replaced at any time."

Liu WanTao had an exaggerated expression: "That arrogant? If you collectively refuse to work for her, it would really make her drink a potion."

"Heehee, what's with the lively chat? Refusing to work? Asking someone out for tea?" Liang Ke came over in a pink bodysuit, deliberately shouting loudly.

The others immediately reacted like startled turtles, retreating to their workstations, afraid Su Tao would overhear.

Liu WanTao scowled at Liang Ke. She never had a good impression of his androgynous style.

Liang Ke shook his index finger and spoke in a sharp, squeaky voice: "I wonder what you're instigating here, Manager Liu? If Su Tao didn't have the capabilities, could she have gotten the shareholder's position? You're teaching them to refuse to work, but the uninformed will think you're misleading everyone. If they really lose their jobs, will you compensate them?"

With those words, everyone lowered their heads even more. Darling was developing momentum in the industry, with good pay and familiarity with the work. Who would want to change jobs?

On second thought, Liu WanTao's words did seem to be provoking and inciting. Everyone looked at her strangely.

She was using them as pawns.

"What did I say? Don't theorize." Liu WanTao retorted, "I just feel Su Tao is too young. Some things are not as idealistic as she imagines."

Liang Ke sneered: "What's wrong with being young? Was Xie Jin of Tianjin Group young or not? This past year Darling developed at lightspeed. When he proposed the merger, even Tianjin Group's executives didn't believe he could do it. What happened? He did it!"

Upon mentioning Xie Jin, everyone became interested and gathered around to listen.

Liu WanTao sneered disdainfully, "Holding hands means he likes her? That day he took the initiative to chat with me and held my hand too."

"No one else saw it. Do you think I'm blind? I was standing right next to you." Liang Ke seemed to have come today specifically to dismantle her stage. His index finger nearly poked Liu WanTao's eyes. "What he did with Su Tao was holding hands. With you it was restraint."

Those present naturally witnessed Xie Jin restraining Liu WanTao. Recalling his sinister expression then still made them shiver.

Amidst everyone's recollection and discussion, Liu WanTao's face alternated between red and white, unable to find a reason to refute because there was no reason.

That day, he was angry at her.

"What's there to be afraid of? Don't you think it's very attractive?" Liang Ke smiled coyly, with a masochistic gleam in his eyes. "I like thrills. So for the negotiations with Darling about Top Wave 2, I booked Xie Jin directly."

Sun XiaoJie's eyes widened. She moved closer and asked: "Teacher Liang, did you get an appointment? When you negotiate for your artists, can you bring my MingXuan along?"

"Your MingXuan wants to be on Top Wave 2 too?" Liang Ke sighed. "I'm willing to help you, but I didn't get an appointment. I've been trying for a week with no reply."

"Did you try booking with Darling's GM Wu?"

"I did. GM Wu said the guests were finalized already. I treated him to several meals before he was willing to say, unless you directly speak with the big boss, it's impossible."

It was as if Liu WanTao had finally found an opportunity. She sneered mockingly, "Still going to the big boss for a variety show? Can't you tell they're rejecting you?"

Liang Ke was about to erupt but Liu WanTao suddenly said, "Didn't Xie Jin take a liking to Su Tao? You can have Su Tao try."

Right on cue, Su Tao came out of her office with her bag, looking like she was going out.

When she got to the office area and saw everyone looking over, Su Tao paused. She lowered her head to check her modest black and white outfit, saw nothing out of the ordinary, blinked her eyes confused by everyone's heated stares.

"Peach," Liang Ke dashed over in a flash and enthusiastically grabbed Su Tao's arm. "Going out?"

Su Tao discreetly shook his hand off and nodded doubtfully at his enthusiasm. "I have a problem only you can solve. Help me out."

Seeing everyone's anticipation, Su Tao's intuition told her it was nothing good. Before he elaborated, she flatly refused: "I'm busy, unable to help."

"Peach, it's not just my problem. Your Tong MingXuan wants to be on Top Wave 2 too, right? I can't book Xie Jin. I saw you two got along well that day. Why don't you give it a try?"

Su Tao glanced at him indifferently, finally realizing their scheme. "Top Wave 2 is handled by GM Wu. What does it have to do with Xie Jin?"

"You don't know the guests are finalized already? Still making XiaoJie negotiate. If even you can't negotiate it down, you're just bullying her." Liu WanTao chimed in snidely.

Su Tao looked at Liu WanTao, then Sun XiaoJie.

One cool glance was enough to make Sun XiaoJie feel guilty and want to explain herself but not knowing how.

"Teacher Liang, stop troubling Su Tao. She just took over, needs to establish her authority. If she really messes up, wouldn't it be embarassing? Who would listen to her in the future?"

Liang Ke had already dialed his phone and gone to the side to take the call. Liu WanTao's words were meant for Su Tao and her team to hear.

Su Tao stared at Liu WanTao, her expression darkening, questioning her bluntly: "How have I offended you? Why the snide remarks? I don't need to establish any authority. One matter's success or failure won't make everyone stop listening to me. I'm not an absolute authority, but objections need to be logical. Your words are simply stirring up trouble. Ms. Liu is a returned overseas graduate, is this the quality?"

Liu WanTao was insulted by Su Tao until her face alternated between red and white. Su Tao was completely reasonable and didn't yell or quarrel, leaving Liu WanTao at a complete loss for how to retort.

Feeling utterly humiliated, Liu WanTao lost her temper and yelled: "If you can't get Top Wave 2 then say you can't get it, no need to explain so much, just shows you're insecure!"

Before Su Tao could respond, Liang Ke hopped excitedly back, beaming. He rushed at Su Tao.

Fortunately Su Tao reacted quickly and dodged his bear hug in time.

"Peach, you really are my benefactor. I finally got Xie Jin to agree! Xie Jin requested you specifically to negotiate."

Su Tao closed her eyes, suppressed her irritation, then opened them with a frosty expression: "I won't go."

Su Tao had just returned from handling external matters. It was as if Liang Ke had purposely stationed someone at the company entrance. As soon as she stepped through the doors, Liang Ke caught her.

"Why aren't you going? Such a good opportunity!"

Su Tao sighed helplessly. "I just won't go. Please move aside."

Liang Ke reflected deeply, and took out an advertising contract to hold in front of Su Tao, with a pained expression: "The Bai Shu toothpaste ad, brand spokesperson contract, one year term. I negotiated it down. The brand and I have a good relationship, they said I could pick whoever from my company. If you agree to negotiate Top Wave 2, regardless of outcome, this contract is yours."

Su Tao's eyes lit up. Being Bai Shu's brand spokesperson would greatly increase Tong Yi Yan's popularity. Indeed, connections were king in this circle.

She took the advertising contract and changed her attitude. "Let's talk in my office."

Su Tao didn't directly agree either. She tried many compromises and made a round of calls, finally calling Zhang Qi Guang.

Upon hearing of this dilemma, Zhang Qi Guang casually said, "I have a good solution."

Su Tao's eyes brightened, waiting for Zhang Qi Guang's brilliant idea.

"Give up on this variety show."

Su Tao: "......"

"Why must it be Top Wave 2? Aim lower, it won't make that big a difference in exposure and popularity this year or next, right?"

Su Tao knew Zhang Qi Guang had become more laidback than when he first started his business, but didn't expect him to be this laidback.

Artists only had a year or two in the prime of their careers. Opportunities slipped by in an instant.

If she had also been noncompetitive when managing Tong Yi Yan, how could Tong Yi Yan have attained her current popularity and traffic?

"Alright Boss Zhang, please continue appreciating beauties."

Su Tao hung up the call, walked to the window looking at the square, lamenting that she couldn't rely on anyone.

Su Tao sat on the chair with her legs together and slightly tilted, in the standard beauty sitting posture.

She looked at the busy Su Tao expressionlessly, not knowing what she was doing at all.

"Tao Tao, just go to Tian Jin to see President Xie tomorrow. What are you doing with this grandpa telling grandma thing?"

Su Tao's fair little hand "slapped" on the glass, startling Liang Ke.

She seemed to have made up her mind and gritted her teeth and said, "Go buy plane tickets, three, I'll take two artists with me."

Liang Ke almost jumped up from the chair and cheered, "Great! I've been waiting for you to say that!"

--

Su Tao stood under the Tian Jin building, looking at the towering building, feeling thousands of emotions for a moment.

She thought she would never come back.

Su Tao brought Tong MingXuan and Xiao Shan's artist into the door.

The appearance of the two sunny and handsome boys made the Tian Jin employees' eyes light up and they kept looking at them.

The receptionist had changed, and Su Tao briefly explained that she had an appointment. The receptionist made a confirmation call to the secretary's office. But the reply was to ask them to wait downstairs.

Su Tao looked at the bustling lobby. The two artists were visited and photographed by everyone. The perception was a bit bad.

Just as she was thinking about whether to ask if it would take long so that the artists could wait in the car, she heard an exclaim in surprise, "Tao Tao?"

Su Tao looked for the voice and saw He XiaoRui.

She showed the first smile since entering Tian Jin, smiling at her, "Xiao Rui, long time no see."

"It's really you!"

He XiaoRui walked up, looking at Su Tao who had short hair, more mature and beautiful, and covered her mouth in surprise.

She was originally just a fan of Xiao Shan. She didn't expect the beautiful woman who was with these two stars to be Su Tao.

"You are..." He XiaoRui hesitated and looked at the two male stars and asked.

"I'm a manager now."

"Oh my God, you actually became a manager, so amazing."

Looking at He XiaoRui's dumbfounded look, Su Tao smiled indifferently, "What's so amazing about it, it's my profession." He XiaoRui was stunned for a long time before reacting, "You came to see the president, right? Why are you standing here?"

"The secretary of the president's office told me to wait." Su Tao looked at the time, and then looked around at the increasing number of people taking pictures, with a hint of anxiety in her expression.

"Why don't you come to my office and wait first? Xiao Li, when the president's office calls later, ask them to call her to my office, okay?"

After getting a positive answer from the receptionist, Su Tao followed He XiaoRui into the elevator.

"Tao Tao, you don't know, the president's office laid off a lot of old people back then. The new people have bad attitudes and are very arrogant. If you don't know, you would think our company produces nuclear weapons."

Xiao Shan was the first to laugh out loud, and then everyone laughed in the elevator.

The elevator arrived at the HR department. He XiaoRui scratched her head embarrassedly and walked straight into the rest room across from the elevator to avoid being watched again.

Su Tao has good observational skills. At a glance, she saw that the name on He XiaoRui's work badge had changed.

From Supervisor Assistant to HR Manager.

"Xiao Rui got promoted."

He XiaoRui glanced at her work badge and grinned, "Manager Jin was transferred to be the president's special assistant. I took advantage of Manager Jin's light and got a manager."

Su Tao was secretly surprised that there was an additional president's special assistant position, but it was not surprising that Jin Chuiwen did it. Xie Jin had always liked to use him to do things before.

"I have to go listen to the phone call, don't miss your call if they call and delay your business. Tao Tao, you guys sit first, there's food and drinks over there, help yourself."

He XiaoRui pushed open the door, the elevator door opened, and a young lady came out. She saw Su Tao and the others at a glance. She questioned He XiaoRui in an unkind tone, "Why did you bring them here?"

He XiaoRui stopped her, and the young lady walked past her towards Su Tao, waving her hand impatiently, muttering in a low voice, "Come on, still sitting there, I almost couldn't find you, but you know how to find a place."

"Chu Xin, what's your attitude? Do you talk to guests like this?"

He XiaoRui was still an old employee in charge of personnel affairs after all, and she still knew how to teach people.

Chu Xin rolled her eyes, her fake eyelashes flickering, "What did I do? I'm not a hotel server. People who come to see our President Xie can't even get in line. Whether they can see him or not is up to them."

"Hey~ Okay, I have to report this to our leader today." He XiaoRui knew their character, but she was angry with them for treating Su Tao and her idols like this today.

Su Tao, who had not spoken all this time, held back the emotionally excited He XiaoRui and glanced lightly at the little secretary, saying, "Please lead the way."

After speaking, Su Tao went ahead and pressed the elevator, calmly waiting for the elevator to come up.

The elevator came, and Chu Xin arrogantly glanced at them and got in first.

Su Tao shook her head, feeling that Xie Jin's worth was really different now, and even his secretary's temper was almost the same as his.

The elevator door closed slowly, and the mirrored door reflected He XiaoRui's indignant face.

She called Jin Chuiwen and said unceremoniously as soon as he picked up, "That Chu Xin from the president's office is too arrogant. She almost drove Su Tao away."

Jin Chuiwen's phone call was heard clearly in the quiet office. He looked at Xie Jin sitting opposite and hurried away to speak in a low voice, "Where is that person? Did she leave? Hurry up and stop her!"

"She went up."

Jin Chuiwen breathed a sigh of relief and hung up the phone. When he turned around, he saw that the boss didn't know when he had walked to the office door with a pen in his hand, and you could see his panic.

Jin Chuiwen: "She didn't leave and went up."

As soon as he finished speaking, the office door was knocked. Chu Xin opened the door and saw Xie Jin standing at the door. She was frightened and took a step back, then stood still at the door without daring to take another step. "President, Su Tao guest has arrived."

Su Tao was standing next to the solemn black door, and the yellow and white lights on the desk across were still on. The computers and furnishings on the desk were exactly the same as when she was there a year ago.

However, it was unoccupied now.

Xie Jin's eyes were fixed on Su Tao, but he said briefly to Chu Xin, "Go to HR and settle your salary."

Tong MingXuan and Xiao Shan secretly looked at each other. Was this little secretary fired directly?

The black door closed, blocking Chu Xin's desperate face. The two artists sat on the sides of the sofa, and Su Tao sat down next to them.

Xie Jin sat on the single sofa beside her and turned to look at her. His fixed gaze made the two artists feel that something was wrong.

Before they came, they had heard a lot of rumors about President Xie. It was said that he had a fiery temper, was very difficult to get along with, and would get furious at the slightest disagreement, and would not give anyone face.

But looking at his lecherous eyes now, it doesn't seem to match the rumors.

Su Tao's face was calm, she didn't even look at him at all. She took out a file from her bag and placed it on the coffee table in front of Xie Jin.

Xie Jin leaned forward to take it, and his big hand pressed on Su Tao's hand. His Adam's apple moved slightly, Su Tao glanced at him, and forcibly pulled her hand back.

"President Xie, I did some small analysis and research on the Sea Wave 2 project, and came up with some of my personal views on the development of the show. I have seen the proposed guest list for the show. I don't know if this is the final lineup, but in my understanding, this show is more biased towards being younger, more athletic, and energetic. The guests must be the most important."

Su Tao spoke to Xie Jin in a neither humble nor pushy manner, explaining the analysis she had done in this document, and elaborating on how suitable her two artists were for this show.

Xie Jin stared at her all the time without saying a word. Su Tao didn't know if he was listening or not at all.

"President Xie, that's roughly it. Do you have any comments?"

Only then did Xie Jin seem to wake up from his daze and finally took his eyes off her. His deep voice finally spoke the first sentence, "But the influence and popularity of the two of them are indeed not within the range of guests we plan to invite."

Xie Jin was willing to discuss work properly with her, and Su Tao's previous discomfort from his stare disappeared a lot instantly, and her expression eased somewhat, even showing a hint of a smile, "President Xie is right to worry, we do lack some traffic. But you are the platform, you should also be willing to promote artists who can cooperate strategically in the long run. I can say that for Rui Qi, apart from traffic, Tong MingXuan and Xiao Shan are all advantages."

Seeing that Xie Jin was listening carefully, Su Tao also entered work mode and said seriously, "First, the cost is low, which you must feel deeply about as a self-made businessman. Second, the sincerity attached at the back of our document, we can reach a strategic cooperation intention between us. In the future, Rui Qi's variety shows, stages, film and television productions, we will sign priority agreements with you at low cost."

"You see my two handsome boys, their looks are impressive, and their talents are in this USB drive. I dare to guarantee that these two will definitely be the new generation of traffic idols in two years."

Tong MingXuan had gone to dinner parties with Su Tao and met investors, so he knew her capabilities. This was the first time Xiao Shan had witnessed Su Tao's professionalism and eloquence, and he was deeply convinced.

But Xie Jin's face became gloomier and gloomier, and a trace of darkness gradually appeared in his eyes.

When Su Tao praised the two men and when Xiao Shan looked at Su Tao admiringly, his expression changed.

Xie Jin lowered his eyes, his long eyelashes covering the darkness in his eyes, suppressing his true emotions, and said slowly, "President Su is really a dutiful manager. I just don't know how far you can go for your artists."

Tong MingXuan Xiao Shan: "!!!"

This was a blatant insinuation!

Was it the world that had changed, or were they protected too well by the company?

Was it popular to seduce managers instead of artists in the industry now?