Climbing the Career Ladder - -

The next day, Li Mengze led Li Lan to visit the three major shareholders of Wansheng Company, making introductions as they prepared to join the company.

Li Mengze had communicated with Wansheng Company quite a bit in the past, but had never been involved in its internal affairs. Now that he was about to start working there, he naturally needed to gain a deeper understanding and formally introduce Li Lan to the company.

Li Lan held a unique position at Wansheng Company; she was an ordinary employee, yet not a shareholder. Although not a shareholder, she represented the new shareholders. Originally, the representative was Li Mengze, but since everyone knew he would not be based permanently at the company, she had more practical influence.

That morning, the duo met with Chairman Ye Mingwen. In the afternoon, they visited General Manager Chen Xiaochong, and in the evening, they went to the home of Liu Fangsi, the Deputy General Manager in charge of finance.

During their morning visit to the chairman, Ye Guowen had already gone to work, so they only met the chairman’s wife and Ye Guowen’s wife. Mrs. Ye, clearly a spouse who had shared hardships with Ye Mingwen, appeared kind and understanding, seemingly older than Ye Mingwen; whereas Ye Guowen’s wife was a typical Chinese lady of grace, dignified and charming, comparable to Jing Wen. She did not work and instead managed the household. Their 5-year-old son was said to be at school. Both Ye Mingwen and his son were low-key and not very talkative. Despite Mrs. Ye’s kindness, visitors still found it a bit uncomfortable, so they left shortly after, making it a quick and perfunctory visit.

Visiting Chen Xiaochong’s house was a different matter altogether. Mrs. Chen was not at home, but Chen Haili was there, which made the atmosphere much livelier.

After Li Lan was formally introduced to Chen Xiaochong, he was very enthusiastic. “Alright, let him get familiar with the company first, gain some experience, and he will definitely be very useful in the future,” Li Lan added, unlike at the chairman’s home where she hardly spoke. The conversation among them gradually broadened, and with Chen Haili joining in, the atmosphere became even more vibrant. They discussed everything from Chen Haisheng to the future of Haisheng Company, from Li Mengze to the future of Wansheng Company, and they even shared their views on politics, art, and particularly when it came to poetry, the atmosphere was especially lively.

Chen Haili clearly took an interest in Li Mengze, who enjoyed regulated verse poetry, and Chen Xiaochong was surprised at their extensive historical knowledge; especially since Li Mengze had not expected Li Lan’s insights on history to be so profound-on many accounts, he felt he couldn’t even compare to her, despite usually being quite proud of himself.

Liu Fangsi is the deputy general manager of the company, his actual position being that of the Chief Financial Officer, which does not fall directly under the general manager, giving him a relatively independent status and considerable authority within the company.

Although Li Mengze also holds the title of deputy general manager, his position is one level below that of the general manager and half a level below Liu Fangsi, so they still went to visit the Chief Financial Officer.

Mrs. Liu is a very trendy woman and quite warm to everyone.

Li Mengze clearly didn’t talk much with Liu Fangsi, making the atmosphere less lively than at the previous house. Since Liu Fangsi’s son was still at university, the conversation inevitably turned to university topics, and after chatting for a while, they dispersed.

Li Mengze’s new position at Wansheng Company is that of Deputy General Manager, overseeing the HR department-a role Sima Xiaoyu specifically secured for him, although it is one that involves little hands-on management.

Previously, Wansheng Company had only one Deputy General Manager, Liu Fangsi, who was exclusively in charge of finance and essentially operated as an independent system; the HR department was directly under General Manager Chen Xiaochong. To avoid disrupting the existing management structure and to provide Li Mengze, who “had no actual work experience and only some exposure to people and events, and really couldn’t do much,” with a respectable position, the role of Deputy General Manager managing the HR department was specially created.

According to the new regulations at Wansheng Company, if Li Mengze is present, he is responsible for the HR department’s operations. If he is absent, the General Manager directly oversees the department, merely informing him about more significant matters. This arrangement effectively establishes Li Mengze’s weak position within the company.

Li Lan’s situation is somewhat unique. While Li Mengze may not manage company affairs, he is not allowed to lose basic awareness of the company, making his role critically important; Chen Xiaochong and others also recognize that only by valuing Li Lan can they foster good cooperation. According to his own wishes, he started as a “temp” in the General Affairs Department, with long-term goals of securing a significant position there, or entering the HR department to directly assist Li Mengze.

Li Mengze decided to spend some time working in Guangzhou first. He needed to familiarize himself with the operations of a well-established large company to prevent others from treating him as a fool later. Therefore, he was quite busy during this period, working Monday through Friday, although it was mainly “observational”-just watching, not speaking or acting. He would have to fly back to Beijing every Friday afternoon, officially to visit his father, but most of his time was actually spent at home with his girlfriend, alleviating the pain of separation.

Li Mengze had to make frequent phone calls in the evenings, primarily to Zhang Xiaoqing, as he had not returned to Tianjin and was pressed for time. He often received calls from Xu Peng and Du Hai, who reported their respective work tasks. Of course, during the day, he had other important matters to attend to, which no one knew about.

Wansheng’s operations have been very successful. The company’s restructuring was said to have had no impact on the organization, a statement mainly directed at the rank-and-file employees. However, staff in more critical departments soon noticed irregularities.

Wansheng’s budget has significantly increased, with most departments receiving more substantial funding and more generous rewards for outstanding employees.

There has been a notable increase in the number of senior staff at Wansheng. While the addition or subtraction of one or two individuals may not affect the entire company, any change in personnel in specific departments signifies something significant. This is especially true in the R&D department, where the increase in scientific equipment and researchers has deeply impacted long-standing employees. The addition of highly capable individuals from the academic community has stirred undercurrents within Wansheng. These currents are propelling this stock market focal point, a company that nearly collapsed, towards rapid expansion.

Many investors had once deemed Wansheng beyond redemption, destined to become a highlight of the future stock market. Although Wansheng is now under strict constraints from the Securities Regulatory Commission regarding its stock issuance activities, the company has amassed a considerable amount of direct monetary funds, totaling 2 billion yuan, in addition to its operational capital.

Ye Guowen currently serves as the director of the General Affairs Department, a crucial sector within the company. The General Affairs Department significantly influences many other departments, and it can be said that without it, the entire company would struggle to operate cohesively. Thus, its tasks are of great importance.

Ye Guowen also takes special interest in mentoring Li Lan, understanding that he is an associate of Li Mengze. He finds Li Lan intriguing; he resume reveals that he is a local, previously employed at a small company where he never held a particularly significant position.

Li Lan is not only affiliated with Li Mengze but also possesses a sharp mind, adept at learning and adapting quickly. She often demonstrates the ability to think critically and apply knowledge broadly, which impresses Ye Guowen enough to admire Li Mengze, wondering, “What kind of person is this?”

Ye Guowen decides to win over Li Lan, primarily because the HR Department also holds a critical position within the company. If the General Affairs Department is instrumental in nurturing individuals to control the company, then the HR Department manages the people of the company, and Li Mengze has secured his influence over this department.

Ye Guowen happily accepted Li Mengze’s invitation. The guests, mostly young people, were primarily his university classmates, as the host wished to combine two parties into one.

Chen Haisheng and his colleagues took time out of their busy schedules at the company to grace the event, largely persuaded by Li Tianhua and his friends. This banquet had even more guests than the previous one, with each guest bringing their partner, totaling 10 people. It was evident from the gathering that Chen Yongbo and Xie Jia had become an item, and Chen Haisheng and Yang Hua shared a notably stable relationship. Li Mengze’s occasional smiles made a few guests feel slightly embarrassed.

Ye Guowen brought his wife along, whose mature charm truly stood out, immediately capturing everyone’s attention upon their arrival. Even Li Mengze was taken aback by the elegantly dressed beauty, but he quickly regained his composure, as did Chen Haisheng, since both were accustomed to such scenes.

Li Mengze, being single, attended the event alone. He knew only a few people in Guangzhou and did not have a female partner. Another single attendee was Chen Haili, who came with Yang Hua and Chen Haisheng.

With the younger crowd, the conversation flowed more freely, quickly generating a lively atmosphere. Chen Haisheng was still the most talkative man, followed by Li Tianhua. As the host, Li Mengze also spoke quite a bit. Although there were familiar faces among the guests, as the host, Li Mengze couldn’t afford for the party to fail. Mostly, he engaged in small talk, while Ye Guowen was more reserved, simply smiling as he watched his wife skillfully charm the group of young men.

Ye Guowen and his wife were a perfect match; he spoke little, but she managed the conversation with ease and grace, holding everyone’s attention. This made Li Mengze deeply contemplate the allure of mature women, comparing them to his own experiences, finding Jing Wen a worthy comparison but still not quite matching the woman before him.

Chen Haili spoke less than usual, a stark contrast to her demeanor at her own party previously, giving off an impression of holding back. She seemed particularly interested in Li Mengze, frequently glancing his way, which made him uncomfortable, though he refrained from reacting.

“Mengze, I heard that you were particularly hard to approach when you were in school?” Chen Haili asked, prompting everyone at the table to look at Li Mengze.

“Why would you ask that? I was quiet and didn’t mingle much at school, which Tianhua and the others know, but it wasn’t as bad as you make it sound. In this respect, Guowen can vouch for me,” Li Mengze said with a laugh, dragging Ye Guowen into the conversation. “Guowen and I are both naturally aloof, right, Guowen?”

Ye Guowen nodded, “Mengze and I both tend to be quiet, and we might come off as cold without realizing it. People like us aren’t naturally sociable, but I must admit, I admire Mengze-he handles it much better than I do.”

“Moreover, people like them may seem unapproachable at first, but once you get to know them, it’s hard to change your mind about them, and you find yourself wanting to get closer,” Mrs. Ye added, speaking from experience.

“So, sister-in-law, did you fall in love with Guowen like that?” Chen Haisheng asked with a smirk, somewhat skeptical.

“Exactly, Guowen won my heart just like that,” Mrs. Ye admitted with a laugh, giving Chen Haili a meaningful glance.

The banquet lasted nearly two hours before finally winding down, much to Li Mengze’s relief. After seeing off the guests, it was time for him to call home, a nearly unvarying routine. Having someone to care about really makes a difference. Previously, when he roamed alone in Tianjin to save on phone bills, he often skipped calls, causing his sister to constantly remind him, “It’s time to call home”…

However, tonight, Li Mengze couldn’t make that call, as Chen Haili had asked him to “take a walk” and suggested visiting his hotel, an invitation he couldn’t decline. He simply told the others, “You go ahead, I’ll take Miss Chen home later.”

Two people were walking slowly, enjoying the warm autumn breeze in Guangzhou. It was nothing like the biting cold of the north, which made Li Mengze quite fond of this bustling southern metropolis. The vibrant night markets, bright street lights, and ceaseless flow of people reminded him of Beijing in May. Li Mengze drank less tonight; nowadays, when he is away from home, he seldom drinks, always taking just a sip or two, portraying himself as someone with a low tolerance for alcohol. However, Chen Haili had drunk quite a bit tonight, her cheeks flushed under the night lights.

“Do you find it easy to live in Guangzhou, with its warm southern weather? It must be very cold in the north by now!” Chen Haili knew if she didn’t start the conversation, they would walk all the way to his hotel in silence, so she spoke up first.

“It’s already very cold in the north. Last week, Beijing even had ice, and Tianjin was about the same! I’m managing quite well in Guangzhou,” Li Mengze responded, his adaptability to life being quite strong. Since high school, he had left home early and had been on the move ever since graduating, even spending half a year in Shenzhen, so he didn’t find it hard to adjust.

“Is that so? You’re really something. I just can’t get used to being away.”

“You fly back to Beijing every week. Doesn’t all that traveling wear you out?” Li Mengze paused, not continuing the conversation, and Chen Haili added,

“What can I do? When you’re working away from home, you don’t have much control! There’s no helping it, that’s my fate. Before, I used to travel all over to make money. Now that I don’t have to worry about money, I travel for family. Recently, my father was sick, and I had to travel between Beijing and Tianjin every week. Now I don’t have to go to Tianjin anymore, but I’m running between Beijing and Guangzhou.”

“How long has your father been ill? He’s getting better, right?” Chen Haili then remembered his father was sick.

“He’s been in the hospital for half a year now, but he’s getting much better,” Li Mengze replied, his spirits lifting as he spoke of his father’s recovery.

The two walked a bit further, and Chen Haili insisted on visiting his hotel. By this time, the effects of their drinks had worn off, and Li Mengze, unable to refuse any longer, agreed to take her to the hotel.

Li Mengze was still staying at the same hotel because it was close to his office, though he had switched to a smaller room.

Li Mengze was not one to spend frivolously; wastefulness did not suit his character. Being single, he was fine with just making do, but his girlfriend wouldn’t allow him to live too modestly, claiming it was bad for his health. Truthfully, with his financial means, he could afford a five-star hotel without batting an eyelid, though he still felt pained at the thought.

“You’re staying here?” Chen Haili couldn’t believe her eyes. The room was probably the cheapest single room in the hotel, too small and sparingly furnished, equipped with only a television.

“Heh, this is actually pretty good. Living alone, I don’t need much, and besides, I’m on a business trip with limited expenses. I even try to save a bit,” Li Mengze feigned poverty, as if it were really the case.

“Even the rooms for the client services department at your company are better than this!” Chen Haili laughed.

“Really? Those guys, they never think of me. Tomorrow, I’ll move into the company housing; I am the deputy general manager after all, I suppose I have that privilege?” Li Mengze was genuinely surprised, regretting his current accommodations.

“Whether you can actually stay there is another matter; I’ve heard they have employee dorms. You should ask about it,” Chen Haili had relaxed and was now teasing him.

“Maybe I’ll just stay here; less hassle. Besides, it’s inconvenient to do anything while staying at the company,” Li Mengze said. He didn’t mind where he stayed, as long as it was a place to rest.

Li Mengze was originally unwilling to speak, while Chen Haili was puzzled.

Chen Haili had assumed that Li Mengze, being the deputy general manager of Wansheng and backed by considerable power, would at least stay in a four-star hotel. However, upon entering, she found it surprisingly modest. Was he truly wealthy, or just a worker as he claimed? If he were merely an employee, why would he live like this? Even if he wasn’t very wealthy, he must have close ties with those who were; his demeanor did not reveal much, but he definitely had a background and influence.

Chen Haili learned from Chen Haisheng that Li Mengze had been mediocre in school and was not particularly popular. Among her acquaintances, only Yang Hua seemed to care about him, while others paid him no mind. This was confusing to her, especially considering Yang Hua’s situation; why would she pay extra attention to someone so unremarkable?

Chen Haili knew that Yang Hua was the object of Chen Haisheng’s affection, and till now, Chen Haisheng had shown no interest in other girls, favoring only her. She also knew that Yang Hua had a good relationship with Chen Haisheng and was not the type to change her affections easily. Perhaps Yang Hua was too kind, but the presence of this man here was itself a problem, along with the mysterious woman by his side, who might be his lover. Although she hadn’t met her, her father’s description suggested she was quite exceptional. What kind of person was he, really?

In her confusion, Chen Haili was escorted out of the hotel by Li Mengze.