Climbing the Career Ladder - -

Li Mengze had been running back and forth for over a month, familiarizing himself with everything he could within the company, soon realizing he couldn’t learn much more from it. More importantly, he wanted to avoid getting involved in the internal power struggles of the company. He had no desire to compete with anyone; he merely wanted to be a cheerleader on the sidelines, a small stone beside the road, observing the company’s operations and personnel promotions. Thus, even with the simplest personnel promotions, he tried not to get involved, letting them handle it themselves; after all, he didn’t really understand people. That said, he wasn’t entirely inactive; he had once promoted someone whom he found quite agreeable and capable.

Li Mengze wasn’t expecting any rewards; the entire company knew he held a high position with little real power, and except for Li Lan, it was unlikely anyone would tie their fate to his chariot. But Li Lan was different. With strong learning abilities, and especially with deliberate guidance from Ye Guowen and Li Mengze’s unique status, Li Lan advanced quickly and maintained good relationships with everyone.

It was well known that Li Lan was Li Mengze’s protégé. Despite holding a lowly position, all the key leaders treated him with respect. Li Mengze’s presence itself was a banner, drawing the attention of those with ambition. Since Li Mengze was elusive, making contact with Li Lan became inevitable. Li Lan was destined to become a powerhouse within the company, a consensus recognized by all. Status combined with ability was a hallmark of a person, the same anywhere. This allowed Li Mengze to take his leave with peace of mind.

Li Mengze was on leave, a fact that no one managed, as it was stipulated in the cooperative contract. He was currently in Tianjin, where the importance of the local company was no less significant than that of Guangzhou.

Xixing Corporation was gradually becoming more formalized, and its first business venture had now entered the late stages of negotiation, with high hopes of securing the deal. Several people within the company were eager to nail this project, hoping for a successful start.

Li Mengze’s classmates focused on three companies, each with distinctive features, two located in the north and one in the south. The key figures of these companies were all influential members of the class. Chen Haisheng was naturally admired for his strength; he was not only prominent in his class but also within his department and the university as a whole.

One of the leaders of Yulong Electronics is Jin Yulong, widely recognized as one of the best students in the class. He earned a graduate position at a renowned university with high scores and founded a technology company using patent technology to secure funding. His quick start in entrepreneurship was a surprise to many.

Xixing Corporation was no less impressive, led by two influential classmates and holding its own against the competition. However, each company had its unique characteristics. In terms of technical content, Yulong Electronics was considered the top, while Chen Haisheng’s company was at the bottom. Regarding relevance to the class, Chen Haisheng’s company had five classmates join, whereas Yulong Electronics had only one. In terms of financial strength, Chen Haisheng’s company visibly had the strongest resources, but Xixing Corporation had the greatest potential, dealing in real estate which requires significant capital and could possibly be the wealthiest.

Operationally, Yulong Electronics far outpaced the other two, having been in business for nearly a year and reaching a mature stage, while the others had been operating for only a month. In fact, all companies were competitive; Yulong Electronics itself was a brand with a high starting point, and Chen Haisheng’s company also leveraged the investor’s name as a brand, clearly benefiting from brand effects. The classmates compared these companies mostly in terms of personnel, focusing especially on their fellow classmates. From this perspective, the differences became apparent.

Although Yulong Electronics was strong, it was of less concern to the classmates because its core staff were not their fellow students but Jin Yulong’s graduate school colleagues, leading to a subconscious belief that it was unrelated to them. However, the situation was different with the other two companies, with at least two classmates and an alumnus each, leading to a genuine interest in Chen Haisheng’s and Xixing Corporation’s businesses, which only grew after these companies were established.

Li Mengze had just arrived in Tianjin when he was informed that Chen Qian had returned from abroad. He immediately set his sights on this beautiful former classmate.

Chen Qian was recognized as the talented belle of the department, considered to be as intelligent as she was beautiful. Along with Yang Hua, she was regarded as one of the department’s two extraordinary talents, equally famous. After graduating from university, she had gone abroad for further studies and had only just returned.

Li Mengze’s timing was perfect; Chen Qian was still lingering at the school, reportedly staying at Teacher Jiang’s house. Without even having time to buy a gift, he headed straight to the school and directly to Teacher Jiang’s home.

“Teacher Jiang, am I too late?” Li Mengze asked upon arrival. “Is Chen Qian not here?”

“She is, she is, just give me a moment,” Teacher Jiang said, surprised by Li Mengze’s impetuousness. He was puzzled, as he had never seen him act so rashly. However, as a teacher, he was ready to help his students with any issues. “Chen Qian, Chen Qian… Mengze is here.”

“Chen Qian, hello there, you look even more beautiful now,” Li Mengze complimented her as soon as he saw her.

“Li Mengze, it’s you! I didn’t expect you to be the first one I’d see, but you’ve changed a lot, almost didn’t recognize you,” Chen Qian exaggerated a bit. Although they weren’t very close, she could still recognize him; it was just that he hadn’t changed much.

“I just got back from Guangzhou. When I heard you were back in the country, I hurried over. How’s that for sincerity? Do you think my charm is enough now?” Li Mengze spoke ambiguously, making it difficult to discern his true intentions.

“You came from Haisheng’s, did he want to invite me?” Chen Qian assumed, recalling that Teacher Jiang had mentioned her classmates’ entrepreneurial activities, though Li Mengze hadn’t been involved in any of it.

“Haisheng’s business is none of my concern; he doesn’t need my help,” Li Mengze replied with a smile.

“So where do you work in Guangzhou? Surely you didn’t just go there to play or escape the winter?” Chen Qian asked curiously.

“Do I look like I have that kind of good fortune? I work at Wansheng company, as a deputy general manager, believe it or not?” In truth, Li Mengze himself was not very confident; his position as deputy general manager had been arranged by his girlfriend.

“Wansheng, that legendary company, and she’s the deputy general manager!” Chen Qian actually believed him, but it was all a bit too dramatic, even Teacher Jiang was surprised.

“Teacher Jiang, someone from our class has become the deputy general manager of a big company. No problem, what can I do?” Chen Qian said excitedly, thinking she was being invited to join Wansheng. She quickly agreed and even struck a pose.

“Chen Qian, you can’t go to Wansheng. Look, I’ve already come back, haven’t I?” Li Mengze said seriously.

“Ah, to get one’s hopes up for nothing, you owe me for emotional distress,” Chen Qian snapped back to reality, but she was not ready to let it go.

“How about this? I’ll find you a job, and a boyfriend as handsome as me, how’s that?” Li Mengze knew Chen Qian was outgoing and loved to joke, his words half serious, half in jest.

“Tell me, if you’re messing with me again, see how I’ll deal with you,” Chen Qian was confident, in high spirits.

“Xixing Corporation, as for a boyfriend, go find one yourself!” Li Mengze said.

“Did Xu Peng send you to lobby me?” Chen Qian stared at him.

“Yes, no,” Li Mengze confirmed, then quickly denied.

“Is it yes or no? You’re not one to be evasive,” Chen Qian knew he was not one to speak lightly, always truthful.

“I mean yes, and no, both together. Don’t rush, let me finish. Still so impatient. I had just returned from Guangzhou when Xu Peng told me you were back. I immediately ran outside, and he was yelling behind me, asking me to invite you. So, it’s yes and no, no and yes. Chen Qian, the owner of Xixing Corporation personally invites you to join. Please consider it,” Li Mengze finished explaining, formally extending the invitation.

“First, tell me which of your statements are true and which are false,” Chen Qian became serious, but also confused.

“Wansheng Corporation’s vice president is real, not working for Haisheng is real, the owner of Xixing Corporation is real, and the invitation to Chen Qian to join Western Star Corporation is also real,” Li Mengze said deliberately, pausing after each statement, hoping to persuade the listener.

“My goodness, Teacher Jiang, is this still your student? Do you know how much money Li Mengze has? At least several billion yuan. How did he earn it?” Chen Qian said to an utterly astonished Teacher Jiang. He might not know, but she estimated it was at least that much, if not more.

Teacher Jiang couldn’t believe his ears. This was astounding. Was this still Li Mengze, the same student who visited him a month ago? It was all too sudden, too incredible.

“Tell me how much you invested in Wansheng Corporation, and I’ll agree,” Chen Qian said.

“Is that the condition? Can we change it, maybe to how much was invested in Xixing Corporation?” Li Mengze ventured.

“If it’s difficult, let’s change it!” Chen Qian felt it was too harsh to press him further and lowered her demands.

“Thank you, I have my difficulties, which include not being able to disclose details about Xixing Corporation. We’ve invested 30 billion yuan, and we can add more if it’s not enough,” Li Mengze said earnestly.

“30 billion yuan!? …Okay, I agree,” Chen Qian quickly consented, as such a large investment was very rare, and she certainly would not refuse.

“Do you need a car? If so, I can sell you mine, and you can pay in installments,” Li Mengze said with a smile.

“Swindler! What car?” Chen Qian scolded him but still asked.

“A Xiali N3, nearly new, runs great,” Li Mengze pitched the car he no longer needed…

“Go on, keep it for yourself. Even if you gave it to me, I wouldn’t want it,” Chen Qian dismissed, expecting something much better.

Li Mengze managed to secure Chen Qian’s agreement and instructed Teacher Jiang on some matters. After calling Xu Peng and others, he went home. It was like two children blowing bubbles; first, Haisheng’s company made a sound, then Western Star Corporation blew bigger and louder bubbles.

Chen Qian’s joining significantly boosted the popularity of Xixing Corporation, positioning her to potentially surpass others in the future.

Since Li Mengze had settled things with Chen Qian, he disappeared, and the executives at Xixing Corporation couldn’t contact him anymore.

Li Mengze now spends all his days at home, and even had Zhang Xiaoqing take time off work, under the pretense of adhering to an old family practice.

Of course, Zhang Xiaoqing was sick. Just two days into their marriage, Li Mengze had left, and over the past month, he had been shuttling between Beijing and Guangzhou, with no time or energy to visit Tianjin. He was already exhausted, and the women would not let him travel to Tianjin anymore.

Zhang Xiaoqing only occasionally visited Beijing to reunite with him, so she missed Li Mengze terribly; he missed her equally, calling her almost every day. Recently, he had been quite stimulated, which made him more excitable, and now he was comforting his woman. Poor Zhang Xiaoqing suffered greatly for the man she loved, enduring loneliness and hardship until she finally had him, only for him to leave her side again. She wanted him to return, to comfort her, to caress her, but she couldn’t bear to see him so tired.

When Li Mengze returned, he was as strong as a wild ox, which even scared Zhang Xiaoqing a bit. She was now frightened, but her body felt weak and feeble, that dreadful man, torturing her so much that she couldn’t even lift her arms. She wanted to resist him, but every time he embraced her, she felt powerless.

Li Mengze was also very tired, the longing of many days and the recent stimulation finally found their release! Feeling Zhang Xiaoqing move slightly, he quickly held her tighter, afraid that she would slip away. She seemed to move again, so he held her even tighter, his hand caressing back and forth on her smooth abdomen…

Li Mengze didn’t know when Zhang Xiaoqing escaped his clutches. When he awoke, he found himself hugging a large pillow!

Zhang Xiaoqing had already escaped from Li Mengze’s clutches. Young and quick to recover, by the time he woke up the next afternoon, she had already prepared lunch.

“Xiaoqing, you look beautiful!” Li Mengze couldn’t help but compliment her. After their lovemaking, she looked even more enchanting, possessing an indescribable charm.

“Now you realize, you heartless man,” Xiaoqing said, still angry at how Li Mengze had almost rejected her initially. She gave him a reproachful look.

“If I had known how charming you are after being in love, I would have won you over half a year ago,” Li Mengze teased.

“You pervert, if you had done that back then, I would have smashed your head in,” Xiaoqing retorted angrily, yet she couldn’t help but laugh, further revealing her enchanting demeanor post-love.

After lunch, the couple watched TV for a while and then embraced each other again, doing nothing, thinking about nothing; just simply holding each other, feeling their bodies slowly merging into one, inseparable.

“Xiaoqing, let me ask you something. Did you initially feel the more you got to know me, the more you wanted to discover, and then you ended up liking me more?” Li Mengze looked into her eyes seriously.

“I’m not sure, maybe,” Xiaoqing replied, trying to recall but not certain.

“Think about it carefully. A friend’s wife mentioned that people like me become more likable the more you interact with them, and after a while, you can’t stay away,” Li Mengze recalled what Ye Guowen’s wife had said, seeking confirmation from Xiaoqing.

“It’s likely. I was curious about you at first, then I started gathering information about you, and later when we met in person, you didn’t pay much attention to me. I knew the chances were slim, but I couldn’t help myself. Are you satisfied now?”

“Ah, I’d be glad if you were satisfied. I just hope it’s not only you who feels this way; otherwise, I’d be in trouble,” Li Mengze expressed his concern.

“What do you mean? Is there a problem? Have you fallen for someone else?” Xiaoqing immediately became alert.

“It’s nothing, really. If I had fallen for someone else, it would be easy to handle; just grit my teeth and get past it,” Li Mengze decided to consult Jing Wen and the others first, not wanting Xiaoqing to know just yet, in case their responses differed.

“What do you mean, ‘grit your teeth and get past it’? What are you trying to say?” Xiaoqing was still confused and pressed him for an answer.

“Ha, just think about it-I have five wives at home. Even if that woman were wonderful, what’s more important: five wives or one woman whose thoughts are a mystery? Silly girl!” Li Mengze said, laughing. In reality, no matter how fickle or lustful he might be, he could never abandon any of his five women. To abandon one would likely mean abandoning them all.

“Who knows what you’re really thinking? If another woman came along who was beautiful and competent, who could talk and laugh, who had power and advantages, who was tall and slim, and also wealthy, you might just leave us,” Xiaoqing said, laughing as well.

“Xiaoqing, in my eyes, you are all beautiful and capable, always there to talk and laugh with me. Neither fat nor thin, neither tall nor short, just like fairies; I don’t care for power or status, nor do I need anyone’s money. What would I do with such a woman? You know, your husband is incredibly proud. Having such a woman would only make me feel inferior. I would never agree to it,” Li Mengze said, sharing his true feelings.

“What if it involved a lot of money? Don’t you need money right now?” Xiaoqing suddenly blurted out a strange idea, knowing that while Li Mengze was wealthy, he seemed to need more.

“No amount of money would suffice. You don’t even know how much we have. Let me tell you, we currently have 43 billion yuan in cash deposits and 46 billion in accessible funds, plus stocks. Tell me, which young woman in China is wealthier than us? Besides, I don’t like unearned wealth. Even if I need money, I can make it through the stock market, you know, I’m quite skilled at trading stocks,” Li Mengze disclosed his financial status, which Xiaoqing was not yet aware of.

“All this money, did we earn it all from trading stocks?” Xiaoqing, aware of the source of the money, seemed to believe in his ability and was not overly surprised. That’s the strange thing about people; if a stranger knew how much money he had, they would be utterly shocked!

“Of course, but you mustn’t tell anyone else. If anyone asks, just say you don’t know. Don’t say we have no money, just that you don’t know how much,” Li Mengze instructed the women to keep a unified front.

“After staying home for two days, the couple went out to clear their minds, hand in hand, inseparable. The weather up north had already turned very cold, the biting wind stripping away the last vestige of warmth from the pedestrians, but it could not dispel the deep love in their hearts. Li Mengze tenderly wrapped his arms around Xiaoqing’s shoulders, unconcerned by the astonished looks of passersby. He intended to use his whole being to warm her heart, using his love to chase away the cold from her body, ensuring that at all times, his women felt his endless love, vowing to protect them for life.”