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It was as if she had become a rare animal, with Shen Li being gawked at all the way as she entered the company. The pursuit by the son of a coal magnate had already become outdated news, along with rejecting a million flowers (shipped by charter flight), and even being a super-rich boss's lover. Especially among the female colleagues, the company's acquisition was no longer a big deal. If one could snag such a wealthy man, what was the point of working?
Shen Li had mentally prepared herself before coming to the company, ready for anything to be said. She now had the property deed in hand—a large suite she couldn't fully occupy by herself. Just yesterday, she posted online to rent it out, which could fetch her around six thousand, and then she could rent a single apartment for herself, pocketing several thousand in the difference.
"Miss Shen has arrived," Brother Zhang greeted her with great enthusiasm.
Shen Li felt goosebumps forming and said, "I am here to resign."
She hadn't planned to quit, but with such an attitude, how could she continue as an assistant?
Brother Zhang, smiling, said, "Your wages have been settled and are with the finance department. We were unaware before, but Ah Xin, come here quickly and apologize to Miss Shen."
"No, no need..." Shen Li quickly waved her hand. She had come prepared but hadn't expected it to be this exaggerated. Although Qiao Xin had slighted her, it was all tolerable as long as the boss didn't go too far with his employees. To make Qiao Xin come and apologize to her was too awkward.
Qiao Xin stood to the side with her arms crossed, watching without a word, though her expression was quite ugly. She was dying to tear Shen Li apart. She had nearly become the laughingstock of the company, especially in the eyes of her arch-enemy Zhou Wei who openly mocked her. Back in the day, she climbed her way up from an assistant while always being wary of others, only to end up being outmatched by this formidable new assistant, which felt like karma.
"Has Miss Shen arrived...?" The efficient female secretary knocked on the open door and, upon looking up and seeing Shen Li, said very politely, "The Chairman asks for you."
"The Chairman?" Shen Li was taken aback and a little nervous. Could it be that the Chairman was also influenced by... No, it couldn't be.
The female secretary smiled and nodded, saying, "If it's convenient for you now, please follow me."
Shen Li's smile was slightly stiff as she replied, "Convenient..."
Following the secretary upstairs, she pushed open the door to the Chairman's office only to see Chairman Li Changfa already seated inside. He was in his forties, with a well-kept figure, and looked like a handsome middle-aged man.
Seeing Shen Li enter, Li Changfa greeted her with a smile, "Ah Li is here, please sit."
Shen Li hesitated, then respectfully said, "Good day, Chairman."
Li Changfa laughed and said, "I am Suo Luo's uncle. I have called you up here because Suo Luo rang me."
"Oh, that's how it is." Shen Li came to her senses and said with a smile, "Did Suo Luo call for a particular reason?"
"Regarding your job," Li Changfa said, with an air of spring breeze in his tone, "You must have heard that both my company and Suo Luo's family's company have been acquired. The big boss plans to acquire some more companies and merge them to form a complete industrial chain. The company will be standardized up and down to join the ranks of top enterprises."
Shen Li responded with a smile, "I've heard a bit from Suo Luo, but I didn't expect it to be like this."
Suo Luo's family ran a cinema chain, while Li Changfa managed a talent agency, both belonging to the entertainment industry. It looked like the acquirer had grand ambitions. If they succeeded in creating an integrated industry chain, it would undoubtedly become a top enterprise. Li Changfa's agency wasn't big, and Suo Luo's family's company was quite average. Acquiring such small companies meant a complete restructuring was on the horizon.
Whether it was a 100% buyout or a controlling stake, they would definitely lose their rights, but from a monetary perspective, they would surely receive a handsome sum.
I never thought such good fortune would come my way, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I was almost unable to keep my company afloat," Li Changfa said, a touch of emotion in his voice. He continued, "Suo Luo mentioned you were job hunting. I've reviewed your profile. You're a senior at F University majoring in Journalism, about to graduate. If the acquisition hadn't happened, I wouldn't have dared to ask. An F University graduate is out of my league for a small firm like mine. But now that the acquisition is through, I'd like to see if you're interested in joining the company as it undergoes the transition. It would be good for me to have some assistance."
Shen Li began to understand. After the merger, someone like Li Changfa who was once a big boss would surely rise to the management tier. He was probably worried about losing his support after the merge, hence the early effort to recruit allies. She hesitated slightly and said, "I'm still in my senior year, with the latter part of the semester to go..."
She was eager to join a big company but getting involved in forming cliques before even starting...
"This is also Suo Luo's idea," Li Changfa urged upon seeing Shen Li hesitate, his eyes flashing with urgency. He added, "It's Shengtian Group that has acquired our company."
"Shengtian Group?" Shen Li paused, then said, "I have my graduation exams in July, which might delay me for about a month."
That was the largest financial conglomerate in the country. If they planned to enter the entertainment business, they would surely succeed. It's tough to get into such a big company, and once inside, there would undoubtedly be various power plays. Since that was the case, it would be better to align with someone familiar.
"That's no problem, we're all on the same team, and this can be discussed." Li Changfa said with a smile, opening a cabinet and taking out a contract. "This is a standard contract. As a small company, we're not very formal. You can sign this one for now."
Shen Li looked over the contract carefully and felt a sense of speechlessness, which confirmed the lack of formal procedures in a small company. This contract was almost as good as not having one at all, and if she were to sue based on it, she probably wouldn't win.
Li Changfa handed her a pen. Shen Li couldn't help but take another look at him, feeling that things were moving a bit too quickly. But considering he was Suo Luo's uncle, there likely wasn't anything underhanded, plus such a contract wouldn't really hold her to anything either.
After signing her name with the pen, Li Changfa called for the HR manager to file the contract. He then said to Shen Li, "You're a Journalism major, and just in time, the PR department is short-staffed. Prepare in the next few days and report for duty on the seventh day after the new year. As for your days as an assistant, go to finance to settle your wages."
"Alright, I will be there on time in the morning of the seventh day," Shen Li replied. Seeing that Li Changfa had no further orders, she stood up and said, "You're busy, so I'll leave now."
"Go ahead," Li Changfa said with a smile.
As Shen Li left the office and made her way downstairs, Li Changfa watched through the glass door. Once she was out of sight, he quickly pulled out his phone and dialed, "Mr. Situ, the task you assigned me is done."
Over the phone, Situ's voice was expressionless as he said, "Good, go to finance and get a check."
Shen Li first went to finance to settle her assistant wages—earning a thousand yuan for her troubles. Having found a job so quickly was surprisingly smooth, though much preparation was still needed.
She would tidy up her place and then buy a couple of outfits. Now that she was working officially, she needed at least a couple of presentable clothes.
After a busy day, just as she reached the entrance of her complex, a silver Ferrari pulled up in front of Shen Li.
Fang Ze took off his glasses and looked at Shen Li with a complex expression, saying, "Do you have some time? Let's have dinner together and talk."
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