"What are you doing here?"
Inside the Ning Group building, Mr. Xiao held his teacup, looking at Lin Fan who walked into the marketing department.
"To work, of course!"
Lin Fan pulled over a chair and sat across from the supervisor.
"Didn't we say yesterday that your assessment task was to discuss cooperation, not to come to the office? If the cooperation isn't successful, there's no need for you to come here!"
Mr. Xiao blew on the tea foam, too lazy to lift his head.
These people were simply not going to make it into the company.
"So here I am, isn't it time for you to arrange a workstation for me?"
Lin Fan looked around the crowded marketing department.
There were still many empty workstations.
"Can't you understand human speech? I told you..."
Mr. Xiao put down his cup impatiently.
But before he could finish, a stack of contracts was slammed onto his desk.
"Look closely, a 2.5-billion contract with the First Hospital. Can I get a workstation now?"
Lin Fan's words almost made Mr. Xiao spit out his tea.
"2.5 billion, why don't you just go rob a bank? You young people, is there something wrong with your brains? Do you really think business is that easy to discuss? I warn you, forging a fake contract is a crime. Do you want to go to jail?"
Wiping his mouth, Mr. Xiao looked disdainful.
Just from that figure alone, it simply wasn't possible.
"If you know it's not easy to discuss, then why ask us newcomers to do it? Who's the one with a diseased brain?"
Lin Fan sneered as he stood up. "Whether it's real or fake, just make a call and you'll know. I'm going to have lunch now. I hope my workstation is ready when I get back in the afternoon."
Just as Lin Fan had left, Mr. Tan walked over from next door with a teacup full of goji berries.
"Isn't he from the new batch that joined yesterday? What's he doing here?"
"Who knows what got into him? He insisted he secured a 2.5-billion contract with the First Hospital. It's right here, and he asked me to call and confirm its authenticity. I'd have to be insane to make that call. When he comes back later, I'll have security toss him out!"
Mr. Xiao snorted contemptuously.
He didn't even feel the impulse to glance at the contract.
"The way I see it, this contract seems real."
Mr. Tan casually flipped through the contract, but the more he looked, the more real it seemed.
"I think so too!"
Mr. Xiao quickly stood up and the two of them scrutinized the contract for a long time. It indeed did not look fake.
"Whether it's real or fake, couldn't you just make a call to find out?"
Mr. Tan's words made Mr. Xiao come to his senses.
He hastily picked up the phone and called the procurement department of the First Hospital.
But after exchanging pleasantries, Mr. Xiao froze.
His eyes, wide open, stared straight at Mr. Tan.
"What on earth is going on? Speak up!"
Mr. Tan asked, puzzled.
"The procurement department said... the contract is real... and they told us to quickly go through the procedures... and send it back!"
Mr. Xiao's words left Mr. Tan stunned in his tracks.
Examining the contract again, the amount and the name of the handler were indeed correct.
"How is this possible? Hasn't the First Hospital always had a dedicated supplier? How could he possibly have signed it, and the amount is so huge... 2.5 billion, just the bonus would be nearly a million. That's half a year's task for our marketing department, this guy is simply a treasure!"
Mr. Tan sat down hard in his chair, scratching his nearly bald head.
This situation was simply incomprehensible.
"Manager, don't forget what the top brass demanded. If he stays, both of us are toast!"
Mr. Xiao, rubbing the bridge of his nose, suddenly felt worried.
Yesterday, Ning Mengyao had made it clear that not one of this group should stay.
"When the top said to not keep anyone, they meant to find a legitimate reason to let him go. But he's passed the assessment, and now we don't have a reason!"
Mr. Tan looked bitterly at the supervisor.
The man couldn't decide whether to stay or to go.
"I do have an idea. This afternoon, I will stabilize him, and you can reprint the contract and take it to the First Hospital. Just say the previous contract got dirtied by him, and we can only re-sign a new one. When the new contract comes back, we just change the name on it. This way, he will have nothing to do with the matter, right?"
Mr. Xiao whispered in a low voice into Mr. Tan's ear.
"Would that work?"
Mr. Tan hesitated.
"Anyway, Mr. Ning did say yesterday that if he joined the company, we would have to pack our bags. Have you found a way to cover next month's mortgage payment?"
Mr. Xiao's retort silenced Mr. Tan instantly.
In the end, Mr. Tan could only grit his teeth, grab the contract, and head towards the finance department.
After having a casual lunch nearby, Lin Fan returned to the company.
"Where is my workstation?"
Seeing the supervisor waiting at the door, Lin Fan asked.
"I'll take you there, this way!"
Completely changing his previous disdain, Mr. Xiao now smiled as if he had seen blossoming flowers.
Leading Lin Fan, he approached a workstation by the street.
"I've already cleaned this up for you; you will work here from now on."
His obsequious behavior was as if he had seen his own dear father.
This made the surrounding people curiously observe Lin Fan.
They were all wondering how powerful his background must be.
"That will be all, you can go."
Lin Fan sat down in the chair.
It was his first day at work, and everything seemed quite novel to him.
"If you need me, just call!"
Mr. Xiao smiled as if a thousand peach blossoms had bloomed on his face.
But in his heart, he had his own little plan.
By the time work was over, Lin Fan was going to be shown the door.
Go ahead and be arrogant for a bit.
"Kind of boring!"
Leaning back in his chair, Lin Fan watched the hustle and bustle through the window.
Because of the supervisor's influence, colleagues dared not get close to him.
He wanted to chat with someone, but there wasn't anyone available.
However, as the phone rang, a smile appeared on Lin Fan's face.
"I'm busy with work; can't you two have fun without me?"
The caller was none other than the playful Luo Jiuying.
He had thought Luo wanted to play chess with him again.
"Big brother, I wanted to ask you something. Ning Group suddenly took the contract back to First Hospital, saying you dirtied it and needed to re-sign, but your name wasn't even on it. I think there is something fishy about this, so I called to ask you."
Luo Jiuying's words brought a smile to Lin Fan's face.
"So someone wants to stab me in the back, eh? What do you think we should do about it?"
"I can have him thrown out right now and inform the person in charge of Ning Group. Do you think that would be the correct approach?"
The older they are, the wiser, and the more spirited.
Luo Jiuying instantly understood Lin Fan's intention.
"Mhm, I appreciate your help this time."
Lin Fan had already guessed that these two old mischief-makers were helping him from behind the scenes.
"It's my good fortune to help out the boss. If you feel indebted, come and join me in a game of chess. I've been studying an endgame that's absolutely unbeatable."
Luo Jiuying said, laughing.
As a chess fanatic meeting a master, he could hardly wait.
"Alright, tonight I'll show you what real invincibility is!"