Dawn of Life

Lin Yue didn't defend herself, but just nodded seriously, because regardless of whether it was her fault or not, the boss was in a bad mood right now, so she had to accept the blame and come up with a solution immediately.

So he said, "It is indeed my fault, but after listening to your discussion about store positioning, I have a clearer understanding of this recruitment profile. We can identify many candidates who fit this profile from the resumes we've collected. I'll organize them and send them to you later, so it won't affect our original recruitment schedule."

Sheng Xing nodded and said, "Then you can go ahead and get busy."

Shengxing knew, of course, that Liu Zheng had never approved of his strategy. Lin Yue had also said several times that the recruitment was not going well and hoped that he could sit down with Liu Zheng and discuss the portrait again.

However, Shengxing also knew that if they sat down to discuss it, this situation would definitely occur, so he had been making excuses and refusing. He hoped that Lin Yue could deal with Liu Zheng herself, or find a way to bypass Liu Zheng.

It was clear, however, that Lin Yue didn't trust him enough and handled the matter in a more self-protective way. While he could understand the actions of a newly appointed director, he was still somewhat disappointed, so what he had just said could be considered a warning to her.

Lin Yue returned to her workstation and continued to review the day's events. She realized that she did have the intention to protect herself, but more importantly, she felt that the two bosses needed to think things through and reach a consensus on such an important strategic decision as opening a branch office before proceeding.

This is crucial for the company's future development, so when Shengxing shifted the responsibility to her, she didn't argue, only telling Shengxing that she could resolve the recruitment timeline issue. Perhaps at her level, that's about all she can do regarding company strategy.

After this meeting, the recruitment process went smoothly, and Shengxing quickly interviewed several good candidates, moving on to the offer and background check stages.

However, in the days that followed, Lin Yue sensed a subtle change in Sheng Xing's attitude towards her, and his expression was not very pleasant at several meetings.

Zhang Wei quickly sensed this atmosphere, and his restless heart began to stir again.

When Lin Yue got off work, she received a WeChat message from Lin Haifeng: "What time are you coming home tonight? Xiaoyu and your mom were arguing again this afternoon, and it really upset your mom."

Before Lin Yue could react, she received another message from Liu Cuiying: "You need to control your son. He's so young and already disrespectful. What will he be like when he grows up?"

Lin Yue quickly replied, "Mom, I have to work overtime tonight, so I'll probably be home late. Xiaoyu is still a child, so please be understanding."

She didn't receive any more messages from Liu Cuiying after that. She originally wanted to call Lin Haifeng to ask what had happened, but then she received a message from marketing director Shi Potian urging her to come downstairs.

Tonight, Shi Potian invited Lin Yue to dinner. When she was promoted, several people from the business departments privately messaged her saying they wanted to invite her to dinner, including Shi Potian. She didn't go at the time because she knew that Shi Potian was probably just trying to find out some information.

But today he asked Lin Yue out again. Lin Yue thought that the fact that he asked her out a second time meant that he not only wanted to find out information from her, but probably had some other information he wanted her to know, so she decided to go and meet him.

The two met at a restaurant downstairs from the company, since it was evening after get off work, unlike at noon when there would be many company people there.

However, Shi Potian still cautiously chose a secluded spot. Lin Yue thought this was good, as it meant he didn't want others to know they were close, which meant he wouldn't easily share their conversation with others. This made her feel more at ease.

Shi Potian arrived first and ordered the food in advance. After Lin Yue arrived, he handed her the menu and said with a smile, "I did my research beforehand. I know you're from Sichuan and like spicy food, so I specially chose this restaurant and ordered a few of their signature dishes according to your taste. Try them later and see if they're authentic."

Lin Yue glanced at the menu: spicy blood curd, boiled fish, green vegetables, and ice jelly. It was clear that Shi Potian had done his homework beforehand. Lin Yue couldn't help but admire Shi Potian's thoughtfulness as a business professional.

Lin Yue suddenly remembered what Su Ling had told her before: Shi Potian had asked Sheng Xing to inscribe a painting he bought at the art academy. Now she was even more certain that it was all a show, and that he genuinely wanted to win Lin Yue over. One was high-profile and flamboyant, full of flaws; the other was low-key and meticulous. That's how the workplace is; different people react differently. If you pay close attention, you'll always find a different flavor in their stories.

Shi Potian skillfully poured drinks and served food to Lin Yue, and the two exchanged pleasantries, creating a pleasant atmosphere for both host and guest. Lin Yue was not in a hurry, following Shi Potian's pace, eating and drinking her beverage.

Finally, seeing that the atmosphere was right, Shi Potian put down his drink, squinted at her, and asked, "Haven't you fully gotten the team in place yet since you just took office?"

Lin Yue smiled, not answering him directly, but looking up to meet Shi Potian's gaze and saying, "Brother Shi, what you said is quite profound. Did you hear some gossip? You invited me out today, so no matter who I don't get along with, you should help me, right?"

Shi Potian laughed heartily and said, "Of course, otherwise how could I live up to that title?"

Lin Yue smiled even more brightly at him, waiting for him to continue. Then, Shi Potian recounted in detail how Zhang Wei had come to him: "Last time Zhang Wei came to me to discuss the team's internal sharing session, I simply complained that I'd been too busy lately and hadn't had time to prepare the presentation materials. Unexpectedly, he took it all out of context, saying that it was all my insistence, and that his subordinates had no choice."

"They also said that President Sheng doesn't like you lately. Once, they saw President Sheng walking ahead angrily, and you were following behind in a panic. It was obvious that a very unpleasant conversation had just taken place. Anyone with eyes could see that President Sheng would replace you sooner or later."

After saying this, Shi Potian picked up his chopsticks, then suddenly seemed to remember something and continued, "What's even more infuriating is that he also told me to keep an eye on my subordinate, Su Ling, the head of the marketing department. She's definitely not working hard lately, and for several days now she's been sitting at your workstation an hour early at lunchtime waiting for you to leave."

At this point, Shi Potian pretended to be angry and said, "Don't you think he's overstepping his bounds? Even my team's management has started to interfere."

Lin Yue listened attentively while eating her meal with a blank expression. She knew that Zhang Wei was up to his old tricks again. His survival rule in the workplace was to be opportunistic and form cliques. She could understand him doing this when they were at the same level, but now that they were superiors and subordinates, he was still acting like this. Lin Yue couldn't help but suspect that Shengxing had given him some kind of hint to make him so arrogant.

Suddenly, several images flashed through her mind: Zhang Wei walking towards her from the direction of Shengxing's office, looking at her with a somewhat defiant expression. Instantly, a chill ran down her spine. Could the recruitment deal really have such a lasting impact?

Shi Potian watched Lin Yue eat her meal with her head down, and gently tapped the table with his finger.

Lin Yue looked up at the sound of his voice, meeting Shi Potian's questioning gaze. She forced a smile, trying to appear nonchalant, and asked, "Doesn't he want to cancel the training program?"