Summer Light Gatherings

Chapter 5

At a little past six, He Xiaoxiao eagerly went to find Chen Anni, carrying a cup of Starbucks he had just bought downstairs, knowing it was Anni's favorite in the summer.

Earlier that morning, He Xiaoxiao had visited Anni's office, wanting to chat about the situation with SHE. Anni claimed to be busy, but after some persuasion, she reluctantly agreed to spare this time before leaving work for He Xiaoxiao.

Asking for advice was just a facade; Du Kun had assigned a project that should have been Anni's responsibility to He Xiaoxiao. To others, it seemed like a slight against Anni and raised suspicions that He Xiaoxiao had schemed to snatch the project.

Regardless of whether these suspicions were valid, He Xiaoxiao didn't want to bear the blame, nor did she want to become enemies with Anni. If Yamei's comparison was a temple, then Du Kun was a transient worshipper who could leave at any moment, while Anni was a local monk, likely to stay for a long time.

Anni's office door was open, and she was in a casual conversation with her subordinates, nearing its end.

"I can't believe it! If Anni can't handle it, who can?!"

"This time, Old Du messed up big time. Like a desperate patient, he's seeking help from her, but it'd be better if he dealt with it himself!"

"No way! If Old Du gets involved personally and fails, who will he blame then?"

"Hey, do any of you know who her ex-husband is? She's never mentioned him, has she? I heard someone say she's never been married..."

He Xiaoxiao stood at the door, hearing every word of their conversation. She hesitated whether to enter immediately. Of course, even if Cao Wei and the others were caught by He Xiaoxiao, they wouldn't feel embarrassed. Ever since He Xiaoxiao rose from the front desk to assistant manager, these office juniors never treated her kindly. They unanimously believed she was cunning and willing to do anything for her own benefit.

He Xiaoxiao felt a bit guilty, but not towards the junior colleagues.

Four years ago, she was still answering phones at the front desk downstairs, dreaming of snagging a respectable position upstairs. However, her vocational school education and lackluster work experience kept her firmly in place.

Social stratification is incredibly complex, yet its foundation is terrifyingly simple: family background and educational background. If you're lacking in both, it's like bearing an original sin. This was the profound lesson He Xiaoxiao had learned over the years, so she would insist that her brother, He Rui, study hard.

But He Xiaoxiao was sharp-minded and sweet-tongued; she quickly built connections in the office. Those colleagues who now looked down on her had once gladly accepted her snacks and sweet words. However, only Zhuang Ying truly helped her. This incident stemmed from the departure of the company's veteran, Fang Zong.

Fang Zong was the director of the marketing department. When he left, everyone speculated that Anni would take over as director. However, Chairman Li, offering a high salary, hired professional manager Du Kun to fill Fang's position.

Chairman Li's intention was that Anni, being only 27, was too young to be a director and needed further training. There were rumors that Anni's eyes were swollen when she left Chairman Li's office, which made her subsequent defiance of Du Kun's instructions understandable.

Zhao Yino once complained to He Xiaoxiao, "Anni as director? Forget it! Just because she has a foreign diploma doesn't mean she can do everything. Who knows if it's true or not! I have a diploma too! But I never brag about knowing everything! She's just a high-handed person! She takes everyone's politeness too seriously! It's scary!"

He Xiaoxiao listened with a smile, never expressing her opinion. She wasn't stupid; if these words reached Anni's ears, how would she cope? She didn't have influential relatives to back her up.

However, Du Kun's arrival turned the tide for He Xiaoxiao. First, Du Kun wanted to hire a department assistant. Zhuang Ying, who had long known He Xiaoxiao's intentions, informed her in advance. With Zhuang Ying's guidance, He Xiaoxiao took the initiative to approach Du Kun for the position. Her good image and proactive attitude solved the manpower issue before Du Kun's recruitment application reached the HR department.

Du Kun, being new, also wanted to make some immediate achievements. However, Anni's lack of cooperation and her repeated challenges during meetings frustrated him. Du Kun knew she was Chairman Li's confidante and couldn't act openly against her.

He Xiaoxiao noticed the subtle rivalry between the two, and soon she devised a plan. She took on tasks that Anni refused to do, whether she did them well or not was beside the point. What Du Kun saw was a subordinate who actively responded to his requests. From then on, he appreciated He Xiaoxiao more and genuinely taught her. When the time was right, Du Kun transferred some of Anni's responsibilities to He Xiaoxiao, promoting her to a supervisor. Thus, He Xiaoxiao became someone who could sit on equal footing with Anni and Zhuang Ying (at least on the surface, now able to discuss the same topics with them in meetings). At the same time, she also became a thorn in the eyes of many others.

As the logistics manager Xiao Ye walked past He Xiaoxiao, he turned his head and teased her, "Why is Manager He standing motionless at the door? Who put you in a time-out?"

His loud voice startled the people in Anni's office, and it fell silent instantly. He Xiaoxiao bent down to adjust her skirt as if there was a problem, then smiled and walked into the room. As long as she didn't feel awkward, no one else would.

"Anni, am I too early? You haven't finished your meeting yet, have you?"

Gu Xiaowen and others stood up one after another. Cao Wei smirked, "Even if it's not finished, we should make room! Manager He made an appointment with Anni! Our time isn't valuable, but Manager He's time is as precious as gold!"

He Xiaoxiao ignored the comment, her gaze fixed solely on Anni, as if she were the only person in the room. Once the room emptied, He Xiaoxiao placed the coffee on Anni's desk with a charming smile. "Just bought it downstairs."

Anni, somewhat annoyed, pursed her lips. "It's almost dinner time—what's the matter?"

When He Xiaoxiao first joined the company, Anni was nice to her, exchanging greetings and occasionally giving her small gifts. Anni often traveled for business, visiting partners and promoting products. The company was generous with such business trips, providing employees with accommodations in four-star hotels or above. Anni liked to bring back unopened complimentary items like soap and shampoo from the hotels to give to junior staff. Every time He Xiaoxiao received them, she would thank Anni repeatedly, even though she never used those items.

As He Xiaoxiao moved closer to Du Kun in the marketing department, Anni sensed danger and stopped getting close to He Xiaoxiao. Her gaze, when it fell on He Xiaoxiao, was always filled with cold suspicion.

He Xiaoxiao pulled a chair and sat down, her expression sincere as she complained to Anni, "Director Du suddenly dumped the SHE project on me, and I'm really at a loss. I've called them several times these past few days, and even went to their office twice, but I haven't been able to meet any of the supervisors. I'm stuck and thought of consulting with you, how should I approach this?"

Anni raised an eyebrow and casually said, "If you have a problem, ask Director Du. He will definitely support you."

He Xiaoxiao smiled apologetically. "Director Du said the same thing, but the problem is, I haven't made any progress. It's no use going to him. Anni, you're the best at handling these kinds of partnerships. There's no one you can't handle. You've had contact with SHE before. Honestly, if you're willing to take over, what do I have to do with this project anymore? It's because you're not willing! You know me, I'm just here to run errands for you. I'm completely incompetent when it comes to these challenging tasks. If you could give me some guidance, no matter if we succeed in the end, at least I'll have something to report to Director Du."

Anni was flattered by her words and relaxed a bit. With a superior air, she asked, "Whom have you contacted?"

He Xiaoxiao listed a string of names, and Anni listened with a smile. "It's useless to contact them. The key is still Qiao Dong."

He Xiaoxiao slapped her thigh. "That's the problem! He refuses to see me, and he won't even answer my calls!"

Anni raised her hand, stroking her delicate nails. "Forgive me for being blunt, but regarding this collaboration, neither party is willing. I made my opinion clear in the meeting a couple of days ago. Instead of spending money on advertising, it's better to focus on building our own marketing channels. Besides, even if we wanted to spend money, SHE might not agree. They're selective and prefer to collaborate with brands that have good reputations but less influence. Why would they take the risk with a product like ours, which has only been on the market for less than a year? They surely have reservations; if something goes wrong, it'll tarnish their reputation. There are so many good products in the world; why would they take this risk? I don't understand what Director Du is thinking."

He Xiaoxiao remained silent, nodding repeatedly, wearing a helpless expression. As Anni continued speaking, she suddenly glanced at her phone and her expression changed immediately. Probably having an appointment in the evening, He Xiaoxiao quickly asked, stretching her neck, "Anni, do you have any suggestions? At least help me make some progress! I've been losing sleep over this for days..."

Anni glanced at her. He Xiaoxiao did look a bit tired, and Anni, not being a hard-hearted person, didn't want to tease her anymore. In a hurry to leave, she opened a drawer and pulled out a business card, handing it to He Xiaoxiao.

"This is my classmate from my study abroad days in Edinburgh. We have a good relationship, and he recently returned to China. He's working on client development at SHE, but not in our office, it's at the Shanghai headquarters, and he's higher in rank than Qiao Dong. Maybe contacting him will be helpful."

He Xiaoxiao received it as if it were a treasure, thanking Anni profusely before asking, "With such a strong connection, Anni, why didn't you go to him?"

Anni showed a hint of impatience. "As I said, I've thoroughly examined this project. It's pointless to collaborate with them!"

As He Xiaoxiao left the office with Anni, she glanced at the cup of Starbucks on the table. Anni had forgotten about it, and the cream on top had melted, collapsing into a blob.

That evening, He Xiaoxiao called Anni's classmate. "Mr. Zhang, I'm a friend of your classmate Anni..."

"Who? Who's my classmate?"

"Anni, Chen Anni!"

The other person just responded with an "oh," their attitude not becoming any warmer. "What's wrong with her?" they asked.

He Xiaoxiao quickly poured out the rehearsed script she had prepared, but Mr. Zhang interrupted before she could finish, saying, "I changed jobs last month and I'm no longer at SHE. Sorry, I can't help you with this!"

He Xiaoxiao, accompanied by Zhao Yinuo, once again went to Yunhui Building to try to see Qiao Dong. The security guard dialed the office, murmured a few words, then hung up, turning to wave his hand at He Xiaoxiao. "It's still not possible! No appointment, no meeting."

He Xiaoxiao felt frustrated. Walking out of the building with Zhao Yinuo, they stood against the backlighted wall, racking their brains for a solution but still coming up empty-handed.

Zhao Yinuo pulled out a cigarette and offered it to He Xiaoxiao, who shook her head. "I don't smoke."

"Don't pretend. I know you do. Have one to relieve the stress!"

He Xiaoxiao took the cigarette and let Zhao Yinuo light it for her. She took a deep drag, exhaling a smoke ring.

"You're quite skilled at that!" Zhao Yinuo teased her.

He Xiaoxiao gave him a wry smile and rolled her eyes. Zhao Yinuo's cigarette was stronger than what she usually smoked, but it had more of a kick to it. After a couple of puffs, some of the pent-up frustration seemed to dissipate.

Zhao Yinuo squinted at her. He Xiaoxiao had fair and delicate features, petite stature, and although she was in her thirties, she looked like she was in her mid-twenties. She was always acting like a sweet girl in the office, getting along well with everyone. But Zhao Yinuo had the chance to see another side of her when she let her guard down.

While smoking, her face remained expressionless, but an unconscious charm radiated from her brows and eyes, subtly alluring. There was something else about her that he couldn't quite describe, something slightly prickly, like a cold, hard core poking out from beneath her skin. However, Zhao Yinuo never worried that she would turn against him; there were no conflicts of interest between them.

"Now can we go back and call it a day? Three strikes and we've been shut out three times already!" Zhao Yinuo joked.

He Xiaoxiao gave a bitter smile. "Call it what? We haven't even seen anyone. How can we report back without meeting anyone?"

"This was a trap from the start. As long as we've conveyed the message, it counts!"

"Can't just because it's a trap exempt me from it, can it?"

Zhao Yinuo widened his eyes in surprise. "You're not seriously considering it, are you?"

"Of course!" He Xiaoxiao glanced at him. "You work hard too. If you do well, your uncle, your parents, they'll all look up to you! As for me, maybe I'll get promoted another level or two."

Knowing it was a way of making light of their situation, He Xiaoxiao still chuckled a few times, looking at the silver spire of the tall building across the street. A person has to have dreams to keep going.

Zhao Yinuo teased her again, "Are you planning to edge out Chen Anni or Zhuang Ying?"

"I don't want to edge anyone out. Just give me a raise... Ah, when will I ever live the life of making twenty thousand a month!"

Zhao Yinuo grinned, "How about going to my dad's place? They need a PR person, and the salary is up to you."

His family owned a sizable clothing company, and both parents hoped their only son would take over the family business. Unfortunately, Zhao Yinuo had a grudge against business dealings and had no intention of entering the trade. In order to avoid it, he had crafted an image of not being interested in legitimate businesses, which greatly angered his father. His mother sought help from Du Kun, arranging for her son to work in other companies for a few years, hoping that he would change his mind and eventually come back to take over the family business.

He Xiaoxiao didn't hesitate to say, "Sure! Introduce me."

"That job isn't easy. You need to have a strong tolerance for alcohol and be daring..."

"As long as it pays me twenty grand a month, I'll serve even a lunatic!"

Zhao Yinuo laughed, not picking up on her seriousness. He changed the subject, "I heard you tried to talk to Chen Anni about this project?"

"Yeah."

"Was it useful?"

He Xiaoxiao snorted, "If it was useful, would I be here smoking and basking in the sun with you?"

Zhao Yinuo chuckled, "You didn't really need to talk to her. No skills, but always relying on others. It's like the company can't survive without her!"

"Do you think I genuinely wanted to consult her? It's all about appearances. I'm showing off to people who want to make things difficult for you... But even that didn't work this time. If I fail, I'll be kicked out with your uncle."

Zhao Yinuo didn't think it was that serious. "It can't be that bad, can it?"

He Xiaoxiao's expression darkened. "It's not a big deal for you, but for me, it's losing my job."

Zhao Yinuo paused, stubbing out his cigarette in the trash. "Alright! If you want to do it, I'll support you!"

He Xiaoxiao turned to look at the signboard standing next to them, filled with the names of companies in Yunhui Building. She found the SHE office and stared at the line of text before slowly saying, "I hope next time we come, we can just head straight up to the 26th floor!"