Chapter 16

Jiang Fan didn't go to actively meet other people in the General Department because he already had enough helpers, and he believed that he was already labeled as a selfish and rule-breaking person. Greeting others would only be seen as trying to be friendly. However, someone came to greet him.

"Jiang Fan? You're late on your second day of work. You're quite a talent," said the person walking towards him.

Jiang Fan looked up and saw a middle-aged man around forty years old, slightly bald, not very tall, with a beer belly, and the belt of his suit seemed to be holding up his stomach. Jiang Fan smiled politely.

"Hello."

The middle-aged man didn't take this "hello" as a polite gesture. He stretched out his hand and patted Jiang Fan on the shoulder, saying softly,

"It's good to have drive as a young person, but you also need to understand some rules and consider the feelings of others. Climbing up by stepping on others is not a good habit."

Jiang Fan understood. This man couldn't help but want to give him, a new employee, a warning. Jiang Fan smiled without responding and turned back to continue working on the plan. The ignored middle-aged man was somewhat dissatisfied. He stretched out his hand to take the document on Jiang Fan's desk. Just as he touched it, Jiang Fan pressed it down with his hand. Jiang Fan turned around, frowned, and asked,

"Should you ask before touching someone else's things?"

The middle-aged man frowned and said,

"I'm the deputy supervisor of the General Department. I have the right to check on the work of the staff in the General Department to avoid laziness."

"Then you should go and check on those who are playing games and watching movies. If you keep disturbing me, I'll ask Yang to report to Su that you disturbed me and caused the work that should be done to not be completed."

Jiang Fan was very clear about the intentions of this self-proclaimed deputy supervisor. It was because the others in the General Department didn't want to see Jiang Fan continue to break their rules. If the department became busier due to him, they wouldn't accept it. So they sent Liu Jiulong to trouble Jiang Fan.

Liu Jiulong thought he could easily deal with this new young man, but he never expected that this young guy didn't understand what rules were at all. At this moment, Yang Jin opened the door of her office, frowned, and looked at Jiang Fan and Liu Jiulong.

"Deputy Supervisor Liu, don't disturb Jiang Fan. The work he's doing is assigned by Mr. Su. Alright! Everyone, finish what you're doing. Other departments have always had a lot of complaints about our General Department. At the last high-level meeting, Deputy General Manager Gao already mentioned integrating the General Department. If you have no work, learn how to make tables or practice handwriting. Deputy Supervisor Liu, do you have anything else to discuss with Jiang Fan?"

"No, no. Is Lanlan free after work today?"

"No, I have to pick up Beibei. She has a fever."

Without giving Liu Jiulong a chance to speak, she turned around and went back into her office, closing the door. Liu Jiulong didn't feel embarrassed, and the others acted as if nothing had happened. Jiang Fan put down his work and spoke with a slightly sarcastic tone.

"Deputy Liu, isn't it immoral to court a married woman?"

"You don't know anything, kid. How hard is it for Lanlan to raise a child alone? I'm justsympathizing with her."

"Hmm? Is Yang Jin single?"

"Hmm? You have ideas, kid?"

Then a dry cough sounded from Yang Jin's office, and the two of them immediately became quiet. Liu Jiulong seemed to have forgotten about his intention to target Jiang Fan. He casually pulled over a chair, rested his chin in his hand, and looked deeply into Yang Jin's office, lost in thought.

"Is he still a sentimental guy?"

Despite Yang Jin intentionally telling everyone that Jiang Fan was busy with something for Mr. Su, the girls stopped online shopping and binge-watching dramas, but the guys took Yang Jin's words as a mere suggestion and continued with what they were doing. It was all because Yang Lan's personality was too gentle.

Liu Jiulong kept looking at Yang Lan's office with loving eyes.

After lunchtime, when everyone had eaten, Jiang Fan went downstairs to eat. Just as he had prepared a set meal and was about to start eating, Chen Yi returned. He spotted Jiang Fan at a glance and rushed forward, unscrewed the cap of a drink on the table, and gulped it down.

Jiang Fan put down his chopsticks and asked curiously, "Did you go to the desert? Didn't you eat outside?"

Chen Yi put down the bottle and replied after taking a deep breath, "No, I was originally planning to take the decoration company's people to eat. But when we arrived at the restaurant, several bosses insisted on drinking. Your time is urgent, and it won't be good if things are delayed in the afternoon, so I settled the bill and came back."

After finishing speaking, he pointed at Jiang Fan's meal tray. Jiang Fan smiled and pushed it towards Chen Yi, then stood up to get another meal and bought two bottles of water on the way back. After sitting down again, he told Chen Yi that it wouldn't matter if they were a minute or two late; they could eat first and talk about it later when they went out for a smoke.

As they ate heartily, Jiang Fan hadn't even seen the chicken cutlet before he noticed that Chen Yi had already finished it from his plate.

Outside the main entrance of Yaorong Company, two young men, Jiang Fan with short hair and Chen Yi with long hair, were enjoying the pleasure brought by cigarettes.

"Fan, I asked some decoration companies in the morning. Nowadays, people who go to decoration companies to renovate their houses generally have good financial conditions, especially those who buy houses in the new district. Some of the materials used for renovation are bought from nearby cities. Even more people who like Chinese style go to the Xianghe community in Beijing. People from the decoration company said that nowadays, renovation is not just for comfortable living. The quality of home renovation also forms a contrast. Once friends ask about it, buying some branded materials not only brings 'face' but at least avoids being despised. Additionally, people now have started using renovation as a gift."

Jiang Fan nodded and took out a cigarette to offer to Chen Yi, but Chen Yi didn't take it and instead threw the half-pack of Yunyan cigarettes he had in his hand to Jiang Fan, then continued, "Even if there's pressure, don't restrain yourself too much. They say cars and watches are the second face of a man, but I think cigarettes are. Do you have a task in the afternoon?"

Jiang Fan nodded again. "Yes, this time, go to the decoration city to check out their products and prices, and then go to the furniture city in the outer ring of the old district to ask around. Just call me before you finish work. Yang Jin wants you to stay in the company and work overtime with me."

"I can't work overtime. I have a date with a college student to watch a movie in the evening. I can't suffer with you. I'm not going back to the company."

"Okay, I'll tell Yang Jin that you'll be busy until late."

Just after joining the company, Jiang Fan was assigned this tricky problem. Even Su Qing didn't know how capable Jiang Fan was. Yang Jin, who was favored by Mr. Su, would also give some consideration. The whole afternoon, Jiang Fan was writing a planning proposal. When it was time to finish work, Tang Wan sent a message. Jiang Fan looked at it and was about to put down his phone, but then he decided to call back.

"I might be back a bit late tonight, about one or two hours later. Don't order takeout. Wait for me to come back and cook for you."

"Jiang Fan, I'm not feeling well. Come back early."

"Okay, I understand."

After hanging up the phone, Jiang Fan didn't think much and continued to bury his head in his work. He didn't know how long it had been until he felt some pain in his waist and realized that his phone was missing. He stood up and searched everywhere, finally finding it in the gap under the table. Looking at the three missed calls on the screen, two were from Tang Wan, and one was from his mother.

Jiang Fan was stunned. His mother had an old man by her side, and if there was any emergency, it would be the old man who would call. He called Tang Wan back first, but no one answered after dialing twice. Jiang Fan panicked. He remembered that two years ago, a freak had broken into Tang Wan's house, pretending to be a restaurant delivery person, and Jiang Fan's arm had been cut during that incident.

Jiang Fan called his mother while running. He thought Tang Wan had called his mother, but his mother just asked him when he would be coming back for the New Year.

Oh no!

Something had happened to Tang Wan.

The sky outside was as gloomy as Jiang Fan's mood.