Chapter 72: Temporary Assignment

Arriving at Yu Yihan’s office, Xiao Yufan lightly knocked on the door before steeling himself and walking inside. He just didn’t believe that Yu Yihan could do much to him…

Hearing the knock, Yu Yihan lifted her head and casually removed her golden-rimmed glasses. Xiao Yufan could easily tell from the slight redness at the corners of her eyes that she had recently been extremely busy.

“How was your vacation?” she asked, her delicate hands clasped together, supporting one side of her face. Surprisingly, she didn’t seem angry, which slightly eased Xiao Yufan’s tense mood.

“It’s not like you’ve given me any tasks, and I just happened to run into something that needed handling. So I went to deal with it first. Didn’t Lin Pingle ask for leave on my behalf?”

“Just how long have you been working here? Your vacation days exceed your working days. Do you really consider this company your home?” Yu Yihan frowned, clearly not intending to let Xiao Yufan off the hook so easily.

“If you called me here just to say these things, then I’d rather not stick around. I’ve already explained the reason. Whether you believe me is up to you!”

Seeing Yu Yihan immediately adopt a confrontational stance, Xiao Yufan grew somewhat displeased. He hadn’t come directly to the company to rest—he certainly didn’t come to listen to her complaints.

“What kind of attitude is that!” Yu Yihan frowned again, visibly upset. As the company’s president, she felt she had little authority in front of Xiao Yufan.

Arriving at Yu Yihan’s office, Xiao Yufan gently knocked on the door and then braced himself to walk in. He simply didn’t believe Yu Yihan could do anything to him…

Hearing the knock, Yu Yihan looked up and casually removed her gold-rimmed glasses. From the slight redness at the corners of her eyes, Xiao Yufan could tell she had been extremely busy lately.

“How was your vacation?” Yu Yihan clasped her hands together, resting half her face on them. Surprisingly, she wasn’t angry, which slightly eased Xiao Yufan’s tension.

“Well, you didn’t assign me any tasks, and I happened to run into some issues that needed handling. Didn’t Lin Pingle help me take leave?”

“You’ve been with the company for such a short time, yet your vacation days outnumber your working days. Do you really treat the company like your home?” Yu Yihan frowned, clearly not intending to let Xiao Yufan off the hook.

“If you called me here just to say this, then I’m not staying. I’ve already explained myself. Whether you believe it or not is up to you.”

Seeing Yu Yihan immediately adopt an accusatory tone, Xiao Yufan felt irritated. He had come straight to the company without resting, not to listen to her complaints.

“What’s with this attitude?” Yu Yihan frowned, feeling quite displeased. She was the company’s CEO, yet it seemed she held no authority in front of Xiao Yufan.

“Miss, my attitude is already quite good. Try running around all day and then being scolded. Don’t be so selfish, okay? I’ve already apologized. What more do you want? Should I kneel and beg you?”

Xiao Yufan responded impatiently. Perhaps he never truly saw Yu Yihan as his boss, or maybe he no longer cared as much about this job. Either way, he lacked the awareness of a subordinate, especially since he didn’t think he had done anything wrong.

“You…” Yu Yihan was also somewhat speechless, angrily waving her hand, nearly unleashing all the frustration she had accumulated. Fortunately, she managed to control herself in time.

The atmosphere grew awkward, thick with tension as the two of them silently faced off.

“Miss, I’m really tired. If there’s nothing else, I’m going back to sleep. I can’t just sit here staring at you.”

Unable to endure the strange atmosphere any longer, Xiao Yufan was the first to give in. He knew arguing with Yu Yihan wouldn’t benefit him, so it was better to end the conversation early.

“The company’s IPO has been sabotaged by someone. Under these circumstances, certain individuals want the company to be suspended from trading. I need you to negotiate this matter. It concerns the company’s future after going public.”

“Why me? I’m just a small employee and know nothing about negotiations. Wouldn’t it be better to find someone more experienced?”

“I don’t trust others…” Yu Yihan hesitated for a moment before saying something that left Xiao Yufan puzzled. However, a strange sense of warmth soon welled up in his heart.

“Tell me what to do. I’ll do my best.” Xiao Yufan straightened up, shedding his usual carefree demeanor.

“Go meet someone. I think he can help the company. It’s not easy to suspend the company from trading, especially since we still have stable financial backing.”

“Who?” Xiao Yufan was confused, unsure who could wield such influence.

“The Minister of the Economic and Trade Department in Beijing’s Xicheng District…” Yu Yihan replied without hesitation, leaving Xiao Yufan somewhat stunned. It seemed the person Yu Yihan wanted him to meet was a high-ranking official.

“Why would a minister-level figure meet me? I’d probably be thrown out before I even got to see him.”

“Don’t worry. Just mention our company, and he won’t give you a hard time. I… am somewhat acquainted with the Minister.”

“Alright, I’ll give it a try. I’m not good at negotiations, so if anything goes wrong, I’m not taking responsibility.”

Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but marvel at Yu Yihan’s connections. He hadn’t expected her to have ties with the Minister of the Economic and Trade Department. No wonder a woman could manage such a large company.

“He’s a very approachable person. We don’t need him to do much for us. As long as he doesn’t listen to others, that’s the greatest help to us…”

Yu Yihan’s gaze grew distant, and her emotions seemed to fluctuate when she mentioned that person. To Xiao Yufan, it seemed there was definitely some underlying issue. It appeared this woman had quite a few secrets…

Responding impatiently, perhaps because he never truly viewed Yu Yihan as his superior, or maybe because he no longer cared about this job as much as he initially did, Xiao Yufan completely lacked the mindset of a typical subordinate. Besides, he didn’t think he had done anything wrong.

“You…” Yu Yihan was momentarily at a loss for words, angrily waving her hand, nearly unleashing all the accumulated frustration. Fortunately, she managed to control herself in time.

The atmosphere became awkward, filled with thick tension as the two stood in silence, locked in a standoff…

“Big sister, I’m really tired. If there’s nothing else, I’m going home to sleep. I can’t just stay here staring at you, can I?”

Unable to endure the strange atmosphere any longer, Xiao Yufan was the first to back down. He knew arguing with Yu Yihan would never benefit him, so he might as well end this conversation early.

“The company’s listing has been sabotaged by someone behind the scenes. Under such circumstances, certain individuals are trying to force a stock suspension. Therefore, I need you to negotiate on our behalf. This concerns the company’s future prospects after going public…”

“Why me? I’m just a small employee and know nothing about negotiations. Wouldn’t it be better to find someone more experienced?”

“I just don’t trust others…” After a moment’s hesitation, Yu Yihan said something that left Xiao Yufan puzzled. Yet shortly afterward, a strange sense of gratitude welled up from deep within him.

“Tell me what to do. I’ll do my best!” Xiao Yufan straightened up, putting aside his usual flippant demeanor.

“Go meet someone. I think he can help the company. It won’t be easy for someone to suspend us since we still have stable financial backing!”

“What kind of person?” Xiao Yufan asked, puzzled. He hadn’t expected anyone to possess such power.

“The Minister of Commerce and Trade in Xicheng District, Beijing…” Without hesitation, Yu Yihan responded directly, leaving Xiao Yufan astonished. It turned out the person Yu Yihan wanted him to meet was a high-ranking official…

“Why would a minister agree to see me? I’m afraid I’d be thrown out before even laying eyes on him!”

“Don’t worry. Just mention our company, and he won’t give you any trouble. I… am acquainted with the minister…”

“I’ll try my best then. I’m not good at negotiations. If anything goes wrong, I won’t take responsibility!”

Xiao Yufan couldn’t help but admire Yu Yihan’s connections. He hadn’t expected her to know someone from the Ministry of Commerce and Trade. No wonder a woman could run such a massive company.

“He’s a very amiable person. We don’t need him to help us directly. Just not listening to others’ words will be the greatest help to us…”

Yu Yihan’s gaze wavered slightly, and when she mentioned that person, her emotions clearly fluctuated. In Xiao Yufan’s eyes, there must be something going on. It seemed this woman had quite a few secrets of her own…