“You’re an exceptionally capable young woman in every way. The word ‘newcomer’ doesn’t suit you at all,” Chen Xiao said after some thought. “Everyone can see your work ability. As long as Feixiang completes its payment collection task by the end of the year, I can bring it up with Manager Wang to have your position adjusted to business supervisor level.” 

Here it comes, here it comes—the empty promises. Lu Nan felt like she was starting to get the real picture. No wonder he’s been acting a little strange these past few days. So this is what he was waiting for. 

There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Lu Nan looked straight at Chen Xiao. “Do you really think I’m that capable?” Without waiting for his answer, she continued, “Or is there something you want me to do? Feel free to say it. After all, I can’t accept rewards without earning them.” 

Just as Chen Xiao was about to reassure Lu Nan about her abilities, his words got stuck in his throat. 

He simply wanted to compliment her. 

But she was on guard. 

For a moment, Chen Xiao suddenly felt a bit down, though he wasn’t sure why. 

After thinking it over, he realized it was because he had approached her with sincerity, but she had already been burned once and was now wary of being hurt again. 

Their perspectives didn’t align, leading to this misunderstanding. 

But why did they see things so differently? 

Why did she have no trust in him at all? 

It was because of that idea—the one he had bought out, which, in reality, had been forcefully taken from her. 

At this thought, Chen Xiao suddenly felt that the lunch he had just eaten was stuck in his chest. 

This is my fault. 

At this moment, Chen Xiao finally saw it clearly—there was indeed a problem between him and Lu Nan. 

Whether it was admiration, guilt, or some other emotion, he had been paying too much attention to her, losing his sense of boundaries and distance. That was his mistake. 

In fact, Lu Nan, who had just graduated from university, handled it better than he did. 

Yes, he could see it now—Lu Nan had been deliberately keeping her distance from him. 

When he first noticed it this morning, he thought it was just her being playful, letting him open her car door or treating him to a meal. But now, in this moment, he finally understood—Lu Nan wasn’t keeping her distance because she was afraid of getting lost. 

She was staying clear-headed. 

Her eyes held nothing but composure, with a hint of wariness. That wariness pricked at him like countless tiny needles, piercing through his very being. 

For a moment, he had almost lost himself. 

Thankfully, he had come to his senses just in time. 

*** 

After this meal, Lu Nan noticed that Chen Xiao stopped saying strange things and acting weird. 

This is good. Whether he had ulterior motives, a sudden change of heart, or some other strange reason, I have no interest in dealing with it. Maintaining a simple superior-subordinate relationship is enough. I just want to focus on my work. 

Lu Nan treated Chen Xiao as usual, and he did not disappoint. Starting the next day, he stopped acting strangely. 

After the morning meeting, Lu Nan took the initiative to report to Chen Xiao. “The first batch of liquor taken by Feixiang is running low. I believe that after the Grand Tasting Event, there will be a surge in sales. Should we remind Mr. Yang to restock in time?” She handed him a piece of paper. “This is the inventory list I got from Brother Pei.” 

Chen Xiao nodded. “You’re thinking ahead.” He had intended to ask Lu Nan to check Feixiang’s stock today, but she had already considered it. 

“So, if I leave this to you, how would you communicate with Mr. Yang?” 

Without hesitation, Lu Nan replied, “The second half of the year is already the peak season for liquor. Considering uncertainties like year-end transportation, I would suggest that Mr. Yang stock at least two-million-yuan worth of goods.” 

“Since this is the first year of cooperation, Mr. Yang may not fully trust us yet. We can suggest a ‘single order with staggered payments and shipments’ approach. This way, his financial pressure is reduced, while ensuring that our warehouse reserves stock for him during the year-end peak season. Personally, I believe that after the Grand Tasting Event, Feixiang will see a significant increase in sales…” Lu Nan not only proposed a plan but also explained her reasoning. 

Chen Xiao smiled in satisfaction. “Then I’ll leave this to you.” 

“Got it.” Lu Nan wasn’t afraid of taking on more responsibility. 

Her communication skills were spot on, and Mr. Yang and Sister Pei were impressed with her plan. By the end of August, they arranged for a second payment to Yuan Chuan, totaling one million yuan—800,000 yuan for inventory and 200,000 yuan as a deposit for a third batch worth 1.2 million yuan, with the remaining balance to be settled before New Year’s for shipment. The exact shipping time would depend on Feixiang’s instructions. 

Chen Xiao handled the stock allocation for this batch. It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Lu Nan, but because Mr. Yang said the quantity and quality were the same as the first batch. So, Chen Xiao simply adjusted the dates on the previous order, saving Lu Nan the trouble. 

During this time, Lu Nan and Mr. Yang finalized the major details of the Grand Tasting Event. The remaining work was polishing the finer points, and Chen Xiao had already received approval for the costs submitted to the system. 

Soon, word spread through the office—Feixiang would be hosting a large-scale tasting event in mid-next month. 

This would be the first major tasting event in Hailin City in the past two or three years. With the venue confirmed as the Shangri-La Hotel, it was bound to be a grand and luxurious affair. 

Just hearing about it was exciting. 

During the morning meeting, Chen Xiao informed Manager Wang, “Lu Nan is currently coordinating details with Feixiang. On the event day, we’ll need to borrow a few people from other departments.” There was no need for extra manpower beforehand since Feixiang, as a professional advertising company, had a skilled team for both design and setup. As a supplier, Yuan Chuan had already provided financial support, so there was no need to provide extra manpower. 

In short, during the preparation phase, Lu Nan’s responsibilities included communication, overseeing the promotional materials Feixiang was distributing on behalf of the company, and ensuring that Feixiang properly allocated the funds. 

“No problem.” Manager Wang agreed immediately, leaving some people disappointed—why were extra hands only needed on the event day? 

After the meeting, Dong Hui teasingly complained to Chen Xiao, “Brother Xiao, you’re so biased. All the important tasks go to Lu Nan.” 

Most of the senior employees had already left right after the meeting, leaving only a few newcomers who were slower to leave. Hearing Dong Hui’s comment and recalling the recent office rumors, they couldn’t help but glance at Chen Xiao and Lu Nan across the table. 

Xiang Feifei turned to exchange a look with Lin Yan: What’s her deal this time? 

Chen Xiao didn’t fall for his subordinates’ teasing. Calmly, he said, “Feixiang is Lu Nan’s account, so it makes sense for her to be in charge of their event. Is there a problem?” 

“She’s also a newcomer and has no experience with hosting big tasting events!” Dong Hui said in a joking tone, though her words were anything but a joke. 

“All the experienced employees started as newbies. Some grow faster, others slower, and that naturally creates a gap over time. Lu Nan has demonstrated her capabilities, and Feixiang trusts her. In the entire city office, aside from Manager Wang and me, no one has ever attended a large-scale tasting event, let alone organized one. So… is there really a difference between assigning this task to a senior employee or a newcomer?” Chen Xiao replied, throwing the question back. 

Since Dong Hui had gathered the courage to ask in front of everyone, she intended to get a satisfying answer. She was about to speak again but paused when she caught Zhou Lei’s gaze from across the room. 

From the very beginning, Lu Nan, the other main person involved, had remained silent. However, she observed everyone’s expressions closely and didn’t miss the subtle exchange of glances between Zhou Lei and Dong Hui. She guessed that Zhou Lei would soon step in with a seemingly neutral stance to smooth things over. 

Sure enough, the next second, Zhou Lei, seemingly sensing the awkwardness, stepped in and said, “Dong Hui, what’s with you? Brother Xiao must have his reasons for his arrangements. Besides, he had already spoken with Manager Wang—on the day of the event, they’ll be borrowing people from other departments. You’re not from another department; you’re part of the Classic Wine Group. Some tasks shouldn’t have to wait for Brother Xiao to assign them. You should take the initiative and be more proactive.” 

A perfect back-and-forth, one advancing, the other retreating. Not bad. Even if they aren’t together yet, they’re not far off. Lu Nan had no intention of getting into a conflict with Dong Hui in this setting. 

Anyway, she’s not the one they’re targeting. 

She packed up her things and prepared to leave. She even had the leisure to ask Xiang Feifei in a low voice, ” “Want to head downstairs together, Feifei?” 

Lu Nan’s complete disregard for the situation stung Dong Hui even more. Ignoring Zhou Lei’s silent signals, she raised her voice and said, “Lu Nan, we’re discussing your work. Why are you walking away?” 

Her loud voice made people from the provincial office, who had been working in their own office, wander over to the meeting room door. 

“Discussing my work? You all? Who exactly is we?” Lu Nan wasn’t one to stir up trouble, but that didn’t mean she was afraid of it. She glanced at Zhou Lei. “Since when does the supermarket channel supervisor oversee the group purchase department?” 

Zhou Lei quickly waved his hands. “Lu Nan, don’t misunderstand. I was just trying to talk some sense into Dong Hui.” 

“Oh—well, clearly, your persuasion didn’t work,” Lu Nan replied indifferently. Then, she turned to Dong Hui. “I thought we would all follow Manager Wang and Manager Chen’s assignments for our respective tasks. So, given that you’re still on probation, what’s your deal with bringing up my work?” 

Dong Hui was momentarily speechless. This was also one of the reasons she went straight to Chen Xiao after the morning meeting instead of talking to Lu Nan. It wasn’t just because Chen Xiao was her superior and could assign tasks; it was also because over the past two months, she’d learned that while Lu Nan usually kept to herself, she wasn’t someone to be underestimated. 

Some things become clearer when compared side by side. Does contrast create a sense of satisfaction? 

For some reason, Chen Xiao suddenly felt like laughing. He also realized that, in many situations, Lu Nan was actually quite polite to him. 

The atmosphere grew awkward. 

And this time, no one dared to step in to smooth things over. 

“Although you didn’t handle the liquor cabinet setup particularly well, maybe your strengths lie elsewhere. For example, your way with words is pretty smooth,” Lu Nan suddenly smiled and said to Dong Hui, “My original plan for today was to conduct an advanced training session for Feixiang’s key account managers. Since you’re so eager to showcase your abilities and professionalism, why don’t you take my place?” 

“Sure.” After all, reading off a script isn’t exactly difficult. 

“Alright, I’ll send the PowerPoint to your email. You’ll need to bring your own laptop for the training. Feixiang’s projector is user-friendly, so it shouldn’t be an issue for you.” Lu Nan nodded at Dong Hui, then turned to Chen Xiao. “Brother Xiao, I’ll be heading with Brother Pei to measure the size of the hotel banquet hall today.” 

Chen Xiao replied, “Got it.” 

Everyone present, including Dong Hui and Zhou Lei, saw this as Lu Nan offering a carrot after striking Dong Hui with a big stick—a concession on her part. 

Lu Nan stood up, pushed her chair back into place, then rested a hand on the chair’s backrest as she spoke to Dong Hui. “Oh, right. My PowerPoint contains minimal text, so I suggest you review it at the office first. You might need to add some content.” She glanced at her phone. “The training is scheduled for 10:30 AM. You have thirty-five minutes to prepare. That should be enough, right?” 

Having fought for this opportunity in front of so many people, Dong Hui wasn’t about to back down. She gritted her teeth and said, “No problem.” 

“What does that mean?” Hong Danni whispered to Xiang Feifei. 

“Lu Nan thinks Dong Hui doesn’t have enough professional knowledge to understand her PowerPoint.” 

“Wow, this…” That’s not a carrot at all; it’s another brutal stick. 

“If there’s nothing else, I’ll be heading out now,” Lu Nan nodded to everyone and smiled at Xu Yao, who was holding a mug outside the door. 

Xu Yao gave her a thumbs-up. 

While taking the elevator down, Lu Nan sent a message to Meng Lusi, letting her know that someone else would be conducting the training. 

‘What’s going on?’ Meng Lusi immediately sensed something was up. 

‘Just a small matter. If the training isn’t great, please be understanding. Her performance doesn’t reflect the overall capabilities of Yuan Chuan.’ 

At 11:30, after splitting with Pei Xuedong, Lu Nan was about to leave the Shangri-La with the banquet hall data and layout draft when she got a call from Meng Lusi. “Manager Lu, I was wrong, you need to come back. Your colleague just read off the PowerPoint, and I almost fell asleep!” 

“It can’t be that bad,” Lu Nan said as she waited for the elevator, holding her phone between her shoulder and ear while stuffing documents into her bag. A few sheets slipped out by accident. 

“I’ll talk to you later; I’ve got too much on my hands right now.” 

“Alright.” After finishing her complaint, Meng Lusi hung up. 

As Lu Nan was about to crouch down, someone was faster and picked up the two or three scattered sheets of paper, handing them to her. 

“Manager Zhao?” 

“Manager Lu.”