Chapter 835 - Forgive her and understand
Tang Xu was at a loss for words as Yue Ling"s words entered her ears. Her cheeks flushed crimson red as humiliation wash inside her.
She has been a member of An Qing"s board of directors for five years, and no one has spoken to her in such deviant behavior. Even when Chen Limei was still the CEO, she (Tang Xu) is treated like an elder.
Yet, who does Han Yue Ling think she is to belittle her? So what if she (Yue Ling) is the CEO. With today"s meeting, she won"t be CEO for long.
As her thoughts turned for the worse, her eyes subconsciously glance around. When she saw that the employees on the first floor were looking in her direction, she clears her throat.
"Miss Han, you must have been mistaken. As a member of
An Qing"s board of directors, you have my utmost respect for being a CEO at such a young age."
The corners of her lip curl up, and she forces out a smile. The last thing she wants is to have the employees spread rumors about her.
After all, not all the employees see eye to eye with her. If they know that she and Yue Ling are on bad terms, they might open their mouth to Yue Ling.
She tries to keep her smile as elegant as possible and continues to speak.
"Let us ignore this misunderstanding and head to the main conference room."
Liu Shan scoffs in disgust at Tang Xu"s two-faced personality. His boss had explicitly warned her, yet she still addresses Yue Ling as Miss and not CEO.
He parts his lips to correct the middle-aged woman, but Jiang Shengyi, who had been quiet, spoke first.
"Ms. Tang, with all due respect, CEO Han is your superior. Be it a misunderstanding or not, you are in her company. Please address her correctly."
Liu Shan couldn"t help but arch an eyebrow at the secretary. He thought she was going to stay quiet, but surprisingly she has a voice.
Unlike the a.s.sistant, Tang Xu"s face turned even redder than it already was.
She stares coldly at Jiang Shengyi and scowls.
"Who are you to speak to me in such manner?"
"She is my new secretary, Jiang Shengyi."
Yue Ling did not hesitate to answer as she was pleased with Jiang Shengyi. She smiles at Tang Xu with slightly crescent eyes.
"However, you are to address her as Secretary Jiang."
Her words fell, and not wanting to waste any more time, she turns her head to Liu Shan.
"Let us go. We"ve spent too much time here."
Both Liu Shan and Jiang Shengyi nodded their heads in understanding before following their boss.
"Y-you-"
Tang Xu was fuming with rage at the treatment she was receiving. She wanted to lecture Yue Ling, but having gritted one word, she is frozen in place by Yue Ling"s sudden cold glare.
"Ms. Tang, I suggest you collect yourself before the meeting. Everything you do and say will reflect in today"s meeting."
Yue Ling carries on toward the elevator without saying another word, with Liu Shan and Jiang Shengyi following behind.
As they come to a stop in front of the elevator, they were met with Qi Li. He presses the elevator b.u.t.ton, and the four individuals entered the metal cube.
Once the elevator door closed and they were secluded from the employees of An Qing, Qi Li spoke.
"Boss, I"ve investigated the situation."
He doesn"t wait for further approval and goes into detail.
"From the first floor to the twentieth, all the heaters have been shut off. Strangely enough, the heaters on all the floor levels higher seem to be working normally."
Yue Ling listened without interrupting Qi Li. However, the more she heard, her eyes dimmed dangerously.
"Boss, that isn"t all. It turns out that the last time we were here, they were prepared and had made sure all heaters were on in time for your arrival. However, given that you arrived earlier today, they were caught off guard."
"Those b.a.s.t.a.r.ds."
Liu Shan clenched his fists and gritted his words. His breathing turned heavy, allowing those near him to feel his anger.
"Wait until I see them. I want to see how thick-skinned these people are."
He was the one who had gathered all the information regarding what goes on inside An Qing. When he gave Yue Ling the list of every employee to his boss, he noticed something amiss, and he was sure his boss noticed too.
All the employees who came from a common background are a.s.signed to the first through the twentieth floor. Even if they had potential and worked hard, they did not see a promotion, let alone a good salary or raise.
"Despicable! How dare they treat people this way!"
His voice was as cold as ice causing Jiang Shengyi to s.h.i.+ver with a chill.
She had thought Liu Shan was a sweet and easygoing man. Never did she expect the man to have such a dangerous side.
However, who could blame him?
Listening to Qi Li"s words made her angry for the employees that suffered.
She expected An Qing to be a righteous company since many tend to praise Chen Lemei in the past. However, now seeing the place in person, she can only conclude, what goes on inside is not as grand as the outside.
*ding
The elevator soon arrives on the second-highest floor. The second the door slides open, a gust of warm wind swept through the flour people inside the elevator.
Yue Ling"s eyebrows wrinkle together at the quick change of temperature.
She steps out of the elevator and sees the difference in the employees. Compare to the first floor, everyone on this floor did not dress warmly.
Her head slightly tilts to the side in the direction Qi Li stood.
"Invite the Human Resource Manager and Cleaning Manager to the meeting."
"Yes, boss."
Qi Li answers right away and enters the elevator again. His silhouette disappears once again from the group.
"CEO Han! Welcome, it"s a p.l.e.a.s.u.r.e to meet you finally."
From ahead, an obese man with a s.h.i.+ny bald head greets Yue Ling with a huge grin. He walked up to Yue Ling and stuck his right hand out.
"I am w.a.n.g Zhan, the head of the board members. Ms. Tang informed me of the situation just now. I truly hope you will forgive her and understand it was all a misunderstanding."
His smile reached his eyes and made anyone who saw him think he meant no harm. However, Yue Ling and Liu Shan had experienced this kind of behavior too many times.
The boss and a.s.sistant duo were not easy to fool.
"Please lead the way to the conference room."
w.a.n.g Zhan sneered inside when he saw Yue Ling had ignored the apology. Left with no other choice, he forces a chuckle and gestures in a direction.
"Please come this way, CEO Han. Everyone has been awaiting your arrival."
Liu Shan rolled his eyes at the bald and obese man. He can"t believe how audacious the board of directors in An Qing are being.
It has been clear to the world that Yue Ling is An Qing"s CEO, but not a single person came down to greet her.
Even after knowing what happened to Chen Limei and her designers, the board of directors remained oblivious.
This clearly indicates that they think they are more superior to the CEO.
Yue Ling didn"t need to look at her a.s.sistant to understand what he was thinking.
Others may think Tang Xu and w.a.n.g Zhan were being modest, but she knew otherwise.
Jiang Shengyi followed behind in silence again. For some odd reason, she felt the way w.a.n.g Zhan behaved was similar to her old boss, President Fang. The kind of people who think they are superior to everyone.
Taking the lead of the group, w.a.n.g Zhan"s expression no longer held a smile. Instead, it looked like a dark cloud had covered his face as if to hide his true colors.
"How dare this puny girl give me no face? Who does she think she is?"
He swore inside and clenched his jaw. He thought Li Jingke was purposely making a fuss when he rushed to inform Yue Ling was here. He didn"t consider much and sent Tang Xu to greet the retired model who self-proclaim herself as CEO.
However, within a few minutes, he received a call from Tang Xu informing him of the situation.
If it had not been for that warning, he might have made the same mistake.
Heading towards the back of the floor level, he leads Yue Ling, Liu Shan, and Jiang Shengyi to a room. This room is the main conference room where the CEO and board members hold meetings or meet other essential guests.
He rids all negative feelings as he stops in front of the door and turns around to look at Yue Ling. The smile that reached his eyes returns on his face like a mask before he opens the door.
"CEO Han, we have arrived. Please enter."
Yue Ling glanced at him before entering the room without uttering a word.
Her att.i.tude made w.a.n.g Zhan"s blood boil with anger. He maliciously sneers as he enters the room lastly. His eyes never left Yue Ling"s figure as he thought to himself.
"Han Yue Ling, I won"t forgive you for looking down on me. You might have Lu Tian as your support, but he isn"t here to protect you. Let"s see how you survive all the board member"s silent treatment."