"Speaking of which, I was the one who called you back to the country. Hey, if you and President Zhan really get married, do you think I'd be considered your matchmaker?"
Vice President Gao was usually so focused on work that he paid no attention to surrounding gossip.
He didn't even know how bad her relationship with Zhan Bei Jue had become.
And he still wanted to attend their wedding? That would never happen in this lifetime.
Seeing him suddenly make such a joke, Jiang Nan Fang stopped in her tracks.
"Who told you I was going to marry him?"
Vice President Gao said with a smile.
"Do I need to hear it from someone? I'm not stupid."
"President Zhan personally handed over such a huge project to you, wasn't it to help you achieve some success at Huatai early on and reduce your pressure?"
"It's a massive deal worth billions right from the start. I have to say, your vision is excellent."
"You managed to pick out the most outstanding young talent in the entire South City. I wish my daughter had half your capabilities."
What? This project today was handed over to her by Zhan Bei Jue?
Jiang Nan Fang almost burst out laughing.
My bid wasn't as good as his, so it wasn't as good. What do you mean handed over to me?
Is it that difficult to admit you're not as good as others?
Besides, even if it was given to me, so what?
She had half his life in her hands, and she had preserved his mother's reputation after her death. Did he think a small favor like this would make her back down?
Jiang Nan Fang's expression was blank: "Vice President Gao, you're overthinking it."
"I don't know what your President Zhan is thinking, but I have no feelings for him."
"Attending our wedding is impossible in this lifetime."
"Stop joking. If you have this much free time, you should introduce more new potential partners for President Zhan."
"I have something else to do, so I won't chat with you anymore. I'll be going ahead."
With that, Jiang Nan Fang continued walking without stopping, heading straight outside.
Vice President Gao lingered for a moment, feeling utterly bewildered.
No feelings for him? Could it be that his interpretation was wrong?
Impossible. Knowing his President Zhan, if he had no interest in Jiang Nan Fang, he would have exploded over losing such a large project.
Or perhaps, President Zhan was the only one with feelings, showing his affection and making a move, but Jiang Nan Fang simply wasn't interested in him?
It really lived up to the young people's saying, "The longer you live, the more you see."
What was all this about?
But it was good this way.
Vice President Gao had some selfish motives.
President Zhan was single, and his niece had just graduated from university and was at an age where she could start dating.
She was also studying mechanical engineering, so perhaps there was a chance.
Ke Jing Yu sat by Ke Teng's bedside every day, not saying a word.
He didn't blame Jiang Nan Fang, but he also didn't forgive her, which caused Jiang Nan Fang great pain.
In a society governed by law, they couldn't directly take Zhan Bei Jue's head to avenge Ke Teng. The only remaining option was to seize his assets and business, retaliating against him indirectly.
Staying in the hospital was futile, and staying home to overthink was worse. It was better to keep busy, fill her mind with work, and make herself feel a little better.
Therefore, after securing the project and returning to the company, Jiang Nan Fang had no intention of resting. Her first priority was to convene a meeting with the entire technical department.
Due to Huatai's near bankruptcy, the salaries they could offer were limited. All the technicians with some experience and demands for better living conditions had already jumped ship.
What remained were only three young novices who were just starting out in society, looking to gain work experience.
These three had passion but lacked experience, knowledge, and guidance.
A project as large as the State Grid could absolutely not be handed over to just these few.
Jiang Nan Fang allocated the company's current business to them, telling them to be grateful if they could just maintain the status quo.
For the rest, she would have to recruit new talent.
After assigning the work, everyone left. Jiang Nan Fang took out her phone and sent messages to her former colleagues at Grey Electric.
They hadn't seen Jiang Nan Fang in a long time and thought she had left South City to pursue opportunities elsewhere.
When they suddenly received her dinner invitation, everyone was overjoyed and expressed their eagerness to attend.
Jiang Nan Fang instructed them: "I haven't invited Vice President Gao. To avoid any awkwardness, please don't mention it to him."
Soon, after work hours, everyone gathered at a private dining restaurant, filled with lively chatter.
In reality, only they were lively; Jiang Nan Fang had no mood for jokes.
After chatting and joking for a while, they noticed her consistently calm expression and became curious.
"Engineer Jiang, you've lost weight again! What have you been busy with lately? Are you so busy you can't even eat?"
"Exactly. Why is your complexion so poor? Aren't you happy? Is there something serious you want to discuss by calling us here?"
Jiang Nan Fang didn't want to beat around the bush and spoke directly to them.
"To be honest with you all, I have indeed lost weight. I've been so busy lately that I haven't had time to eat. Do you know why?"
Everyone shook their heads.
She continued, "Because I'm starting a business."
"Ah?"
"As you should already know, the bidding for the South-to-North Water Diversion Project, released by the State Grid last year, concluded today. Grey lost."
"...Yes, Vice President Gao told us."
"And do you know who won the bid?"
"Didn't they say Huatai? Engineer Jiang, are you perhaps starting your venture at Huatai now?"
Jiang Nan Fang nodded, "Yes. I am starting my venture at Huatai now."
"..." Everyone was confused.
She went on to explain: "The Huatai of today is not the Huatai of the past. Except for the name and address, everything internally has been completely transformed."
"I am in charge of it now; I am the Executive President."
"!!" Everyone's eyes widened instantly.
Jiang Nan Fang retrieved her bag and took out a stack of pre-prepared documents, distributing them to everyone.
"These are employee benefits for the establishment of the new company, including equity investment."
"Anyone who joins the company during its founding stage and is willing to endure hardships with me will receive a one percent stake based on their technical expertise."
"For those willing to sign a three-year contract and commit to the technical department long-term, I will not only offer salaries twice as high as before but also promise a two percent profit share at the end of the year."
"This is all in black and white, signed as our agreement. I called you all out today to ask one question: Is anyone willing to leave Grey and join me?"
Everyone was astonished by her once again.
In just a few months, she had not only transformed into the president of Huatai Electric but had also secured the State Grid project.
Offering them such excellent terms, how many more capabilities did this woman possess that they didn't know about?
To be honest, as employees, their primary motivation for working was to earn money.
It would be a lie to say they weren't tempted by the conditions Jiang Nan Fang offered.
They all had mortgages and car loans to pay, and in the future, they would need to get married and have children. Who would say no to more money?
However, no matter how much money was offered, they couldn't violate their labor contracts.
Their contracts with the Zhan Corporation hadn't expired, and even if they had, it wouldn't be easy for them to collectively betray Vice President Gao.
Leaving just like that, was it that simple?
"Engineer Jiang, are you trying to poach Vice President Gao's talent?"
"Although you've now established your own venture and need to look out for yourself, you do have a past connection with Vice President Gao."
"If we all leave with you, what will happen to him?"