Pharmaceutical Negotiator - Chapter 13

“After returning, I need to prepare a report on the itinerary and progress of this business trip. The Qidong Pharmaceutical project also needs to be followed up.” After a busy day at her desk, Zhang Si Tan organized the Qidong Pharmaceutical data and filled out several forms for the Qingdao business trip.

Her eyes felt a little sore. Zhang Si Tan stretched her legs and closed her eyes for a moment to rest.

Li Hua, sitting at the desk next to her, leaned his head toward her: “Team Leader Zhang, you’ve been on a business trip for more than a month, and you come back without a moment’s rest. You really can endure it.”

A faint, tired smile appeared on Zhang Si Tan’s face as she opened her eyes: “You’ve also worked hard lately, running around with us in Qingdao. I didn’t expect you to join my team.”

Li Hua had nearly twenty years of work experience, was neither excellent nor terrible, and was rarely praised. Suddenly hearing Zhang Si Tan say that he had also worked hard, he felt a little shy.

“You young people have many ideas and a lot of courage. When you said we should use public opinion for the Taiyong project, I was initially shocked. We dare not touch the internet and self media, but you used it perfectly.”

Li Hua was honest and didn’t flatter. This praise was sincere.

Zhang Si Tan knew his words were not flattery and gave him a grateful smile.

It was already difficult for someone with her academic background to secure a position, and gaining the recognition of senior employees was even harder. This was her first time leading a team, and achieving such results was already outstanding.

A hint of pleasure rose in Zhang Si Tan’s heart, and some of the fatigue she felt just now lessened.

As quitting time approached, the area around the desks grew noisy, with everyone excitedly planning a dinner gathering.

Zhang Si Tan was already grateful that these people were willing to team up with her and go on the Qingdao business trip. Naturally, when they suggested gathering for a meal, she readily offered to treat everyone.

Without advance booking, it was hard to reserve a private room at a restaurant. However, everyone was tired of rich restaurant food and wasn’t keen on going to a big place.

Someone suggested a pub, where they could order some shaojiu (rice liquor) and a few small dishes. The atmosphere in a pub was good, offering both novelty and a chance to bring everyone closer.

Most of Zhang Si Tan’s team were young, and they all supported this idea.

Everyone chatted for a while, waiting for quitting time.

Li Hao’s desk was empty, but since they were all in the same office, Zhang Si Tan still invited the members of Li Hao’s group.

Later, some people had to pick up their children first, and others had to go back to their in-laws’ house to cook. After many cancellations and modifications, they finally gathered at the pub.

The small pub was located underground. Pushing open a narrow door led to a staircase. Walking down the stairs, the view of the pub gradually opened up.

The lighting inside was dim, with scattered pendant lamps emitting a faint yellow glow. At this hour, the shop had no customers. A waiter at the counter was using a spray torch to sear the meat on a tray one by one.

The aroma of grilled meat permeated the air, and everyone gathered at the counter to order this dish.

Zhang Si Tan came in Li Hao’s car and was constantly ridiculed by Li Hao along the way for still not being able to afford a car, even with the title of “Team Leader Zhang.”

Beijing was too congested; buying a car was less convenient than taking the subway.

However, there was another reason she took Li Hao’s car. She knew Li Hao valued appearances and might not accept an invitation to dinner. But since everyone from the office was going, it would be inappropriate for Li Hao to be absent.

By offering her a ride, Li Hao also contributed effort, making it more natural for her to come to dinner.

Everyone ordered food, grabbed their shaojiu, and sat down at the table.

They were the only group noisily clinking glasses in the pub. Several tables were pushed together. People from both Zhang Si Tan’s group and Li Hao’s group sat together casually, enjoying the harmonious atmosphere.

Zhang Si Tan was young. Although she held the title of “Team Leader Zhang,” they weren’t afraid of her and egged her on to say a few words.

Zhang Si Tan reluctantly stood up with her cup.

Under the dim light, colleagues sat around the table, smiling, looking up at Zhang Si Tan.

Among them were the team members who went to Qingdao with her to negotiate and secure the price of the disodium water, and members of Li Hao’s group who initially didn’t trust her but now looked at her with admiration.

When Director Zhang first informed Zhang Si Tan that she needed to lead her own team, she was once anxious. It wasn’t that she doubted her ability, but she feared her ability would go unrecognized. She was young and had an ordinary academic background. She was afraid no one would be willing to team up with her.

But when the announcement came, and people volunteered to join her team, especially a veteran like Li Hua, she was deeply moved.

In Qingdao, she suggested using public opinion to amplify Qi Zhiguo’s academic fraud case and gain public sympathy.

In truth, she was also uncertain, worrying about the direction the internet might take and fearing that Qi Shenli might back out halfway.

But these people gave her tremendous support. When signing the contract, Zhang Si Tan thought that although she was signing her own name, those three words stood for many names and the efforts of many people.

So she stood up, partly due to the heckling, but mostly out of sincerity.

She drank the shaojiu in her hand in one gulp. The spicy sensation boiled on her tongue, ending with a hint of sweetness.

She said: “I don’t have many glorious moments. Being able to enter the Healthcare Security Administration is the brightest moment I feel in my world. Thank you to my team members, thank you for believing in me and choosing me, and thank you for giving me another shining world.”

As she sat down, applause erupted.

People like to use applause to express their excitement. Hands vigorously clap together, and the body slightly sways with the impact, letting a natural emotion flow out.

The clapping always creates a crisp sound, transporting one back to millions of years ago, to a primal scene: babbling brooks and fleeting shooting stars.

They drank until past ten, and everyone began to worry about catching the subway, finally dispersing.

A few people went to the subway station together. Li Hao had consumed alcohol and couldn’t drive, so she also joined the subway crowd.

“SiTan” As soon as Li Hao drank, she started calling out randomly.

Zhang Si Tan helped her. Fortunately, there were many empty seats on the subway, and Zhang Si Tan let her sit down, leaning against her.

She contacted Li Hao’s partner with Li Hao’s phone to pick her up. Zhang Si Tan was slightly relieved only after seeing her partner.

She helped Li Hao off the subway. Before leaving, Li Hao clung tightly to her arm, mumbling, “I really envy you.”

Zhang Si Tan smiled forcedly, handing her over to her partner: “What are you envious of me for? I envy you.”

After seeing Li Hao off, Zhang Si Tan got back on the subway.

It wasn’t until she got off the subway and felt the gentle evening breeze that Zhang Si Tan realized she should have sent Qi An a message in advance.

She wasn’t careless, but she had never had the feeling of someone waiting for her at home, the feeling of human connection. So the typical heads-up that others were accustomed to became a strange thing that she only remembered after the alcohol wore off.

She entered the unit door and pressed the elevator button. As the elevator ascended, Zhang Si Tan felt a surge of nausea.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the apartment door.

The light was still on inside.

A small figure was sitting on the sofa. Seeing Zhang Si Tan enter, her face clearly froze, and she looked over at Si Tan.

She hadn’t noticed it outside, but now that she was home, Zhang Si Tan smelled the heavy scent of alcohol on herself.

She hesitated, changed her shoes, and went to the bathroom to wash her hands first. She took the subway every day, with people coming and going. Although the escalators were disinfected daily, she still felt apprehensive.

This habit of washing her hands immediately upon returning home was developed after the pandemic.

“Why aren’t you asleep?” Zhang Si Tan sat on the other end of the sofa, a little further from Qi An, afraid her alcohol smell would cling to her.

“Ah.” The small figure might not have expected Zhang Si Tan to talk to her and seemed slow to react. “I was… waiting for you…”

Finally, she added: “I thought… you weren’t coming back today…”

Zhang Si Tan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry: “Where would I go if I didn’t come back?”

“What did you do today?” Zhang Si Tan leaned back on the sofa, turning her face toward Qi An.

Every time she drank, her eyelids felt heavy, her eyes felt dry, and she blinked much more often.

“I went grocery shopping today and bought meat, vegetables, and rice.”

Hmm. Zhang Si Tan glanced toward the kitchen. It seemed there were several new items.

“Can you cook?”

“I can follow a recipe.”

“Oh.” Zhang Si Tan nodded. Then perhaps she should still be the one to cook in the future.

“In the afternoon… I also went to an interview.”

Qi An turned her head to look at Zhang Si Tan, seemingly checking her reaction.

Zhang Si Tan noticed Qi An’s gaze, assuming the interview hadn’t gone well. She looked back at her and comforted her: “It’s alright, you have to do multiple interviews. It’s hard to find work in Beijing, I’ll also ask around for you.”

“I passed the interview.” Qi An finished her sentence, looking at Zhang Si Tan somewhat strangely.

“Oh.” Then why were you stammering and hesitating?

Zhang Si Tan only realized Qi An had said “passed the interview” after she said “Oh.” She exclaimed: “Congratulations! Qi An, you’re amazing!”

Qi An was amused by Zhang Si Tan’s reaction. She moved closer to Si Tan, smelling the faint scent of alcohol on her, and said, “Sister Si Tan, you smell of…”

Reaching this point, Qi An deliberately paused.

Zhang Si Tan sniffed her own clothes. She hadn’t worn perfume today. She used her usual Pantene shampoo, and the laundry detergent was a generic brand bought on a supermarket promotion (buy two bags, get a big basin free).

“Pure alcohol.” Qi An completed the sentence, watching Zhang Si Tan as she bent down to sniff herself. Zhang Si Tan, when tipsy, was slightly more clumsy and adorable, a stark contrast to her usual composed and confident demeanor.

Qi An finally broke into a small smile. Being fortunate enough to witness Sister Si Tan in this state made up for waiting for her alone in the room until now.

What kind of word was “waiting alone in the room”?

“Go remove your makeup and sleep.” Qi An patted Zhang Si Tan.

Zhang Si Tan reluctantly got up, took another deep sniff of her own scent. This smell of being steeped in alcohol made her eyelids even heavier.

The next day, Zhang Si Tan woke up as usual. There was no major discomfort after the night’s drinking. In fact, due to her annoying biological clock, she couldn’t even sleep in.

She got up from the bed, feeling weak all over, and gave up on the idea of a morning run. She washed her face and went into the kitchen.

The kitchen wasn’t big. There was a small basket on the floor containing the ‘trophies’ Qi An brought back yesterday.

Qi An wasn’t awake yet, and the apartment was quiet.

Zhang Si Tan took out the rice cooker and started washing the rice. The beans hadn’t been soaked in advance, and they wouldn’t soften if cooked immediately, so she simply didn’t add any extra ingredients, making plain rice porridge.

However, she also stir-fried a few dishes, which would add flavor when mixed with the porridge.

Finally, when Qi An woke up, Zhang Si Tan wanted to call her over to eat, but saw her busy putting on a suit and applying powder to her face in front of the mirror.

“Sister Si Tan, do you know how to tie a tie?” Qi An called out from the bathroom.

Zhang Si Tan responded instantly, taking the tie from her hand and helping her hang it around her neck, tying a knot in the front.

“What kind of job did you interview for that requires you to dress so formally?”

“It’s a secret.” Qi An was starting her first day of work today, and her face was beaming with joy.

“Oh, working for the secret service,” Zhang Si Tan chuckled, teasing her.

“Sister Si Tan, let’s take the subway together later.”

“Sure. But before that,” Zhang Si Tan faced her and smoothed the fit of her suit. “Let’s eat first.”

“Yes, ma’am!” Qi An shouted, grinning widely.

After leaving the subway station, Zhang Si Tan saw Qi An still following her and asked, “Is your company here too?”

Qi An nodded vaguely, not wanting to say much.

Zhang Si Tan was amused. This job was being handled as if she were an underground security officer, keeping everything under wraps.

But thinking about the many office buildings nearby, the job Qi An found must be a legitimate one.

After saying goodbye to Qi An, Zhang Si Tan clocked in and entered the building.

There were only a few people in the office. Everyone had partied hard yesterday and were clearly struggling to get up today.

“Morning, Team Leader Zhang.” A morning greeting echoed somewhat emptily in the sparsely populated office.

“Morning,” Zhang Si Tan replied with a smile, sitting down at her desk.

She turned on her computer and began to sort out her tasks for the day.

Director Zhang walked up to her desk and tapped on it: “Si Tan, the assistant I hired for you has come to report. Get to know each other.”