Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 142

Shen Zhibing hadn’t been to the company for several days. The last time she went home, she only stayed in her grandfather’s study for a short time and didn’t even stay for dinner. Although the old man didn’t make a statement, everyone in the family tacitly understood and wouldn’t actively mention Shen Zhibing’s name.

Shen Qixing had no intention of staying in the office he had occupied for several years. He had long wanted to move to the top floor where the CEO’s office was located. Every time he went up to find Shen Zhibing, he would silently fantasize about what it would be like if he were to take over one day.

Although Shen Shijun had warned him to be patient and keep a low profile, as long as the old man hadn’t officially spoken, Shen Zhibing was still the Vice President of the Shen Group. However, various signs at the company and at home indicated that Shen Zhibing had lost the old man’s favor.

She had not returned to the mansion, nor had there been any news of when she would return to the company. Shen Qixing recalled her high-and-mighty manner when guiding his work and felt a surge of secret satisfaction.

The tide had turned; this place would be their father-and-son’s territory from now on, and it wouldn’t be Shen Zhibing’s turn, a mere woman, to dictate things.

Lately, he would often stroll around the top floor when he had nothing to do. Sometimes, when Shen Shijun was in a meeting, he would wander around by himself. If people didn’t know his identity, such wandering during working hours would have led to a reprimand long ago.

Yesterday, the CEO’s office suddenly issued a notice saying that a provisional board meeting would be held the day after tomorrow, presided over by the old man himself. Shen Qixing calculated that he should start the plan to renovate his office now, lest it be too late to use up this year’s reimbursement quota by the end of the year.

Unexpectedly, as he was leading the office staff around, he ran into Jiang Youyou. The news of his planned office upgrade had already spread privately—whether someone deliberately released it or if he had authorized it was unclear—and Jiang Youyou knew exactly what he was doing upon seeing it.

“Director Jiang, here to submit a report?”

“Hello, Young CEO Shen.”

Shen Qixing waved his hand, signaling her to continue her work. Unexpectedly, Jiang Youyou didn’t leave; instead, she called out to him.

“Something else?”

“I hope Young CEO Shen can spare some time. I have some suggestions I’d like to share.”

The internal audit department was a presence one could never take lightly. Shen Qixing was a little annoyed but also wanted to hear what Jiang Youyou had to say.

He knew that Jiang Youyou had a good relationship with Shen Zhibing and Qi Zheng. As the situation had developed, the internal factions in the company were basically clear, and Jiang Youyou naturally did not belong to their side.

Following Shen Qixing back to his office in the HR department, the staff members looked nervous upon seeing someone from internal audit arrive.

Shen Qixing reassured them as he walked: “Director Jiang is here to discuss other matters. Please focus on your work.”

Inside the office, Shen Qixing smiled: “People from the audit department just naturally carry an air of authority. They make people nervous wherever they go.”

Although he said this, he didn’t look nervous at all.

Jiang Youyou had studied abroad for two years and was much more reserved than before. Having worked in internal audit for so long, she was no longer the hot-tempered person she used to be.

Jiang Youyou pulled out a chair and sat down, her tone seemingly casual but carrying a warning: “According to your current position level, the renovation requirements and specifications you submitted to the office far exceed the standard, Young CEO Shen.”

Shen Qixing’s smile faded slightly: “It’s still in the communication stage, not formally reported for approval, so it shouldn’t be a violation.”

“That’s why I said it was a friendly suggestion and reminder. If you had actually gone through the process, then I would have had to invite you to my office for a talk.”

The smile on Shen Qixing’s face completely vanished, yet he couldn’t come up with a valid reason to respond. He had been getting carried away in his own department lately, and no one dared to point it out to him directly.

After a moment of silence, Jiang Youyou didn’t say anything more. As someone in internal audit, her duty was to standardize internal processes and minimize the occurrence of any violations.

“Then I won’t take up any more of your work time, Young CEO Shen.” Jiang Youyou paused before opening the door, then turned around and reminded him again, “Also, I believe working hours should be fully utilized for tasks related to your primary job, as the company is paying you for this time.”

Shen Qixing was stumped and had his good mood about the new office completely ruined by Jiang Youyou.

He waited in his office until Shen Shijun finished his meeting, specially calling Yun Fei before heading back up to the top floor.

The atmosphere in the CEO’s office secretarial suite had been quite strained lately. Shen Shijun’s work style and methods were completely different from Shen Zhibing’s, especially his frequent demands that the secretaries be on call at all times and not leave until he did.

Sometimes, even when there was no urgent work, Shen Shijun would still require all members of the secretarial suite to stay. Yun Fei and Xin Jia could remain composed, but several of the younger ones had already shown their distress repeatedly.

As Shen Qixing passed the secretarial suite, he glanced inside. Seeing the gloomy faces, he tapped on the door a few times and reminded them: “During working hours, cheer up. People who don’t know might think someone’s bullying you. As the face of the CEO’s office, you must always mind your appearance.”

He didn’t wait for a reaction and walked straight into Shen Shijun’s office.

Xin Jia was speechless. She looked back at Yun Fei and complained in a low voice: “Boss, look at that. He hasn’t even officially taken the position yet and he’s already acting like a tyrant. If it really ends up being the father and son in power, I’m quitting.”

Yun Fei also looked serious. What Xin Jia said was not entirely exaggerated. Lately, Shen Shijun, acting as the interim Vice President, had either shelved or overturned many of Shen Zhibing’s past decisions, as if trying to erase all traces of her.

To “de-Shen Zhibing-ify,” the secretarial suite, which had the closest relationship with her, was naturally the most affected. They had all been put through the wringer. Shen Zhibing’s phone was still switched off for long periods recently, but Qi Zheng kept in touch with her and Yu Xinyan daily and was generally aware of CEO Shen’s recent situation.

Yun Fei would also inform Qi Zheng of the recent state of the Shen Group, provided it didn’t involve commercial secrets, and express her concerns and intentions.

“Xiao Qi, I know CEO Shen’s mood hasn’t fully recovered, but please convey that we will firmly stand by her. If she no longer holds her position, we are all prepared to resign.”

Qi Zheng was calm about this. While reassuring her, she simply advised: “Sister Yun Fei, it won’t come to this. Please be patient for a few more days. I promise, it will be properly resolved.”

Throughout this process, Shen Zhibing had not come forward to say a word, but Yun Fei still chose to trust Qi Zheng’s words. She also believed Qi Zheng represented CEO Shen’s attitude, as in her eyes, they were already one.

On the day of the board meeting, Shen Qixing went to wait outside his grandfather’s room early in the morning, accompanying him all the way from home to the conference room. The old man didn’t mention Shen Zhibing throughout the journey, as if he didn’t care about the person at all.

He was obedient and proactively mentioned the changes in the company during this period and the plans for the next stage. Some were things he had prepared beforehand, and some he had heard from Shen Shijun.

Before the meeting started, Shen Qixing chose a seat very close to the old man, leaving the other side for Shen Shijun. When the shareholders gradually arrived, the old man finally spoke: “Qixing, you sit over there.”

The old man lifted his chin. Shen Qixing looked over—that was an inconspicuous spot, clearly demarcated as the area for department heads.

This board meeting had specially included the main department heads; it looked like he was going to formally announce the ownership of the management rights. Shen Shijun signaled his son not to worry about the temporary arrangement, so Shen Qixing reluctantly got up.

The old man didn’t appoint anyone else to sit there, and the seat remained empty until everyone had arrived.

Shen Shijun was about to open the meeting when he suddenly heard the old man say: “Wait, one more person.”

Three minutes later, the conference room door was pushed open, and Shen Zhibing walked in alone.

Even though she came alone, her demeanor was no different from when she attended meetings in the past, perhaps even more resolute and decisive.

This was her first formal appearance at the Shen Group since the onset of her illness became public.

Shen Shijun’s expression changed the moment he saw her.

The old man pointed to the empty seat, motioning for her to approach: “Xiao Bing, sit here.”

Shen Zhibing nodded to the people present and took her seat.

“Are you all ready?”

Shen Zhibing looked at her grandfather with firm eyes: “All ready.”

Only then did the old man turn to the others and solemnly say: “I have an important announcement to make at today’s meeting. Before announcing it, let Xiao Bing formally explain the recent matter to everyone.”

After saying this, he said no more and handed the control to Shen Zhibing.

Over the past few years, the board of directors had undergone considerable changes, and at least half of them supported Shen Zhibing. With the sudden upheaval, these people were also considering their own futures. They had thought all was lost, but seeing a glimmer of hope, they naturally wouldn’t miss this one opportunity for a turn of events.

Shen Zhibing admitted that she had previously suffered from immense stress with nowhere to release it, which led to a nervous breakdown over the years. After realizing her emotional distress was starting to affect her normal life, she sought active treatment. The entire treatment process lasted for more than two years and included medication-assisted therapy.

All of this proved that Shen Zhibing had not evaded the problem but actively dealt with it. During her treatment, the Shen Group’s business not only remained unaffected but successfully transformed, avoiding the impact of the deteriorating economic environment and even surpassing competitors to take the lead.

If she was so formidable while ill, her ability would certainly reach new heights once fully recovered. These shareholders were not foolish; they had already formed their own opinions about the abilities of her versus Shen Shijun over the past few years.

Furthermore, the fact that Old Man Shen allowed her to come today and gave her this opportunity to explain also showed who the old man’s true choice was.

After Shen Zhibing finished explaining the entire sequence of events, the conference room was silent.

Old Man Shen spoke: “Hiding it from everyone for so long was indeed Xiao Bing’s fault, and I have already disciplined her for this matter. On her behalf, I apologize to all of you here.”

With the old man personally speaking, who dared to take issue? Moreover, as long as she could continue leading the company to make money, they didn’t care that much about Shen Zhibing’s condition.

The more Shen Shijun listened, the more something felt wrong. He made one last attempt: “But this incident has caused a very negative social impact. The company’s stock price has fallen continuously, and a lot of market value has evaporated. If we insist on reinstating Xiao Bing, it might be difficult to regain public trust.”

Old Man Shen was not overly concerned. He said calmly: “After today’s meeting, Xiao Bing will personally explain to the public. The Shen Group had recently invested in an emerging company in this field, and this is also an opportunity to let everyone believe that the Shen Group is genuinely committed to this cause.”

The company’s leader herself had personally suffered from the condition and could empathize with patients. The Shen Group’s investment in this area was definitely not a passing fancy, nor was it just for show.

Shen Shijun frowned, but he had no further reasons to insist.

Old Man Shen waited for a moment. Seeing no one openly object, he continued: “In fact, everyone has seen Xiao Bing’s performance over the past few years. I have high regard for her abilities, so I feel very secure handing the company over to her.”

This was not the first time the old man had said something like this, but in today’s setting, emphasizing it again clearly carried a different weight.

Sure enough, Old Man Shen formally announced his retirement, recommending Shen Zhibing to take over the position of CEO of the Shen Group. The shares he held and those held by Shen Zhibing were already close to over half. Unless everyone present opposed, and the majority of scattered shares in the market were also against it, his decision could not be overturned.

He said “recommend,” but in reality, it was an appointment.

One shareholder was the first to raise their hand in agreement, and then others followed suit. After one round, everyone’s eyes fell on Shen Shijun.

At this point, his stance could no longer affect the final outcome, but in front of the old man, he couldn’t be too stubborn. Reluctantly raising his hand, he insincerely said to Shen Zhibing: “Xiao Bing, congratulations.”