Transmigrating Into the Beautiful CEO’s Doomed Substitute - Chapter 45

The dinner with Jiang Youyou was quite pleasant, and Jiang Youyou recounted many interesting stories from their university days. Qi Zheng possessed the original owner’s memories, so naturally, she remembered them. However, since she hadn’t genuinely participated in them, she didn’t feel a strong sense of personal connection.

“It’s really true, graduation just came and went. In two more months, we’ll have all been working for half a year. After that, it’ll be countless half-years repeating, and who knows when we meet again, we’ll be looking forward to retirement.”

Qi Zheng found Jiang Youyou’s deliberately melancholic tone amusing: “That’s still decades away, don’t rush, you still have plenty of professional life to enjoy.”

Jiang Youyou went to an accounting firm after graduation. Fortunately, her current project team wasn’t too busy, otherwise, she wouldn’t even have time to eat Korean BBQ now.

“Back then, we were all so confident about what we’d definitely do in the future, but only four years have passed, and not many people are still holding onto their original ideas. This era changes too quickly. What if I win the lottery next week? Then I’ll retire next month!”

“That’s a good plan. If you win the lottery, don’t forget to treat me to a meal.”

Jiang Youyou gave her a mock-disgusted look: “What’s wrong with you? I’d have won a huge prize, and you’re only asking for one meal.”

Qi Zheng nodded, playing along: “Then tell me, what other benefits can I get from my roommate?”

“Of course, I’ll be your sugar mommy!”

Jiang Youyou said it so casually that Qi Zheng’s hand, holding her cup, trembled.

“Don’t worry, if I win the grand prize, I can definitely afford to support you.”

It’s not that I’m worried you can’t afford it; it’s mainly that the current “sugar daddy” probably can’t be dismissed with money.

Qi Zheng realized her thoughts had strayed. Fortunately, Jiang Youyou was absorbed in her beautiful anticipation of how to spend her lottery winnings and didn’t notice.

The two happily chatted for a while longer when Jiang Youyou suddenly remembered something.

“Qi Zheng, do you know that your dad went looking for you at the school a while ago?”

“Who did you say?”

Although Qi Zheng hadn’t explicitly mentioned anything over the years, her roommates knew that Qi Zheng’s family situation wasn’t very good. It wasn’t just financial; there seemed to be issues with family harmony as well.

“It’s the one who came to find you on graduation day…”

Qi Zheng’s face darkened. She knew who that was. She just hadn’t expected Qi’s father to go to the school for no reason, and why would he go when she had already graduated?

“Didn’t the counselor call you?”

Qi Zheng shook her head. Jiang Youyou hesitated but still told her the truth: “I heard it from a counselor in another department who I have a good relationship with. They said your dad went to the school to inquire about your situation over the past few years, mainly your life.”

Qi Zheng frowned. A gambler like Qi’s father would absolutely not be so proactive without a profit motive.

“I heard he wanted to inquire about your relationship with… Miss Lin a couple of years ago.”

Qi Zheng looked up: “Asking about that?”

Jiang Youyou nodded.

When the original owner was dating Lin Muyun, she was relatively low-key at school, but people must have seen them. Gossip in schools is no less than outside, and coupled with the semi-enclosed environment, the spread is actually faster.

But why would Qi’s father suddenly be concerned about this?

“Did I meddle in something I shouldn’t have?” Seeing Qi Zheng’s increasingly gloomy face, Jiang Youyou regretted bringing it up.

“Thank you for telling me this.”

Qi Zheng had intended to ask the counselor about it, but then thought that since no one had contacted her, perhaps it wasn’t a big deal, so she decided to leave it alone for the time being.

Shen Zhibing was not very satisfied with the second draft of the report Qi Zheng submitted. It was clearly in an area that Qi Zheng was unfamiliar with, and many parts were still not grasping the essentials.

She had Qi Zheng bring her laptop into her office to listen to Qi Zheng’s analysis ideas in person.

“In the old contract from five years ago, there were no such fees, and there were no related reimbursements during the subsequent maintenance period. Therefore, these costs were not necessary, but in the new contract, they have become an indispensable part.”

Shen Zhibing tapped lightly on the desk, indicating for Qi Zheng to finish all her thoughts.

“Did you ask Yun Fei?”

Qi Zheng paused: “This information is available in the past contracts and reimbursement receipts. Secretary Yun has been very busy lately, and I didn’t want to trouble her.”

“You can ask for any resource or help you need without having to worry too much about personal sentiment.”

Qi Zheng explained: “I understand. I just feel that wherever I can avoid troubling colleagues, I should try to do it myself.”

Shen Zhibing interrupted her: “Qi Zheng, I understand your thinking, but given your current situation, you need assistance from others. Do you know what your problem is?”

Qi Zheng listened intently. Shen Zhibing paused, then continued: “You can’t always rely on yourself working alone. Simple problems can certainly be solved by yourself, but the more complex the problem, the more resources you need. If you still insist on shouldering it all alone, you will only remain stagnant.”

Qi Zheng had to admit that Shen Zhibing was right.

She indeed didn’t want to bother Yun Fei, and it was also because she was always accustomed to solving problems independently. But in unfamiliar territory, she could only spend more time groping her way through.

“When you don’t have resources, you must rely on yourself, but when conditions allow, why not use them? Qi Zheng, you need to learn to integrate resources. Only then can you maximize efficiency.”

Integrate resources, Qi Zheng silently repeated twice. She, of course, knew that integrating resources was an effective method, but in the past, she hadn’t had the opportunity to reach this level, so her habitual thinking naturally wouldn’t prioritize it.

Shen Zhibing turned Qi Zheng’s laptop towards her more: “I said that your initial draft report already found all the superficial problems you could find, so your second draft doesn’t need to revolve around those data anymore.”

Shen Zhibing used her fountain pen to lightly tap on the screen, but not on any data point: “Who was responsible for communicating and signing Huatian Water Conservancy’s contract five years ago? Have there been any major personnel changes over the years? Why the recent centralized equipment renewal, even including a batch that hasn’t reached its service life?”

Qi Zheng frowned. These things couldn’t be seen from the data.

“It’s normal that you don’t know these things. But you can ask. Ask Yun Fei, or any other secretary. If they don’t know either, then let Yun Fei help you ask the relevant departments.”

This was the authority and resource that CEO Shen had spoken of. If she really wanted to know the things just mentioned, it wouldn’t be that difficult.

“I understand.” Qi Zheng was a smart person. Shen Zhibing pointed out a new direction, and she immediately grasped it.

Shen Zhibing satisfactorily withdrew her pen and handed the laptop back to her. Qi Zheng noticed that the pen holder on CEO Shen’s desk had been replaced, and the pen she had just held wasn’t the one she used to always keep close at hand.

“I hope to see your breakthrough in the third draft.”

Qi Zheng was called into CEO Shen’s office to be “critiqued and guided,” yet she didn’t feel unhappy. She adjusted the report framework according to Shen Zhibing’s new direction, organized the missing information as blanks, and then sought help from Yun Fei.

Yun Fei was busy and only saw her email half an hour later. She turned around and smiled at Qi Zheng: “You finally figured it out. I thought it would take a few more days to receive your email.”

“Huh? Secretary Yun, were you waiting for me?”

Yun Fei had already started searching for the materials Qi Zheng needed. Although she knew Qi Zheng would eventually come to her for help, she wasn’t entirely sure what specifics she would need: “Yes, Huatian’s previous contract was quite difficult to sign. How would a newcomer like you know so much? You were bound to come to me eventually.”

Yun Fei acted quickly and soon sent a compressed file package.

“Most of the things you need are here. I still need to get some from the business department.”

Qi Zheng clicked on the file and decompressed it. It contained a mass of dense information, but she was still very grateful for Yun Fei’s strong assistance.

“Don’t thank me. If you’re going to thank anyone, thank CEO Shen. She told me early on to grant you the authority and fully assist you. It’s you who delayed until the second draft was submitted before coming to me.”

Qi Zheng realized with a start. Had Shen Zhibing anticipated this all along?

Recalling in detail the ideas Shen Zhibing proposed regarding the report and her comments on Qi Zheng’s own issues, they were not criticisms but more like guidance and direction.

Shen Zhibing was teaching her, step by step, how to move toward becoming a true manager.

Qi Zheng began to re-integrate the report according to the new direction. The information Yun Fei found was continuously sent to her email. Qi Zheng’s mind suddenly cleared, and she truly saw the intricate connections beyond the contracts.

It was approaching quitting time again. No one in the secretarial office had left. Yun Fei had ordered food earlier and included Qi Zheng, seemingly expecting a collective night of overtime.

Qi Zheng was engrossed in writing the report and wasn’t in a hurry to leave. Her phone vibrated beside her. She glanced at the screen—it was an unfamiliar number.

Her fingers flew across the keyboard, unwilling to break her train of thought, but the unknown number called again.

Qi Zheng had no choice but to stop. The voice on the other end told her it was the Sixth People’s Hospital calling.

“Excuse me, are you Ms. Qi Zheng?”

“I am.”

“Are you Qi Youtian’s daughter?”

Qi Youtian? Qi Zheng recalled. It was the original owner’s father.

Reluctantly, she accepted the identity: “Yes, may I ask what’s the matter?”

“Your father has been hospitalized and requires a family member to complete the procedures. We hope you can come as soon as possible.”

Qi Zheng raised an eyebrow. This person, who had been absent from the original owner’s life for so long, suddenly came back to Haicheng, saying he was going to settle down, and now the hospital was calling her. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed abnormal.

But to the hospital, no matter how she explained it, she couldn’t deny the identity of Qi Youtian’s daughter.

She hung up the phone and rubbed her temples, beginning to pack her things. Yun Fei had included Qi Zheng when ordering dinner, assuming she was going out to eat, and called out to her: “Dinner will be here soon, just wait a little longer.”

Qi Zheng was very apologetic but still had to say: “Secretary Yun, I have to leave now, there’s an urgent family matter.”

Qi Zheng was very dedicated and focused on her work, and rarely mentioned her family affairs.

“Is it serious? Do you need the company’s help?”

“No, I just need to go to the hospital to complete some procedures.”

Qi Zheng felt more helpless than worried. Seeing that she wasn’t very anxious, Yun Fei relaxed. After work hours, it was personal time, and she didn’t want to probe too much.

The door to Shen Zhibing’s office suddenly opened. She walked out quickly, holding her bag.

“Yun Fei, I have an urgent matter and need to leave first. You are all free to work overtime tonight.”

“Free to work overtime” meant they could either stay in the office or take work home.

“CEO Shen, is there an emergency?”

Shen Zhibing paused briefly and told Yun Fei: “Elias has been hospitalized. I need to rush over.”

Qi Zheng was standing nearby. Hearing that Shen Zhibing was also going to the hospital, she thought, Please don’t let it be too coincidental, and both of us end up at the Sixth People’s Hospital.

Yun Fei glanced at Qi Zheng, originally intending to ask CEO Shen which hospital she was going to and if she could give Qi Zheng a ride. But she felt this was inappropriate, and Qi Zheng didn’t seem to have that intention, so she let it go.

Shen Zhibing got into her car, looked down at her phone, and said to the driver: “To the Sixth People’s Hospital.”