Chapter 227: Whispers in the Office

Around ten o’clock, the two finally stepped out of the old middle school in the town, still reluctant to leave.

In the back alley path, Xu Chen held Xie Bingran’s hand.

Only when they reached the car did their intertwined hands finally part.

He got in, started the engine, and turned on the air conditioning.

“Are you hungry?” Xu Chen asked.

“Not yet.”

“Then let’s head back to downtown.”

……

……

Half an hour later, the car pulled up in front of the Jinfeng Business Tower.

They took the elevator to the eighth floor and glanced into the office, seeing no lights on.

As expected, no one was there, making it just the two of them.

Now, Xu Zhiquan mostly worked at the Chenfeng Technology Park, but he still occasionally came here to handle business deals, mainly for Chenxin Nurseries.

Additionally, Fang Jun spent one day a week here; the Seedling Company’s accounts were separate from Chenfeng Technology’s, with all the nursery project ledgers and materials kept on site.

Xu Chen entered the code to unlock the door and flipped on the lights.

He settled Xie Bingran in the reception room, turned on the air conditioning, and said:

“There are fruits in the fridge; go ahead and wash some to eat. I’ll be out printing a few things.”

“Okay… hurry back then.”

“I’m not going downstairs; I’ll just be outside the door.”

……

When Xu Chen returned, he had two sheets of paper in hand.

“This is the speech draft and the Q&A for reporters. You need to memorize them.

You can read the speech, but for answering reporters’ questions, it’s better to go off-script.”

Xie Bingran took the drafts, her face showing a hint of reluctance.

Xu Chen wrapped his arm around Xie Bingran’s waist:

“Just a little hard work for our champion.”

Xie Bingran blushed like a young girl and leaned her head on Xu Chen’s shoulder.

Xu Chen flashed a mischievous smile and couldn’t resist letting his hands wander a bit as he said:

“Bing Ge’s abs are so defined.”

“They show up once the body fat drops,” Xie Bingran replied.

Xu Chen took both of Xie Bingran’s hands and gently pulled her away, looking her up and down carefully.

“Do you have any National Team clothes? Put them on for later.”

This was all in preparation for the celebration event.

“Sure, I have a set in my bag,” Xie Bingran said.

She blinked her big eyes and threw herself back into Xu Chen’s arms.

……

……

Xu Chen got Xie Bingran settled on the sofa, piled some fruits in front of her, and told her to focus on studying the drafts.

He sat at the large desk and turned on the computer.

As he flipped through a few files, Xu Chen furrowed his brow, deep in thought.

Just then, his phone buzzed—it was a call from his father, Xu Zhiquan.

Naturally, it was to check if they had arrived and if they’d make it on time for the afternoon event.

“Dad, don’t worry. We’re at the Jinfeng office resting up. We’ll head to the venue soon!”

“Good, that’s settled! No need to rush; the official start is at four. Just get there half an hour early, a bit before the leaders…

Also, the event is officially organized by the Publicity Department and Sports Bureau, so when Xie Bingran arrives, have Director Feng guide her to greet the various leaders.”

“Son, touch base with Director Feng first. He’s anxious as can be, like an ant on a hot pan, and keeps wanting to call you—I held him off.”

“Okay, I’ll contact Director Feng right away.”

Then, remembering something, he added:

“Dad, will Uncle Feng Wenjiang be coming?”

“Your Uncle Feng will be there; I specifically invited him!”

“That’s great; I might need a small favor from Town Chief Feng.”

“Just tell me; your Uncle Feng and I are like brothers. Anything not against the rules, he’s on board.”

“It’s definitely not against the rules…

It’s about Xie Bingran’s endorsement deal. Today, we need to discuss it with the National Team leaders, and I suspect there might be a few minor issues.”

“In that case, Town Chief Feng might need to step in and say a word or two.”

“Alright, let’s talk it through properly…”

……

Xie Bingran overheard Xu Chen’s conversation and came over after he hung up:

“What can I do?”

“You don’t need to do anything—just memorize the drafts.” ……

He called Director Feng Siliang, who sounded tense and frantic; Xu Chen quickly reassured him.

“Director Feng, relax. Everything’s on track. Xie Bingran and I will arrive before three-thirty!”

Xu Chen felt a bit speechless; he’d always seen Director Feng as steady and reliable, but this celebration had him on edge, completely flustered.

It was probably because all the important leaders were attending, putting immense pressure on Director Feng. The system wasn’t an easy world to navigate.

Xu Chen sat at the computer, and Director Feng sent over a bunch of new reporter drafts for him to review and comment on.

The official pieces didn’t really need ‘reviewing,’ but Xu Chen offered a few mild suggestions to help Director Feng calm down.

Then, Xu Chen contacted administrative manager Wu Yue and asked her to send some on-site photos for him to check.

It was all standard and safe setup, including the LED screens, posters, and display materials—everything was straightforward and secure, without any flashy designs.

After all, with leaders attending, they had to keep it official and subdued.

This administrative manager, Yue Jie, had a good personal rapport with Fang Jun, so Xu Chen trusted her a bit more.

She’d handled all the Yangcheng travel arrangements and the celebration’s details meticulously, and Xu Zhiquan spoke highly of her.

Xu Chen was glad his father had another reliable person on his team.

Wu Yue had a warm and easygoing personality, similar to Fang Jun in some ways—no malice or scheming—which Xu Chen appreciated.

Back in the day, Bright Factory was one of the best state-owned units in Tiancheng, with many getting in through connections.

For Wu Yue to be the administrative manager there and have ties with Fang Jun, she wasn’t from an ordinary background.

……

In the Fuyan Jie project group chat, a message suddenly popped up; Xu Chen opened it to see it was from Li Fengfeng.

[Dear leaders, the latest ad production detailed quote has been emailed to everyone.

Please @Director Zhao Nan @VP Lu Wenhua reply with your approvals.]

Zhao Nan was the Marketing Director at Renhe Pharmaceuticals, and Lu Wenhua was the VP in charge of marketing there. Both were key decision-makers from the Shanghai pitch.

Xu Chen checked his email but didn’t see Li Fengfeng’s message.

Though he didn’t need to approve it, as the project’s overseer, Li Fengfeng should have CC’d him…

Based on what Xu Chen knew of Li Fengfeng, he was meticulous and wouldn’t overlook it—so this must be intentional.

Fine.

Clearly, there were probably issues in the email.