Full Cup of Water - Chap 8

Later, Su Zhong called David to request that An Su no longer serve as his assistant.

David roughly guessed what had happened, so he did not ask Su Zhong why and only said, “Oh, okay, then change assistant.” With that said, David paused and continued, “But now I’m on a business trip, and it’s an unusual period, so it’s hard to make the change for you. How about changing when you come back from the business trip?”

“I don’t want to work with him anymore,” Su Zhong said. “It doesn’t matter if you can’t send a new assistant. During the business trip, I can work by myself.”

David did not expect Su Zhong to be so merciless, but he could not say much, so he agreed.

However, An Su was upset when he learned that Su Zhong was replacing him. When he closed his eyes, he thought of the slap Xin Qianyu had given him. He still felt the effect of the slap on his face, and he was in pain.

It was difficult for him to accept that his dignity had been trampled on this way. It was also hard to acknowledge the reality of Su Zhong abandoning his feelings like an old shoe.

Since then, he had been madly pestering Su Zhong.

During the business trip, in addition to working, Su Zhong had to deal with An Su’s stalking.

Su Zhong was different from Xin Qianyu. He would not speak ill of others, let alone hurt others.

Su Zhong only reported to the headquarters that An Su had sexually harassed him during work.

The headquarters attached great importance to the issue of sexual harassment in the workplace, especially when the whistle-blowers were their star employees. After the headquarters received the report and called Su Zhong to understand the situation, they immediately sent someone across the ocean to investigate it on location.

Su Zhong kept evidence of An Su’s sexual harassment, such as phone recordings of crazy confessions made ten times a day, surveillance videos of rushing up and tugging familiarly at him in the office, etc. The investigator also noticed that An Su was the son of regional president David, and An Su also emphasized in his words that “My father is the president.” This also made David very embarrassed.

Nevertheless, the headquarters was very concerned about this, and David had to apologize and dismiss An Su.

It was not easy to personally dismiss your own son, but who told him to make a mistake and get caught?

Although David was annoyed that An Su had mindlessly and impulsively gotten into trouble, he was even more annoyed that Su Zhong repeatedly challenged his authority.

Usually, Su Zhong was not very respectful to David. That was fine. Recently, he had become more unruly. A while ago, he had bypassed him and reported Kevin to the regulatory department, which caused damage to the company’s reputation. The headquarters had also asked about it. Now, he had bypassed David to report David’s own son to the headquarters again. This was like stepping on David’s face. How could David endure this?

David had a plan: the “investment director” position could not be given to Su Zhong. Now that he was doing so well as a fund manager, wouldn’t the world turn upside down if he became the director?

David continued with his thoughts. Rui Lei was now doing very well as a star manager, and her performance was also good. She was usually obedient, so it was better to promote Rui Lei.

Of course, to management, “employees with acceptable working ability but very obedient” were better than “employees with strong working ability but very disobedient”.

In fact, when she saw David being forced to apologize and dismiss An Su, Rui Lei was happy. Su Zhong had already offended David thoroughly.

She knew that her move had been right. She had mentioned Xin Qianyu in front of An Su and said many bad things about Xin Qianyu, provoking An Su’s contention. At the same time, she gave An Su a lot of encouragement and instigated An Su to “pursue love bravely”. She also told An Su, “Su Zhong is a passive type of person, and he won’t be moved by someone pursuing him normally. I heard that Xin Qianyu was stalking Su Zhong for two or three years before he got the position.” When An Su heard Rui Lei say this, he despised Xin Qianyu even more. At the same time, he thought again, Even a “mediocre serving” like Xin Qianyu could get Manager Su’s heart by stalking, so wouldn’t a “superior serving” like me do even better with this method?

Because of this, An Su boldly “pursued love” and pestered Su Zhong until he could not endure it and reported him.

Rui Lei knew clearly that Su Zhong would not be moved by An Su’s obsession but would instead get tired of it. Once Su Zhong was tired of anyone, he would use extremely definitive means to make the other party completely disappear from his sight: this was a lesson from the past.

Even if An Su was David’s son, he would not be an exception. As Rui Lei expected, Su Zhong used a quick method to make An Su disappear from his world. It was just that when Su Zhong did this, it thoroughly challenged David’s authority, which was a great provocation to the executive. It was impossible for David not to disagree with Su Zhong.

“Even if his professional work is strong, what’s the use? If you don’t know how to conduct yourself, your career will not go smoothly.” Rui Lei felt she knew more than Su Zhong.

However, it was also possible that Rui Lei was “Su Zhong’s ally” in David’s eyes, so Rui Lei deliberately used some means to grab one of Su Zhong’s clients. She did not care about this client but wanted to clarify her “position” to David.

In addition, David also took the opportunity to make a fuss, criticizing Su Zhong for losing a big client and not doing a proper job of client management. David said pointedly, “What we do in this business is not just dealing with numbers but also dealing with people. You can’t just research behind closed doors and be oblivious to the outside world. You have to communicate more with people and develop good relationships with them.”

David’s words were spoken in front of everyone at the regular meeting. In other words, he was taunting Su Zhong in front of everyone.

As for the people present being surprised, not to say that they were not startled, but they were not overly surprised. David displaying severity to Su Zhong was unexpected but still reasonable. After all, Su Zhong forced David’s son away. This was tantamount to hitting David in the face, wasn’t it? Therefore, it was normal for David to have a bone to pick with Su Zhong.

Some people were quite emotional. Su Zhong obviously had a bright future, so how could he offend the leader because of such a thing?

Some people also gloated. I can’t bear the sight of Su Zhong’s noble and glamorous appearance. He’s a worker, but his imposing manner is like a prince! He was in a position to be so arrogant before, but wasn’t it because the boss cherishes talent?! Now, if the boss doesn’t spare you, you are nothing!

Any employee with particular qualifications would not be able to sit still when criticized publicly by the boss like this. Generally, people of Su Zhong’s level, even when criticized, would be dealt with behind closed doors in their private office, not ridiculed in public like this. This was David wanting to give him a hard time and could be regarded as a signal that Su Zhong was having bad luck.

No matter who it was, they would feel embarrassed encountering such a thing.

But Su Zhong did not.

Su Zhong was still very serene, and said in a calm tone, “Director Chen has always been my client. Why did he suddenly become Rui Lei’s client? I remember that the company strictly forbids vicious internal competition, and stealing clients privately wasn’t allowed.”

Hearing Su Zhong’s rigid mention of the company’s regulations, Rui Lei did not panic at all. Because, she knew very well that the more Su Zhong was like this, the more he would anger David.

David was really angered and said with a sneer, “Yes, the company prohibits vicious internal competition. If you have a good relationship with your clients, others can’t steal them from you. However, now it is Director Chen who’s not satisfied with you. He was going to end his cooperation with our company. It was Rui Lei who turned the tide and convinced Director Chen to stay. Do you understand? It wasn’t Rui Lei who stole your client. It was Rui Lei who made up for your mistakes! Do you still have the cheek to talk about her? You should thank her!”

Clearly, David’s words were a distortion of the truth, as he had just described Rui Lei, the poacher, as the saviour.

But David was the boss, and he had the right to speak.

Su Zhong did not intend to argue. He still appeared very calm, looking at David with those dark eyes. “So, what do you mean?”

David smiled and said, “Your performance has always been okay. I won’t be too harsh on you for this kind of occasional mistake. I just hope you can reflect on it and strive for greater progress.”

Su Zhong gave a slight nod.

It was Su Zhong’s non-angry look that made David very angry.

David decided to add fuel to the fire, as he did not believe Su Zhong could continue being unperturbed. David said, “Oh, by the way, today I want to announce some good news to everyone. Rui Lei has done a good job recently. She’ll be the new investment director of our company.”

Rui Lei could not help beaming when she heard that the position of investment director was given to her.

Su Zhong was a little surprised when he heard David say that.

Seeing that Su Zhong’s expression finally had a crack, David was content. He smiled triumphantly at Su Zhong and said, “Do better in the future.”

Su Zhong said, “If I remember correctly, you promised to give me a promotion at the end of the year.”

Hearing Su Zhong say this, David almost laughed. What kind of naive speech was this? I’m the boss. If I want you to be promoted, you will be. If not, you won’t. Is that strange? If I like, I can even demote you!

David only said, “I did consider it, but because your recent performance did not meet my expectations, whereas Rui Lei’s performance was a surprise. So, I think she’s more suitable for this position than you.”

“You said that her performance is better than mine. From which angle did you draw your conclusion?” Su Zhong asked.

This question put David on the spot. He was even more annoyed with Su Zhong. This person doesn’t know what’s good for him. When asking this kind of question in public, wasn’t he shaming himself?

David laughed and said, “This is a comprehensive evaluation, not just an indicator of performance. If you have any questions, you can come to the office after the meeting, and we will discuss them privately. Don’t take up the meeting time for personal reasons, okay?”

Su Zhong nodded when he heard, but said nothing more.

Seeing that Su Zhong did not bother him further, David smiled triumphantly. In the end, don’t you need to listen to me?

This meeting was almost at its end. The participants were not stupid, and they quickly understood the immense personnel changes occurring in the company. Rui Lei not only robbed Su Zhong of his client but also Su Zhong’s position. This was what David meant. Because Su Zhong was always outstanding, David could not bear it anymore, so he suppressed him.

From then on, Su Zhong was regarded as “out of favour”, while Rui Lei was an “upstart”.

Some watched from the sidelines, while others watched the excitement and gloated. Once a noble and glamorous person like Su Zhong fell from above, the people below would applaud.

The only one in a more awkward position was Jones.

Jones thought he and Kevin, Rui Lei, and Su Zhong were old friends and could help each other in the company. Who would have thought that the current situation would turn out like this? Could he not feel awkward?

In his seat, Jones was dazed and looked up at David’s office but instead saw Su Zhong walking into the office.

I wonder what the outspoken Su Zhong will say to David.

David was also looking forward to this conversation. Behind closed doors, he did not have to worry about Su Zhong’s face and his own demeanour.

Su Zhong walked into the office, still looking cold and indifferent, his expression as unmeltable as accumulated snow.

David was about to use harsh words to break through this layer of ice, but unexpectedly, Su Zhong took out an envelope first and said, “This is my resignation.”

David was dumbfounded and paused just as he was about to lift his chin. “What?”

“This is my resignation.” Su Zhong repeated without emotion and put the envelope on the table. “The soft copy has also been emailed to you and colleagues in the personnel department per procedure. If there is no problem, I will go out now.”

Seeing Su Zhong turning around efficiently, David stood up quickly as if provoked. “Wait!”

Su Zhong turned around slowly. “Is there anything else?”

For a while, David was not sure whether Su Zhong really wanted to resign or if it was just a pretence.

But no matter which one it was, it was beyond David’s expectations.

Su Zhong seemed to be a person who did not obsess about promotions and had never actively asked for the director position. He appeared to be relatively unambitious and only liked to do research. Therefore, David did not expect Su Zhong to resign over such a thing.

David thought for a while and only said, “Why are you resigning suddenly? Is it because of the director position? Or is it because Rui Lei stole your client? If you have any dissatisfaction, we can sit down and discuss it. There is always a solution. The arrogance on David’s face was gone. He looked polite, like a kind boss. “It’s not good for you to resign rashly.”

Su Zhong replied, “The reason for my resignation is I want to change my working environment.” After speaking, Su Zhong left the office, ignoring David’s urging for him to stay.

David was completely dumbfounded.

He wanted to bring Su Zhong down a peg or two, but he did not expect Su Zhong to have such an irritable disposition that he resigned immediately.

In his opinion, Su Zhong was not the type who “ignited with one spark”. He would not just resign on the second step with just a few words on the first step. Su Zhong was very rational. He would not resign just because he was angry at that moment. Even if he wanted to resign, he would have waited until he found his next job before acting, right?

Thinking of this, David’s heart jumped. Only acting after finding his next job… Was it possible?

David thought back. It was not just today that he started to dislike Su Zhong. What about Su Zhong? Would Su Zhong have already wanted to resign before today? Could it be that Su Zhong had already found his next job before today but resigned because of today’s development?

The more David thought about it, the more he felt that this was the case, and he secretly sensed that he had lost. No, I can’t just be defeated by a young man like this. The financial sector was only so big. Only a few companies could afford Su Zhong or allowed Su Zhong to look up to them. As long as David inquired carefully, he would soon be able to know which one Su Zhong was switching to.

David snorted coldly. I have to see Su Zhong’s defeated expression.

It stood to reason that David should not be “blocking” an employee who had not made a big mistake, but Su Zhong was an exception. As the one in charge of management, David was used to dominating. He only thought that if Su Zhong did not show him some respect, contradicting him many times and finally still being able to make a living, his authority would collapse.

Therefore, the reputation of the company and his heartbroken son were all secondary. For him, Su Zhong had to leave dejectedly or humbly admit defeat to restore David’s dignity.

After thinking it over, David began plotting how to deal with Su Zhong.

At the same time——

At the headquarters of Yuzhuo Group, Xin Qianyu was intensively familiarising himself with the group’s operations. He was handling official business in the office when he received a call from Zhu Pu. Zhu Pu’s tone on the phone was hurried. “Your mom, your mom…”

Xin Qianyu was angry. “Scolding someone without reason!?”

Zhu Pu took two breaths and said, “Who’s scolding you? I’m really fucking talking about your mom!”

When Xin Qianyu heard this, he realized something was up. “What happened with my mom?”

Zhu Pu said, “Your mom called your man to the office!”

Xin Qianyu’s brain was like a gear that had hit a bump, frozen in place and unable to move while creaking miserably.

Not hearing Xin Qianyu’s response, Zhu Pu thought he did not understand, so he said in more detail, “My secretary said your mom is at work. When I heard, I thought something was up. Why would your mother come to work if there was nothing up? I hurriedly asked someone to keep an eye out. In the end, your mom’s secretary was seen bringing Su Zhong in and sending him directly into your mom’s office!”

The tone of the sentence “sending him directly into your mom’s (literally your mom’s) office” was the same as “sending him directly into your mom’s (figuratively your mom’s) crematorium”.

Xin Qianyu finally reacted and jumped up from the boss’s chair urgently. “Oh no! My mom must be unable to bear seeing me pretend to be a poor dog. She wants to tear off my disguise as a poor bootlicker and tell Su Zhong I’m a filthy rich second-generation!”

Zhu Pu was at a loss on whether to cry or laugh hearing this. “Wouldn’t most people be very happy after knowing their poor boyfriend is actually a rich second-generation?”

Xin Qianyu said, “Do you think Su Zhong is most people?”

It could be said that Xin Qianyu was worthy of being Xin Mu’s biological son and was accurate at guessing Xin Mu’s intentions. Xin Mu could not stand seeing her son’s feeble appearance, so she asked someone to make an appointment with Su Zhong to come over.

After Su Zhong arrived at Xin Mu’s office, he sat upright seriously.

Xin Mu looked at Su Zhong. He really was a flawlessly natural beautiful man, but it was a pity that he was gay.

Xin Mu sighed faintly, lifted the wavy black hair next to her forehead, and said, “Do you know why I’m looking for you?”

Su Zhong said, “Your secretary said you wanted to consult me about investment. ”

Xin Mu smiled and crossed her legs. “What he said was false. I asked you here regarding something else.”

Su Zhong nodded and said, “Why are you looking for me?”

Xin Mu pursed her red lips, looking at Su Zhong’s serious appearance, which was like a Tang monk, and Xin Mu, the alluring woman, began to itch. She cast a flirtatious glance and said, “Haven’t you heard what my hobby is?”

As we all know, Xin Mu loved beautiful men.

Xin Mu’s variety of enchanting postures also brought to light some concerns.

Su Zhong was startled and said, “Auntie…”

Hearing the word “Auntie”, Xin Mu’s flirtatious aura immediately broke. It was like an older man wanting to hook up with a female college student. If the female college student says “Uncle”, the flirtatious atmosphere would disappear.

Xin Mu’s expression stiffened. “What did you call me?”

“Auntie,” Su Zhong said. “You’re Xiaoyu’s mother, right?”