CHAPTER 425: CHAPTER 418: TIT FOR TAT

Just when Chonghui saw the consultant who was late.

The other party clearly also saw Chonghui.

"Teacher Liu, there’s a package for you..." The front desk also saw the consultant who was late.

After accepting a package with the name "Liu Jiahang" written on it, the consultant who was late greeted Chonghui with a calm expression.

"Oh, it’s Dahui." There was a very standard social smile on his face.

Chonghui nodded in greeting: "Teacher Liu."

Liu Jiahang pointed outside, showing a smile mixed with a bit of distress and gratitude: "Judging by the time, was that just now the visitor who had an appointment with me?"

"Was it you who took him? Really sorry to trouble you—I’ve heard he’s quite hard to deal with?"

Chonghui didn’t reply immediately.

As Bai Qinghua’s current doctoral apprentice, Chonghui is almost able to swagger through the company—although with his personality, he wouldn’t walk like that.

But even with his status, there are still a few people in the company he needs to approach cautiously.

For example, the present Liu Jiahang.

The current company was indeed founded by Bai Qinghua.

However, due to various reasons, as the boss, Bai Qinghua actually spends very little real time at the company. Apart from special designated consultations requiring his presence, people at the company might not see Bai Qinghua’s shadow even once a week.

Under such circumstances, the company evidently needs another person with both managerial and professional capabilities to supervise the employees’ work.

Namely—consulting manager.

Previously, this position belonged to Weng Pinting.

As Bai Qinghua’s first apprentice, and an extremely professional senior consultant herself, securing this position was only natural for her.

Actually, the establishment of this company had then seen efforts from Weng Pinting, who was already emerging in the professional field.

And after Weng Pinting left Beidu, that vacant position naturally needed someone to fill.

Even though Chonghui is now the most senior among Bai Qinghua’s apprentices, he’s ultimately still a doctoral student with limited energy; meanwhile, despite his ability to handle things independently in terms of professional competence, he’s still not sufficient to hold the fort.

Under such circumstances, Bai Qinghua had to select from existing consultants someone who wasn’t as direct a subordinate but had some basis for trust, while also capable of stabilizing the scene to succeed the position of consulting manager.

That person is the present Liu Jiahang.

Therefore, even if Liu Jiahang was late resulting in a missed consultation, Chonghui could not immediately make accusations or scoldings while facing him now.

On one hand, he lacked confidence himself; on the other hand, doing so publicly would render it difficult for the consulting manager to manage the company in the future, which wouldn’t be good for the teacher.

As for accountability, that is something Chonghui’s teacher, Bai Qinghua, should address.

At this moment, Chonghui instead needed to follow the other party’s soft words.

"No, this consultation wasn’t taken by me."

Liu Jiahang showed a surprised expression: "Then who was it? Aren’t all the consultants busy today?"

Before Chonghui could answer, the receptionist Shanshan suddenly said: "It’s the boss’s newly accepted apprentice!"

Upon hearing this, Liu Jiahang was even more surprised: "Dahui, your junior? I heard the boss’s research group didn’t take in any new people this year?"

Chonghui’s expression revealed a hint of unnaturalness: "He’s just taken the graduate entrance exam this year..."

Hearing this sentence.

Liu Jiahang raised his eyebrows.

At this moment, Nan Zhubin came out of the consulting room holding a folder.

"Senior... who is this?"

Their eyes instantly met.

...

Time was already nearing the end of the workday.

At this time, unless necessary, the consultants would no longer schedule consultations, mostly organizing materials or answering questions for keen assistants.

Those without onsite work requirements were free to clock out and leave now.

But today, the consultants were tacitly seated at their places, quietly conversing with their assistants.

"Did Old Liu ditch his visitor today? And then got taken by the boss’s little apprentice?"

Yeah, yeah. It wasn’t Dahui, it was a newly accepted little apprentice we haven’t seen?" an assistant replied.

"The visitor expressed strong opinions at that time, speaking very loudly, we almost thought we needed to engage in an emergency plan!"

"I didn’t hear anything in the consulting room... the soundproofing is very good." A consultant marveled.

"I heard in the end, this visitor wasn’t handled successfully."

"Come now, isn’t it normal not to handle in such situations. Who can guarantee successfully? Can you? Or you?" a consultant spoke fairly.

"I hear this little apprentice was specially brought back by the boss after a trip to Jiangdu, only took the research exam this year...." an assistant relayed the outcome of the recent chat with the receptionist.

"Isn’t that a bit improper? Neither a student of the boss’s research group nor has he registered with our company."

"Then this young man might be in trouble, huh." a consultant concluded.

"Or maybe the visitor will figure things out and come back to renew the fee?" a consultant seemed rather friendly towards newcomers.

"Haha, how is that possible?" another consultant chuckled lightly.

In the manager’s office.

The soundproofing here was also superb, so the people inside couldn’t hear what was being said outside.

Liu Jiahang, Chonghui, and Nan Zhubin weren’t sitting across from each other at the desk, but rather chatting on the sofa on one side.

The atmosphere was relatively harmonious.

"We’ve really let Teacher Xiao Nan down this time, just off the plane and encountering such troubles." Liu Jiahang began with small talk.

"It’s not a trouble," Nan Zhubin said frankly.

Liu Jiahang felt this young man knew how to converse, showing some high emotional intelligence, so his tone softened a little: "I hear from Dahui that the boss plans to let you also take visitors here in the future? It’s unfortunate, the first visitor encountered wasn’t smooth, not that auspicious. Generally speaking, you should be given a better visitor who can renew as your first case..."

Nan Zhubin continued speaking candidly: "It wasn’t unsuccessful, moreover, this visitor might come again."

Liu Jiahang paused, then felt this young man wasn’t very adept at conversation after all.

While answering, Nan Zhubin observed Liu Jiahang’s expression.

He discerned something.

Meanwhile, Liu Jiahang was pondering over something.

Chonghui was simultaneously watching the two, ready to interrupt at any moment.

"Anyway, today you’ve worked hard." Liu Jiahang adopted the stance of a consulting manager, "What is the situation with this visitor, briefly tell me."

As he spoke, he reached out to take the file in Nan Zhubin’s hand, along with the visitor form filled out after this consultation.

"Sorry, that’s not possible."

The next second, what Nan Zhubin said made Liu Jiahang completely freeze.

"There are confidentiality regulations, I can’t freely share visitor information with you."

"Moreover, you’re not my supervisor." Nan Zhubin said seriously, "The issue with this visitor is indeed somewhat deep, but I’ll be discussing the specifics with my teacher."