The news of Su Wantang becoming Zhao Chen's personal assistant fell like a pebble into a calm lake, stirring up layer upon layer of ripples within the company and quickly spreading to a broader field.
Stepmother serving as stepson's personal assistant—this combination alone was filled with room for interpretation.
In the eyes of outsiders who did not know the inside story, this was simply a real-life version of a wealthy-family drama, with every single frame full of gossip.
The whispered murmurs inside the company were almost impossible to curb.
The pantry, the corners of the corridors, and even the brief waits outside the Meeting Room doors all became hotbeds for the exchange of information.
"Have you heard? That new Assistant Su is Zong Zhao's... stepmother?"
"Really? This is too... what's-the-word? What an awkward relationship."
"Who is saying otherwise? What do you think Zong Zhao is thinking? Keeping a stepmother by his side, is it for surveillance, or..."
"Shh—keep it down! But speaking of which, this Assistant Su really looks like she has poise, not like ordinary people."
"What good is good poise? With this relationship out in the open, how can work be done well? In the future, should she listen to Zong Zhao, or put on elder airs?"
"Who knows... Anyway, let's stay far away and not wade into muddy waters."
Various guesses, criticisms, and even malicious speculations germinated and spread in the dark.
The majority maintained a wait-and-see attitude, while a minority made use of this to play out their roles, trying to decipher from it the subtle changes in the power structure, or "evidence" of Zhao Chen's youthful self-will and disregard for public opinion.
This wind, naturally, also blew into Lin Wanqing's ears.
When she confirmed this news from her Confidant, she was reviewing a financial statement