Su Wantang formally raised this matter to Zhao Chen on a Wednesday afternoon.
It was raining lightly on Chongqing that day, and there was a thin layer of mist on the river surface of Jiangbeizui.
Zhao Chen just came back from Henglong Capital's investment strategy conference,
On the table are piled the first draft of the year-end position review compiled by Chen Xi and the summary of the first Board of Directors resolution sent by Zhang Qingxue after Bubble Mary went public.
He was halfway through turning the page when Su Wantang knocked on the door and walked in with a pot of freshly brewed Pu'er.
She put the tea on the coffee table, and instead of turning around and going out as usual, she sat down on the sofa opposite him.
Zhao Chen raised his head and glanced at her - Su Wantang rarely sat down while he was working.
Her sitting posture was very upright, with her hands folded on her knees, her eyes calm and determined,
It was like I had rehearsed what I was going to say many times in my mind.
"Xiao Chen, I have something to talk to you about."
Zhao Chen closed the document in his hand, brought the tea cup over and took a sip. "Say."
"I would like to resign from my position as assistant to Henglong Capital Chairman."
Zhao Chen's fingers stopped on the edge of the tea cup.
The rain pattered outside the window, and the office was so quiet that you could hear the sound of tea sloshing slightly in the cup.
He didn't answer immediately, just looked at her, waiting for her to continue.
Su Wantang's voice is not high, but every word is like water drawn from a deep well after repeated thinking, deep and clear.
"When you were at United States, you took both Era Vanguard and Henglong's affairs on your own shoulders,
After returning to China, there were Stock Exchange regulatory review, Forbes list, and Board of Directors system adjustment.
You always need someone around to help you take care of all the logistical and administrative chores.
At that time, I felt that I had to take this position because others didn't know your habits--
How hot should the tea be, in what order should documents be placed, which calls must be answered immediately, and who can be kept out of the door."
She paused and picked up the cup of tea in front of her, but did not drink it. She just felt the temperature of the cup wall with her fingertips.
"But it's different now.
Zhiyi officially joined Henglong Legal Department, and Aunt Zhang built the compliance system more and more perfect.
Chen Xi is already able to take charge of investment decision-making, and Secretariat of Liu Mingyu has also streamlined all administrative and information disclosure work.
You no longer need a dedicated person to help you answer phone calls, pour tea, and organize documents.
Any qualified administrative assistant can do these things without me."
She put the tea cup back on the coffee table, raised her eyes and looked at him,
"I don't want to do that 'anyone can do' role anymore.
The framework of Henglong Charity Foundation has been set up and the first batch of project plans have been approved.
I want to put all my energy there."
Zhao Chen was silent for a long time.
I don't know when the rain outside the window has stopped.
The mist on the river surface was torn open by the wind, revealing a line of gray-blue sky.
"Do you still remember the night when your Zhao Jianguo had an accident?" Su Wantang suddenly asked.
Zhao Chen nodded slightly.
"At that time, you had just come back from outside. A group of us were sitting at Living Room, with the statement asking you to take over Henglong in front of us.
You refused! Everyone thought you were crazy.
The result is that you Short Selling make profits at a high position and force Zhao Jianguo to transfer equity. Every step you take is walking on the edge of a knife.
You asked me one sentence - 'Wantang, do you believe me?' I said yes."
Her voice was smooth and sure,
"Later on, from Bitcoin to Tesla, from Nvidia to Green Energy Technology, I always stood behind you,
Watching you turn a Chongqing local second-tier real estate company step by step into an investment empire spanning the three major capital markets."
She stood up, walked to Zhao Chen, and gently placed the teapot in her hand on the coffee table.
"We have gone through the most difficult stage together, and now I want to go my own way.
It's not about leaving, it's about standing in another position."
Zhao Chen lowered his head and slowly turned his fingers around the edge of the tea cup.
The woman who has been by his side since he was reborn and woke up in 2016,
Help him block countless unnecessary phone calls and visits,
When he was being hunted by the Short-Selling Alliance, he rushed back to New York overnight,
When he was questioned by Stock Exchange, he silently organized every document that needed to be signed.
She never said she was tired, never said she was suffering, and never showed any vulnerability in front of him.
But now he looked into her eyes and suddenly understood something -
It's not that she's not tired, she just hides all her fatigue behind the pot of Pu'er that always has a constant temperature.
Now when she said she wanted to leave, she didn't mean to leave Henglong, but she wanted to leave the position where she could only stand behind him.
Su Wantang Seeing his silent look, he suddenly curled up the corners of his mouth,
His tone was lighter than before, but still serious.
"Xiao Chen, you don't need to serve tea and water for anyone anymore - including me.
I put the teapot here, Pu'er or the same Pu'er,
Pour it yourself, or let your new assistant do it. It's all the same."
Zhao Chen picked up the teapot and poured himself a cup.
The sound of tea being poured into the cup was particularly clear in the quiet office.
After he finished pouring, he put the teapot back on the coffee table and raised his eyes to look at her.
"Foundation, is there anything you need my support for?"
"The budget is sufficient, the team is sufficient, and you have approved the project plan last time.
What we lack now is not money, but time to do things solidly."
Su Wantang took out the signed final draft of the project from the document bag he carried with him, opened it and opened it in front of him.
"Everything will be launched before the end of the year.
My goal is simple - to let the children in rural primary schools in the west
In their classroom where even the Internet is not stable,
You can also see with your own eyes how the Solar Energy battery panel turns sunlight into electricity."
Zhao Chen After reading the final draft, he wrote another instruction next to the approval column on the last page. The handwriting was harder than usual--
"After the first phase of the project is accepted, it will be increased to 500 million the following year.
Henglong Charity Foundation If you want to do something, do it for the long term, don't rush into the limelight, don't take advantage of the hot spots."
He handed the document back to Su Wantang. Su Wantang took the document,
I took a look at the lines he wrote and took a deep breath.
Then he put the documents into the portfolio and sealed it, stood up, turned around and walked out.
When she reached the door, she paused and did not look back.
"Xiao Chen, I have never regretted the time I spent with you.
If I go my own way now, I won't regret it."
The door is closed.
Zhao Chen was sitting on the sofa and looking at the teapot on the coffee table.
The spout was still emitting the last trace of heat, rising and dispersing in the quiet air.
He picked up his cup of tea and took a sip - the temperature was just right.
It was exactly the same as every time Su Wantang made him a cup.
But this time, it was the last time she served him tea as an assistant.
Outside the window, the rain stopped and the mist on the river cleared.
The twilight of Two Rivers Confluence is dyeing the entire Shan City into deep gold layer by layer.