It took the senior leader a full half minute to confirm that there was nothing wrong with his hearing.
He tried hard to keep any unnecessary expression off his face, telling himself, It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter. Geniuses are always unconventional and march to their own beat. This is nothing.
He took a deep breath and was about to speak when Director Chang looked at his face and asked, "Have you recovered?"
"No, I wasn't recovering from anything. I'm fine."
Holding back a laugh, Director Chang turned to Ji Ting, who had no idea what had happened. "Then let's start discussing the details and see whether any part of the process needs refining."
"All right."
One morning a few days later, just after the regular Board of Directors meeting had ended, Deng Luqing strode out of the elevator on the headquarters' 16th Floor.
Fang Jie stood up the moment he saw him. Before he could speak, Deng Luqing headed straight into the Chairman's office, his face expressionless.
"Director Deng, without the Chairman's approval, you can't-"
"Get out of my way!"
The office door was flung open. Ji Yanzhi had barely turned his gaze toward it before Deng Luqing stormed up to his desk. "What was that notice from the group supposed to mean?"
Ji Yanzhi's expression did not change in the slightest. He first looked at Fang Jie behind him. "It's all right. You can leave."
Only after the door closed did he ask expressionlessly, "Which word didn't you understand?"
"How am I any worse than Wang Mian?! Why is he the one getting promoted to vice president of the Automotive Department? You know perfectly well that I've always-"
"Since when," Ji Yanzhi interrupted, his voice utterly cold, "did the group need your approval to make an appointment?"