A taxi was hardly the place to discuss business. No one spoke for the rest of the ride, and soon the three of them got out at a restaurant not far from the airport that just barely qualified as upscale.
Xia Xu and Hong Bo had booked a private room here before heading to the airport. Once the three of them were seated and had ordered, they used the lull to get down to business.
Strictly speaking, it was only two of them. Hong Bo tactfully found an excuse to leave the room.
As the current link between the two, his presence would only make them both hold back. Some things would be difficult to discuss openly, which might instead prevent them from reaching an agreement.
Besides, he would feel guilty if either of them lost out because of him. Leaving now and letting them discuss things themselves was the best choice.
"Miss Chen, Hong Bo told you why I wanted to see you, didn't he?"
After Hong Bo left, Xia Xu grew serious and got straight to the point.
"Wasn't it to have a meal?"
Chen Leyao blinked, playing dumb despite knowing perfectly well.
Xia Xu chuckled without calling her out and simply continued, "Hong Bo told me you intended to stay in China to pursue your career this time, Miss Chen. You'll certainly need to find a job.
"But as far as I know, you've been working toward your doctorate all this time and haven't had any actual employment experience.
"Your qualifications might get you a junior executive position at some companies, but gaining any real authority in a short time would be absolutely impossible.
"Besides, the entrenched hierarchies and enormous scale of large companies leave little room for growth, both for the individual and for the companies