Knowing that Ye Chen was joking, Xiao Churan paid it no mind. She walked aside and called Wang Dongxue.
The call soon went through.
Wang Dongxue's pleasant voice came from the other end. "Hello, Ms. Xiao."
"Hello, Vice Chairwoman Wang. There's something I'd like to ask your help with," Xiao Churan said, embarrassed.
"All right, go ahead," Wang Dongxue replied.
Xiao Churan gathered her thoughts and took a deep breath before working up the courage to say, "I wanted to ask whether the chairman is free tomorrow evening. My family would like to hold a banquet to formally announce our partnership with Emgrand, and we were hoping the chairman would honor us with his presence..."
Wang Dongxue fell silent for a moment before answering, "Ms. Xiao, I can't make that decision either. How about I ask the chairman what he thinks?"
"Thank you. Sorry for the trouble," Xiao Churan said respectfully.
After hanging up, Xiao Churan held her phone, waiting somewhat anxiously for a reply.
Just then, Ye Chen's phone suddenly rang.
Ye Chen froze, then cursed himself inwardly. He had forgotten to silence his phone. It had to be Wang Dongxue calling to ask what he thought...
Putting on a calm expression, Ye Chen answered the phone. "Hello."
Wang Dongxue's voice came from the other end. "Chairman, the Xiao Family is holding a banquet tomorrow evening. They'd like to know if you'll attend."
"Oh, I see. Yes, I will... all right, that's it. Goodbye..." Ye Chen replied.
With that, Ye Chen hurriedly hung up, then muttered, "These salespeople are so annoying..."
Xiao Churan suspected nothing, but immediately afterward, her phone rang again.
Wang Dongxue's voice came through once more. "Ms. Xiao, our chairman has agreed. He'll go straight there when the time comes!"
"Really... that's wonderful... thank you so much for your help, and please thank the chairman for me too..." Xiao Churan was instantly overjoyed. She had not expected him to agree.
Xiao Churan hurriedly told Old Madam Xiao, "Grandma! The chairman of Dihao Group has agreed!"
"Really?!" Old Madam Xiao was instantly thrilled!
She immediately turned to the Xiao family members present. "Everyone, hurry and make the arrangements! Book the best hotel, order the best food and wine, and prepare a grand welcome for the chairman of Dihao Group!"
"Also, notify all the major companies in the city and invite them to our banquet! Tell them the chairman of Dihao Group will honor us with his presence!"
The entire Xiao Family immediately sprang into action!
Everyone was exhilarated, constantly contacting their various business partners and prominent figures in Jinling's upper circles.
This was undoubtedly a bombshell!
In no time, the entire city of Jinling knew the news.
The mysterious new chairman of Dihao Group would appear at the Xiao Family's banquet tomorrow evening!
Old Madam Xiao received countless calls asking about it, and she answered each one with a smile.
She was overjoyed today, because once tomorrow's banquet was over, the Xiao Family would surely become one of Jinling's hottest families!
At the thought, she smiled excitedly and said, "All right, that's enough for today. Start preparing for tomorrow's banquet. Meeting dismissed!"
After the meeting, Old Madam Xiao returned to her office.
Xiao Hailong's eyes darted, and he followed close behind.
"Grandma, are you really going to give Xiao Churan the director's position?"
Once they reached a place where no one else was around, Xiao Hailong could not resist asking outright.
Old Madam Xiao frowned slightly and said coldly, "I already promised Churan. Why shouldn't I give it to her?"
Xiao Hailong persisted. "Grandma, you can't let her become director!"
"Why not?" the old madam asked. "She landed such a major contract. She's made a great contribution to the company and deserves to be given an important role."
Xiao Hailong hurriedly said, "Churan only managed to land the Emgrand contract because Zhang Wenhao of the Zhang Family helped her from behind the scenes. I heard Zhang Wenhao even went to her house yesterday! Today, Dihao Group signed a contract with us. How could that be such a coincidence? If you ask me, there's an eighty percent chance it's because she slept with Zhang Wenhao!"
Old Madam Xiao's expression darkened with anger. "Is everything you're saying true?"
"Of course it's true," Xiao Hailong said with conviction. "Zhang Wenhao really did go see Xiao Churan last night. You can find out with a little checking."
Then Xiao Hailong added, "Grandma, Churan is a married woman. If word gets out about her and Zhang Wenhao, and people find out the Xiao Family used such means to secure the contract with Dihao Group, how could our family show its face? How could you show yours?"
Old Madam Xiao frowned, already more than half convinced.
She knew that Zhang Wenhao liked Xiao Churan.
At her birthday celebration, Zhang Wenhao had even given her a jade Buddha pendant worth three or four million.
That also provided a reasonable explanation for why Xiao Churan had managed to secure a sixty-million contract.
At that point, Xiao Hailong added, "If you make a shameless woman like that director, our reputation will suffer even more. We have to choose someone else as director and give that person the credit for securing the project. And it would be best to choose a man. That's the only way to keep the gossip to a minimum!"
Old Madam Xiao nodded gently.
She believed eighty percent of what Xiao Hailong had said.
Seen that way, she really did need to choose another director to put an end to the gossip.
If everyone outside learned that Xiao Churan had gotten together with Zhang Wenhao to secure the contract, she could still explain that it was the new director who had secured the project, not that Xiao Churan had sold her body for it.
Besides, the old madam had a selfish reason of her own.
She truly disliked Xiao Churan! She had always favored men over women, and she did not want to see Xiao Churan's status and influence in the Xiao Family grow.
She had to keep her in check to make sure the Xiao Family's assets did not end up in outsiders' hands.
As she thought about this, a plan took shape in her mind.
She looked at Xiao Hailong and said coldly, "Hailong, from now on, you must obey me at the company. Do whatever I tell you to do, and never do anything I tell you not to. Understand?"
Xiao Hailong immediately pledged his loyalty. "Don't worry, Grandma. From now on, Hailong will do whatever you say. Wherever you point, I'll strike!"
"Good." Old Madam Xiao nodded in satisfaction. "At tomorrow's banquet, I'll tell everyone that you're the new director and that you'll be in full charge of the partnership with Dihao Group. But remember, you must obey me. I can lift you up, and I can also trample you down!"
Xiao Hailong was wild with joy. "Don't worry, Grandma! Hailong will obey!"