Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
“Please take a seat.” The secretary wearing a suit poured water for Gao Peng and Uncle Liu. “Do you want anything to eat? I’ll get the people downstairs to prepare something.”
“There’s no need, we’ll be fine sitting here for a while,” Gao Peng said as he shook his head.
“Ugh, secretary Han, leave these trivial matters to us,” the clerk in the waiting room responsible for service said ingratiatingly to secretary Han.
Secretary Han glanced at him. A smile appeared on his face. “There are other guests in the waiting room, don’t neglect them.”
The clerk looked disappointed and followed instructions.
The lady in the red dress they met earlier at the main entrance of the company was coincidentally also seated in the waiting room. She sat by the window with a magazine in hand, her gaze sweeping past Gao Peng and Uncle Liu. A profound look flashed past her eyes before she lowered her head and continued reading her magazine.
After half an hour, secretary Han hurriedly walked inside. His steps were joyous, and as soon as he entered the room, he looked directly at Gao Peng and walked quickly towards him. He then knelt down and said softly, “Chairman Ji is back. He’s waiting for you guys on the top floor.”
Gao Peng nodded, got up, and departed the room. Uncle Liu was right behind him.
A clerk who was closer to them was dumbfounded. In his mind, two words lingered.
Chairman Ji!
There was only one Chairman Ji in the Southern Sky Group.
After entering the elevator, secretary Han took out his identity card and swiped it in the elevator. He then pressed the 99th floor. The elevator started moving upwards calmly. It was practically soundless.
A pleasant sound rang gently from the door of the elevator, then the door gradually slid open. As the door opened, a spacious living room came into view. The living room was decorated with two sofas, a tea table, and two pots of flowers in a corner.
The overall layout was straightforward and clear.
Several processed and well-preserved monster skulls hung on the wall.
There were the skulls of bears, tigers, eagles, and even the skull of a shark.
“Little Peng, you’re here.” Ji Hanwu, who stood beside the window, turned around to look at Gao Peng. A sense of warmth emanated from the usually cold face, as if an ice glacier had just melted.
“Grandpa.” Gao Peng smiled politely.
Ji Hanwu was delighted at Gao Peng’s arrival. He patted Gao Peng’s shoulder and asked him to take a seat.
“Have you applied to a school?” Ji Hanwu inquired. Last time, the little rascal had said that he wanted to go to Sakura University, which really frightened him.
Cough cough. “I’ve applied. I’ve applied to Yuzhou University.” Gao Peng sneaked a glance to observe Ji Hanwu’s expression.
Ji Hanwu’s face had been tense all the while, but it finally relaxed a little. Ji Hanwu coughed twice and nodded concisely. He said in a bright tone, “Before your term starts, you will temporarily work in the Southern Sky Group. I’m already old, and perhaps an accident might befall me one day. The Southern Sky Group is going to belong to you in the future, and how you destroy it then is your business. I can’t do anything about it, but for now, you must learn how to manage the group.”
Gao Peng was silent. In that instant, he did not know how to answer.
“Oh, right. I have not yet disclosed your identity to the other members of the senior management. I’ve called them over today… Would you like me to help you hide your identity?” Ji Hanwu asked hesitantly.
Gao Peng was baffled. “Grandpa, why would you say such a thing?”
Ji Hanwu said calmly, “I heard that young people nowadays like to play the pig and eat the tiger.”
Gao Peng shook his head and said, “That’s for other people. I don’t have such a disgusting interest.”
Ji Hanwu nodded in satisfaction. No wonder he is my grandson. He does not have that type of disgusting, weird habit!
“What position would you like?” Ji Hanwu asked Gao Peng directly.
“I’m much more well-versed in cultivating familiars, so I’d like to experiment…”
“Alright, then you’re off to the human resources department!” Ji Hanwu made the decision.
“…Didn’t you ask me what position I’d like?” Gao Peng was speechless. He somehow had a feeling that all elders came from the same mold.
“It’s a habit,” Ji Hanwu answered mischievously. The wrinkles in the corner of his eyes bundled together.
“Even if you are my grandson, you’ll have to progress step-by-step after joining the company. It’s too high-profile to let you manage a laboratory immediately. It’s best if you head to the human resources department and stay there for two days first. After that, I’ll look for a chance to transfer you to the research department, and we’ll build a lab especially for you,” Ji Hanwu consoled Gao Peng.
“I’m guessing it’s because the lab that you’re building for Little Peng isn’t ready yet, is it?” Uncle Liu said, mercilessly exposing Ji Hanwu’s plan.
Ji Hanwu did not get angry, he only laughed.
After a while, secretary Han knocked on the door and entered after getting permission. “Chairman Ji, they’ve arrived.”
“Alright.” Ji Hanwu nodded. He then turned around and told Gao Peng, “Come with me, and I’ll introduce you to the members of the senior management team.”
Gao Peng followed Ji Hanwu downstairs.
Gao Peng saw a familiar face among the members of the senior management of the group. It was the male partner of the lady who wore a red dress that he had seen earlier in the morning. The man seemed to recognize Gao Peng. He looked surprised, and upon learning Gao Peng’s identity, the surprise magnified without limit.
Perhaps he thought of Uncle Liu’s previous words, because the man’s expression became quite interesting.
The senior management of the Southern Sky Group was not big. There were only a dozen or so people, and some of them were general managers of other base cities who did not come due to the long distance.
In truth, some of the members had already caught wind of the matter, so they were not all that surprised.
Concerning Gao Peng’s sudden entry, these people maintained their smiles. Apart from that, no other emotion was shown. Everyone kept clapping their hands as if they really welcomed Gao Peng.
It was regrettable that these people hadn’t pursued careers in acting.
For Gao Peng, who had the power of the data frame, the emotions of these people were clear as day to him. Of course, he also did not show that he knew. He quietly stood beside his grandfather and listened to the older man speak. He heard from his grandpa earlier during a chat that there were people who were against him in the first place, but these people had already been cleaned out in the past two years, and those who remained were his close aides.
When he talked about these things, Ji Hanwu did not try to cover up anything, since everyone in the building was his own people. There was no need to mention Gao Peng. As for Liu Shaotang, he had been his chamberlain for 30 years, and he was also his most trusted aide; otherwise, Ji Hanwu would not have sent him to protect Gao Peng.
Ji Hanwu allowed Gao Peng to know these things because he wanted Gao Peng to be mentally prepared early. The world had changed, and one could be compassionate and kind, but one also had to possess a firm hand.
Finally, his grandpa waved off most members of the senior management. “You guys go and do your thing. Oh, that’s right, Liu He, stay back.”
A clean-shaven man in his early thirties sat in place. His hair was parted neatly in a seven to three ratio, and he looked to be very clean and neat.
After everyone left, Liu He said to Uncle Liu respectfully, “Dad.”
This is Uncle Liu’s son?
Gao Peng looked at Liu He. He thought he had seen the man’s face before, so it was probably when he visited his grandpa back when he was a kid.
Ji Hanwu said to Liu He, “I’m prepared to let Little Peng stay in your human resources department for two days. Please remember to take good care of him.”
“Yes, Uncle Ji.” Liu He nodded.
When no outsiders were around, Liu He called Ji Hanwu Uncle Ji.
