53: The boss's mistress?

That troublemaker.

That "loser."

Was actually the star salesperson she had just singled out for praise?

Lin Chao, on the other hand, felt a bit embarrassed now.

Under dozens of varying gazes, especially that cold and complex one from the head of the table, he slowly stood up.

He rubbed his nose and gave the woman at the head of the table a somewhat bashful smile.

"Director Shen, I'm sorry."

"I am Lin Chao."

Shen Zhixia: "..."

The entire meeting room fell into an eerie silence.

The air seemed permeated with an atmosphere called "awkwardness."

The smile on Li Hong's face froze.

The other executives had expressions of constipation, wanting to laugh but not daring to.

This slap to the face... came way too fast!

One moment she had dismissed his contribution as a "loser's excuse," and the next she was calling him a "talent" by name.

Everyone wanted to see how this powerful new director would handle the situation.

However, Shen Zhixia was Shen Zhixia after all.

The expression on her face only froze for an instant.

In the next second, she regained her frost-cold demeanor.

"So it's Supervisor Lin."

Her voice remained cool, devoid of any emotion.

"It seems Supervisor Lin not only has outstanding business capabilities but also has a very clear understanding of the difficulties Kangyang faces in Linhai City."

These words were spoken flawlessly.

She both affirmed Lin Chao's achievements and cleverly smoothed over her earlier "excuse theory."

She looked at Lin Chao, her tone carrying a hint of an unquestionable command.

"Very good."

"I hope Supervisor Lin will continue his hard work and not let down the expectations of the company and your superior."

Lin Chao grinned, revealing a row of white teeth, looking bright and sunny.

"Thank you for the affirmation, Director Shen!"

"I will definitely keep up the hard work!"

Shen Zhixia gave him a deep look and said no more.

She called out several other departments, giving them a few mild warnings and dangling a few carrots.

Finally, she waved her hand.

"Meeting adjourned."

As the words fell, Shen Zhixia had already stood up.

Her high heels clicked sharply against the floor, sounding like a knock on everyone's heart.

Looking straight ahead, she walked directly out of the meeting room doors.

The door closed with a "thud," as if separating two different worlds.

Only after that ice-like woman had completely disappeared did the oppressive air in the meeting room loosen slightly.

The General Manager, Fatty Wang, who hadn't said much, cleared his throat.

Protruding his beer belly, he had been as docile as a cat in front of Shen Zhixia, but now he regained his authority.

"Did you all hear that?"

"Director Shen's words are the company's highest instructions!"

He slammed the table, spittle flying everywhere.

"Everyone, stay on your toes! In the days to come, if anyone dares to drop the ball or hold the company back..."

"If Director Shen wants to fire you one by one then, don't blame Old Wang for not warning you!"

The crowd was as silent as cicadas in winter, not daring to say a single word of nonsense.

"Yes, yes, yes, what Manager Wang says is right."

"We will definitely work hard!"

Fatty Wang nodded with satisfaction, then walked slowly out of the meeting room with his hands behind his back.

As soon as he left, the meeting room immediately erupted like a boiling pot.

Emotions that had been suppressed for a long time exploded instantly.

"Holy shit! What is this new person?"

"She comes in and gives us a show of force right away. Does she really think she's a queen?"

A department supervisor cursed while packing his things.

"Exactly, killing the chicken to scare the monkeys as soon as she arrives. She's damn hard to deal with!"

"And that bootlicker Fatty Wang, only knows how to put on airs in front of us, but didn't dare fart in front of Director Shen just now!"

Everyone chimed in, filled with resentment.

Just then, a well-informed Finance Department manager in the corner lowered his voice.

"You guys should talk less. Do you want to die?"

Everyone looked at him.

The manager glanced left and right, then leaned in sneakily.

"Do you know who this Director Shen is?"

He asked mysteriously.

"Who? Isn't she just someone parachuted in from headquarters?"

The finance manager curled his lip, his face full of disdain.

"She is the mistress of our Kangyang Group's big boss!"

Boom!

A single stone stirred up a thousand waves!

The entire meeting room fell silent instantly, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Old Liu, you... you shouldn't talk nonsense! You can eat whatever you want, but you can't say whatever you want!"

Li Hong was startled and quickly warned him.

The finance manager called Old Liu sneered.

"Nonsense? I have a buddy in the headquarters' Administration Department!"

"He said you guys should use your brains. That Shen Zhixia is so young, thirty at most, how could she sit in the director's position?"

"Could she not have some connections?"

These words indeed made everyone fall into deep thought.

Indeed, this promotion speed was like riding a rocket.

Old Liu continued in his storytelling-like tone, dropping a bombshell.

"My friend said, once when he was delivering documents, he heard with his own ears..."

"Shen Zhixia calling the big boss..."

He paused, intentionally keeping them in suspense, before spitting out two words.

"Godfather!"

Godfather?

The meeting room fell into a deathly silence once more.

One could hear a pin drop.

Nowadays, every man present knew exactly what the word "godfather" meant.

It was a type of ambiguous, transactional, and unseemly relationship.

In an instant, the expressions on everyone's faces turned strange.

Disdain, jealousy, sudden realization, and a hint of lingering fear.

No wonder she was so forceful and heartless.

So she had powerful backing!

Offending her was equivalent to offending the big boss in the heavens, wasn't it?

No one dared to say another word.

Lin Chao, who had been listening silently, was also somewhat surprised.

He frowned.

A mistress?

The image of Shen Zhixia's cold, stunning face, devoid of any worldly air, surfaced in his mind.

He felt that this Shen Zhixia looked so icy that she probably wouldn't stoop to being someone's mistress!

Moreover, judging solely from the meeting just now... her logic was clear, her words were sharp, and she hit the nail on the head regarding the problems of various departments.

This was definitely not something a mere trophy could achieve.

This woman truly had ability.

However, what did this gossip have to do with him, Lin Chao?

Whether Shen Zhixia was a mistress or whether she could keep her position was not something a small supervisor like him needed to worry about.

He just wanted to get off work quickly now.

After the frustrating meeting, Lin Chao packed his laptop and prepared to slip away.

He deliberately avoided the large corridor of the Technical Department, instead taking a detour, planning to slip down from the fire exit on the other side.

Unexpectedly, just as he turned the corner of the corridor...

He bumped right into a wall emanating a cold fragrance.

Lin Chao froze entirely.

Standing before him was none other than the new director who had been dominant in the meeting, Shen Zhixia.