Obsessive Tycoon and His Swan Girl
Chapter 321 Idle Hearts

Chapter 321: Chapter 321 Idle Hearts

Mrs. He stepped out and said to her assistant, "Pull up Xia Tang’s files and check his work reports. Send them to Old Mr. He."

"Yes, madam."

On Mrs. He’s end, she was merely offering an opportunity.

As for whether these people had any real ability, what mattered most was whether their work was recognized.

But this stepping stone was an opportunity many sought but could not obtain.

"Make sure Old Mr. He is strict," Mrs. He thought for a moment, then added a word of caution.

Since it was Jiang Zhe who introduced them, she couldn’t let others look down on her, nor could she allow Jiang Zhe to think lightly of her family.

With Jiang Zhe’s pride, he would not acknowledge these underhanded dealings.

...

Xia’s second mistress felt that she had performed very well today, seizing the moment perfectly.

She smiled with a touch of pride, "Eldest sister-in-law, Mrs. He has been sitting here for quite a while. Why didn’t you come to greet her?"

"I was actually here to have tea with Jiang Zhe," Mrs. Xia genuinely did not know about Mrs. He’s visit and didn’t think the second mistress had such far-reaching intentions.

Now that she thought about it, she did feel a slight regret for missing such a good opportunity.

However, after having enjoyed her conversation with Jiang Zhe just before, she didn’t care much about these matters.

"Eldest sister-in-law, you really have the leisure of someone who is free from worries. Tsk." The second mistress exclaimed.

For Jiang Zhe’s sake, you’re neglecting even the more important matters.

Can you truly just watch as Xia Tang’s career goes downhill?

Xia Xingzhi’s research has made no progress, and he’s been outperformed by Xia Mingzhu for two years already.

It seems that’s all there is for the first house.

Jiang Zhe looked at the second mistress intently, then withdrew his gaze.

Dinner at the Xia Family was a gathering of the entire clan.

Li Ran and Li Qian had also done well on their exams today, both looking in high spirits.

The second mistress was quite pleased with herself, "Mingli, you’ll have to organize your work well these next few days."

"?" Xia Mingli looked at her.

"I met Mrs. He today," the second mistress said just that much, revealing nothing more.

But Xia Mingli and Xia Mingzhu immediately understood what this implied.

Nowadays, any personnel changes or job reassignments had to go through Chief He.

But Chief He was not someone easy to meet with.

The Xia Family had been waiting for so long without getting an appointment.

Even with Xia Mingli’s standing out as an extraordinarily capable individual.

There were many ahead in line with family backgrounds, impressive abilities, and some even with prior accolades and achievements.

Even getting an audience with Mrs. He was already the best result that could be achieved on the battlefield of women.

The second mistress had somehow managed to accomplish this seemingly impossible task.

Xia Mingzhu didn’t interfere much with these matters and remained silent.

Xia Mingli, trying to control his excitement, said, "That’s great."

"Yes, it really is great," the second mistress said, looking towards Mrs. Xia.

Having secured the initiative this time meant that from now on, every step taken would be preemptive.

This good news was something the second mistress had not yet shared with her husband, just waiting for him to return so they could celebrate together.

The second house’s joy was evident on their faces, as if they feared others might eavesdrop; after a couple of remarks, they stopped talking.

Nobody brought up the topic of the students’ exams that day.

Jiang Zhe always kept his eyes downcast, silently observing. Xia Enci, not understanding these matters, whispered to him.

Xia Zhen had also returned, and felt a surge of joy upon hearing his wife’s words.

It was rare, to claim victory on the battlefield of women, to take the lead. This time, perhaps he could finally surpass his elder brother.

After all, he had been overshadowed by his elder brother for a long time, and it was only with his son’s recent rise that he began to turn the tables, albeit only slightly.

But never had he managed to gain the upper hand completely.

Now, with this opportunity and the political achievements he and his son had made over the past two years, a change was surely due.

Xia Zhen’s wife said with a smile, "We should also invite big brother’s family to dine with us sometime, bring along Xiruo, Enci, and Jiang Zhe."

Jiang Xiruo could not fail to perceive the overt boasting of Xia Zhen’s household, but she responded casually with indifference.

"We can join as well, auntie?" Li Qian asked with a smile, having picked up on the subtext.

"Of course, you and Li Ran must come too. Aren’t we all one family? Why speak as if we are separate?" replied Xia Zhen’s wife.

"When is big brother coming back?" Xia Zhen inquired.

Xia Xingzhi walked in from outside, glanced at the time, and said, "Dad said he’ll be back later. Told us to go ahead and eat."

"I saw big brother leaving the office when I was on my way back," said Xia Zhen. "Has he gone back to work again?"

Xia Xingzhi, still unaware of their recent conversation and uninterested in career matters, replied, "It seemed he had something urgent to handle; a superior with the last name He called him back."

Xia Zhen was taken aback on hearing about the superior with the surname He.

Xia Mingli could no longer enjoy his tea.

Even Xia Zhen’s wife was astonished. Could it be Director He?

But that didn’t make sense. If it were Director He, he would have sought Xia Zhen or Xia Mingli, not their elder brother.

"What’s the name of that superior?" Xia Zhen quickly asked.

"I’m not quite sure," responded Xia Xingzhi, sitting down.

At that moment, the pride and triumph that Xia Zhen’s family had felt earlier vanished, leaving a somber mood hanging over them.

Unaware of the earlier discussion, Xia Xingzhi suggested, "Let’s start the meal."

Xia Zhen’s wife displayed a smile, "Yes, we’re all hungry. Let’s eat."

"This fish is delicious, Xiaozhe, try some," offered Xia Enci as she placed some fish on Jiang Zhe’s plate.

The issue concerning Director He’s meeting with Xia Tang was resolved by that evening.

Xia Tang’s promotion seemed all but guaranteed.

His credible achievements over the years had not contributed to significant promotions, but this time, given the criteria of capability and length of service, he was perfectly positioned to seize the opportunity.

Everything fell into place, logically and justifiably.

Xia Zhen and Xia Mingli, upon hearing the news, were incredulous and experienced an intense swirl of emotions.

They couldn’t fathom why Xia Tang would be the first to receive this opportunity when it should be less likely for him due to his age.

But reality was undeniable and left no room for their objections.

Xia Mingli’s grip on his teacup tightened relentlessly.

Lately, he and his father had been making moves, all leading up to this final step.

As the family sat together in the living room, Xia Tang didn’t show excessive joy, simply stating, "With this promotion, I’ll be relying on Xia Zhen and Mingli for help in the future."

"Congratulations, big brother."

"Congratulations, eldest uncle."

Voices from the second branch chimed in, though the tones carried a subdued cheerfulness.

Xia Tang’s wife, who had never held high hopes for her husband’s career advancement, took the surprise news with calm equanimity, "Now with increased age, you’ll have to shoulder even more responsibilities; there’s hard work and exhaustion ahead."

Her words, sounding like gentle complaint, when heard by the second branch, carried a bittersweet undertone.