The “good colleague” Zou Weijun mentioned was a friend Xie Yuping had placed at Jinhu.
This friend initially had no intention of deeply involving himself in the Xie family’s affairs. It was only after Xie Yuping’s earnest pleading that he agreed to stay at Jinhu for an extra two months.
He was cautious in his actions, not immediately approaching Zou Weijun. He wanted to observe this “Third Mrs. Xie” first.
Although he promised Xie Yuping to guide Zou Weijun, if she truly lacked ability, there would be little he could teach.
Through observation, he discovered many of Zou Weijun’s strengths.
At work, Zou Weijun was strictly businesslike, lacking much humour and sometimes overly rigid. She never used her gender to gain favour or soften her stance, which made her seem stern and unapproachable at times. This was Jinhu’s initial impression of her.
No one understood why the boss’s wife suddenly started working at the company.
Zou Weijun wanted to understand Jinhu’s operations, while Jinhu’s employees were quietly observing her in return.
Due to her status, everyone was polite to her face, regardless of their true thoughts. This was no help to Zou Weijun’s goal of understanding Jinhu, as no one would speak honestly to her!
Xie Jinghu was initially worried, but upon seeing that Zou Weijun wasn’t adept at winning people over, he relaxed considerably.
Zou Weijun was like her late father, Professor Zou, with a temperament suited only for technical work!
The friend assumed that after facing setbacks, Zou Weijun would adjust her approach.
She didn’t!
Zou Weijun’s mindset remained steady. She didn’t change herself just because she wasn’t immediately achieving her desired results. In her daily work, she stayed stern and rigid.
After a month, Jinhu employees who dealt with her got a sense of her temperament.
Being rigid and stern wasn’t a flaw in the workplace, or rather, it was a flaw at the lower levels but not in leadership.
The truly problematic leaders weren’t like Zou Weijun but those who were highly emotional.
A person who can’t control their emotions, driven by moods and personal preferences in business decisions, is truly terrifying.
With such a leader, no matter how capable you are, if you can’t please them, it’s useless. Opportunities are often snatched by colleagues skilled at flattery, and promotions go to the best bootlickers!
In contrast, a leader like Zou Weijun, methodical and seemingly overly serious, applied the same standard to everyone. Promotions depended on work ability, not flattery skills. In theory, all employees started on equal footing with a chance to climb, and most preferred such a leader.
Xie Jinghu thought Zou Weijun couldn’t win over Jinhu’s employees, but she couldn’t grasp his logic. She was there to work, not to curry favour with employees!
Jinhu was half hers. She wanted to understand the company, not please its staff. Why would she need to win them over? If she were to eventually challenge Xie Jinghu or even oust him, she needed the company to adapt to her style and recognise her ability.
After nearly a month of observation, the friend gained some understanding of Zou Weijun and took the initiative to assist her.
Xie Yuping’s friend was highly capable. He wasn’t short of money and worked at Jinhu to repay a favour. Even with Xie Jinghu guarding against him like a thief, he managed to gather significant information, showing his competence.
Zou Weijun wasn’t foolish; she just needed a guide.
When this guide appeared, she was overjoyed, absorbing everything her “helpful colleague” taught her like a sponge, which is why she hadn’t had much time to contact Wen Ying lately.
Chatting with Wen Ying now, Zou Weijun sighed.
“I really want to learn more from him, but he’s leaving soon.”
“If he weren’t leaving soon, he probably wouldn’t dare help you so openly, right?”
Jinhu had been under Xie Jinghu’s control for years. While it’s unclear about regular employees, the management was surely his loyalists. With Xie Jinghu as an obstacle, it wasn’t easy for Zou Weijun to make progress at Jinhu.
Someone offering her such significant help was likely in management and, if not about to leave, wouldn’t dare assist so boldly.
“Ha, I’m not only getting lessons from colleagues but also from a young girl like you?”
Zou Weijun laughed. “Xiaoni told me the sales feedback for *Galaxy and You* is quite good. Though your royalty rate isn’t high, with rising sales, it’s not a small sum. Wait a bit, and it can be settled with the fifth season of *Teen Idol*. Also, I read the manuscript for your new book *Seeking Yong* that you gave Xiaoni. I have two small suggestions…”
Warmth flowed through Wen Ying’s heart.
Zou Weijun was just too kind!
Despite leaving Rongcheng Literature Publishing House and being in a critical phase of outsmarting Xie the jerk, she still found time to care about Wen Ying’s new book. No longer an editor-in-chief, she was still doing the work of one. That was so like Zou Weijun.
Having left abruptly, she couldn’t see *Seeking Yong* published and always felt uneasy about it!
Wen Ying listened carefully to Zou Weijun’s suggestions, shared her own ideas, and they talked for nearly an hour.
Before hanging up, Zou Weijun finally mentioned her son, Xie Qian. “Being too smart isn’t always good for a child. Xie Qian has had few friends since he was young. I’m at ease with him staying in Rongcheng because he has friends like you looking out for him. Wen Ying, you don’t know how grateful I am to you. Anytime, anywhere, if you need anything, just ask. If it’s within my power, I’ll help!”
Without Wen Ying stopping her and waking her up, where would she be now?
Only when Zou Weijun found the courage to confront Xie Jinghu did she realise how shameless he was. Her courage was Xie Qian’s strongest shield. Without her, Xie Qian would face Xie Jinghu’s shamelessness alone, which was too terrifying to imagine!
Wen Ying said softly, “Auntie Zou, I don’t need your gratitude. Xie Qian is my friend, and you’ve helped me so much. I just want you both to be well.”
“We all need to be well and keep getting better!”
Zou Weijun’s call left Wen Ying’s phone hot by the time they hung up.
After hanging up, Wen Ying noticed two messages from Xie Qian.
The first reminded her to ask about Shen Huan’s textbook version.
The second, sent half an hour later, asked if she was angry.
Both messages felt out of character for Xie Qian.
In the past, Wen Ying would have overanalysed the punctuation in his texts. Now, she felt it unnecessary.
Good friends don’t need to overthink. Just take the words at face value. Where’s all this subtext?
“Got it, I haven’t forgotten. I’m really not angry. Everything I said at the skewer shop was true. You owning a film company adds to your strength, and I’m genuinely happy for you.”
After replying, Wen Ying tossed her phone aside to focus on homework. What eventually disrupted her problem-solving wasn’t Xie Qian’s updates but Chen Ru, returning home from work.
Manager Chen was in a bad mood today.
Wen Ying had been performing well lately, so she wasn’t worried. If anyone upset Manager Chen, it was surely Old Wen!
Wen Dongrong thought the same, so he was extra well-behaved when he got home.
At dinner, Chen Ru couldn’t hold back her frustration and slammed the table.
“I’ve never seen such a shameless person. So young and already resorting to moral blackmail. They didn’t dare bother me or your dad but went to your aunt’s fruit shop. Standing pitifully at the door, saying nothing, just crying when people passed by. Your aunt is worried sick!”
