After nearly half an hour, they left the terrace. On the way to the elevator, they exchanged casual remarks about work and busyness.
He Xiaoyuan suddenly remembered something, finishing the last sip of tea in his glass and handing it back. “Lu, here’s your cup. Thanks for the tea.”
Lu Chen didn’t take it, his eyes tracing over the faintly wet rim to He Xiaoyuan’s hands. Calmly, he said, “Keep it.”
He Xiaoyuan froze. “But it’s not disposable… I can wash it and give it back next time.”
They reached the elevator. Lu pressed the executive lift button with one hand in his pocket. “No need. I have plenty of cups. You use it.”
He Xiaoyuan looked at the cup, nodded, and accepted it without overthinking.
Back on the HR floor, he washed the cup in the tea room, dried it, and placed it next to his own mug at his desk.
Jiang Weiwei, noticing he’d been gone a while, asked, “Two trips to chat in one afternoon… how’d it go?”
He Xiaoyuan, no longer gloomy, replied, “I’m thinking.”
“Still set on going to Finance?” she asked casually.
“Maybe,” he answered vaguely.
That evening, He Xiaoyuan met Xu Ruomeng for dinner near the company. He recounted HR’s refusal to let him go to Finance and the PR department boss personally persuading him.
Xu Ruomeng almost choked on her food. Eyes wide, she exclaimed, “Eighty thousand in the first year?! Full house payment in three years?!”
Without thinking, she blurted, “He Xiaoyuan! Then why hesitate? Go!”
Ignoring the setting, she continued, “We don’t earn a salary for ideals, do we? It’s for money!”
Half the restaurant quieted down at her shout.
He Xiaoyuan laughed nervously, signaling her to lower her voice.
She apologized to the diners and whispered to him, “Eighty thousand! Eighty! Thousand! Full payment for a house in three years! Who cares about a bicycle!?”
“I’ll go if you don’t,” she added.
He Xiaoyuan: “Don’t get worked up.”
“I’ve been at the company two years. You know my salary? Just over two hundred thousand! How can I not be excited?”
Still fuming, she pulled out her phone: “I’ll check what Finance is offering now.”
He Xiaoyuan thought: “Doesn’t matter. Even if I go, I’d still be on the management trainee salary.”
“That’s nothing like eighty thousand! Trainee pay can’t buy a house in three years!” Xu Ruomeng exclaimed.
Back in his dorm that night, He Xiaoyuan lay down and reflected. He didn’t know much about Finance or PR yet, but Lü’s promises of eighty thousand and full house payment in three years kept repeating in his mind.
He couldn’t help but admire it: Lü, the PR boss, knew human nature well—she knew exactly how to persuade someone.
He Xiaoyuan turned over in bed, his thoughts clearing. He asked himself: is this really about money?
Of course not.
Yes, he was short on cash, even in debt, but if he ranked first in the final rotation assessment, there was a 400,000 yuan bonus—enough to clear all his debts in one go. Even if he didn’t come first, the management trainee salary was 500,000 yuan pre-tax per year, enough to pay off debts within a year.
Once he stopped feeling discouraged at HR suggesting the PR department, his thoughts became clear and broad:
If the debts were going to be settled anyway, should he focus on annual salary and how soon he could buy a house? Or should he aim to bring his ideals into reality? Or something else entirely?
He lay flat, staring at the ceiling, his mind working rapidly:
First, money shouldn’t be the main concern—not only because the trainee salary was decent, but also because he wasn’t a materialistic person. Even if he didn’t get full payment for a house in three years, he could save for a down payment over five or seven years.
Second, yes, he wanted Finance; he had always had a financial heart. But since people warned him that Finance wasn’t a great place, it made more sense to find out exactly what Finance was like now.
Third, despite his initial disappointment or resistance, shouldn’t he also learn more accurately about the PR department? After all, Lü had said face-to-face that it wasn’t what it seemed. And her coming personally was, in a sense, a recognition of his abilities—not just his looks.
He wasn’t a student or a child anymore; he needed to be rational and objective, rather than letting emotions take the lead.
This line of thinking opened his mind, shifting his perspective.
The next day at the office, he went to HR to see the supervisor, but she was busy. So He Xiaoyuan chatted briefly in the corridor with Zhu Xuanmin.
Zhu explained that HR’s assignments for management trainees were always handled with extreme caution. From rotation to assessment to final assignment confirmation, multiple meetings and internal deliberations took place. Each decision was carefully weighed.
So Lü personally persuading him to join PR wasn’t just about his looks. While appearance was a factor, the PR department offered intense training and a high ceiling for career growth.
Zhu added, “You know Lü—she’s on the same level as the executive assistant in the president’s office. She liaises directly with the top boss.”
He Xiaoyuan was surprised.
Zhu continued, “This isn’t school. Supervisors may suggest things, but they don’t always explain the internal reasoning. You came and asked yourself—I’m glad. You’ll see that PR isn’t what you imagine.”
Afterwards, when He Xiaoyuan spoke sincerely with the supervisor, she softened, suggesting he take his time to learn more about Finance and PR, and even other departments, before making a choice.
Back at his desk, he opened the internal system, found Lü Shishi, and messaged to ask if he could learn more about PR. Lü, likely busy, replied after half an hour with a colleague’s contact for him to approach.
He immediately messaged the colleague, had a brief chat, and closed the computer, leaving his desk.
Seeing him gone all morning and returning in a rush, his colleagues whispered:
“Is something up with Yuan-ge?”
“No idea.”
“Was the talk successful?”
“Probably not?”
Jiang Weiwei, knowing a bit, said, “He went to learn about PR.”
“Really going?” someone exclaimed.
Jiang: “Learning and going aren’t the same, right?”
Yuan Miao: “Exactly. You can only decide once you know clearly, so there’s no regret later.”
Xin Rui: “I really admire Xiaoyuan. Everything he does, he gives his all. His thinking is clear, and his execution is strong.”
Zou Fan joked, “So he must be first, right?”
By the time He Xiaoyuan returned, afternoon tea time had passed. The office was nearly empty. He poured a glass of water from his desk, realizing it wasn’t his cup—it was the one Lu Chen had given him.
Finishing the water, he remembered Lu and checked his phone—two unread messages from Lu Chen twenty minutes ago:
Lu: [How’s today going?]
Lu: [Made a decision yet?]
He Xiaoyuan refilled his water cup, walking back to his desk as he replied: 【Not yet, no rush.】
On the other end, Lu Chen’s voice in the voice message was calm and patient as always: “Why ‘no rush’ again?”
With the office empty, He Xiaoyuan sent another voice reply while sitting down: “I thought about it. Before making a choice, I need to understand things clearly.”
He added: “Making a decision without full understanding feels like gambling, and I don’t want to be irresponsible with myself.”
Lu Chen, listening with his headphones on, heard the clear, straightforward tone of He Xiaoyuan’s voice. He was pleasantly surprised and reassured—this young man was stronger and clearer-thinking than he had imagined, and highly capable of execution.
Just as on the terrace, Lu Chen didn’t offer any advice, letting He Xiaoyuan handle the situation himself. At the same time, Lu Chen had his own curiosity—he wanted to see how He Xiaoyuan would act regarding the department assignment:
Would he insist on Finance?
Or choose PR?
Or somewhere else entirely?
Like the previous rotation and the “Sui Sui Xing” assessment, Lu Chen still watched with growing anticipation.
But he hadn’t expected that while he was waiting, He Xiaoyuan would go silent—no contact for a full 24 hours.
Lu Chen suddenly remembered this while sitting in an executive meeting. His chest tightened. Because the room was quiet, even a single deep breath was audible to everyone present. Every executive felt their stomachs drop, stiffened in their seats—this was a warning sign.
Those familiar with the top boss knew: this was the prelude to anger.
All the executives silently wondered: Did Lü say something wrong?
No, right?
Even Lü Shishi, standing at the PPT, paused, glancing anxiously toward Lu Chen.
Lu Chen, momentarily lost in thought, was thinking of He Xiaoyuan: one whole day since yesterday, what’s he doing? Busy? Why hasn’t he contacted me?
Returning to focus, he saw Lü Shishi staring across the table at him instead of presenting data. Calmly, he said, “Looking at me? Do I have numbers on my face?”
Then, composed and authoritative, he added: “Continue.”