Chapter 32 - That boss has got nerves of steel!

Half an hour later, they arrived at Yongfeng Building. "Our company is on the 16th floor. The office space is a bit minimalist for now, but we'll upgrade it gradually," Lu Liang warned them in advance. The company currently had only three people—himself, plus the two new hires—along with some capital and a vacant space. Other than that, there was nothing else. Tang Caidie smiled faintly. She'd clearly anticipated this scenario and was mentally prepared. Chen Jinchun, however, stared in shock, her mouth hanging wide open. Doubts already started creeping into her mind about taking the job. Her professors had always emphasized how valuable a new graduate's status was; once lost, finding another decent job would be far more difficult. As the three stepped out of the elevator, Meng Changkun's voice echoed from the end of the corridor. "Yes, yes, a bit more to the side." The 200-plus square-meter office space was bustling with over a dozen people helping with the setup. Some were hanging the company signboard, others laying carpets, and a few arranging flower baskets. The whole place looked quite presentable. "Brother Kun, what's all this about?" Lu Liang walked over to ask. He recognized the workers—some ran businesses on the same floor, others on lower levels, all of which were invested in by Meng Changkun. "Brother Lu, you're back so soon! I was trying to give you a surprise," Meng Changkun grinned. "Here's to your business thriving, profits pouring in, and scaling new heights of success!" Lu Liang rented office space from him and was also his friend. It was only natural for Meng Changkun to show his support on the company's opening day. When the other entrepreneurs saw Meng Changkun sending flower baskets and coming to congratulate Lu Liang in person, they quickly followed suit, sending their own people over to help. Before long, the crowd grew larger, and more and more flower baskets lined the doorway. "Brother Kun, this is such a thoughtful gesture. I don't even know how to thank you properly," Lu Liang said earnestly. "We're friends—saying thanks for something this trivial would just make us strangers," Meng Changkun replied. Lu Liang didn't stand on ceremony any longer. He cupped his hands and thanked the helpers. "I really appreciate all of you coming to help. I wasn't fully prepared today, but I'll pay each of you a visit later to return the favor." "Mr. Lu, you're too polite! We're neighbors now—just let us know if you ever need a hand," everyone replied with beaming smiles, handing Lu Liang their business cards one after another, hoping to foster future communication and cooperation opportunities. They didn't know Lu Liang personally, but the fact that he was a valued friend of Meng Changkun's was more than enough to earn their respect. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Liang stood at the doorway and watched them leave. "Have we met before?" Meng Changkun asked Tang Caidie, eyeing her thoughtfully. She looked strangely familiar. Tang Caidie smiled. "Mr. Meng, it was at Xunlei Technology four years ago." "So you're Ms. Tang from Sequoia! Long time no see. My memory's failing me—my apologies," Meng Changkun suddenly realized. He'd met Tang Caidie at a fundraising gala for Xunlei Technology a few years back. "Mr. Meng, it's only natural for a busy man like you to forget small things," Tang Caidie chuckled, helping smooth things over. Lu Liang returned after seeing the guests off and asked curiously, "Brother Kun, you two know each other?" "We crossed paths a few times before. Back then, Ms. Tang worked at Sequoia—one of the top venture capital firms in the country," Meng Changkun praised generously, though his words were more a compliment to Sequoia Capital's reputation than to Tang Caidie herself. "Mr. Meng, that's all in the past. I resigned from Sequoia several years ago," Tang Caidie said plainly. She knew that without the Sequoia name behind her, she was just an experienced finance professional. "A wise bird chooses the right tree to nest in. Ms. Tang, this will be a smart choice," Meng Changkun said, then patted Lu Liang on the shoulder. "Brother, I'll take my leave now. Drop by for tea sometime." "Take care, Brother Kun." The hustle and bustle faded as quickly as it had arrived. But Lu Liang had never cared much for such formalities, so he didn't feel any sense of letdown. After seeing Meng Changkun off, he led the two women inside the office. The space was tidy, with a seven-inch pixiu statue placed on the desk—a gift from Meng Changkun, no doubt. "This is our company," Lu Liang announced. The 200-plus square-meter area could be walked from end to end in just a few steps. Lu Liang pulled out the business registration documents and copies of the company license. "Ms. Tang, if you're free today, you can start right away. First, help yourself and Chen with the onboarding procedures—sort out their social security and housing fund contributions." Chen Jinchun's eyes widened in shock. It was her first time hearing of new employees having to handle their own onboarding paperwork. Her doubts about the job grew even stronger. Tang Caidie noticed her hesitation, gave her hand a gentle squeeze, then turned to Lu Liang. "Understood, Mr. Lu." Lu Liang was satisfied with Tang Caidie's can-do attitude. He pulled out a company sub-card and handed it to her. "There's 100,000 yuan in this card. The company is still short of equipment—computers, printers, phones, internet service, etc." "Make a procurement list and send it to me. Then take Chen with you to buy everything you need. Keep all the receipts for meals and taxi fares—let me know if you need more money," Lu Liang said. He had no interest in dealing with these trivial matters, and a PhD from Shanghai University of Finance and Economics was certainly worth his trust with 100,000 yuan. "Oh, and tomorrow, buy some fruit and tea leaves. We need to return the courtesy by visiting every company that sent us flower baskets today." As they were talking, Lu Liang's phone suddenly beeped with a message from an unknown number: **Uncle Lu, is that you? It's Xiaoguai.** Seeing the message, an image of a cute, doll-like little girl popped into Lu Liang's mind—Zhang Qian's daughter, Zhang Yun, nicknamed Xiaoguai. He replied: **It's me. What's wrong?** **Uncle Lu, do you have time right now? Teacher called Mom just now, but she didn't answer.** A smile tugged at Lu Liang's lips. He walked to the doorway and called her. "Xiaoguai, did you get into trouble at school?" "Uncle Lu, I didn't do anything wrong! Zhao Jiaqi bullied me first, so I hit him back," Xiaoguai's voice came through the phone, mixed with the chaotic background noise of a woman shouting angrily nearby. "Wait for me. I'll be right there," Lu Liang said, taken aback. He hurried back inside and told the two women, "Something urgent came up—I have to go. Call me if you need anything." Like a gust of wind, he grabbed his car keys and rushed out, leaving Tang Caidie and Chen Jinchun staring at each other in bewilderment. Even someone as seasoned as Tang Caidie couldn't help but smile wryly as she stared at the bank card in her hand. "Mr. Lu certainly has nerves of steel." But she quickly switched into work mode, grabbing a pen and paper to jot down the list of items to buy and tasks to complete. Chen Jinchun looked embarrassed, twisting her fingers as she hesitated. "Sister Tang, maybe… maybe you could tell Mr. Lu tomorrow that I won't be coming back?" The building and office location were nice enough, just as she'd hoped, but the company and its boss seemed a little too unreliable for her taste. "Chen, you'd better think it over. I truly believe this company has great potential," Tang Caidie smiled, understanding her concerns. She then told Chen about Meng Changkun's reputation in Shanghai's venture capital circle—his total assets were no less than 3 billion yuan. Lu Liang was his friend, and from their conversation, it was clear that their relationship was one of equals, unlike the other entrepreneurs who'd come to help, all of whom had worn obsequious smiles and dared not show any other emotion. That alone was proof enough of Lu Liang's considerable strength. Chen Jinchun's eyes went wide in astonishment. She'd never guessed that the portly middle-aged man was so powerful. "Thank you, Sister Tang," she said, looking ashamed. She decided to stay for the time being—at least a few days—to see how things unfolded. "Don't mention it. I remember there's a telecom office downstairs. Go ask about the cost of getting a corporate broadband connection," Tang Caidie said with a smile. She was being kind, giving Chen something concrete to do to help her settle into the job faster. Besides, Tang Caidie genuinely thought the company had promise. The boss was capable, and since it was still in the early stages, there wouldn't be too much work pressure—giving her time to get back into her professional stride.