Chapter 283

The three turned around and saw Zhang Haoyang and Si Ya just entering the lobby.

Zhang Haoyang wore an expensive suit, his hair meticulously groomed, and at first glance looked like a senior executive; beside him, Si Ya was decked out in designer makeup and clothing, even more dazzling than at the class reunion night.

Ning Jinli was also quite surprised by their appearance.

Yu Teng whispered, "Zhang Haoyang happens to work here, but Si Ya… I have no idea."

Ning Jinli gave a slight nod, her eyes full of meaning.

"Oh, so it's really you," Si Ya said with a contemptuous expression, "I thought I was seeing things. Sigh, I didn't expect flies to get into such a high‑end place as the Shennong Pharmaceutical Group headquarters building."

"What did you say?" Yu Teng's face turned sour.

Li Weiwen tugged his arm, signaling him not to get into a conflict.

Before Ning Jinli could speak, Zhang Haoyang shouted, "Security! Where's the security?"

A security guard hurried over at the sound and politely said to Zhang Haoyang, "Team Leader Zhang, what's the matter?"

Zhang Haoyang raised his hand and pointed, asking, "What kind of place is our headquarters? How can you let anyone walk in at will?"

The guard smiled and replied, "These three are visitors, cleared by the Human Resources Department."

The Shennong Pharmaceutical Group is now massive, with over thirty‑thousand employees across all departments and links; because Ning Jinli holds no position within the group, only the top executives know her identity, while everyone else does not.

"Human Resources Department?" Zhang Haoyang immediately understood, "Oh, here for an interview?"

The guard said, "I don't know about that…"

"Alright, go back to your post," Zhang Haoyang waved his hand.

When the guard left, Si Ya began to mock the three, "I ask, what do you think Shennong Pharmaceutical is? You actually think you can get a job here? You haven't even taken a look at yourselves."

Ning Jinli said calmly, "We all graduated from the same university; Zhang Haoyang managed to get a position here, so why can't we?"

"Hahaha, who gave you that confidence?" Si Ya laughed, her smile trembling, "You even dare compare yourselves to Haoyang? During the four years of university, he was not only our class monitor but also served as an officer in the student union, organized many large events, and earned both achievements and fame; his student résumé was already sparkling. What about you? Do you think you can persuade the interviewers with handing out flyers and being a restaurant manager?"

Yu Teng couldn't help clenching his fist, "What's wrong with handing out flyers and working in a restaurant? That's us earning a living with our own hands."

Li Weiwen couldn't help muttering, "Who doesn't know Zhang Haoyang got into the student union by treating a bunch of members to meals and giving gifts… The events he organized were funded by his family's money, nothing to brag about…"

Ning Jinli scanned Si Ya with an examining gaze and asked, "Zhang Haoyang is a group employee, so his coming and going here is normal; why are you here as well?"

"Hey, hey, hey! He's not an employee!" Si Ya immediately emphasized, "Haoyang is the team leader of an important project in the Publicity Department, essentially the right‑hand of the department director, a member of the management leadership."

"Oh… leader," Ning Jinli's mouth twitched, "Hello, Leader Zhang, may I ask why your girlfriend is here?"

Zhang Haoyang wore a haughty expression, "Although this has nothing to do with you and you have no right to ask, I don't mind telling you that I'm preparing to let Si Ya join my team; I brought her today to familiarize herself with the environment and to handle the onboarding paperwork."

Given Zhang Haoyang's position as a team leader, his department has a relatively easy door to bring Si Ya in, which is not an unusual thing; moreover, for the group's rapid development, aside from core business units, the heads of other projects each have a certain quota of hiring autonomy and do not need full approval from senior management.

"I don't need an interview," Si Ya bragged deliberately, striking a condescending pose, "Which department and what position are the three of you applying for? Want me to have Haoyang help you?"

Ning Jinli smiled slightly, "I'm just here to accompany Yu Teng and Li Weiwen, and we don't need your help; they can both get hired smoothly. Thank you for your kindness."

Si Ya sneered, "Tch, I really have no idea where that courage came from."

Zhang Haoyang wore a contemptuous expression all over his face and said:

"Yu Teng, Li Weiwen, I'm not deliberately putting you down. Shennong Pharmaceutical does need people, but without solid connections, your diplomas alone give you no chance of catching an interviewer's eye. Right now there are countless job seekers with higher qualifications and stronger abilities than yours. I advise you both not to stubbornly make things unpleasant for yourselves."

"How about this: since you two are my university classmates, I'll let you intern as clerks in my team for a while. If you perform well, I'll promote you directly. Though the starting point is the lowest, it's still a foot in the door of a big corporation; even if you fail to become permanent, you can still brag about it later."

His words were laced with arrogance, and they sounded extremely grating to Yu Teng and Li Weiwen.

Ning Jinli gave them a calm look, preventing the two from getting angry.

At that moment, the elevator arrived.

Zhang Haoyang and Si Ya, without courtesy, rushed in first.

When Ning Jinli and the other two entered later, Si Ya ordered in a commanding tone, "Hey, press the button for us, floor nineteen."

Ning Jinli ignored her attitude, pressed the nineteenth floor, then the twenty‑eighth floor.

The Publicity Department is on the nineteenth floor, the Human Resources Department on the twenty‑eighth floor.

The elevator rose, and neither side spoke again.

It wasn't until the elevator reached the nineteenth floor and Zhang Haoyang and Si Ya swaggered out that the atmosphere inside the elevator returned to normal.

Li Weiwen hurriedly said, "Ning Jinli, please don't assign me and Yu Teng to the Publicity Department, or we'll keep seeing Zhang Haoyang and Si Ya everywhere—head up, head down—we'll really be uncomfortable."

Ning Jinli laughed, "Don't worry, I certainly won't do that. In a moment, you can talk directly with the Human Resources head to see which department and position you think suits you best; being able to showcase your abilities is what matters most."

After a while, the elevator reached the floor where Human Resources is located.

Ning Jinli told them to go meet the reception staff on their own, then she continued alone in the elevator to the top floor.

She hadn't seen Lu Jue Ming for some time, and this was a perfect opportunity to discuss the group's development with him.

While Yu Teng and Li Weiwen began their interviews, Zhang Haoyang took Si Ya to wander around the Publicity Department's office area.

"Si Ya, look, this whole floor belongs to our department," Zhang Haoyang said with a proud expression, pointing, "Over there is my team's workspace; I currently supervise about twenty members."

Si Ya pursed her lips, "Only about twenty… Haoyang, why don't you use connections and become an executive directly? Even if not a group executive, becoming a department general manager shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Zhang Haoyang, feeling uneasy, rubbed his nose.

He truly didn't know who had helped him the previous night; he guessed the person must have considerable ability, yet he found himself inexplicably caught up in this mysterious connection he couldn't figure out.

So he could only explain to Si Ya that he wanted to stay low‑key, accumulate experience, which would benefit his future ascent to a high position; relying solely on connections to rocket up wasn't his aim.

That explanation was flawless, so Si Ya asked no further questions.

"Come, I'll take you to choose a seat," Zhang Haoyang took her hand and led her to his team's workspace.

At that moment, about ten team members were seated at their desks, heads buried in computers.

Zhang Haoyang let out a light cough.

The members looked up, called out "Team Leader," then went back to their work, completely ignoring Si Ya beside him.

Si Ya instantly frowned, her expression displeased.

Zhang Haoyang also felt a bit embarrassed, so he adopted a pretentious tone and asked in a deep voice, "Why are so many not at their desks? Where did they go?"

The team members all frowned.

Although he is the team leader, his actual professional status in this department is equal to others.

Initially, because Zhang Haoyang was more proactive and actively secured the position of project team leader, the people assigned to this team didn't see any problem, but as they spent more time together, they found that this kid Zhang Haoyang always liked to put on airs in front of them, intentionally or not.

Although it didn't have much impact on everyone's project progress, it still made people feel uneasy inside.

The team members, holding the mindset of "better to do less than more" and focusing on their work, didn't argue with Zhang Haoyang.

"Hey!" Si Ya saw these team members actually not answering Zhang Haoyang's reprimand, and immediately shouted, "Are you all deaf?"

The quiet work area was pierced by this discordant sharp sound, instantly drawing the attention of nearby employees from other project sections, who cast puzzled glances this way.

Zhang Haoyang tugged at Si Ya's hand and whispered, "Xiao Ya... be careful."

Si Ya snorted coldly, "Haoyang, are you being too lenient with these people under you? Look at their attitude!"

The team members, helpless, paused their work, furrowed their brows, lifted their heads, and sized up Si Ya.

"Sorry, who are you?" a team member said in an unhappy tone.

Si Ya lifted her chin, "I am——"

"Cough, let me introduce her," Zhang Haoyang hurriedly interjected, "Her name is Si Ya, she's the newcomer who's about to join our project team; please give her a welcome."

"Oh, welcome welcome." The team members gave a perfunctory response.

This attitude made Si Ya very unhappy.

She was about to erupt, but Zhang Haoyang whispered, "Right now we're busy with work, rushing the project schedule, so tempers are bound to flare; don't take it to heart with them."

Si Ya pursed her lips, "Fine, for your sake I'll forgive them."

Her voice wasn't loud, yet these team members heard it; their faces showed no expression, but inside they rolled their eyes to the heavens.

Zhang Haoyang put on a leader's airs and told the team members, "All right, keep working, be more serious."

The team members only found it funny, didn't respond to him, and immediately dove into focused work.

Zhang Haoyang led Si Ya to his workstation.

After all, he is the team leader, so his workstation is slightly larger than the members'.

"Xiao Ya, from now on you'll sit beside me," Zhang Haoyang said softly, "Later we'll add a desk here so we can work together."

Si Ya glanced around, her gaze landing on the spot by the window, "I want to sit there; from there I can overlook the cityscape."

Zhang Haoyang froze, then told her in an even lower voice, "That spot is already someone else's workstation."

Si Ya, however, was indifferent, "Just ask someone to move, right? I don't care, but you have to let me sit there—why can that woman with black-frame glasses sit there while I can't?"

A flicker of embarrassment crossed Zhang Haoyang's eyes, and he explained to her, "That girl is our project team's planner; she's quite important, and many stages need her oversight... I also don't feel good about asking her to move."

"But you're the team leader," Si Ya stared wide-eyed at Zhang Haoyang, "Don't the team members dare not listen to you?"

Zhang Haoyang forced himself to stay calm and advised earnestly, "For the project to move forward smoothly, I naturally have to weigh the team members' emotions, and treat them a little better."

Si Ya grew increasingly dissatisfied, not wanting to hear more advice, she strode straight to the black-frame-glasses woman and said, "Hey, pack up your stuff—this spot is mine from now on."

Zhang Haoyang didn't have time to stop her, and his face changed.

The black-frame-glasses woman was fully absorbed in her work, not even noticing someone had appeared beside her, let alone hearing what was said.

Si Ya angrily tapped the desk, "Hello?!"

The black-frame-glasses woman finally reacted, turned her head to look, and asked doubtfully, "Who are you? Do you need something from me?"

Si Ya placed her hands on her hips and commanded, "I'll say it again—this spot is mine from now on; hurry up and pack your things, move elsewhere."

The black-frame-glasses woman blinked, "How did this become yours?"

"Cough cough..." Zhang Haoyang approached, "Well, about the workstation—"

Before he could finish, Si Ya shot him a resentful, angry glare.

Zhang Haoyang feared Si Ya would lose her temper, then thought: that planner is usually quiet and reserved; whatever task you give her at work, no matter how difficult, she will accept it honestly and see it through diligently, so she should be easy to handle; if you ask her to move her seat, she might have objections, but she'll likely accept it silently.

"Team leader, what's up?" the black-frame-glasses woman said blankly, "If you have something to say, just say it directly—I still have a lot of work to do."

Zhang Haoyang, a little afraid of being overheard by the other team members, whispered, "Lili, come with me outside the office; let's talk slowly."

The girl called Lili felt it was quite abnormal, so she refused, "Just say what you have to say here; don't waste my time."

Pa!

Si Ya slapped her palm onto the keyboard, "How dare you speak to a superior like that? What's your attitude!"

"What are you doing messing with my keyboard?!" Lili exclaimed, "You've messed up my documents!"

"So what if they're messed up?" Si Ya simply yanked the keyboard off and threw it to the ground!