When it was time for breakfast, I finally noticed that Ren Tingting was looking at Fu Xin differently.
A woman looking at a man like that can only mean one thing: the man fully met her expectations.
Seeing Fu Xin's sullen expression, I knew he must have had a rough night.
Although Fu Xin hadn't been at the company long, rumors about Ren Tingting were rampant. I didn't believe he could have actually slept with such a woman.
Sometimes, matters of the heart are hard to explain.
I didn't know whether Fu Xin had fallen for Ren Tingting, but it was true that he had taken a bullet for me.
Maybe because of complicated relationships, no one spoke during breakfast.
After breakfast, I took them to the Science and Technology Museum.
By eight o'clock, the exhibition had already started, with clients arriving one after another.
At this time, Fu Xin had followed my instructions and played the promotional video.
On the television screen, the corporate culture and features of Xingchang Technology's new products were introduced continuously.
I had thought the exhibition would surely attract customers, but the reality was beyond my expectations.
Although there were many potential customers inside the exhibition hall, they were only interested in well-known brands.
After all, Xingchang wasn't a large company and didn't have high brand awareness.
We ate lunch at the exhibition site; the organizer was fair enough to provide the meal.
We handed out quite a few business cards in the morning, but only a few companies showed genuine interest, and even fewer left contact information.
At that moment, I wasn't in a good mood. If this continued, we would come away empty-handed.
Fu Xin and Ren Tingting, however, flirted openly while working.
They say men and women working together lighten the load—this was evident, as they were quite enthusiastic.
While eating, I thought about how to attract customers to our side.
At least we needed to make them pay attention to Xingchang's products and become potential clients; maybe someday they'd become real clients.
I racked my brain but couldn't find a good solution.
After lunch, during the break, when Ren Tingting went to the restroom, I quietly asked Fu Xin, "Fu Xin, what do you think of me as Sales Manager Ren?"
Fu Xin widened his eyes and looked nervous.
After all, a fresh graduate new to the workplace wouldn't dare offend anyone.
I knew such people usually spoke honestly.
"It doesn't matter, just tell the truth. I won't blame you," I encouraged him again.
Fu Xin said, "Manager Zhao, I heard you came to our sales department just as a formality. The real sales manager is still Sister Liu."
I never expected even a rookie like him would know I was just there to play a role.
No wonder no one in sales respected me; Liu Jing called all the shots.
If everyone thought that way, the pressure on my shoulders would be huge.
To learn more, I asked, "What else do they say in private?"
Fu Xin thought for a moment and replied, "Everyone says Director Zhang is dissatisfied with your work, so he moved you to sales management. Once you can't handle it, you'll leave on your own."
I understood those words must have come from Liu Jing. She was involved with Zhang Zhiyuan and must have known some inside information.
But Zhang Zhiyuan obviously wouldn't share the key secrets with her; she would never know who my real backing was.
If I really couldn't survive in sales, I'd have some big moves ready to make Zhang Zhiyuan pay.
I had already considered all consequences before coming to sales.
I told Fu Xin, "Don't worry. Even if I leave, Liu Jing will never be sales manager."
Fu Xin looked at me strangely, as if asking silently, "Don't you know Liu Jing's relationship with Zhang Zhiyuan?"
As a joke, I started as Zhang Zhiyuan's driver. There wasn't anything he did that I didn't know, including his wife's affair; now I even had proof.
I smiled and said, "Don't forget, I was once Zhang Zhiyuan's secretary. I know far more than you think."
I said this to reassure Fu Xin and encourage him to follow me loyally.
His gaze toward me changed, and he asked, "Could it be that Manager Liu is lying?"
I said, "Relax and work with me. Once I settle in, I'll help you out."
Hearing this, Fu Xin immediately pledged, "Manager Zhao, don't worry. I'll work hard."
Young guys fresh out of school often have lots of enthusiasm. I patted his shoulder and asked, "One more thing—did you sleep with Ren Tingting last night?"
Fu Xin didn't expect me to ask this and immediately turned pale.
To ease the tension, I said, "It's okay. Tell me honestly. I personally promise I won't tell anyone else."
Hearing this, Fu Xin sighed and said, "It really wasn't my fault. When I went to deliver the lingerie, that woman wasn't wearing anything and seduced me."
I then asked, "So you didn't sleep well all night?"
Fu Xin said, "She had a strong appetite in that regard. I was exhausted. If it happens again tonight, I definitely won't hold up."
Then, Fu Xin asked me, "Manager Zhao, how did you know?"
I thought a moment and said, "Who at our company doesn't know what kind of woman Ren Tingting is? I was afraid something like this would happen, so I sent you. If my wife knew, she'd tear me apart."
Hearing this, Fu Xin looked even more disheartened and said, "Sigh, I've finally done something to betray my girlfriend. If she finds out, we'll definitely break up."
From this, it was clear Fu Xin didn't care about Ren Tingting sincerely. Her promiscuous reputation was only getting louder in the company.
Messing around at work really tarnished her image.
I again promised him, "Fu Xin, don't worry. This matter will stay between us."
At that moment, Ren Tingting returned from the restroom.
After she sat down, I asked her, "In the past, did your participation in exhibitions bring any gains?"
Ren Tingting shook her head. "Manager Zhao, to be honest, these are just formalities for the sales department. Otherwise, the general manager wouldn't be satisfied with the year-end department report!"
If I were a sales manager without pressure, I could afford to do that—but I wasn't.
Ren Tingting widened her eyes and looked at me. "Manager Zhao, you can't seriously expect to find clients at these events, can you?"
I replied, "Why not?"
Ren Tingting said, "Manager Zhao, maybe because you're new to sales, you don't understand the industry. Nowadays, to open doors, first you rely on connections, then on money."
I then asked, "But I see from previous reports that participation at such exhibitions brought business. So it's not pointless, right?"
Ren Tingting sighed, "Manager Zhao, you're clearly overthinking. That's just to make the sales department look good. Secretly, salespeople rely on money and connections to develop their businesses themselves."
Now I understood—I had stepped on a landmine.
If I didn't achieve any results, Liu Jing would surely complain behind my back. Then Zhang Zhiyuan would think I was incompetent and look down on me.
Though I wasn't afraid of Zhang Zhiyuan, all the sales staff would watch closely, and I'd be hollowed out by Liu Jing.
In the afternoon, wanting to meet more clients, I tried hard to act as a salesman, introducing our products to each client.
But since I was new as sales manager and not very familiar with the products, I sometimes couldn't answer technical questions.
Under such circumstances, I couldn't earn customers' trust, and all efforts were destined to be in vain.
At night, exhausted, I returned to the hotel.
Lying on the bed, the first thing I did was call my wife.
I wanted her to always feel my concern, even when I was away.
What I worried about most now was the child in my wife's womb. If it wasn't mine, no matter what, I would persuade her to have an abortion.
Strangely, I called twice in a row, but no one answered.
If the married couple cared about each other, the wife should be concerned when the husband was away on business. But Lu Wan showed no sign of care.
This gave me an inexplicable chill in my heart.
I reckoned this couldn't go on. When I returned home, I must press my wife for the truth about the child's biological father. Whatever the result, I was prepared to bear it.