Rebirth of the Rich Second Generation's Growth Diary

Chapter 188 First Day in Office

When Li Xu arrived downstairs at the company, little did he know that things were not peaceful inside the branch office.

The person Li Xu is going to succeed is named Liu Guoqing. Undoubtedly, this name is very much indicative of the times. He is already 45 years old this year.

At this moment, Liu Guoqing was packing his things in his office. He packed his personal belongings into cardboard boxes one by one, glancing out from the large floor-to-ceiling window every now and then.

Today in Jindong City, the air quality outside is poor; areas a little further away are shrouded in a hazy gray. He felt that it was like his own road ahead, where he couldn't see the direction.

Actually, there wasn't much to pack up. He was just reminiscing, just reminiscing, so he wasn't in a hurry.

After tidying up his things and placing them on his desk, he leaned back in his chair, carefully recalling the past two or three years since he joined the branch office.

A moment later, a bitter smile appeared on his face. Without a doubt, being able to oversee operations in a strategically important part of the company meant he was no useless person.

Before coming here, he was the general manager in charge of human resources at the group headquarters. When he was sent here, he was full of vigor and ambition.

Everyone knows that being a department head in a government agency is never as good as being a powerful regional official. At the time, becoming the top official here involved a very complex political struggle.

In large corporations, political struggles can be even more ruthless than in government. In government, people still maintain a sense of decorum, but here, the law of the jungle is displayed more nakedly.

But regardless, he won, and won spectacularly. Having fought his way through such an environment, he certainly wasn't lacking in ability, which was exactly what the corporation wanted.

Jinzhou is the largest city outside the provincial capital, and as the province's high-tech industrial center, Jinzhou even has a broader market than the provincial capital in some niche sectors. Therefore, the entire management team dispatched here consists of extremely talented individuals, and he is among the best of them.

However, recalling his former high spirits, Liu Guoqing's mood grew increasingly bitter. He slowly picked up the teacup on the table, took a sip, and his gaze fell on the company's next strategic project—the Jinchuan Bank project. Unfortunately, this project was now irrelevant to him.

He placed the tea on the table, pondering: what should he do next? He was only 45 years old, the prime of his life, but he had lost all his fighting spirit.

I was one of the earliest people to follow Li Yuqian, and Li Yuqian values ​​relationships very much. Over the years, I have made contributions and worked hard, and even if I retire from this position, Li Yuqian will certainly not treat me unfairly.

He couldn't help but think of the phone call Li Yuqian had given him, and then chuckled softly, muttering, "So confident in his own son?" In reality, Liu Guoqing didn't resent Li Yuqian's decision at all, nor did he feel that Li Xu was trying to take his place, because the actual situation was more complicated.

He was a loser, but not one who was forcibly defeated by Li Yuqian or Li Xu; he was defeated by Xu Liang.

He subconsciously glanced at the wall to his left; beyond three walls lay the vice president's office—Xu Liang's. Liu Guoqing remained silent, then sighed softly. He hadn't expected to lose so completely in his struggle against Xu Liang.

Xu Liang is only thirty-seven or thirty-eight years old.

And now, Li Xu, who is even younger than Xu Liang, has arrived.

However, it seems to have nothing to do with me now.

There was a knock on the door.

Liu Guoqing leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "Come in."

The secretary pushed open the door, and a young man walked in. Liu Guoqing was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. Looking at the tall young man in front of him, who bore a six or seven-point resemblance to Li Yuqian, he felt calm and smiled, saying, "Xiao Xu, you've come so early?"

Li Xu chuckled and replied, "Just arrived." He walked over, picked up the kettle by the door, and naturally poured some tea for Liu Guoqing.

Liu Guoqing did not stop him, because he knew very well that when Li Xu arrived at the company, he did not go to Xu Liang's place first, but came to him, an old man who was about to be fired.

On the one hand, it shows respect; on the other hand, it definitely wants to learn more from me.

But is this young man really thinking this way? Or did he just come here without really intending to convey any political message?
After thinking for a moment, Liu Guoqing smiled and said, "Xiao Xu, I'm about to be fired, you should go to President Xu's office and meet with him first."

Li Xu looked up and smiled, saying, "Uncle Liu, what are you saying? You're not just packing your bags and leaving. The group and shareholders have seen your contributions to the branch company over the years. You're sure to have even better prospects in the future, so I definitely had to come and report to you first!"

These words lifted Liu Guoqing's spirits somewhat, and he found it hard to believe that a young man in his early twenties could say such things. Rumors circulated in the company about how capable Li Yuqian's son was, but he hadn't met Li Xu, so he hadn't felt it so strongly, and might even have been somewhat skeptical. But after meeting Li Xu today, he immediately believed the rumors in the company were true.

Li Yuqian has already begun to consciously make Li Xu his successor.

It's hard to imagine that most first-generation entrepreneurs in the business world struggle to cultivate a successor who won't squander the family fortune. As a result, many first-generation entrepreneurs still hold onto power even in their sixties or seventies. Yet, Li Yuqian, at the peak of his energy and ability, has already begun to groom Li Xu.

Are these young people really that outstanding?
Li Xu chatted with Liu Guoqing politely for a while, and both of them seemed very patient.

Li Xu only briefly mentioned the company at the beginning, but Liu Guoqing didn't follow up on that topic and casually changed the subject. Li Xu then didn't bring it up again.

The two mostly reminisced about their early entrepreneurial days, occasionally touching on topics related to education and further studies. It truly resembled a casual conversation between a junior and an elder.

While chatting casually, Liu Guoqing was secretly alarmed. This young man was far more composed than he had imagined!

After chatting for nearly an hour, Liu Guoqing suddenly laughed. He stood up and said, "Xiao Xu, you're quite an interesting young man." He turned and walked to the bookshelf behind him, took down a phone book, and said, "Xiao Xu, since you've come all this way, I certainly won't let you leave empty-handed. Here's a little gift for you."

He flipped to a page in the phone book, took out his pen, drew a line in a certain spot, then closed the book and handed it to Li Xu. Li Xu took it and saw a name and a phone number on it. Liu Guoqing's tone was tinged with regret: "Originally, if it had been delayed a few more days, this phone would have been useful, but now I don't need it, so I'll give it to you."

Li Xu asked, "What is this?"

Liu Guoqing said in a light tone, "This is a friend of mine, you might find him useful. Invite him to dinner sometime when you're free." After saying this, Liu Guoqing said no more.

Li Xu's heart skipped a beat. He knew very well that Liu Guoqing would never give someone's contact information without a reason. He took out his phone and silently took a picture of the person's phone number.

Looking at the former president who seemed to have aged considerably, Li Xu felt a pang of emotion.

Liu Guoqing's transfer wasn't without reason; in fact, he had made a mistake. One of his most trusted sales representatives defected to a competitor at a crucial moment, causing them to lose a vital project.

Because of this incident, the group and shareholders began to consider taking action against him. Of course, this was the stated reason; Li Xu was well aware that Liu Guoqing had lost his struggle against Xu Liang.

Li Xu's main purpose in coming here today was to learn more about Xu Liang. Although he had gained an unexpected advantage, Li Xu hadn't forgotten his original intention. He thought for a moment and asked, "Uncle Liu, I'm going to meet the vice president later. What kind of person is he?"

Upon hearing this question, Liu Guoqing gave Li Xu a meaningful look, paused for a moment, and then said, "Xu Liang is very capable and has excellent emotional management skills." He paused again, then added, "And he's very popular." After that, Liu Guoqing fell silent.

Li Xu's eyes flickered; he had obtained the information he wanted. His competence was self-evident, and his strong emotional control meant he was adept at concealing his emotions and possessed considerable shrewdness. But the most intriguing point was the third: excellent interpersonal relationships. This undoubtedly meant that most people in the company listened to Xu Liang.

It seems things won't go smoothly for me since I just joined the company. Unlike Xuri Zhike, where everyone was someone I trusted and obeyed 100%, making everything I did seem effortless. Here, the first challenge I'll face is the lack of trusted confidants.

However, facing the upcoming challenges, Li Xu became excited. He clearly understood his father's purpose in sending him to this branch company. If he couldn't fully control the branch company, it meant he still had much to improve. He had already proven his operational capabilities through Xuri Zhike and the entrepreneurship competition, but to become a qualified successor, he also needed sufficient political acumen. This was both a training opportunity and a test, and the greater the challenge, the more excited Li Xu became.

……

Xu Liang already knew about Li Xu's arrival at the company.

Huang Lingling was Liu Guoqing's secretary, but she was currently with Xu Liang. Xu Liang nodded slightly: "Are they still inside?"

Huang Lingling nodded: "We've been chatting for over an hour."

A smile appeared on Xu Liang's face, as if he were jokingly saying, "It's quite reasonable for two presidents to have work to hand over."

Huang Lingling didn't respond, only looking at Xu Liang with some nervousness. Facing Xu Liang, the vice president, Huang Lingling actually felt more awe than anything else. Because you could never guess what this vice president was thinking.

General Manager Liu's transfer order has been issued, and there are rumors that he was targeted by General Manager Xu. But whether that's true or not, no one can say for sure. Just yesterday, General Manager Xu and General Manager Liu were having dinner with many mid-level managers at an upscale restaurant, supposedly to bid farewell to General Manager Liu.

The two CEOs were enjoying drinks together, the atmosphere incredibly harmonious. After a few rounds of drinks, they reminisced about their early days in Jintong City, their eyes welling with tears as they spoke. Was their loving relationship truly as the rumors suggested?
If so, that would be terrifying.

Huang Lingling had only been working for a little over two years, but because she was very quick-witted and attentive to detail, she was promoted directly from a front desk staff member to become the president's secretary. She wouldn't feel this kind of pressure when facing President Liu.

Now she felt a little uneasy again. The new president was said to be the son of the group's CEO, undoubtedly a true second-generation rich kid. What kind of person was he, and would he still let her continue as his secretary?

I don't want to go back to the front desk anymore.

At that moment, Huang Lingling didn't know why these random thoughts were popping into her head. Her phone rang; it was Liu Guoqing calling. Huang Lingling answered immediately, and Liu Guoqing said, "Take Li Xu to General Manager Xu's place."

Huang Lingling hung up the phone and said to Xu Liang, "General Manager Liu said I should bring General Manager Li over."

Xu Liang nodded and said with a smile, "Go ahead." He watched Huang Lingling's retreating figure, a smile playing on his lips. Huang Lingling was someone he had called over at the last minute; ostensibly to assign some tasks, but actually…

He picked up the coffee on the table and took a sip. Compared to tea, he preferred the simple, quick, and direct caffeine in coffee. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, his gaze becoming deep. There were two documents on the table: one related to the Jinchuan Bank project, and the other a report from several departments requesting approval for marketing expenses.

His lips curled slightly upward, and no one knew what he was thinking.

Meanwhile, Huang Lingling knocked on the door. Li Xu and Liu Guoqing were chatting happily. When Liu Guoqing saw Huang Lingling enter, his eyes flickered, and he asked, "Where did you go just now?"

Huang Lingling was stunned for a moment: "I'm with President Xu." As soon as she said this, she realized her mistake and immediately regretted it.

Liu Guoqing glanced at Li Xu.

Li Xu showed no expression, but said to Huang Lingling, "Please take me to Mr. Xu's place."

Then he turned to Liu Guoqing and said, "Uncle Liu, I'll have to excuse myself now. Let's get together again tonight."

Liu Guoqing chuckled and agreed, "Of course, I'll host a dinner to welcome you back, haha."

Li Xu followed Huang Lingling out, a smile playing on his lips. When he made the phone call, Huang Lingling was in Xu Liang's office, which meant that it was highly likely she had just arranged some activities for herself, and the schedule had been sent to Xu Liang the next second.

Did Xu Liang deliberately let him see it?
(End of this chapter)