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Suning successfully secured a major order from Ai Zhonghua, and he achieved his goal of ranking first in sales. According to company regulations, he will be rewarded with a car.

So Suning immediately took Hu Manli to choose a car, and Hu Manli chose a shopping cart that her customers had given her.

She led Su Ning to the neighborhood market, where the vendors warmly welcomed Hu Manli and gave her their local specialties. Boss Chen even packed two fish for Hu Manli.

Seeing the pride on Hu Manli's face, Suning realized that what Hu Manli valued was the trust of her clients, and he couldn't help but look at her with new respect.

"Sister Manli, I never knew you were so charming?"

"What? Don't look at me like that. I'm not a woman like Zhong Ning who's thinking things through. I'm not interested in a little puppy like you."

"Tch! Narcissist."

"Seriously! What's going on between you and Zhong Ning?"

"I hate it when you ask questions you already know the answer to."

“Su Ning, I didn’t expect you to have such heavy tastes! Zhong Ning is two years younger than me, but she’s already thirty-seven this year.”

"You don't understand! Young people don't know the value of married women and mistakenly regard young girls as treasures."

"Then why are you so nice to Wang Xue?"

"Me? I don't really have any hobbies! I don't like cars or watches, so..."

"Tsk tsk tsk! You're such a refreshingly scummy bastard."

……

Suning stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window on the 28th floor of Taiying International Building, overlooking the panoramic view of the city.

Sunlight streamed through the glass, illuminating his brand-new, custom-made suit, the director's badge on his chest reflecting a soft glow.

He had just finished a private meeting with Li Qingqing, and the promotion notification was still saved on his phone.

Li Qingqing specifically called Su Ning to her office to acknowledge his achievements over the past six months since joining the company.

Li Qingqing was promoted to director at Suning and was put into the family office to be in charge of business with major clients.

"Director Su, your coffee." Secretary Xiaolin gently knocked on the door and placed a steaming latte on his desk.

"Thank you." Su Ning smiled and nodded, her gaze sweeping over the spacious and bright office.

Six months ago, he was an unknown newcomer, but now he occupies the best position in the entire company.

He picked up his phone, hesitated for a moment, and then dialed that familiar number.

"Sister Manli, are you free tonight? I'd like to invite you to dinner." His voice was a bit softer than usual.

Hu Manli's hearty laughter came from the other end of the phone: "Oh! Director Su, are you treating us to a meal? Or is it because you got promoted and want to show off?"

"You guessed right." Su Ning chuckled. "Michelin three-star restaurant, 7 PM. I'll send a car to pick you up."

After hanging up the phone, Suning turned to the computer screen and began processing emails.

Promotion brings not only an increase in status, but also a significant increase in workload.

Just as he was completely engrossed in his work, his phone rang again.

“Su Ning.” Zhong Ning’s languid voice came through the phone. “Are you coming to my house tonight? I bought your favorite red wine.”

Su Ning tapped her fingers lightly on the table: "Tonight won't work, I have an important client to meet."

"Is it Hu Manli again?" Zhong Ning's voice immediately turned sharp. "You've been seeing her more often than me lately. The teacher said you two are having an affair."

"Stop messing around! This is really work." Su Ning lowered her voice. "But if you can't handle this, please leave?"

"you……"

After hanging up the phone, Su Ning rubbed his temples.

He opened the drawer, inside which were three cell phones neatly arranged—one for work, one for personal use, and one for a number known only to a select few women.

……

At 6:50 p.m., Suning's black Mercedes parked downstairs at Hu Manli's apartment building.

He specially changed into a casual dark blue suit today, which made him look less sharp in the workplace and more approachable.

When Hu Manli opened the car door, Su Ning's eyes lit up.

She wore a dark green dress, a rare sight for her, with her hair loosely tied up, looking much softer than her usual office attire.

"You look beautiful today," Suning complimented sincerely.

Hu Manli raised an eyebrow: "What, aren't you pretty usually?"

“Normally she’s capable, but today she is…” Su Ning carefully chose her words, “…a real eye-opener.”

"Smooth talker." Hu Manli laughed as she fastened her seatbelt. "It seems that becoming a director has also improved her ability to flatter people."

Inside the restaurant, the soft sound of a piano intertwined with the light from a crystal chandelier.

The waiter led them to seats by the window, where they could enjoy a panoramic view of the Huangpu River at night.

"Let's get down to business first." After the red wine was served, Su Ning said seriously, "I want to formally form a team, and you and Xue Xiaozhou will help me."

Hu Manli paused for a moment, her hand still swirling the wine in her glass. "I don't need sympathy."

“This isn’t pity.” Su Ning leaned forward. “Do you know why I got promoted so quickly? Because of that Ai Zhonghua deal, you helped me organize all the client information; last month’s group insurance plan was something you worked on overnight; and…”

"That was just colleagues helping each other out."

“No, that’s a tacit understanding between partners.” Su Ning’s eyes were unusually serious. “I need you, not only because of your abilities, but also because…”

He paused for a moment, then said, "You are the only person I trust in this company."

Hu Manli took a sip of her drink, avoiding his burning gaze: "Let me think about it."

Just then, Hu Manli's phone rang.

She glanced at it, her expression changing drastically: "My dad's smart monitoring app has triggered an alarm!"

Su Ning immediately stood up: "I'll take you there."

Twenty minutes later, they arrived at Hu Degong's apartment.

The old man was unconscious on the ground. Without saying a word, Su Ning picked him up and ran downstairs.

On the way to the hospital, Hu Manli held her father's hand tightly, her voice trembling: "He said he was dizzy last week, I should have insisted that he come for a checkup."

"Don't blame yourself." Su Ning held the steering wheel with one hand and gently patted her shoulder with the other. "It'll be alright."

The emergency room doctor quickly diagnosed it as a brain hemorrhage, requiring immediate surgery.

When the nurse handed her the surgical consent form, Hu Manli's hand trembled so much that she could barely hold the pen.

"I'll take it." Su Ning took the document, quickly glanced at it, and pointed out a few key points. "Here, and here, you need to confirm these."

After signing the document, Hu Manli suddenly remembered something: "Tyndall! He'll be out of school soon..."

“I’ll go pick them up,” Su Ning said without hesitation. “Send me the school information.”

Hu Manli stared at him blankly: "But..."

"No buts." Su Ning had already taken out her phone. "Wang Xue is nearby. I'll have her come and keep you company first."

He made a phone call and gave a brief explanation.

Wang Xue rushed to the hospital in less than ten minutes.

The girl in her early twenties lit up when she saw Su Ning, but quickly composed herself and focused on comforting Hu Manli.

"I'll go pick up the child." Su Ning nodded to Wang Xue. "Take good care of Sister Manli."

Before leaving, he looked back once more.

Hu Manli's slender figure appeared particularly fragile under the harsh hospital lights, a stark contrast to her usual decisive and efficient demeanor.

A strange protective instinct suddenly welled up in Su Ning's heart.

……

The next morning, Su Ning ran into Ding Zhiyuan in the hospital corridor.

The ex-husband was walking over carrying a thermos when he saw Suning and was clearly taken aback.

"Who are you?" Ding Zhiyuan looked him up and down.

“Su Ning, Sister Manli’s colleague,” Su Ning introduced briefly, noticing the wariness in the other person’s eyes.

"I heard you brought your father to the hospital, thank you." Ding Zhiyuan's thanks were somewhat stiff. "I'll take care of him from now on."

Hu Manli came out of the ward, her eyes covered with heavy dark circles: "Su Ning, where's Ding Daer?"

“I took him to school.” Su Ning handed him a cup of hot coffee. “The child is very sensible and didn’t make a fuss.”

Ding Zhiyuan interjected, "I'd like to bring Tyndall to stay with me for a few days; you can't take care of him by yourself."

Hu Manli hesitated, glancing at Su Ning as if seeking his opinion. This subtle movement did not escape Ding Zhiyuan's notice.

"That's fine too." Su Ning nodded. "I can help with pick-up and drop-off at school."

Ding Zhiyuan frowned: "No need to trouble you, I am his father."

The atmosphere was a little awkward for a while.

Just then, a nurse came over to announce that a private room had become available. Ding Zhiyuan immediately said, "I asked the department head for help; he has connections at the health bureau."

While processing the transfer to another ward, Su Ning's phone rang.

He walked to the end of the corridor to answer the phone. It was Xue Xiaozhou's anxious voice: "Director Su, something's happened! A former colleague of mine at Lanyang Insurance told me that Sister Manli signed a risk disclosure statement on her behalf for a policy she had seven years ago!"

Su Ning's eyes turned cold: "I understand."

At this moment, Chen Fang, who was on his way home from get off work, talked to Tang Ling about Hu Manli. Seven years ago, Hu Manli bought an investment-linked insurance policy for her client, Ma Yong.

Now that Ma Yong's business has failed, he wants to withdraw the insurance premium, only to find that he only has a few hundred thousand yuan left.

So Ma Yong sued Lanyang Insurance, because according to regulations, customers need to sign a risk disclosure agreement when purchasing a linked insurance policy.

The risk disclosure document was written by Hu Manli. Tang Ling wanted to take this opportunity to completely bring down Hu Manli and had Chen Fang report Hu Manli to Lanyang's headquarters.

Just then, Su Ning called, which immediately surprised Tang Ling and Chen Fang.

The phone rang for a long time before Tang Ling and Chen Fang finally answered it.

"Director Su, is there something you need?"

"Manager Tang, I heard you're very interested in historical insurance policies?" Su Ning asked directly, her voice low.

Tang Ling gave a fake smile: "Director Su, you're really well-informed. I was just having some ideas, and you already guessed them. However, signing a risk disclosure on behalf of someone else is a serious violation of regulations."

"Is that so?" Su Ning sneered. "Then isn't giving rebates to customers a violation of the rules? I have a recording of you giving customers a 15% rebate."

There was a few seconds of silence on the other end of the phone: "What do you want?"

"Peaceful coexistence." Su Ning said, emphasizing each word. "Don't cause any more trouble for Hu Manli, or the China Insurance Regulatory Commission will see you."

"What...what is your relationship with Hu Manli? Why are you helping her so desperately?"

"A partner and a friend! And the kind where I don't have to worry about being betrayed by her."

“Suning, I can actually cooperate with you. Why can’t you consider me?”

"You're too smart! I... can't handle it."

"..."

After hanging up the phone, Su Ning took a deep breath to compose herself before returning to the ward area.

Hu Manli was settling her father in the new ward when she saw him return. She smiled wearily and asked, "Is there something going on at the company?"

"It's nothing," Su Ning said casually. "You should rest. I'll take care of things here."

Hu Manli shook her head: "No! Don't you have an exclusive interview with 'New Business Forces' today? President Li values ​​this very much."

Suning then remembered this.

He glanced at his watch; it was indeed time to go back to the company and get ready.

Before leaving, he couldn't help but reach out and brush a stray hair from Hu Manli's shoulder: "Call me anytime if you need anything."

This intimate gesture startled both of them.

Hu Manli's ears turned slightly red, and she coughed lightly: "Go quickly! Chief Director."

……

The interview took place in the company's largest conference room.

Li Qingqing personally attended the event and was very satisfied with Suning's performance.

When asked about his views on the insurance industry, Suning's answer was unexpected.

"The insurance industry is essentially about risk management, but in practice, many agents simplify complex products in order to meet their sales targets, leading to constant disputes during claims processing." He looked directly into the camera. "I believe that integrity is more important than sales performance. For example, my team has an unwritten rule—we must explain each clause clearly in language that customers can understand."

The reporter pressed further: "I heard you became a director in just six months. What's your secret?"

Suning smiled and said, "Great team. I have the best partners; their insight into customer needs is unmatched."

"So what do you think of the negative comments about the insurance industry?"

"The insurance industry is a systematic financial product! It cannot be explained in just a few words, but in the eyes of ordinary people, it is no different from fraud."

"Huh? A scam?"

"Yes! It's a common saying that insurance only pays out in two ways: this won't pay out and that won't pay out."

"Director Su, aren't you afraid your boss will fire you for saying that?"

"Haha, of course I'm not afraid! I just want to say that selling insurance can't be about quick success and instant benefits. You have to explain all the circumstances to the customer clearly. From the moment the contract is signed, the salesperson has to be responsible for that customer to the very end."

"I see! After hearing what Director Su said, I'm even thinking of buying insurance from you now."

"welcome any time!"

After the interview, Li Qingqing patted him on the shoulder: "You did a good job, especially when you talked about the team."

"Thank you for your recognition, Ms. Qingqing."

"But remember not to say anything carelessly! The part that follows is a bit too dangerous."

"President Qingqing, I think what those big clients value most is security and trust. You can't gain trust if you're always thinking about deception."

"I hope you're right."

At that moment, Hu Manli was having dinner with Zhong Ning, and they were watching Su Ning's interview together. Hu Manli felt very gratified.

Zhong Ning felt weak all over at the thought of Su Ning, and couldn't help but recall the passion of that night.

"Manli, Suning is really too perfect. I suddenly remembered that poem."

"What poem?"

"I was born before you were born, and you were born after I had grown old."

"Huh? Is it really that serious?"

"Manli, do you know what? Suning is really fierce! Last time they lasted all night."

"Impossible! He's not made of iron."

"Hehe, you don't believe me now? You'll only know how good it is if you experience it for yourself."

"Hmph! Zhong Ning, I think you don't have ALS, you're just a lovesick fool."

Almost simultaneously, he received a text message from Wang Xue: "Are you going home tonight? I learned a new dish."

Suning quickly replied: "I have to work overtime tonight, so I might get home a little late, since I was just promoted."

"All right!"

Next came a message from Zhong Ning: "I watched your interview, you were so cool! We have to celebrate tonight!"

Su Ning rubbed her temples and replied, "I really can't today. I'll come find you tomorrow."

He put down his phone and looked out the window at the darkening sky.

That fragile figure in the hospital came back to mind.

After hesitating for a moment, he picked up his coat and car keys and decided to go to the hospital again.

In the elevator, he ran into several colleagues from the marketing department.

His former colleagues, who used to ignore him, are now eagerly pressing the floor button for him and calling him "Director Su" at every turn.

Suning responded politely, but he knew in his heart how much jealousy and scheming lay behind this outward respect.

Only one person treated him with his true self from beginning to end.

Thinking of Hu Manli trying to hold back her tears in the hospital corridor, Su Ning unconsciously quickened her pace.

……

The next morning, Suning went to work in high spirits, having spent the first half of the night at Youqi's place until after 10 p.m.

After returning home, he and Wang Xue had another session, proving himself to be a true master of time management.

When Suning went to work, his colleagues treated him with utmost respect, and some even offered to open the elevator for him. It was a stark contrast to his previous behavior.

Li Qingqing arranged the best office for Su Ning and even provided him with a car.

……

(End of this chapter)