Chapter 39: The Daily Life of Xiao Yu (Part II)

HR Manager Du Yirong was just about to leave when she heard the CEO instruct her, "Have the secretary come in for a moment."

"Understood, I'll call her right away!"

Du Yirong turned and exited the office. Only after closing the door did she cast a suspicious glance back inside. She couldn't shake the feeling that CEO Xiao was acting strange today. In the past, the CEO would have certainly discussed the background of each candidate from the resumes with her, made a preliminary judgment on who was the best fit, and then conducted a second interview before the new hires joined the firm.

But today, especially with the CEO standing by the floor-to-ceiling window holding a teacup, her demeanor and air seemed to have completely changed.

Secretary Sun arrived quickly.

"Brief me on the company's current status and its core business."

Facing her puzzled gaze, Lu Xing asked his question, which only made Secretary Sun more suspicious. Theoretically, no one in a company understands its internal affairs better than the boss, especially an entrepreneur like Xiao Yu. Thus, Lu Xing’s question seemed exceptionally odd.

However, Secretary Sun was a professional, or perhaps she held such unwavering faith in Xiao Yu that she believed the CEO must have her reasons for acting this way. So, she began her presentation:

"Our company was founded by you, CEO Xiao, while you were abroad. After returning to the country, we relocated the headquarters here, and we currently only have two overseas offices. At present, the company has two hundred and fifteen employees domestically. Our core businesses include equity investment, securities investment, and a portion of debt investment. Categorized by region, we have domestic and international investments; securities investment is primarily overseas, while equity investment focuses on small and medium-sized domestic startups... Our departments include Administration, Finance, Logistics, Securities Investment Management, and the Strategic Development and Investment Department, which is your current priority."

After Secretary Sun finished her briefing in one breath, Lu Xing nodded with feigned approval and asked, "What do you think about the company expanding into industrial sectors?"

"Industrial sectors?"

Sun Ying thought carefully, then shook her head and said, "Industrial sectors are not suitable for our company's development; the return on investment is too slow. If you are interested in industrial development, you could acquire a company and become its chairman. It’s just that industrial sectors are very difficult right now, and I don't believe there is any industry worth your personal involvement, CEO."

Lu Xing smiled. "Alright, you may go. I'll give it some more thought."

Sun Ying nodded, reminded him of a meeting at 9:30, and then turned to leave the CEO’s office. Once outside, she turned back with the same sense of doubt—the CEO seemed like a stranger today, as if she knew nothing about the company, not even its financial situation. A boss might not need to know the daily operations, but they must know their own wallet.

After she left, Lu Xing picked up his phone and saw a message from Xiao Yu:

"I'm attending class for you. Introduction to Machine Learning [Photo]"

She had taken a picture from the corridor looking into the classroom. Lu Xing could see many familiar classmates and guessed she wasn't playing on her phone during class.

The next message read:

"Handle it as you see fit."

Lu Xing smiled and sent her a message: "Your company's HR gave me some resumes; I pushed them to tomorrow. I'm going to a meeting soon; I'll just play dumb when I get there."

Xiao Yu did not reply; she was likely back in class. To think that a CEO managing billions in assets was wasting her time in a junior-year lecture—Lu Xing felt a pang of pity for her!

At 9:25.

Secretary Sun came to remind him about the meeting. As she turned to leave, Lu Xing quickly called out, "I'll go with you." He wanted to avoid not knowing where the conference room was.

Sun Ying nodded slightly and used her phone to send a message in the management group: "Meeting time. The CEO is heading to the conference room."

The previously quiet small group chat suddenly buzzed with life as corporate elites from all over replied:

"Received."
"On my way!"
"Give me half a minute."
"Be there soon!"

Lu Xing walked into the conference room, where most of the company's management had already arrived. There weren't many—about a dozen people. Lu Xing guessed that their annual salaries started in the millions. Compared to his own embarrassment over needing to borrow two thousand yuan from his counselor, the contrast was like heaven and earth.

Yet, here he was, acting as the boss of this group! It could only be said that fate was truly mysterious.

"Is everyone here? Let's start the meeting."

Seeing Lu Xing remain silent, Secretary Sun delivered the opening remarks. As all the managers looked at him, Lu Xing was forced to speak. He cleared his throat and said, "My throat isn't feeling well today. The secretary will chair the meeting; I will just observe."

It was all Xiao Yu's fault! She hadn't mentioned this meeting at all! Lu Xing had reason to suspect she just wanted to see him make a fool of himself. But didn't she realize that if Lu Xing made a fool of himself, it would ultimately be her own reputation on the line?

"Please take care of your health, CEO Xiao," Sun Ying said with concern. Lu Xing nodded and signaled for her to continue.

"Today's meeting will primarily discuss the cash flow of Haotian Technology and propose solutions."

Sun Ying expertly began to guide the discussion, letting each manager speak in turn. Observing from the sidelines, Lu Xing finally understood the cause of the matter: a ten-million-yuan investment by the company in Haotian Technology had been squandered in less than half a year. Rumors had it that after receiving the investment, the CEO of that company had immediately used various means to siphon off the funds to buy sports cars. Now, Haotian Technology's finances were in shambles, effectively declaring the investment a failure.

Lu Xing felt the weight of Xiao Yu's pressure. Just by sitting there without asking questions, he made the team of million-dollar-a-year financial managers sweat bullets. They listed everything from who had introduced Haotian Technology to who had performed the due diligence, all for Xiao Yu to determine who would have to take the fall.

After discussing for a long time, a preliminary plan was formed, and the company's Vice President provided the summary. Lu Xing naturally had his own thoughts on the matter, but his word didn't count.

He picked up his phone to check it; Xiao Yu had already sent instructions:

"Have Vice President Liu Yong and the Financial Director go to Haotian Technology to audit their books. Go as soon as the meeting is over. I don't want to see anyone from that company until the reason is clear; it only makes me angry."

Lu Xing cleared his throat. Under their gaze, he commanded: "Liu Yong, you and the Financial Director, go and investigate their financial situation. Leave immediately after the meeting. I only want to see the final report; I don't want to see anything else! If they cannot provide a reasonable explanation for the funds, call the police and then report back to me."

"Understood, CEO Xiao. We'll head over right after this! I have already notified their finance department not to touch any accounts until we arrive!"

The two replied immediately.

"Hm."

Lu Xing nodded slightly, and the oppressive atmosphere in the conference room eased significantly.

Afterward, Secretary Sun discussed some daily management matters. Lu Xing did not speak again, and once the discussion concluded, he declared the meeting over.

Back in the office, there was basically no work to do. The morning passed in a flash.

Lu Xing didn't return to the apartment for lunch. He had his assistant order some takeout, and after eating, he lay on the office sofa, scrolling through his phone.

Xiao Yu: "[Photo]"

Lu Xing opened it and couldn't help but chuckle. He was eating a two-hundred-yuan meal in Xiao Yu’s office, while Xiao Yu was in his school cafeteria, eating the cafeteria's "three dishes and one soup."

"Come to school this afternoon, move your things to the hotel, and stay there until the house is ready!"

"Also, use my phone to transfer thirty thousand to yourself; I need it to top up my meal card."

Xiao Yu added.

Transferring money was a bit of a hassle, but Lu Xing eventually figured it out. He used Xiao Yu’s phone to transfer thirty thousand to his own account—though the money wasn't his, it was for Xiao Yu to use while she was in his body.