Chapter 97 – Interrogated
Actually, many things had traceable signs, but Zhou Tongpeng arrogantly ignored these indications.
Indeed, the marketing department had always been his territory. It was easy for Zhuge Feng to place people in the marketing department, but when it came to appointing a director to directly manage the department, as long as Zhou Tongpeng was there, the appointment letter from the HR department would never come down. However, if the chairman made a direct appointment, Zhou Tongpeng couldn’t intervene.
On Wei Chen’s first day at Changfeng, he should have realized this problem. But Zhuge Feng played a cunning move by vigorously supporting Wei Chen during an early meeting and intentionally using the position of the deputy general manager as a bargaining chip. With such actions, who would doubt that Wei Chen wasn’t Zhuge Feng’s ally?
It turned out that everything was a smokescreen set up by Zhuge Feng. His goal was to make them believe that Wei Chen was part of Zhuge Yu’s faction, thus motivating them to resist Wei Chen, which would expose their own weaknesses. The chairman seized this weakness and made a fatal move.
Zhou Tongpeng felt unwilling in his heart, but what could he do? He had fallen into the trap from the beginning, and by the time he realized the problem, they had no room to maneuver.
Compared to the chairman, Zhou Tongpeng was far inferior.
Zhuge Feng looked at Zhou Tongpeng’s dark expression and his own smile became even brighter.
Who could be blamed for such an outcome? If Zhou Tongpeng hadn’t been too greedy, thinking he could spread his influence throughout Changfeng Group under the chairman’s watchful eye, would the chairman have taken action against him? Back then, the chairman could still tolerate Zhou Tongpeng’s tactics, but Zhou Tongpeng couldn’t stop himself after tasting success. The chairman had to make a move to deter Zhou Tongpeng and make him understand that it was almost impossible for him to replace the chairman.
Zhuge Feng naturally knew the chairman’s intention. It was not only to weaken Zhou Tongpeng’s power but also to deter them. They could cultivate their own factions, but they couldn’t use their factions to encroach on the company’s interests.
Zhuge Feng estimated that the company’s disciplinary committee would soon summon the sales department director and He Keqiang. These two individuals were not clean, and when the disciplinary committee investigated, Zhuge Feng guaranteed that everything would be precise and accurate.
When the chairman was in control of the company in a balanced manner, it didn’t mean that some factions couldn’t grow. However, as the factions grew, the power in their hands inevitably grew along with it. At this point, opportunistic actions for personal gain would silently proliferate. They would speak about benefiting the company and improving efficiency, but behind the scenes, they wouldn’t know how much of the shared cake they had already taken for themselves.
In this situation, the chairman naturally wouldn’t sit idly by. He couldn’t help but take action to strike at Zhou Tongpeng and, along with Wei Chen and Zhuge Feng, let Zhou Tongpeng’s people willingly hand over their handles, allowing them to be exploited.
Zhuge Feng had always been a perceptive presence within the company. While it seemed like he led this faction on his side, he was actually just someone cultivated by the chairman to counter Zhou Tongpeng.
Because he knew this very well, Zhuge Feng didn’t dare to make any sneaky moves. He knew that no one’s hidden actions could escape the chairman’s notice, from top to bottom of the company.
If Zhuge Feng knew this, how could Zhou Tongpeng not know? It’s just that people, sometimes, hold on to a sense of luck. Well, this time, it backfired, right?
Thinking about it, Zhuge Feng felt some sympathy for Zhou Tongpeng. Some people are just hard to figure out, truly pitiable.
Giving Zhou Tongpeng a sympathetic look, Zhuge Feng left, while Zhou Tongpeng remained furious. He understood the chairman’s intentions clearly, but he still wanted to make a comeback!
Zhou Tongpeng’s pensive gaze fell on Zhuge Feng before turning and leaving. His eyes squinted slightly, revealing a hint of malevolence.
*
Chairman’s office.
Sheng Jiaqi asked Wei Chen to sit on the sofa and took a seat in front of him, looking at Wei Chen steadily. The smile on the corner of his mouth still gave people a sense of tranquility, making them feel that he was an approachable chairman.
However, everyone in Changfeng, from top to bottom, knew that this chairman, who always wore a smile, was not an ordinary person. This time was the best proof of that.
“What are your plans for the next step?” The chairman took the cup of tea handed by his assistant and took a sip before asking. He appeared like an elder who cared for his junior, rather than a superior.
But Wei Chen and Sheng Jiaqi’s relationship was indeed not as simple as a superior and subordinate; it was more like a teacher-student bond.
Sheng Jiaqi was a visiting professor at Q University, and Wei Chen had contact with him during his time at Q University. Sheng Jiaqi had given lectures to Wei Chen’s class and greatly admired his vision and abilities. As they interacted more, they became familiar with each other, and Sheng Jiaqi, in the role of a teacher, taught Wei Chen many things.
In the previous life, Sheng Jiaqi had also extended an olive branch to Wei Chen. However, in Wei Chen’s previous life, he was solely focused on obtaining the inheritance rights of the Wei family and immersed himself in the family’s struggles. He even compromised and married Chen Li to stay in the metropolis and remain at the center of the Wei family. Under such circumstances, he naturally couldn’t accept Chairman Sheng’s olive branch and politely declined it.
In this life, Wei Chen wouldn’t repeat the same mistakes. When Sheng Jiaqi extended the olive branch to him, Wei Chen accepted without hesitation. He didn’t want to get involved in the Wei family’s struggles in this lifetime.
Having experienced death once, Wei Chen had gained a broader perspective on things.
He didn’t want to be a subsidiary of the Wei family. Without the Wei family, he was nothing. He wanted to establish his independence from the Wei family and be his own person, a Wei Chen who could provide a stable life for Chen Li. That was enough for him.
“Wei Chen?” Sheng Jiaqi noticed that Wei Chen seemed lost in thought and called his name.
Wei Chen snapped out of it and said, “I’ll stay in the Marketing Department. At this stage, the Marketing Department suits me better.”
That was Wei Chen’s plan, which might surprise others. After all, he had finally removed Lin Xin from the position of Deputy General Manager, so others would assume that Wei Chen would take on that role. However, Wei Chen didn’t want that position now. Sheng Jiaqi smiled and said, “I think so too,” clearly agreeing with Wei Chen’s choice.
After discussing work matters, Sheng Jiaqi brought up personal matters. “You’re married to Chen Li, right? When you have time, bring him to my house. I, as your teacher, will celebrate for you both.”
“Good,” Wei Chen agreed, feeling a warm sensation in his heart.
Since he and Chen Li got married, apart from a few well wishes from the civil servants at the Civil Affairs Bureau, no one had offered their blessings. Sheng Jiaqi must have known this and specially invited them to celebrate, organizing a congratulatory banquet for them.
Sheng Jiaqi smiled as he looked at Wei Chen, not concealing his admiration for him.
Next, Sheng Jiaqi discussed the development of Changfeng Group with Wei Chen, and their opinions were similar with occasional differences. The discussion became even more interesting.
Wei Chen stayed in the chairman’s office for nearly an hour before leaving. During that time, even Sheng Jiaqi’s assistant didn’t know what they talked about, only knowing that they had a pleasant conversation.
*
When Wei Chen returned to the Marketing Department, it was unusually quiet. The employees wore expressions of surprise, but upon closer inspection, it seemed like they weren’t that surprised after all.
“Director Wei, He Keqiang has been taken away by the disciplinary inspection commission,” Lu Wei approached and said.
In a large state-owned enterprise like Changfeng Group, there was an independent department called the Disciplinary Inspection Committee. They were responsible for supervision, and once someone was taken away by the disciplinary inspection commission, it was almost certain that the charges against them were valid.
Wei Chen didn’t find it surprising. When he took over the Marketing Department, he had already noticed some clues from the reports. This time, his actions with the chairman were partially aimed at He Keqiang.
“I know,” Wei Chen replied in a cold tone, devoid of any emotions.
Lu Wei was simply informing Wei Chen of the news and didn’t expect to get any information from him. After speaking, he left.
When the disciplinary inspection team arrived at the Marketing Department, Lu Wei was still somewhat surprised. However, his surprise lessened when he learned that they were interrogating He Keqiang. Although he didn’t have evidence of He Keqiang’s illegal activities, he knew that He Keqiang wasn’t innocent, and today’s outcome could be considered retribution.
Most of the employees in the Marketing Department shared Lu Wei’s mentality. After all, they had worked with He Keqiang for many years, and they were well aware of his character.
By the end of the workday, news spread throughout the company that the manager of the Marketing Department, He Keqiang, had been interrogated by the disciplinary inspection commission. Not only He Keqiang, but the director of the Sales Department, Director Xu, was also questioned.
Apart from the company’s top management knowing the reasons, others were a bit confused. They couldn’t understand why two high-ranking executives were suddenly being interrogated.
Using the term “interrogation” was just a euphemism. Everyone knew the real meaning behind it. Out of ten people questioned by the disciplinary inspection commission, nine would be convicted. Clearly, this interrogation came as a surprise, and for the rest of the company, it was an unforeseen event. They had expected that with Lin Xin’s appointment, both He Keqiang and the Sales Department director would continue to climb the ladder of success. However, it didn’t take long for both of them to be questioned, and it was likely that they would soon face further disciplinary actions.
The sudden turn of events left the onlookers perplexed. They couldn’t understand why Director Wei, who had been sidelined, suddenly made a comeback overnight. Meanwhile, the successful He Keqiang and Sales Department director were abruptly taken down.
Truly, fortunes change quickly!
Of course, apart from the shocked onlookers, those who were close to He Keqiang or the Sales Department director felt a sense of unease. Until the details and outcomes of the situation were known, they couldn’t find peace of mind.
In the meantime, upon learning about He Keqiang and the Sales Department director being interrogated by the disciplinary inspection commission, Zhou Tongpeng became furious. He swept everything off his desk, his eyes filled with rage. His assistant and secretary stood by, not daring to breathe.
“Sheng Jiaqi, oh Sheng Jiaqi, you’ve truly shown your intentions this time!” Zhou Tongpeng said with a sinister tone, feeling his anger rise. He kicked the office chair, creating a loud noise.
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