Involuntary Symbiosis Chapter 24

Overtime

The Marketing Department worked overtime all night. Some employees missed their last bus, so Ila contacted the Finance Department to reimburse the commuting costs and late-night meal expenses for the marketing staff working overtime over the past few days. Xiaohui and Wang Ling were busy rushing data. The remaining matters concerning the production lines and offline sales were mainly handled by Ila. She processed file after file, her brown hair messy across her forehead.

Exhausted and drowsy, Ila decided to grab some coffee to keep going. When she reached the pantry, she saw Qian Xi.

Qian Xi’s shoulders were slumped, and her eyes kept opening and closing with fatigue. She placed her cup on the coffee machine in the pantry to dispense hot coffee. The black coffee flowed out with a gentle gurgle, wisps of steam rising from it. The rushing sound slowly subsided. Qian Xi nodded forward like a chick pecking rice. She opened her eyes, saw the coffee overflowing, and immediately rushed forward to turn it off, getting slightly burned in the process.

“Are you alright?” Ila asked with concern. Qian Xi glanced at Ila and replied, “I’m fine, Sister Ila. You haven’t left yet? It’s very late.”

“I still have some things to deal with.” Ila’s deep-set eyes showed undeniable exhaustion. She said helplessly, “I haven’t had time to spend with my husband these past few days. Although he understands, he always feels a bit sad inside.”

“President Nan said we’ll have the weekend off, so you can spend quality time with your husband then,” Qian Xi comforted her.

“Mhm.” Ila could only accept this. She asked, “How are things going?”

“Sister Ruo Yu sent me their marketing department’s proposal. I pulled up the previous marketing data to organize it. I just need to hand it over to Sister Xiaohui, and then I can take a taxi home.” Qian Xi let out a deep yawn.

“The Marketing Department is quite efficient.” Ila thought about how challenging it was to create different and effective marketing plans for various platforms in just two days.

“Yes, they have experience in this area and are very familiar with the platforms. Also, when I worked with President Zhao before, I kept the data separately, so I can leave work earlier now.” Qian Xi took a sip of coffee, a gulping sound audible.

“That’s tough on you,” Ila said with a smile.

“It is, but I’m not the last one to leave now,” Qian Xi replied, smiling back.

Xiaohui took the proposal and data organized by Qian Xi. She interfaced with Interlink’s secretary regarding the plan and found that the other party had sent their marketing proposal for review. Xiaohui compared it and then submitted it to Nan Ningyue. Nan Ningyue reviewed it. The conditions offered by Interlink—promoting Xu Group’s daily-use pharmaceuticals on online platforms, providing a dedicated quick jump interface, and investing funds in the promotion of Xu Group’s daily-use medicine—showed immense sincerity. He smiled, “President Lian is truly surprising.”

Xu Tongxiao leaned against Nan Ningyue’s shoulder and looked over. He felt that Lian Chengde had some skill. With a hint of jest, he said, “He really can’t wait to cooperate with us.”

“He wants to capture our attention, hoping we’ll put aside the cooperation with You Have Related and bind ourselves to them first,” Nan Ningyue mused, acknowledging Lian Chengde’s competence.

Xu Tongxiao and Nan Ningyue exchanged glances. Nan Ningyue understood immediately. Xu Tongxiao released a faint ginger Pheromones scent. The autumn night felt cooler, but the heating inside was sufficient. The digital clock on the desk showed eleven o’clock. Nan Ningyue handed the document back to Xiaohui. Xiaohui took the file and asked, “Presidents, what do you think?”

Xu Tongxiao smiled, “The conditions they offered are indeed very tempting.”

“But unfortunately, we like to see the effort of both platforms.”