Part 2
At the beginning of the week, Le Chi was informed to go to the General Director’s office. She questioned the department head and learned that she was being promoted to the assistant position. She was quite surprised by the unexpected luck, but did not dare to delay and went straight up.
Stepping up to the 11th floor, Chi tightened the strap of her bag, her shirt collar was slightly wet with sweat. She stood in front of the General Director’s office door, her heart filled with strange feelings, nervousness, tension, and… fear.
She didn’t know what she was afraid of specifically, she only knew the stories out there, personal secretaries, big bosses, rumored names… many girls got to the top thanks to “being obedient and reasonable”. People said that being a secretary for a male boss meant having to accept being called late at night, going on business trips together, suddenly changing jobs, and even… having to be “flexible” if you wanted to keep your job.
Her hands clenched tighter, telling herself to be more determined.
– I am not like them, definitely not like them, and will never want to be like them.
When she felt calmer, she raised her hand and knocked on the door.
– Knock… knock… knock.
Cạch… the door opened, welcoming her was a very pretty woman, Chi also knew this person also once talked in the canteen. But today in the position of “guide” she looked much different, but overall still beautiful. She wore a blue shirt with the sleeves rolled up past the elbow, her full chest made the row of buttons in front of her chest stretch out. She skillfully loosened one button just enough to reveal the fullness without revealing anything. Along with that were tight cream-colored pants and a pair of light 7cm clogs. The delicate combination made her show off her long legs and curvaceous buttocks while still maintaining her youthfulness and dynamism. She had a pretty face, years of training and cultivating had given her a confident and knowledgeable charm.
Her face was not heavily made up, just a little lipstick and a light layer of foundation. She was beautiful mainly because of her bright eyes, high nose bridge and smiling mouth, her shoulder-length hair added to her feminine yet classy look. That elegance combined with a friendly personality made Le Chi no longer nervous at this point.
– Please sit here with me for a few minutes. The boss is almost done talking on the phone.
Chi gently sat down, bowed her head to thank the glass of water she had just given her, then she quietly looked around the room. The room was quite large, with mainly bright colors, occasionally dotted with a few shades of green and bamboo motifs to highlight the company’s spirit, conveniently promoting the main product. Mr. Danh sat inside, behind a dark brown table, a decorative shelf and a large sofa of the same color away from where Chi sat.
Ha looked at her watch and quickly glanced at the girl sitting next to her, she smiled slightly. Although she had heard and known a lot about her, had met her once and was impressed by her polite behavior. But today was the first time she had a chance to look closely, Ha could not help but be slightly startled. Because under the clear light and the rough preparation, Chi looked quite pretty. What was more special was her gentle, clean appearance, like a fragrant flower branch that did not compete to show off its beauty, making people very comfortable when facing or being near her.
Chi wore a long-sleeved square-necked shirt, the fabric was a bit rough but very new, paired with neatly tucked-in ash-gray trousers, looking much more presentable than the last time I saw her. A country girl, radiant with youthfulness and a sparkling intellectual aura. Everything about her was not overwhelming but enough to arouse nostalgia and curiosity in anyone who paid attention to her.
Under the light, her skin, though not too white, was brighter. Without makeup, Chi still looked radiant. But what impressed Ha the most was her subtlety in every gesture, when she took the glass of water, when she bowed her head, and when she quietly looked around at the space around her. Her eyes were both reserved and shining with a clever curiosity.
It was the lack of effort that made her stand out. Ha, who was used to girls who were meticulous, sometimes too meticulous, now found herself somewhat interested in that rustic look. Three years ago, if she had met Chi, she probably wouldn’t have seen much. But now, after all these years of cultivating herself, the more Ha looked, the more she saw in this young girl something very potential.
Deep in the room, the phone call stopped, the man hung up and looked up.
He was tall and strong, his calmness created an image of calmness and authority. Mr. Danh, the General Director, stepped out, his eyes glanced around and stopped on Le Chi. And in that moment, his gaze slowed down a beat.
Not a judgment or a judgment, nor a surprise. Just a re-affirmation, a deeper, clearer confirmation. He was a discerning person, it only took a second to guess a person’s temperament. And in this little girl, he saw a beauty that few people still possessed these days, pure, kind, and pristine.
When the two girls saw him, they stood up to greet him at the same time. He responded with a slight nod and a smile, giving a very approachable feeling.
Mr. Danh signaled for both girls to come closer. Chi cautiously let Ms. Ha go first, and he followed behind. Both Mr. Danh and Ha understood her feelings at the moment, and they both showed themselves to be respectful and thoughtful seniors. They created a relaxed atmosphere for her when Ms. Ha always looked at her encouragingly and Mr. Danh started the conversation with a very friendly attitude.
– Hi, your full name is Mai Le Chi, right? I want to call you Le Chi or just Chi, is that okay?
The deep, resonant voice immediately caught her attention.
– Yes, sir… you can just call me Chi… that’s what everyone in the company usually calls me.
Despite his friendliness, Chi remained reserved and polite. She also created enough distance between the boss and the employee while still somewhat apprehensive about the sensitivity of the position she was applying for.
Ha intended to suggest Chi change the way she addressed him, but Mr. Danh nodded and ignored that small thing.
– I heard a lot about you. Good performance, diligent, careful in work. In recent months, your business performance has been very clean and clear, with many innovations and new contributions.
– Thank you for your attention, I was able to do that thanks to the help of my colleagues in the room.
Chi answered in the same way as her older siblings, who were usually polite, but she added a humble bow and a genuine smile.
Mr. Danh of course had no difficulty recognizing the truth in her words, he also reassured her with a satisfied nod and a few words of guidance.
– Being an assistant to the General Director is not like being a department staff. You will have to follow me every day, every meeting, most of the business trips. There are always many unexpected situations, no fixed hours. Are you ready?
Chi hesitated for a few seconds, before she went up, the department head congratulated her and told her about the treatment of the General Director’s secretary. As she said, this was a big step forward, an opportunity to learn, improve and advance higher in the future. But even though she also added that Mr. Danh was a very decent person. In nearly 20 years of establishing the company, there had not been a single bad word, and most of the people who worked with him praised him. A 23-year-old girl with no life experience like her still had a lot of worries.
– A personal secretary is always “close by”, always “must understand” and… sometimes, must “turn a blind eye” and know how to “give” to be professional enough.
But then when she looked into his eyes and saw Ha gently patting the back of her hand, she was suddenly convinced.
– He must be really decent and trustworthy, otherwise Ms. Ha wouldn’t be so comfortable. I heard that she will soon be working as the Deputy Director of the new production workshop there. I also want to progress as quickly as her, I still have a lot of things to worry about.
Thinking like that made her more determined. And then she nodded, answering with absolute certainty.
– I will try my best to make you both satisfied and trust me.
Mr. Danh leaned back in his chair, his eyes looking straight ahead, quietly observing every little reaction on the girl’s face. Then, as if finding some satisfaction from that, he nodded slightly.
– Yes, everyone needs to try, trying is good. But I don’t need people who just try. Working close to me sometimes requires more stability to overcome pressure, a little bit of tact so as not to ask in urgent situations, and especially trust, because sometimes you will represent my attitude.
Those words were not harsh at all, very easy to understand but not easy to do, but just looking at the way Chi sat up straight with sparkling eyes, everyone knew she was ready.
Mr. Danh realized that. He did not say anything more immediately, just slowly poured a cup of tea and pushed it towards her.
– Drink some water. You seemed scared just now, why are you okay now?
The question made Chi stunned.
– Wow, he is so perceptive.
She took a slow breath, still looking at him, and answered as honestly as possible.
– Because this is a good opportunity that I really need, I also believe that I have enough ability to prove to the General Director that I am useful in your work. I am worthy of your trust.
In a gentle girl is a strong character, intelligent enough and devoted to kindness and keeping a clean soul.
That made the person sitting opposite him who was leaning back also sit up straight, he took off his gold-rimmed glasses and looked closely and directly. And then, as if he was very satisfied, he took a sip of fragrant tea and praised.
– Ha is very good, she makes delicious tea and to my liking.
Ha still sat beside him, discreetly observing. After a moment of receiving his compliment, the corner of her lips lifted up, her heart now felt very secure, perhaps the list she had made was no longer necessary. Because she had sat here before, and had also said similar words. And she knew, to that man, not every word was easy to hear and accepted, but if it came from a pure and uncalculated source, it would gain his appreciation. Chi had just done it, perhaps even better than she had before.
After finishing his cup of tea, Mr. Danh nodded slightly.
– Okay. We will try it for a month. During that time, Ha will guide you. Everything else you can learn by watching and learning, it’s not too difficult, you can ask me when you have free time.
He stood up, and Ha and Chi immediately followed. He didn’t shake hands, just inclined his head slightly and turned back to his desk. Chi bowed once more before walking out, following Ha.
– Thank you, General Director. I wish you a productive first day of the working week.
A little bit of playfulness when happy made her blurt out, but Mr. Danh was not upset but laughed.
– Haha, just call me uncle.
Carrying that joy, she said goodbye to Ms. Ha before stepping out. When the door closed behind her, leaving her alone in the middle of the hallway, she spread her arms and took a deep breath to enjoy the smell of success.
There were still a few small handovers before she could officially sit in this room. But from now on she felt anticipation. Maybe it was the excitement of being given a good opportunity, the recognition of her efforts and the excitement of thinking about the days ahead, and sometimes the trust in that look in her eyes. She smiled and felt the day was really fun.