Chapter 4382 — The Disposition of Wei Zhaotong
The Blossom Guardian · Page 2 of 3
"Indeed. With your abilities, you are more than equal to being a branch manager. See that you do not disappoint Hong Zhong's trust in the days to come," Wei Zhao said with a knowing smile.
The matter was plain enough. Hong Zhong had gone to the Zhongdao headquarters in person and crossed swords face to face with the higher-ups there. Though he had failed to have Wei Zhaotong severely punished, he had by no means come away empty-handed. This branch manager's seat that had fallen to Chai Laoshi was precisely what he had won through his dealings with the headquarters brass.
"Yes, yes. I shall surely exhaust my loyalty and wisdom, and never dare disappoint the recognition and promotion bestowed by you and Vice Chairman Hong." Chai Laoshi at once swore to heaven, and then, unable to contain his excitement, asked, "Er... does it say where I am to take up the post?"
"It does. Right here," Wei Zhao said, glancing at him.
"Ah? But according to the rules of our Hong Merchant Guild, are promotions not supposed to be to a different location?" Chai Laoshi was struck dumb on the spot. Once one reached the level of branch manager, anyone at all had to strictly observe promotion to a different locale—an iron rule laid down by the founder himself, from which no one could be exempted, no matter how formidable their backing.
"This is different. Yours is a special case, and special cases must be handled specially. No one knows the situation at the Weihu Branch better than you. If you were to leave now, both branch manager and deputy manager would be newcomers. Never mind holding the overall situation in hand—they would likely not even be able to sort out the accounts, and might well wreck the Weihu Branch altogether. Even headquarters could not bear such a risk," Wei Zhao said with a shake of his head and a smile.
Though the post was the same branch manager's seat, letting Chai Laoshi rise where he stood and sending him to run some other branch would produce entirely different results.
Chai Laoshi's timid, fearful temperament was already fixed; once transferred to another branch, he would find it very hard to control the situation and would most likely be stripped of real power by his own subordinates—a branch manager in name, a figurehead in fact.
But here at the Weihu Branch it was different. He had run affairs here for so many years that he knew every detail, high and low, like the back of his hand. Especially after this Wei Zhaotong affair, and with Wei Zhao's support, the prestige he had built up over this period was enough for him to hold the overall situation in hand.
"That is true enough. The waters here are in chaos, complicated to begin with, and on top of that there is this mess of Wei Zhaotong's, a thousand threads and ten thousand ends. An outsider could not truly get the hang of it in less than a year or half a year." Chai Laoshi nodded, and could not help but breathe a sigh of relief.
To be promoted to branch manager on the spot was already the best possible outcome for him. Otherwise, if he had truly been transferred elsewhere, he would have worried himself sleepless.
"Very well. Take this headquarters resolution back and show it to everyone. From now on, how the Weihu Branch fares will rest entirely in your hands. I still have matters to attend to here at the escort agency, so I will not be coming over for a while," Wei Zhao said.
"Yes, I guarantee I will not disappoint you!" Chai Laoshi took the headquarters resolution and at once strode off full of vigor. And, truth be told, now that he was branch manager, the man's very air had plainly begun to change. At least he no longer looked as cringing as before; though it was not yet obvious, there was already a faint hint of presence about him.