compete fairly for the director’s position.”
His words sounded righteous, but he didn’t actually take off the badge. It wasn’t until Allison pressed down on his hand that he stopped. “What’s there to feel bad about? If he doesn’t care, why should you? Just keep it.”
As she said this, Allison stared directly into my eyes. I couldn’t tell if she was acting out of spite or genuine disdain, and honestly, I didn’t care anymore.
As I turned to leave, Allison called out to me, “The marketing department is still short-staffed. Don’t rush to leave yet. Next week, we have an important deal with a foreign supplier. Bring the team and secure the deal.”
I chuckled coldly. I’d never seen anyone ask for help with such an attitude.
I remembered that supplier well. They were extremely cautious with raw materials and had little exposure to the domestic market. Naturally, they were very selective about their partners, and every collaboration opportunity attracted fierce competition. Our company was no exception.
Previously, I handled this line of work, but now, I was exhausted. Therefore, I decided to toss the responsibility onto Aaron.
“Since Aaron’s so capable, he shouldn’t disappoint you.”
Before Allison could respond, Aaron immediately stepped up. “This will be my first project since taking on the role. I promise to lead the team to success and elevate the company to new heights!”
I found it amusing. Some people were foolishly naïve. He had no idea the supplier’s CEO was notoriously elusive. Many companies wanting to collaborate couldn’t even track him down.
What was more, the company was infamous for being picky.
Unfortunately for them, I’d happened to meet the CEO last month through sheer coincidence. He’d been impressed and expressed a desire to work with me personally, not the company.
Nevertheless, the oblivious Aaron approached me again with a glass of wine, his tone smug. “Eric, don’t worry. Once you leave, I’ll revamp the marketing department. I won’t keep any dead weight on the team. I’ll turn it into the company’s backbone and ensure you aren’t let down.”
I knew he was worried I’d leave spies behind to sabotage him later. I stayed silent. Upon hearing Aaron’s words, the nearby colleagues exchanged uneasy glances, clearly worried about their futures.
As Aaron raised his glass to toast everyone, I calmly walked behind him. Without hesitation, I pushed him straight into the nearby fountain pool.
“As your still-employed senior, let me teach you your first lesson. A new leader shouldn’t let their fire burn too brightly. Otherwise, they’ll need to cool off.”
