Chapter 627 - 410: Going Out to Sea

The two of them walked out of the office. The sun was shining, and a gentle breeze was blowing.

Feng Shan and Zhang Kai chatted idly as they headed for the parking lot. Coca-Cola was nestled quietly in Feng Shan's arms, dozing off from time to time.

Not long after they left, Ouyang Xue and the operations director, fresh out of a meeting, hurried into the president's office.

She had expected to find Feng Shan there, but the empty room left her feeling puzzled.

She quickly pulled out her phone and dialed Feng Shan's number.

The phone rang a few times before the call connected.

Ouyang Xue said quickly, "Hello, President Feng? I see you're not in the office. There are a few things I need to discuss with you."

Feng Shan's relaxed voice came from the other end of the line.

"What's up? I've already left the office. From now on, you can make the decisions on company matters yourself. If there's anything you really can't handle, give me a call or send an email. Oh, right, the office is yours to use, too. Keep up the good work!"

Ouyang Xue was taken aback. "But… Alright, I understand!"

She hung up awkwardly. The operations director came to her side as Ouyang Xue shook her head in resignation. "President Feng said he's not coming into the office anymore. We should call or email him about anything important. He said he's leaving the company to me."

The operations director and Ouyang Xue were old acquaintances, having worked together at the same company in the past.

She had resigned along with Ouyang Xue, unable to endure the tiresome harassment at their previous workplace.

Later, Zhang Kai had poached them both for Crown Leader Travel Agency.

Hearing Ouyang Xue vent about Feng Shan's sudden delegation of authority, the operations director couldn't help but smile. A glint of mischief appeared in her eyes as she said in a teasing, drawn-out tone,

"Isn't this great? From now on, you'll be the company's 'Empress Dowager,' the one whose word is law. Ruling from behind the curtain, holding all the power. Long live the Empress Dowager! Long, long may she reign!"

"Oh, stop it!" Ouyang Xue gave her friend a light shove. Her usually cool expression was now tinged with a faint blush, clearly embarrassed by the teasing.

The operations director's eyes gleamed with gossip as she glanced around.

Seeing that no one was around, she leaned in conspiratorially toward Ouyang Xue's ear and whispered,

"Xiaoxue, for the boss to give you this much power… he must have a thing for you! And you have to admit, he's pretty manly. Don't tell me your heart's already aflutter!"

"Get out of here. You're the one whose heart is aflutter." Ouyang Xue feigned anger and pinched her friend's waist, though she couldn't hide the frustration on her face. "I think he just wants to be a hands-off boss. He controls the entire Alaska travel route. The company itself is irrelevant to him, so he doesn't need to bother managing it."

The operations director listened and nodded thoughtfully.

"Now that you put it that way, it does make sense. But this could also be an opportunity for us. If we manage the company well and get good results, our standing in the industry will be completely different."

Ouyang Xue took a deep breath, her expression growing resolute.

"You're right. Whatever the boss's motives are, since he's entrusted the company to me, I'm going to make a success of it. Come on, let's go over next month's tour group departure schedule again. We need to make sure it's foolproof."

With that, the two of them walked side-by-side toward their office, the soft light illuminating their determined figures.

...

At Mayor's Rainbow Pier in Hai City, the sun was shining and a gentle sea breeze was blowing.

Feng Shan, holding Coca-Cola, followed Zhang Kai aboard a yacht.

With a roar from the engine, the yacht slowly accelerated. Its bow cut through the waves as it headed out toward the vast, azure sea, leaving a white wake in its trail.

The sun lounge on the yacht's second aft deck was furnished for comfort and leisure.

The panoramic windows were like giant picture frames, offering an unobstructed view of the surrounding scenery.

A few white clouds drifted across the azure sky. In the distance, the sea and sky blended into one, making it impossible to tell where one ended and the other began.

The coffee table was laden with a huge spread of cured duck parts and other braised snacks, all looking tempting and smelling fragrant.

Next to the food were two bottles of baijiu, the glass glinting in the sun.

The two successful men, Su Yang and Zhang Kai, were sitting on the sofa, grabbing snacks with one hand and holding liquor glasses in the other, drinking to their hearts' content.

Feng Shan gently set Coca-Cola down. The dog obediently flopped onto the floor, wagging its tail.

He looked over at Zhang Kai and Su Yang. Each held a liquor glass in one hand while grabbing at the braised snacks with the other, eating with sheer abandon.

Grease dripped from the corners of their mouths. They had none of the refined air of successful men; instead, they looked like two ordinary, exhausted office workers grabbing a late-night snack from a street vendor after a long shift.

"You two dragged me out to sea just to eat this junk?" Feng Shan frowned, his tone laced with skepticism.

"For the record, I didn't invite you. You insisted on tagging along." Zhang Kai unhurriedly picked up a napkin to wipe his mouth, giving Feng Shan a disdainful look. "Who says rich people can't eat braised duck? This stuff happens to be my favorite."

As he spoke, he deftly picked up a glistening duck intestine, tossed it into his mouth, and chewed with exaggerated force, making loud, crisp, CRUNCHING sounds, as if showing off how delicious it was to Feng Shan.

"Brother Feng, ignore him. The more you say anything, the cockier he gets." Su Yang and Zhang Kai shared a knowing smile, one that held a little secret between them. Su Yang then added with a hint of pride, "We sneak out to satisfy our cravings whenever we get the chance. I've got high blood pressure and cholesterol, so my wife won't let me eat organ meat, but I just love this stuff."