66 Wang Plans to Leave The Company

Wang got back to the office in record time plans that he had been working on for months coalescing in his mind as he drove. He smiled as he saw Louisa look up at him in relief. He had rushed out so fast she had worried there was an emergency. He signaled her to follow him into his office and closed the door behind them.

"Have you enjoyed working for me so far?" Wang asked, and Louisa looked up at him in surprise.

"I love it, and I am picking everything up as fast as I can. I'm sorry if I haven't got the hang of everything yet," she said in a panic thinking that he was sending her back to the research section of the company. "I'm learning so much I will get better I promise."

"You're doing a great job," Wang reassured her quickly. "What I meant to ask was, are you happy as my assistant? Do you miss the research and your friends down on the lower floors?" he saw the confusion on her face. "I need you to be honest, nothing you say to me will affect your job here at the company. I am more than happy with how quickly you have gotten up to speed."

"I love the work, talking to the authors and organising your schedule. I like the variety of things I get to do," She seemed to hesitate. "It was great when Changying was here, it's taken me a while to get to know the other people on this floor." She paused and he looked at her expectantly so she continued.

"Honestly, I've never felt like I belong here. I am not like the other girls. It's like at school; here you have the beautiful and glamorous popular kids and down there you have the nerdy and bookish geeks, and I am not nerdy enough to be totally comfortable down there but I am not glamorous enough to be up here. I need the in-between group that like pizza and beer nights," she laughed.

"What I'm about to tell you must stay just between us at this time," he said in a quiet voice. "I'm considering a change. There is a small boutique publishing house I have been investigating. It will never be as big or as glamorous as this place, but I think I could make it into something competitive on a smaller scale. I'd like you to come with me when I leave. I can't offer you the opportunities that this company can, but I can throw in the odd pizza and beer night," Wang chuckled.

"You're leaving?" Louisa was shocked.

"Not yet and it's best if you don't say anything before I make an offer on the business I have in mind. I will need someone who knows how I operate to help me when I do make the move, and I would like that person to be you. You work hard and pick things up quickly. You have done what I have asked to the letter without improvising if you were unsure. You do not presume to speak for me with the clients or senior partners. You are one of the best assistants I have had here," he said honestly but knew the flattery couldn't hurt his cause. "Think about it if you like but don't take too long."

"I don't have to think about it. You said the magic words, pizza and beer," she laughed easily. "Just let me know when we are making the move, and I will do my best to work everything out for you."

"Thanks, you'll be the first to know, trust me. For now, can you clear my calendar for tomorrow, I need to take a personal day," Wang said with a wink. "You can call me if there's anything important." He moved behind his desk and pulled out a leather folio from a locked drawer. "I think I have just enough time to get to the bank. Thanks, Louisa, I'm glad you're on board." He pulled a card from the folio and picked up his phone.

"Whatever I can do to help," she said and quietly left his office.

"Hey Marco," Wang said into his phone, "I'm on my way down to see you, can you wait for me please I am racing out of the building as we speak." He followed Louisa from his office and headed for the elevator. "Yeah I'm at work so I will be there in less than ten." He closed his phone and stepped into the elevator. He wasn't sure he was ready to make this move, but it was necessary to make his point clear with his sister.

Like a man on a mission Wang quickly moved through the city streets and walked into the old building and the office of Marco. He'd gone without a lot of things over the years in favour of helping his sister to achieve her dreams. It wasn't fair the way his father still regarded the girls as needing less than their brothers expecting them to marry well and have babies to ensure the continuation of the family. Wang had always allowed Baozhai a certain amount of access to his trust fund account as well as a credit card that he paid for on a monthly basis. He could afford it between his family allowance and his trust fund which were additional to his weekly wage, he had never been able to deny her anything, until now.

He signed the last form effectively cutting her off from the extra support he had always given so freely. If she couldn't respect him and give him the same unconditional support he showed her, he had no reason to continue the farce. He imagined her face as she realised she would have to survive on the small allowance she received from the family and the income from her boutique which usually ran at a loss. He knew she wouldn't understand his reaction to this incident, but he wasn't going to be the one to explain it to her. When he saw her again, he would treat her with the politeness and arms-length affection he would use on any relative.

"What do I tell her when she comes in here screaming like a banshee?" Marco asked delicately. "You let her get away with too much for too long, and she won't like suddenly being cut off."

"Indeed, I have, and that is changing as of this moment. Tell her the truth. Tell her that I came in and cut her off. She can take it up with me," Wang chuckled understanding Marco's worried face. "It's time she started living her life instead of mine. Thanks for staying late for me," Wang stood and held out his hand. Marco took it nodding and came from behind his desk to walk Wang to the now closed and locked doors.

"Anytime, your family are important members of our community," he said easily. Nodding to the security guard, he let Wang out and went back to go through the security check with the senior staff.