Working in the shadow

"Did you hear that the CEO came to the office without Sin today?"

"Yeah, and people saw Sin drinking coffee alone in the cafeteria for like a full hour"

"Do you think they had some fallout?"

"I won't be unhappy if they did. That Sin thinks she's so great just because she works close to the CEO"

"I know, right? I mean I prepared for three years to get all the certificates and good internship experiences to enter this company. Everyone here had to build their CV to the top-tier level just to stand a chance. That Sin just sneaked in through the backdoor and took up the spot at the top"

"There goes a new nickname for Sin - a backdoor girl :giggle:"

"That sounds really dirty, haha"

"Psst-. Be careful you guys. Don't you know she is also called Shadow Sin? She may be lurking anywhere eavesdropping on you"

"L.O.L, like she'd ever come here"

Then everyone had a good laugh and left.

And of course, I was there. Just one floor above them on the emergency staircase, but their voice boomed loud enough for me to hear while I was sitting on the stairs and smoking. 

This was a place where some female staff came to smoke. Technically it was a non-smoking area, but the company turned a blind eye to people coming here to smoke. It was a secluded area meant as a spot where female staff could smoke leisurely instead of going to the designated smoking room, as that room was usually frequented by manager-level staff. Male workers also had an area like this, which was the staircase on the other side of the building. Nobody made rules for this segregation, but everybody adhered to this arrangement especially as the company had a lot fewer female workers than male workers. It was deemed a reasonable concession to have an unofficial chill-out spot for them - which should include me considering I was also a female worker, but well, I was never accepted as one of them.

Man, this sucks.

I took a long drag on my cigarette and exhaled before putting it out. 

I knew I wasn't exactly the most popular person in the company. Well, that would be a satirical understatement. My closeness with the big boss made people jealous, and just as these girls were saying, I did enter the company through the back door while everyone else had to pass through the rigorous screening process to work in this prestigious place. 

Also, it rubbed people the wrong way that while my title was Personal Assistant, I was always in the highest level management meetings and no place in the company was off limits for me. For them, I was just another worker just like them, which was objectively true, but they worked on the field toiling away while I worked in the master's mansion. 

Well, but I killed enough hours now. About time to go back to Hina's office and bring her to meet Dr. Han.

I dialed Lui to ask if Hina was still in the office, to which she replied yes. I asked her to inform Hina that I would be there in a few minutes and we would go to see Dr. Han.

I could, and would have contacted Hina directly for these things before - just until yesterday that is.

Just what is going on now?

"Miss, are you ready to go?"

I walked into Hina's office to find her still reading some things on her tablet while perched in her bean bag.

"Yeah, let's go"

Short and to the point.

This phase will pass, I told myself. 

She was clearly holding some resentment toward me and making me suffer for it. 

Damn brat…

What was all that talk about her needing me before?

Just an empty talk of a fickle teenager...

We drove in silence to a restaurant in a secluded countryside. It wasn't that far away from NDDC ground, but NDDC itself was situated out of the city so the restaurant was in the middle of nowhere deep in forests. This place wasn't exactly unknown and you could still run into someone you wish did not see you there, but it was one of those countryside restaurants that served simple farm food. It never came across as a place where anyone would bring anyone else to treat them and woo them, asking for work-related favors. 

Dr. Han was already there when we arrived, and we politely apologized for making him wait, although we were not actually late. 

"Ms. Hina Chan, I did not say this last time as we were at NDDC, but I just wanted to give condolences to you for Chairman Chan. I'm sorry this came so late"

Dr. Han said this with a deep bow to Hina as we sat at the table. 

"Thank you very much, Dr. Han"

Hina took it wholeheartedly and also bowed back politely. Yes, that was the correct angle to bow in these situations. For a brat, she was indeed educated well enough in manners and etiquet. Part of being a Chan I guess.

The food came out very quickly, as Dr. Han obviously ordered them in advance before we arrived there. This meant that he had decided to pay for this lunch. He wasn't going to take any favors from us - not yet. 

"Please, enjoy the meal. This place is great. Really nostalgic food. Taste like how my mother used to make them"

Dr. Han encouraged Hina with exaggerated but still genuine body language.

"This is delicious!"

Hina took a spoonful of soup and responded in kind - I could tell she did really find the food to her taste though. No matter how hard she tried, she wasn't someone who could say something tastes good when it doesn't for her.

Until we've finished all the food none of us talked about work. Dr. Han was the one who was doing most talks. Boasting some of the adventures and funny anecdotes from his long career at NDDC. This was a usual show that people do before moving into the real business talk, but for Dr. Han it was also a rare chance that he got to tell these stories to someone who's never heard them before.

After all the food was finished, some plum tea and fruits were served as refreshments.

OK, now we are going to talk.

"So, Miss. Chan. Is there anything I could help with for your idea on the Fast Track Acquisition Program? I found that concept design of the small-scale guided munition launcher fascinating as well"

Translated: What can you do to help us?

"My assistant will briefly summarize"

Hina responded casually, so I also decided to just casually proceed. 

"Dr. Han. You would be aware that Colonel Park is the leader of the task force team in building FTAP"

"Oh yes. And I hear he's doing a great job"

Translated: Great job while leaving us out of it.

"Yes, he's a very capable man. But I also heard that the team needs a bit of assistance in establishing the criteria for technical evaluations"

"Oh? Where did you hear that?"

Translated: Don't try to bullshit, Sin. I've been in this game longer than you.

"From our Consultant Dr. Tao. One of his juniors is working in that team now and apparently, he was saying they could use some help"

Translated: You remember Dr. Tao? Yes, your former senior. He's retired and works as a consultant in our company now. Don't ask me about my sources any further than this.

"Very well"

Translated: Fair enough. But you better make sure this works.

"Also, to meet the requirements of FTAP, the Chan Group is ready to establish a dedicated team that will work on a faster development and prototype manufacturing that fits with the new program's schedules"

Translated: You are retiring in a few years. Wouldn't you want to join this team?

"That's a great foresight from you, Miss. Chan"

Translated: I know it's Sin's idea but I'm thanking you because you will be the one hiring me. And it is a great foresight for my future that you got there. 

"We aim to serve our country well"

No need for translation there.

"So how could we support from our side then?"

Translated: I asked the same question before, but back then I was asking what YOU would do. But this time I'm really asking what I can do because I like the idea.

"Thank you very much for your support. If you could, it would be great if we could have a short summary of how these programs are running in other countries so the decision makers can make informed decisions on how to structure FTAP"

Translated: I will provide you with the sources. You just get your junior to summarize it and give it back. Then I will bring it to a decision maker so they can exert their influence and take credit for steering the program in a good direction.

"Very well. We will do it as soon as possible"

Translated: Just give us the finished report. We'll do a bit of editing and give it back to you.

"Thank you so much for your support, Dr. Han"

Hina thanked Dr. Han wholeheartedly and Dr. Han smiled back.

Is he laughing at Hina? Is he thinking Hina doesn't really understand what we were talking about and read between the lines? Or is he happy with the arrangement that he gets to talk to me about these things and Hina will give easy green lights from now on, instead of how Chairman Chan sometimes used to be challenging to deal with?

It didn't really matter at this point. The deal has been discussed and agreed.

It was time to get to work.