Chapter 17 — My Nameless Occupation

I currently sit in an office with a window, holding the title of Managing Partner, overseeing three active projects. Back at Heng Yuan, I managed eight different departments with an annual salary of one hundred and forty thousand, yet no one even knew my name. Now, having moved to a new place, I am doing the exact same work—only this time, people actually see it. Someone is willing to pay for it. Someone calls me Boss Su. I find myself unsure whether to smile or let out a long, weary sigh. That evening, Su Nien asked me, "Mom, it seems like you’ve been working even more overtime lately than you did back at Heng Yuan."

"That is true."

"But you look much happier than you did back then."

I pondered her words for a moment.

"Because now, the effort I put into those extra hours belongs to me, and for me alone."

Chapter 19. By the time the project for Heaven Universe Media entered its second month, Yu Xiao Man had become capable of independently shouldering half the workload. She learned with remarkable speed. This gave me the freedom to pursue something else—designing a standardized operational diagnostic toolkit. Previously, everything I did at Heng Yuan was manual, relying on Excel sheets and text documents; they worked well enough, but they were impossible to replicate at scale. Now, I wanted to transform that methodology into a product that could be transferred on a large scale. Shen Yi supported the endeavor wholeheartedly, assigning two programmers to assist me. When the first version of the toolkit was released, Ha Duy saw it. He sent a message on WeChat: "Boss Su, if you turn this into a SaaS product, you could sell it to every small and medium-sized enterprise in all of China." I did not reply to him. But I knew he was right. This idea had been lurking in the back of my mind for a long time. One Friday afternoon, Shen Yi sought me out.

"Su Wan, let’s talk."

He closed the door behind him.

"I have seen your toolkit. I’m sure you know its value extends far beyond mere consulting handovers."

"I am aware."

"At this current stage, Rui He lacks the capacity to develop SaaS products. However, if you want to pursue it, I can help you find investors."

I looked at him, searching his expression.

"Aren't you afraid that if I grow too large, I will break away from Rui He?"

"I am afraid, yes. But you were never truly someone who belonged to Rui He to begin with. You are a partner, not a subordinate. You have greater ambitions that I cannot stop, so we might as well walk that path together."

"Boss Shen, how long have you been preparing these words?"

He let out a short laugh.

"A month."

That night, after returning home, I sat in front of my computer and drafted a five-thousand-word business plan for the productization of the toolkit. Su Nien was doing her physics homework beside me, but halfway through, she peeked at my screen.

"Mom, are you writing a business plan?"

"How could you tell?"

"We learned about it in Civics class. Does this mean you’re about to start your own company?"

"I am considering it."

She thought about it for a moment.

"I support you, Mom. But you have to take care of your health."

"I know."

"Also, if your startup becomes successful, I won't have to worry about my university tuition anymore, right?"

I tapped her lightly on the head. Just as I was preparing to seriously evaluate the feasibility of this startup, an unexpected event occurred. The Heng Yuan Group was in trouble. It was no small matter. Ha Jian Guo had suffered a heart attack and had been rushed to the hospital. When Tran Loi called, his voice was still trembling.

"Sister Su, Boss Ha suddenly collapsed in his office. He was taken to the hospital and has undergone surgery, but he is still not out of danger."

"Who is running the company?"

"No one. The position of Vice President has remained vacant ever since Chu Han left, and no one has filled it. Every department is waiting for Boss Ha’s decisions; now that he has fallen, everything has ground to a halt."

"What about Co Vien Chu?"

"Boss Co claims he is only an independent director and does not participate in daily operations. However, he did say one thing—"

"What did he say?"