"You did it on purpose. Thank you. I hope you'll have a good life."
An Ke instantly understood why the manager had called her in. It wasn't that he didn't want her to face the gossips outside. Although An Ke wasn't afraid of them, she was still grateful for the manager's kindness.
The manager gave a faint smile and didn't say much. An Ke sat quietly, waiting for the noise outside to die down. All of a sudden, the atmosphere in the office became dull.
As time passed, the noise outside finally quieted down. "Manager, thank you. I think I can leave now."
The manager didn't say a word. He just buried himself in his work. He had to finish dealing with all these documents before he left. So, in response to An Ke's words, he just nodded. An Ke pushed the door open and walked out.
The manager looked up at her. His eyes were full of admiration. If it weren't for himself... maybe everything would have been different.
An Ke saw that everyone was sitting at their own desks. The whole office area was very quiet. An Ke was silent for a moment and then returned to her own seat. Maybe it wasn't the right time yet. Forget it. Thinking too much was useless. She'd better finish the work at hand first! Otherwise, she would have to work overtime later.
"Manager An, from now on, you're really Manager An. Congratulations!"
"Yeah, isn't this an unexpected surprise, Manager An?"
"Congratulations, congratulations, Manager An!"
...
Words like these kept ringing in An Ke's ears. An Ke didn't know what to say. She just kept nodding. She still didn't like to be overly intimate with others. Sister Meng and Xiao Li rolled their eyes instead as they watched An Ke being surrounded.
"I still lost to An Ke this time, Xiao Li. Look at her tricks. You and I are no match for her in terms of scheming." Sister Meng's tone was cold, with a hint of unwillingness.
Xiao Li was in a gloomy mood. She ignored Sister Meng's words and just kept staring in An Ke's direction.
Sister Meng actually had a guess about this matter in her heart. It was just that when it really happened, she felt a bit reluctant.
But she noticed that Xiao Li's behavior was very strange. She gently nudged Xiao Li's arm. "Xiao Li, what's wrong with you? There's actually nothing to be upset about."
It was Sister Meng who was comforting Xiao Li instead. In fact, she also understood that An Ke's work ability and various performances at work all proved that she was more suitable for this position than herself.
So she only had a moment of resentment, but Xiao Li didn't think so. She felt that she originally had a chance, but it was An Ke who had taken it away.
"Sister Meng, both of us are old employees in the company. To be suppressed by a newbie like An Ke, are you really willing to admit defeat?"
Xiao Li didn't originally have much hope for this manager position. But Sister Meng had given her hope, and now there was only disappointment left.
Sister Meng sighed. "Xiao Li, the most important thing in life is to be open - minded. An Ke is indeed better than me. I admit this. She also works seriously. It's okay for me to admit defeat. Xiao Li, you... sigh..."
Sister Meng patted Xiao Li on the shoulder and shook her head.
"An Ke, no, now it's Manager An. Do you have any other gestures?"
Sister Meng left Xiao Li's side. She didn't have much patience anyway. She didn't want to do things like comforting Xiao Li. After all, she and Xiao Li weren't really good friends. Xiao Li was just someone who could echo her.
An Ke looked at Sister Meng in confusion. Her first reaction to Sister Meng's proposal was that there was a trick. But others took this opportunity to start cheering.
"Yeah, Manager An, you're already a manager. You can't be so stingy. Only in this way can we all share the joy!"
An Ke still just smiled stupidly, looking puzzled. But Sister Meng just said it directly. She hated being indecisive the most.
"What we mean is that you should treat us! It's just a small amount of money. I don't think you'll refuse our first request, right?"
An Ke nodded. Since she had become their manager this time, it was natural for her to treat them. An Ke watched them getting happy just because of a meal.
For the first time, she felt the satisfaction of human nature. An Ke also understood that after her promotion, she might become busier and the responsibility would be heavier. But she would move forward under the burden.
"I'll definitely treat you. But I don't know if there's any place in Lin City that everyone wants to go. Well, you decide the place, and I'll pay the bill. I'll try my best to make sure you can have a good time."
An Ke hadn't had a good understanding of the restaurants in Lin City. Neither she nor the former An Ke liked shopping. So after living in Lin City for so many years, she wasn't very familiar with the place.
"Since Manager An has already agreed, let's discuss where to go. Do you have any good ideas?"
The workload was usually so heavy. It was rare to have a half - day off and also have food and fun. No one wanted to miss it, especially since it was all free.
"Then we should really take advantage of Manager An. How about going to Nanke Mall? They just opened the fourth floor recently, and it's all full of special restaurants."
"No, no. Let's go to the place downstairs of the cinema. I ate there last time. It was quite good. And I have a coupon! It can save a lot of money!"
"No way. Let's go to Nanke Mall. Manager An is paying. What are you afraid of? You're all such spineless people. The food downstairs of the cinema is what we usually eat. What's so good about it? It's a rare chance to take advantage of Manager An, and you're all so unenthusiastic."
Sister Meng thought her colleagues were almost stupid. Even if An Ke had been kicked out of the An family, a dead camel was still bigger than a horse. They were actually thinking about saving money for An Ke. It was really interesting. This time An Ke had won the manager position. Although she was convinced in her heart, she still wanted An Ke to spend a fortune.
Everyone was rendered speechless by Sister Meng. They all looked at An Ke in unison, wanting to know her opinion. In fact, Nanke Mall was of course a better choice.
It was just that they were considering An Ke and didn't want her to spend too much. An Ke looked at Sister Meng with a provocative look on her face and then at the others.
"Actually, I'm okay with anything. Your opinions are the most important. If you want to go to Nanke Mall, it's fine too. You don't need to consider me. Although I'm not a big tycoon, I still have a little spare money."
An Ke didn't want to hurt the others' feelings for considering her, nor did she want to disappoint them. So she still gave them the power of choice.
Since An Ke had said so, they weren't worried about An Ke's financial situation anymore. "I know someone in Nanke Mall. I can reserve a private room in advance. We can dine right away when we get there. What do you think?"