Chapter 3 - Contract_____ 2
With the mockery clear in the CEO's voice, the assistant didn't know what to do. Luckily for him, the years he'd spent apologizing for everything kicked in quickly. This was the job of an assistant. The best at apologizing.
"I apologize Boss, Miss Yang. I kept you both waiting." Yuan Quan apologized sincerely.
Seeing the sincerity of the apology, the lady suddenly felt pity for Yuan Quan who had to deal with the idiot CEO daily.
"It's ok. That must be the contract right? Let me have a look." Miss Yang said politely to Yuan Quan and CEO Li looked as if his world was falling apart.
The vicious woman in front of him being polite? How could this be?
"I thought she never knew the word polite. Just look at her acting all sweet towards Yuan Quan but rude to me." CEO Li muttered to himself. The two other people in the office heard his muttering clearly but pretending to not hear anything.
Well, one of them did.
"Did you say something?" Miss Yang asked who couldn't resist the urge to poke fun at the man in front of her.
"As you can see, the wages and incentives are perfect for a high-profile secretary like you' I'm sure that no company could come close to what we offered you. So let's not beat around the bush and quickly sign the contract." CEO Li said proudly as he saw her reading the contract with keen interest.
Miss Yang however, seemed like she ignored everything that was coming out of his mouth. She intently read the terms & conditions multiple times and came to a conclusion.
Scoffing, Miss Yang retorted plainly, "I'm positive that many companies would have paid me double this amount."
Seeing CEO Li scowl at that, she smiled brightly.
"Although it isn't the best, the contract terms are pretty good. I was looking forward to working with you when Chairman Li personally scouted me but I feel a little disappointed after reading the clauses on the contract." Miss Yang's disappointment was clear and she dropped the contract on the glass table.
Seeing her act like she was doing him a favor by accepting the contract, anger flared in CEO Li's soul. His passive smile disappeared and a cold expression took its place.
"Are you implying the terms aren't satisfactory? Unbelievable." He scoffed.
Even after seeing his anger, Miss Yang did not' coincide. She continued on pushing for her terms. She was one of the best at her job after all. If it wasn't for Chairman Li, she wouldn't even have had to put up with the prick in front of her.
"Yes, you're right. I'm not the slightest bit satisfied with the offer. If you don't mind, I'll take my leave right now. Although I do feel regretful that the Chairman wasted his time and resources when scouting me. He really treats his grandson well." Miss Yang said in disappointment before standing up and walking to the exit.
Seeing her get up, he thought about multiple things. There must have been a reason his grandfather went to the lengths that he did just for her. He might as well see what unreasonable demands she had next. Besides, he really didn't want to lose to her.
"Which part of the contract is not up to your liking? We can double the money. In fact, just name what you want and I'll add it to the contract. Consider it a favour." The arrogance spilled out of his mouth before his assistant could stop it.
Miss Yang stopped for a moment. If anyone was looking at her face, they'd realize that she was smiling devilishly. Luckily for her, she had her back turned to everyone. It seemed like her plan worked.
"Really? Are you sure you will add anything I want to the contract?" Miss Yang asked doubtfully as she quickly turned around to face him.
"Yes, I am sure," CEO Li said confidently. Yuan Quan, who was watching this, got scared on his Boss's behalf. He didn't know what had gotten into his Boss's head for him to make such a dangerous deal. He could clearly see from the pretty lady's face that she was up to some mischief. The residue of her smile didn't fade away completely.
"Great! I trust the great CEO Li will be true to his words." Miss Yang praised before pulling out her own brown envelope. She handed it over to CEO Li and the duo were amazed when they saw how prepared she was.
CEO Li and Yuan Quan were curious to know what her requests were. She even prepared the terms as if she knew the things she wanted weren't included in them. The original contract included reasonable payment, amazing health insurance, and a good retirement plan. What more could she need?
As CEO Li was reading through the contract, his face darkened.
"What nonsense is this?" CEO Li yelled before flipping the paper on the table. Seeing her not speak, CEO Li had an expression that made it seem like he was going through labor.
"Are you implying that I should agree to this - this - presumptuous contract? That's not possible." CEO Li expected a higher pay, additional vacation time or additional signing bonus but this! What type of job did she think a secretary does?
Seeing her future employer rage out, she gave him a calm smile. This smile did the opposite of calm him down however.
"Don't be alarmed Mr. Li, I've used those terms in every single job offer. Is it that bad that I want my freedom while I work as your secretary? I don't want to be treated as a company slave girl and I have the ability to request for this kind of treatment. But...there's nothing I can do if Mr. Li is reluctant to follow through with his promises." Miss Yang faked a sad expression even though she was standing for what she believed in.
Seeing the sudden outburst of his Boss, Yuan Quan's interest peaked on the matter. Just what type of terms did she bring? Picking the document up, his mouth opened wide as he read through the first clause.
"Party A is forbidden to include, command, or pester Party B with any task that isn't work-related. Party B has every right to refuse any task deemed for personal reasons. Is Miss Yang kidding me? She is implying that Boss does not have any right to order her around for personal matters. Boss would be an idiot to agree to those terms," Thinking this, Yuan Quan gave a provoking glare to Miss Yang.
"Your demands could have been met if it was related to money but that clearly isn't the case. You are literally saying that I don't have full authority over you as your employer. This makes no sense to me! What am I hiring you for if you can just disregard everything I say?" CEO Li said angrily.
Without giving her any time to retort, he continued.
"Your second demand says you're allowed to be absent from work without informing me if there's an emergency on your side. As my secretary, I need you with me at all times to go to important meetings, arrange events, and schedule contacts. So why would I need a secretary who can't even do that? Can you see how little sense it makes?"
"You said so yourself that it was during uncalled for situations right; so, what is wrong with this clause? And as far as I can tell, Mr. Yuan, here is your executive assistant so I am sure that he can handle such an emergency. Or is the reason you still kept him even after my arrival as your secretary not because you don't trust me? I think that term is pretty fair, don't you think," Miss Yang said, unwilling to concede defeat.
The real reason she didn't beat the dumpster-fire-of-a-man in front of her was because she still needed crucial intelligence about a set of people. That's why she ignored the dreamy offers other reputable companies gave her to come to this less than stellar position. She tried to make it clear that this wasn't the best offer she had but it seems like he was ignoring it.
"Me?" Yuan Quan asked in surprise. "Why the hell did she drag me into this conversation? I was doing just fine watching them quarrel! I can't survive being sandwiched in between you angry fellows", Yuan Quan thought helplessly,
Although she was unreasonable, Yuan Quan admired her ability to go blow for blow against his Boss.