Chapter 55 - On What Grounds? (1/2)

The two of them came to a spacious terrace and leaned against the railing, letting the winter wind blow in their faces. Zhang Hongtao looked up at the sky full of stars and said in amazement, “There are quite a number of stars tonight.”

Shen Chen smiled and said, “The stars are always there. Whether there’s more or less depends on the person who’s looking.”

“You’ve got a point,” Zhang Hongtao laughed. “You know about the Big Four international accounting firms, right?” he asked.

“Uh-huh,” Shen Chen responded, glancing again at Zhang Hongtao. The “Big Four” was the nickname used to collectively refer to the four largest professional services networks in the world. Each of the Big Four accounting firms offered audit, assurance, taxation, management consulting, corporate finance, and legal and actuarial services to their clients. A significant majority of the audits of public companies, as well as many audits of private companies, were conducted by these four networks.

He hadn’t expected Zhang Hongtao to be such a formidable figure. He and Zhao Ze were indeed as different as night and day.

Shen Chen smiled inwardly. This was perhaps why Zhao Ze was dead and Zhang Hongtao was alive.

Zhang Hongtao was unaware of his thoughts. He said with a smile, “I worked in one of the Big Four accounting firms for the past ten years. It may not sound like much, but I was at least considered a department head. Each time I came home from work at an unearthly hour, it never occurred to me to look up at the stars. Now, when I’m finally able to do so, the people and things around me are no longer the same…”

There was a long and deep sigh. Both of them remained silent for a long time.

Suddenly, Shen Chen broke the silence by asking outright, “Zhang Hongtao, you’re a smart guy. Say whatever’s on your mind!”

Zhang Hongtao was slightly taken aback, but he looked Shen Chen in the eye and chuckled. “You’re really direct, huh! Let me get to the point, then,” he said, somewhat embarrassed. He said earnestly, “You’re a strong man. You could definitely survive the apocalypse, maybe even thrive in it! Hence, I want to join your team.”

Clenching his fists, Shen Chen laughed and said bemusedly, “Aren’t you already part of the team?”

“No!” Zhang Hongtao shook his head. “I wanna be in your inner circle, just like Guo Yuan, Ye Xiaoyu, Pan Di, and Zhao Zhen.”

Shen Chen took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled, an intriguing smile spreading across his face. “You? On what grounds?”

“What makes him think he could?” Shen Chen thought.

Zhang Hongtao was amazed at the level of confidence oozing from Shen Chen. It seemed to suggest that Shen Chen was capable of overseeing and managing everything. Almost as if he were omniscient and omnipotent!

Zhang Hongtao felt a sudden sense of pressure and couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat. “I have managerial experience. I could help you streamline your operations.” By right, he ought to feel really confident in his abilities, but, for some reason, it didn’t come out the way he expected… In fact, he even sounded a bit desperate.

Shen Chen broke into a smile and patted Zhang Hongtao on the shoulder. He was not only not affronted by the gesture, but also pleasantly surprised by it.

“Do your job well, and don’t think too much about it. When the time comes, I will consider you!”

Shen Chen strolled back into the living room, leaving Zhang Hongtao on the terrace with a trace of hope.