Chapter 9 Resignation Part Two

Michael let go of the tie and looked at Marina quietly as she helped him with her nimble fingers. Once she was done, Marina stepped back, blushing. "Mr. Michael, did Miss Shen help you with your tie before?"

Michael stared at the woman in front of him with newfound respect. He had never gotten the hang of putting on a tie properly. Whenever he attended important meetings, he would spend dozens of minutes on trying to wear his tie the right way. In the end, he would just give up.

"After my mother, you're the only woman who has successfully helped me put on a tie. You can do it for me from now on."

Marina was taken aback to hear this. She was here to resign, not to help him with his tie! Besides, even if she were his secretary, she wouldn't help him wear his tie every day. It was too intimate.

"Mr. Michael, I'm here to resign," she reminded him gently. "If you agree, you won't have to face me and deal with my stupidity every day. You don't like me at all, so you might as well let me leave."

"You want to resign because of a few harmless words I said yesterday. Don't you think you give up too easily?" Michael looked at her curiously.

Marina was a very stubborn person. Once she decided that she didn't want to do something, she wouldn't do it. The only reason she was still standing here and having a conversation with him was because her bag was still in the secretary's office. She couldn't take it out without the key.

"I never said that I would stick it out. Besides, I can find another job once I leave this company," she said, sticking her chin up defiantly.

"Tell me, how much is your monthly salary at this company?"

"Twelve thousand dollars."

"And do you know the consequences of breaking the employment contract?"

Marina nodded. "I'll have to pay nine months' salary as a penalty."

"You know it very well. Are you sure you still want to resign?" Michael asked coldly.

Marina's nine months' salary amounted to 108,000 dollars. With that much money, she could pay for Mike's expensive piano lessons for years! Although she had a lot of money saved, she was reluctant to part with 108,000 dollars just to resign from this job. After thinking about it for a while, she decided to stay.

Seeing her hesitation, Michael thought, 'After all, she'll have to pay more than 100,000 dollars. She doesn't look like a rich person. I'm sure she'll agree to stay. Money really makes the world go around.'

"Do you think you can make me reconsider quitting?" Marina asked, even though she had already made her decision. She didn't want to give in too easily.

Michael replied confidently, "I think you'll definitely think twice about it. After all, you'll lose a lot of money."

"I can afford to lose that much money," Marina retorted proudly, "but I just don't want to spend so much money on unnecessary things. I can continue to work, but on a few conditions. If you can promise me these things, I won't quit."

Michael snorted. "Do you think you have the right to bargain with me?"

"Probably not. But why do you want to keep me here?" This was the question that was really on Marina's mind. Judging by Michael's attitude yesterday, he should be happy that she was offering to resign.

"Because..." After a pause, Michael continued, "You've piqued my interest, and I want to see what you're capable of. As you know, almost everyone who is hired by M Group is highly competent. Yesterday, I saw that you sorted out the documents in advance. That's the kind of work ethic I can appreciate."

Marina nodded with understanding. "Fine. But if you don't agree to my terms, I'll get you to fire me as soon as possible."

"Are you that eager to leave this company?" Michael cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Why should I stay? In order to motivate me, you should apologize for what you said yesterday, and you can't call me an idiot anymore in the future."

Michael nodded immediately. "I'm sorry for calling you an idiot. Can you start working now, Marina?"

"How can I get into the office without the key?" Marina asked. It seemed that with her skills, she had managed to get the upper hand.

"I'll ask someone to open the door. I don't have much work to do today, so I'll treat you to dinner tonight as an apology. I think you can do me that favor, Miss Mu."

"Mr. Michael, you'd better invite me to dinner another day. I have something else to do tonight."

Marina was planning to see a movie with Mike tonight. It seemed that these days, she couldn't keep any of the promises that she made her son on time. He would definitely get mad at her if she cancelled their plans today.

To her pleasant surprise, Michael agreed readily. "Then let's go for dinner another day. Now, I need you to make a copy of the materials for this morning's meeting. And remember, I don't like having sushi or black coffee at noon. Carry on with your work now."

Marina nodded and went to her office. She still couldn't tell whether Michael was Mike's father. However, she had to admit that the two of them looked a lot alike, and they were even similar in character. Even though Marina worked hard, she still felt uncomfortable every time she thought of being called an idiot on her first day of work. However, she was glad that she hadn't resigned. She still remembered the bet she had made with her son. She was determined to show him that she could hold a job for more than three months.

While she was making copies, Marina looked at the call log on her phone. There was a call from Mike's godmother, Dahlia Pei. Aside from that, there were several missed calls from Albert. Marina planned to call both of them back when she had the time.

She prepared the documents and other materials that Michael needed in advance. When she was done, she checked the time and found that it was noon. She had been so busy all morning that she hadn't had anything to eat, and she was starving now. 'Has Mike eaten yet? Why hasn't he called me today?' she wondered.

Just then, her phone rang. Seeing that she was getting a call from Mike, Marina quickly answered it. Before she could ask him if he had eaten, she heard Mike say, "Mommy, how did your resignation go?"

Naturally, she was touched to hear that. "Well, I'm not unemployed yet. I'll continue to work here, so our bet still stands."

At the same time, Michael's cold voice came from the office phone. "Miss Mu, come to my office now."

Marina was still on the phone with Mike, so she quickly said, "Baby, I'll talk to you once I'm home. I'm busy now."

Hearing the word "baby" on the phone, Michael frowned. 'Is she talking to her boyfriend right now?'

While he was wondering that, he heard her response from the office phone. "Yes, sir."

A minute later, Marina appeared in his office with documents. "Mr. Michael, I've done everything you asked for. Is there anything else you want me to do?"

"No, you're done for today. By the way, you'd better not make any personal calls during work hours."

Marina's shoulders sagged slightly. She found his words unreasonable, but she said, "Okay."

Satisfied with her answer, Michael stood up and stretched. "It's rare for me to have so much free time. Let's go downstairs for lunch."

"Okay." Marina set the documents down on the office desk, and then accompanied Michael downstairs.

It was uncomfortable to take the same elevator as the CEO of the company. The awkward atmosphere between them made her feel like she was suffocating.

Marina had come here this morning planning to resign, but now, she had fallen into Michael's trap. The thing she hated most in the world was being called an idiot. But after thinking for a while, she had to admit that staying in the M Group was not a bad thing. At least, she had a job to do.