Chapter 160: The New Position

Chapter 160: Chapter 160: The New Position

When Lucien arrived at the company, everything remained as usual, only when he went up to the seventh floor did the eyes of a few people looking at him seem to change a little. After all, for an important matter like changing the person in charge, an email with a red notice would be sent to the entire department.

Therefore, it was only normal that the way they looked at him had changed by this time. In fact, their design department was very crowded, it was just that Lucien normally only operated in his own area, so he was only familiar with a few faces.

But just because he did not know them did not mean they did not know him. The story of someone who was about to be promoted to assistant department manager dropping straight down to an intern was by no means an ordinary occurrence.

The eyes they used to look at Lucien now were truly very wary, from an intern he could climb straight up to the position of project manager. So what if it was a temporary project? There would definitely be more changes in the future, and by then, the position would not merely be an ordinary designer.

It would be difficult not to be wary.

However, Lucien also did not bother to care about what they were doing, he just walked towards his own desk. As soon as he put his bag down, Sarah turned to him, her smile bright. "Congratulations! I just read the HR email. You are so good!"

"Thank you." Lucien smiled lightly. "I was also very surprised."

"What is there to be surprised about, I think you deserve it." Sarah lowered her voice. "But you should be careful. There are a few people who are not happy. Especially those in Ethan’s group."

Lucien nodded. "I know."

He turned on his computer and logged into his inbox. In addition to the HR announcement email, there was also a private email from Damian, sent early: "Congratulations. I hope you will soon prove your ability. Do you have an appointment tonight?"

Lucien read the message, the corners of his lips twitching slightly. This man was always like this, brief and dry, but the meaning was clear. He typed back: "Thank you. I am free tonight. What do you want to eat?"

Then he closed the email, opened the project plan, and began preparing for the first team meeting. Today he would have to present the concept again to all the people assigned to support the project, about five people, including two designers, one illustrator, one communications person, and a new intern. This was the first time he stood in the position of the main person in charge, and he knew he had to perform really well.

The meeting took place at ten in the morning, in meeting room number 1. Lucien arrived first, opened the presentation, and checked each slide. As people walked in one after another, he clearly saw the difference in their attitudes. Some nodded a friendly greeting, others just sat down silently, their eyes unable to hide their assessment.

Lucien started the meeting with a calm, confident voice. He presented the main idea of the collection, "The City in the Season of Falling Leaves". Its main color palette was warm and muted tones, the materials contrasted between rustic and soft, aimed at modern people who longed for warmth. He clearly pointed out each part of the work, from sketching and coloring, to coordinating with the printing and media departments.

Right after he finished speaking, a designer named Chris, who had previously ignored him in the pantry, spoke up: "I have a question. This concept is quite okay, but are you sure you have enough experience to coordinate the entire project? You have not been with the company for long, and before you only did odd jobs."

The whole room fell silent, all eyes focusing on Lucien.

Of course, this little question did not affect Lucien at all. He looked straight at Chris, then answered slowly: "I understand what you are worried about. But I want everyone to judge based on what I have done, not based on what I have done before. I carried out this concept since the days I was still an intern. Furthermore... it is true that I am new to the company, but where my position was before that, whether I was an intern or not, you probably know? If you find anything wrong with it, I am ready to absorb it."

Chris looked at Lucien for a moment, then nodded slightly, and did not say anything else. Another person, Linda, spoke up: "I see the concept is very clear, you have prepared thoroughly. I have no further comments."

The meeting ended smoothly. Lucien assigned specific tasks to each person and finalized the deadline for each item. When everyone left the room, he sat back alone, letting out a long breath. He knew this was only the first step, the real pressure was still ahead.

At noon, Lucien went to the canteen to eat. He chose a table in a hidden corner and sat alone. But after a while, Mark approached, carrying a tray of food. He sat down opposite Lucien, saying softly: "You did very well today. I saw Chris making things a little difficult, but you handled it fine."

"Thank you." Lucien replied, then briefly recounted the meeting. Mark listened attentively, occasionally giving a few more suggestions. The atmosphere between the two of them was much more comfortable than before.

As both of them were eating, Lucien’s phone vibrated. It was Damian calling.

"Where are you?"

"I am having lunch at the canteen."

"Come up to my office in a bit."

"Yes."

Lucien hung up, then looked at Mark. "The boss called me up to meet. Probably about the project."

Mark nodded. "You go ahead. I will sit here for a while and then go back."

Lucien hastily drank a sip of water, then stood up and went up to the twelfth floor. Grace saw him coming and just nodded slightly, signaling him to go inside. He pushed the door and walked in, seeing Damian sitting behind the desk, holding a folder in his hand. Damian looked up, motioning for Lucien to sit down.

"I heard the report of your meeting this morning." Damian said, his voice deep and steady. "I heard you handled those difficult questions well."

"I only answered according to what I know." Lucien replied, then smiled softly. "By the way, who did you hear the report from?"

"From my assistant." Damian said, then put the folder down on the desk. "You have assigned the deadlines, right?"

"Yes, I have sent a specific email to each person."

"Good." Damian nodded. "I can pick you up for dinner tonight. What do you want to eat?"

Lucien was a little surprised. "You are picking me up directly? Aren’t you afraid of people gossiping?"

"I have never been afraid of people gossiping." Damian replied, his voice still steady. "What about you?"

"Me neither." Lucien said. "Then let’s have hotpot tonight. I am craving spicy food."

Damian looked at Lucien for a moment, then his lips curled up slightly. "Alright. I know a good hotpot place."

In the afternoon, Lucien went back to the design department and continued working. He opened the concept file, adjusted a few details that the team had suggested this morning, and then sent the update to everyone. He also opened an email from the IT team, confirming that his computer had been checked and no strange software had been detected. But they also reported that there were signs of a USB being plugged into the computer during his absence.

Lucien was not surprised. He had guessed that Ethan wanted to take the data. But he also knew that the most important concept version was saved on the cloud and in his personal email, so he was not afraid of losing it. He sent an email reporting back to Damian, then locked his computer and stood up.

When the clock struck six, he went down to the lobby and saw Damian’s car already parked in front of the gate. He opened the door and sat in the passenger seat. Damian glanced at Lucien, then started the car.

"Are you tired?" Damian asked.

"A little tired, but happy." Lucien replied, then leaned his back against the seat. "It has been a long time since I got to do some real work."

Damian did not say anything, he just reached out to turn down the air conditioning, and then drove away. The hotpot restaurant was located in a small alley, not too crowded but cozy. The two of them sat at a table in the corner, ordered a spicy hotpot and a few side dishes.

Throughout the meal, they did not mention work. Damian talked about a few trivial things when he was still in school, and Lucien also shared a few memories from his student days. The atmosphere was light and comfortable, as if they had known each other for a long time.

When they finished eating, Damian drove Lucien back to his apartment. In front of the elevator door, Damian suddenly grabbed his hand. Lucien looked up and saw Damian’s eyes soften.

"Thank you for today." Damian said, his voice deep.

"What are you thanking me for?"

"For proving that I did not choose the wrong person." Damian replied, then pulled Lucien into his arms, placing a light kiss on his hair.

Lucien smiled softly, wrapping his arms around Damian. "I will not let you down."