Chapter 220: An Exception
The HR Manager, Anh Tuyet, was a woman who had once been turned down by Toan Phuong. The Sales Manager was Van Anh—Huong Tra’s boss. The Audit Manager, Thu Ha, was also a woman. Only the Treasury Manager, Tuan Viet, and the Tech Manager, Anh Quan, were men.
It was agreed that a male representative should present the birthday gift and flowers, and without much discussion, Tuan Viet took on the role of delivering the gift and bouquet to the CEO’s wife.
From the moment the CEO brought his wife around, even those who weren't particularly observant could tell that flattering the CEO’s wife was even more effective than flattering the CEO himself. So, although Kieu Ly wasn’t a formal employee of the bank, she was naturally treated with the same level of respect and courtesy as the CEO.
However, when the group arrived and saw the CEO and his wife plucking gray hairs from each other’s heads, they all hesitated and lingered awkwardly outside the office door.
As soon as Kieu Ly and Toan Phuong noticed the department heads standing at the door with a large bouquet of flowers, they quickly stood up and welcomed the guests inside.
Once everyone was in the room, Tuan Viet happily presented the flowers and gift to Kieu Ly, offering a flowery congratulation:
“On behalf of the entire staff of the 18th floor, I wish you a new year of life filled with beauty and youth, and hope you’ll soon complete your PhD program and come manage the family business alongside Toan Phuong.”
Kieu Ly had already read through the profiles of everyone on the 18th floor, and with everyone wearing their access badges, it wasn’t hard for her to recognize who was who. She happily accepted the gift and thanked everyone:
“What a surprise! Thank you so much, Mr. Tuan Viet, Ms. Van Anh, Ms. Thu Ha, Ms. Anh Tuyet, Mr. Anh Quan, and everyone here.”
Toan Phuong was equally surprised—never before had a birthday celebration been held for someone who wasn’t officially on the bank’s payroll. Before he could even sit down and pour tea for the guests, Tuan Viet spoke up:
“The team has already set up the party on the 4th floor. Please join us to celebrate.”
Kieu Ly placed the flowers and the gift on the table and followed everyone downstairs.
When they arrived at the 4th floor, nearly all of the 18th floor staff were already there, though no one had taken their seats yet. The five department heads invited Kieu Ly and Toan Phuong to sit at the seats of honor. Huong Tra sat next to Kieu Ly and then casually took a spot at the first table, also signaling for the rest of the staff to sit down and enjoy the meal.
Diem Huong quickly placed candles on the large birthday cake and lit them:
“Ms. Ly, please blow out the candles and make a wish!”
In truth, Kieu Ly preferred intimate birthday celebrations with close friends and family. Crowded gatherings with unfamiliar people weren’t her thing. But considering that she might eventually be working here, this would become her second home—she needed to build relationships and a sense of belonging. She also felt lucky to be so warmly welcomed by everyone. Although touched, she couldn’t help but feel slightly awkward.
She smiled, blew out the candles, and picked up the knife to slice the cake and serve it to everyone.
At the table, Toan Phuong chatted happily with the department heads, while Kieu Ly sat talking to Huong Tra, occasionally listening in on the casual gossip and jokes exchanged among staff. Though there was laughter and a cheerful atmosphere, there was still a hint of formality in their interactions.
After the party ended, everyone pitched in to help clean up. Toan Phuong stood up and made an announcement:
“Today, everyone is free to leave the office early and organize team-building activities, either by department or in groups. You can go out to eat, have fun, sing karaoke—whatever you’d like. I’ll provide a budget of 10 million VND per department. For the Tech Department, which has the most staff, I’ll provide five times that amount.”
Everyone on the 18th floor stood frozen in disbelief, looking around at one another in stunned silence. Then, after a moment, the entire team erupted in cheers of joy, quickly cleaning up and rushing back to their offices to get ready for their outings.
Huong Tra couldn't believe what she just heard. She leaned over and asked quietly:
"Are you feeling okay today or something? Since when are you this generous? Letting staff go out and have fun?"