The consulting center's automatic door buzzed open, and the silhouettes of a man and a woman stepped inside, instantly drawing the attention of everyone at the front desk and in the waiting area that was merged with the reception hall.
Lu Jia originally maintained a standard professional smile, multitasking as she cautiously observed the direction of Chen Ting's mother and the consultant.
At this moment, upon seeing the arrivals, although her smile at the front desk remained unchanged, it was evident that she had completely relaxed.
"Boss." The receptionist greeted one person immediately, then turned to the other, "Sister Pingting."
The owner of the consulting center was named Howard. He had a foreign name, yet he was unmistakably Chinese. He wore a gray striped suit, his hair was neatly trimmed, and his temples were slightly graying, giving the impression of being in his forties. Perhaps due to his regular exercise, his suit fit him perfectly.
In short, he was a middle-aged handsome man capable of exuding the charm of a mature gentleman.
Upon seeing the two, Chen Ting's mother, who had been leisurely sipping tea and reading magazines, slowly stood up: "Are you Mr. Ho? We spoke on the phone earlier, I am Chen Ting's mother…"
Howard softly instructed the receptionist on something, then moved to greet Chen Ting's mother: "Thank you for trusting Yan Nuo Center."
"Our Tingting has already consulted with several consultants. I always hoped for some improvement in her situation." Chen Ting's mother's tone was very critical, "Your consulting center is quite small and was only recently established. I originally came because of Teacher Weng Pinting's reputation, but unexpectedly, the appointment was with another young consultant…"
Howard maintained a smile on his face: "I've also reviewed Chen Ting's file. We matched her with the most suitable consultant after comprehensive consideration."
Chen Ting's mother nodded slightly. The better the consultants, the more expensive the fees. Although she also wished for an improvement in Chen Ting's condition, after seeing several consultants, her expectations had gradually lowered.
This "most suitable consultant" was more affordable compared to a renowned consultant.
Meanwhile, Teacher Weng Pinting, whom they had been discussing, nodded politely to Chen Ting's mother and then proceeded directly to the office area with Lu Jia.
"You told me about the situation on the phone, you did well. Now, explain it to me again in detail."
The receptionist nodded upon hearing this and quietly supplemented with details.
Tap...
Tap, tap...
At this time, the consulting assistants and those consultants with appointments had already arrived, but there weren't many people, only about seven in total.
However, as soon as they heard the familiar rhythm of high heels, the originally chatting crowd immediately sat up straight and proper.
"Teacher Yang!" Weng Pinting's voice came over, although she used an honorific, her tone was sharp.
Bald Consultant Yang immediately sensed trouble: "Supervisor!"
Weng Pinting was very young, but in the field of psychological consultation, age was just a standard criterion for outsiders to judge.
The saying "Age is important" was both accurate and inaccurate. For consultants, the critical age point was thirty years old—before thirty, every year added significant social experience, which was invaluable in consultations. But after thirty, being older didn't necessarily mean more experienced than younger individuals.
Bald Yang, who had started going bald, was already in his forties. Yet, the flagship consultant of Yan Nuo Center, who was also in charge of all consultation operations, was the thirty-something-year-old Weng Pinting.
She was the superior of everyone present.
Weng Pinting's features were exquisite, but her tense expression left no room for Bald Yang to appreciate. He was gradually coming to terms with the situation and internally cursed his impulsiveness in the morning.
[Moreover, why did the boss and the supervisor come so early today? I wasn't prepared at all...]
But now that things had come to this, the focus was on how to extricate himself and lay all the blame on the newcomer.
Weng Pinting's tone was like a frosty breeze: "You should be in the consultation room right now. All visitor assignments at our center are coordinated by me; who allowed you to transfer a visitor privately?"
The other consultants and assistants, who were originally watching, scattered instantly, maintaining a safe distance while keeping within earshot. Bald Yang hadn't communicated what happened earlier in the morning, and now they finally realized such an incident had occurred.
This wasn't a trivial matter.
Bald Yang coughed lightly, forcing himself to stay calm: "Well, the newcomer came quite early today. While I was preparing to review the files, he snuck a peek without my permission..."
Weng Pinting's voice grew colder: "So your confidentiality practices have issues too?"
Bald Yang was choked, his face began to flush, but he endured and continued according to his prepared speech: "Yes, that was my oversight. But I didn't expect that after seeing the visitor's situation, the newcomer insisted on taking over. He probably thought a visitor who only intended to come once would be good practice."
He glanced at his consulting assistant with an unintelligible look, then turned back: "Of course, I disagreed, but unexpectedly, he secretly waited at the door and took charge as soon as the visitor arrived."
"At such a moment, I couldn't exactly start a conflict with him, could I snatch the visitor in front of their family? Our consulting center is newly established, and we are building our reputation and case numbers, relying on referrals. If a scene was made, everyone's livelihood would be at stake."
Weng Pinting listened quietly.
Then, she slowly narrowed her eyes.
Bald Yang, being stared at, panicked involuntarily. Weng Pinting's terrifying gaze was well-known at the consulting center. Previously, he thought it was merely the pressure of a superior over a subordinate, but now he suddenly felt it had a different undertone.
Even a sense of familiarity.
[It seemed earlier today, someone else had looked at him with the same gaze.]
[But didn't Supervisor Weng just arrive at the consulting center today?]
The atmosphere was stuck in this awkward way, others' gazes rotating between Weng Pinting and Bald Yang, not daring to exhale loudly.
Fortunately, Weng Pinting soon withdrew her gaze, turning to say, "Boss, could you come over?"
Howard, at some point, had appeared in the office as well.
Weng Pinting called him in the same tone she used with Bald Yang, yet Howard didn't find it inappropriate. The owner of the consulting center soothed Bald Yang and the other employees with his eyes, then adjusted his tie while following Weng Pinting into his office.
"Pingting, this matter must be resolved quickly." Once inside, he immediately spoke up.
"Indeed, but before resolving this issue, shouldn't you first explain what's going on with this new consultation assistant?"
She directly sat in the boss's chair, whereas Howard, as the owner, stood like someone being instructed.
"We agreed long ago—you wanted to transition into a psychological consultation center to make money, so I came to help you, no problem, but we must adhere to three regulations."
"Follow my lead on professional matters, don't interfere with consultation business, and don't tamper with my team."
"So how could you suddenly add a consultation assistant into my team, causing such a big mess?"
Weng Pinting's face was as cold as frost, her gaze steady and forceful.
Howard quickly became unable to hold up, beginning to plead.