"Xiao Zhuo?" The person in the driver's seat called out a few times and didn't get a response, while waiting at a red light, they poked the person next to them with their wine-red manicured finger, "Hey!"
Xu Zhuo, from his reverie on the passenger's seat, snapped back, "Huh? What?"
"I came all the way to pick you up, and you're ignoring me?" "Hey, Ranyan, you live across the street from me," Xu Zhuo said.
"Hmph!" Yi Peiran adjusted her brown wig, restarted the car, and asked in a high-pitched voice, "Lost in thought again?"
Xu Zhuo tilted his head back and rubbed his face with both hands, "I'm afraid I'll have to pack up and leave."
"You just started your job not too long ago, right?"
"Alas," Xu Zhuo sighed heavily, "just recently, I offended Mr. Bingyou, the boss."
"That's not like you," Yi Peiran tapped the steering wheel, Xu Zhuo had always been one to solve problems, not cause trouble, "What did you do?"
Xu Zhuo slumped in the chair, "I wish I knew what I did." He wracked his brains but couldn't figure out why Du Ziyu looked at him like that.
Could it be because he saw Du Ziyu in an embarrassing state? Clearly, Du Ziyu was someone who cared about his image and couldn't tolerate a subordinate who had witnessed his humiliation. This explanation also made sense, albeit barely.
"Relax," Yi Peiran consoled him, "Maybe you're just worrying needlessly."
Xu Zhuo glanced ahead absentmindedly, "I hope so..." He had high hopes for this job at Bingyou's, if he were fired now, he might not even get a recommendation, which would affect his future. Not to mention the mortgage on his apartment and the car payment, if he didn't find a new job for a few months, his savings would quickly run out, and he'd have to turn to his family in the end...
Yi Peiran was his close friend of many years, he guessed what Xu Zhuo was worried about and said, "If Bingyou really can't see your worth, my studio happens to need a model, the pay's good."
Xu Zhuo gave him a sidelong glance, he knew it wasn't that simple, "What kind of model?"
"Regarding the international cooperation project, it’s all about wearing skirts and high heels, putting on lipstick and such."
Sure enough.
Xu Zhuo looked back and forcibly changed the topic, "Which way should we go?"
"People's West Road is almost flooded, so we have to take a big detour."
Flooded? Xu Zhuo's mind drifted away, wondering if Du Ziyou would pass through the waterlogged road on his way back. It seemed a bit dangerous—
Stop it! Xu Zhuo wanted to give himself a slap. Am I getting Stockholm Syndrome? Am I still worried about that person?
When he returned home, it was already 2:40 in the morning. When he finished washing up and changed into his pajamas and lay in bed, it was exactly 3 o'clock.
His mind was in a mess. He thought he was destined to suffer from insomnia tonight, but after a whole day of work, he was extremely tired. Once he touched the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.
But his dreams were vivid and varied. Sometimes it was Du Ziyou's figure, sometimes it was Du Ziyou drenched in cold sweat, and sometimes it was himself being forced to wear a skirt and put on lipstick... The fragmented images finally stopped at a glance from Du Ziyou. Xu Zhuo woke up from the bed, his heart pounding, his pajamas soaked in cold sweat, sticking to his skin.
He lay there, trying to calm his breathing, not quite remembering the content of his dream, only knowing that it was undoubtedly a nightmare.
Looking at his phone, it was already 10 o'clock in the morning; he had slept for 7 hours. Flexible working hours were common at Bingyou, and working until 11 or 12 o'clock was normal. It was not uncommon to come to work in the afternoon the next day. Xu Zhuo hesitated in bed for a while before slowly getting up.
Leaving at 11 o'clock, he had lunch on the way. When he walked to the company, his subordinates were all busy.
"Ahem." He stood next to Ji Wenfei.
Ji Wenfei looked up, "Xu ge, good afternoon."
"Good afternoon," he asked, "Is someone looking for me?" Like HR, with a letter of dismissal.
"Those new eyeglasses ads have been sent over," Ji Wenfei pulled out a copy from a pile of documents, "but Sister Luo said she wants to see it first."
"Alright, I got it," Xu Zhuo said, "Anything else?"
"Lequ's director is scheduled to arrive at two o'clock, and Director William said it's best for you to meet him when you are free."
"Okay. What else?"
"You have a meeting with Manager Lin at three this afternoon, and I've booked the Lingbo Xuan on the second floor of the Light Food Hall for you."
Xu Zhuo nodded, then waited for a moment before asking, "Anything else?"
"Huh? Nothing more... maybe?" Ji Wenfei was a bit flustered.
Xu Zhuo evasively said, "It's okay, just ask around."
He locked himself in his office and screamed silently on the table. Why didn't they just be straightforward with me! This way, it's even more uncomfortable to keep me hanging like this!
As he calmed down and thought about it, he realized that Du Ziyou, being so shrewd, might have done it deliberately, leaving the guillotine hanging over his head, making him anxious all day and waiting until he was tortured beyond recognition before striking, chopping off his head.
Xu Zhuo felt a chill down his spine and felt as if he had already seen his own tragic end, decapitated and staining Bingyou with blood.
Du Ziyou was truly ruthless.
Frustrated, Xu Zhuo rubbed his face, but what else could he do? How could a mere employee compete with a heartless capitalist? He still had to work hard to contribute to Du's commercial empire; just thinking about it made him feel aggrieved.
Oh well, Xu Zhuo reassured himself. He didn't have the same level of experience as Du Ziyou, but he couldn't afford to slack off even for a moment on the projects at hand. If he was replaced midway, it would be a loss for Du Ziyou himself.
Once he had made up his mind, he threw himself into his work with newfound vigor and was busy until after two in the afternoon before Ji Wenfei came in to remind him of the three o'clock appointment. He changed into formal attire, tidied his appearance and set off with Ji Wenfei.
The Light Food Hall was opposite Bingyou's main building, a three-story restaurant. The name was odd, mixing modern simplicity with traditional style and focusing on low-fat, low-salt Chinese food. It had been exceptionally popular since its opening a few months ago, and reservations were required. Positioned as a mid-to-high-end establishment, Bingyou's staff often entertained clients there, and Xu Zhuo was no exception.
He had been there twice before, so he gestured for the waitress to not lead the way and took Ji Wenfei upstairs, while instructing her, "I'll do the talking later; you need to listen carefully and I will test you on it when we get back."
Ji Wenfei nodded.
Xu Zhuo said, "Pay attention to my tone when I speak, and match where necessary. Be clever."
"I will!" Ji Wenfei replied.
After sitting in Lingbo Xuan for almost half an hour, Manager Lin called to say he had arrived downstairs and asked which private room it was.
Xu Zhuo told him and then hung up, whispering to Ji Wenfei, "Smile."
Ji Wenfei forced a smile, showing eight teeth in a standard smile.
Xu Zhuo chuckled, "Who taught you that? Don’t smile like that anymore. Your expression must be natural."
Ji Wenfei stuck out her tongue and then put on a more genuine smile.
The door was pushed open, and the bespectacled Manager Lin strode in. Xu Zhuo immediately stood up to greet him warmly, "Manager Lin!" He reached for the two cups of tea on the table, "Thank you for taking the time to meet us. Let me offer you a cup of tea instead of wine." Ji Wenfei followed with the teapot.
Manager Lin's face was unpleasant when he walked in. He had already decided to cancel the contract and had originally planned to cut to the chase, but before he could sit down and speak, Xu Zhuo took the lead and gained the initiative. If he refused even a cup of tea, it would make him look petty, so he had to accept it.
Xu Zhuo drank the entire cup of tea in one gulp, then lowered it, and Ji Wenfei immediately refilled it for him.
Seeing that Manager Lin had also finished his tea, Xu Zhuo raised the cup again and said with a smile, "This cup is an apology from me; it’s my own negligence that we did not follow up in a timely manner, failing to convey your company's opinions properly."
Before Manager Lin could react, Xu Zhuo drank the entire cup of tea in one gulp again.
As Manager Lin tried to speak, Xu Zhuo gave him a knowing look and spoke first, "Ah, look at me, I made you stand for so long; come, Manager Lin, please sit down."
As Manager Lin sat down, Ji Wenfei poured him another cup of tea. He told Xu Zhuo, "Xu, there's no need to say anything more to me. The termination of the contract is non-negotiable. Let's finalize the termination as soon as possible."
Xu Zhuo nodded, "You're right, we need to handle the matter properly. There are only a few days left until Qixi, and your company's new product is sure to make a big hit."
He placated Manager Lin at first, then subtly guided the conversation in the latter half of the sentence.
Manager Lin snorted and said, "Otherwise, we wouldn’t have chosen Bingyou from so many options, but we didn't expect your level to be so disappointing, utterly disappointing."
The fish had taken the bait. Xu Zhuo looked apologetic and said, "It's our customer department's fault. We not only failed your company, but also wasted your time, and we let down our colleagues in the creative department by not giving them the chance to play to their strengths."
He lightly patted the shoulder of his colleague, Ji Wenfei, and continued, "This little Ji is my intern, she has been following your company's project all the way. She even told me that during the creative brainstorming in the past, she had a few brilliant ideas, which got them so excited that they stayed up for several nights."
Ji Wenfei shyly smiled and said to the person opposite, "They've made me want to buy a new washing machine." The main focus of this time's LaMeti advertisement is the new washing machine.
Manager Lin's expression softened considerably, and Xu Zhuo took the opportunity to briefly introduce a few plans, adding, "Of course, no matter how good these ideas are, they must still be subject to your company's wishes."
Finally, he said, "The holidays are approaching, and all the advertising companies are busy. Your company, being such a large enterprise, must have a lot of business. If you really want to terminate the contract, I don't want to be impolite and waste time, as Bix's policy has always been to put the interests of the client first. Of course, we still hope to cooperate with your company.”
When Ji Wenfei heard this, she glanced nervously at him.
After a moment of contemplation, Manager Lin suddenly smiled, "Xu, if I remember correctly, you're new here, aren't you?"
Xu Zhuo also smiled, "I worked at YiGuan for a few years before. I can't compare with these bright and shiny newbies." He wasn't sure if the other person's mention of "newbies" was a criticism of his lack of experience, so he tactfully changed the subject to avoid the issue.
Manager Lin picked up his teacup, "It's a blessing for Bix to have you here. Your future is boundless." Xu Zhuo's heart skipped a beat, does he know Du Ziyu?
"I don’t dare to be presumptuous, just doing my part. Young talents like you, Manager Lin, are my role models," he regained control of the conversation, "We, as employees, must always consider the interests of the company. I'm sure Manager Lin understands that."
"Yours truly can't hold a candle to your boss, Du," Manager Lin sipped his tea, then set down the cup and said, "I can't think of a reason to refuse. You're quite persuasive. That settles it." Ji Wenfei was delighted, and Xu Zhuo maintained his smiling expression unchanged. "But—" Manager Lin's tone changed, "That colleague of yours with a sharp tongue, I don't want to see him again."
Xu Zhuo nodded, "Manager Lin, rest assured, not only have you been upset, but we've also been driven half to death. We won't go easy on him."
The negotiation ended much more smoothly than expected, even before the dishes came. Xu Zhuo dined with Manager Lin, while Ji Wenfei presented the new brief. She was well-prepared, brought a lot of materials, and had familiarized herself beforehand, which now came in handy.
After a light afternoon tea, the three of them left quickly. Xu Zhuo and Manager Lin chatted as they walked down the stairs, "Feel free to call me anytime—"
He was harshly bumped on the shoulder, and looking up, he saw a disheveled man running upstairs.
"Not even an apology," Ji Wenfei grumbled, "Looks like he's in a hurry to reincarnate."
Xu Zhuo didn't want to leave Manager Lin hanging, so he smiled and continued their conversation, walking him to the entrance of the light cafe. Manager Lin's car was parked in the adjacent parking lot, and they shook hands here to bid farewell.
"Incredible!" Ji Wenfei's eyes sparkled, "Xu, you convinced him with just a few words."
Xu Zhuo stood at the front desk of the light cafe, waiting for the receipt. He felt uneasy for some reason and absentmindedly replied, "It wasn't very difficult..."
The person who had just bumped into him looked familiar in build and silhouette, as if he had seen him recently somewhere, but he couldn't remember where...
"When you didn't stop him from terminating the contract, I was scared to death," Ji Wenfei remembered, "But I never imagined—Hey, where are you going, Xu?"
"I have something to do upstairs," Xu Zhuo had long legs, took two steps and was at the bottom of the stairs, then turned back hurriedly to give a few instructions, "You stay here and wait for the receipt, don't wander off."
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