The CEO of Zhuomei Shopping Center: Mi Cai (English name: Betsy), born on September 10, 1988, originally from Suzhou, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania in the United States, with a Master’s degree in Business Administration.
I read the resume, shocked beyond words. The woman I had driven away in anger from that shabby house last night turned out to be the newly appointed CEO of Zhuomei Shopping Center. Although I don’t work at Zhuomei, as Zhuomei is the biggest competitor of our Baoli Department Store, this still indirectly connects me with Mi Cai. At least we are both in the department store industry, though our statuses are vastly different.
Could it really be that only enemies meet again? After intersecting in life, we now have an indirect connection in our work as well.
Chen Jingming noticed my unusual reaction and asked, somewhat confused, “What’s wrong? Is there a problem with this personnel file from Zhuomei?”
“No, no… I just think the new CEO of Zhuomei is really beautiful. She’s only 26 years old. I wonder if she has a boyfriend yet.”
Chen Jingming looked at me helplessly, silent for a while.
“Manager, you go ahead and do your work first. I’ll get back to mine,” I said, not waiting for Chen Jingming’s response, and left the manager’s office with the personnel file from Zhuomei.
…
Back in my own office, I flipped through the personnel file again. After reading through it thoroughly, I returned to Mi Cai’s page once more, still finding it hard to believe. Subconsciously, I compared myself with her, instantly feeling how great the gap between people can be. You see, Zhuomei has consistently outperformed our Baoli in Suzhou over the years. As Zhuomei’s CEO, Mi Cai is considered more accomplished in the industry than our Baoli’s CEO, Yang Huaqing. During my two and a half years working at Baoli, due to hierarchical differences, I barely even got to see Yang Huaqing in person. In my mind, Yang Huaqing was a man standing high above, someone I had to look up to. Yet not long ago, Mi Cai, who is even more prominent in the industry than Yang Huaqing, was treated rudely by me. I clearly remember the scene where I threw her sheets and blankets out the window into the rain, and she actually cried in front of me out of grievance. In our subsequent interactions, I behaved even worse…
I didn’t continue thinking. At this moment, I was truly grateful that I worked at Baoli instead of Zhuomei.
Zhao Li, sitting beside me, looked at my ever-changing expression in confusion and asked, “Zhaoyang, why does your expression look so twisted?”
“My face hurts!”
“Oh… What’s that material you’re holding? Seems like you’ve been flipping through it for a while.”
“It’s the latest personnel file from Zhuomei. You can take it and get familiar with it,” I said, tossing the file to Zhao Li.
Zhao Li started flipping through it and, upon seeing the first page, exclaimed, “Hey, the CEO of Zhuomei has changed!”
“Yeah,” I responded briefly.
Zhao Li continued reading and then remarked, “Only 26 years old, and so beautiful. Could she be just a figurehead?”
“You also think she’s a figurehead, right?” I said to Zhao Li as if finding a kindred spirit, yet feeling unbalanced inside. Why is it that Mi Cai and I were both born in the 80s, yet she lives like a fairy while I live like a cockroach?
“But she graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with a Master’s in Business Administration. She probably isn’t just a figurehead. Everyone knows the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania is the best in the world,” Zhao Li looked at Mi Cai’s photo and retracted his previous opinion.
I glared at Zhao Li and said, “Zhao Li, do you even have a stance? What difference does it make that she has a Master’s from the University of Pennsylvania? In modern business competition, it’s wisdom and experience that count, not academic qualifications.”
“Why are you so worked up? I was just saying. Anyway, whether she’s a figurehead or not has nothing to do with us small fries.”
“Femme fatale, don’t talk to me.”
“Who’s femme fatale? I’m a real man who loves outdoor sports.” Zhao Li said to me with a flushed face.
“Outdoor ballet, more like.”
“Zhaoyang, you bastard, your actions are mean, and your words are even meaner!”
I replied indifferently, “Go ahead, keep cursing. Curse me with your delicate fingers.”
Zhao Li: “…”
…
That evening, I stayed at the company with my colleagues, working overtime for two hours. I had been in this work mode for several consecutive days, gradually adapting to this busy and high-pressure lifestyle. This was a significant change for me, and my decadent life for a long time needed this kind of transformation.
As I was preparing to leave the company, I received a call from Fangyuan. He told me that he and Yanyan had already returned from Sanya and invited me to have dinner together. I cautiously asked if Jianwei was coming too. He told me that Jianwei had already gone to Nanjing with Xiangchen. Only then did I let down my guard, yet I felt an indescribable sense of loss. I clearly understood what it meant that this time Jianwei and Xiangchen had returned to Nanjing together.
The heaviness of the night kept suppressing my sensitivity, making me feel increasingly oppressed and more and more lost…
Arriving at the restaurant where I had agreed to meet Fangyuan, I smoked a cigarette at the entrance, grimacing as I looked at my reflection in the window, feeling that my smile looked flawless, before finally stubbing out the cigarette and walking into the restaurant.
Yanyan waved at me from a distance. I forced myself to keep the smile I had just worn and walked towards the couple.
After I sat down, Yanyan immediately handed me a convenient bag from beside her and said, “Knowing you like beer, I bought you a lot of ready-to-eat seafood… Zhaoyang, your big sister is really nice to you, right?”
I took the bag from Yanyan’s hands and smirked, saying, “You’re already a married woman, don’t act so young and call yourself a big sister in front of us. I really can’t bring myself to call you that.”
Yanyan slapped me playfully and said, “You’re so mean. Even if I’m a married woman, I’m still your big sister.”
I laughed heartily, but my mood remained trapped in an inexplicable sense of loss.
As Yanyan and I joked around, Fangyuan asked me, “I heard from Manager Chen that Zhuomei will soon launch a large promotional campaign targeting our Baoli.”
I nodded and said, “Yes, this is something we expected. Otherwise, Chen Jingming wouldn’t have been in such a hurry to call you back. Too bad about your honeymoon.”
I turned to Yanyan and asked, “Hey, married woman, being called back before you could fully enjoy your vacation must have really annoyed you, right?”
Yanyan hugged Fangyuan’s arm and said, “I always support my husband’s work. Missing out on a few days of fun doesn’t bother me.”
“A good wife, a virtuous helpmate!” I sincerely exclaimed.
Fangyuan hugged Yanyan and smiled at me, saying, “You could also spend some time cultivating your girlfriend into a virtuous helpmate!”
I didn’t respond, looking around and waiting for the waiter to hurry up and bring all the dishes.
During the meal, Fangyuan brought up work matters again. I gave him a general update on my recent work and then he suddenly asked, “By the way, I heard that the CEO of Zhuomei has changed. You should have their latest personnel file, right?”
“Yes, Chen Jingming gave me one this morning.”
“Did you bring it with you? Let me see.”
I suddenly realized that the newly appointed CEO of Zhuomei was none other than Mi Cai. If Fangyuan were to suddenly see that personnel file, he would be shocked beyond belief, and it would be difficult for me to explain, because it was just too incredible. I myself had never even dreamed in my wildest dreams that the woman I had dragged along and forced to pretend to be my “girlfriend” was actually the newly appointed CEO of Zhuomei.
I immediately said, “Why would I carry that thing around with me for no reason?”
“You’ve already seen that personnel file, right? Briefly introduce the newly appointed CEO of Zhuomei and the situation in their planning department.”
I impatiently said, “It’s after work. Can we not talk about work?”
Fangyuan, however, seriously said to me, “I’m always serious about work. For me, there’s no distinction between work and off-duty time. As members of our company’s planning department, understanding the movements of our competitors promptly is a necessary task.”
I fell silent, knowing that this matter couldn’t be concealed anyway. Fangyuan would inevitably see Zhuomei’s personnel file sooner or later. I steeled myself, took the documents out of my bag, and threw them in front of Fangyuan, saying, “Here it is.”
Fangyuan picked up the file and asked in surprise, “Didn’t you say you didn’t bring it with you?”
“Don’t ask. Just read it first.”
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