At the entrance and exit of Zhuomei, people were coming and going nonstop. Inside the mall, the song “Last Christmas” by Wham was playing seasonally. Its cheerful melody matched the smiles on people’s faces, making the atmosphere seem even more joyful than usual. The woman in red had chosen a relatively quiet spot to call Mi Cai. I was somewhat surprised that she managed to get through to her. After all, it was only 5 a.m. in New York at that moment.
While I waited, a black Mercedes-Benz S600 pulled into a parking spot reserved for Zhuomei staff, and Mi Zhongde stepped out. I watched him approach. It had been a while since I’d last seen him, and he looked much better than when he was still in charge of Zhuomei. It seemed that during his retirement, he had genuinely been enjoying his later years.
After a few steps, Mi Zhongde finally stood before me. Out of politeness, I greeted him first: “Merry Christmas, Mr. Mi.”
He smiled and replied in a teasing tone, typical of how elders might speak to younger generations: “Zhaoyang, calling me Chairman seems a bit too formal, don’t you think? First, I’ve already stepped down from my position as Zhuomei’s chairman. Second, I’m Mi Cai’s uncle. In terms of both sentiment and reason, you should call me Uncle Mi, just like Mi Cai does.”
I buttoned up my open suit jacket and smiled as I said, “Merry Christmas, Uncle Mi!”
Mi Zhongde nodded. At that moment, Mi Lan had already come out of the mall with several senior executives and now stood beside me. Facing her father, she said with a mix of scolding and affection: “Dad, your cold just got better. Why didn’t you stay at home and rest instead of coming to the mall to join the crowd? There are so many people here today!”
“Isn’t it better to sweat it out in the crowd?”
“I don’t want you getting caught up in the crowd of crazy shoppers.”
Mi Zhongde gently patted Mi Lan’s shoulder and said earnestly, “Customers are the lifeblood of our business. As the general manager of Zhuomei, you must never abandon the principle of serving customers. No one should ever place themselves above the customers. You must always keep this in mind and never describe our customers in such a way again!”
When facing Mi Zhongde, Mi Lan showed none of her usual arrogance. She lowered her head and said, “I know, Dad… I was just worried about your health.”
Mi Zhongde smiled and stopped scolding her. He simply said, “In the future, learn more from your older sister about how to run a retail service business properly.”
“Okay… Dad, let me show you around the company. Although it’s very busy today, everything is well-organized. Deputy General Manager Fang’s execution capability and on-site command skills are truly impressive and worth learning for other senior executives.”
Mi Zhongde shook his head and said, “I’m no longer in that position, so I won’t interfere anymore. I won’t go to disturb them today… Today, I’m here at Zhuomei as a customer. I plan to buy some outdoor travel supplies to make a small contribution to Zhuomei’s sales.”
Mi Lan linked her arm with her father’s and affectionately said, “Then Dad, you must buy a lot!”
Mi Zhongde’s expression suddenly turned somber. He took out his wallet from his pocket and pulled a photo from a hidden compartment inside. It was a group photo of him with Mi Zhongxin, Mi Cai, and Mi Lan. Judging from Mi Cai and Mi Lan’s appearances in the photo, it must have been taken at least ten years ago. At that time, the two sisters were already standard pretty young women in their early adulthood, each standing beside Mi Zhongxin and Mi Zhongde respectively.
As Mi Zhongde looked at the photo, his eyes became moist. With a tone full of emotion, he said, “Zhuomei Department Store was my and my elder brother’s life’s work. The one we have the deepest emotional connection to will always be the Zhuomei in Suzhou… I think my elder brother must also be eagerly anticipating tonight’s event from above. That’s why I especially wanted to come tonight and also wanted to sit again in the office where my elder brother and I used to work together.” He looked at us and shook his head with a smile, saying, “The older one gets, the more one likes to reminisce about the past and the people in it… However, once some regrets happen, they can never be made up for. That’s why I also hope that you younger generations can cherish the present.”
For the first time, I felt a sense of recognition towards Mi Zhongde. I also believed that time allows a person to mature and gain insight. The current Mi Zhongde had already let go of his selfish desires and returned to a simple way of life. It was now the responsibility of the next generation, including Mi Cai and Mi Lan, to take up the burden of revitalizing Zhuomei from their hands and save it from the current crisis.
At Mi Zhongde’s insistence, Mi Lan and the other senior executives of Zhuomei went ahead first. After patting my shoulder, Mi Zhongde also joined the crowd heading into the mall, just like an ordinary shopper. He patiently stood in front of a counter, asking the salesperson about the product. It was quite a while before my gaze finally left him. I couldn’t quite describe the feeling in my heart, but I sincerely hoped that tonight’s event at Zhuomei would create a sales miracle, allowing the Red-Clothed Woman’s Tianyang Group to replace Wei Ran’s ZH Investment Company and keep the flame of revitalizing Zhuomei alive.
…
At this moment, the woman in red finally ended her call with Mi Cai and walked out from that quiet corner, asking me, “The middle-aged man standing in front of you and talking to you just now was Zhuomei’s Mi Zhongde?”
“It was him.”
“He seems to care a lot about tonight’s event at Zhuomei. But didn’t he already retire from his position as chairman?”
I scoffed at her comment: “What’s wrong with that? Your father, An Zhongzheng, also stepped down from his position as chairman of Tianyang Group, yet he still interferes with your operational decisions.”
The woman in red tried to explain: “The internal environment of our Tianyang Group is different from that of Zhuomei.”
“So that’s why your father can comfortably retreat behind the scenes as a de facto leader, while Mi Zhongde, coming to Zhuomei as a consumer, is not allowed to do the same?”
The woman in red kicked me angrily and said, “Zhaoyang, why is your mouth so sharp? You not only offend me, but also my father!”
Rubbing the spot where she had kicked me, I complained, “You kicked me so hard. Aren’t you afraid of kicking off your high heels? Then you’d end up embarrassing yourself in front of everyone!”
She glared at me and ignored me, clearly annoyed by my ever-present sarcasm. I also didn’t feel like arguing with this violent woman. While rubbing my leg, I looked toward the end of the block…
Finally, the company van sent to pick up Leyao came into view, weaving through traffic toward us. I said to the woman in red beside me, “My friend has arrived. Come with me, we’ll talk in the car.”
“Why do we have to talk in the car?”
“There are too many people here today. If she gets spotted by the public, it could cause trouble.”
The woman in red looked as if she understood and said, “You’re waiting for Xiao Rulin’s daughter, that female celebrity, right?”
I nodded and grabbed the sleeve of the woman in red, pushing through the crowded people to meet the van carrying Leyao and Cao Jinfan.
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