Chapter 83: Getting the Job Done

Mi Cai was still waiting for my reply. After a brief silence, I said to her, “I’ve almost finalized the job situation.”

“Oh, back at the department store?”

“No, I’ll be working at an advertising company as a planner. A friend recommended me.”

“Oh.” Mi Cai responded briefly, and her tone seemed a bit down, as if she was still feeling guilty about me losing my job because of her.

I comforted her again, saying, “Actually, staying in Xuzhou is quite good for me. Let me tell you something interesting.”

“Go ahead.”

I smiled and said, “I recently went on a blind date for the first time in my life, and well, I hit it off on the first try. Don’t I have some charm?”

Unexpectedly, Mi Cai remained silent for quite a while before asking, “Really? Then do you love her?”

“I have a good impression of her, but it’s still too early to talk about love. Isn’t that how blind dates usually go? Both sides have a good feeling, so we continue getting to know each other. Most importantly, our parents really approve of us being together.” I explained with a smile.

“Oh, then I wish you two the best.”

“Thanks. So you don’t have to feel guilty about that incident anymore. I really feel more and more that returning to Xuzhou was the right decision.”

“Your decision being right is your thing, and my guilt is mine. I don’t think the two necessarily have to be connected… It’s getting late; I’m going to rest now.”

I was momentarily confused by Mi Cai’s words, but she had already hung up the phone swiftly.

…

I lay back down again, feeling inexplicably melancholy. I lit a cigarette for myself in the middle of the night, suddenly filled with images of Mi Cai working late and returning home alone. I knew she didn’t have many friends in Suzhou, and her own family was constantly trying to ruin her in the business.

My mood became increasingly heavy, and Mi Cai’s beautiful yet fragile face was deeply etched into my mind.

This night, which should have been a time for peaceful sleep, left me wide awake. Tossing and turning, my mind uncontrollably wandered: thinking of Fang Yuan and Yan Yan, recalling life in Suzhou, the scene when Xiang Chen confessed to Jian Wei popped into my mind, and even the night I spent with Yue Yao in Hengdian surfaced unexpectedly. My thoughts became increasingly restless until I finally fell into a heavy sleep just before dawn.

…

I slept until nearly noon. When I got up, my head was still groggy from lack of sleep. After a quick wash-up, before I could even eat a bite of food, I received a call from Li Xiaoyun.

I answered the phone, instinctively letting out a yawn.

“Zhao Yang, did you just wake up?”

“Yeah, just a while ago. I couldn’t sleep last night.”

“You need to adjust your mental state quickly. I’ve already shown your resume to Zhou, the director of our planning department. He hopes you can come for an interview this afternoon.” Li Xiaoyun said earnestly.

“Do you know the exact time?”

“He’ll be at the office all afternoon; you can choose your own time. Just call me when you arrive, and I’ll take you to him.”

“Okay.”

Li Xiaoyun reminded me again, “You must be in good shape. You know that people in the planning industry are very rigorous and dislike slackers!”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let you down!”

After my earnest assurances, Li Xiaoyun finally hung up.

…

Without waiting for my mom to come back and cook, I made myself a bowl of noodles and then turned on my computer to look up information about the advertising company where Li Xiaoyun worked. Memorizing these details would definitely be beneficial for the upcoming interview.

After thoroughly memorizing all the information I could find online about Ousen Advertising (the company where Li Xiaoyun worked), I took a taxi heading toward Ousen.

Upon my arrival at Ousen, Li Xiaoyun was already waiting for me downstairs in the office building, and I walked towards her directly.

As I approached, Li Xiaoyun looked me over and exclaimed with a smile, “Zhao Yang, when you dress properly, you really do have the air of a social elite!”

“That can’t be helped—I’m just destined to be a successful man!” I joked along with her.

I had expected Li Xiaoyun to tease me, but instead she nodded in agreement and then helped me straighten out my slightly wrinkled clothes before saying, “Alright, let’s go. Director Zhou is already waiting over there.”

“He really gives you face!”

“That’s right. After all, I do have a certain standing in the industry.”

We talked and laughed along the way, and the atmosphere became relaxed, without any tension usually associated with job interviews.

Following Li Xiaoyun into Ousen Advertising, we passed through the general work area where more than 50 people were busily working. The size of the team alone was enough to indicate that Ousen Advertising was among the top advertising companies in Xuzhou. The online information available about Ousen Advertising wasn’t exaggerating its scale.

We arrived at the director’s office, and Li Xiaoyun gently knocked on the door. A deep voice from inside said, “Please come in.”

Li Xiaoyun gave me a look, signaling me to go in with her. I nodded, pushed the door open first, and entered the director’s office together with her.

A middle-aged man in his mid-30s, dressed in a suit and tie, sat upright in his chair, exuding the aura of a director from a major advertising company.

Li Xiaoyun introduced me to him, saying, “Director Zhou, this is Zhao Yang, the one I told you about.”

I greeted him with a well-measured professional smile and said, “Hello, Director Zhou. I’m Zhao Yang, here to apply for the position of business planner at your company.”

Director Zhou nodded with a smile and said, “You’re recommended by Manager Li (Li Xiaoyun). I’ve already seen your resume and trust in Manager Li’s judgment. Let’s have a chat first.” He then gestured for me and Li Xiaoyun to sit down.

Li Xiaoyun said, “Director Zhou, you chat with Zhao Yang. I need to attend to something in the client department.”

With a smile, Director Zhou politely nodded, which proved that Li Xiaoyun indeed held a certain status within the company. At her age, being a client department manager in a large advertising company really spoke to her capabilities. She had a very approachable demeanor, well-suited for client management.

Before leaving, Li Xiaoyun gave me a thumbs-up gesture of encouragement. I responded with a confident look, after which she left, reassured.

Director Zhou picked up my resume again, quickly skimmed through it, and then asked me, “You worked in the planning department of Baoli Department Store in Suzhou and participated in the planning and recruitment for three luxury brands.”

“Yes, Director Zhou.”

“What roles did you play in these projects?”

“I assisted in planning during the recruitment process, maintained the brands after their counters were set up, and provided sales support for these luxury brands within the mall. Of course, these tasks were massive and handled by a team, but I was a key member of that team. Additionally, I organized or participated in several commercial planning activities for the mall.” I tried to be concise while highlighting the key points.

Director Zhou nodded and asked with interest, “Then please elaborate a bit on these commercial planning cases you’ve worked on.”

I nodded and proceeded to briefly and concisely describe some of the cases I had worked on during my time at Baoli Department Store.

After discussing those projects at Baoli Department Store, I exchanged views with Director Zhou regarding commercial planning, and our conversation flowed quite smoothly.

During the conversation, Director Zhou gave high praise for the promotional campaign I had planned for Baoli Department Store before leaving Suzhou, titled “Love Is Not a Luxury,” and said he would follow the results of this event. This made me feel a bit nostalgic. In fact, Baoli Department Store’s “Love Is Not a Luxury” themed promotional event would be launching in less than a week. Although I had drafted the plan for this event, I would not be there to execute it, which left me with a sense of regret. I sincerely hoped that the “Love Is Not a Luxury” themed promotional event would be a great success, serving as a final gesture of gratitude to Chen Jingming.

As I momentarily lost myself in thought, Director Zhou continued, “Zhao Yang, let me tell you a bit about our company’s current situation. This year marks a leap forward for Ousen Advertising. Our client quality has significantly improved compared to previous years. Currently, we are preparing to focus our resources on securing advertising business from several major department stores in Xuzhou. You have extensive planning experience in department stores, which gives you a distinct advantage in commercial planning for this sector. This aligns perfectly with our current strategic needs. Personally, I have high expectations for you.”

“I also look forward to joining Ousen Advertising and doing my best to create value for the company and the planning department.” I responded sincerely, nodding.

Director Zhou smiled warmly and said, “I have no issues on my end. Later, you can discuss your salary expectations with the HR department. We will do our best to meet your requirements.”

“Thank you for your efforts, Director Zhou!”

“People with talent deserve my efforts. I hope you can become my capable right-hand man!” Director Zhou stood up and extended his hand toward me.

I quickly stood up and shook his hand. The feeling of being respected was genuinely great. I thought to myself that I would definitely cherish this opportunity, striving to achieve something in Xuzhou and never again think of Suzhou, that sorrowful city.

Just then, Li Xiaoyun returned to the director’s office. She was holding some documents in one hand and carrying a briefcase in the other, seemingly about to go out.

“Director Zhou, do you think Zhao Yang is suitable for the planning work at our company?” Li Xiaoyun asked with concern.

“Personally, I have high expectations. I would be very happy to welcome him to join Ousen Advertising.”

Li Xiaoyun smiled at me and gave me a thumbs-up before turning to Director Zhou and saying, “I’ve just received a meeting invitation from Mr. Lin, the manager of the planning department at Times Department Store, mainly regarding cooperation on advertising business. I hope your planning department can assign someone to accompany me to this meeting, as it may involve some discussion of our company’s planning capabilities.”

Director Zhou nodded, a thoughtful expression on his face, as if considering who to send. Suddenly, his gaze settled on me, and he gave me an inquiring look.

I pointed at myself in confusion and asked, “Director Zhou, do you mean I should go to Times Department Store with Manager Li?”