This afternoon, I was still immersed in the busyness of work until the streetlights outside the window lit up, signaling that it was already time to leave work. Habitually, I lit a cigarette and stood by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city as it donned its night makeup. A faint sense of melancholy arose in my heart, as if everyone who appeared in my sight was happier than me. I knew I had fallen again into a human tendency—being skilled at creating an answer for myself, imagining everyone else as more wonderful than they are. In reality, they are also busily searching for a place to rest in this boundless night, trying to soothe the pain caused by friction with society… I stubbed out the cigarette and smiled, realizing that these self-imagined sorrows are actually not affordable once their essence is seen through!
After leaving the office, I went to the administrative department to pick up the prepared notice regarding the closure of Kongcheng. In the middle of our conversation, the operations manager asked me, “Director Zhao, after the closure of Kongcheng, how do you plan to relocate those shop staff? Do you need the HR department to come up with a relocation plan?”
I thought for a moment and replied, “Not yet, I’ll handle this matter myself. Actually, rather than closing down, I’d prefer to transfer the operation to someone else. As you know, I have a special attachment to this restaurant. Let’s first see if there’s an individual or an organization willing to take it over, and then make arrangements accordingly.”
“Okay, as you wish.”
After finishing the conversation with the operations manager, I left the company and prepared to meet Chen Jingming. Although I didn’t ask him over the phone why he specifically invited me alone, this didn’t mean I wasn’t curious. In fact, my communication with Chen Jingming, my former superior, had not been frequent, and he rarely invited me out on his own initiative.
It was the rush hour, and the traffic was very heavy. By the time I arrived at the meeting place with Chen Jingming, I was already twenty minutes late, so I hurriedly parked the car and ran all the way to the teahouse.
…
Led by the waitress, I arrived at the private room of the teahouse. Chen Jingming had already arrived, and the ashtray was already filled with several cigarette butts, indicating that he had been waiting for a while.
I repeatedly apologized to him, and he signaled that it was okay, but he didn’t, as usual, say a few words of reproach, which instead made the atmosphere less relaxed. This further confirmed that he was going to tell me something very serious.
Indeed, he lit another cigarette and got straight to the point: “Today, I saw the Christmas event plan made by Fangyuan’s team… The majority of the resources should have been integrated by you, right? And some of the marketing ideas were also from your hand?”
I nodded and said, “Yes… but is there a problem, Director Chen?”
Chen Jingming looked at me without any smile on his face, took a deep puff of his cigarette, and then replied, “Personally, I don’t want you to participate in ZM’s Christmas event this time…”
I was full of shock and asked, “Why? Besides, I’m only participating as a third-party collaborator, right? It shouldn’t have affected ZM’s normal operations.”
“But the power of this third party is unexpectedly great! The resources you’ve integrated are unprecedentedly strong, enough to influence the outcome of this event…” Chen Jingming said, nodding, then looking at me sharply.
I looked at him, hiding all expressions on my face, and replied, “If my participation cannot change the outcome, then it’s meaningless, right? Moreover, the final result will definitely benefit ZM. Don’t you think so, Director Chen?”
“I don’t deny that this will be a result beneficial to ZM, but for Director Mi personally, it might be a crisis!”
I fell silent again but didn’t stop thinking. I pondered why a good result could bring a personal crisis to Mi Cai, but couldn’t figure it out, so I asked him, “Director Chen, what you’re telling me personally, do you have any basis… No, not basis, I want evidence.”
Chen Jingming, with a trace of helplessness, shook his head and replied, “No evidence, it’s just my personal guess.”
My mind started to work inversely, mercilessly replying, “Director Chen, you should know how many partners’ interests are involved in this event, right? How can I withdraw these resources just based on your words? Moreover, I have to tell you, the main advertising resources are provided by Simi Advertising. Even if I don’t participate, with the long-standing friendship between Fangyuan and the CEO of Simi Advertising, Jian Wei, they will definitely get them… Now all the resources have already started rolling, like a war chariot that has already accelerated at high speed, no one can stop its operation… Not even you or me!”
Chen Jingming’s face turned a bit grim, he frowned and said, “Zhaoyang, do you not trust me, your old boss?”
This was not the time to worry about personal feelings. I lit another cigarette, took a deep puff, and replied, “Whether you trust me in this matter is no longer important, because it’s too late now. No one can stop it. And you asking me to withdraw is just based on your personal guess, which is not convincing enough. This time, I really can’t follow your instructions… Sorry!”
Chen Jingming remained silent… just puffing on his cigarette.
Of course, I had a slight concern in my heart and asked him again, “Director Chen, what’s Director Mi’s stance on this matter?”
“If Director Mi had a stance, she would have stopped this event directly, and there would be no need for me to come specially to find you.”
“Director Mi would never stop it. This is the best opportunity for ZM, which can completely surpass Baoli Department Store… I’m afraid that making this event a grand success is also the collective will of the ZM board of directors, right?”
Chen Jingming did not deny it and said, “Indeed, it is the will of the board, and unprecedentedly high activity funds have been allocated for this event… However, Director Mi is now busy with ZM’s listing and has no time to deal with this matter. Otherwise, there would definitely be actions… You know, she has always wanted to find an opportunity to get rid of Fangyuan from ZM, and this is the best opportunity, especially since it was Fangyuan himself who made the military order with Director Mi, stating that if the set goals are not achieved, he will leave ZM.”
Chen Jingming’s words had already touched my bottom line, and I immediately replied, “In the end, you just want Fangyuan to leave ZM… Director Chen, may I ask: Has Fangyuan already threatened your position in ZM? Or is the biggest beneficiary of stopping this event the competitor Baoli Department Store? Then may I think that you have some unclean connections with Baoli Department Store?”
Chen Jingming’s face turned extremely grim, and he said, “Zhaoyang, what do you mean by saying that? Are you questioning me!!”
I shook my head and said, “Director Chen, you misunderstood. Everything should be based on reason and evidence. You say I’m questioning you, but you are also questioning Fangyuan. I just want to tell you that questioning requires evidence, not baseless accusations, which are hard to convince others. For example, if I now question you without any evidence, you would also be very annoyed, right?”
“Baseless accusations?… Zhaoyang, your wings have become strong!!… My opinion is not important, and I can’t change anything, but I have done what I should do, and I have already asked my heart to be free of guilt! The rest will be verified by time.” After saying this, Chen Jingming left in a huff.
I was alone in the private room of the teahouse, feeling annoyed, I lit another cigarette again. I was somewhat disgusted by the unpredictability of human nature. As for Chen Jingming’s words, I can only say that I believe them half-heartedly, but this is not important, because the Christmas event of ZM has already been carried out in the collective will, and no personal will can resist it, including Mi Cai, the chairman of ZM. Therefore, whether Chen Jingming met me to say these words or not, nothing will change.
When the cigarette was almost finished, the mobile phone on the tea table rang again. I picked it up and saw that it was a call from Fangyuan. This was an expected call. If Fangyuan was indeed in a struggle with Chen Jingming inside ZM, he must know that Chen Jingming would come to find me. This time, he must want to explain something to me.
I answered the call, and he asked me without any preamble, “Where are you now?”
“Oriental Garden Teahouse.”
“Are you alone?”
I simply replied, “Chen Jingming just found me, but he has already left.”
Fangyuan was silent for a moment and said, “He did go to find you… This old superior is really disappointing. Wait for me there, I’m coming to find you right away.”
“Okay.”
…
During the wait for Fangyuan, I kept smoking, feeling increasingly annoyed. In this upcoming event of ZM, I saw the unpredictability of human nature. But no matter whether it was Chen Jingming or Fangyuan who was evil, or whether they had lost their fairness and bottom line for their own interests, and were fighting each other with increasing mistakes, it made me feel painful. I clearly remembered: during the most negative period of my life, these two people had given me so much help and protection. I really hoped that they could coexist peacefully and work together to help Mi Cai manage ZM, this huge commercial warship.
A quarter of an hour later, I looked through the dim glass window at the brightly lit street, and then Fangyuan’s black Audi A4 appeared in my sight. He didn’t even have time to take his briefcase and hurriedly got out of the car, then ran into the teahouse.
I took a deep puff of my cigarette, tilted my head back, and slowly exhaled the smoke lingering in my mouth, without opening my eyes to look at the ceiling that was close yet intricately patterned.
After exhaling another puff of smoke, the door to the private room was pushed open. I finally opened my eyes to look at Fangyuan, but couldn’t find an expression to describe my current state. I just looked at him, then lifted my hand to take another puff of my cigarette, poured him a cup of hot tea, and felt myself getting more and more dazed, helplessly struggling between the confusion and illusion of reality.
Perhaps my negativity affected Fangyuan, as he didn’t immediately say anything. He just picked up the cup of tea I had poured for him, took a sip, then took out the pack of Zhongnanhai cigarettes from his pocket, lit one for himself, and silently smoked it. The wedding ring on his finger, under the light’s reflection, was so dazzling and lively!
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