Published at 26th of March 2019 12:09 am

Chapter 14

I worked in the Finance Department, partly because I did an internship in an accounting firm before so I am more familiar with it. Another reason, was because mom and dad started from this position when they began their career. She specialized in financial and capital management, whereas father was good at production and marketing. In those days, they matched well, but things have since fallen apart.

There was nothing much to say about the work nature in the Finance Department. The Head of the Department arranged an experienced staff called Ou Qi Qi to look after me. My current tasks were to watch her do the accounts, be familiar with every kind of sequence of processes and the financial software, to look through the reports that had been prepared and to learn from them and so on.

It came as a surprise, that the company actually provides dormitory, two very impressive looking high-rise. It could be because they were bought at a cheap price at that time. Naturally, the accommodation cost will be deducted from the wages. After knowing my wages, and the wages of most of the staff in the factory, I felt this deduction was rather shady. Occasionally when I heard my colleagues complaining about this, I always felt inexplicably a little guilty ……

The first floor of the staff dormitory is the cafeteria. As a result, the daily life turned into something like this. Going out of the dormitory to work —— returning to the dormitory to have a meal —— going out to work —— returning to sleep.

Yin Jie complained: “I did not expect going to work is worse than going to school. Before, as a student, it would be a ‘three points and a line’ lifestyle, but now, with the cafeteria in the same building as the staff dormitory, it is a ‘two points and a line’ life (two points being the staff dormitory and the office). Aiya, previously the university is at least not far from the city centre, whereas if you go out here, you can’t even see a small shop.”

Yin Jie was my new roommate who was working in the Management Department. There was another roommate called Wan Yu Hua who was working in the Marketing Department. We were all university graduates who started work around the same time. The three of us shared a room and the fourth bed was empty……

Yin Jie looks sweet. She is a quick-witted and straightforward Shandong girl. Wan Yu Hua is the habitually silent type. Her family home is in Chengdu, but surprisingly she actually does not like to eat spicy food…..

There is nothing either good or bad about going to work, except the food in the cafeteria was really very hated. After eating a few days in the cafeteria, I realized my profound mistake. I treated the school’s cafeteria unjustly…….

It is definitely not the cafeteria with the most awful food in the whole of China.

The most unpalatable one is waiting for everyone here ~ ~ ~.

Therefore going out for a sumptuous meal has become one of our group’s highlight in life.

I’ve only worked for a few days but I’ve already called my mom to complain about the awful food in the cafeteria. I requested to be compensated during the National Day holiday. She must prepare a table of delicious food to wait for me.

Who would have known I’ll soon find out that I am too naïve. Finance is really one of the saddest profession in the world ah. During the major holidays, the Finance Department is always stuck in balancing the accounts. Other departments would be able to leave but not the Finance Department because we close the books at the end of the month and the first and second of the next month.

Hence I’ve to work overtime until the second day of the month before I can return home. According to the country’s regulation, working overtime on National Day can earn triple wages. However, I have not the slightest hesitation to exchange all my overtime pay with compensatory time off. I shamelessly chose to take four days off immediately as compensation for working on a holiday. The Head of the Department frowned while giving his approval. I happily ran quickly back to my mom’s bosom. The important point was the culinary delicacy cooked by my mom ah. I stayed for nine days before returning to work. Consequently, when I returned to the company, I found out that I was not able to keep up with the times.

When did the topic of conversation in the cafeteria change from complain about the cafeteria unpalatable food, to collective starry-eyed infatuation?

“First hand news, I heard that the newly appointed Vice President was a surgeon before. A handsome man, also with good character and distinctive elegance.”

“Really? How did you know ah?”

“Aiya, you don’t know I have a classmate who is working in the Human Resources Department in Sheng Yuan’s head office in Shanghai. She called me last week and said their Manager Lin will be transferred over. She is very sad and jealous, ha ha ha. Then we continue to gossip for a while.”

“Hey, why did he give up being a doctor and come to work in our office ah?”

“How do I know? Anyway, it is said, he was originally a rather famous surgeon. In the end, I don’t know why he quitted and became a Department Manager in Sheng Yuan’s head office. Then all of a sudden, he is going to be transferred here to be in charge of our office.”

“Aiya, is it considered a promotion or demotion to be transferred from the head office to here ah?”

“It’s really hard to say.”

“Aiya, all these are not important. The most important thing is he is handsome ah!”

All the girls who were eating at the same table as us have just graduated recently, so they still strongly retained their student era’s gossipy spirit. However, unlike during their student era, they dared not gossip without restraint. Since it involved their superior, everyone was quite cautious in holding back their own opinion. However any one also can understand the unspoken implication (the actual meaning of what was said).

The department manager in the head office becoming the vice president in the branch office. No matter how you view it, also won’t look like a promotion.

I was eating my basically tasteless fried fish steak, and listening to their gossips with keen interest. I could not help but asked Yin Jie in a low voice: “Have you gone to take a look already ah?”

Yin Jie said proudly: “Vice President Lin is my immediate boss so do I need to go and take a look? I can look as much as I wish ah!” After showing her proudness, she said: “Anyway he has not arrived yet, so see your head ah.”

I was left speechless. After all the excitement, it turned out that he has not arrived yet. Hence, it was too early to get excited. However, that said, all the senior level staff in the company were either middle-age or old-age. Suddenly a young executive will appear and reportedly very handsome …….

Oh ~ ~.

I also could not help but started to look forward to meet him.

Although eagerly await by many, the handsome Vice President was taking a long time to arrive. Thus the topic was popular for a while before quieted down. Our daily life still revolved around going to work and the cafeteria. The company is situated in an industrial park, a relatively remote area. There was not even a place in the neighbourhood where you can take a stroll. The staff dormitory still did not have internet. What to do after work has become a brainstorming session?

Later, we learned from the experience of our seniors. It was to take advantage of the free time in the office to download some genuine TV drama, novel and so on to bring back to the dormitory to watch or read.

It seemed to sound a bit boring, but I realized I quite like this kind of life. It felt especially quiet and simple. The relationship between the colleagues were also pretty good. In addition, I can really learn something at work.

After work today, I stayed in the dormitory to use my mobile phone to surf the net. Yin Jie pulled Yu Hua and me over to watch a TV drama starring her idol. I don’t really watch TV drama because I always feel very tired after watching them. However, this drama was unexpectedly quite good until I was addicted to it due to the fast-paced gripping and suspense.

Then, when it was at its climax …….

No more …….

Yin Jie shouted: “Oh no, how can I leave out downloading an episode, am I a pig?!”

“……” Yu Hua and I nodded our head simultaneously.

“Rock-paper-scissors! Whoever loses will go to the office to download.”

Yu Hua and I did not agree, “It is your idol’s TV drama ah, so why should we go and download?”

Yin Jie was nursing a grievance when she looked at us: “You’ve already watched several episodes for nothing. I am only asking you to go and download an episode but you are already whining. Hey sisters, this is not the way to behave ah!”

…… Okay, then rock-paper-scissors la …….

Then I lost …….

I brought my hard drive and secretly slipped into the office. Except end of the month, the work in the Finance Department can be considered quite leisurely, since nobody was working overtime. I did not turn on the lights and quietly dragged out the chair. Then I switched on the computer, connected to the internet and started to download the TV drama.

According to the company’s unwritten rule, senior staff will be given priority to use the good computers. Our group of newly hired employees will use the old computers discarded by whichever branch offices. As a result, our computers breakdown frequently.

As a matter of fact, when I was in the middle of downloading, suddenly the internet was disconnected. I was certain that the network cable was loose again. I have no choice but to squeeze under the desk in order to re-insert the network cable at the back of the main processor.

Just when I made my way under the desk and my hand touched the cable, suddenly I heard a sound and the lights were turned on.

I was startled by the sudden burst of light. Subconsciously, I squatted under the table and did not move. Then I heard the sound of steady and unhurried footsteps, gradually approaching. A well-ironed trousers appeared in my line of sight.

I felt somewhat guilty as a thief and raised my head to look out. I looked straight into a pair of deep black eyes.

Maybe because I was looking up at him from under the desk, I felt his line of sight was particularly oppressive. He stared at me for a while, but didn’t say anything.

We both just stared silently at each other like this.

He still wanted to stare at me for how long ah …….

While thinking like this, suddenly I discovered that I was actually still crouched under the desk. I quickly scrambled to crawl out, coughed a bit and questioned him first with a guilty conscience: “I have not met you before so I don’t think you are our company’s employee. So, why are you here?”

Perhaps I’ve the wrong impression, but I felt after blurting out my remark, the expression on his face instantly turned to disappointment.

“Have not met me before ……” He stared at me and spit out word by word, “Of course, you have not met me before.”

After saying that, he withdrew his gaze, turned away and left without warning ……

I was dumbstruck, looking at his perfectly straight figure leaving until the computer made a “ding” sound to remind me that the download had been completed. Then I only recovered my composure.

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