Chapter 4

By the time they arrived, all the colleagues were already there.

"Come on, newbie Shang Zhitao, English name Flora." Zhang Ling stood up to introduce Shang Zhitao: "She'll be learning from Lumi, everyone please take care of her."

Shang Zhitao bowed to everyone: "Please guide me, seniors."

The men and women in the marketing department were really good-looking, Shang Zhitao thought: This is probably Lingmei's hiring standard, I'm so lucky.

She sat next to Lu Mi, carefully noting down her colleagues' names as they introduced themselves. The marketing department colleagues were often on the road, so it wasn't easy for them to gather together. People in marketing also tended to be outgoing, making it especially lively.

When it was Shang Zhitao's turn, she thought for a moment and said: "I'll work hard." She struggled for a while but couldn't come up with any flashy words—she was just a straightforward person. Everyone was used to people who could talk smoothly, so seeing such a colleague felt a bit fresh.

Zhang Ling wasn't pretentious either, joining the colleagues in telling corny jokes, and even said to Shang Zhitao: "Once you enter advertising, it's like diving into the deep sea—you better think it through."

"That day after work, I took a taxi, and the driver asked me: 'You work in advertising, right?' 'How did you know?' 'Three kinds of people take taxis late at night: prostitutes, johns, and advertising people!'" said a girl named Qin Xiaoxiao.

Everyone burst into laughter. Zhang Ling said to Shang Zhitao: "If you have a boyfriend, cherish him. If you don't, it'll be hard to find one. Look at this table—there aren't any decent people here."

Shang Zhitao quickly replied: "I think everyone here is quite decent." Her words carried the simplicity and naivety of someone just entering society.

By the end of the meal, Shang Zhitao had silently memorized her colleagues' names. She was like a frightened little bird that had accidentally fallen to the ground and couldn't fly, unfamiliar and panicked about everything.

An unfamiliar city, unfamiliar people—she was fighting alone, with a touch of tragic bravery in her solitude.

Lu Mi, who seemed carefree, noticed Shang Zhitao's caution. On the way back to the company, she said to her: "Listen, don't be too humble. There are plenty of jerks in the company who pick on the weak. The more humble you are, the more they'll bully you. Soon enough, they'll dump all the dirty and tiring work on you, and you'll have a hard time."

"Okay. Then..."

Lu Mi interrupted her: "No matter who assigns you work, make them come to me first. I'm your mentor, and I decide what you do."

"Okay, thank you, Lumi."

"No need to thank me."

Lu Mi was full of energy. Back at the company, she sent a compressed file to Shang Zhitao: "Alright, take a look. These are the projects we'll be managing in the second half of the year. First, you need to understand each project clearly, otherwise we won't be able to manage the budget well." Lu Mi paused, took out a form, and handed it to Shang Zhitao: "Here, when you go to these big shots to learn about the projects, do the big shot interviews along the way."

The big shot interviews were homework for new employees—interviewing several company bosses or seniors to understand the corporate culture, department structure, and fully integrate into the company.

"Are these all projects from the planning department?" Shang Zhitao flipped through the file and saw that the initiating departments were all listed as the planning department.

"Exactly. The planning department is tough to deal with, so they dumped it on me because I have thick skin."

"Should I go find Luke?"

"Go ahead and try. You'll have to deal with him sooner or later anyway."

Shang Zhitao thought of Luan Nian's face and felt a slight unease. Lu Mi tapped her head: "What are you afraid of? Can he eat you? Go find him now. He takes work very seriously and probably won’t give you a hard time."

"Oh."

Shang Zhitao hugged the documents and went to Luan Nian's office. She stood at the door, took a deep breath, and then slowly knocked.

"Come in."

Shang Zhitao pushed the door open and stood at the entrance, bathed in the afternoon sunlight, like a budding flower. Luan Nian looked up at her: "What is it?"

"Hello, we met earlier today. I’m Shang Zhitao, the new hire in the marketing department. Lumi just sent me some project materials from our department, and I have a few questions I’d like to ask you." Shang Zhitao had rehearsed her lines before entering, speaking them all in one breath, then stood there waiting for Luan Nian’s response.

Luan Nian looked at her carefully and finally noticed a trait in this girl: she seemed very humble. Lingmei almost never had people like this.

"Is it urgent?"

"Not particularly urgent."

Shang Zhitao had made a mistake. In the workplace, one’s own tasks are always the most urgent. People in Luan Nian’s department always strive to be first, no matter where they go.

Is it urgent?

Extremely urgent. Delaying would hinder progress later, greatly affecting the company. It needed to be resolved now.

Luan Nian nodded and gestured toward the long sofa in the office: "Since it’s not urgent, can you wait for a bit?"

"Okay."

Shang Zhitao sat upright on the sofa, waiting for Luan Nian. She thought waiting three to five minutes would be enough, so she waited just like that. Three minutes passed, then five, then fifteen. Luan Nian showed no sign of looking up from his computer. Shang Zhitao wanted to speak several times, but the words caught in her throat.

She thought it would be impolite.

Shang Zhitao wasn’t in a hurry, so naturally, Luan Nian wasn’t either. He calmly handled his work while waiting for her to speak. He wasn’t trying to give her a hard time; he simply wanted to see how "not urgent" her matter really was and how she judged the importance of her own tasks.

So Shang Zhitao wasn’t in a hurry either. Her task for the afternoon was to understand these projects. She simply opened her laptop and began reviewing the materials carefully. After going through the documents once, she glanced at her watch—forty minutes had passed. This was a bit beyond her expectations. She looked up at him, but he showed no sign of finishing.

She wanted to interrupt him but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Finally, when he looked up again, he met Shang Zhitao’s hesitant expression. He pretended not to notice and lowered his head again.

Seeing his demeanor, Shang Zhitao thought his work must be very important. So she waited quietly for a long time.

Luan Nian finished his work, picked up his phone to reply to messages, and glanced at her again. She was looking at him, her eyes filled with sincerity. Seizing the moment he looked at her, she quickly spoke up: "Are you done?"

Shang Zhitao had waited for who knows how long for this moment to speak, and she finally didn’t miss it.

Luan Nian stood up and walked over to sit across from her: "What is it?"

This was the first time Shang Zhitao had been so close to Luan Nian. He was very serious and moved with remarkable swiftness. The few steps from his desk to the sofa revealed his efficiency. Shang Zhitao looked into his eyes—they were different from those of a twenty-year-old youth. His gaze was incredibly confident and sharp, as if he held the whole world in his hands.

He asked what the matter was, as if he had forgotten what Shang Zhitao had said upon entering. She paused for a moment, then repeated her purpose.

Luan Nian suddenly smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly like a fox: "Is it urgent now?"

"What?"

"Didn't you say your matter wasn't urgent?" Luan Nian reminded her.

Shang Zhitao's face flushed slightly. She didn't know how to answer whether it was urgent or not. If she said it was urgent, Luan Nian would ask why she had said it wasn't urgent in the first place. If she said it wasn't urgent, Luan Nian would likely stand up and return to his desk to continue working.

She suddenly realized—though it was also possible she was overthinking—that Luan Nian might be teaching her a lesson.

She cleared her throat and said seriously, "Luke, I understand. Next time I have something to say, I'll say it directly. Whether it's urgent or not, I'll say it directly. Thank you for teaching me."

Luan Nian raised his eyebrows, his expression clearly conveying, "Me? Teaching you? Are you okay?"

But Shang Zhitao nodded: "Yes, thank you. I've learned."