120. The feeling of powerlessness among middle-aged people

Gu Chuqi came running over to gossip with Ling Ling, "Sister Mei resigned this time, claiming to be going to Australia to accompany her son to school, but I heard that she angered President Fang. Even if she didn't resign, she would have been fired. And she actually formatted her computer. All the half-transferred work orders and half-completed application processes have to be restarted, and even the archived originals are nowhere to be found. The worst part is, she hasn't handed over client relationships to anyone... Now anyone who tries to contact her gets their phone disconnected." Shao Yao leaned over and said, "She's so unprofessional! She's at least a mid-level manager, earning a high salary for so many years. The company can hold her accountable, right?" Ling Ling shook her head and said, "I don't think President Fang will kill her off. After all, they're both veterans, and there's always some ties of acquaintance. Besides, Sister Mei has made a lot of contributions to Tuo Wu." Ling Ling was about to be criticized by Chu Qi and Shao Yao for this opinion, but Bai Yihan came over reluctantly, and the boss informed her reluctantly: "Ling Ling, Mr. Fang wants you to go over." "Uh - okay. Is it Mr. Fang's office?" Ling Ling stood up and asked in a daze. "What else? Do you want to go to his house?" Bai Yihan retorted to her rudely. Gu Chuqi jumped up and wanted to teach Bai Yihan a lesson, but was pushed back to the chair by Ling Ling. She went to Mr. Fang's office nervously. She just wanted to write quietly and didn't want to get involved in any disputes. She just asked God to give her peace. After entering Mr. Fang's office, he motioned her to sit opposite. Fang Tuowu poured her a cup of tea. She bowed and thanked him, exuding an uneasy atmosphere. Fang Tuowu was kind and said, "Mei Xiao resigned suddenly, and the ongoing work and client relationships weren't handed over. The Creative Director position is now vacant, and there's no supervisor to help run the team. Team A is facing a difficult situation lately. I called you here to ask for your continued support." Ling Ling quickly said, "Mr. Fang, you're welcome. I'm in Team A now, and I've received so much help from everyone. Even Sister Mei, if she hadn't transferred me to Team A, I wouldn't have had so many opportunities to display my talents. Tuowu has given me so much over the years, both materially and spiritually, and you've always taken care of me. I'm extremely grateful. This is just a temporary hardship. Every colleague in Team A is exceptionally capable and resilient. I will definitely unite everyone and ensure the quality of our proposals remains uncompromised. Rest assured." Fang Tuowu nodded in approval, then slowly...

Gu Chuqi came running over to gossip with Ling Ling, "Sister Mei resigned this time, claiming she was going to Australia to accompany her son to school, but I heard she angered Mr. Fang. Even if she didn't resign, she would have been fired. And she actually formatted her computer. All the half-passed work orders and half-finished application processes have to be restarted, and even the archived originals are gone. Worst of all, she never handed over client relationships to anyone... Now, if anyone tries to contact her, her phone is disconnected."

Shao Yao leaned over and said, "She's totally unprofessional! She's at least a mid-level manager, and she's been earning a high salary for so many years. The company can hold her accountable, right?"

Ling Ling shook her head and said, "I don't think Mr. Fang will kill her completely. After all, they are all veteran figures, and there must be some ties of acquaintance between them. Besides, Sister Mei has made a lot of contributions to Tuo Wu."

Ling Ling was about to be criticized by Chu Qi and Shao Yao for this opinion, but Bai Yihan came over and the boss reluctantly informed her: "Ling Ling, Mr. Fang wants you to come over."

"Uh--okay. Is this Mr. Fang's office?" Ling Ling stood up confusedly and asked.

"What else? Should I ask you to go to his house?" Bai Yihan asked her rudely.

Gu Chuqi flew into a rage, trying to teach Bai Yihan a lesson, but Ling Ling pushed her back into her chair. She anxiously went to Fang's office; she just wanted to write quietly, not get involved in any disputes, and only prayed to God for her safety.

After entering Mr. Fang's office, he motioned for her to sit opposite him.

Fang Tuowu poured her a cup of tea. She bowed and thanked him, feeling uneasy all over.

Fang Tuowu was kind and said, "Mei Xiao resigned suddenly, and the ongoing work and client relationships haven't been handed over. Now the Creative Director position is vacant, and there's no one to help run the business. Team A is going to be in a tough spot lately. I called you here to ask for your attention and care for everyone."

Ling Ling quickly said, "Mr. Fang, you're too polite. I'm now in Group A, and I've received so much help from everyone. Even Sister Mei, if she hadn't transferred me to Group A, I wouldn't have had so many opportunities to show my talents. Tuo Wu has given me so much both materially and spiritually over the past few years, and you've always looked after me, for which I'm extremely grateful. This is just a brief period of hardship. Every colleague in Group A is exceptionally capable and resilient. I will definitely unite everyone and ensure that the quality of our proposed solution remains uncompromised. Rest assured."

Fang Tuowu nodded in agreement, then slowly began, "So, from now on, you'll be leading Team A. The Human Resources Department will send your promotion letter to the entire company today. Please cooperate and complete the formalities as quickly as possible. I'll also go downstairs to Team A to announce your good news. Until the new Vice President of Creative arrives, you'll report directly to me on matters requiring management decisions. I'm confident in leaving Team A in your hands."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Ling Ling and Yu Chuanbei had arranged to have dinner at his house tonight. She arrived early and was sitting at her desk, juggling two phones, a PDA, and a laptop, switching between the four screens while she scribbled something down in a notebook.

When Yu Chuanbei got home from get off work, he saw her so busy and couldn't help but tease her, saying, "You look like a top anchor logged into multiple social media platforms at the same time. How many millions is Ling Jiaotou's slot for tonight?"

Ling Ling couldn't help but laugh at his words. Just as she was about to retort, his phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID, frowned, and ran to the study to answer it. Even through the door, Ling Ling could hear Yu Chuanbei angrily scolding his subordinates.

After he came out, he threw his phone on the sofa, and the way he untied his tie had obviously ruined his good mood.

"Who are you targeting?" Ling Ling asked with concern.

"Zheng Hong, I have never trusted him, and this time he really caused me a big mess!" He was obviously still angry.

"Then I'd like to ask Mr. Yu, as a leader, how did you know that Zheng Hong couldn't be trusted?"

"Because he walks his dog without a leash."

"Haha!" Ling Ling couldn't help but burst out laughing, then coaxed him, "You're quite handsome when you lose your temper."

He just smiled bitterly and responded: "What's the matter?"

"Being able to lose your temper at work means you're in a high position, so how can you not be cool? Unlike me, I'm just a people-pleaser at work. If anyone loses their temper with me, I'll be intimidated."

"So nothing good has happened to you in the company recently?"

"Getting a promotion—is that a good thing?"

"Promotion?!" Yu Chuanbei asked her in surprise.

Ling Ling put down the two screens in her hands, twisted her aching wrist, and said glumly, "Yeah. Mei Xiao resigned suddenly. Not only did she quit without any formalities, but she also didn't leave any time for handover. Then this afternoon, my boss told me I was being promoted to Creative Director of Group A, with my salary doubled. I have no idea what to do now, so I'm scrolling through the WeChat Moments of the clients she occasionally took me to see, trying to see who interacted with whom, trying to figure out who to connect with first. But I have fewer ideas than the hairs on a Mediterranean uncle's head."

Yu Chuanbei, however, became interested and said, "Friends circles are indeed the fodder for building personal networks, but you shouldn't rely solely on them to judge the closeness of workplace relationships. These days, friend circles are all social displays of self-image. People in the same company and department may interact affectionately, but that's all for the boss to see, creating the illusion of harmony. In reality, they're secretly desperate to destroy each other. If you intrude without understanding the situation, believing that two people are close, and accidentally reveal something they don't want you to disclose, you'll be used as a pawn and become a victim of the power struggle.

So don't worry about this. As long as it's a promotion, it's worth celebrating! If you had told me earlier, I would have made good preparations for you. It's not too late now, let's go out and find a nice place to celebrate!"

"But I haven't finished all these yet. I have no idea how I'm going to take on the role of Creative Director of Group A tomorrow!" Ling Ling had a bitter face and was a little emotionally broken.

Yu Chuanbei took her hand and said, "Don't worry. Fang Tuowu is a veteran, and he doesn't make decisions lightly. He doesn't care whether you have management or marketing experience. People with a solid foundation don't need to worry about these things. Look, you are talented, which shows that you have strong business skills. You are reliable and responsible, and you will do your best to complete any task assigned to you. You are sincere and can lead a harmonious and stable team. You have all the qualities of a perfect subordinate, so just go to work as usual, sort out the problems one by one, and solve them step by step."

"But the end of the year is coming soon, and advertisers will have to start from scratch to plan their budgets for next year. If customer resources flow out of my hands like a flood, I won't be able to recover the losses even if I die." Ling Ling was still worried.

Yu Chuanbei continued to persuade her, "A position will give you the resources to shoulder responsibilities. So tomorrow you can use your new self to create a new aura and embark on a more challenging job. This kind of initiation requires a ritual—say, go to a high-end restaurant and have an incredibly expensive meal now, so that your future self will feel that this will be commonplace in your future."

"Oh, the great philosopher Yu is at it again. Mr. Yu is really good at persuading people. No wonder his performance is so good!" Ling Ling complimented him in a fake way.

Yu Chuanbei had already taken her clothes and bag, and dragged her to the entrance, asking her to change her clothes and go out together.

Although Ling Ling went along with him, she was still worried about the bad things going on at work, and couldn't help but feel a little worried. "Oh, I might as well have a good time tonight. I don't know what will happen tomorrow. People, once they feel the powerlessness of middle age and are forced to live their lives, even if they are pressed to the ground, they have to lift their disfigured faces and smile at others."

*~*~*~*~*~*~

Pessimists always predict the direction of world events more accurately.

Sure enough, Ling Ling became confused and at a loss at the company the next day.

Mei Xiao had cleared all the data from her computer and left her no business card in her desk drawer. Bai Yihuan's face fell as she watched her get promoted. Naturally, she wouldn't share any valuable information with Ling Ling. Even if she did, Ling Ling wouldn't believe it. Luckily, Bai Yihuan had taken all of his remaining annual leave, so not seeing her for over two weeks was a perk of the job.

Author's Note

Liu Qiu

author

06-18

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