03 No one is much better than anyone else.
Humans are good at disguising themselves.
Against the backdrop of this complex and contradictory multidimensional society, there are both unprecedented glimmers of hope and shrouded clouds of uncertainty. Technological singularity and cognitive overload, the domino effect of geopolitics, the tipping point narrative of the climate crisis, the generational value gap, the dual transformation of economic paradigms... Of course, none of these have anything to do with Fang Shuning.
Fang Shuning lay on her newly changed bedding, staring at the health check-up brochure in her hand, torn between going for a check-up with her colleague. Fang Shuning wasn't unaware of her minor health issues, but what good would a check-up do? It would just mean quitting smoking and drinking, avoiding staying up late, not staring at the computer for long periods, and avoiding high-intensity work... things Fang Shuning couldn't do for the time being.
Fang Shuning's character doesn't allow for those who are "unacceptable".
Fang Shuning appears glamorous, yet she possesses a remarkably clear self-awareness. In reality, her current abilities don't match her ambitions; what she has doesn't satisfy her desires; she often puts on airs, yet secretly searches Zhihu (a Chinese Q&A website) for even the most basic questions about coffee bean rankings; she despises the pretentious influencers on Xiaohongshu (a Chinese social media platform), yet can't resist blindly ordering trendy items; her vanity and sense of satisfaction often come from younger men who are poor but somewhat attractive, sweetly calling her "sister"...
However, Fang Shuning did not engage in internal strife, and she did not believe that it was her fault.
This era is exhibiting the peculiar characteristic described by philosopher Slavoj Žižek: "the coexistence of apocalypse and utopia"; as SpaceX's Starship pierces the sky, TikTok is flooded with survival guides for doomsday preparedness; while Nobel laureates are using CRISPR to edit genes, tribes on the African continent are still praying for rain with smartphones in hand...
Fang Shuning attributed this to the problems of the times.
Everyone's pretending, just in different ways. For example, the female classmate who's keen on creating a "pampered wife" persona on social media, one minute consulted Fang Shuning about the division of assets in a divorce if her husband cheated, and the next minute thanked her "darling husband" on social media for a new bracelet.
No one is much better than anyone else.
She went to the balcony, lit a cigarette, and opened the window. The night breeze ruffled the stray strands of hair at her temples. A slender menthol cigarette sat between her lips, its glowing orange-red tip tracing a languid arc in the twilight. As the bluish-gray smoke slowly escaped her nostrils, her eyelashes cast spiderweb-like shadows on her cheekbones.
Ms. Jianhua lives a very comfortable life. Besides picking up and dropping off her niece at school, she spends her time shopping, eating out, and drinking milk tea with her close friends. When she's bored in the evenings, she video calls Fang Shuning to gossip. Ms. Jianhua has a good attitude, is willing to keep up with the times, and her relationship with Fang Shuning is like that of friends.
However, Fang Shuning doesn't let this friend know everything, such as her smoking.
"Ms. Jianhua, have you missed me?"
"Auntie~" A sweet voice came from the other end of the phone. It was Fang Shuning's older sister, Fang Shuyi's daughter, who was 3 years old and had just started kindergarten.
"Oh my, who is this? Who is so beautiful?" Fang Shuning's voice suddenly became high-pitched. The two chatted for a few minutes, their conversation seemingly nonsensical, before Ms. Jianhua came over and said, "Grandma, please say something to Auntie."
The phone was back in Ms. Jianhua's hands, and Fang Shuning directly asked Zhang Jianhua what was wrong.
“In our hometown, the woman behind your grandma Li’s house, she passed away a while ago.”
In Fang Shuning's hometown, people of the same generation as her mother but a few years older are called "Niangniang," a term similar to "Niangniang."
"Huh?" Fang Shuning was surprised. She remembered that the hardworking and capable but gossipy rural woman would always greet Fang Shuning with a smile and say: "The college student is back, and you're even more beautiful now. Come on, let me see what's wrong with this phone. Why isn't it working?"
The truth is, their phones were somehow switched to silent mode, but they didn't know how or how to do it.
During the Spring Festival, Fang Shuning and Zhang Jianhua went home together. Although they could only go back a few times a year, each time they did, their old neighbors would visit them. Fang Shuning remembered that everyone seemed to be in good health back then.
“It was liver cancer, and it was already in its late stage when it was diagnosed. I stayed in the hospital for three months, but there was nothing more they could do, so they sent me home. I passed away just a few days after I got home. I never knew before; I should have gone back to see her one last time.” Ms. Jianhua’s tone was full of regret.
Fang Shuning's family had long since moved away from that small town called "hometown." Only Ms. Jianhua would go back for a few days when the weather was nice to catch up with her old friends.
However, it seems that as one gets older, death becomes an insurmountable barrier.
Fang Shuning suddenly felt a little down. She reminded Ms. Jianhua to remember to go for her medical checkup, then quickly hung up the video call. Remembering the flyer that had been carelessly tossed on the bed, she didn't dwell on it anymore and messaged her colleague, "[Take me with you for the medical checkup]."
Fang Shuning didn't sleep well that night.
After checking her work schedule, Fang Shuning booked a medical check-up on a weekday when there would be fewer people.
Although she booked with a colleague, Fang Shuning secretly upgraded herself to VIP. After all, Fang Shuning's time is charged by the hour, and for her, time is money. She wouldn't waste that time doing something meaningless like queuing.
I've left my address; the hard copy of the medical report will be mailed to you in two weeks. The electronic version will be sent to you via WeChat in about a week. We'll communicate promptly if there are any issues.
Fang Shuning has been restless these past two days, which has led to a work mistake—the most basic kind of error. The lower the level of the mistake, the less tolerant it is.
Fu Lu's roar came from the office, clearly audible even through the doors and windows. His colleagues exchanged bewildered glances, feeling that he shouldn't have been so harsh.
“Fang Shuning, I just praised you, and you make such a basic mistake. Is this your first year as a lawyer? What’s in your head? Are those two holes under your eyebrows just for venting your anger? You even misspelled the decimal point when you sent the contract to the other party, and they pointed it out right away. How can they believe in our work attitude and ability if you do this? Alright, now the contract renewal is on hold. I don’t care what method you use, whether you beg them or pester them relentlessly, just get the contract renewed. If you can’t, then you don’t need to renew it.”
Fang Shuning was thoroughly scolded and left Fu Lu's office with a long face. Next, she was about to tackle a tough challenge.
The same colleague who had asked Fang Shuning if she wanted to go for the physical exam together slid over and handed her a cup of coffee. "Shuning, are you alright? Old Fu is acting like he's on fire. He must have been upset somewhere and is taking it out on you! Don't worry about it."
Fang Shuning took a sip of iced coffee and calmed down. "It's okay, I'm thick-skinned. It's not like I'll lose a piece of flesh if I get scolded. It's fine, don't worry."
“I knew it. With this mindset, my sister will succeed at anything.”
Fang Shuning smiled wryly, her mind already racing with ideas on how to get the other party to renew the contract. Actually, the other party didn't actually not want to renew; they just wanted to use this as an excuse to lower the fee. Fu Zhou valued this renewal not so much because he cared about the other company, but because of their parent company and its subsidiaries—that was a lucrative opportunity, and that's what Fu Zhou wanted to acquire.
Unfortunately, the meat was snatched away by Fang Shuning as soon as she smelled it.
Fu Zhou was furious, but it was indeed Fang Shuning's fault, so she acknowledged it and tolerated it.
Only by clearly analyzing the current situation can we find the right solution. Even if we get criticized, we must keep thinking.
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