Chapter 395 Career Line
In the early morning, the elderly men and women who usually strolled and chatted leisurely under the trees suddenly slowed down their pace as they passed a certain spot. When their pace became unsightly, they resumed their usual pace.
"What's wrong with Old Wu?" A thin old man, figuring the security booth wouldn't be able to hear him, waved his palm-leaf fan and asked his wife. Although the temperature wasn't high enough to use a fan this morning, it had become a habit for the old man.
"Old Wu is still so charming even at his old age!" The old lady glanced back at the energetic security guard and said in a gossipy tone, "I heard he got a haircut from Old Huang last night..."
Uncle Wu, standing at the door and walking around, naturally didn't hear what the two of them were saying. But even if he had, he wouldn't have thought anything of it. Instead, he would have smiled heartily and shared his good mood with others.
When Zhou Xiaolai went to the security booth to record the IDs of several people during the shift change yesterday, he also told the old man that all the employees would be there tomorrow morning and asked him to have lunch with them.
The security guard couldn't even dream of attending a staff dinner like this, so he immediately declined. Before Zhou Xiao could say anything else, Uncle Wu quickly waved his hand and said, "You young people, chat among yourselves. I don't understand anything, and it would be awkward to join in."
Although he refused, when he got home that night, Uncle Wu went to his old friend's place and asked him to give him a haircut. This morning, before leaving, he even looked at himself in the mirror for a long time.
Guarding the gate was a tedious job, especially after construction work was complete. Luckily, Uncle Wu had found a small, local dog. Every day, he watched it come in and out of the garden, playing to its heart's content, sometimes even coming back with grass juice on its coat.
Every time this happened, Uncle Wu would follow the puppy's playful traces to see what damage the little ancestor had done to the garden so he could fix it. Although the young boss was generous and didn't mind this, he always cleaned up the mess.
After things were handled, every time I returned to the security booth and drank a sip of boiled water in the thermos, and then felt the excitement of the little thing at my feet, this sip of water was like moisturizing my heart directly.
This is also why Mr. Wu's family did not force the old man to go home and rest. When the young people came home from work, they were like wrinkled cows and horses, but the old man looked much more energetic than them when he came home from work.
After all this back and forth, they naturally felt even more grateful to Zhou Xiao. So, on the day Zhou Xiao's studio opened, the whole family came to help. They even seemed more enthusiastic than the hired security guards.
"Woof woof" the sound of a dog barking suddenly rang out. The security guard raised his head and saw a girl wearing glasses and a casual suit, looking down at the dog that had stood up and barked at her feet.
Seeing the big hand about to fall, the dog, feeling that he might be locked on the muzzle, immediately stepped back lightly. The sound of "da da da" footsteps followed, and soon he cleverly slipped in through the half-open iron door.
"Hello, uncle. I am a new employee in the studio." Looking at the interesting scene in front of her, Lu Qian's eyes lit up, and then she greeted the security guard.
"Lv Qian? Come over here and record your face," the security guard said as he beckoned her to the device at the gate. There was a printed guide next to the device; all she had to do was follow the instructions step by step.
Leading people to the equipment wasn't the end of the story; there was a sign-in sheet inside. The old man had his son print it out for him at a printer, imitating the neighborhood security guard. It was used to register the new employees arriving at the studio today.
As he gets older, it takes Mr. Wu longer to recognize people. But once he matches the names and handwriting on the paper with the people, he can basically remember them. "The handwriting is the true reflection of the person," a true reflection of his generation.
Besides, there were only five new employees today. Zhou Xiao had told the security guard their names last night, and as for Xue Xi and Shu Nan, he had already memorized them.
"Hey, this is for facial recognition, should I record one too?"
A slightly serious voice sounded from behind Lu Qian. She had just finished recording the face and subconsciously looked back, and saw a big sister with big wavy curls wearing a professional OL three-piece suit.
The man was holding a thick brown paper document bag in his hand. He looked like a mature white-collar worker, but with a bit more intellectuality.
"Hello, I'm Lv Qian." Lv Qian, upon sizing up the newcomer, immediately extended her hand to show her affection. "We should all be colleagues from the studio, right? May I ask who you are?"
Actually, this is just a polite remark, because the avatar in the group is her own person——Gu Yun
Although Zhou Xiao had created a large group, so far, apart from Xue Xi and Shu Nan who exchanged contact information on the opening day, only one employee had added everyone. Obviously, the two people standing at the door at this moment were not that person.
"Gu Yun," Gu Yun answered, not caring whether the other party recognized her or not. She patted the paper bag in her hand and said with a smile, "I came to deliver the contracts to everyone by the way."
The studio was equipped with a professional printer, but as a lawyer, even if she had become a boss, how could she not prepare for her employer in advance? So last night, she had already agreed with Zhou Xiao that they would bring everyone's contract together today.
Lu Qian nodded, shifted her position to allow the other person to record their face, and then walked over to the security guard to sign her name. It was still early, not even the time Zhou Xiao had agreed on in the group chat, but everyone had clearly arrived early.
"Jiang Langli, Qiao Haidong, Guo Tan" After seeing the signed names, Lu Qian began to think about who these names correspond to in the group.
First of all, Jiang Langli knew about it. She had actively added her as a friend, and looking at the chronological sign-in table, she could sense the sense of responsibility she had displayed from the very beginning.
While Lu Qian was pondering, a sound came from within the wall. Gu Yun, who was recording the person's face, paid no attention to it, but Lu Qian immediately looked towards the source of the sound and burst into laughter.
Behind the iron gate, Zhou Xiao was trailing behind the puppy. The dog was like a demon. Lu Qian still remembered how it had fled in panic when the security guards first grabbed its jaws, but now it was acting like a bully. Its whining little voice made it clear it was complaining to Zhou Xiao.
"Okay, okay," Zhou Xiao squatted down and rubbed the puppy's belly as it turned over for her to touch. Then she stood up and smiled at Lu Qian, whose eyes met hers, and said, "Now that I've touched the dog, I won't shake hands with you, Sister Lu. Welcome to Shanghai~"
Fang Xi recommended Lu Qian to Zhou Xiao when she learned he was looking for a planner. In Fang's own words, Lu Qian is talented and intelligent, but a bit lazy. She's currently staying home to take on advertising planning, and since Zhou Xiao needs someone in this area, the two of them could explore collaboration.
"It's okay." Lu Qian smiled, and the corners of her eyes curved. Then, she followed Zhou Xiao's gaze and looked at Gu Yun, who had just finished recording his face. What surprised her was that these two people looked like old acquaintances.
"Boss Zhou, let's go." Gu Jun raised the corner of his mouth. "If you have time later, take me to visit your garden. It might not be me who comes next time."
Gu Yun quit her job at a prestigious law firm last year and, leveraging her hard-earned connections and resources, opened a law firm in Shanghai. While small, it boasts a strong business volume. When she mentioned "next time," she meant it might be one of the junior lawyers in the firm who would run errands.
Zhou Xiao waved his hand, indicating it was a trivial matter. He then led the two of them to the photography building. It just so happened that he'd brought the remaining two back with him this time. It must be said that this was also a kind of fate. Well, I must give the dog a chicken drumstick for lunch!
…
Inside the building's conference room, the employees who arrived early had already exchanged personal contact numbers. Because the large screen was already on, everyone had something to chat about, and it wasn't as tense and awkward as one might imagine on a first day at work.
Of course, two of them seemed particularly quiet: Guo Tan, who was in charge of finance, and Qiao Haidong, who worked on the post-production team. While everyone else found someone to chat with, these two were either looking down at their phones or looking up at the interior design.
Of the two, the former was chosen by Zhou Xiao through an interview at the job market. Guo Tan, after three years as a stay-at-home wife, decided to return to work. Because of the three-year gap, the market was generally hesitant and reserved about her.
Zhou Xiao didn't mentally label her "out" due to her time and experience, as other companies often do. During her interactions, she discovered that the other party was more knowledgeable about recent policies than other job seekers.
Working full-time at home, yet still familiar with the rules and actively learning, his attitude already outshined the other candidates. After comparing them, Zhou Xiao chose Guo Tan based on the studio's financial needs and the candidates' attitudes.
To be honest, if it weren't for this experience, Zhou Xiao might not have seen such a good resume in the job market.
As for Qiao Haidong, Zhou Xiao had recruited him through a headhunter. After learning that she had recruited Qiao Haidong, her friend Qin Shi privately praised the headhunter Zhou Xiao had hired.
After all, technical pros are always in demand. Qiao Haidong had also worked on post-production special effects for XS, so his skills were impeccable. However, he also had a certain playfulness and arrogance in his line of work, which meant he wouldn't make low-end products.
After Qin Shi learned that she had joined Zhou Xiao's studio, she suddenly felt that the two of them were a match made in heaven. Well, there was absolutely no complaint here about Zhou Xiao's low frequency of accepting orders!
However, although the two of them were very quiet, they did not feel uncomfortable at all in the bustling conference room. Even their expectations and yearnings for the future began to become real.
"Knock knock" Xue Xi, who had sharp ears, heard the knock on the door almost immediately. She pointed to the door with Shu Nan, who was discussing clothing matching with her, and stopped discussing, indicating to everyone that someone was coming in from outside.
After seeing the two people following Zhou Xiao, several people in the conference room also stood up to welcome their two new partners and boss.
The brown paper bag that Gu Yun had been holding was now in Zhou Xiao's hands. She didn't have the habit of speaking for several minutes once everyone arrived. Instead, she gestured for Lu Qian and Gu Yun to find a seat and began pulling out the contracts from the bag.
Labor contracts were all in triplicate, and Gu Yun thoughtfully used paper clips to separate each person's contract for Zhou Xiao. Zhou Xiao looked at the words "Guo Tan" on the cover of the contract in his hand and asked the other party to follow him to the next room to sign the contract.
As for Lu Qian, who had already taken her seat, she already had a contract in her hand. After entering the building, she and Zhou Xiao signed the contract in the adjacent lounge. Now, she was surveying the layout of the room with curiosity.
She rarely uses the word "comfortable" to describe a photography studio, but the scenery she saw along the way, the decoration inside the building, and the atmosphere in the conference room all made Lu Qian feel a rare sense of comfort.
She had originally been considering applying for homestay, but now, looking at it, she didn't want to leave. Her apartment couldn't possibly compare to the nice environment at the photography base. To be frank, even by comparison, it felt a bit unfair to this place.
"Hello, are you Lu Qian?" A voice came from the opposite side. Lu Qian looked up and saw that a woman opposite had stood up and was walking towards her with a notebook.
Almost immediately, she knew who this person was. In the group of eight, Jiang Langli was the only one to use her own photo as her profile picture. She also loved posting on WeChat Moments, seeming like someone who loved life.
"Yes, hello, Sister Jiang!"
Jiang Langli, a woman of advanced age but possessing a gentle demeanor, was hired by Zhou Xiao as the logistics manager. She would be responsible for the studio's procurement and daily operations.
"Boss Zhou asked me to add some green plants to everyone's workstations. Take a look and see if you like any," Jiang Langli said with a smile. "I'll arrange them for you the day after tomorrow at the latest."
"Sister Jiang, I've thought about it and I don't want it anymore. Can you apply it on me?" Qiao Haidong, who was sitting on the left, suddenly spoke.
Jiang Langli didn't say anything, but nodded quickly. Lv Qian was naturally curious after hearing this. However, since she had just come in and didn't know who the other person was, she didn't ask for the reason as usual.
But when she took the notebook and looked at it, she was a little confused. Everyone else was already listed except her. But that didn't make sense. Why was Gu Yun missing?
The look of doubt had already subconsciously drifted away. After receiving this information, Gu Jun suppressed a smile and said, "I'm not working here. Boss Zhou knows it."
…
While Lu Qian was still thinking about what kind of green plants to place at her workstation, Guo Tan in the next room had already picked up a signed contract. He happily closed the door and prepared to call the next colleague to sign the contract.
The moment he signed his name on the contract, Guo Tan felt the burden that had been weighing on his shoulders gradually lighten with each stroke, until it vanished...
The contract was signed very quickly, and when Zhou Xiao and Jiang Langli walked out of the lounge, talking and laughing, it meant that everyone had truly become a member of Zhou Xiao's studio at that moment.
After knocking on the door, Zhou Xiao walked over to the large screen and tilted his head to look at the PZ brand's requirements for this shoot. Highly anticipated by the industry, this was Zhou Xiao Studio's first order, but for him, it seemed no different from any other shoot he'd done before.
However, there was one difference. Zhou Xiao's gaze swept across the conference room. This time, the filming was entirely under the responsibility of the team she led.
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