Chapter 11 Coco: "I'm sorry, I'm not very good at taking care of people, I didn't expect..."
As it turns out, Yi Sheng, the big boss, was indeed very busy with official duties and couldn't spare large chunks of time.
They selected floor tiles, wood flooring, wall tiles, and baseboards. They had just started looking at the bathroom fixtures when Yi Sheng picked out a bathtub and then answered a phone call and left.
"See you next time, Designer Bai," Yi Sheng greeted Bai Yeke while on the phone.
Bai Ye insisted on seeing her to the stairs before quietly smiling and waving goodbye.
Yi Sheng was in a hurry and didn't wait for the elevator. Her high heels made a crisp sound on the stairs, maintaining their own rhythm amidst the noise.
"What are you looking at, Yezi?" He Xin was also there to see off her client when she saw Bai Ye standing at the top of the stairs, lost in thought.
"nothing."
"Uh." He Xin was perceptive enough not to press the matter.
“You mean a woman like Miss Yi…” Bai Yeke turned back with her, hesitating to speak.
"how?"
"When will we be able to cultivate to that level?"
"Huh?" He Xin was amused. "You were looking at Miss Yi just now? No wonder you were so engrossed. Just look and that's enough."
Bai Yeke snapped out of her reverie and gave a self-deprecating laugh. "That's true."
That woman was truly captivating. Just spending a short time with her, or even just catching a glimpse of her back, would stir one's heart and evoke an indescribable longing.
But once their minds are clear, how dare a summer insect speak of ice? They are merely one of the countless beings they admire.
She admired her, and her words, spoken in a moment of panic, seemed to carry the weight of truth.
Back at her workstation, Bai Yeke quickly calmed down, more calmly than she had been on many other occasions.
Yi Sheng's order has reached this stage, and the remaining matters are just simple things. At most, there will be about two more material selections, and we won't see each other much anymore.
She can now focus her main energy on developing new clients.
Also today, a notice was suddenly sent out in the group chat that all staff members must work overtime tonight and cannot take leave.
The news caused an uproar throughout the entire "Santian" company.
Various speculations have been circulating widely.
"They've been pushing these turnkey solutions to keep costs down too much, aiming for low profit margins and high sales volume. While the profit margins are indeed low, the sales volume hasn't been very effective! The decisions made by the leadership are now being borne by us unlucky souls!"
"Why do we have to compete on price? Haven't we seen what happened to Jiuwang? If we keep doing this recklessly—"
"Shh-"
"As far as I know, our 'Santen' is already one of the better performing companies in the industry, but the entire industry is having a very tough time!"
...
All department heads who were in the store immediately returned to their departments to give instructions and relay messages.
Zhang Xiaoli also came over. "Okay, everyone, please calm down. I'm very pleased that our design department colleagues are relatively calm and haven't been talking nonsense like some other departments."
"If we want to win and survive in the current market conditions, further improving efficiency is a must!"
"Of course, we at 'Shentian' are far from struggling, but it's time to plan ahead! You all know what's going on with your colleagues and friends in the same field! Right now, we need everyone to work together to achieve even greater success!"
The design team members clapped their hands sporadically.
The words were spoken with great passion and fervor, but no one felt comfortable inside.
He Xin whispered to Bai Yeke, "Sigh, one of my classmates hasn't received a full salary at their store for three months, but no one has mentioned quitting."
What kind of mess is this?
Are you angry? Yes, I am.
Feeling stifled? Yes, feeling stifled.
Do you want to leave? Yes... not sure.
I feel like it shouldn't be like this, but it seems like there's no other way.
Let's talk about life first, then about breaking the deadlock.
Just like Bai Yeke, she has to rely on this job to leave the Wei family.
That makes sense, but it's really painful to sit in the office, lost in thought, unable to go home.
As night fell, the company ordered boxed meals for everyone who was working overtime.
One meat dish and two vegetable dishes; it wasn't a large meal, but it was quite oily and flavorful.
Bai Ye frowned after taking a bite of the greens. The vegetables, which should have been refreshing, were mixed with oil, making them greasy. She then took a bite of the stir-fried beef. Bai Ye can handle spicy food, and the flavor seemed okay under the cover of many spices, but soon her stomach started burning.
It seems they used some really high-tech stuff; it's spicy to an unusual degree.
That's true, since it's ordered by the company, it must be low-cost.
Looking around, there were quite a few dissatisfied people, but some boys also frowned and forced themselves to finish their own food, and then swallowed the leftovers from others.
The guys in the design department are quite particular about things, so I joked with them, "Isn't it delicious?"
"It tastes awful!" the boy said, shoveling rice into his mouth with disgust.
"Then why are you eating so much?"
"We're starving!" all the boys said. "What can we do if we don't eat? Ordering food costs money, and we don't want to go through the hassle of going home after working overtime. We also need to save money for baby formula!"
Bai Yeke was annoyed by the boys chatting idly not far away.
So why bother with all this when you can't even take care of yourself?
The surroundings were very noisy, mostly from colleagues in the sales department who were already on the phone again.
The overhead lights were on very brightly, and everyone's face showed signs of restlessness.
Even though everyone in the store is working overtime, the main focus is definitely on sales, while the design department and other departments are more of a supporting role.
The management's strict requirement is that the store must reach a certain number of potential customers before they can leave work, and everyone must leverage their connections to achieve the target.
Bai Ye didn't want to slack off too obviously when everyone was busy, so she opened her various service groups to compare work progress.
The first one to appear was, of course, the VIP. Bai Ye actually had something to say to Yi Sheng, she almost forgot.
Coconut Cola: Ms. Yi, I've recorded all the ingredients for today. However, we can still make changes before the order is placed and the product arrives. Please consider it as soon as possible.
This is a process to avoid customers who are indecisive and want to change their orders after they have been placed and received the goods. This would result in excessive costs for transportation and other aspects, and could also lead to unpleasantness with customers.
A life of simplicity: Still not off work?
Baiye would usually be home by this time.
Coconut Cola: Working overtime.
A life of simplicity: ?
Coconut Cola: Performance.
Bai Ye typed out those two words concisely, inwardly thinking, "Isn't this exactly the kind of thing you capitalists particularly admire?"
To live a life of simplicity: I understand.
A life of simplicity: However, my company basically has no unnecessary overtime.
Coconut Cola: ?
How come Yi Sheng seems to be able to deduce her underlying meaning from her words? Bai Yeke really felt that everyone was just working overtime in vain.
A life of simplicity: Our company pays overtime, but we review whether the overtime is reasonable on a quarterly basis. If someone deliberately works overtime to reduce efficiency, they will be punished.
Bai Ye was surprised by the second half of the sentence. What an efficient way of operating! The next second, Bai Ye felt even more exhausted because they would not receive overtime pay for working overtime today.
Perhaps Santen's headquarters should have a more comprehensive system, but the stores acted entirely on their own initiative.
Of course, it's not appropriate to say these things to Yi Sheng.
wrong!
? !
Is Yi Sheng coming to find out more about their situation? To calculate their work efficiency and labor costs...?
This woman is so good at finding opportunities!
Bai Yeke suddenly transformed from a beast of burden into a united member of the towering, impenetrable wall of steel.
She thought, "Oh my god, small stores can't compare to companies. Store managers are mostly from stores, honing their skills in various positions before going to the head office for training as candidates. Most of them have to do miscellaneous work at the head office and work in the inspection team for a long time. Those who are actually assigned to store management positions naturally cherish their positions and strive to achieve results."
Soon, Bai Yeke shook her head again. For the first time, she actually understood the senior leaders so well.
Isn't she being exploited? Just ten minutes ago, she was venting to He Xin, and they both agreed that this overtime order was a load of rubbish.
I'm impressed by this Miss Yi; she's practically a goddess of the cutthroat world of business. But when you gods fight, why do you always have to start with a nobody like me...?
Bai Ye could change the subject, but so far she had not expressed, at least not explicitly, any dissatisfaction with working overtime.
Coconut Cola: Ms. Yi is certainly very good at managing the company, but we at Santen are all very united.
Yi Sheng didn't continue.
A life of simplicity: I'm not quite sure about the bathtub I chose today.
It was indeed too rushed at the time. I received the phone call just as I was about to make a decision. Yi Sheng pointed at something while answering the phone. Bai Yeke also felt that the pointing might not be valid, but she still remembered it.
Coconut Coke: You can come and exchange it when you have time.
Anyway, she was working overtime today, and Bai Ye was having a hard time slacking off. If Yi Sheng came to pick out materials, she could at least pass the time.
A life of simplicity: Good
Even after Santian finished working overtime, Yi Sheng still hadn't arrived. Bai Ye quickly sent a WeChat message to inform Yi Sheng and the others that they had finished get off work and they would have to reschedule.
A life of simplicity: What a coincidence, I just happened to be at your store entrance.
Bai Ye immediately felt bad. She should have known better than to invite Yi Sheng and make him make the trip. But she couldn't ask others to work overtime, and she was really tired tonight.
Coconut Cola: Sorry.
She pondered how to properly explain and express her apology.
"Designer Bai." As Bai Yeke stepped out of the store, she was about to type on her phone when someone called her name from behind.
“You…” Bai Yeke looked at Yi Sheng, “I’m really sorry.”
"I'll take you back," Yi Sheng said.
"No."
In late spring and early summer, the daytime temperature is already so high that you can easily sweat if you move around, but at night, the wind still carries a chill.
The leaves rustled, and the air was filled with the earthy smell of rain; it seemed like it was about to rain again.
“The subway has stopped running.” Yi Sheng insisted, noticing that Bai Yeke’s expression was off. “Listen to me.”
Bai Ye felt frustrated when she heard the words "subway out of service". Yes, it was so late, the subway should have stopped running. She no longer had the option of commuting by taking the subway and then a shared bike.
Taking a taxi from here back to my home in the suburbs would definitely cost a lot of money.
“It’s too far, it’s inconvenient.” Bai Yeke also understood that Yi Sheng definitely wasn’t going that way.
After the night breeze blew for two minutes, Bai Yeke felt ravenously hungry. She hadn't eaten much for dinner and was feeling dizzy and lightheaded.
Yi Sheng gestured for him to proceed, "Have you met your targets?"
Bai Ye didn't react for a moment before following up, "No."
"Then why didn't you ask me for help?"
"ah?"
Bai Ye was unwittingly taken into the car by Yi Sheng.
The car had a faint fragrance and blocked out the night wind. Perhaps, deep down, she wanted to go with Yi Sheng.
After driving a short distance, Yi Sheng asked, "Is it difficult for your store right now?"
Bai Yeke's first reaction was that it was another test, what if their store faced an operational crisis...
This time, Baiye didn't say a word.
She felt like she was going to have low blood sugar and couldn't take the interrogation. She really wanted to escape. Working overtime late at night and being questioned by the client for no reason, she leaned back in her chair, looking out the window, feeling utterly exhausted.
Then, Yi Sheng didn't say anything more and quickly stopped the car halfway through the journey.
Bai Ye didn't ask what was wrong. Miss Yi had plenty of things to do, and she couldn't very well ask her to drop everything and take her home first, could she? Besides, she really didn't have the energy to talk.
Time flies, at least that's how Bai Yeke felt. Yi Sheng had just gotten out of the car when he came back to her side and opened the passenger door.
oh.
I guess something else came up and I can't see her off. Alright, Bai Yeke got ready to get up.
"Have some cocoa." Yi Sheng parked her car by the roadside, squatted down, and handed her a paper cup to her lips. It had a sweet aroma.
Bai Ye was only stunned for a moment, then looked up at Yi Sheng and obediently sucked on the cocoa through the straw.
After her first bite, she said, "It would be better if it were hot."
This was such a dizzying, instinctive reaction.
"I'm sorry, I'm not very good at taking care of people, I didn't expect this." Yi Sheng immediately pulled a blanket from the car and covered Bai Yeke with it.
Bai Yeke had calmed down, or perhaps she had been startled awake, and blinked as she looked at Yi Sheng.
At this moment, Yi Sheng seemed a bit like when they first met, appearing very patient with her.
“Every company has its own destiny, and as an individual, it doesn’t matter whether you feel that God, the company, or the leader is unfair. That’s their business. They have their own destiny to follow, whether they rise or fall.”
"As for myself, even in the worst circumstances, some people can break free."
When Yi Sheng mentioned this, Bai Yeke suddenly remembered the rumors about Yi Sheng.
Yi Sheng, who lost her parents at a young age, was in the worst possible environment. Yet, she struggled out, kicked away all those who coveted her, and stood at the top.
"Look at those people, and become like them."
"It's far more reliable to get what you want yourself than to rely on God or other people's conscience." After saying this to her, Yi Sheng returned to the driver's seat and quietly continued driving.
"Is she giving me pointers again?" Bai Yeke wondered, looking out the window.
But...why?
Yi Sheng dropped her off at the entrance of the residential area. As Bai Yeke got out of the car, he said softly but firmly, "You can tell me if there's anything wrong. You don't have to keep it to yourself."
Are you saying you were feeling unwell but forced yourself to work? Or are you talking about something else...?
As Bai Yeke walked along the path inside the residential area, she pondered deeply: was Yi Sheng's kindness towards her truly pure?
She has always been introverted and has a simplistic and narrow view of the world. She doesn't consider herself to be a person with high emotional and intellectual intelligence, so she finds it difficult to trust others.
This person... encouraged her, helped her, and took care of her.
Most of the time, she didn't want to imagine Yi Sheng in a negative light, nor did she want to hear others say bad things about her.
But... it's hard to believe Yi Sheng.
She couldn't even fully trust her few friends.
We are all strangers. Sometimes we meet at a crossroads, walk together for a while, and sooner or later we will go our separate ways.
There's no question of belief or disbelief. People with no vested interests can talk freely, but once interests are involved, they'll tacitly distance themselves from each other.
Once you cross this intersection, there's a high probability you'll never see them again.
Yi Sheng... To be honest, there's really no conflict of interest between them, so how could she possibly influence Yi Sheng?
But if Yi Sheng does something casually, she will lose her job.
With such a stark difference in circumstances, how can one have faith?
If someone helps her a few times and shows her some kindness, will she open her gates wide and let Yi Sheng come and go in her world at will, asking all sorts of questions?
How could that be?
A note from the author:
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