54. The biggest politics in the workplace
Bai Yihan hadn't been so attentive to Ling Ling in ages. She quickly thanked him and, bewildered, made her way over. Fang Tuowu's secretary, Zheng Zhi, saw her and politely ushered her into the CEO's office. She wondered why her boss's secretary was a man. Was he just playing it safe, or was he up to some other ulterior motive? This random thought eased her inner anxiety. "Ling Ling, would you like something to drink?" Secretary Zheng addressed her by name affectionately on their first meeting. She didn't let her guard down, thinking he was trying to curry favor, but rather that they were all cunning. "No, no, thank you," she said stiffly. Fang Tuowu, seated behind his large desk, offered, "Make her a cup of black tea." She awkwardly agreed, and when Zheng Zhi brought her the water, she quickly stood up and bowed in thanks. The conversation that followed made her realize just how necessary it was that CEO Fang had asked for that glass of water. "How are you settling in at Tuowu?" Fang Tuowu asked, the first question they had once they were alone in the office. Although Mr. Fang's tone was full of kindness, Ling Ling only regarded it as a real-life test in the workplace. She said respectfully, "I am getting along very well with the leaders and colleagues in our Group A. They have given me a lot of guidance in my professional and work aspects. Especially Mr. Fang, you have given me so many opportunities. I cherish my current job very much. I feel that all my creativity can be used. I feel that I am very valuable and willing to create more value for Tuowu." Fang Tuowu smiled heartily when she heard her say this. This smile made Ling Ling a little scared - there was obviously no joke in her words, but the boss laughed. She was afraid that she would offend him. Fang Tuowu, however, said with a pleasant expression, "Your writing style is sharp, with a long-lost avant-garde style, which I quite admire. I asked you to come here because I wanted to hear some different experiences, without having to use those clichés." Ling Ling nodded in shame, but in her heart she was secretly scolding him: We are not familiar with each other, and you are my breadwinner, why should I talk to you without using clichés? Am I telling you that you hired someone like Gu Chaoqun and paid him a million dollars a year? Are you blind? This company also has Bai Yihan, who is like a termite, and Shi Wenjin, who is like a parasite, and you have no plans to take any action? Unexpectedly, the next topic, as if Fang Tuowu saw through her little thoughts, led directly to Gu Chaoqun: "The system platform project that you and the research department jointly worked on before, has been officially put into production and has received good feedback from all departments since it was officially launched. I heard that in the later stages of the project, you were actually the only one who took the lead, right? Then...
Bai Yihan hadn't been so attentive to Ling Ling for a long time. She hurriedly thanked him and then went over to him in a daze.
Fang Tuowu's secretary, Zheng Zhi, politely ushered her into the CEO's office. She wondered why her boss's secretary was a man. Was he playing it safe, or was he up to some other evil? This random thought eased her inner anxiety.
"Lingling, would you like something to drink?" Secretary Zheng addressed her by name affectionately on their first meeting. She didn't let her guard down, thinking he was trying to curry favor, but rather that they were all cunning men. "No, no, thank you," she said stiffly.
Fang Tuowu, who was sitting behind the huge desk, spoke up: "Make her a cup of black tea."
She agreed awkwardly, and when Zheng Zhi brought her the water, she quickly stood up and bowed to express her gratitude. It was only during the subsequent conversation that she realized how necessary it was for the roommaster to ask for this glass of water for her.
"How are you adapting to living in Tuowu?" Fang Tuowu asked first when they were the only two left in the office.
Although Mr. Fang's tone was full of kindness, Ling Ling treated it as a practical test of her career. She said respectfully, "I'm getting along very well with the leaders and colleagues in Group A. They've given me a lot of professional and work guidance. Mr. Fang, in particular, has given me so many opportunities. I really cherish my current job. I feel like I can really tap into all my creative ideas, feel incredibly valuable, and am willing to create even more value for Tuowu."
Fang Tuowu laughed heartily when he heard her say that. This laugh made Ling Ling a little frightened - there was obviously no funny point in her words, but the boss laughed. This might have offended her.
Fang Tuowu, however, remained amiable and said, "Your writing style is sharp, with a touch of avant-garde flair that I haven't seen in a long time. I quite admire that. I asked you to come here because I wanted to hear some different perspectives, without resorting to clichés."
Ling Ling bashfully nodded, but inwardly she was secretly cursing, "We're not even close, and you're my breadwinner. Why should I tell you without getting into clichés? Are you blind to tell you that you hired someone like Gu Chaoqun and paid him a million a year? And you're keeping Bai Yihan, the termite, and Shi Wenjin, the parasite, in this company, and you're not planning on doing anything about it?"
Unexpectedly, Fang Tuowu seemed to see through her thoughts and led the conversation directly to Gu Chaoqun. "The system platform project you and the Research Department collaborated on has been officially launched, and the feedback from all departments has been very positive. I heard that in the later stages of the project, you were actually the only one leading it, right? You made an invaluable contribution, then. You happened to be unable to attend the project results report meeting before National Day, and you are the one who knows the situation best, so now I want to hear your honest thoughts on the current operation of the Research Department under the leadership of General Manager Gu."
"Real? How real can it be?" Ling Ling blurted out, and immediately realized that she was too rash.
"How real can you be? It depends on your judgment and ability to express yourself." There was a smile in Fang Tuowu's eyes that said, "I am the boss and I am not afraid of anyone."
Ling Ling lifted the ceramic cup in front of her and gently sipped the warm black tea, easing her embarrassment and feeling a little calmer. Mei Xiao had previously asked her about Gu Chaoqun's situation, and given how close Mei Xiao and Mr. Fang were, she should have already shared her opinions. Mr. Fang still called her over, presumably because he approved of her conclusion and simply wanted to confirm it indirectly. Otherwise, a CEO wouldn't need to waste his time with a small-time soldier like her.
Seeing that Mr. Fang was still patiently waiting for her to speak, she made up her mind and poured out all the words that had been pent up in her heart for a while.
After a few seconds of gathering her thoughts, Ling Ling spoke with unwavering integrity, "Boss Fang, this entire system construction project is the fruit of the hard work of all participating Tuowu employees. Not a single valuable colleague could be left out, and I dare not take credit for it. Through our interactions over time, I've come to believe that Vice President He Zhixian of the Research Department is reserved, humble, and a man of action. I've received a lot of his guidance and help. I believe that among the many contributions the Research Department has made to Tuowu over the years, President He has undoubtedly been the one who has contributed the most, yet remains the most low-key."
As for Director Gu Chaoqun—I feel he's confused about fundamental concepts in his field, shallow and crude in his strategic planning, and incompetent and incompetent in his management skills. Discussing solutions with him is like playing whack-a-mole with the worst player; he perfectly misses every single target. I have no personal vendetta against him, and speaking out about this isn't about political strife. I also don't want to appear to have ulterior motives by speaking about my superiors. But I firmly believe that the ultimate politics in the workplace isn't hesitancy, overcautiousness, or hypocritical deception, but genuinely working for the company, casting aside all reservations. As someone in a high position, I understand you might be temporarily misled by information asymmetry, so I feel obligated to share this with you. It's also my professional ethics."
Fang Tuowu could naturally predict that he would get some different information from Ling Ling, but he seemed unprepared for her directness.
He then smiled faintly and said, "Well, thank you for considering Tuo Wu. Have you discussed these matters with him personally before?"
Ling Ling felt a little uncomfortable with Mr. Fang's question, as if he were shifting the blame for Director Gu's negligence onto her. She resented the way her boss had handled the dispute between two employees by giving each of them fifty lashes. Gu Chaoqun, a fool, had never deserved her to get his hands dirty, but considering the current situation, that idiot didn't deserve her to bear the extra fifty lashes.
She then reverted to her unwavering integrity: "Communication presupposes that everyone has basic concepts, background knowledge, and the same professional ethics, rather than starting from compulsory education, which would be impossible even after I retire. Communicating with Mr. Gu is like teaching an illiterate person to read or a blind person to embroider. Furthermore, with Mr. Gu's level and narrow-mindedness, it would only lead to a new round of oppression."
Even when he needed help from his higher-level leader, he was unable to solve the problem. To cover up his guilty conscience, he arranged more ineffective work to replace his incompetence. This is the workplace, I won't do this; this is just the workplace, I don't need to do this.
Fang Tuowu laughed louder this time. "Have you found a solution?"
"I think if we can't solve the problem, we should just get rid of the people who created it. Mr. Fang, have you heard of the Dunning-Kruger effect?"
It had been a long time since anyone had spoken to Fang Tuowu like this, so he didn't mind. "You go ahead."
Ling Ling wasn't shy about it, having already gotten carried away. "The Dunning-Kruger effect describes a person with cognitive bias who is so foolish they don't even realize how foolish they are. So, I think Mr. Gu... if he's aware of his shortcomings but still tries to cover them up through cunning, that at least shows he's a driven individual. But if he's completely oblivious to his flaws, someone like him in a management position is extremely dangerous to the company. His presence will reduce our talent density and dampen everyone's spirits. Imagine what would happen to a company, especially an advertising agency, without the passion and wisdom of a team like you."
Ling Ling paused because she had said everything she wanted to say.
Fang Tuowu's eyes wandered aimlessly. He pondered for a few seconds, then regained his usual composure. He smiled kindly at her and said, "Well, that's good. You don't have to be just a copywriter. That's all for today. You can go back and get busy."
"Okay, Mr. Fang." Ling Ling bowed respectfully and greeted him, then stood up and left Fang Tuowu's office neatly.
After returning to Group A, Ling Ling's first thought was to report the situation to Mei Xiao. After all, being called in for a conversation without going through a higher level was a sensitive matter, and she needed to be completely honest and explain everything to Mei Xiao in detail to avoid any possible misunderstandings.
But when she knocked on the door and went in, just as she opened her mouth to explain her purpose, Mei Xiao said calmly, "Oh, it's okay. That's Mr. Fang's style. He likes to get straight to the point and focus on the results. I know everything. Lunch time is running out, so go eat."
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