Chapter Five
In just one morning, Zuo Xutong became familiar with the process of her new job. Her years of R&D experience made her adept at handling many problems. However, she was preoccupied with the unfinished MEA project, so in the afternoon she volunteered to go to the downstairs laboratory to do battery abuse testing, just to take a look at the experimental conditions there.
After conducting tests for several hours straight, Zuo Xutong didn't even have time to drink a sip of water. When she came up from the lab, she went straight to the tea room, only to find that there were no disposable paper cups there.
Tan Chao, her colleague who was doing the experiment with her, saw her go into the break room and come out empty-handed. He smiled and asked, "You didn't bring a water bottle, did you?"
“Yes,” she replied in a dry voice.
Tan Chao turned around and went back to his seat. He took a bottle of iced tea from the drawer and handed it to her, saying, "Have this."
Zuo Xutong felt really lucky to have met so many good people. The leaders and colleagues here were easy to get along with, and the work atmosphere was very harmonious.
After dinner, she was about to go back to work overtime. There weren't many people waiting for the elevator on the first floor. She immediately recognized Warrior Cloth Shoes in the crowd. He stood there with a tall and straight posture, which didn't seem to fit the image of a cleaner at all.
"Hi!" Seeing him turn around, she greeted him without holding a grudge, but was met with a completely unresponsive face. Zuo Xutong smiled nonchalantly. She was in a good mood today and couldn't be bothered to argue with him. She always had extraordinary patience and tolerance for working-class people.
The elevator was still on the top floor. She unscrewed the bottle of iced tea in her hand and gulped it down in a few gulps.
Just then, Zuo Xutong suddenly felt a gaze upon her. She looked up and met the eyes of the man in the Feiyue cloth shoe. He was staring thoughtfully at her hand, his expression complex. She immediately "understood" his meaning and handed him the empty bottle, saying, "It's yours, no need to thank me!"
As soon as he finished speaking, two girls walked over from a distance. They looked somewhat familiar, as if they were also from Polar Blue Sky. When they saw the Warrior cloth shoes, they called out in unison, "Hello, General Manager Peng."
The words were clear and resonant, and Zuo Xutong knew she couldn't possibly have misheard. For a moment, she froze, her body as if petrified. Even after everyone else had boarded the elevator, she remained standing there, holding an empty bottle.
Back in her office, she was still reeling from the sudden incident. Tan Chao, who was sitting in front of her, noticed her absent-minded appearance and turned to ask, "What's wrong?"
"What did you tell me this morning about our company's general manager's surname?" Zuo Xutong wanted to confirm again.
His surname is Peng, and his given name is Peng Kun.
"Are there any other CEOs with the surname Peng in this building?" Even she felt guilty asking that question.
"He should be the only one," Tan Chao said ambiguously.
"Does our General Manager Peng have any unusual hobbies? Like... collecting beverage bottles?"
“He doesn’t use disposable items, doesn’t drink bottled water, doesn’t eat beef, and doesn’t order takeout…” Seeing Zuo Xutong’s increasingly surprised expression, Tan Chao explained with a smile, “President Peng is an environmentalist, so we’re not too surprised if we see him picking up trash on the street.”
"What would he do if he saw someone selling disposable items or someone drinking bottled water?"
"Then I don't know."
Zuo Xutong still refused to believe that Warrior Cloth Shoes was the chairman and general manager of Polar Blue Sky. What kind of boss would dress like that and ride a common yellow bike? Even the boss of a startup company wouldn't be that shabby, let alone a new energy company valued at billions.
She was still fantasizing about a miracle. Maybe the two female colleagues at noon were just greeting someone else, or maybe the slight nod from the Warrior cloth shoes after hearing "Hello, Mr. Peng" was just an occasional tremor of nerve paralysis. She comforted herself with this thought, and asked again, unwilling to give up, "Mr. Peng, do you usually drive to work?"
“He rarely drives; he often rides a bike to work, saying it's for exercise. We think he's putting environmental protection into practice. The company provided him with a pure electric car, but electric cars aren't entirely environmentally friendly either. The average lifespan of lithium batteries is only a few years, and if they aren't properly disposed of, they can cause some pollution. Since our company was founded, we've been dedicated to researching advanced processes to improve lithium battery recycling rates, but we still face many problems and there's basically no economic benefit,” said Tan Chao.
"Oh, I heard that the R&D department used to only have one lithium battery R&D center?"
“Yes, the company only started developing hydrogen fuel cells in the last two years and is currently in the R&D stage; mass production hasn't started yet. Many people consider hydrogen energy the ultimate energy source because it's clean, efficient, and pollution-free. Its application in the automotive sector could alleviate the energy crisis and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, due to limitations in infrastructure such as hydrogen refueling stations, hydrogen fuel cells are currently only applicable to commercial vehicles like buses and logistics vehicles, resulting in a very limited market. Therefore, some shareholders strongly oppose investing in the development of hydrogen fuel cells. But Mr. Peng has absolute control of the company, and no one can change his decisions.” Zuo Xutong was actually very familiar with the industry situation Tan Chao described. Although hydrogen fuel cell vehicles have a significant advantage in terms of driving range, their uncertain commercial prospects have led many investors to be pessimistic about them.
“Every new thing goes through speculation, doubt, rejection and obstruction at the beginning of its birth, because sticking to the rules and lacking foresight are common traits of most people, so successful people are always a minority,” she said.
Tan Chao nodded in agreement, then after a moment it came to his senses: "Why are you asking so many questions? How come you took a liking to him as soon as you arrived?"
Clinging to her last shred of hope, Zuo Xutong asked, "What does he look like?"
“He has a nose and eyes,” Tan Chao joked, then said seriously, “To be honest, he’s quite handsome.”
It's over! Zuo Xutong was completely disheartened and could only silently pray that the Warrior cloth shoes were face-blind and wouldn't recognize her.
After a while, the colleagues who had been working overtime returned to their seats one after another. Peng Kun also appeared at the office door. He walked straight over, glanced at Zuo Xutong, and then threw a document on Zhao Yimeng's desk next to her: "Is this what you call fluent English? Look at what you've translated!"
Zhao Yimeng didn't dare to look up at him, and whispered in protest, "There are too many technical terms. I've only ever dealt with practical English before."
"Don't you think that the English you need to stay after your probation period is the only practical English?" Peng Kun said bluntly. "I'll give you one hour to translate it again."
Zhao Yimeng pouted, staring in the direction where Peng Kun had disappeared, sighing repeatedly. After a few minutes, the sighs turned into sobs.
"Are you alright?" Zuo Xutong handed her a tissue.
Zhao Yimeng took the tissue, crumpled it into a ball, and slammed it hard on the table. She probably knew that no matter how hard she used, she wouldn't make a sound. So she picked it up and wiped her eyes: "It's too difficult. I don't recognize a lot of words... They're all technical terms, and I don't understand their meanings, let alone translate them!"
"Then this previous one..."
"I copied it from a translation software. Just making the machine-translated sentences flow smoothly wasted an entire Saturday afternoon." Zhao Yimeng felt more and more aggrieved as she thought about it, and tears streamed down her face like melting ice under the eaves. Last Saturday, she had planned to go to an escape room with her female roommate, but her roommate went alone and even met a handsome single guy during the game.
Zuo Xutong picked up the original document beside her and quickly glanced at it. It was a foreign document about positive and negative electrode materials for lithium batteries, which was a piece of cake for her.
"Don't cry, I'll translate it for you."
"Sister, are you sure you can do it?" Zhao Yimeng stopped her tears and looked at her with disbelief. She was a master's graduate from a 211 university, while the new sister who was two years older than her was said to be an undergraduate from a third-rate university. Many people in the company thought she got in through connections.
"I'll give it a try." Half an hour later, she sent the translated document to Zhao Yimeng and even printed out a copy for her.
Zhao Yimeng didn't have time to look at it carefully before nervously taking the printed document to Peng Kun to hand it in.
Not long after, she returned looking disheveled and stammered, "President Peng wants you to come over."
Zuo Xutong was stunned for a moment.
Zhao Yimeng said with a guilty look, "Sister, I'm sorry. He asked me why a word was translated that way, but I had no idea what it meant, so..."
"It's nothing." Zuo Xutong stood up and walked straight to the general manager's office upstairs. She knocked on the open door symbolically and walked in calmly, as if the previous grudge between the two had never happened.
Peng Kun raised his head and took a closer look at the girl who walked in for the first time. Her steps were slightly faster, her eyes were firm and calm, her back was straight, her messy long hair was scattered on her chest, and her pretty face had no coquettishness. Even when she smiled, she exuded an aloofness and stubbornness that kept people at a distance.
"Mr. Peng, you wanted to see me?"
"Did you translate this?" Peng Kun looked away and pointed to the translation on the table.
"Yes, what's the problem?"
“You enjoy helping others so much? I happen to have some English documents about the EU’s raw materials law. Could you come over tomorrow and help me translate them? Try to finish them before I go on my business trip next week,” Peng Kun said.
"Tomorrow is Saturday, is there overtime pay?"
“Yes, at double the salary, you won’t need to set up a stall on the overpass anymore.” Peng Kun stared at her face, trying to see her reaction, but he didn’t sense any embarrassment from her at all. She even smiled at him and said gratefully, “Thank you for your consideration, Mr. Peng.”
That evening, Peng Kun was the last to leave the company. He had just ridden his bicycle for a short distance when he saw Zuo Xutong lingering by the roadside.
"Hey, why aren't you home yet?" he shouted at her.
She didn't answer, but instead asked, "Do you have a key to the R&D department downstairs?"
Peng Kun shook his head: "What's wrong?"
"I just went to the restroom, and when I came back, the office door was locked. I didn't have my phone or money with me," Zuo Xutong said casually. She was already used to such bad luck.
Where do you live?
Yuanjiang Road.
“Let’s go, I’ll drive you,” Peng Kun said.
Zuo Xutong then realized that he wasn't riding a shared bike today, but a rather stylish road bike with only a crossbar and no rear seat. She stood there, bewildered, knowing full well that the question she was about to ask was a bit silly, but she had no choice but to speak up: "You're going to 'drive' this bike... to give me a ride?"
Peng Kun gave her a particularly helpless look, said "Go to the underground parking garage," and rode off on his bike.
Zuo Xutong followed Peng Kun to the basement of the office building. In the corner of parking space C, there was a new energy vehicle that had been idle for a long time and was covered in dust.
An ordinary car model, an ordinary brand. Zuo Xutong knew that men love cars, just like women love handbags; it was hard to imagine what force made him resist such temptation.
Zuo Xutong suddenly remembered what Tan Chao had said, that he was an environmentalist, so she hesitated and said, "My home is a bit far away, how about you lend me a few yuan and I take the subway home?"
“It’s not far, it’s on the way.” Peng Kun pressed the remote car lock and opened the passenger door for her without saying a word.
Seeing this, Zuo Xutong had no choice but to get into the car, fasten her seatbelt, and then asked, "Do you also live near Yuanjiang Road?"
"Tianxin Elegant Garden".
"What a coincidence, my house is right across the street, behind a bunch of utility poles and low buildings," Zuo Xutong said.
Peng Kun knew, of course, that the area was an old city with poor living conditions and a remote location, and the government had given up on redeveloping that area. Families with even a little bit of economic means rushed to move out, and those who still lived there were either laborers from the bottom of society or poor renters from other places. Therefore, the area south of Yuanjiang Road was jokingly called "the paradise of poor people" by the locals.
As he thought this, he turned to look at the person beside him who had spoken. The person's tone was calm, and the expression was normal, as if he did not feel inferior about his poverty at all.
The two remained silent the entire way until they reached their destination, at which point she finally said "thank you" to him.
As soon as Zuo Xutong got out of the car, a figure rushed up from the entrance of the residential area, raised his hand and slapped her across the face, cursing her harshly: "You spendthrift!"
Upon seeing this, Peng Kun quickly got out of the car from the other side. He couldn't remain indifferent when his employee was assaulted. The other party was an older woman, looking furious. The scene was hard not to speculate about, like... a live version of a wife catching her husband's mistress.
Peng Kun crossed his arms, intending to observe from the sidelines for the time being.
Before Zuo Xutong could recover, the woman in front of her spoke through gritted teeth: "You're really something, aren't you? Your sister said you live in a place like this, but if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I wouldn't have believed it!"
A handprint appeared on Zuo Xutong's fair face. She lowered her voice and asked, "Mom, why are you here?"
"Let me see what you've accomplished after all these years of struggling! I told you to apply for a scholarship and work to earn some living expenses, but instead, you insisted on selling the house! Do you know how much that house is worth now? Over three million!" Ten years ago, her spendthrift daughter sold the downtown apartment for just over a million. Now, the same type of apartment in that complex is worth over three million, meaning she lost two million. Thinking that she could never earn that much money in her entire life, Xiao Ping trembled with rage.
“That’s my dad’s house, it has nothing to do with you,” Zuo Xutong said.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ping's momentum immediately diminished considerably, but she still relentlessly retorted, "Fine, if you're so capable, don't come looking for me again. Even if you're so poor you have to beg for food, don't come to my face!"
After speaking, she squinted and looked at the man standing next to her daughter. He had a calm expression and was dressed simply, without a single designer brand on him. She then looked at the new energy vehicle behind him. It was a domestic brand with a simple design, obviously a cheap car.
In an instant, her anger surged up again. Pointing at Peng Kun, she said, "No wonder someone wanted to introduce you to someone last time. He was such a good catch, but you turned him down without even meeting him. It turns out it was all because of this pretty boy! He drives such a beat-up car. He looks like he's dirt poor. What kind of decent life can he give you?"
Peng Kun also looked back at the electric car he was driving, which had been devalued to the point of being worthless, and said in a serious tone, "This car is not mine either; it belongs to the company."
"Ha, what era are we living in? Even street sweepers and scavengers can afford a car, but he can't even afford one, and you're still so devoted to him?"
"You've misunderstood. I have absolutely no relationship with him." Even with her strong mental fortitude, Zuo Xutong finally felt utterly ashamed and wanted to disappear into the ground.
"It's nothing? Taking you home in the middle of the night? You're kidding me!" Xiao Ping shouted emotionally, her voice carrying far in the quiet night.
Peng Kun frowned, his face turning ashen, and said, "I'm leaving now."
Zuo Xutong quickly waved to him, wishing she could help him kick him away.
"He's leaving already?" Xiao Ping looked at his retreating figure and said sarcastically, "I don't think he treated you very well either. Are you just being pathetic, throwing yourself at someone because they're good-looking?"
"Mom, don't talk nonsense. What do I have to give away to someone?"
"Do you even realize you have nothing left? Look at the shabby place you live in. If you hadn't sold that house back then, would you not even have a place to stay now?" Xiao Ping circled around and returned to the house.
In recent years, housing prices in Longjin City have skyrocketed like a tsunami, especially in the eastern districts, where price increases have reached levels that are beyond the reach of ordinary wage earners. The growth of ordinary people's salaries has lagged far behind the rate at which housing prices are rising. The insanely soaring housing prices have gradually changed people's understanding of wealth accumulation. A lifetime of hard work and frugality is no match for investing in a single property that has experienced a price surge, potentially doubling one's assets in just a few years.
So, while cursing the soaring housing prices, the people of Longjin City poured all their savings into buying houses. Because everyone was buying, no one dared not buy; money held onto would only depreciate. Those who held onto their money, waiting for prices to drop, ended up regretting it terribly; Xiao Ping was one of them. Initially, her savings could afford a 40-50 square meter apartment, but now she couldn't even afford a toilet.
Two years ago, she gritted her teeth and sold her only property in the suburbs, along with her life savings, to take out a loan for her youngest daughter to buy a three-bedroom apartment in the city. Over the past decade, Xiao Ping had witnessed firsthand the astonishing rise in housing prices, so she believed that the bigger the purchase now, the more she would earn later. In buying the house, she didn't consider her actual financial situation and acted within her means. The monthly mortgage payments of several thousand yuan severely impacted her family's quality of life.
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