Chapter 41
"What's wrong? Tell me." Even though Yoda walked in with a guilty look on his face, Designer Wang remained completely calm.
Yoda hadn't wanted to say it so soon, but he knew that if he didn't, he wouldn't be able to hide his departure later. "Teacher, I've actually decided to resign."
"Really? When are you leaving?"
"Huh?" I had thought that Designer Wang might be reluctant to part with me, or he might tease me, but I didn't expect the other party's tone to sound like he was asking what kind of boxed lunch I was having for lunch today.
Yoda was momentarily confused, his mouth beating faster than his brain: "You haven't thought of anything yet, why aren't you surprised?"
Designer Wang said smugly, "You used to always say what was wrong with the company and what needed to be changed, but you haven't said that lately. Instead, you've been doing your job very thoroughly and even taking the initiative to follow up on the finishing touches. Isn't that a sign that you're planning to leave?"
Yoda admired her; she hadn't even decided whether to leave when she did these things, she just did them subconsciously. She never expected that Designer Wang could have foreseen her departure from her actions.
Now that things were out in the open, Yoda had nothing to hide anymore, so she simply blurted out everything she had been holding back: "You know, I don't like the current atmosphere in the company, and I don't want to do repetitive designs anymore."
The company separates contract signing and design. Every time Yoda receives a contract, he can tell from some of the projects that the sales team used marketing tactics to get the client to choose the projects with higher profit margins.
Although she had learned her lesson last time, and Designer Wang had told Yoda to just do what the company required, Yoda's desire to make the design better meet the customer's needs never left her mind. Even if the communication process might increase her workload and reduce her efficiency, she was willing to do it.
Because she didn't follow Designer Wang's ideas, but the other party was indeed thinking of her best interests, Yoda found it difficult to say that she wanted to leave.
Designer Wang understood what Yoda was saying. He wasn't someone who always just focused on design and didn't care about anything else. He had similar thoughts to Yoda when he was younger, but as time went on, he seemed to have lost the passion and conviction he once had for his ideas.
Yoda continued, “Although it’s difficult to stick to my own ideas, and there’s a possibility that I won’t have a better future after leaving the company, what I’m sure of now is that I still want to do things my own way.”
"I'm just a little sorry that I have to leave before I can switch from designer to assistant as you wished."
Designer Wang smiled and said, "It doesn't matter whether you transfer it or not. In my eyes, you're already a qualified designer." As he spoke, he took out a stack of design drafts from the drawer, stretched out his hand, and handed them to Yoda.
Yoda took it; it was an idea he had designed all along, one that had never been adopted. "Isn't this useless?"
Designer Wang: "These drawings may not be useful in the project itself, but they are meaningful to your design career. Do you know why I'm willing to continue supporting you?"
Yoda was puzzled and shook his head.
Designer Wang continued, "At the beginning, you did have some shortcomings in theory and details. But your seriousness and meticulousness, your passion for design and your keen perception of life are all indispensable to a designer. I believe in you, and as long as you continue to persevere, you will definitely become an outstanding designer."
During this period, all communication revolved around work. Yoda had never heard Designer Wang express such high regard for him before, and his originally firm resolve to leave suddenly turned sour.
"If you're going to leave, then leave quickly. Stop nagging me about repetitive designs. Just get going and show me something you can make." Designer Wang thought he was immune to the emotions of people coming and going around him, but now he suddenly felt a little reluctant to leave, though he didn't show it.
Yoda nodded solemnly: "I will try my best."
After Yoda left, only Designer Wang remained in the office. He stared blankly at the empty drawer where Yoda's design drafts had been taken. Having worked at the company for so many years, he had witnessed countless times his well-coordinated partners leave one by one.
Some choose to leave, while others choose to stay. Thinking this, I relaxed my shoulders and leaned back in my chair.
A young man walked in, full of youthful vigor and energy, and said humbly and politely, "Teacher, these are the project contracts assigned this month."
Designer Wang squinted, recalling that the other person was a new intern at the company. A thought flashed through his mind, and he straightened up, coaxing, "I see you have exceptional talent; you're a promising designer. Come be my assistant."
Liu Si, head down, was planning which plant to choose. The landscaping company had already finished the landscaping of the entire office area; all that was left was for everyone to choose their favorite plants to decorate their own workspace.
Liu Si's office area is in the lobby, and there's plenty of space on both sides of the curved reception desk. With so much space, there are many choices, so everyone else has already made their selections, leaving only Liu Si still undecided.
"Hello, I'm here for a job interview," came the voice from above.
“We don’t need it for now… Oh? Sister Yoda, it’s you.” Liu Si smiled when she recognized the person.
Yoda: "Yeah, I quit my job and came to the firm to look for work."
Liu Si smiled meaningfully: "What else do you need to apply for? Come with me."
Liu Si led Yoda to the office next to Shi Xing's. Liu Si pressed Yoda into a seat: "Our boss will come to interview you in person in a moment." Then she skipped away.
Yoda couldn't say what he wanted to say, and could only sigh inwardly: Is it really this formal? However, since he was here to apply for a job, he had to be proper in his attitude, so Yoda obediently sat down and waited inside.
Looking around, it was clear the office was newly renovated. However, given the firm's relocation, everything showed signs of recent construction, so a renovation was to be expected. But then, Yoda's nose twitched slightly; a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
Turning around, he saw a potted plant on the bookshelf near the window. The stem was slender, the leaves lush, and the blossoms resembled butterflies. A gentle breeze carried its delicate fragrance. Yoda leaned closer to smell it; it was a faint blend of gardenia and lemon, very refreshing and unique.
Shi Xing pushed open the door and saw that Yoda was staring intently at him. He walked over and gently placed his hand on her shoulder: "Do you like her?"
Yoda didn't even turn his head, only looking at the vibrant flowers in the sunlight: "What kind of flower is this? I've never seen it before, and it smells quite nice."
"It's ginger flower."
Yoda then looked at Shi Xing: "Where did you come from?"
Shi Xing: "This was ordered along with the renovation of the agency." Yoda couldn't help but glance at the petals swaying slightly in the wind, close her eyes and sniffed them a few times, quite pleased with them.
Everyone in the firm chose their favorite potted plant for their office, but Shi Xing didn't. It was only when he saw the description of ginger lilies on the plant list sent by the landscaping company that he thought of Yoda: tenacious vitality, fearless rebirth.
Shi Xing looked at Yoda's profile; her joy made Shi Xing happy too. Shi Xing took Yoda's hand and gestured for her to look at the office: "Are you satisfied? Your office."
Yoda exclaimed in surprise, "What? How did you know I was coming? Did Liu Si tell you? No, I only arrived today. Setting up this office couldn't have been done in a day or two."
Shi Xing: "You come to work overtime every day just to finish the projects you have before you resign."
Yoda covered her face and exclaimed, "What's going on? I made it so obvious! Everyone knows. I have absolutely no secrets from you. Does that mean I've successfully landed the job?"
Shi Xing nodded and smiled: "A seat is always ready for you."
In the lobby, Wang Mian lingered and walked over to Liu Si, who was still hesitating: "I chose the Caladium, it's quite pretty. Why don't you choose one too? Didn't you say last time that the color scheme was rich and beautiful?"
Liu Si shook her head: "It looks nice, but it's not suitable for the office area. Caladiums are prone to insects, and this is the face of my firm. It won't do to have black flies everywhere."
Wang Mian hurriedly said, "It will attract bugs, then I don't want it." Then, trying to make conversation, he said, "How about I move my office to one closer to the lobby? I think this place is much more spacious, and it's closer to get off work."
Liu Si finally raised her head and looked at Wang Mian with a disappointed expression: "The one you have now is one I specially reserved for you. It's right next to the boss, the closest one on the left. The boss reserved it for Sister Yoda in advance. I made a special effort to get you the one on the right."
"Why bother with a short commute? It's just a few steps, how tiring is that? Being close to the boss, asking questions, and learning more is what's important. You usually seem pretty smart, so why are you so clueless when it comes to important matters?"
Despite Liu Si's poor attitude, Wang Mian felt as if he had been praised from beginning to end, and his whole body felt refreshed.
Standing by the window, Yoda's mother watched Yoda and Shixing leave, feeling quite gratified. She said to Yoda's father, who was also standing nearby, "I was right. A relationship only gets better when two people are together."
Even though the two had already walked far away and were no longer visible, Yoda's father still stared intently in the direction they had gone. In the reflection of their figures in the window, there seemed to be a hint of gritted teeth on their faces. "That's not necessarily true. Sometimes, being together for a long time can make you look down on each other."
Yoda's mother rolled her eyes in annoyance: "What do you mean? Shi Xing is such a good person. Didn't you also think that the two of them should be together?"
Yoda's father, oblivious to his wife's emotions, was still wondering if they had gotten too close when they left. He unconsciously retorted, "That was then, that's now. We'll have to observe further to see if it's good or not."
The thought of watching his daughter, whom he had raised with so much care, openly and openly grow closer to Shi Xing was heartbreaking. But he couldn't say anything. After all, even in Yoda's father's heart, she was still a child still in school, but Yoda had indeed been an adult for a long time, and he could no longer restrain her with the same righteous indignation as before.
Before, when they didn't work together, Yoda's father didn't feel so insecure. Now that they're together all the time, the old man's heart is always uneasy. Thinking this to himself, he subconsciously blurted out, "Actually, it's fine if she stays at her old company. Women should have their own careers. What if they can't be relied on in the future if they stay together like this? Sigh."
Yoda's mother chimed in with an unfriendly tone: "Oh, since you support women having careers and being independent, then I'm also going to go out and be independent, so I won't keep taking care of you at home, getting exhausted, and then being told I'm not independent."
"Huh?" Yoda's father realized what he meant and quickly turned around: "That's not what I meant. I meant that our daughter should be independent."
Yoda's mother sneered: "Do you think I won't be independent when I'm old?"
Seeing that his wife was really angry, Yoda's father quickly turned around and, taking advantage of the fact that no one was around, knelt down and begged for forgiveness: "I'm sorry, I was wrong. This family can't do without you. No one is independent. It's better for everyone to be together."
"Hmph." Seeing that her husband's attitude in admitting his mistake was quite good, Yoda's mother didn't pursue the matter any further and turned to leave, but she swung the rag in her hand, making a slapping sound.
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