Chapter 35 Entering Society
Nan Jiu was returning to Feng City with Nan Zhendong's family. On the morning of their departure, Song Ting didn't see them off personally. Xiao Zhang, who worked at the tea shop, happened to be on some business near South Station, so Song Ting gave him the keys to his business car and asked him to drop him off.
The train tickets were booked early, and when Nanjiu opened the door, there was a plastic bag hanging on the door handle. Inside were two pieces of osmanthus cakes, still warm.
Nan Jiu took off the bag, held it in his hand, and went to say goodbye to Grandpa Nan.
Nan Jiu is older now, no longer causing Grandpa Nan the same anxiety he did when he was little. After a few simple instructions, Grandpa Nan jokingly asked, "You're leaving now? Didn't you say you'd return after graduation to inherit the teahouse?"
"Staying in a teahouse requires quiet concentration, which is not suitable for me. I can't sit still for even a moment."
"You're quite self-aware."
Nan Jiu's eyes fell on the cane. Ever since she'd had a fight with Nan Qiaoyu that year and smashed Old Man Nan's cane, he'd started using this aluminum alloy cane. It was sturdy, but every time Nan Jiu saw it, she felt it didn't quite match Old Man Nan's temperament.
As Mr. Nan spoke, he walked her to the door of the teahouse.
Nan Jiu glanced towards the stairs: "Hasn't he seen Uncle Song?"
"I haven't seen him either. Maybe he hasn't woken up yet." Mr. Nan replied.
Nanjiu pinched the osmanthus cake in his hand and said, "Then tell him for me that I'm leaving."
Mr. Nan nodded and said, "Let's go."
Nanjiu picked up the suitcase and stepped over the threshold.
......
Song Ting slowly descended the stairs, pausing at the second-floor window. Deep in the alley, her slender figure drifted away. Like a gust of wind, it came silently and departed without a trace. How could one attempt to tame the wind? That was merely greed.
He did not bind her with such a relationship, forcing her to promise fidelity at such a young age; nor did she use the name of the future to bind the two of them in heavy expectations.
There were footsteps on the stairs. Old Man Nan turned around and looked at Song Ting: "Xiao Jiu is gone."
"Yeah." He came to the door of the teahouse, and the figure had already disappeared into the alley.
Old Man Nan sighed deeply, "Xiaoyu called me two weeks ago and said he wouldn't be coming back. He's doing something like... a gaming competition, and he said he's busy with this and that, and I don't know what he's doing.
"Young people nowadays have so many options. Just look at these two people who were clamoring to inherit the teahouse two years ago. After graduating from school, neither of them wanted to come back."
Song Ting looked at the shadow cast by the eaves, his eyes losing focus.
Old Man Nan was talking to himself. Seeing that Song Ting didn't say anything, he turned around and looked at him: "I haven't asked you yet, but Old Li said you have a girlfriend. When are you going to bring her back to me?"
"He was mistaken." Song Ting turned around and plunged into the busyness of the new day.
Old Man Nan moved his cane and glanced at him suspiciously.
......
Nanjiu was never content to be just a teacher. During her senior year, she participated in Xingyao's curriculum development and marketing activities. She was always present during major internal changes at Xingyao. However, she was young and not in management. While her colleagues and supervisors recognized her as a courageous and capable woman, she lacked a voice within the company.
For Nan Jiu, she has always lacked an opportunity. She no longer needs a chance to prove herself, but a chance to gain a firm foothold.
Shining Star is about to open a flagship store in the city center. Unlike ordinary stores, this flagship store is a super center that integrates brand display, experience upgrades, community operations, and commercial monetization. Once completed, this store will undoubtedly lead Shining Star to new heights.
The flagship store needs partners, and the partnership qualification is only open to internal employees. They are required to have worked in the company for at least three years, have experience in independently organizing large-scale events, and have certain management skills.
This is a competition among the company's old employees. Nanjiu is a bystander in this change of power.
That day, after work, she walked out of the office, her bag on her back, as usual. Just as she reached the door, a car flashed twice at her. She turned her head and saw a striking two-door sports car a few steps away. Lin Songyao rolled down the window and waved at her.
Nan Jiu walked closer to the car, the passenger door popped open, and Lin Songyao said to her, "Get in."
Nan Jiu straddled the bed. She had just finished her classes, with her hair piled on top of her head. Her neck was long and thin, with a few strands of hair sticking to the sides of her neck, outlining a tired yet slender curve.
The window closed, and Lin Songyao turned his gaze to her: "Did you see the partner notice?"
"I see."
"Don't want to try?"
Nan Jiu lowered his eyes, was silent for a moment, and asked, "How much does it cost to form a partnership?"
"Let's not talk about this for now. Just make an application and send it to my email."
Just as Lin Songyao finished speaking, a beautiful woman with a model-like figure walked towards him. He glanced at the beautiful woman and said to Nanjiu, "You go."
As Nan Jiu opened the car door, the beautiful woman walked closer, looked Nan Jiu up and down, and asked Lin Songyao in a coquettish tone, "Who is she?"
"Company employee."
The beautiful woman sat in the passenger seat and said sourly, "Are all the employees so beautiful?"
As the car door closed, Lin Songyao's voice, tinged with laughter, uttered, "Not as pretty as you."
The car roared past Nanjiu. The sudden sweet words from Lin Songyao gave Nanjiu goosebumps.
Before the deadline, Nanjiu submitted a detailed application to Lin Songyao. It covered all of her revenue-generating projects during college, her business achievements, and her vision for a flagship store. The implementation plan, which ran to dozens of pages, detailed everything from dance studio mirrors, bars, and flooring to plans for specialized teaching clusters, operational features, and pricing targets.
Nan Jiu started teaching at Xingyao as a substitute teacher in her freshman year. Her qualifications were comparable to anyone else's. However, her status as a fresh graduate meant that most people overlooked her qualifications. But she wouldn't miss a single opportunity.
She hadn't been notified of the candidate meeting that day, which seemed understandable, yet also somewhat disappointing.
She finished her class and said goodbye to the students one by one. She paused briefly at the conference room door before finally putting on her coat and picking up her backpack and leaving the office.
The neon lights of Fengshi flickered at night, almost forcing the darkness back. Nanjiu walked on the crosswalk, and every hurried footstep beside him was like a fish swimming under the neon lights, swimming towards an invisible front.
Her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket. She took it out and saw a message from Lin Songyao: [You got off work so early, don’t you want to chat with me?]
The crowd kept moving, and Nanjiu froze in place. Two seconds later, she suddenly turned around and headed back before the red light came on.
Nan Jiu hurried back to the office with light steps. He opened the door and found that the front desk was closed. Only the light in the innermost office was on.
She pushed open the door and saw Lin Songyao sitting at his desk waiting for her. The email she had sent him was printed out and placed in a thick stack on the desk, and he was flipping through it page by page.
Nan Jiu closed the door of the conference room with a slight breath and called out, "Boss Lin, are you looking for me?"
It's rare for Lin Songyao to wear a formal shirt. The exquisite tailoring calmly outlines the shoulder line and chest, inadvertently releasing his lazy and sophisticated hipster style just right.
He raised his eyes and said to Nanjiu, "Come and sit down."
Lin Songyao closed the stack of materials and asked, "If you are not on the list of partners, what are your plans next?"
"I will perform my duties conscientiously, delve into my expertise, continue to create value for the company, grow together with the company, and create the future together." Nan Jiu said without hesitation.
A smile flashed across Lin Songyao's face. "Don't give me that official rhetoric. Speak properly."
Nan Jiu's eyes fell on the printed paper on the table. In this game, preparation determined the foundation of the negotiation. Lin Songyao had printed out her email, which meant, to some extent, that the content of the email must have some value in his eyes.
For a partner, besides strength, trust is also extremely important. There is no trust between her and Lin Songyao. Even if she can weave a blueprint for the future with great fanfare, she will not be able to gain his trust in a short time.
In this case, it is better to change the negotiation strategy - since expanding the cake is not a practical solution at the moment, then grab the cake.
"Accumulate resources, save enough money, and go out on your own." Nan Jiu paused for a moment, raised his eyes, and looked directly into Lin Songyao's eyes.
A sharp, blazing ambition emanated from her gaze. At this moment, she was no longer just a recent graduate, no longer a young woman who posed no threat. Instead, she was a chess player, calmly and confidently sitting at the negotiating table, confronting Lin Songyao.
Compared to the older employees who spent their days at the company hanging out at bars, Nanjiu's burgeoning ambition and drive were exactly what Lin Songyao was looking for. There were two lists of partners, and he had considered Nanjiu as early as when he saw that email. He had always been concerned about her youth and lack of experience.
But at this moment, Lin Songyao saw in her a potential threat that could turn into a competitor in the future. For someone so smart and capable, it was only a matter of time before they could grow up.
Instead of letting Xingyao become her stepping stone, it would be better to bring this uncut gem under her command as soon as possible. This is the purpose of Lin Songyao's meeting with Nanjiu.
However, he wouldn't let Nanjiu be promoted to partner so easily. She needed to invest 300,000 yuan in one go to become a shareholder.
"I don't need your money, but there are so many eyes watching me."
Lin Songyao said this to Nanjiu on the surface. In reality, he understood Nanjiu's desire for money. He'd seen her substitute class schedule from college, running back and forth between several stores to attend classes, a near-diabolical schedule.
If they could draw some blood from her, their cooperation would be more solid.
"Business is about gains and losses, and it's all risky. I'll give you a day to think it over. Give me a reply before this time tomorrow."
Nan Jiu stood up and prepared to leave. When he reached the door, Lin Songyao added, "If it's really difficult..."
"I will quit." Nan Jiu interrupted him.
Rules are rules, and breaking them is a shortcut. All shortcuts come with a price tag. Nan Jiu can accept the rules, but not the shortcuts offered by Lin Songyao.
She decisively closed the door. Lin Songyao's gaze once again lingered on her clear-headed decision.
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