34. Fatigue and fatigue
Fang Tang lived up to her name, being smooth and diplomatic, adept at interpersonal relationships. Although her professional abilities weren't top-notch, she always had a smile on her face. After hearing Ming Chijin's intentions and confusion, she smiled gently and poured her a cup of tea.
"Editor Xiaochi, don't put too much pressure on yourself. As a team leader, your most important role is to connect those above and those below you, and to unite your colleagues," Fang Tang said earnestly. "You're aware of the situation at Faces. The decline of print media is a factor, but we can't lose the tone and depth of our monthly magazine. The WeChat official account is updated daily, so we need to keep up with the latest trends, but we can't lose our style. Reform can't be rushed; we need to stabilize people's hearts first. You're young, and it's good to have ideas, but you need to listen more, observe more, and take your time. If you encounter people or issues that are difficult to coordinate, you can come to me and I'll help you communicate."
Her words were more of comfort and encouragement, and she did not give much substantive suggestions on specific business directions and breakthrough points for reform.
Chi Jin put on a smile, but he became more and more anxious.
After chatting for less than ten minutes, Chi Jin politely said his goodbyes. He mentally prepared himself at the door opposite before knocking on Deputy Editor-in-Chief Du Yanni's door.
Du Yanni has strong business capabilities, is ambitious, and has a strong desire for control, so the two of them have many holidays together.
Seeing Chi Jin, she raised her eyebrows and said in a neutral tone, "What advice do you have for the new team leader Xiao Chi?"
Chi Jin lowered his posture and sincerely explained the difficulties he faced and the confusion of reform. After listening, Du Yanni sneered: "Those old foxes only know how to use such tricks."
Although Du Yanni doesn't like Chi Jin, her pursuit and ideals for content are real.
She picked up a pen and scribbled on the paper. "The problems of Faces haven't been going away for a day or two. A monthly magazine needs to transform. It can't just be content with petty-bourgeois sentiment. It needs to delve into more acute social issues, delve deeper, and do what others don't dare. Content, channels, and reader interaction—none of them can be missing..."
She spoke a lot without warning, her views were sharp and even radical, which made Chi Jin's scalp tingle, but he had to admit that what she said made sense, but it was extremely difficult to implement.
Finally, Du Yanni glanced at her and said, "I've given you the idea. It's up to you whether you have the courage and ability to carry it out. Don't think being a team leader is as simple as handing out tasks."
Chi Jin thanked her earnestly and left quickly. Although she was right, Chi Jin hated her and didn't want to waste another second here.
Finally, Chi Jincai stood outside Chen Yisheng's office with mixed feelings. She had said long ago that Chen Yisheng was the senior she respected most professionally, and the editor she subconsciously sought guidance from most when encountering difficulties.
Chen Yisheng seemed to have just returned, his coat still draped over the back of his chair, and he was concentrating on reviewing a manuscript. When he saw her come in, he raised his eyes, his gaze calm, and gestured to the chair opposite with the tip of his pen.
Chi Jin thought that He Chen Yisheng was a familiar colleague and could barely be called a friend. At this moment, he didn't care about being polite. He sat down with slumped shoulders like a grass wilted by frost, and his face was full of despair.
"Have you encountered a problem, Team Leader Koike?" He went straight to the point, already understanding her purpose.
Chi Jin nodded heavily, a little aggrieved and resentful, as she recounted her fears, anxieties, her conversation with Guo Xin, and the suggestions of Fang Tang and Du Yanni. However, she omitted the office intrigues; she didn't like to tell tales.
Chen Yisheng stopped what he was doing, listened quietly, and after a moment's hesitation, he said, "One aims to maintain the status quo, the other to break through. Both have their reasons, but neither is perfect."
Chi Jin said, "The reform of Faces... in other words, the reform of print media, in my opinion, should not be about tinkering, but about reinvention. In the past, the purpose of print monthly magazines was to convey information, but now it's clearly not that. They're more about providing a deep reading experience and serving as a brand benchmark."
"You mean print media has become a symbol? It's certainly beyond the capabilities of media professionals, but that's understandable." He looked at Chi Jin. "They were the ones who advocated for the position of team leader, and I really didn't expect you to be in this position. It's a hassle, but also an opportunity. You can legitimately push things forward. Don't always think about 'managing' people; learn to 'inspire' them. Those veteran editors aren't all just idling away their time. They're experienced and well-connected, but they just lack motivation and new goals. What you need to do isn't to bury your head in the grind, nor is it to impose orders. Instead, find something that sparks their interest, incorporate them into your plans, and make them feel like they have something to do and something valuable to achieve."
Chi Jin felt as if he had suddenly realized something. He subconsciously muttered, "I... the highest position I've ever held was dormitory head. I really don't know how to lead a team..."
"I know you have a lot of ideas. This is a great opportunity to put them into practice."
So Chen Yisheng took the initiative to transfer her to Group A. But if Chi Jin knew about this, he might misunderstand his good intentions.
"What if I do it wrong? What if I don't do it well?"
"I thought after two years of training on 'Face,' you'd already learned how to handle occasional failures," Chen Yisheng said softly. "Just like you once said to others, 'If the sky falls, I'll hold it up.' Go for it. Just like you once believed, if the sky falls, I'll hold it up."
This promise carries more weight than anything else.
Chi Jin took a deep breath, his eyes refocused. "Then my initial idea is to break the fixed column system and use some pages for a pilot run. Is this idea okay?"
"Sure." Chen Yisheng nodded. "Initially, you can take small steps and make quick decisions through trial and error. What you need to do is to steer the direction, coordinate resources, and remove obstacles, rather than doing everything yourself. This applies to you as a team leader now, and when you become editor-in-chief, deputy editor-in-chief, or editor-in-chief, you'll be able to do the same."
He didn't give her a specific plan, but rather a way of thinking and a framework for operation.
Finally, there was a key that opened a window for Chi Jin, allowing her to see another possibility of escaping from trivial management and interpersonal entanglements.
"I feel like I've touched the threshold."
"Can you give me a preliminary plan today?" he asked, returning to his work rhythm.
Chi Jin thought of the part-time job he had already accepted and shook his head embarrassedly: "I also want to be more steady and cautious, and also want to exchange ideas with everyone. There will be a discussion meeting on Thursday, and I will finish it even if I work overtime that day!"
"Okay." Chen Yisheng agreed, "Then let's do it."
"I have one more thing I want to ask," Chi Jin hesitated for a moment, but decided to speak directly. "There are rumors in the editorial office recently that you might be leaving Face. Is this true?"
Chen Yisheng also paused: "Who told you that?"
"About half a month."
"As far as the editorial department is concerned, we have not received any arrangements for personnel changes."
Chi Jin didn't want to hear such an official answer, so he asked again: "What about you? Have you received any inside information?"
Chen Yisheng had no intention of hiding anything from her. He shook his head frankly and added, "Chi Jin, focus on what you should be doing right now. No matter who becomes the editor-in-chief or deputy editor-in-chief in the future, as long as you persist in doing the right thing and make tangible achievements, you will naturally receive the support you deserve."
…
In just one afternoon, Chi Jin had already drafted a preliminary plan. However, as she had said, she preferred to wait until her ideas were more mature before reporting them to her superiors. After a brief discussion with Xiao Duan, the master and apprentice posted a notice in Group A's group chat for a discussion meeting on Thursday morning, sincerely inviting everyone to come and share their ideas.
Duan Xingche stretched himself lazily and breathed a sigh of relief: "God, I finally figured it out."
"What I'm most worried about now is that everyone won't cooperate." Chi Jin was still worried. "So far, I've only talked to Guo Xin, and he seems to really want to do something."
"We'll have to wait until Thursday to see the results, Master." Duan Xingche rubbed his tired eyes and said, "Would you like to have dinner together after get off work?"
Chi Jin glanced at her watch and realized that there were only one or two minutes left before getting off work. She quickly got up and packed her things: "No, no, I have something important to do later."
"Oh, Master, do you have a date?" Duan Xingche winked mischievously.
"You kid are now asking about Master's private affairs?" Chi Jin retorted calmly, his tone pretending to be profound, "I won't tell you."
"Oh, Master is not honest with me at all."
His part-time dog-walking job was surprisingly close to the office, right behind the building, in the open green park. Chi Jin, holding his lively corgi, couldn't help but glance up at the brightly lit six-story building of Zhongxin Media, like a thief. The twelfth floor, where the editorial office of "Face," was the brightest.
Fortunately, this park is located behind the company, in the opposite direction of my daily commute, so it is a bit hidden from view.
The hour passed without incident. Apart from the incident where the Corgi suddenly became interested in a pigeon and nearly dragged her into the bushes, everything went smoothly overall.
She successfully avoided all the familiar figures, and walked into the deepening dusk, sending the dog, who was still reluctant to leave, home safely.
The feeling of hunger came at the right time, and my stomach felt empty.
She looked at the hard-earned forty yuan transfer, her left and right brains fighting fiercely. Should I go get some noodles? I was really hungry! But money really doesn't come easy.
Finally, she looked at the balance, swallowed, and advised herself to take this opportunity to lose some weight.
It’s not easy to make money, especially when you have a day off and the real Monday is still tomorrow.
Now every penny has to be spent carefully. Chi Jin gritted his teeth and filled himself with homework.
I walked the dog on Sunday, handed out flyers at the subway entrance near my home on Tuesday, and stayed up late at night on Wednesday, facing the glaring screen, making PPTs for two college students until my eyes were dry and painful.
The exhaustion from the non-stop work was like a soaked quilt, wrapping itself around her layer by layer, making it hard to breathe. Finally, Thursday arrived, and the daytime workload was just as heavy. She secretly decided she needed to rest up at night and take a deep breath.
When I got off work, I met an unexpected guest.
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