Chapter 58
Tong Yufei finished her interview and was about to return to the newspaper office when a torrential downpour suddenly began. Winters in West City rarely rain this hard, at least not in the last ten years. It felt like the rain had been pent up for ages, then suddenly poured down, its intensity washing the world into a haze. She stood at the fixed window, gazing out, her heart a tangle of confusion. At 4:30, she had an important topic selection meeting at the newspaper office.
As a new reporter, her newly published report garnered some attention and response, but the response wasn't all positive. Some questioned her professionalism, expressing dissatisfaction with her "overstepping the boundaries" of investigative journalism. According to the newspaper's division of labor, she was supposed to be responsible for literary and artistic coverage, a section that hadn't seen any compelling content in a long time. Only Cheng Yuan spoke up for her, saying she had potential and needed time to develop. However, the editor-in-chief wouldn't just listen to good words; if she wanted to gain a foothold, she needed to produce new work quickly, proving she wasn't just a flash in the pan, but could consistently produce valuable content.
She usually pays attention to the weather when she goes out for interviews. She brought an umbrella when she saw it was cloudy in the morning. But the wind and rain were so strong now that even an umbrella couldn't stop them. Her bag was full of important information. If it got wet, all her work this week would be wasted.
In a hurry, she found Zhang Hui and asked, "Can I borrow his phone? I want our leader to send a car to pick me up."
Zhang Hui thought for a moment and said, "Of course you can, but you'll have to wait a long time. How about... I take you back?"
At this time, in the conference room next door, Chen Huaili and Mo Daoyan were discussing the expansion of the production line.
Zhang Hui crouched down and leaned close to Chen Huaili's ear and said, "Reporter Tong is in a hurry to go back. I'll go see her off."
Chen Huaili readily agreed: "We must get the person there safely."
Zhang Hui stood straight, as if giving a military order: "I will see her to the newspaper office."
After getting the car keys from the materials department, Zhang Hui met Mo Daoyan who was waiting there at the door. In Zhang Hui's only impression, Mo Daoyan was a man of few words. Apart from work, he hardly talked to anyone. He was an iceberg. At this moment, his face was even darker than the rain cloth outside. Zhang Hui felt a pang in his heart and vaguely felt that something was going to happen.
He quickly greeted: "Hello, Manager Mo."
Mo Daoyan stretched out his hand: "Key."
Zhang Hui was stunned and asked, "You're not going to the meeting?"
"I'll send Tong Yufei back first. I'll fill in the missing parts in the meeting minutes."
"I'll just take it, why bother you?"
"Some driving is necessary, after all, she is mine."
"Your people...Reporter Tong is yours..."
"It can't be my mother."
Mo Daoyan took the key, left Zhang Hui, who had a dazed look on his face, and strode out.
Tong Yufei stood at the door of the company lobby, watching Mo Daoyan hurried past her and plunge into the rain.
A few minutes later, he drove a silver van, with its tires almost running over the steps in front of her. He pushed open the rain-stained window and motioned for her to get in.
She quickly got into the car, walked to the back, and sat down on the left side of the second-to-last row: "Where's Secretary Zhang?"
Mo Daoyan took off his soaking wet coat and casually draped it over the passenger seat. His tone was calm, but his words were like sharpened pebbles, making people's faces hurt. "Secretary Zhang is Mr. Chen's full-time secretary. You just took advantage of others' polite words. How can you be so embarrassed to order outsiders around?"
She acted as if she hadn't heard him. She wiped the rain off her bag and asked, "Can you get to the newspaper office before 4:30?"
After not seeing her for a few months, she looked completely different. Her cheeks had a healthy blush, and her hair had grown a lot longer. It was not tied into a ponytail as usual. Her black hair fell softly on her shoulders, making her small face look even smaller. Her busy work did not kill her energy, but instead added some charm unique to professional women.
Mo Daoyan didn't respond. After driving out of the factory, he pushed the gear to the highest position. Outside the car, heavy rain was pouring down. The rain was hitting the car body densely, making a dull thumping sound. The sound of the wheels rolling over the accumulated water and the regular swinging sound of the wipers were all clearly audible. Tong Yufei leaned against the car window, looking out the window aimlessly.
The car was unusually quiet and as cold as an ice cellar, but they seemed to have long been accustomed to this atmosphere.
Cheng Yuan had taught her that journalists needed to be adept at observing situations and turning passivity into initiative. Although the man before her was more difficult to conquer than any other interviewee, she was determined to emulate Yugong, even if he were a mountain. "It's no use dragging our case out. Let's get this over with as soon as possible," she said, breaking the silence. "When do you think it would be appropriate to have the union come to our house to mediate? Just an hour or two would be enough."
The winter rain brought nightfall early. Mo Daoyan turned right and turned on the headlights. The lights drew a dim yellow band in the rain, reflecting into his bottomless black pupils. "Let's talk about it when we have time. If you can't wait, you can sue me."
"Hurry up, grandma... Your old lady has always wanted to hold her great-grandson. If you leave later, it will be even later before you can remarry." She used his money to cure her brother's illness, and his current job was also due to his mother's push at the critical moment. Although her marriage is coming to an end, she will not do things too drastically. She still wants to save face for the Mo family and him. "You are targeting Tong Zhaoyang too obviously. You are both important people in the company. Will this not affect the work? We are over soon. He and I are already a thing of the past. Don't be like that."
Tong Yufei was only half right about the discord between him and Tong Zhaoyang.
As for Tong Zhaoyang, as he said before, he still treated him as an ordinary colleague. It was just that as a newly established enterprise, the division of responsibilities and powers among departments was not as clear as that of the foreign companies he had worked for before. Foreign experience could be learned, but it could not be copied. The management process should be scientific, and they were also constantly exploring in practice. As technical directors, he and Zhou Dinghe were both capable and needed to participate in overall management, including jointly deciding the decision-making direction of the marketing and publicity department.
Regarding the "fridge-smashing" marketing campaign, he opposed following trends, believing that the public only remembers industry leaders. Latecomers simply build momentum for the pioneers, arguing that good food is never too late. If the food is already rotten, then waiting any longer would be a waste of time. Therefore, while the refrigerator-smashing campaign had a significant short-term effect, the long-term brand benefits were extremely limited. However, Tong Zhaoyang had a different consideration: as major domestic brands followed suit, Xinli, as a rising star, needed this kind of "pledge of allegiance" to tie itself to the industry leader and secure a place in consumers' minds.
Beyond these ideological differences, there were also departmental disputes stemming from each department's responsibilities. The marketing department would often respond to feedback and frequently request adjustments from the technical department. Errors and omissions were inevitable in information transmission, and repeated revisions only increased the workload. The two often clashed over this, but even when arguments raged, it didn't hinder the progress of the work. If their focus was solely on winning, they would have automatically packed up and walked away without Chen Huaili's intervention. This was precisely the subtlety of different workplace personalities. As the head of the marketing department, Tong Zhaoyang must demonstrate a broad mindset, while Mo Daoyan, whose focus had always been on technology, wouldn't have achieved this position without the spirit of polishing things. They might both look down on someone due to their lack of ability, but they wouldn't harbor grudges due to differing positions. After several exchanges, they actually affirmed each other's determination to stick to their principles, though that didn't prevent them from continuing to argue fiercely next time.
The remaining half of the reason is because of Tong Yufei.
After that conversation with Tong Zhaoyang, he made his attitude clear, thinking that the other party would restrain himself, but what happened was that he became even worse. The fuse of the incident was the coin purse that Ji Xilin accidentally found when he was buying new clothes for his brother.
Tong Zhaoyang is of marriageable age and works in marketing. He often needs to travel or attend exhibitions and TV events. He represents the company's image and can also show his personal style. However, he always wears the same few sets of formal suits, which is a bit boring after seeing them for a long time. Even the married science man Mo Daoyan can't compare to him. Ji Xilin saw it and felt anxious, so he bought him several sets of high-end casual clothes that can especially show his youthful and energetic figure. He hoped that his brother could relax occasionally and preferably have a date with a girl who has a crush on him.
One of the siblings must be able to get married and have a normal family life.
When Ji Xilin stuffed his clothes into his brother's briefcase, a coin purse knitted with seven colors of wool fell out. It was an exquisite handmade fabric in the shape of a backpack, with the opening tied with a red ribbon. When some female colleagues saw it and came over, they all said that Tong Zhaoyang probably had a girlfriend. The purse looked like a gift from a clever and intelligent girl. You know, in ancient times, purses were also tokens of love.
Tong Zhaoyang took back his wallet: "That's not the case."
"What's going on?"
"Nothing."
Tong Zhaoyang denied it all the time, but his sister could see how precious he was with the wallet. The wallet looked new, but there were burrs on some places. It was obviously an old item that was often touched. Who knew how many memories were hidden in it? The only person who could make him cherish it so much was that girl.
Ji Xilin looked at his brother's hurriedly leaving figure and couldn't help but sigh: "No matter how good it is, it can't be seen or touched. Why bother?"
In the tea room, Mo Daoyan was discussing with Zhou Dinghe the acquisition of a loss-making ice cream factory and the conversion of it into an air conditioning production line. He casually stirred his coffee, his eyes taking in the scene outside. He didn't care that someone was obsessed with Tong Yufei. Everyone has their own personality. There are always some people in this world who dwell on the past, willingly trapped in their memories. Even if he thought they were just bored, that was their freedom. But Tong Zhaoyang, knowing that Tong Yufei was his wife, flaunted his wallet every day, which was tantamount to fanning the flames.
After a meeting, he stopped Tong Zhaoyang and offered to buy the wallet. He named any price, no matter how much he wanted. He said to Tong Zhaoyang directly: "I bought the wallet because I don't want her to have anything to do with you. After all, you are an expert at adding fuel to the fire of rumors. When it comes to clarifying things, you become a coward." His words were harsh and left no room for negotiation. He didn't even mind a fight, even if it was a big fight. If Tong Zhaoyang really had the guts, it would be best if he could publicly admit his feelings for Tong Yufei and wash away those dirty rumors. There was no point in pretending to be deeply in love. This was what a romantic should do. "You have to give the wallet whether you want to or not."
He was prepared to be rejected, and Tong Zhaoyang also had a ready-made reason not to give it to him. The thing was given by Tong Yufei, and only Tong Yufei had the right to ask for it back. Besides, was a small gadget from seven or eight years ago worth his fuss?
Tong Zhaoyang did not comment, took out his wallet and lowered his head in thought.
When he was four years old, he moved to the west of the city with his mother. Without his father and sister, he had to endure his mother's capriciousness from time to time. He spent most of his childhood alone. Life was like the west city in late autumn, always foggy. Tong Zhaoyang at that time had nothing to do with the word "Yang". Instead, he was like the side that was not facing the sun, gloomy and weird. Other children were unwilling to play with him, and he was unwilling to play with others, until someone pushed away the thick clouds and fog, broke into his world, and pulled him into the sun.
She dragged him to play hide-and-seek with others, and hid in an empty water tank together: "Brother Zhaoyang, come in quickly!" She always liked to call him that. Her eyes were big and round, and when she smiled, she looked like a clever little ghost, with two dimples dancing on her cheeks. "It's fun when there are more people. You'll like it after playing a few times." Seeing that he was about to get up, she took out a wrinkled fruit candy from her pocket. "If you hide well, this is for you. My aunt works at the Workers, Peasants and Soldiers Food Factory and gave my mother a box. My mother said to eat it during the New Year, so I stole one. It's orange flavored, and there's only one... for you to eat."
The girl was the neighbor's little daughter, with two pigtails. Her full name was Ye Yufei and her nickname was Xiao Ye Zi.
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