Chapter 41 Boyfriend
After the morning meeting, Lin Yu was kept behind by the dean. Once only the two of them were left in the meeting room, the dean gestured for her to sit down at his desk. Lin Yu watched as he took a brown paper envelope from his jacket pocket and gently pushed it towards her along the smooth surface of the table.
"A small token of appreciation from the distributors." The director tapped the envelope with his finger, lowering his voice slightly. "Each team leader will receive one. Keep it safe and don't make a fuss."
It's not unusual for manufacturers to give gifts, so Lin Yu didn't refuse. After thanking the dean, he reached out and took the envelope. Inside was a massage gift card worth 2,000 yuan.
The dean took a sip of tea and nodded to Lin Yu. "This place is quite nice, and the environment is quiet. You can bring your boyfriend there to relax."
Lin Yu thought about the ambiguous change in his relationship with Jiang Chuan last night, and realized that hastily distancing himself now would seem like an attempt to cover up the truth, but saying nothing would also feel stifling. "Dean, I'm still single!"
Lin Yu brushed the matter aside with a fawning smile, then changed the subject to flatter the company, hoping the dean wouldn't think that having a boyfriend meant he was considering supporting a potential candidate.
"I'm completely focused on my work right now, and I absolutely prioritize my career! This year's patent targets are one invention and two utility models, and our team will definitely exceed them, so don't worry!"
The dean's expression became more meaningful, without bothering to investigate whether Lin Yu was telling the truth. "You're very smart, Lin Yu."
He took off his glasses, slowly wiped the lenses in the light, and suddenly sighed. "Promoting you to this team leader was a result of my overruling everyone's objections. I've seen your hard work and achievements over the past two years."
Lin Yu's heart sank slightly. She was all too familiar with the dean's logic of praising before criticizing, and her nerves tightened involuntarily. She had a premonition that the conversation that was about to begin would not be easy.
"However, there's something I need to tell you first." The dean paused strategically for a moment, squinting as he observed Lin Yu's expression.
"The company's organizational structure will undergo a major adjustment soon."
"Strategic downsizing at the leadership level to reduce costs and increase efficiency. The design division may need to be outsourced entirely, retaining only the most core review and management positions."
Lin Yu felt a buzzing in her ears; the news struck her like a blow to the head, leaving her feeling cold all over, and the prepaid card she was clutching suddenly felt hot to the touch. She took a deep breath, cleared her throat, and forced herself to speak.
"Director Li, is this the board's final decision? Cutting the entire design team at once, how can we guarantee the quality and schedule of the company's subsequent projects? Won't it cause operational problems?"
The dean sighed and rubbed his temples. "There's nothing we can do. The company has expanded too much in the past few years, and the business has grown too rapidly, leading to a tight cash flow. In the current situation, I'm afraid we really can't afford to support such a large design team anymore."
He noticed Lin Yu's nervousness and confusion, and his tone softened, carrying a hint of reassurance. "Don't be too nervous. I've negotiated a grace period with the chairman."
"The design institute won't make any major moves within a year, but you team leaders need to be prepared and plan ahead. A year from now, whether the company abandons design outsourcing or only retains the review function, you won't be caught off guard."
The dean put his glasses back on, leaned back in his chair, placed his hands on the table, and continued, "Even in the worst-case scenario, each major will still have two people remaining."
"You're the only one in your group who knows this news. You need to pay more attention to your work during this period, familiarize yourself with the entire process of project management and upstream and downstream coordination, and don't just focus on those two sets of drawings in your hand."
The dean's implication couldn't be clearer, so Lin Yu could only nod stiffly and get up to leave the office.
After leaving the dean's office, she felt a mix of emotions.
Lin Yu has been working at this company since graduation. After so many years of stable work, he has become accustomed to the routine and hates the feeling of being suddenly pushed to a crossroads in his life with an uncertain future.
The dean's words were very clear: there is still plenty of time and opportunity. Even if the worst happens and the company fires her, she can still enjoy a comfortable life for a while with a substantial severance package.
However, this state of uncertainty, waiting for the outcome to be decided, made her feel inexplicably anxious.
At lunchtime, Lin Yu stirred the tomato and beef brisket on his plate, but even his favorite dish tasted bland at this moment.
While she was hesitant and confused, she received another text message from Jiang Chuan. Clicking on it, she saw links to three restaurants. She randomly selected one and sent it to him, continuing to mechanically chew her now-cold beef chunks.
Sitting next to him, Xiao Zhao leaned over and asked with concern, "Team leader, are you alright? You've seemed restless all afternoon."
Lin Yu shoveled a mouthful of rice into his mouth and smiled absentmindedly. "It's nothing, I'm just worried about the algorithm for the first draft of the invention patent that I have to submit this year!"
She glanced at Xiao Zhao's youthful face, completely unaware of the impending storm. She, however, had to bear this secret alone, struggling to balance camaraderie with the harsh realities of workplace survival.
Xiao Zhao had only been with the company for less than six months and lacked experience, making her a prime candidate for layoffs. However, Lin Yu didn't have much time to sympathize with her.
I'd heard that her family owned several rental properties, so being fired meant she could go home and collect rent, lying in bed counting money and living a leisurely life as a landlady.
Looking at herself, the dowry Lin Min left her, while enough to buy an old, secondhand apartment in the city, was far from enough to last. She had to pull herself together and find a way to survive in this impending upheaval.
"Oh dear, I thought you and your boyfriend had a fight!" Xiao Zhao was very cheerful and not much older than Lin Yu, so she could joke around with her without any reservations.
"Boy friend?"
Lin Yu placed his chopsticks on the plate, raising his eyebrows. "Who told you that?"
The image of her and Jiang Chuan at the restaurant entrance that day immediately flashed through her mind. She thought to herself that some sharp-eyed and meddlesome colleague must have seen them that day and spread the news. She wanted to see who was the big mouth who had let the secret slip.
Xiao Zhao's eyes darted around, and he lowered his voice, saying, "It was Engineer Zheng from the structural engineering team. He sneaked over this morning to ask me about it!"
She made an exaggerated pout. "Pretending to be all high and mighty, saying he was just asking casually, but everyone knows he's just sounding things out for Team Leader Dong! Everyone in the entire design institute can see through Team Leader Dong's feelings for you."
Lin Yu chewed on her chopsticks, listening to Xiao Zhao continue her incessant chatter. "She kept asking me indirectly what my boyfriend does, where he's from, how we met... How am I supposed to know all that!"
"Besides, even if I knew, I couldn't tell him, right? I wouldn't do something like betraying a friend for personal gain—no, I mean betraying my team leader for personal gain!"
"This is serious, this is serious." Lin Yu was amused by her indignant yet funny expression and reached out to lightly flick her forehead.
"He's not really a boyfriend. Team Leader Dong is just getting old and his eyesight is failing him. Don't listen to their nonsense, and definitely don't spread it around!"
Xiao Zhao rubbed his forehead where he'd been flicked, but his eyes sparkled with a knowing smile. "I understand, I understand! The revolution isn't over yet, comrades still need to keep it a secret!"
"Focus on your work!" Lin Yu said, both amused and exasperated, pretending to pinch her ear. The two burst into laughter. Amidst the noise of the cafeteria, the tension in her heart finally eased a little.
As the workday drew to a close, Lin Yu finished his tasks. While organizing the drawings, he inadvertently touched a kraft paper envelope on his desk and suddenly remembered Dean Li's suggestion.
Perhaps this card was the perfect opportunity to repay Jiang Chuan for his recent assistance, even though he wasn't her boyfriend. After some thought, Lin Yu took the initiative to invite him out. "Want to get a massage?"
Shortly after, she received Jiang Chuan's reply: "Green?" Lin Yu rolled her eyes at the screen, but the corners of her mouth unconsciously turned up.
......
As Lin Yu walked out of the company, he spotted Jiang Chuan's black BMW parked conspicuously in the temporary parking area in front of the building's main entrance. Today, Jiang Chuan had changed out of his usual business attire, wearing a light-colored sweatshirt and a dark gray down jacket.
With wispy bangs falling casually across his forehead, the ends of his hair covering his eyebrows and eyes, he looked relaxed and at ease, a stark contrast to the elite image he had projected when he left home that morning. He exuded a refreshing and clean-cut youthful vibe, looking like a male college graduate who had just graduated.
He leaned against the car door, arms crossed, gazing towards the exit. When he saw Lin Yu, he straightened up, smiled, and waved to her.
"Wow, what a handsome guy, team leader!"
Xiao Zhao, who hadn't gone far, nudged Lin Yu with his elbow, gave him a mischievous thumbs-up, and winked. "You're a hidden talent!"
Lin Yu slapped away her outstretched hand and glared at her amusedly. "Not enough work, huh? Looks like I'll have to get Engineer Li to give you a couple more sets of drawings tomorrow." This made Xiao Zhao wave her hands repeatedly, begging for forgiveness, and she ran towards the subway entrance with a smile.
Lin Yu walked up to Jiang Chuan, deliberately putting on a stern face, her tone carrying a hint of reproach. "Who told you to park your car in such an obvious spot?"
"Were you talking about me just now?" Jiang Chuan asked instead of answering, a smile playing in his eyes.
“Yeah, my colleague asked me who you are?” Lin Yu raised an eyebrow mischievously and made up a story: “I said you’re my uncle! You’re here to pick up your niece from get off work.”
"Oh?" Jiang Chuan feigned surprise and touched his face. "Do I look that old?"
"Of course." Lin Yu counted on his fingers, calculating with great seriousness. "Three years is a generation gap! With our age difference, there's at least a gap of one and a half. Calling you 'uncle' is already making you sound too young."
"Then why did she give you a thumbs up?" Jiang Chuan leaned down slightly, closing the distance between them. His breath, carrying the scent of Bai Yesong, gently brushed past her ear, as if he were really teasing his junior.
Lin Yu's cheeks flushed slightly, but he forced a straight face and continued making things up. "She complimented you on how well you take care of yourself!"
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