TES - 4

By the time they arrived, all the colleagues were already gathered.

“Everyone, this is our new recruit, Shang Zhitao. Her English name is Flora,” Zhang Ling stood up to introduce her. “She’ll be learning under Lumi. Please take care of her.”

Shang Zhitao bowed deeply. “I’m counting on you all.”

The men and women in the marketing department were undeniably attractive. Shang Zhitao thought to herself: This must be L&M’s hiring standard. I’m so lucky.

She sat beside Lu Mi, diligently jotting down her colleagues’ names as they introduced themselves. The marketing team often traveled, making it rare for everyone to gather. Naturally extroverted, their personalities made the atmosphere lively and spirited.

When it was her turn, Shang Zhitao hesitated before saying, “I’ll work hard.” She couldn’t muster any flashy words, remaining earnest and straightforward. Used to hearing polished speeches, her colleagues found her refreshing.

Zhang Ling, too, was approachable, sharing jokes with everyone. He turned to Shang Zhitao and said, “Once you step into advertising, there’s no turning back. Think carefully about it.”

“Last night, when I took a taxi home, the driver asked me, ‘You work in advertising, right?’ I asked how he knew. He said, ‘At this hour, only three kinds of people are out—prostitutes, clients, and advertisers!’“ a girl named Qin Xiaoxiao shared.

Everyone burst into laughter. Zhang Ling added, “If you have a boyfriend, cherish him. If not, finding one will be tough. Look around this table—there aren’t many decent people here.”

Shang Zhitao quickly replied, “I think everyone seems pretty decent.” Her response carried the innocence and sincerity of someone newly entering society.

Throughout the meal, Shang Zhitao quietly memorized her colleagues’ names. Like a frightened little bird that had fallen to the ground and couldn’t fly, she felt alienated and apprehensive about everything.

A foreign city, unfamiliar faces—she was alone in her struggle, embodying a quiet yet poignant bravery.

Lu Mi, who seemed carefree but was actually observant, noticed Shang Zhitao’s cautious demeanor. On the way back to the office, she advised her, “Don’t be too humble. There are plenty of people here who prey on weakness. The more humble you appear, the more they’ll take advantage of you. Soon, they’ll dump all the dirty and exhausting tasks on you—it’ll overwhelm you.”

“Okay. Then...”

Lu Mi interrupted, “No matter who assigns you a task, tell them to come to me first. I’m your mentor—I decide what you do.”

“Thank you, Lumi.”

“What’s there to thank me for?”

Back at the office, Lu Mi sent Shang Zhitao a compressed file. “Here, go through these—they’re the projects we’ll manage in the second half of the year. First, familiarize yourself with each project thoroughly, or we won’t be able to handle the budget properly.” Pausing, she handed Shang Zhitao a form. “While you’re gathering information from these big shots, use the opportunity to conduct interviews for your newcomer assignment.”

The “big shot interview” was part of the onboarding process, requiring new employees to interview company leaders or senior staff to understand corporate culture and departmental structures, helping them integrate fully.

“Are these all planning department projects?” Shang Zhitao flipped through the documents, noticing that the initiating department listed for each was indeed the Planning Department.

“Of course! The planning department is notoriously difficult to deal with, so they dumped it on me because I have thick skin.”

“Do I need to talk to Luke?”

“Try reaching out to him—you’ll have to interact with him eventually anyway.”

Thinking of Luan Nian’s stern face, Shang Zhitao felt a twinge of fear. Lu Mi tapped her head lightly. “What are you afraid of? Is he going to eat you? Go now—he’s serious about work and won’t make things difficult for you.”

“Okay.”

________________________________________

Shang Zhitao approached Luan Nian’s office, taking a deep breath before knocking softly.

“Come in.”

She pushed the door open and stood at the threshold, bathed in the afternoon sunlight like a shy bud waiting to bloom. Luan Nian looked up. “Something?”

“Hello, we met earlier today. I’m Shang Zhitao, the new recruit from the marketing department. Lumi just sent me some materials related to our department’s projects, and I have a few questions I’d like to ask you.” Having rehearsed her lines beforehand, she delivered them confidently, then waited for his response.

Luan Nian studied her carefully, finally recognizing a trait in this girl: humility. Humility was rare at L&M.

“Is it urgent?”

“Not particularly.”

Shang Zhitao had made a rookie mistake. In the workplace, everyone’s tasks were always urgent. People in Luan Nian’s department competed fiercely for top priority.

Urgent?

Very urgent. Any delay would disrupt subsequent progress and harm the company significantly. Immediate resolution was crucial.

Luan Nian nodded, gesturing toward the sofa in his office. “Since it’s not urgent, can you wait a moment?”

“Yes.”

Shang Zhitao sat patiently on the sofa, expecting to wait only five minutes or so. Three minutes passed, then five, then fifteen—but Luan Nian showed no sign of looking up from his computer. Several times, she wanted to interrupt but swallowed her words, feeling it might be impolite.

Unhurried by her lack of urgency, Luan Nian focused on his work, waiting to see if she’d speak up. It wasn’t about testing her but observing how she prioritized her own tasks.

But Shang Zhitao remained calm. Her homework for the afternoon was to understand these projects, so she opened her laptop and began reviewing the materials. After forty minutes, she checked her watch, surprised by how long it had been. Looking up, she saw that he still hadn’t finished.

She wanted to interrupt but couldn’t bring herself to speak.

Finally, when he glanced up again, he caught her hesitant expression. Pretending not to notice, he returned his attention to his work.

Seeing his focus, Shang Zhitao assumed his task was critical. She continued waiting quietly.

Once Luan Nian finished, he picked up his phone to reply to messages and glanced at her again. She looked at him earnestly, and upon meeting his gaze, she quickly spoke, “Are you done?”

It was a question she had been waiting to ask for a while, determined not to miss the timing this time.

Luan Nian stood up and moved to sit across from her. “What is it?”

This was the closest Shang Zhitao had ever been to Luan Nian. His seriousness and efficiency were evident even in the few steps from his desk to the sofa. Looking into his eyes, she saw none of the youthful hesitation typical of a twenty-year-old. His gaze exuded confidence and sharpness, as if the entire world rested in his hands.

He asked what she needed, seemingly forgetting her earlier explanation. She paused, then repeated her request.

Luan Nian suddenly smiled, his eyes narrowing slightly like a fox’s. “Is it urgent now?”

“What?”

“You said it wasn’t urgent earlier, right?” he reminded her.

Shang Zhitao’s cheeks reddened. Unsure how to respond, she realized that claiming urgency now would invite questions about why she initially said otherwise, while insisting it wasn’t urgent might prompt him to return to his desk and resume working.

Suddenly, though perhaps overthinking, she suspected he might be teaching her something.

Clearing her throat, she said earnestly, “Luke, I understand now. Next time, I’ll state my needs clearly and specify whether it’s urgent or not. Thank you for teaching me.”

Luan Nian raised an eyebrow, his expression conveying disbelief: Me? Teaching you? Are you alright?

But Shang Zhitao nodded firmly. “Yes, thank you. I’ve learned.”