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“I want you to be my boss.”
“Why?”
“Because I like working with you. I feel like I can learn a lot from working with you, and you give me a lot of motivation to keep growing. Most importantly, I can see you often. All these feelings are great.” Shang Zhitao typed, her face slightly flushed. She almost wanted to say: I want to be with you every day, forever.
“What did Tracy talk to you about?”
“...Nothing. She doesn’t know about our relationship.”
“What relationship?” Luan Nian asked her: “The kind where we hide things when something happens?” Luan Nian was truly petty and held grudges, as Shang Zhitao had come to realize.
“...”
Shang Zhitao ignored him and focused on studying the competitive hiring process. She wanted to transfer because she wanted to challenge herself with more professional work. Lumi handed her Grace’s old competitive hiring documents for reference, and after reviewing them, Shang Zhitao found quite a bit she could emulate. So, following the template, she began drafting her own application.
Luan Nian wasn’t as carefree. His phone kept ringing incessantly, so he decided to set it aside and ignore it. However, he still picked up Dr. Liang’s call. Dr. Liang seemed to be in an exceptionally good mood and asked Luan Nian, “Are you hiding something from your mother?”
“For example?”
“For example, are you dating someone?”
After some thought, Luan Nian replied, “Do you really hope I’m dating? Are you that eager for me to get married and have children? Are you that desperate to see your granddaughter?”
“Why not a grandson?”
“I prefer girls.” Luan Nian teased her.
“Girls are definitely better. So, are you dating anyone?”
“Yes.” This vague response left Dr. Liang pondering whether there was any truth to it. But she felt there might be some indication, otherwise why was her son acting so strangely today? She pressed further, “What does the girl do? What does she look like? Is her personality good?”
Dr. Liang’s questions made Luan Nian think carefully: “She’s an ordinary employee, very pleasant to look at, and has a great personality.”
“What do you mean by ‘pleasant to look at’?” Dr. Liang didn’t quite understand what “pleasant to look at” meant—whether it implied beauty or not.
“Pleasant to look at means I find her comfortable to look at.”
Dr. Liang suddenly felt a sense of relief, though she couldn’t explain why. She had always thought that Luan Nian’s difficult temperament and eccentric personality would leave him alone for life. Perhaps women might be attracted to his looks and family wealth initially, but they wouldn’t tolerate him in the long run. Moreover, he didn’t seem like someone who would fall in love: “That’s wonderful. I thought you’d end up alone.”
“Sorry to disappoint you.”
Dr. Liang laughed: “How long have you been together? Can I meet her sometime?”
“Mm, wait until you return. So stop introducing girls to me; I don’t have the energy to deal with them.”
“Alright, alright, alright.” Earlier that morning, Professor Gong casually mentioned to Luan’s father that Luan Nian seemed to be in a relationship, which put Dr. Liang in a great mood. She was very open-minded. No matter who her son dated, as long as he was happy, she was fine with it. Love itself was a joyful thing, and if her son could experience happiness, why not? She even considered that if Luan Nian told her he liked men, she could accept it.
“Well then, can you send me a picture of the girl so I can take a look?”
“Mm.”
“Alright, I’ll wait for the photo. Goodbye.”
Dr. Liang wanted to see a photo, but where was Luan Nian supposed to get one? He randomly picked a picture online and sent it to her. Dr. Liang scrutinized it carefully with a magnifying glass, noticed the website logo on the photo, and angrily slapped her phone onto the table: “This child!”
Luan’s father looked up from his newspaper and mocked her: “Worrying over nothing.”
“I’m just curious.”
“You’re always curious, and he always evades your questions.”
“Can you stop criticizing me? Why are you so annoying?” Dr. Liang became irritated and walked away.
After dealing with Dr. Liang, Luan Nian saw Luke beside him, tongue out, seemingly insightful about his thoughts. He pinched Luke’s face: “What are you looking at?”
Luke looked innocent: Did I look at you? I didn’t, right?
Luan Nian felt he couldn’t communicate with this silly dog and took it home.
On the day the board members arrived, Luan Nian disappeared.
Tracy called his mobile, but it was off.
She called his landline, but it was busy.
His attitude of abandonment was clear: let them deal with it themselves. The board members sat in Lingmei’s conference room, each with a worse expression than the last. The atmosphere in the company was tense, and no one dared to breathe loudly. Lumi secretly told Shang Zhitao: “If they knew what kind of person my stubborn donkey is, why bother now? They deserved it. If my stubborn donkey holds out for two more days, the stock price will hit rock bottom, and then no one will be able to play anymore.”
“Where did he go?” the board members asked Tracy.
Tracy shrugged: “Honestly, I don’t know.”
“Send someone to find him.”
“No one’s at his house, his phone is off, and he’s nowhere to be found.” Tracy’s tone wasn’t friendly either, her fingers tapping on the table as she remained silent. She had her own temper. These bastards knew exactly how this situation came about. Why were they panicking now when they hadn’t acted earlier?
Shang Zhitao knew where Luan Nian was—he must be at the bar.
Taking advantage of a coffee break, she went downstairs, found a secluded spot, and called the bar. Someone answered.
“Is Luan Nian there?”
“Defected?” Luan Nian’s teasing voice came through the phone.
Shang Zhitao blushed furiously and quickly explained: “No, I’m just curious if you’re at the bar. They’re all here, in the meeting room, and the atmosphere at the company is terrible.” Shang Zhitao didn’t realize how much her behavior resembled that of a little informant.
“I know.”
“Huh?”
“I have informants.” Luan Nian seemed to be in a good mood and told Shang Zhitao: “There’s an event at the bar today, and Luke and I are sleeping on the mountain. You can come back to my place or yours tonight.”
“Oh. Then I want to hear Luke bark.”
“Did I kidnap him?” Luan Nian was dissatisfied with Shang Zhitao’s lack of trust and said to Luke beside him: “Your master is calling you; bark for her.”
When Shang Zhitao heard Luan Nian say this, and indeed heard Luke bark, she giggled: “Then goodbye.”
“Mm.” Before hanging up, Luan Nian said: “Don’t worry; I’m taming these eagles!”
These eagles definitely needed taming; otherwise, who knew what trouble they might cause next time. Once tamed completely, making them feel the pain, they would think twice before trying anything sneaky again.
“Is the timing right? Don’t overdo it, or the board will replace you immediately.”
“That would be great. I’ll start another company and compete with Lingmei.” Luan Nian was truly someone who couldn’t be swayed by soft or hard tactics. Once provoked, if you didn’t let him vent fully, this matter wouldn’t be resolved.
Tracy naturally understood this too. After some thought, she asked him: “You have people on the board, right? If so, handle the timing yourself. I won’t call you.”
In the past, Luan Nian and Tracy were simply alumni and colleagues. After jointly dealing with a scumbag, they realized that the other was truly trustworthy.
“Alright, goodbye.”
Luan Nian was busy at the bar; it was a university event today.
Gong Yue was an interesting person. Even after Luan Nian deleted her, she didn’t panic and actually booked the venue through the bar manager without contacting him again. It seemed she had some pride too.
Luan Nian took Luke outside the bar to enjoy the autumn scenery. Gong Yue got out of her car, waved to Luan Nian from afar, and went inside. Her students secretly watched Luan Nian, truly believing he was Professor Gong’s boyfriend.
Luan Nian nodded to them and took Luke up the mountain. The autumn scenery on the mountain was beautiful. He found a rock, sat down, and just stayed there, unaware of when someone had stood beside him. It was only when Luke barked that Luan Nian turned around and saw Gong Yue.
“Not supervising the event?”
“The event has started, so I don’t need to watch it. I came out for a walk.” Seeing Luan Nian frowning, Gong Yue stepped away to maintain some distance and said: “I know why you deleted me, but I didn’t mean anything by it. We’ve only met once; how could I have any intentions? Tan Mian knows—I teach at school, but I have a bit of a worldly air about me. Don’t be deceived by my appearance; I’m not a delicate little girl. I like making friends.”
Before Luan Nian could respond, Luke became unwilling, sitting there barking at Gong Yue, probably meaning to be quiet or telling her to stay away from Luke.
Seeing Luke bark, Gong Yue was momentarily stunned, glanced at Luke, and then at Luan Nian. Luan Nian patted Luke’s head and told Gong Yue: “Luke doesn’t let me talk to members of the opposite sex.”
“So the cold-faced Mr. Luan, rumored in江湖 (jianghu), is being controlled by a dog?”
“That’s not appropriate to say.” Luan Nian became displeased: “This isn’t just any ordinary dog; this is my friend.” After saying that, he added: “My dog son.”
“The autumn scenery is nice; enjoy it for a while.” Luan Nian commanded Luke: “Go!” They left. As they walked, Luan Nian glanced at Luke: You? My friend? My dog son? You don’t even have a brain, always barking randomly. Oddly enough, you don’t bark when I talk to men, but you get angry when I talk to women. What are you angry about? Am I not allowed to talk to women?
They walked back to the bar and saw the students hosting a book club. Everyone had a book in front of them, and the host was organizing discussions. This trend had suddenly become popular those years, as if not attending a book club meant the books were read in vain. Luan Nian scoffed, took Luke back to the lounge, and took a nap.
When he woke up, the event had long ended, and thick fog had descended on the mountain. Luan Nian sat by the window, watching the outside resemble Silent Hill, until several cars slowly drove up and parked in front of the bar. Luan Nian’s lips twitched. The eagles couldn’t bear it anymore and flew in themselves. Probably fearing another two trading halts.
He remained seated, watching his old acquaintances walk in. They were all seasoned individuals, and upon entering, they refrained from saying anything untimely. They first ordered drinks from the waiters and then sat opposite Luan Nian. They were used to him not getting up to greet them.
The three members of the board who arrived consisted of two Americans and one Chinese person. The Americans preferred to get straight to the point, while the Chinese individual liked to start by discussing emotions. Thus, they took two different approaches: one American asked Luan Nian, “When are you going back to work?”
The Chinese person asked him, “Running this bar must have required quite an investment, right?”
Luan Nian was amused by their contrasting approaches. He first responded to the Chinese person: “I still have some family assets; I can afford it.” Then, to the American, he said, “I’m not going back.”
The American laughed, “In the future, the entire China division will listen to you.” Showing flexibility.
Luan Nian didn’t respond directly but instead said, “Today’s drinks are on me. You must be tired from flying in from the U.S. Drink up and get a good night’s rest when you return.”
“State your demands,” the American said.
“Process my resignation as soon as possible.”
This man, Luan Nian, truly didn’t know how to appreciate favors. But if he did, he wouldn’t be who he is. This time, everyone thoroughly understood Luan Nian’s temperament, and the negotiation reached a deadlock. They exchanged glances and drank the wine Luan Nian had offered.
After finishing a glass of wine, Luan Nian finally spoke: “Dony’s actions caused significant harm to that employee, and the company hasn’t even shown any intention to apologize. How can employees feel at ease?”
“What are your suggestions?”
“I suggest two things: First, immediately grant stock options as a gesture of the company’s sincerity; second, have that scumbag record a video apology.”
Everyone was surprised that Luan Nian brought this up. They glanced at each other; it wasn’t difficult. So, one of the Americans spoke up, “Stocks worth 100,000 RMB?”
Luan Nian nodded, “That works for other whistleblowers. However, the first whistleblower had her neck choked and faced life-threatening danger. If she goes to the media and reveals details, the stock could drop another five trading halts.”
“What’s your suggestion then?”
“My suggestion is that the first whistleblower receives stocks worth 200,000 RMB, and the other four employees receive 100,000 each.” After saying this, he added, “Special rewards, not to be disclosed.” If it were disclosed, people might say: Look, this matter isn’t so simple; there might be some insider dealings. Luan Nian didn’t want the girls to be dragged into public opinion again.
“Agreed.”
They reached a consensus, and then the American asked again, “When will you go back to work?”
“First, handle the employees’ apologies tomorrow. Once resolved, I’ll return to work.” He paused for two seconds, worried the American shareholders might not fully understand, and added, “What I mean is, I need to see the signed stock option agreement from the employees and that scumbag’s apology video.”
This was Luan Nian’s stance.
He stood up to see them off.
He had already calculated everything. The stock would drop for one more day, and the girls would receive the shares at the lowest point. Within half a year of exercising the options, the stock would rise to its peak. He hoped they could sleep well.
Luan Nian had never realized before that he could occasionally have such a kind heart. He had always thought of himself as a cold-blooded person.
The next day, when Shang Zhitao sat in Tracy’s office, she saw Tracy pull out a thick stack of documents and became a little confused: “Is the company firing me?”
Tracy was amused by her naivety: “Take a look.”
Shang Zhitao really looked at it: Stock Option Agreement? What was this?
Seeing her confusion, Tracy explained, “Do you know that the company annually awards stocks to a small number of employees?”
Shang Zhitao nodded; she knew. But only expert-level employees were eligible.
“This is a special stock award from the company to reward your bravery and fearless fight for a safe working environment for your female colleagues.”
“Huh?” Shang Zhitao’s first reaction was that she couldn’t accept it; if she did, people might say she did it for the money.
However, Tracy pushed the pen towards her: “The stock award is confidentially granted; you don’t need to worry about anyone knowing. Only you and I know about this. Oh, and Luke. This is one of the conditions for his return to work.”
What about Luan Nian?
Luan Nian had never mentioned this to her. Shang Zhitao looked at the grant—it was a considerable sum, amounting to 200,000 RMB. In 2012, 200,000 RMB was a huge grant for many ordinary workers.
“Accept it,” Tracy said, “Consider it a benefit for all colleagues. If you don’t accept it, Luke won’t return to work, the stock will continue to fall, and everyone’s year-end bonus will be lost.”
Shang Zhitao’s hand holding the pen trembled slightly. Tracy pressed her hand and teased her, “You’re shaking now; what if you faint when you get a million shares during the expert competition in a few years?”
Shang Zhitao was amused and neatly signed her name.
She also signed a confidentiality agreement and then asked Tracy, “Is that it?”
Tracy nodded, “Someone will contact you to open a stock account. The exercise period for these stocks is three days—yes, not three years, just three days. After three days, they’ll all be yours. Lastly, be sure to protect your assets.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” Tracy said, “Great job, Flora.”
As Shang Zhitao left Tracy’s office, she saw the company TVs simultaneously switch to one screen showing Dony apologizing: “I apologize to the women I harassed. I’m sorry.”
He even stood up and bowed deeply.
The office was very quiet. People looked at each other, and suddenly someone started clapping. This was probably the closest to everyone’s ideal perfect company.
Tracy turned off the public phone broadcast and asked Luan Nian, “Did you hear that?”
“Yes.”
“Are you appeased?”
“Not bad.”
“Will you return to work?”
“Next Monday.”
Luan Nian hung up the phone with a slightly improved mood and whistled to Luke. Luke perked up his ears: Meat? Play? Just those simple thoughts.
Luan Nian patted his head: “Look at your brain; it’s exactly like your master’s.”
Just after saying that, the brainless master called. Her voice was a bit muffled: “Tracy said...”
“Moved to tears?”
“...No... Yes, I wanted to say thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Luan Nian didn’t like Shang Zhitao thanking him. It wasn’t something worth thanking for; it was just a small effort on his part. Although this small effort involved a high-risk gamble, Luan Nian felt it was worth it.
He didn’t lack money anyway. A lousy job—if he didn’t want to do it, he wouldn’t.
If he won, it would be nice.
After all, he enjoyed a good fight.
“Was Luke obedient today?”
Luan Nian looked at Luke, who was devouring meat, and said, “Not bad.”
“Then shall I treat you to dinner tonight?”
“I don’t like eating out.”
“I’ll cook!”
Luan Nian remained silent. Shang Zhitao’s cooking was truly inedible: “Let’s eat out.”
“I’ve learned a few signature dishes...” Shang Zhitao said.
“The last time you said that too.” Luan Nian reminded her.
They couldn’t reach an agreement and hung up.
After a while, Luan Nian sent a message: “How’s the preparation for the competitive hiring going?”
“Still preparing, but I feel it’s not good enough.”
Luan Nian thought, you’re so naive. At this point, you’re still nitpicking the documents. The reviewers are internal colleagues; it’s time to play the relationship card, not focus on the files. So he directly told her: “Who are the leaders in the planning department? What are their styles? How’s your relationship with them? The core element of internal competition is interpersonal relationships. When are you going to network if not now? After failure?”
Shang Zhitao carefully considered and thought Luan Nian was absolutely right. Each boss in the planning department had their own style, preferences, and areas of expertise. No matter how well-prepared the documents were, if they asked a question you couldn’t answer, it would be over. This was probably a part of workplace culture.
Shang Zhitao humbly accepted Luan Nian’s criticism and asked him, “Then who should I approach? Who has the final say in this matter? Do you have any suggestions?”
After a long while, Luan Nian replied:
“Me.”
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