Chapter 3 Losing Out
Although the interview process to get hired seems a little bit abnormal, at least I was successful in gaining employnt. As a result, I am very happy and look forward to start my job soon.
After getting the job, of course the first thing I do is to share the good news with my dear mother. Thinking that once the old lady hears the good news, she will be so ecstatic until she will personally cook a delicious al to reward . Unexpectedly, in order to celebrate that she no longer needs to use her life savings to look after anymore, my mum decides not to cook tonight! Hence, before the sky is dark, she leisurely goes to her mahjong buddy’s house to have dinner as well as play mahjong, Whereas I am left all alone to cook instant noodles to eat at ho.
Initially, I think mum will engage in a bloody battle with her mahjong buddies until at least midnight or even overnight but surprisingly she cos back early. However, the mont she steps into the house, she angrily sits at the dinning table and slams her fist down on the table: “What kind of people are these ah! I am really mad at them!”
I am scared by her roar and started to shiver. Then, instinctively I move over to her side and ask: “Mum, what happened ah? Aren’t you playing mahjong with your buddies? How co you are back so early ?”
“Will you be willing to play mahjong with a person who shows off after winning so money but becos angry after losing money ah?” Mum finishes talking in a low voice and an expressionless face. Following which, she looks at with anticipation.
Actually it is like that so no wonder mum ca back so early and panting with rage! I shake my head firmly: “Of course, I am not willing la! Who will be willing to play mahjong with such a person ah!” While talking, I gently stroke her back and comfort her: “Mum, don’t be angry. It is not worth your while to be angry over this kind of people!”
Unexpectedly, after my mum listened to my comforting words, her facial expression not only is not calr, instead is more resentful in glaring at . She says in a sorrowful and hurtful tone: “Even you are not willing, so no wonder they are not willing to play with ah.”
I: “…… = =”
As it turns out, the person with the unsporting behaviour is actually you ah! My dear mother, what else can I say?
On a sunny morning, my long-awaited working life has finally started so I change into my one and only suit which I wore during the interview. Before leaving ho, mum did not forget to give a few pointers: “In the company, you must behave gently and friendly. Try to foster a good relationship with your colleagues, especially the male colleagues. It will be good if you can bring back a boyfriend to let see as early as possible. Aunt Liu’s elder son is still waiting for my response ah! ”
My whole body starts to tremble and imdiately my head is very painful. Mum, you still have not given up hope on match making with Aunt Liu’s elder son Xu Jin Song ah!? Aiya …… It seems that before I find a boyfriend, she will not give up on Xu Jin Song, this big tree!
I catch the seven thirty bus which is during the rush hour. Thus, the inside of the bus is hot and stuffy, crowded with people that it can even flatten a fat person to beco thin. When I finally arrive and get off the bus, my hair has beco ssy. However, there is no ti for to comb my hair, before I go into the building.
When I arrive at the company’s personnel departnt, a forty years-old middle-aged uncle looks at and asks: “I am Liu Rong, the head of the departnt here, may I know who you are?”
I quickly smile: “Hello, supervisor Liu. I’m here to report myself for my first day at work!”
“Oh.” he nods his head in understanding. Then, he says with certainty: “You should be the new cleaner.”
Imdiately, my face turns black. Hey, are you blind or what ah? Do I really look like a cleaning lady?
Keeping in check my discontentnt, I politely say: “My na is Xia Ye, who is the new secretary to the general manager.”
“Are you really the general manager’s secretary?” Imdiately, supervisor Liu is astonished and size up once again from head to feet and again from the feet to head. It seems the more he looks, the more confused he becos and finally he mutters: “How can leh? The general manager’s forr secretaries have all been very pretty ah!”
I am angry. What does this an! Am I not pretty, not pretty!?
“Ah! Miss Xia, please co with . I’ll take you around to familiarize yourself with the company!”
Obviously, he saw my darken face, so supervisor Liu quickly changes the subject. Okay lah, consider you quick-witted.
After, bringing to walk one round and getting familiar with everything, supervisor Liu starts to tell the daily job responsibilities of a secretary to the general manager. Lastly, he brings to a desk situated outside the general manager’s office.
Supervisor Liu with his business-like look, asks: “Miss Xia, you are going to work here. You’ve rembered what I’ve just said, right?”
I nod my head repeatedly: “Yes, I have rembered them!”
He nods his head with satisfaction: “Then, start doing your work now. If you have any need or question, co and look for anyti.”
After saying that, he turns around and leaves. After, he left my line of vision, I quickly sit down in front of my desk. When I look at my own office equipnt, I feel very excited. The desktop feels so cool and smooth, and also slls like sandalwood incense. I am sure I will feel cool and comfortable sleeping on it. This chair should be made from leather, right? Also, this computer ……
“Beep beep ……”
Suddenly, the sound of a sharp and clear ringtone frightens . I find out that the sound cos from the phone, so I quickly answer it: “Hello! This is the general manager’s office, I am ……”
“Co in.” That refined and pleasant to hear voice sounds very familiar. Oh, it is the voice of my current boss.
I quickly get up and open the door to go into his office. Lu Jun is being buried behind a stack of files. The top two buttons on his shirt are opened, so you can see a little bit of his firm and muscular chest. His fine and thick eyelashes cover his black and bright eyes. He seems to look a bit like a cultured scholar. I don’t really want to admit this, but when he is working seriously, he looks very elite and charming.
I am a little nervous when I step forward a few steps and ask softly : “General manager, what do you want to do?”
Lu Jun only raises his head after signing a docunt in his hand and looks at : “Xia Ye, do you know French?”
Imdiately, I feel a little ashad and shake my head lightly: “No……”
He smiles and nods his head: “It is good that you don’t know.”
I: “…… ?”
He smiles at gracefully and suddenly asks again: “Then, how are you placed with your work today?”
At this mont, I am even more ashad: “This, I have not started yet …… I will go and do them right away!”
He shakes his head: “No need.” While talking to , he takes a piece of paper from the printer, gives it to and instructs : “Stop all your other work first. Your task for this morning is to recite from mory the French on this piece of paper. I have helped you to translate them into Chinese in accordance to the pronunciations. After you have morized them, go to the cafe opposite the office at two o’clock. Then, you recite it fluently to the guest on table number 13.”
I take the paper and and look at it. One paragraph of hard to pronounce Chinese is printed on it. Suddenly, I recall an incident in the past. When I was in high school, the teacher wanted us to recite an English essay. I also translated that into Chinese sounding words to bluff my way through!
When I am about to nod my head, I suddenly realize I’ve a question: “That …… general manager, when supervisor Liu told about my daily job responsibilities just now, I don’t think the task you wanted to do is included in my job responsibilities ……”
“Well …… ” Lu Jun gracefully rests his chin in his hand and ponders for a while, then looks at and an idea struck his mind: “This task will be considered your additional workload and you will be rewarded on its successful completion.”
When I hear this, I am very surprised. My eyes light up instantly: “Really? What kind of reward?”
He blinks and suddenly asks: “Yes, what kind of mobile phone are you using now?”
I am sowhat at a loss and reply: ” Nokia 6300, so?”
“Oh, such an old model la.” He raises his eyebrows and sighs.
I suck up to him at once and agree: “Yes ah, yes ah!”
Big Boss Lu who looks calm and unruffled, nods his head and says sothing which makes feel very excited: “Well, the reward …… will be Apple’s third generation la.”
See, see, what is being generous? This is what is called generosity! Worthy to be called the leader of a large company. Worthy to be a well-off capitalist ah! Give such a stylish reward casually to a little employee!
With such a rich reward as the driving force, my enthusiasm for this surpasses by far my high school days of reciting English essays. For the whole morning, I muster all my strength and imrse myself in reciting hard. Finally, I manage to morize and recite fluently this mouthful of Fench before two o’clock. According to Big Boss’s Lu’s instruction, I arrive on ti to the cafe across the office. Then, I see the guest who is sitting on table No. 13 is a real eye-popper. Such a beautiful French beauty ah! Can she be the company’s foreign custor?
I keep staring at her soft blonde hair and green eyes. When I see her returning my stare unhappily, I quickly recover my composure and smile politely at her. Then, I sit down on a chair across from her and recite fluently those French words I’ve committed to mory.
Unexpectedly, after listening to , she glares at and says sothing which I can’t understand loudly and rapidly. She seems very angry. I am puzzled, can it be that I have recited so parts wrongly?
Before I have ti to understand what is happening, the French beauty suddenly stands up and angrily storms out of the cafe.
Suddenly, I tense up. I am finished, finished. It is unlikely I have offended this foreign custor, right? It is okay if my salary is deducted as a result of this. But if I get expelled on my first day at work, my mother will strangle ! Thinking about this, I quickly get up and want to give chase, but is stopped by a waiter: ” Excuse Miss, you’ve not paid your bill yet.”
I have no other option but to take out money to pay for the French beauty’s drink. It costs 99 yuan, what kind of coffee is so expensive ah!
I feel uneasy about this and return to the office. I report the situation at that ti to the general manager right away. I am prepared to beg for forgiveness. However, never in my wildest dream will I think, not only he does not bla , but smiles at and keeps nodding his head in approval.
I look at his relief expression gloomily and can’t help secretly crticising him for being eccentric in my heart!
After all, I’ve done my duty. I am over the moon and beaming with joy when I look at big boss Lu who seems to be glittering brightly.
“General manager, where is the reward you promised ?”
“Oh, it is ready.” Big boss Lu actually keeps his promise. He looks calm and nods his head. Then, slowly he takes out three bags of bright red apples from behind his desk. He gives a very gentle smile and says: “Well, this is the reward I promised you, so take it la.”
I: “……”
This is truly genuine three bags of apple ah! In the morning, when he asked what type of mobile phone I use, he deliberately misled to misunderstand, right? But what can I say ? After all, although he ntioned about the mobile phone before, he did not explicitly say how it will be related to my reward. It is my own understanding that the mobile phone will be my reward! (Note: In Chinese, bag and generation are pronounced as ‘dai’. When Big Boss Lu said apple 3 dai, he ant apple 3 bags but Xia Ye heard, Apple 3G.)
I wasted countless brain cells morizing and reciting French ah. Also, the 99 yuan coffee money which I paid ah. This scoundrel who bullies the staff and exploits ordinary civilians, such a scoundrel ah !
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