Chapter 5 Familiar Speed 2

  "Why choose fashion design as a career?"

  Zhang Haoran swallowed a piece of beef: "Boss! I love this family's barbecue the most, it's so delicious!" He took a sip of iced beer: "You ask me why I chose fashion design as my career, of course, it's because I like it. When I was young, my family was poor and I never wore anything nice. I had a classmate who had many beautiful shirts every day, and I envied him so much that I wanted my mom to buy me one too. But unexpectedly, my mom said, 'Boys don't need to wear pretty clothes, as long as they're warm enough.' From then on, my dream was to become a fashion designer and wear nice clothes."

  "What about now?"

  "Now... now I still can't afford to buy nice clothes. The money I earn is just enough for living expenses." Zhang Hao Ran stuffed another piece of beef into his mouth: "Boss, it's not that I'm begging you. My monthly salary is 4,000 yuan, what can I do with that? I share a rental apartment with someone else, the rent is 2,600 yuan per month, we split it in half, so I have to pay 1,300 yuan, and then send 1,000 yuan back to my mom, leaving me with only 1,700 yuan. If the company didn't provide one meal for work, I wouldn't even have enough to eat."

  "Zhang Haoran! As far as I know, the base salary of the design department is 4,000 yuan. If you have a work, once it goes into production, you can get a commission. Your last piece, at least, should have a commission of 30,000 to 50,000 yuan."

  "Manager! To be honest with you, I've never done it before."

  "Haven't you ever been on top?" Muxi Xue had just looked at Zhang Haoran's work, and thought that as someone with ideas about clothing, it was strange that he hadn't designed any clothes that could be put into production: "How long have you been in the company?"

  Zhang Haoran put down his chopsticks and stretched out his palm: "Five years! A full five years!"

  "What?"

  "Are you starting to doubt my ability?"

  "Doubting your ability is secondary, what I doubt is how the company's leadership could use someone who hasn't achieved anything in five years."

  "You're still talking nonsense? Your words are like a yellow-haired kid!" Zhang Hao Ran continued drinking beer, someone was treating today, he had to drink happily.

  "So tell me, how did I become a yellow-haired kid?"

  "Our company leaders can't see my existence, they only see Li Pingan. The entire design department seems to have only one person, Li Pingan. Yes, I admit that Li Pingan is talented, but the power of one person is ultimately weak, it's everyone's collective strength that is powerful. Didn't you also say this at the meeting two days ago?"

  "Really? Did I say that?"

  "It's probably what he meant. Li Ping'an is talented, but we are also ambitious young people who need a platform to show ourselves, but no one gives us this platform."

  "Didn't anyone give you this platform? What is the design department of that company for? What does the factory do?"

  "The company's factory is for Li Ping'an and his followers, not for serving a talented but slightly lacking young man like me." Zhang Haoran was only thinking about getting a free ride, got drunk a bit too much, and his tongue was tied up.

  He has been blaming her all along? Snowy eyebrows furrowed slightly.

  Zhang Haoran continued recklessly: "The company's factory is for Li Ping'an and his followers. Whoever doesn't follow him, flatter him, and put his name on their work, he won't adopt anyone's design! To be honest with you, I had already written my resignation letter before you came, just waiting to hand it in. If not for your inaugural speech and your words at the meeting, I would have left already."

  "Do you want to add some more beef?"

  "I want! I haven't eaten beef for two months."

  Muzi Snow ordered two more beef dishes: "No wine, drinking too much is bad for your health."

  "Manager! You're really great. Who says beautiful girls are arrogant and rude? Our manager isn't like that."

  "Why don't you join Li Ping'an's team?" Mu Si Xue said, feeling like she had acted foolishly again. How did she always end up being silly whenever she was with him?

  "I want to be myself and don't want to be controlled by anyone! I am a young man with ideals, talent and ambition!"

  "Who else in your design department is like you?"

  "Who else? Jing Qiu, 'Chai He'... Ah, they've all left."

  "Do they have any entries for this fashion week?"

  "Yes, I already had a second helping. We all participated in the competition online, I used Yūko's name, Shizuki used 'Mokui', and 'Shiba' used... uh, forgot. Anyway, we all submitted our entries online, just like usual, and they sank to the bottom of the ocean, never to be seen again. Manager! This beef is really delicious!"

  Muxi Snow seemed to understand something, but also seemed to understand nothing.

  Such a long corridor, Mu Xi didn't know if she could support Zhang Haoran to the door. She hadn't drunk much, how come she started swaying already. The service here was too bad, there wasn't even a waiter serving them.

  "Manager! You... don't think I'm not coming out, I really haven't been here to eat for a long time."

  ——————&&&——————&&&——————

  Zi Xi was making lunch for Ling Shui Yao while pouting and acting cute: "Yao! Why haven't you called or texted me in three days?"

  The company has been busy these past few days.

  Busy? She had already asked Secretary Zhao, and Ling Shuiyue hadn't been in the company for days. With so many pursuers of her own, why did she have to wait stupidly for his calls every day? What was he, anyway? Zi Xi grew angrier the more she thought about it, but her face still wore a smiling, lovely expression: "Zhao Qi has already told me. You've been on vacation these past few days and haven't even been in the company!"

  "Zi Xi! Ming De and I only stayed at Ruyi for one night."

  How dare you say that? Why didn't you bring her, did you go with another woman? Zi Xi was full of doubts and couldn't help but get angry, especially when she saw the two millimeters of stubble on Ling Shui's temples and chin: "Shui, can't you just say something nice to me or tell a lie to make me happy? You only eat with me a few times a month, and others like it when you shave your beard clean."

  "What's the relationship between mustaches and eating?"

  "Why didn't you keep your beard during the party?" Zi Xi and Ling Shui Yao met at a company's celebratory party.

  "I'm not someone who never shaves, I just don't shave every day. Besides, that party was a surprise. I like myself this way, if you can't accept it, there's nothing I can do."

  "Hey! How can you do this? I'm your girlfriend!"

  "Zi Xi! You... it seems we didn't agree on this." Forget it, now is not the time to argue with her, Ling Shuiyue took his coat and walked out.

  "We've had it for six months!" Zixi couldn't sit still anymore.

  "That's just a promise that's a little more intimate than friends."

  Ling Shuiyue's indifference was not something Zixi had experienced for the first time.

  Usually, he can use the company's busyness as an excuse, but why didn't he tell her when he was on vacation, making her call Zhao Secretary. As Ling Shuiyue's 'girlfriend', she doesn't even know about his vacation, how embarrassing, she can no longer tolerate him treating her like this.

  Zi Xi hastily chased after him.

  Ling Shui had just walked out of the door when he bumped into a wall of people.

  "Sorry! Sorry!" Although it was spring, Musashi's forehead was already sweating.

  Ling Shuiyue hadn't spoken yet, when Zi Xi was already huffing and puffing beside him: "How do you walk? You're eating from the bowl but looking at the pot, you clearly have a boyfriend, but you deliberately bump into my boyfriend!"

  "Zi Xi!" Ling Shuiyao pulled Zi Xi aside to let Musi Xue and Zhang Haoran pass.

  Zhang Haoran saw a girl standing in front of them, shouting and scolding, and even saying that his beautiful manager had rushed into the arms of a man: "What nonsense are you talking about? Who rushed into your boyfriend's arms?"

  Because of Zhang Haoran's staggering, Musi Xue really couldn't be bothered to watch the road, whatever that woman said, hurry up and get this drunkard out first.

  Unexpectedly, Zhang Haoran hadn't completely passed out yet and still had some 'hearing' left. He didn't hear what he should have heard, but heard everything he shouldn't have, and most importantly, he still wanted to argue on.

  "Sorry!" Musui Xue hastily apologized.

  "Yao! He clearly bumped into you, yet he's blaming me!" Zi Xi pulled on Ling Shui Yao's sleeve and pouted.

  "I'm drunk? Okay......" Zhang Hao Ran's "ah" hadn't finished, all the beef and beer he liked in his stomach poured onto Ling Shuiyue's body.

  Mozhi was shocked by the snow.

  "Ah——, you——! Someone come quick! Someone come quick!"