Early the next morning, Pan Qiaomu was woken up by a phone call from HR. He gently rolled out of bed, pushed the door open, and stood in the hotel corridor making a work call.
The personnel informed him that the new round of layoff talks had officially ended and asked him to send the review list of his team as soon as possible.
After making the call, he hung his head and sent a few more work WeChat messages before pushing the door open and going back to his room.
Chen Jiaxian was sitting on the edge of the bed, buttoning her shirt one by one. Pan Qiaomu sat on the chair by the window and looked up at her.
Chen Jiaxian put down her phone: "Zhou Ke told me that she was laid off." She looked down at Pan Qiaomu.
Pan Qiaomu said "hmm".
"Why? Did Zhou Ke do something wrong?" Chen Jiaxian asked.
"The project has a fixed layoff target." Pan Qiaomu said simply.
The list of Zhou Ke being laid off was reported by Pan Qiaomu.
Sun Jiwen separated the operations team from Pan Qiaomu's team in order to disgust him. But meetings and personnel processes take time. Pan Qiaomu took advantage of the short gap when the operation team was transferred out of his name, and laid off several people in the operation team to cover the layoffs in his own team, and instead defeated Sun Jiwen.
Among those who were laid off was Zhou Ke.
Zhou Ke is just a junior commissioner, and in this power struggle, he has undoubtedly become cannon fodder. The failure of chess pieces often has nothing to do with personal ability. In fact, many changes in human society have nothing to do with personal abilities.
piece.
cannon fodder.
Chen Jiaxian was silent for a long time.
She asked Pan Qiaomu: "What about me? Will I be laid off?"
Pan Qiaomu thought for a moment and said objectively: "Not this quarter." The implication is that if her PBC completion rate is still pitifully low next quarter, it is possible.
Chen Jiaxian fastened the last button and smiled to herself.
She asked Pan Qiaomu: "Are you busy today?"
Pan Qiaomu's cell phone vibrated with another work call. He quickly turned on the mute button: "Not busy."
Chen Jiaxian stepped on the carpet with her bare feet, and Pan Qiaomu put his coat on her.
She walked to the huge French window and opened the curtains.
Through the windows of the 72nd floor hotel, you can have a panoramic view of the row upon row of buildings across the city. This is Yuecheng, the CBD, where elites across the country gather, and the center of wealth, power, and glory.
Chen Jiaxian stared out the window for a long time, then turned around in front of the soft light: "Can I ask you a favor?"
Pan Qiaomu's cell phone vibrated again.
Caller ID:
Shi Yuan.
Pan Qiaomu threw the vibrating phone back into his arms without changing his expression: "You tell me."
Chen Jiaxian was silent for a while, and then she seemed to have made up her mind: "Help me choose a suit."
…
This is not the first time that Pan Qiaomu has accompanied clients to visit luxury stores.
He is very familiar with the business world's tricks of receiving the young master's daughter, paying by credit card at the right time and for the right reason, showing off his elegant and relaxed elitist demeanor and marketing himself...
But at this moment, he was accompanying Chen Jiaxian to visit a luxury store. Without Chen Jiaxian's instructions, he could not take out his card on his own initiative.
He knew very well that Chen Jiaxian would not allow him to do this.
There were four golden Christmas trees decorated in front of the luxury store, and the bright light gilded Chen Jiaxian's brown pupils.
Pan Qiaomu said: "It's almost Christmas."
Chen Jiaxian stared at the door of the luxury store and said, "Yeah."
She walked over, stretched out her hand, and pushed open the splendid door with great force.
Pan Qiaomu followed Chen Jiaxian appropriately, and Chen Jiaxian turned back and asked him: "Where is Armani's store?"
Pan Qiaomu pointed in the direction and took Chen Jiaxian around the Armani store.
Chen Jiaxian pointed to a black suit and said to sales: "I'll try it."
Pan Qiaomu took two steps back and looked at Chen Jiaxian.
He is very aware of Chen Jiaxian's financial situation, as well as Chen Jiaxian's rank and income.
Chen Jiaxian tightened her face, tried to look calm and composed, and put on a black suit. The mirror showed her whole person clearly. Compared with the soft-glossy black suit, her hair lacked good care and was a little frizzy under the light, and her pants and shoes were also old.
Pan Qiaomu stared at the clumsy flaws on her body without saying a word.
Chen Jiaxian turned around and looked at Pan Qiaomu.
"What would you think," she whispered, "if I bought it."
…
Pan Qiaomu looked at Chen Jiaxian and suddenly remembered how she was pushed out of the splendid door with frowns at the reception a few days ago.
He didn't say anything like "This is too vain" or "It's better to buy theory".
He knew she had low self-esteem.
People with low self-esteem often react more impulsively and radically than ordinary people when encountering setbacks.
This is human nature. Pan Qiaomu thought.
Inferiority and arrogance are not worthy of criticism. Vanity caused by inferiority and conceit is not worthy of criticism. If he wants to criticize - he should criticize the structures and systems that give rise to inferiority and conceit.
So Pan Qiaomu reached into his arms, held his card, and said, "Very good."
Chen Jiaxian looked at herself in the mirror and smiled.
She took off her suit and said to the salesperson, "I'll take a look."
Pan Qiaomu's hand paused and he calmly took the card back into his arms.
…
The two walked out of Armani's door.
Pan Qiaomu commented objectively: "You want to be like Guan Xi, right? She often wears Armani suits."
But what he didn’t say was that Guan Xi wore the main line GA, while Chen Jiaxian tried her best to afford Armani’s secondary line EA.
But EA is also Armani.
Pan Qiaomu added: "You are very similar. You and Guan Xi."
Chen Jiaxian turned around and looked at the black Armani handwriting.
Guan Xi?
Chen Jiaxian thought of Guan Xi's words, "We always have to say goodbye."
She curved her lips and said clearly: "No."
Pan Qiaomu was surprised.
"No. I will not become Guan Xi. I will not become anyone else." Chen Jiaxian was very slow. He said very forcefully, "Guan Xi made Guan Xi's choice, and I - my own path, no one can take me forever. I can only walk it myself."
…
Chen Jiaxian stood in the YSL store and swiped a credit card for the first time in her life. The little card just rubbed lightly, and she was in debt.
Very expensive, more than 20,000 yuan.
Pan Qiaomu stared silently at the young woman who swiped the card. She had a stubborn face. And the card in his arms has never been allowed to be used. At this moment, it is close to his heart, and it is shockingly hot.
After swiping the card, Chen Jiaxian watched sales pack her clothes.
This is a pure black suit with an angular shape and shoulder pads. It hangs there like a piece of armor.
Chen Jiaxian looked at the four matte black buttons on the cuffs of the suit. This is the most unisex black suit, without any trace of gender or decoration.
It just hung there, like a piece of armor.
She asked Pan Qiaomu for his opinion. Pan Qiaomu did not comment on whether it looked good or not, but only stated objective facts: "In the workplace, de-gendering will make you look more professional."
Chen Jiaxian said "hmm".
She carried the huge YSL bag and returned to the dormitory alone.
