He Gu felt a bit agitated. He worked for a while but could not remain focused as his thoughts incessantly wandered off to how Song Ju Han had left just like that—it was possible that he wasn't going to be paying any attention to him for a long time. Even worse, He Gu himself was not the type of person to resolve an issue. It was not that he was afraid of losing face, but he honestly did not know what to do. He had once tried to reconcile with Song Ju Han when he was angry, however, that had only made Song Ju Han even more furious.
I'll just go to work, he commented to himself after much consideration. Originally, he intended to give himself a day off, but since he was too tired yesterday, he needed work to distract himself.
Before heading out, he suddenly caught sight of a cellphone on the sofa, so he headed over for a look—as expected, it was Song Ju Han's. For a person like Song Ju Han, who was not careful about the majority of things, being forgetful happened frequently.
He sent Xiao Song a message: "Xiao Song, Ju Han's cellphone is with me. —He Gu
Then he placed the cellphone in his pocket and left.
When he arrived at the company, his assistant Chen Shan was rather surprised to see him. "He Zong,[1]weren't you feeling unwell today?"
"I'm fine, don't worry."
"He Zong, you are dressed very handsomely today!" Chen Shan looked at him up and down, and praised once more, "I think that your taste is getting better and better."
Hearing that, He Gu looked at himself. These were the clothes that Song Ju Han had conveniently left at his place and were given to him by his sponsors. The trousers were too long for him to wear, but the jacket was surprisingly well-fitting. The quality of this thing was undoubtedly constructed with a heap of money.
"Not only does our He Zong has a great build, he's also handsome. What can he wear that wouldn't make him look good?! It's just his standards are too high. My niece is an Oxford graduate, but He Zong still doesn't look at her." The Administrative Manager was a middle-aged woman with a straightforward and outspoken personality. There were very few people in the company that dared to tease He Gu, and she was one of them.
He Gu pretended not to hear anything and said, "All of you, go to work." After that, he went to discuss about the progress of their projects with some of his staffs.
As soon as he graduated, he entered one of the nation's most famous state enterprises and had been working there strenuously for the last six years until he became a middle-ranking leader. He knew that his career could not go any further because he was not good with communication and expression, therefore, he was not able to be a Chief Executive—he could only work on his own specialty. In truth, he was satisfied with his current position and income, but the only thing was the workload was nonstop.
After reading the project report compiled by his staff, he found a bunch of problems and scolded them with an especially harsh tone, (which was probably due to his bad mood).
Just then, Chen Shan came in, "He Zong, Gu Zong is looking for you."
"Gu Zong?"
"Yes, he's in his office right now. He asked for you to go there when you have some time."
The staff let out a sigh of relief.
"Okay, I know." He Gu briefly clarified his staff's mistakes then took his leave.
The 'Gu Zong' whom Chen Shan had just mentioned was Gu Qing Pei,[2]a high-ranking person in their company. He started out in the production department, later in management, and was now in bidding and purchasing. He was no more than three or four years older than He Gu. With strong capabilities and a career that was rapidly growing, it was hard for anyone to beat him. Gu Qing Pei was the number one most influential figure in the company—having the abilities, knowledge and eloquence was just one aspect, more importantly, he was extremely handsome.
He Gu and Gu Qing Pei were normally in contact with each other due to business dealings, and since that Gu Zong always took care of him, their relationship was pretty good.
Taking the elevator upstairs, He Gu passed through the long hallway and knocked on the impressive-looking wooden door in front of him.
The ninth floor and above were the executives' offices. They had all been renovated last year and cost more than two million dollars. If someone was to say that they were not enviable, then that was too hypocritical. But He Gu knew full well that he would never be able to move into such an office.
"Please come in." A steady and magnetic voice transmitted from the other side of the door.
He Gu pushed open the door and entered.
In the spacious and luxurious director's office, a tall man in a white shirt was standing in front of his desk. His left hand was placed behind his back while his right hand was writing something on a rice white paper that was sewn onto a scroll.
"Gu Zong."
"He Gong,[3]you're here." Gu Qing Pei looked up and smiled kindly at He Gu. In his early thirties, he had an impeccably handsome face with narrow cheeks, a sharp chin and two thick eyebrows that flew out in a slant. There was always a deep and meaningful look in his long and narrow eyes that seemed to captive anyone who glimpsed at them. He wore a pair of gold frame spectacles; had a set of hair that was meticulously combed to the back of his head; his shirt collar was as sharp as a sword, and neatly put as usual—from head to toe, there was a sense of brilliance and otherworldly aura to him that made him the cream of the crop. He lifted his chin and said, "Sit."
He Gu sat down on the sofa.
Gu Qing Pei dipped the brush lightly into the ink and continued to write something on the scroll while speaking. "I have been practicing calligraphy recently. When I write, my mood is especially calm. It helps during times when I need to reflect or distract myself from stressful situations. If you have time, you can give it a try."
"Okay."
Putting the brush down, Gu Qing Pei gently placed the red sandalwood color leaf-shaped paperweight to the side. Then he carefully picked up the scroll, faced He Gu and smiled. "How is it?"
There were two lines written on the paper: be ambitious and unafraid, aim for a position as high as the heaven.[3]
Those words were vigorous and free, like the coiling dragon taking over the ocean by force!
In his mind, He Gu understood it clearly. It seemed that the rumor regarding Gu Qing Pei's intent to change jobs was true—with that, he could roughly guess Gu Qing Pei's purpose for calling him over. He nodded, "Gu Zong, your characters are very well written."
Gu Qing Pei laughed, "Pfft, if someone else praised me like that, it would sound as if they are buttering me up, but when it comes out of your mouth, it sounds sincere."
He Gu, "It's honestly good."
Gu Qing Pei rolled the scroll up, inserted it into a silk tube and walked over—and unsurprisingly, his tailor-made suit perfectly set off his slender and straight figure.
Seeing him do that, He Gu also stood up.
"Sit, sit," Gu Qing Pei quickly said as he sat down next to him and passed the scroll over. "It's for you."
"Thank you, Gu Zong." He Gu politely accepted it.
Gu Qing Pei looked at He Gu and asked, "Have you been resting well lately? You look really tired."
"Yes, but there are some urgent projects."
"The money is the company's, but your body is your own, so you have to find a balance between them. People have a limited amount of energy; there's no need for you to force yourself too much."
"Okay."
Gu Qing Pei picked up the purple clay teapot and poured a cup for He Gu.
He Gu quickly said, "Gu Zong, let me."
"Don't worry." Gu Qing Pei poured two cups, "Try it."
Taking a sip, He Gu could not find a reason for that action and could only say, "It's good tea."
Gu Qing Pei laughed, "He Gu, you're very interesting."
Honestly, He Gu did not know what Gu Qing Pei's 'you're interesting' meant, but he knew for certain that letting a leader pour tea was wrong. After so many years, he often still exposed a lack of ways with people just from the details of his gestures.
"Don't be nervous, let's talk casually."
"Oh."
"He Gong, how long have you been in the company?"
"Six years."
"You're definitely considered an older employee. I remember two years ago when I was in charge of the human resource department, I gave you an evaluation each year. How about I give you one today? Let's discuss your current view on your position, work intensity, salary, environment, anything will be fine."
He Gu nodded hesitantly.
Gu Qing Pei asked about his most recent projects—and the words he employed were chosen to feel out He Gu's satisfaction regarding his position, workload and salary. He Gu was merely unsociable, not stupid; therefore, he only focused on the minor details and evade the major ones.
After the two casually chatted for ten minutes, Gu Qing Pei talked more seriously, "You probably heard about it, I am working on some tasks, and will leave next month.”
He Gu nodded again, "I've heard. Gu Zong, where are you moving over to?"
"A friend's company which mainly deals with real estate." Gu Qing Pei leaned back into the sofa and looked around, "I've only used this new office for half a year, so I'm actually a bit reluctant."
"You have been working here for ten years. With such a big change, you must have taken a lot of effort to reach this resolution."
"Yes, that friend of mine has been trying to get me over there for the last two years. I have also evaluated it for more than two years. In fact, I don't have any dissatisfaction with our work. The leaders think highly of others and the employees are strong and competent. Once all the responsibilities have cooled down, there's no need to be too stressed over them—and after sitting in my position, there's enough leisure time for other things. Most of the time is spend chatting and drinking, but…" Gu Qing Pei smiled, "It's exactly because things are like that, that it made me feel there isn't a bit of passion toward it at all these days. I am still young. I still like a challenging life. If I stay here, joining the board of directors will be the end, but I think I am far more than that."
He Gu had always admired Gu Qing Pei. Gu Qing Pei not only had a beautiful outward appearance and the gift of (the) gab,[5]but he had a swift and decisive reaction, and a resolute yet arrogant leadership style—hewas a pretty amiable gentleman with a gentle and refined temperament. What's more, he was exceptionally professional and not academically picky. Like him, Gu Qing Pei was also an engineer, but the only thing was, their developments were entirely different as black and white.
When He Gu was a few years younger, he also had the idea of climbing up to try out for better communication skills in order to curry favors from others. But after leaving the school campus and stepping into society, he realized that there was a wide gap between himself and Song Ju Han. He once thought that he could work hard to shorten the distance, but every time he had that idea, he found himself tired and lacking, and became afraid. Gu Qing Pei was like a mirror. As long as he took a glance, all those tireless thoughts would be dispelled, and he could work on the project with peace of mind. As he gradually grew older, he knew more clearly what he could and couldn't do—for example, that wide gap.He could never fill it even if he did not stop to sleep or have a rest in this entire lifetime.
He Gu suddenly realized that he, himself, was staring in daze, and immediately pulled his eyes back. At that moment, Gu Qing Pei happened to look at him with a smile. He nodded, "Gu Zong's abilities can certainly be fully put to use in an even bigger room."
Gu Qing Pei laughed, "He Gu ah, I haven't said any of these words to anyone else in the company. I've always been very accurate when it comes to looking at people. Our experiences are pretty similar. Every time I see you, it always felt like I was looking at my previous self. The only thing is, we have different personalities. You are more stable."
"Thank you, Gu Zong." He Gu thought, he really does know how to speak, making someone who was not content with their own situation out to be someone who was 'stable'.Every time he finished talking with Gu Qing Pei, he often learned a thing or two.
Smiling again, Gu Qing Pei said, "Alright, I know that you're busy with work, so I'm not going to beat around the bush. You have always been smart, you should be able to guess what I want to say. How about it? Are you willing to go with me?”
He Gu had guessed that a long while ago. He had originally wanted to reject it, but as his brain swelled up with all kinds of thoughts, he remembered those tiring days and the endless overtime, and suddenly changed his mind. It was better to listen to what Gu Qing Pei had to say and give himself one more option. As a result, he ended up asking about the situation carefully.
Gu Qing Pei briefly explained his circumstances for changing jobs, giving He Gu a very good future prospect. However, after He Gu listened to it, he found that it was not in line with his own expectations. Although the annual salary was much higher, the independent projects would only be more tiring and stressful than now, and a private enterprise was not like a state-owned enterprise, since he would be completely accountable for even the smallest problem. Of course, he was not going to directly reject it, and only said that he needed some time to consider it.
Naturally, Gu Qing Pei understood that he might have a lot of concerns. They chatted about some other things and said he wanted to invite him to dinner on another day.
When he came out of Gu Qing Pei's office and took the elevator back down, a cellphone suddenly rung, but since the sound was a bit unfamiliar, he did not react. Then, realizing that he was the only one in the elevator, he knew at once that it was Song Ju Han's cellphone.
He quickly connected the call, "Hey, Xiao Song."
"He Gu, bring my cellphone here." Song Ju Han's lazy voice sounded from the other side of the phone.
"Okay, address."
When Song Ju Han did not speak, He Gu said 'hello' twice only to notice that the signal in the elevator was not good at all and the line had been cut off. Once he got off the elevator, he quickly dialed back.
As soon as the phone connected, Song Ju Han angrily said, "You fucking dare to hang up on my call?!"
He Gu faintly said, "I was in the elevator just now, the signal wasn't good."
Song Ju Han took a deep breath, and then, after making some noise, the voice changed to Xiao Song. "He Gu ge, we are in Dasheng Studio. I'm sorry, I honestly can't leave today. When can you bring it over here?"
"It's fine, I will let my assistant take it over there now."
"Okay, please have your assistant give me a call once she gets here. I will give her a work plate…"
"Let him come! Giving my mobile phone to some strange assistant, are you joking around!!" Song Ju Han's unhappy voice transmitted over from a distance away.
Xiao Song smiled bitterly, "He Gu ge…"
"Okay, I'll head over." After hanging up, He Gu shook his head helplessly. Dasheng Studios was in the Sixth Ring to the north; if he rushed over, it tantamount to him crossing the entire capital. At that moment, he could only hope that there was no traffic jam on the way there.
After saying a few words to his staffs, He Gu left his office with the phone—thinking of Song Ju Han baring his fangs and making threatening gestures, he couldn't help but to want to laugh. In front of the media, Song Ju Han was graceful and confident, however, he was much more brash and irritable in private. During the years that he and Song Ju Han had known each other, Song Ju Han had changed assistant four times. The clever and good-tempered Xiao Song had persevered for the longest.
Of course, no one had persevered as long as he had. In some senses, he was more patient and tolerable than Song Ju Han's parents.
In fact, it was not difficult to get along with Song Ju Han. After all, Song Ju Han did not eat people—as long as you tried as much as possible to get along with him, it would be fine.
Others can't do it simply because they are not afraid of losing him.
Translator's Note:
[1]He Zong (何总) – the Zong here means leader and He is He Gu's surname – translated to Leader He
[2]Gu Qing Pei – the main character from the novel 《决对争锋》Beloved Enemy
[3]He Gong 何工- the 'gong' means worker – Worker He.
[4]乘长风破万里浪，凌青云啸九天歌(idiom)- lit. ride the wind and crest the wave, rise high toward the Ninth Heaven; fig. be ambitious and unafraid,aim for a position as high as the heaven.
Think of Sun Wukong from the novel, Journey to the West—his self-proclaimed title is: Great Sage Equal to Heaven 齐天大圣, therefore, be like him and aim for the best!
[5]gift of (the) gab – the ability to speak easily and confidently in a way that makes people want to listen to you and believe you