After giving instructions for all three matters, Li Yicheng lay back on his genuine leather chair, squinting his eyes in anticipation of the lunch appointment tomorrow.
"Oh!" Suddenly, he jolted up. How could he almost forget that he had a lunch appointment with a client tomorrow at noon?
Li Yicheng quickly dialed the client's number. After exchanging pleasantries three times, he began, "Oh, Wang Ge, Wang Ge, I still need to prepare the contract and template data for you tomorrow noon. I was so eager to finalize things with Wang Ge that I almost forgot about this lunch appointment. How about we skip lunch tomorrow? Otherwise, I'm afraid we won't have enough time. How about this, I'll finish the documents here, and in the afternoon, I'll bring them over to you, and we can chat over afternoon tea?"
After receiving the agreement, Li Yicheng finally breathed a sigh of relief. He continued with some business boasting before finally hanging up the call.
Li Yicheng hadn't finished reading a document when Manager Fang knocked on the door, accompanied by an IT engineer from the IT department.
"Mr. Li, this is Li Gong, who's here to install surveillance on your phone." Manager Fang was indeed efficient, with barely a two-hour gap from the moment Li Yicheng gave the order to the arrival of the technician.
"Alright, go ahead." Li Yicheng stood up and vacated his seat for Li Gong, who began installing software on Li Yicheng's Apple computer.
"Mr. Li, this is the meal card you requested." Manager Fang produced a brand new electronic card printed with the "Huamao Group Employee Meal Card" and a balance of 500 yuan.
"Good." Li Yicheng nodded appreciatively and accepted the card, placing it in his wallet.
"Mr. Li, the third matter you instructed has also been arranged." With Li Gong present, Manager Fang couldn't speak openly, so he spoke discreetly.
"Very good, hurry and get him out of here." Li Yicheng patted Manager Fang's shoulder, relieved to have such a trustworthy subordinate.
"Understood," Manager Fang replied.
"Mr. Li, I've installed the surveillance software for your computer. If you want to view the security room's cameras, open this software, enter the default password, and you'll be able to see it." Li Gong demonstrated, and indeed, the computer screen immediately displayed the images from the security room, but Lin Tianran was nowhere to be seen."
"Press this button for zooming in, here is for taking screenshots, and this one is for recording."
Li Yicheng learned attentively and asked questions from time to time, quickly grasping how it worked.
"Alright, Mr. Li, if you have any questions later, just give me a call, and I'll be right over," Li Gong said.
"Okay, thanks." Li Yicheng nodded.
Manager Fang then escorted Li Gong out.
Li Yicheng happily continued to play with the surveillance software. Now he could see Tian Tian anytime and anywhere!
During busy work hours, he could sneak a peek, take a short break, and recharge.
When he missed her, he could sneak another peek, easing his longing.
Li Yicheng thought it was simply marvelous.
However, in the security room, there was wailing and commotion.
"Oh my, is my peaceful life finally coming to an end?" Lao Quan lamented.
"What's going on?" Little Tian, who just come for the shift, looked puzzled.
"Look at the wall." Lao Wang smoked a cigarette, looking somewhat melancholic.
"Hmm?" Little Tian raised his head and noticed a new camera on the wall, the kind that could rotate 360 degrees without blind spots.
"Manager Fang from the HR department said they want strict surveillance in the office area, not only in the security room. Each department will gradually install cameras."
"So, does that mean we can't be late or leave early anymore?" Lao Quan wailed again, "No napping, no laziness, no snacking on peanuts and melon seeds, no this, no that!"
"Who has so much free time to constantly watch you, a security guard?" Lao Wang sneered at Lao Quan, "You're not some valuable item. Just do your job properly, and it doesn't matter if they install cameras or not."
Lin Tianran agreed with this sentiment. As long as you didn't do anything wrong, why care about surveillance?
"Alright, alright, Little Tian is here now. Lao Quan, you can go off duty." Lao Wang started to usher him out.
Lao Quan continued to lament while leaving.
"Lao Quan is like this, don't mind him." Lao Wang shook his head.
Little Tian didn't mind at all. To be honest, he quite liked this new job.
Although the security room was small with only three people, it meant fewer complications, and people had straightforward minds. There wouldn't be any bullying or power plays here."
So, compared to the other workshops, Xiaotian quite liked working in the security room. Although the pay was low, at least Lao Wang and Lao Quan were fair and didn't pick on him just because he had a limp.
Regarding money, he thought, earn more and spend more; earn less and spend less.
After finishing work in the evening and having dinner, as he was walking up the dormitory building, Xiaotian unexpectedly ran into Fat Tiger Liu Dali.
Liu Dali had an extremely unpleasant expression and was carrying a bunch of luggage, apparently moving out.
Xiaotian wanted to avoid him, fearing another confrontation.
"Why are you hiding, you cripple!" Liu Dali's mood was clearly terrible, and he cursed harshly.
Xiaotian was so frightened his steps faltered, almost causing him to fall.
If, at this moment, Liu Dali knew that he had lost his job for no apparent reason, all due to Supervisor Lin's words, would he start a fight with him right here in the hallway? That remains unknown.
All Lin Tianran knew was that after being exploited countless times by Fat Tiger, he was finally leaving the factory. He could finally escape from this hellish demon's clutches!
It was really something to be happy about!
Lin Tianran, who rarely felt this happy, freshened up, making himself look neat and clean, and then headed out again, planning to buy some delicious food to celebrate.
He took a 20 yuan bill and put it in his pocket before slipping into his slippers and leaving the room.
Behind the factory's back gate, there were occasionally some street vendors who set up shop. Typically, they sold fruits and various snacks like twisty fried dough sticks. Today, however, there was a small cart selling Jianbing Guozi (Chinese savory pancakes) and roasted chestnuts, with the vendor loudly calling out to attract customers.
Lin Tianran browsed the offerings, even though he had just eaten and wasn't hungry, his mouth watered, and he felt like eating everything.
"Boss, how much is a bag of roasted chestnuts?" The golden-brown, freshly roasted chestnuts had split open in the middle, revealing their juicy flesh and giving off hot steam.
"Fifteen yuan per bag," the vendor replied with a friendly smile and offered a sample.
"Hmm, they smell really good." Xiaotian peeled one and popped it into his mouth. "Give me a bag, I'll pick them myself."
"Alright," the vendor immediately handed him a bag.
Lin Tianran carefully selected the larger chestnuts, one by one, placing them in the bag until it was full.
"There you go, that'll be 20 yuan," he said, taking out the 20 yuan from his pocket.
"I'll give you 5 yuan in change," the vendor said as they completed the transaction.
Lin Tianran bought roasted chestnuts and wanted to get something to drink, as eating chestnuts can make you thirsty. So, he walked a few steps further, and there was a convenience store across the street. He decided to buy a bottle of drink there, thinking he might as well spend the remaining 5 yuan.
He bought a bottle of non-iced black tea and, when he unscrewed the cap, he found the words "Get another one" on the inside of the cap. Lin Tianran was so excited that he almost dropped the chestnuts.
What was happening today? Maybe he should buy another lottery ticket. If he had any spare change on him, he would probably have done it.
Unfortunately, he had no money left; he had spent it all on necessities. So, Lin Tianran dismissed the idea of gambling.
Well, it's better to stay grounded and not get carried away.
"Boss, can I redeem this later?" Lin Tianran showed the winning bottle cap to the store owner, afraid that it might become invalid once he left.
"Sure, no problem," the boss replied. "I've been selling these for years, and this is the first time I've seen someone win."
Lin Tianran was even more delighted when he heard this. He silently exclaimed, "Truly lucky!" He walked back with a bag of chestnuts in one hand and a drink in the other, despite his limp.
He might be a cripple, but he also had his ways of keeping himself happy.
Life might be tough, but you have to keep moving forward. If you knew how to have fun amidst the hardships, it would be much easier.
Otherwise, how would you pass the long journey of life?
"Er Gou, I bought freshly roasted chestnuts. Do you want some?" When Lin Tianran returned to the dormitory, he waved the bag at Er Gou, who was lying on the bed.
"Sure," Er Gou rolled off the bed, putting down his phone, which was heated up from a League of Legends match, and grabbed a few chestnuts.
Lin Tianran lived in the factory's collective dormitory, which was around 30 square meters. There were both six-person rooms and two-person rooms, with the majority being six-person rooms. The number of two-person rooms was quite limited.
Above their floor, there were rooms for married couples and management, which were several times larger, typically consisting of two bedrooms and a living room, with some even having three bedrooms and a living room. These rooms had private bathrooms and kitchens and were much better furnished. However, staying in such rooms meant paying a monthly rent of two to three hundred yuan. To apply for them, you had to be a married worker or a managerial leader.
Lin Tianran originally lived in a six-person room, but it wasn't harmonious. He was often the target of ridicule by the others. When he finally had the opportunity to apply for a vacant two-person room, he moved into it. The two-person room was on a lower floor compared to the six-person room, which was convenient for him as a person with a limp.
Er Gou had been here when Lin Tianran moved in. He was from a nearby village, and the people in his village believed that raising children should be done on a tight budget, so they named him Er Gou (Second Dog).
Er Gou treated Lin Tianran quite peacefully. Usually, he was obsessed with mobile games and was a classic "phubber" – when he returned from work, he would stay on his bed, glued to his phone.
"These chestnuts are pretty good," Er Gou said as he ate more, grabbing a handful. "Let me take some more; I'll treat you next time."
Lin Tianran smiled, seeing him grab a bunch and put them in his own pocket. This was a familiar exchange, and Lin Tianran had heard these words more than once.
In Lin Tianran's books, this kind of behavior didn't count as bullying. He preferred to interpret it as a different kind of friendliness.
"By the way, I'm quitting after this month," Er Gou suddenly looked up.
"Hmm? Why?" Lin Tianran asked, surprised.
"The pay is low, and there's too much work. I've decided to save some money for a few years and find a wife. The pay here is too meager; I can't stay," Er Gou explained.
"Oh," Lin Tianran said, indifferent. After so many years in the factory, he had become apathetic about the comings and goings of people. The turnover rate among factory workers was quite high; new people came in every day, and old ones left just as frequently.
So, he rarely formed emotional attachments to people. Otherwise, if someone left, he would be the only one feeling sad, and it wasn't worth it.
"Why don't you leave?" Er Gou asked curiously. "Your pay is lower than mine, and you probably can't save much."
"Me?" Lin Tianran seemed to have never considered this question before, and he felt a bit abrupt. But he quickly refocused and said casually, "I've already considered this place my home. Where else can I go?"
As a cripple, he had been in Huamao for nearly twenty years. He couldn't go far anymore.
"Ah, you have no ambition," Er Gou muttered under his breath.
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