After Lin Tianran finished his breakfast, he felt that he couldn't just leave without doing something to help. So, he quickly offered, "I'll clean up, I'll clean up."
"No need, wait..." Li Yicheng suddenly remembered that he hadn't hired a secretary yet, and seeing Lin Tianran's eager look as if he wanted to work, he couldn't refuse.
Lin Tianran gathered the cups, plates, and utensils onto a tray and headed toward the kitchen.
Li Yicheng sat on the sofa, contentedly patting his full stomach and licking the milk from his lips. He watched Lin Tian's figure as he bent over.
"Bang!" It was the crisp sound of porcelain hitting the floor.
Li Yicheng quickly stood up, taking three steps at a time to reach the kitchen. As expected, there were pieces scattered all over the floor.
His Tiantian looked at the mess on the ground in shock and then nervously at him.
"How are you? Are you hurt? Did any of the fragments hit you?" Li Yicheng wanted to thoroughly check him inside and out, but luckily, he was just startled, and everything was fine. He breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm... sorry, it was my fault... I slipped." Lin Tianran stammered, his voice trembling. He seemed determined to pick up the pieces from the floor as if that would somehow mend the broken situation.
Li Yicheng stopped him from doing something foolish by gently supporting him, "It's okay, really. Don't pick it up. We'll have someone clean it once the door is opened."
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Lin Tianran's eyes turned red as he silently scolded himself countless times for being useless.
"I'll compensate you. How much is this plate?" Li Yicheng genuinely had no idea about the value of this plate. He couldn't even read the carved character "Jingdezhen" on the bottom of the plate. But he knew, based on its craftsmanship and feel, that it was a precious item.
"No need for compensation, as long as you're okay," Li Yicheng replied with a gentle smile, brushing it off. Otherwise, Lin Tianran might keep going on and on.
Soon it was time to go to work. Li Yicheng picked up the phone on the table and made a call. In a moment, Manager Fang was rushing up the stairs.
"President Li!" Manager Fang called from the other side of the door. When he saw Lin Tianran behind President Li, he was slightly surprised. However, he quickly concealed his curiosity with a knowing nod. He efficiently opened the door for the two.
"Manager Fang, I..." Lin Tianran thought Manager Fang might misunderstand something, but to his surprise, Manager Fang simply nodded as if he understood, "You can go off work now."
Lin Tianran looked at Manager Fang, then at Li Yicheng, feeling awkward, and left.
"Manager Fang, please have someone come and clean up the kitchen fragments," Li Yicheng adjusted his tie and put on his wristwatch, "Oh, and deduct the cost of that plate from Lin Tian's salary next month."
"Yes, President Li." Manager Fang glanced at the kitchen and asked, "President Li, how much should we deduct?" Manager Fang was a smart person and knew that President Li probably wouldn't deduct the full price, but he also regretted that this precious set of bowls and plates was painstakingly obtained by Li Chongmao.
"Well... let's deduct fifty," Li Yicheng decided before picking up his bag and phone, "I'm heading to the business meeting. I'll be back in the afternoon."
"Understood, boss." Manager Fang remained as composed as ever.
Meanwhile, on the sickbed, Li Chongmao sneezed loudly.
Indeed, having a son by his side gave him peace of mind. Li Chongmao's health had improved significantly, but he still needed to rest in the hospital. However, he wasn't in a hurry to leave; he had complete trust in his exceptional son.
He had reached the age of retirement, and at work, he was gradually losing his vigor. There were some things that needed to be passed on naturally and some powers that needed to be transferred. After Li Chongmao fell this time, his attitude and perspective on many things had also broadened. "Making money" was no longer the only thing in his eyes.
He sighed as he looked out of the window at the blue sky and white clouds. A hint of loneliness flickered in his eyes. "If only you, Dreamhua, we're still here today."
Unfortunately, his wife, who had passed away many years ago, was no longer with him.
After returning to his dormitory, Lin Tianran began to calculate the value of the plate he had just broken.
He started to worry because he suddenly remembered that he might be on the verge of losing his job!
Deducting from his salary next month... Would he even have a salary next month?
Thinking about it, Lin Tianran felt quite miserable. Hua Mao Factory was the place where he had grown up since childhood. If he really couldn't stay there anymore, he needed to find his future path quickly.
He decided that he couldn't afford to be idle today, so he went out to stroll around and see if there were any job openings on the streets.
Meanwhile, in the Document Control Center, the employee there had finally completed the resignation procedures. The HR person responsible for recruitment asked Manager Fang, "Manager Fang, should we post the job vacancy for this position on the Internet?"
"No need. Someone will be taking the position tomorrow," Manager Fang sighed while sipping Pu'er tea. He had just finished cleaning the CEO's office!
"Oh, alright," HR replied, secretly relieved that they had one less task to do.
Lin Tianran went to work with an uneasy heart.
As soon as he entered the security office, he noticed that both the newcomer and Old Wang were there. He felt like a third wheel wherever he stood.
His mood immediately sank. At that moment, Old Wang patted his shoulder. "You've arrived. Manager Fang called earlier and asked you to go to the HR department as soon as you start your shift."
"Oh, I see." Lin Tianran felt as if he had received a death sentence. He felt like he was carrying lead in his shoes and could hardly lift his feet to move.
Struggling to make his way to the HR department, Lin Tianran's heart felt heavy. When he arrived, Manager Fang quickly waved him over.
Lin Tianran gave him an awkward smile, knowing that he was about to be dismissed, and couldn't find the words to say.
"Lin Tianran, come and have a seat," Manager Fang gestured to a chair. Seeing how uneasy Lin Tianran was, he asked, "What's wrong? Did you not get enough rest?"
"No," Lin Tianran shook his head. When he saw Manager Fang about to speak again, he quickly covered his ears.
No, this is too cruel. I'm not mentally prepared yet.
"Lin Tianran, I want to transfer you to Document Control—" Manager Fang was stunned. "Are you okay?"
Why is he covering his ears?"
Now, Lin Tianran not only covered his ears but also tightly closed his eyes, giving the impression of being completely cut off from the world.
"Hello?" Manager Fang, feeling helpless, had to shake Lin Tianran's slender body to get his attention.
Lin Tianran swallowed hard, scolding himself for being weak. The inevitable had to come; could he escape from it?
He reluctantly opened his eyes and released his ears, gazing at Manager Fang with a resigned look.
"I said I want to transfer you to the Document Control Center," Manager Fang repeated.
"Lin Tianran?"
"Hey, are you listening to me?"
"Why aren't you reacting?"
Lin Tianran felt like he was having a terrible day.
Manager Fang's words seemed to be on an endless loop, playing in his mind over and over again: "An employee from the Document Control Center suddenly resigned due to a family emergency. We urgently need someone to fill this position. Considering the career advancement and internal promotion opportunities for every employee, the company has decided to transfer you to the Document Control Center, effective immediately. Of course, your salary level will be raised by one grade, and you will enjoy the same benefits as office employees, including annual leave, holiday bonuses, seniority pay, and year-end bonuses."
His emotions were a whirlwind of excitement, disbelief, and deep unease.
He had never imagined that he would have a chance to become an office worker. Before this, his world had always revolved around the noisy workshop and the shabby security office with surveillance cameras on all sides. That office building had seemed magnificent to him, and even the air conditioning smelled fragrant. And now, he was going to work there!
However, he couldn't help but wonder if he was really the right candidate that Manager Fang believed him to be. He didn't know much, his writing skills were lacking, his speech was not eloquent, and he wasn't good at interacting with people. He felt like a block of wood. No, he was like a block of dull wood.
He was perplexed and anxious about this change. Manager Fang trusted him, had expectations of him, and believed he could handle it. But if he didn't do well, wouldn't it mean he had let Manager Fang down?
Despite his initial apprehension, the joy of not being laid off and receiving a pay raise eventually overshadowed his unease. Lin Tianran decided to give it a try.
Returning to the security office, he informed Old Wang of the news. Old Wang excitedly shook his hand, as if his own son had just been accepted into a prestigious university. "Good lad! You've made it. You've really made us proud!"
"Old Wang, I'm starting there today. Do you think I can handle it?" Lin Tianran asked hesitantly.
"Manager Fang says you can, so you definitely can. Go boldly!" Old Wang's proud expression made it seem as if Lin Tianran were taking a government position.
"Thank you for taking care of me all this time, Old Wang." Lin Tianran nodded gratefully. Both Old Wang and Old Quan had been very kind to him. He decided that when he received his salary, he would treat them to a nice meal.
He returned to his dormitory, rummaged through his wardrobe, and finally pulled out some hidden items.
A slightly yellowed shirt, a casual yet well-fitting pair of pants, and a pair of canvas shoes with tied laces. He felt that if he was going to work in an office, he needed to dress appropriately and couldn't maintain his previous shabby appearance.
Although this outfit couldn't be considered very formal office attire, when he put it on, it surprisingly exuded youthful vitality.
He nervously practiced his smile in front of the mirror. "Hello, I'm Lin Tianran, the newcomer at the Document Control Center."
When he felt confident that he could pull it off, he left the dormitory and headed to the HR department.
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