Chapter 26: A Burst of Laughter

Even though she had mentally prepared herself, when Yao Jia picked up the call, she was still so provoked that she wanted to curse, hang up, or even jump off a building.

It was that same customer with the surname Yan again. He had specifically asked to be transferred to Yao Jia just to yell at her, “I’m telling you, send someone over immediately to reinstall the air conditioner for free! This is my right, and it doesn’t contradict my complaint to the Consumer Association, got it?”

With that, he hung up the phone.

Yao Jia clutched the headset wire, feeling a tightness in her chest.

“Damn it!”

Unable to hold back, she muttered a curse to vent her frustration. Afterward, she felt slightly better.

Before she could completely calm down, the phone on her desk rang again.

Yao Jia sincerely prayed that the caller would be polite and understanding. But it seemed her luck had run out that morning; it was yet another unreasonable complaint. The customer’s issue was truly baffling.

The caller was a woman with the surname Zhou. Judging by her tone and content, she seemed to be in her fifties or sixties. She said to Yao Jia over the phone, “Here’s the thing, I tripped over a cardboard box when I was going downstairs, and now I have a broken leg and am hospitalized, which costs a lot of money every day.”

Yao Jia couldn’t see how this was related to Kunyu Electric, so she patiently inquired further.

The woman said, “How could it not be related? The box that tripped me was from your Kunyu Electric, a box for one of your TVs! So, you should be responsible for my medical and hospitalization expenses!”

Yao Jia felt a chill, worried that the delivery person might have placed the box improperly.

So she asked, “Ms. Zhou, may I ask where the box was placed at the time?”

Ms. Zhou replied, “It was flattened and piled at the entrance of the building. I tripped over it as soon as I stepped out.”

Hearing the word “flattened,” Yao Jia had a thought, “Was it flattened by someone collecting waste cardboard and then left there?”

Ms. Zhou answered, “Yes.”

Yao Jia asked, “Were there other boxes as well?”

Ms. Zhou said, “Yes, but the box from your Kunyu Electric TV was on top and the largest.”

Yao Jia patiently explained, “Ms. Zhou, the boxes were collected by someone gathering waste at the entrance, which led to your injury. So, in this case, your injury isn’t causally related to Kunyu Electric.”

Ms. Zhou was displeased, “I know what you’re implying. You’re just trying to make me go after the person collecting the waste, aren’t you? But do you know how hard their life is? How can you be so heartless? You big companies have deep pockets; can’t you take a bit of responsibility for them? And when you asked about other boxes, I know what you meant. You’re suggesting I go after the other manufacturers too, aren’t you? But they’re all small companies; how can they compare to a big company like yours? You should have the responsibility and conscience of a large enterprise!”

Yao Jia was taken aback. This person was quite self-righteous, thinking of herself as humane and considerate of the underprivileged.

But isn’t this just emotional and moral blackmail, where the weak are always right and the strong are always to blame?

Yao Jia felt she was exhausting all her patience dealing with this morally coercive Ms. Zhou.

“You need to take responsibility for me!”

“You big companies can’t just ignore us poor folks!”

“You can’t just focus on making money without any humanity or social responsibility!”

…

Finally, when she was about to break down, Ms. Zhou stopped her nagging. She shifted from her weak stance to aggressively threatening, “If you continue to shirk responsibility, I’ll have no choice but to sue you! Think carefully about whether your big company can afford this disgrace! And young lady, let me tell you, you should be kind and have a conscience. You’re just a small customer service representative at this company; we’re all poor people and should empathize with each other, understand? This company isn’t yours; the money it earns doesn’t go into your pocket, and you don’t have to pay for any compensation. Why are you making it difficult for me to get compensation? Let me tell you, that’s heartless! It’s harming others without benefiting yourself! If you keep this up, you’ll end up having children without an anus!”

When she finally hung up after her tirade, Yao Jia felt like she was about to lose her mind.

What kind of lousy job was this? Everyone sitting here was nothing more than a human trash can, taking all the unreasonable and filthy words from people.

Lin Qian had warned her, but what could she do? Even if this job was dirty and frustrating, someone still had to do it.

But why couldn’t this job be made cleaner and more dignified?

What kind of broken system was this? Being cursed at had to be endured, having your ancestors insulted had to be listened to, and any bit of argument would result in punishment.

When would customer service personnel be allowed to say no to rude customers?

This position wasn’t training customer service representatives; it was training people to be punching bags! It was making everyone a doormat!

Yao Jia felt like she was really going insane.

Or maybe she already had.

Because when she realized what she was doing, she had already vented a string of curses at her desk.

Suddenly, she felt exhausted and drained.

Tian Huasheng had assured her that the negative feelings from this job were temporary and that she would eventually reap the rewards and sense of accomplishment it brought. But now, she was drowning in depression and irritability, with customers bringing her nothing but negativity. Where was the sense of accomplishment and reward?

What was she supposed to rely on to keep going?

After venting, Yao Jia took a deep breath and turned her head to look around.

Meng Xingzhe was sitting sideways, glancing at her with an inscrutable expression.

Unable to hold back, Yao Jia snapped, “What are you looking at?” Immediately, she felt a twinge of regret.

Why should she pass on the negative emotions others give her to someone else?

Meng Xingzhe smirked, “Seeing you in such pain, why not just go home if you can’t handle it?” His eyes held something inscrutable as he spoke. At that moment, Yao Jia felt he was almost unfathomably cunning.

Go home? Wouldn’t that mean she was naturally eliminated? And wouldn’t that mean he no longer faced the threat of losing his job?

How could she let his plans succeed so easily?

Yao Jia took a deep breath. “Even if you go home, I won’t!”

She put on her headset, composed herself, and prepared to fight again.

She really had to thank Meng Xingzhe for his taunts and provocations, which gave her the motivation to persevere and not be eliminated.

******

In the afternoon, just before a break, Lin Qian approached Yao Jia. “The boss wants to see you. Come with me.”

Seeing Lin Qian’s somewhat serious expression, Yao Jia felt that being summoned suddenly by higher-ups wasn’t likely to be good news.

Yao Jia thought that, at her level, if a leader wanted to see her, it would be Li Wangli’s assistant or the Customer Service Department manager, Cao Chun, not Li Wangli himself.

But to her surprise, Lin Qian led her past Cao Chun’s office without stopping, heading straight to Li Wangli’s office.

Before knocking, Lin Qian advised Yao Jia, “If you want to keep working here, no matter what Manager Li says, hold back your emotions, don’t show any attitude. Got it?”

Yao Jia nodded.

It seemed like another storm of criticism was brewing.

No problem. She had plenty of experience being criticized since childhood. Compared to the tsunami-like reprimands from Comrade Yao Bingkun, a little storm from Li Wangli was practically gentle.

Yao Jia knocked and entered the office.

Li Wangli was sitting on the sofa, fiddling with a kettle on the tea table, making tea.

When he saw Yao Jia come in, his expression darkened, even his receding hairline seemed to share in his displeasure.

He didn’t ask Yao Jia to sit, just put down his teacup and started fiddling with his phone.

Yao Jia took the initiative to ask, “Manager Li, did you want to see me?”

Without looking up, Li Wangli said irritably, “Don’t speak yet. Listen to this recording first.”

He seemed to find what he was looking for and tapped his phone screen.

The speaker played back Yao Jia’s venting after a customer call.

Yao Jia was taken aback.

Someone had recorded her venting.

And reported it.

How considerate.

She quickly ran through the possible reporters in her mind.

The call center was large, and whoever recorded her venting so clearly must have been close by.

Among those near her who didn’t think much of her were Hao Lidan, Hou Wenwen, and Tong Yumo, all just across an aisle.

Oh right, and her neighbor across the aisle, Meng Xingzhe.

As she mentally narrowed down the suspects, she heard Li Wangli start speaking again.

“Yao Jia, Yao Jia, honestly, I’ve never seen a girl like you. How should I put it? Sigh, if I said this to someone else, I’d worry about hurting their feelings, but with you, I really can’t think of a better way to describe it.”

His voice was full of disappointment. “How can a girl like you have such thick skin? Constantly being criticized, yet never afraid, never learning! I just played your recording, and you didn’t show any shame or remorse, you even spaced out standing there?”

Li Wangli shook his head. “I’ve worked for so many years, seen so many customer service reps come and go, none as stubborn as you! If you ever make it big with this attitude, I’ll let you use my head as a stool!”

Yao Jia said nothing, a wry smile forming in her heart.

—This attitude of mine, wasn’t it cultivated by your esteemed Chairman?

What Li Wangli had said was just the appetizer; the main course of criticism was yet to come.

He tapped the table with his fingers, making the freshly poured tea ripple slightly.

“Yao Jia, Yao Jia, I told you not to argue with customers on the phone, and you curse after hanging up. Are you deliberately opposing me? How does this look to your colleagues in the call center? What kind of example are you setting? Do you realize the negative impact? How can a girl speak such foul language? Is that language appropriate for a young lady?” As he grew more agitated, he even dragged her parents into it. “You say you’re immature, but aren’t your parents? You’re so difficult and rebellious, don’t they discipline you? How did your family raise you?”

The earlier comments didn’t bother Yao Jia much. The blows from Yao Bingkun’s upbringing were much harsher, giving her a thick skin, a kind of immunity. Li Wangli’s words barely affected her.

But his last remark hit a nerve, leaving her stifled.

—Don’t they discipline you?

They did care about her, but only about whether she would disgrace them or bring them honor. As for everything else, they never bothered.

Li Wangli noticed that Yao Jia’s expression finally changed when asked about her parents. Her face turned from indifferent to pale.

Realizing that mentioning someone else’s parents was somewhat impolite, Li Wangli added, “I might have been a bit harsh with my last words. But the earlier part, you need to take it to heart, understand? From now on, you’re not allowed to curse at work, whether during or after phone calls. Remember that? If you curse again, I’ll deduct double the performance evaluation points! This time, since it’s your first offense, I won’t double it. I’ll just deduct the usual amount. Alright, you can leave now.”

Yao Jia thought for a moment, then bowed slightly and prepared to leave.

Li Wangli added, “Yao Jia, you need to work hard. If you lose performance points again or receive another complaint, you’ll have to go home directly.”

Yao Jia clenched her fists and said, “Thank you, Manager, I understand.”

******

As Yao Jia left Li Wangli’s office, she saw Lin Qian waiting outside.

“How did it go?” Lin Qian quickly approached and asked softly when she saw Yao Jia come out.

Her voice was gentle, filled with concern.

Yao Jia felt a warmth in her heart.

She smiled at Lin Qian and said, “It’s nothing. I vented by cursing in the office area and someone recorded it and reported me. Manager Li deducted a performance evaluation point.”

Lin Qian frowned slightly, patted her on the shoulder, and advised, “The workplace is like a battlefield. Remember to be cautious with your words and actions.”

Yao Jia nodded and returned to her desk. It was break time, and Meng Xingzhe was not around. He was probably in the break room chatting with some other department’s socialite.

Sitting at her desk, she scanned the area, considering who might have recorded and reported her.

Across the aisle, Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen had adjacent desks, with Tong Yumo opposite them.

These three didn’t think highly of her and could have been the informants.

Considering motives, her neighbor Meng Xingzhe was actually the most suspicious. After all, if she made enough mistakes and lost enough performance points to get fired, his job would be secure.

But Yao Jia felt Meng Xingzhe was unlikely. Even though they were competitors at work, they still shared a superficial friendship outside of it, didn’t they?

At least, that’s what she believed.

But when she recalled the enigmatic look in his eyes after she vented, she felt a bit uncertain.

As she pondered, Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen approached. These two gossip machines didn’t hide their curiosity. To dig for information, they temporarily set aside their dislike for her and approached with feigned warmth.

Hao Lidan asked first, “Yao Jia, what did the boss say when he called you over?”

Hou Wenwen directly added, “Did he criticize you or praise you?”

Hao Lidan continued, “You look a bit pale.”

Hou Wenwen chimed in, “Did Manager Li scold you again? What for?”

Yao Jia carefully observed their expressions.

“Manager said if I perform well, I’ll get a raise next month,” Yao Jia lied with a smile.

Hou Wenwen exclaimed, “Really? That’s impossible! No new employee has ever gotten a raise in their second month!”

Hao Lidan nudged her with an elbow, “You’re so gullible. Yao Jia’s just pulling your leg, and you actually believed it?”

Hou Wenwen’s face immediately fell, “If you don’t want to say, then don’t. Why lie and deceive us? Yao Jia, do you feel great seeing me believe your nonsense, thinking I’m a fool?”

Yao Jia laughed.

They felt no shame in their blatant attempt to pry into someone else’s privacy, instead turning the tables to blame her for not telling the truth and causing them distress.

They were truly masters at twisting facts.

“Ladies,” Yao Jia said with a smile, “you’re not fools, and neither am I. So I can tell that you’re not suddenly fond of me, but rather hoping to hear some bad news about me. Maybe no one has ever called you out before, thinking it’s best to leave some room for each other as colleagues. But I’m the type to call it out, because I excel at being unlikable!”

Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen’s expressions changed.

Tian Huasheng returned from the restroom, sensing the tense atmosphere and the potential for conflict. He quickly intervened to smooth things over, giving Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen a graceful exit.

“Sisters Hao and Hou, there’s a new drink in the break room. Want to try it?”

Hao Lidan and Hou Wenwen took the opportunity to leave, linking arms and heading for a drink.

Before leaving, still feeling indignant, they said to Yao Jia, “You were right. You’re indeed unlikable. We honestly don’t like you!”

Yao Jia smiled and replied, “What a coincidence, the feeling’s mutual.”

Tian Huasheng stood between the three women, blocking their mutual dislike.

“Jia, why bother? Being too rigid can break you. Just let it go. They’re senior employees, and opposing them like this isn’t good for you!”

Yao Jia appreciated Tian Huasheng’s concern and sincere advice.

She told him, “I did it on purpose.”

She wanted to gauge from their reactions if one of them was the informant.

However, judging from their eager reactions earlier, wanting to know why Li Wangli was looking for her, and their lack of anger-induced slip-ups like saying “you deserve the criticism” after she deliberately provoked them, it seemed unlikely that they were the ones who reported her.

She recounted the scolding she received in Li Wangli’s office to Tian Huasheng and asked, “Who do you think reported me?”

Tian Huasheng glanced over at the workstations of Hao Lidan, Hou Wenwen, and Tong Yumo, then hummed in a cutesy voice, “Well, I’m just a big guy, not one to gossip behind people’s backs, right?” Even as he claimed he wasn’t one to gossip, he gestured with his chin towards the corridor.

If his chin could speak, it would have said: Could it be anyone other than those in the corridor?

Tong Yumo sat at her desk. She was fully aware that Yao Jia and Tian Huasheng kept looking her way, yet she remained still, her head and gaze unmoving, as if she didn’t notice.

Yao Jia only acted this way—deliberately motionless, avoiding eye contact—when she knew she had messed up and was about to be reprimanded by Comrade Yao Bingkun.

She curled her lips into a smile.

Tian Huasheng turned to look at her, asking why she was smiling.

Yao Jia suddenly stopped smiling and asked him seriously, “Do you think it’s possible that Meng Xingzhe reported me? After all, if I get fired, he could avoid the risk of being the last one eliminated.”

As soon as she finished speaking, Tian Huasheng firmly replied, “Impossible!”

Tian Huasheng, his cutesy tone now carrying a hint of strength, insisted, “It couldn’t be Brother Meng!”

Yao Jia questioned him, “But why not him? He has the strongest motive!”

Tian Huasheng grew a bit anxious, scratching his head with his large hand as he stammered, “Well, it just can’t be Brother Meng. Jia, let me tell you, with my keen observation, I think Brother Meng is tough on others but much softer with us!”

Yao Jia immediately disagreed, “I haven’t noticed any softness from him! Ha, he’s soft with you because he eats your cooking. To me, his words are so sharp they could knock out an elephant.”

Tian Huasheng became more anxious, “Jia, listen to me, Brother Meng may sometimes be nitpicky, enjoy comfort, be a straight-laced guy, not very enthusiastic, unwilling to help, sharp-tongued, pretending to be rich while being poor, and lazy,” he rattled off a list, then took a breath to conclude, “but he’s actually a good person. He would never report you!” He added, “And he’s good-looking too!!!”

Yao Jia: “…”

With so many flaws, he’s still a good person??

Yao Jia felt that Tian Huasheng’s view of Meng Xingzhe was overly idealized, like looking through the bottom of a bottle.

She was about to challenge Tian Huasheng’s criteria for a good person when she paused upon seeing something behind him.

Behind Tian Huasheng…

Tian Huasheng, having finished his speech, awaited Yao Jia’s response.

But he saw Yao Jia, about to speak, suddenly close her mouth.

Her expression turned strange, and she kept looking behind him.

So he turned to look back.

And then…

His legs nearly gave out, almost causing him to kneel.

He saw Meng Xingzhe, who was looking at him with a sinister expression, his face stretched long.

“Being nitpicky, enjoying comfort?”

“A straight-laced guy, not very enthusiastic, unwilling to help??”

“Sharp-tongued, pretending to be rich while being poor, lazy???”

Tian Huasheng’s face was full of flattery, “But you’re a good person, bro!”

His flattery doubled, “And you’re good-looking too!!!”

Yao Jia’s bad mood vanished; she couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Meng Xingzhe shifted his gaze to her, glaring as he asked, “My words aren’t soft? My sharp tongue could knock out an elephant? Have you tried it?”

Yao Jia: “…………”

How was she supposed to retort to that?!