Chapter 6: Are You Trying to Seduce Me?

It was unclear if it was by design or coincidence, but during the training, the seating arrangement had Yao Jia sitting next to Meng Xingzhe, who was next to Tian Huasheng, and then Tong Yumo.

Before the training began, Tong Yumo seemed to have given Tian Huasheng at least a hundred and twenty reasons to switch seats with her. However, Tian Huasheng withstood the barrage of both sweet and bitter persuasion from the exquisitely made-up beauty.

Yao Jia understood why Tong Yumo wanted to switch seats. After all, she wasn’t the only one; many of the girls in the class wanted to sit next to the handsome Meng Xingzhe instead of Tian Huasheng.

But why Tian Huasheng was so adamant about not moving was something Yao Jia dared not delve into too deeply, lest she inadvertently offend someone’s personal preferences.

Later, by chance, Yao Jia discovered Meng Xingzhe fiddling with his phone under the table. Upon closer inspection, she realized he was sending a red envelope to Tian Huasheng with the words: “Hold on, don’t switch.”

This gave Yao Jia a slight epiphany. If Meng Xingzhe could use money to ensure no one took the seat next to him, couldn’t she auction off her own seat next to him as well?

She wasn’t short on money; she just had an inexplicable desire to see Meng Xingzhe flustered. She felt he was, for some unknown reason, subtly trying to flirt with her, perhaps wanting her to bow down to his charming looks.

Yao Jia decided she wouldn’t encourage such narcissistic behavior. She resolved to sell her seat.

Taking advantage of Tong Yumo’s trip to the restroom, Yao Jia followed to test the waters. Tong Yumo’s expression screamed, “So you’re that kind of person who only cares about money.” Yao Jia met her gaze and said, “Someone is willing to pay me a bit more than you offered to switch seats.” Without hesitation, Tong Yumo added Yao Jia on WeChat and sent her a red envelope.

When they returned to the training room, Yao Jia and Tong Yumo had switched seats. Now, the order was Tong Yumo next to Meng Xingzhe, then Tian Huasheng, followed by Yao Jia.

Tian Huasheng was overjoyed, telling Yao Jia in a lilting voice that belied his robust appearance, “Actually, I’d rather sit next to you. We get along like buddies!”

Meng Xingzhe’s expression turned grim, glaring at her across Tian Huasheng. Two seconds later, Yao Jia received a friend request from Meng Xingzhe through the employee group.

She accepted it.

A message popped up immediately: “Are you that short on money?”

Yao Jia replied, “Who would ever complain about having too much money?”

Another message came: “Switch back, and I’ll send you ten times the red envelope.”

Yao Jia teased, “I actually do think I have too much money.”

There was a sound of a phone being slammed down. Yao Jia turned to see Meng Xingzhe, expressionless, tossing his phone onto the table.

Yao Jia felt inexplicably pleased.

Just as the class was about to start, Tian Huasheng suddenly turned to Yao Jia, filled with regret and reluctance, saying, “Jia, it’s such a shame, but I have to move to another seat!”

Yao Jia was taken aback, feeling as if she were about to face a tragic farewell orchestrated by the Barbie King Kong.

“It’s okay, no matter where you sit, we’re connected at heart!” Yao Jia said, realizing she might have been swept up in Tian Huasheng’s silliness.

The next moment, Tian Huasheng stood up and swapped seats with Meng Xingzhe.

Yao Jia was stunned, eyes wide.

Was this even possible?!

She watched as Meng Xingzhe sat down, smugly waving his phone at her. The tenfold red envelope had gone to Tian Huasheng.

“Little one, your game isn’t a dead end; it’s too easy to break,” Meng Xingzhe said with a smirk, his smile almost devilishly charming.

Yao Jia knew he was deliberately showing off, and thus was immune to his smile.

But…

How could Meng Xingzhe call her a “little one”? This man, three or four years her senior, was clearly more childish and petty than she was!

Aside from Meng Xingzhe’s deliberate taunting, Yao Jia also received a furious glare and a WeChat message from Tong Yumo.

“Look at the mess you’ve made! Refund me!”

Yao Jia had no choice but to return the red envelope.

Meng Xingzhe, in a mocking tone, said, “Earning money just to give it back, I guess you really do think you have too much.”

Yao Jia felt like smashing her phone over his head.

“Do you really want to sit next to me that much?” she couldn’t help but ask.

Meng Xingzhe was momentarily taken aback, then said, “I’m giving you the chance to sit next to me.”

“……….” Yao Jia realized she was dealing with a 24k pure narcissist.

※※※※※※

Initially, Yao Jia thought the training would be relaxed, allowing her to daydream and do her own thing, even if just in her mind.

But it was not to be.

As soon as the HR Manager started the class, they warmly announced a strict rule: “Please listen carefully. After the training, I will assess what you’ve learned and record your scores, which will be directly linked to your first month’s salary.”

Yao Jia wasn’t concerned about money; she was worried that if she ranked at the bottom, Comrade Yao Bingkun would unleash his disdainful criticism.

The rebellious gene within her was in full force: the more her father wanted to look down on her, the more determined she became not to give him the chance.

She immediately straightened her posture and focused intently on the lesson. As she listened, Yao Jia realized the breadth and intensity of the course content far exceeded her everyday expectations. As she took notes, she began to wonder if she was on the path to postdoctoral studies.

Besides basic communication techniques and phone customer service software operations, it turned out that customer service representatives for their home appliance company needed to understand every product the company produced and sold. This included knowledge of the products’ basic functions, operating principles, and usage techniques. They were required to guide customers through various operations over the phone, troubleshoot simple issues, and offer solutions.

“Your main responsibility as customer service representatives is to help customers solve problems they encounter with our products. You must also issue orders for delivery, installation, and repairs, handle and process complaints, and remember to follow up on every complaint, compiling statistics on customer complaints across departments.”

“Remember, if a problem can be solved in one call, never let it turn into two. This is a fundamental skill for phone customer service.”

The trainer spoke firmly from the podium.

During the training, Yao Jia found herself taking so many notes that her arm felt like it was going to fall off, while Meng Xingzhe didn’t write a single word.

Unable to resist, she asked a question she later regretted: “Why aren’t you taking notes?”

Leaning back in his chair, Meng Xingzhe turned to her and said arrogantly, “If you can remember it in your head, why bother writing it down? Unless you’re stupid.”

“…” Yao Jia, rebellious as she was, had never been violent. But with Meng Xingzhe, she had more than once felt a murderous urge.

During the training, the trainer would pose questions for everyone to answer.

The four people in Yao Jia’s row had very different styles of answering.

The trainer asked, “If a customer calls demanding a free gift and threatens to complain if they don’t get it, but the gift is quite costly, how would you handle it?”

Yao Jia, straightforward and honest, replied, “That’s an unreasonable demand. I can’t agree to it. If they insist on complaining, let them. Surely my salary won’t be docked because of an unreasonable complaint.”

The trainer mercilessly informed her, “Actually, it would be.”

“…” Yao Jia was a bit confused about what kind of job she was supposed to be doing.

For the same question, Tong Yumo answered, “I would first calm the customer down, apologize, and then explain that the requested item isn’t part of the gift selection. If they continue to insist, I would keep apologizing until they hang up, maintaining a good attitude throughout.”

The trainer nodded, acknowledging this as the emotional soothing method, which was acceptable.

When it was Tian Huasheng’s turn, he had been messaging Yao Jia on WeChat, complaining, “Getting docked pay for unreasonable demands—how is this a job for humans?”

But when it was his turn to speak, his tone changed immediately. He became a smooth talker, saying, “I would ask them not to complain, request them to hold while I consult my supervisor, and then inform them that the requested gift is out of stock. However, I’ve applied for a discount coupon for them, which they can use on future purchases.”

The trainer smiled approvingly, noting that this approach also stimulated potential sales.

When it was Meng Xingzhe’s turn, Yao Jia listened as he explained to the customer the functions and principles of the desired gift. He would identify why the appliance wasn’t suitable for the customer, thus dissuading them from wanting the gift.

Not only the trainer but even Yao Jia felt that Meng Xingzhe’s answer seemed like a showy attempt to be different.

However, as the trainer continued questioning, Yao Jia realized Meng Xingzhe genuinely understood the workings of home appliances. He wasn’t just putting on a show.

When the trainer asked, “If a customer reports that their air purifier filter has developed a sour smell, what should be done?”

Many suggested simply replacing the filter.

But Meng Xingzhe said, “Replacing the filter won’t help. It’s due to the filter’s structure. Older air purifiers used hard PA filters, which were layered, but now most use carbon cloth, which is cheaper to produce and more absorbent. However, it tends to develop a sour smell after some time. Manufacturers usually tell customers that the filter smells because of high humidity and just needs to be aired out in the sun. But that doesn’t really work. My suggestion would be to avoid buying purifiers with carbon cloth filters or switch to a wall-mounted fresh air system.”

The trainer nodded at the beginning but his smile stiffened towards the end.

“Our company doesn’t currently produce wall-mounted fresh air systems, so we should just tell them to air out the filter. No need to say more.”

Meng Xingzhe replied, “But I don’t agree with misleading customers with vague statements.”

The trainer’s smile became strained. “It’s not misleading. Airing out the filter is an industry-standard solution.” He quickly moved on to the next question.

Yao Jia, however, was still pondering Meng Xingzhe’s response.

She found that because of his answer, she had a slightly different impression of him.

Beyond his pretentiousness, he was actually quite honest and conscientious.

During the break, Yao Jia glanced over and noticed Meng Xingzhe fiddling with his phone again.

※※※

Bei Luonan sent a message to Meng Xingzhe, saying, “The money’s in, that was fast. The project is progressing smoothly. Xingxing, you’re my lucky charm!”

Meng Xingzhe replied succinctly, “Buzz off.”

After the flattery, Bei Luonan shifted the topic, channeling his inner Yang Qihan, “How’s the training going? Are you more knowledgeable today than you were yesterday?”

“Knowledgeable, my foot,” Meng Xingzhe muttered, eyes drooping as he tapped on his phone. “This trainer has an incredible memory, reciting the principles of electronics like they’re from a manual. You have no idea how hard I have to suppress my own knowledge to stop myself from standing up and saying, ‘Sit down, I’ll take it from here.'”

Bei Luonan responded with a string of “hahahaha.”

Then, sending a meme that read “serious topic ahead,” he continued, “Xingxing, I know you’re outstanding, but promise me, keep that brilliance under wraps and just be an ordinary person, okay? Think about your shares.”

Meng Xingzhe frowned and replied, “Aren’t you forgetting something besides ‘outstanding’?”

“Did you eat my handsomeness or something?”

Bei Luonan forcefully changed the subject, “What about Little Ponytail? Has she been won over by your charm today?”

Meng Xingzhe put down his phone. He almost forgot about that.

Just as the break started, he turned to look at Yao Jia and found her looking back at him.

He immediately smiled and raised an eyebrow at her, leaning slightly in her direction, stopping just at the edge of her personal space. Lowering his voice, he asked, “What did the teacher just say?”

Yao Jia was momentarily stunned, wondering how to describe his smile. Like a peacock spreading its feathers.

In that instant, his eyes and brows relaxed, his high nose bridge stood out, his thin lips curved slightly, and his eyes, deep as a dark pool, seemed to hold a hint of emotion.

He really was devastatingly handsome.

For a moment, Yao Jia was a bit dazzled and blurted out, “Are you trying to seduce me?”