Chapter 8: Moving into the Dormitory

Work hours started an hour earlier than training. The next day, Yao Jia arrived at her post on time.

The first floor of the Kunyu Building was the product showroom for Kunyu Electric. From the second floor upwards, the space was used for offices. The call center, where the customer service representatives worked, occupied a large area on the 20th floor, tucked into a corner that was relatively quiet and free from noise.

As Yao Jia stepped through the entrance of the call center, she was taken aback by the sheer number of customer service representatives. There were far more than she had imagined, with a sea of workstations stretching out before her. She recalled that during training, the Customer Service Manager had mentioned that during the company’s anniversary or Singles’ Day, there still wouldn’t be enough staff, and they would have to temporarily pull personnel from other departments to manage the workload.

Yao Jia couldn’t yet picture the bustling scene during such peak times.

The call center was divided into several sections, each managed by a Customer Service Team Leader. Above them was a Customer Service Supervisor, Cao Chun, who also served as the assistant to the Customer Service Manager, Li Wangli.

Yao Jia had thought that after passing the training assessment, her work life would be smooth sailing. However, upon arriving at the call center, she realized that the trial for new employees like her was not over. Those who had passed the Pre-job Training Assessment were still not allowed to take customer calls directly.

They needed to observe experienced employees for a few days to learn how to handle calls and resolve issues.

Typically, a seasoned employee with excellent assessment scores would mentor two newcomers. By some stroke of luck, Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe ended up in the same group. Their mentor was Lin Qian, who happened to be the team leader of their group.

At first glance, Yao Jia didn’t think much of Lin Qian, only noticing that this young woman, a few years older than herself, had an exceptionally good demeanor and was fair and pretty. But upon a second and third look, she found herself wanting to heap praises upon this gentle beauty.

Yao Jia thought that if anyone ever asked her about someone whose looks grew more appealing over time, she would definitely show them a picture of Lin Qian.

Lin Qian was not only beautiful and graceful but also had a great temperament. Despite having to guide the two bottom-ranked newcomers, she was neither discouraged nor did she give up, diligently offering her guidance.

Tian Huasheng and Tong Yumo were also in the same customer service group, but they were being mentored by another experienced employee named Hao Lidan.

On the first day of their job, Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe sat behind Lin Qian, observing how she answered calls and resolved issues.

As Yao Jia listened, she began to regret not being a man, for then she could pursue Lin Qian. Lin Qian had an incredible temperament, able to calm even the most irate and difficult callers, leaving them in a good mood by the end of the call.

Some people are masters of self-emotion management, but Lin Qian was a grandmaster at managing others’ emotions. Yao Jia thought if she had even a tenth of Lin Qian’s skills, she wouldn’t lose nine out of ten battles with Yao Bingkun.

During the fifteen-minute break in the morning, Yao Jia let her thoughts wander. Suddenly, she worried about another issue. If even she, a woman, was captivated by Lin Qian’s charm, what about Meng Xingzhe, a man? Wouldn’t he be even more susceptible?

Meng Xingzhe was good-looking and had a striking figure, but his overbearing personality was even more pronounced. If summed up in one sentence, it would be: a young master’s physique with a servant’s fate. He always thought he could conquer the world, but he was just a low-level customer service representative.

If someone like him were to covet Lin Qian, Yao Jia felt it would be a waste for Lin Qian. If such a situation arose, Yao Jia decided she would step in, first turning herself and then Lin Qian, to escape Meng Xingzhe’s clutches.

Fortunately, after careful observation, she noticed that Meng Xingzhe treated Lin Qian with the same haughty demeanor as everyone else, which reassured her. A man who truly had feelings for a woman wouldn’t be able to maintain such arrogance. Still, she was curious about what kind of person could truly capture Meng Xingzhe’s heart.

The first day of on-site learning ended smoothly. Before leaving, Lin Qian arranged workstations for Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe.

“The supervisor just informed me that your workstations are ready. The computers, software, and office supplies are all set up. Let me show you.”

Meng Xingzhe asked, “Can we choose our own seats?”

Yao Jia couldn’t help but grimace. Look at that, his spoiled attitude was showing again. She had grown up with almost everything she wanted, yet she wasn’t this picky.

Lin Qian, unfazed, gently answered Meng Xingzhe’s question, “Yes, you can.”

Then she led them to two adjacent workstations and pointed, saying, “These two seats are yours. Meng Xingzhe, you can choose which one you want.”

Yao Jia looked at Meng Xingzhe’s slightly bewildered expression, her eyebrows raised, and almost couldn’t hold back her laughter.

So this is what they meant by having a choice. It’s quite something.

But why were her and Meng Xingzhe’s workstations right next to each other? She really seemed to be having a string of unexpected surprises.

Meng Xingzhe frowned and pulled a nearby chair to sit down. Yao Jia chose another workstation slightly further inside.

Lin Qian instructed them, “In the future, you’ll be independently handling customer calls here. But don’t worry, I’ll be sitting next to you during your first week to supervise and guide you. However, keep in mind that I’ll be evaluating your performance, and the assessment report will be part of your performance review, which is linked to your salary.”

Yao Jia was resigned. It seemed like nothing in this customer service center wasn’t tied to performance evaluations. She felt that working here was exhausting, and even breathing the air here felt particularly tiring. The air wasn’t mainly composed of oxygen; it was filled with performance evaluation metrics.

Lin Qian added one more thing, “By the way, the company offers a free Employee Dormitory for single employees. If you need accommodation, please fill out an application form and submit it to me as soon as possible.”

Meng Xingzhe shrugged and said, “I’ll pass. I can’t get used to sharing facilities with others.”

Yao Jia glanced at him. So pampered.

That evening, when Yao Jia returned home, it was still empty, with only her there.

She sat at the dining table, eating her meal in solitude. The chopsticks clinked against the bowl, and the sound echoed in the air.

The house was too vast. With hundreds of square meters, it was up to her alone to fill it with warmth and life. It was too exhausting. She might as well move to a smaller, cozier space, where her presence and warmth could easily fill the room.

Yao Jia returned to her room and filled out an application for the single Employee Dormitory.

The next day, she handed the application to Lin Qian. That afternoon, Lin Qian informed Yao Jia that her dormitory application had been approved. Lin Qian gave her the specific address and the key to the dormitory.

“The dormitory assigned to our call center is actually two four-bedroom apartments on the same floor, rented by the company. Each can accommodate four people. The other apartment already has residents, but there’s still one vacant room. All four rooms in your apartment are empty, so if you move in early, you can choose a nice room.”

Without hesitation, Yao Jia returned home that evening and packed two suitcases, ready to move.

As luck would have it, she unexpectedly ran into her parents, whom she rarely saw, just as she was about to leave with her suitcases.

In that moment, Yao Jia’s thoughts were chaotic and complex. She hoped her parents wouldn’t stop her from moving out, leaving her a little freedom in her squeezed life.

On the other hand, she kind of wished they would stop her. At least that would mean she still had some irreplaceable importance in this home.

She stood at the doorway, glaring at Yao Bingkun, waiting to see which possibility her parents would give her.

Yao Bingkun glared back, frowning, “You’re moving to the Employee Dormitory?”

Yao Jia nodded.

“Why didn’t you inform your parents about the move in advance?” Yao Bingkun’s voice was stern. “No sense of propriety at all!”

Gan Yu nudged him, “Alright, alright, stop scolding.” She turned to Yao Jia and said, “You too, no sense of propriety. If you want to move out, you should at least inform us and get our approval!”

Yao Jia thought to herself, that’s only possible if I can even see you.

Meanwhile, Yao Bingkun wanted to continue lecturing Yao Jia, but Gan Yu pushed him back into the room, “Come on, come on, you need to call Xiao Hui.”

Yao Jia turned to look at her parents’ retreating figures.

They had given her a middle ground response. They didn’t say she could go, nor did they forbid it.

But what mattered more to them was the overseas call in the room. Thanks to that call, she was fortunate enough to see her parents tonight.

Yao Jia smiled, a smile filled with self-mockery and irony only she could taste.

She dragged her two suitcases and walked out of the house with determined strides.

※※※※※※

Yao Jia chose a master bedroom with its own bathroom.

The place looked new, with no signs of previous occupants, and was very clean. Although it was as small as a bird’s nest compared to her home, at least there would be no more lonely echoes when she spoke or ate.

Yao Jia made herself a bowl of instant noodles bought from the community supermarket. As she was eating, there was a clattering sound at the front door. She immediately ran to check.

To her surprise, it was Tian Huasheng, the burly Barbie, who popped in through the door.

Tian Huasheng let out a cheer upon seeing her, and the two of them rushed towards each other like long-lost friends, holding hands and spinning in circles, exchanging meaningless chatter: “You moved in too? That’s great! Now I have company!”

After a couple of spins, Yao Jia suddenly let go as if shocked. Why did she always act silly around Tian Huasheng?

Tian Huasheng chose the slightly larger west-facing secondary bedroom over the slightly smaller south-facing master bedroom. Before going to sleep, Yao Jia shared a pack of instant noodles with Tian Huasheng, who was moved to tears and said, “It would be even better if there was a sausage!”

Yao Jia: “…”

The next day at work, Meng Xingzhe was late. After noting his tardiness, Lin Qian casually asked Yao Jia if she had moved into the dormitory and how she was finding it.

Yao Jia wanted to say that aside from the bed being a bit hard, the sheets a bit rough, the pillow somewhat uncomfortable, the wardrobe having a slight wooden smell, the toilet seat not being electrically heated, the hot water needing to be heated on demand, and the poor soundproofing making the upstairs neighbors a bit noisy… everything else was great.

But when she spoke, she skipped the first part and said with great enthusiasm, “It’s wonderful.”

Meng Xingzhe glanced at her sideways.

After Lin Qian walked away, Yao Jia asked Meng Xingzhe, “What deep and profound reading comprehension was hidden in that glance you just gave me?”

Meng Xingzhe shot her another look, his excessively handsome face showing an equally excessive expression of disdain. “It’s just a shared dormitory. How good could it possibly be? I feel sorry for you. You must not have stayed in very nice places before. Getting your own room must feel like a huge blessing.”

In her mind, Yao Jia was mentally unleashing a herd of alpacas.

She was being looked down upon by a pretentious commoner! If she revealed she was the boss’s daughter, wouldn’t that scare him to death? Would he still dare to act so arrogantly?

Yao Jia sneered, “Fine, let’s see if you can go your whole life without ever having to stay in a room like this!”

Meng Xingzhe lifted his chin slightly and smiled at Yao Jia, a smile that was extremely provoking. “Don’t worry. Even if I had to jump off this building, I wouldn’t stay in a shared dormitory.”

Yao Jia, hearing this, inexplicably thought of a comrade named Wang Jingze.

Over the next two days, Meng Xingzhe was late repeatedly. When Lin Qian asked him why, he said the company was in the south of the city while he lived in the north, and not only was the distance far, but the traffic was terrible. Lin Qian suggested he avoid driving or taking a cab and just take the subway to avoid traffic jams.

Meng Xingzhe bluntly said, “The subway is too crowded, I can’t stand it.” He unabashedly displayed his inability to endure hardship to his Customer Service Team Leader.

After marking down three consecutive tardiness records, Lin Qian gently but firmly told Meng Xingzhe, “You’re still in your probation period. If you keep being late like this, you won’t need to participate in any assessments; you’ll be going straight home.” She paused and added, “Rest assured, there’s no room for negotiation. The rules were set by President Yao himself through the Human Resources Department.”

Meng Xingzhe was stunned, slowly digesting this harsh reality.

He got up and went out to make a phone call.

When he returned, he turned to Yao Jia and asked, “Is staying in the Employee Dormitory really that great?”

Yao Jia was taken aback and instinctively quoted Meng Xingzhe’s own words back to him: “‘Don’t worry. Even if I had to jump off this building, I wouldn’t stay in a shared dormitory’?”

Meng Xingzhe’s exceptionally handsome face gradually turned into an exceptionally handsome deep black pit.