Chapter 28: Confrontation at the Wall

As soon as Meng Xingzhe picked up the phone, a man on the other end began speaking as if he had a mortar installed in his mouth, firing off words rapidly and loudly. The barrage was so intense that Meng Xingzhe had to pull the headset away from his ear.

Even so, he could still clearly hear the man’s complaints.

“…You merchants have no integrity! We bought the air conditioner, and just after thirty days, the price drops! What, are you playing this thirty-day price guarantee loophole? Once thirty days are up, you don’t care about us customers anymore? You fleece those of us who bought the air conditioner thirty days ago, and you’re happy about it? Do you think you’ll get rich off this? Do you know what this behavior is called? Shameless!”

It was truly a voice full of vigor.

Meng Xingzhe, maintaining his composure, suppressed his boss-like demeanor and acted like an emotionless customer service machine. He followed the protocol and asked, “Sir, may I know your specific request?”

The man immediately shouted, “Shut up! It’s not your turn to ask about my request yet. I bought your product and got frustrated. Can’t I vent a little? Wait until I’m done before you respond, or I’ll complain about you endlessly!”

Hearing this, Meng Xingzhe said nothing more, removed his headset entirely, and tossed it onto the desk, letting the man on the other end continue his verbal assault.

Occasionally, particularly loud words would burst from the headset and reach Meng Xingzhe’s ears. It sounded like “kettle,” “price drop,” and “automatic alarm.”

Only when the headset emitted a series of increasingly loud “Hello?” did Meng Xingzhe pick it up again.

He planned to mechanically ask once more, “Sir, is there anything I can help you with now?”

But before he could speak, the man, seemingly impatient with the lack of response, hung up.

Meng Xingzhe ended the call as well. Turning his head, he saw Yao Jia glancing at him with a hint of a smile.

Meng Xingzhe frowned slightly and asked, “What’s so funny?”

Yao Jia raised an eyebrow and said, “That guy’s voice was so loud, I could hear it faintly.” She added, “With such a passive attitude, I think you’re going to be eliminated by me.”

Meng Xingzhe chuckled, “When dealing with lunatics, sometimes you have to take a passive approach.”

As they were talking, Yao Jia’s phone rang. As soon as she answered, she was startled into pulling the headset away. It turned out the mortar had shifted its fire, launching a new wave of attacks.

Yao Jia thought it was amusing and reflected that one should never mock others casually—karma comes quickly.

Meng Xingzhe reached over and tapped lightly on her desk.

Yao Jia turned to see the question in his eyes: Was it the same lunatic I just dealt with?

She nodded helplessly and mouthed: Yes, it’s the lunatic you mentioned.

Meng Xingzhe’s expression relaxed, and his entire face radiated an aura of “enjoy yourself.”

Yao Jia rolled her eyes and turned back, listening to the caller continue his tirade. She was almost tempted to use Meng Xingzhe’s method of tossing the headset aside and letting the man rant until he was satisfied.

But unfortunately, Supervisor Cao Chun was patrolling the aisles.

Yao Jia had no choice but to endure the ear-splitting noise and put the headset back on properly.

The man was ranting, “…Why does the price drop right after the warranty period ends? Why is it so hard to defend my rights when buying your products? What are you so-called customer service people doing? The last one, I don’t know if he was deaf or mute. I said so much, and he didn’t respond. Did he die next to the phone?”

Yao Jia frowned and interrupted his tirade, “Sir, could you please tell us your specific request?”

The man shouted, “Shut up first! When I’m talking, don’t interrupt! Listen to me, then speak. Do you understand customer etiquette? Do you know how to be polite?”

“…” Yao Jia was speechless. If she stayed silent, she was accused of being deaf, mute, or even dead. If she spoke, she was told to shut up for being impolite.

She just wanted to do her job as a simple customer service representative. Why was it so difficult?

Meanwhile, the man had inexplicably shifted from air conditioners to kettles.

“It’s not just the air conditioner; your kettles are the same! I bought a kettle last month, and as soon as I turned around, the price dropped. What is this? Look, look!”

The man urged Yao Jia to check the kettle situation but refused to provide purchase information, insisting she look at the product page.

Following his instructions, Yao Jia opened the kettle’s webpage and found that the mortar man’s claims were entirely unfounded. This particular kettle was a star product of Kunyu Electric, heavily promoted upon its market release, and had never dropped in price due to its popularity.

Yao Jia attempted to convey this correct information to the mortar man over the phone. But just as she began to explain, the man angrily cut her off, “Didn’t I tell you to shut up and listen when I’m talking?”

A fire rose in Yao Jia’s throat. If Cao Chun weren’t still patrolling, she would have tossed the headset aside.

“I’m telling you seriously now, listen to what I say, and don’t argue!”

Yao Jia wondered if she was being overly sensitive, but she felt that when the mortar man said this sentence starting with “seriously,” his tone seemed to shift slightly from anger to something more earnest.

“If you don’t want to listen to me, just hold it in, got it? Not satisfied? Then go get the police to sort it out! Go on, call them, I dare you! You’re all just a bunch of swindlers, cheating us ordinary folks out of our hard-earned money. You tricked me, and then you tricked my parents, relatives, and friends. Everything we bought from your company was a scam!”

The more Yao Jia listened, the more she wondered if this man was a bit unhinged, dragging his entire family into it to accuse Kunyu Electric of all sorts of crimes.

She wanted to speak, but he stopped her.

“Shut up! Keep quiet. You customer service people aren’t allowed to talk back. Just listen to whatever I say!”

“…”

In her mind, Yao Jia summoned a herd of alpacas.

The man launched into another tirade of high-level insults that, despite lacking profanity, were infuriating to hear. After that, he returned to the topic of his electric kettle and asked Yao Jia, “Tell me, what’s the biggest selling point of this kettle?”

Yao Jia thought for a moment and said, “Automatic dry-boil protection and…”

She hadn’t finished when he interrupted, “Automatic what?”

Yao Jia replied, “Protection…”

He quickly took over the conversation again, “Yes, that. You need to deliver on that promise, right?”

Yao Jia wanted to say, “Our product does have that feature, it works.”

But he didn’t give her the chance, continuing his barrage, “The feature I just asked about, you haven’t delivered on it at all! This is a matter of life and death, I’m telling you. Think carefully about what I’ve said, reflect on it seriously, don’t just brush it off. This is irresponsible to us customers! Irresponsible to me! I’m begging you, please, pay attention! Figure out how to make that feature work!”

With that, he hung up, not mentioning the air conditioner price drop after the warranty period at all.

Yao Jia hung up, bewildered, wondering why she had to deal with such unreasonable customers every day.

She sighed and prepared to close the kettle’s page.

Her eyes inadvertently caught the price of the kettle.

110 yuan. A price that had never changed.

110, coincidentally, is the emergency number for the police.

Suddenly, Yao Jia paused before closing the product page.

It was as if a light bulb went off in her head.

Why would this customer use the excuse of a price drop on a kettle that had never actually dropped in price to start an argument?

Perhaps it was to draw her attention to its price!

Was he trying to hint at something?

Yao Jia began to carefully recall the contents of the call, filtering through the information.

She quickly grabbed a notebook and jotted down the fragments of information in her mind.

After writing down these pieces, she stared at the notebook, stunned.

It seemed she had just received a call for help.

******

Yao Jia immediately called back the number, intending to confirm her suspicions under the guise of a follow-up.

But no one answered, and by the third call, she heard the unmistakable sound of being blocked.

Yao Jia was certain something was wrong.

She removed her headset and hurriedly grabbed Meng Xingzhe’s arm. Meng Xingzhe, who was also free at the moment, frowned slightly and took off his headset, asking what she wanted.

Yao Jia quickly showed him the notebook with her notes and explained her deductions.

“Look here,” she pointed to a line in the notebook—

—”Not satisfied? Then go get the police to sort it out, go on, call them!”

“He’s actually hinting that we should call the police!” Yao Jia said to Meng Xingzhe.

“And here,” she pointed to another line—

—”Automatic what?” “Protection…” “Yes, that feature, you need to deliver on it, right?”

“When he said this, he was emphasizing that I should call the police!”

“And here, look!” Yao Jia pointed to another line—

—”You’re all just a bunch of swindlers, cheating us ordinary folks out of our hard-earned money. You tricked me, and then you tricked my parents, relatives, and friends!”

“He said, ‘you tricked me and then my relatives and friends.’ Doesn’t that sound like something a pyramid scheme would do?”

“And this line,” she traced her pen down—

—”The feature I just asked about, this is a matter of life and death, don’t just brush it off… This is irresponsible to me! I’m begging you, please, pay attention! Figure out how to make that feature work!”

“He said, ‘I’m begging you, please, figure out how to make that feature work.’ And that feature is calling the police! So he’s repeatedly asking me for help, begging me to call the police for him! Also, he kept mentioning the air conditioner price drop after the warranty period but didn’t say anything about resolving it, only focusing on the kettle’s price drop. And the kettle he specifically mentioned has never changed its price, always 110 yuan, so isn’t he hinting that I should call 110 and report this to the police?” Yao Jia finished, looking up at Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe looked at her incredulously, as if she had just spoken gibberish.

“Have you girls been watching too many soap operas? Your imagination is way too wild.”

Yao Jia was taken aback by his retort, “How is this my imagination when the evidence is so clear?”

Meng Xingzhe scoffed, “I think you’re getting Stockholm syndrome from dealing with weirdos every day, actively looking for trouble.”

Yao Jia argued, “How is this looking for trouble? The information he revealed during the call is enough to indicate a problem, don’t you find it suspicious at all?”

“So what do you want to do?” Meng Xingzhe asked.

Yao Jia replied, “Call the police.”

Meng Xingzhe clicked his tongue, “Is that really necessary?”

Yao Jia looked at him with complete disagreement.

Meng Xingzhe tapped his fingers on the table, a habitual gesture he made before speaking in meetings, signaling that he was about to address something seriously.

“Have you considered that this person might just be making a fuss, upset because the air conditioners went on sale, and he’s venting his frustration by calling to complain? What if his words are just surface-level, and the kettle’s price of 110 yuan is a coincidence, and he simply misremembered the kettle’s discount? If that’s the case, and you report it to the police with your TV drama mindset and dramatic interpretation, aren’t you wasting police resources? The police are very busy, you know. Don’t trouble them with your assumptions, okay? Before you act on your enthusiasm, consider the cost behind it, alright?”

Yao Jia suddenly realized that when it came to serious discussions, she couldn’t out-argue Meng Xingzhe. His analysis was thorough and left no room for rebuttal.

However, that didn’t stop her from disagreeing with him.

“I’m curious, how did you grow up? Why don’t you have any inclination to help others? Why do you always think about returns and costs? Life isn’t a business transaction. Is there a scale in your veins along with dry ice? Do you measure everything by its return and cost?”

“And,” Yao Jia’s face grew serious, her voice rising, “what if he really needs help and we don’t help him, causing him to miss his chance? If there’s even a slight possibility of that, can you live with yourself for the rest of your life?”

The phone on the table was ringing, though neither knew if it was hers or Meng Xingzhe’s. They were too absorbed in their argument to pick it up.

Meng Xingzhe let out a cold laugh. “What does this have to do with me? Why shouldn’t I be able to live with myself?”

Yao Jia was infuriated. “You’re really cold-blooded! Selfish! You just ignore things that don’t concern you! Aren’t you worried that one day you’ll be in a similar situation, desperate for help and no one will come to your aid?”

Meng Xingzhe’s expression changed from his earlier mild sarcasm and nonchalance to a more serious, even fierce demeanor. Yao Jia had never seen him like this before; he seemed like a stranger.

The phone kept ringing.

When Meng Xingzhe spoke again, his tone was icy and mocking. “It’s rare to see someone like you, so eager to meddle like a modern-day Lei Feng. Be careful your good intentions don’t backfire.”

It felt like a curse. Yao Jia slammed the table in anger. “Pay me back tonight! Return all the money you owe me! I won’t lend money to someone as selfish and cold-blooded as you!”

Just as she finished speaking, Lin Qian hurried over, her voice stern. “What are you two doing? Do you want to lose your jobs? Both phones are ringing, why aren’t you answering them?”

Yao Jia and Meng Xingzhe exchanged glances, then turned away to put on their headsets and answer their respective phones.

******

After finishing the call, Yao Jia pulled Lin Qian aside, apologized to calm her down, and showed her the notes, explaining the call she had just received and her analysis.

She sought Lin Qian’s opinion and expressed her stance. “Team Leader, I want to report this to the police as soon as possible!”

Lin Qian pondered for a moment and said, “Wait for me. I’ll discuss it with the supervisor and manager. Let’s listen to the call recording before making a decision.”

Lin Qian went to Cao Chun’s office. After a while, she and Cao Chun went to Li Wangli’s office.

A little later, Lin Qian finally came out and approached Yao Jia’s desk, speaking softly. “We’ve listened to the recording and agree that your analysis isn’t overly cautious. The caller indeed seemed to be seeking help. We’ve already reported it to the police using the phone number. Whatever the situation, we should have a result soon.”

Yao Jia breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.

After Lin Qian left, Yao Jia turned to Meng Xingzhe. “See, I’m not just imagining things from watching too many TV dramas.”

Meng Xingzhe smirked slightly, his tone laced with mild sarcasm. “The situation isn’t settled yet, is it?”

“…” Yao Jia was momentarily speechless.

Fine, this matter would only be resolved after the police investigation, but another matter could be settled immediately.

“Pay me back, tonight!” Yao Jia demanded fiercely at Meng Xingzhe.

Meng Xingzhe looked at her as if she were a troublesome child, a mocking smile on his face.

“When you can’t win an argument, you resort to this. Only women would do something like that.”

He refused to concede verbally, but his actions in the evening showed his hesitation—he didn’t return home for dinner.

Tian Huasheng prepared dinner and called Meng Xingzhe, asking when he’d be home to eat.

“Oh, I forgot to tell you,” Meng Xingzhe replied, swallowing the cafeteria food at Xingbei Technology like it was medicine. “I’m not coming home for dinner tonight. A friend is treating me to French cuisine.” Across from him, Bei Luonan, who refused to lend Meng Xingzhe a single cent to pay off his debt, shook with laughter.

Tian Huasheng relayed this news to Yao Jia, who scoffed. “French cuisine, my foot. He’s just afraid I’ll ask him to pay back the money, so he doesn’t dare come home! Little Tian Tian, mark my words, he won’t come back until I’m asleep. He’ll claim his friend treated him to French cuisine all night!”

Tian Huasheng, unsure of what had sparked their latest battle, refrained from commenting and focused on eating.

Yao Jia was right about one thing: Meng Xingzhe didn’t come home until midnight. Before entering, he asked Tian Huasheng to knock on Yao Jia’s door to see if she was asleep. Only after confirming she was did he quietly enter the house.

Tian Huasheng, watching Meng Xingzhe tiptoe to his room, asked, “Bro, why are you back so late?”

Meng Xingzhe gestured for him to keep quiet and whispered, “My friend insisted I stay. I ended up eating with him until now.”

Pfft!

Tian Huasheng couldn’t hold back his laughter.

Yao Jia really hit the nail on the head, he thought. She truly understood Meng Xingzhe well.

******

The next day at work, Meng Xingzhe avoided making eye contact with Yao Jia.

Finally, Yao Jia seized the moment when he went to the restroom, cornering him against the wall next to it.

Standing tall at 185 cm, Meng Xingzhe leaned against the wall, looking down at Yao Jia, who was nearly 20 cm shorter. Her fierce demeanor made him swallow nervously. “What do you want?” he asked.

Yao Jia replied fiercely, “You can run, but you can’t hide. Even if you don’t come home at night, you can’t escape from me!”

Meng Xingzhe tried to keep his tone steady, not wanting to lose face. “Is money all we can talk about now?”

Yao Jia scoffed, “What else did you think? If not money, are we supposed to talk about love?!”

Someone emerged from the restroom, startled by their confrontation. Hearing their conversation, the person looked at them with a strange expression.

It was as if they were witnessing a scoundrel who didn’t come home at night, being cornered by a woman demanding money. The scoundrel, trying to evade responsibility, suggested they couldn’t only talk about money. The observer thought Meng Xingzhe’s face confirmed his scoundrel status.

Before answering Yao Jia’s question, Meng Xingzhe sighed and turned to the person who had been watching them. “Hey, how long do you plan to stand there?”

The person quickly adjusted their pants and walked away, pretending not to have seen or heard anything.

Meng Xingzhe turned back to Yao Jia, saying, “Besides paying back directly, we could discuss other ways to settle the debt, right?”

Yao Jia asked, “What ways?”

Meng Xingzhe suggested, “I have a fantastic massage chair in my room. I could rent it to you. Outside, a session costs about twenty yuan for half an hour, right? My chair is top-notch, way better than any outside. But I’ll give you a discount, only fifteen yuan per half hour. How about it?”

As he spoke, Meng Xingzhe maintained a dignified expression. Even if he had to resort to renting out his massage chair, he was determined to keep his composure and dignity.

Yao Jia’s hand, which had been pressing against the wall, slowly relaxed.

It wasn’t a bad idea. After a tiring day at work, using the massage chair sounded appealing. She could even let Tian Huasheng use it for ten yuan.

Thinking of Tian Huasheng, she suddenly heard his cheerful voice.

“Wow! Bro, Jia, what’s going on with you two?”

Yao Jia turned to see Tian Huasheng standing at the restroom entrance, ready to enter, his hands at his waistband, feet shuffling with excitement.

…As if they were some kind of diuretic.

Yao Jia pulled back her arm, now like an emotionless debt collector, and said, “We’re negotiating the massage chair rental.”

Meng Xingzhe finally relaxed against the wall, quietly swallowing again.

Tian Huasheng let out an “Oh,” sounding a bit disappointed. “I thought you two might fight over the money. I was wondering who I’d have to pull apart!”

“…” Yao Jia almost choked.

What kind of dining companion was this? Always eager for drama!

******

Two days later at work, Lin Qian approached Yao Jia’s desk, smiling. “You were right. After we reported it, the police took less than two days to locate and dismantle a pyramid scheme using the phone number!”

Yao Jia was momentarily stunned. Then she felt a rush of excitement coursing through her veins.

— Translator’s Notes —

– 110: In mainland China, 110 is the national emergency telephone number for police, similar to 911 in the United States.