Chapter 29: Thank You, Miss

The incident of saving someone over the phone didn’t initially cause much of a stir. Yao Jia was simply happy that her meddling had saved a life. Beyond that, she felt nothing special. Her daily routine remained unchanged, filled with a touch of annoyance and immense patience. She went to work and ate her meals as usual.

In contrast to her happiness, Meng Xingzhe seemed a bit awkward and even sullen. He was usually so full of himself, like a peacock ready to flaunt its feathers at any moment. It was rare to see him so downcast, and Yao Jia felt a bit guilty about kicking someone when they’re down. She considered flaunting her success in front of him, speaking to him with her nose in the air, and telling him, “See, I was right, and you were wrong. Don’t be so full of yourself!”

But in the end, she didn’t do it. For a moment, she blamed herself for being too soft-hearted, for missing such a good opportunity to put the arrogant king in his place. But she quickly came to terms with it and forgave herself, because, after all, she was a woman.

That day, after Meng Xingzhe agreed at the restroom door to rent out his massage chair to pay off a debt, Yao Jia dragged Tian Huasheng to knock on his door that very night.

Meng Xingzhe, true to his word, despite his face clearly saying “I really don’t want anyone in my room” and “I really don’t want anyone touching my stuff or sitting in my massage chair,” held back and didn’t kick them out. He allowed Yao Jia and Tian Huasheng to take turns sitting in the massage chair while the other listened to comedy on an iPad, occasionally bursting into laughter like a flock of ducks.

Amidst the duck-like laughter, Meng Xingzhe sat at his desk, fiddling with his computer. The computer faced away from Yao Jia and the others, so all she could hear was the clacking of keyboard keys.

From the sound of it, Yao Jia could only think of three possibilities: either Meng Xingzhe was writing a novel—which seemed unlikely given his irritable personality, any characters he wrote would probably be so annoying you’d want to punch them—or he was coding, which also seemed unlikely, as if he had such talent, he wouldn’t be working as a customer service rep at Kunyu Electric. The most likely scenario was that he was flirting on social media, trying to find a wealthy, beautiful woman to marry and skip twenty years of hard work.

Understanding what Meng Xingzhe was up to, Yao Jia felt waves of disdain. But she reminded herself that everyone has their own ambitions. As long as he wasn’t stealing or robbing, just looking for a rich and beautiful woman, it was better than those hypocritical scumbags who say one thing and mean another.

After all, they were just passing through each other’s lives for a brief moment. Why bother worrying about what kind of person he was?

Regardless of what kind of person he was, his massage chair was quite excellent, among the top-tier available on the market. After trying it, Yao Jia could even understand Meng Xingzhe’s hedonism a little.

It was indeed incredibly comfortable, so comfortable it was addictive.

Yao Jia even thought about getting one for herself when she moved back home, so her irritable father, Yao Bingkun, could enjoy it too.

Not only her, but even Tian Huasheng couldn’t stop praising the massage chair after trying it. He first praised it as a divine chair that left him feeling physically and mentally rejuvenated. If the massage chair had a gender, he said he would marry a female massage chair. Then he praised Meng Xingzhe as a saint, saying that although he seemed unwilling to let them use the massage chair, his actions were welcoming, even helping them adjust the settings.

“Maybe this is what they call ‘saying no while meaning yes,'” Tian Huasheng concluded.

Yao Jia wanted to tell Tian Huasheng that this wasn’t the right use of the phrase. At least from a physical standpoint, it should be voluntary.

But looking at Meng Xingzhe’s demeanor, every pore of his body seemed to express, “My massage chair has been defiled, but there’s nothing I can do since I owe money.”

While Tian Huasheng was using the massage chair, Yao Jia had nothing to do and glanced around the room. She noticed the lamp by Meng Xingzhe’s bed, supposedly from Italy, was quite beautiful. She wondered if beautiful things were durable.

She didn’t know if her thoughts had some sort of curse, but that very night, as she lay in bed about to drift into a sweet dream, Meng Xingzhe came knocking at her door.

She didn’t want to respond, but Meng Xingzhe kept knocking.

Annoyed, she had to open her eyes, her impending sleep shattered, and half-shouted, “What do you want?!”

From outside the door, Meng Xingzhe said, “Little Tian Tian said you have a lamp.”

Yao Jia replied irritably, “And?”

Meng Xingzhe stated bluntly, “Lend it to me.”

Yao Jia was impatient, “Don’t you have a lamp?”

“It’s broken.”

“I’m already in bed. I’ll lend it to you tomorrow.”

“No, I need it now.”

“Then go borrow one from Tong Yumo!”

“Do you think I can escape unscathed?!”

Yao Jia was exasperated. What’s stopping a grown man from escaping unscathed? She’d never heard of Little Red Riding Hood swallowing the wolf whole. Couldn’t he struggle a bit and run off with a lamp?

“If you need light so badly, just turn on the main light!”

Why be so fussy? Light is light, whether from a table lamp or a main light. Does a table lamp emit a more noble light than a main light?

“I can’t sleep with the lights on.”

“???”

Yao Jia thought it over and concluded, “You need a nightlight to sleep?”

“Yeah.” Surprisingly, a voice outside confirmed her guess.

The next moment, Yao Jia jumped out of bed, opened the door, and handed her desk lamp to Meng Xingzhe, glaring at him fiercely. “So, you’re using more electricity than us every month, yet you still have the nerve to split the bill evenly? From now on, you have to pay more!” With that, she shoved the lamp into Meng Xingzhe’s hands and slammed the door shut, feeling as satisfied as if she’d slapped him.

Meng Xingzhe stood there, holding the lamp, stunned.

He wondered if this girl’s brain was filled with nothing but “stingy” and “money.” Wasn’t she curious why such a tall, handsome, manly guy like him needed a light to sleep because of his insecurity? Yet all she cared about was making him pay extra for electricity?

Wasn’t she even a bit curious about the stories behind this pretty boy?

Meng Xingzhe gritted his teeth, holding the lamp. Fine, she was something else. Her nerves must be as thick as a telephone pole.

******

After the emergency call incident, Yao Jia continued her work and life as usual. She thought the matter was over.

Unexpectedly, it exploded a few days later.

The person who was rescued was named Qin Zhenxin, who lived in another province and had graduated from university two years ago. After cooperating with the police for the record and visiting his family, he immediately flew to Kunyu Electronics Headquarters with a banner, insisting on thanking his savior in person.

Shutting down a pyramid scheme was a big case locally, and many media outlets reported on it. When they learned that Qin Zhenxin was rescued through an After-sales Service call, they were very interested in the process. Upon hearing that Qin Zhenxin was flying to Kunyu Headquarters to express his gratitude, the media quickly dispatched reporters for follow-up coverage.

Reporters from afar traveled long distances, and local reporters sprang into action. These two media forces converged enthusiastically in front of the Kunyu Electric building. Together, they escorted Qin Zhenxin, who carried a banner, on his journey of thanks.

Thus, when Qin Zhenxin appeared at Kunyu Electric, the scene was grand.

But Yao Jia was unaware that Qin Zhenxin had come to Kunyu to express his gratitude. She was diligently working at her customer service desk, just like every other day, grateful for polite customers and patiently dealing with difficult callers.

Initially, when Qin Zhenxin arrived at Kunyu Electric, he said, “I want to meet the person who called the police for me. I want to thank her in person!”

The one who directly called the police was Li Wangli.

So, Li Wangli, along with his assistant Cao Chun, and to make a good impression, brought along several team leaders and Tong Yumo, whom he considered skilled and presentable, to represent the Customer Service Department.

The media presence was vast, comparable to a sea of people. When their cameras clicked simultaneously, the flashes created a silver wave, making those in front of the lens feel inexplicably excited and passionate—because they had become the focus of so many cameras.

When Li Wangli met Qin Zhenxin and shook his hand, the media’s cameras flashed in a silver sea, making Li Wangli feel as if he had reached a pinnacle in life.

The scene was so grand. Li Wangli quickly calculated that by deciphering the distress signal from the caller, the police had dismantled a large pyramid scheme. This event, when spread by the media, would have a very positive impact, elevating the company’s image. So today was a big day, not only for the company but also for the Customer Service Department, which could now hold their heads high.

Realizing this, Li Wangli hurriedly instructed Cao Chun to notify Chairman Yao Bingkun and Vice President Qiu Lishi, “Quickly invite the Chairman and Vice President over. Tell them I’ve already brought Qin Zhenxin and the accompanying local and foreign media to the multifunctional conference room! Usually, the Chairman might not come, but invite him anyway!”

Cao Chun went to invite them. A few minutes later, as expected, Yao Bingkun didn’t show up, but Vice President Qiu Lishi arrived with the head of the Public Relations Department.

Qiu Lishi offered an official explanation: “President Yao doesn’t like too much media exposure, so I’ll handle this for him.”

Qiu Lishi and Yao Bingkun appeared to be about the same age, but Qiu Lishi was actually two or three years younger.

Li Wangli eagerly ushered Qiu Lishi and the Public Relations head into the conference room. He first introduced them to everyone: “This is our company’s Vice President, Qiu Lishi! And this is the head of our Public Relations Department, who usually handles media relations!”

He then introduced Qin Zhenxin and the media reporters to Qiu Lishi.

He didn’t forget his own people either, enthusiastically introducing them to Qiu Lishi. “Director Qiu, look, these are the outstanding team leaders from our Customer Service Department. They are all elites! This is Team Leader Lin Qian. It was her new recruit who managed to identify the issue over the phone this time!”

Qiu Lishi shook hands with Lin Qian as the media began taking photos of them.

Li Wangli then introduced Tong Yumo to Qiu Lishi. “This is our outstanding new employee, Tong Yumo, trained by Team Leader Lin!”

The way he connected his sentences made everyone mistakenly believe that Tong Yumo was the employee who took that phone call.

Cameras from the media focused on Tong Yumo, creating a sea of flashing lights. The constant clicking made Tong Yumo’s cheeks turn a shy shade of pink.

Qiu Lishi shook hands with Tong Yumo, smiling warmly, and even patted her on the shoulder, offering praise and encouragement. “Your name is Tong Yumo, right? You’ve done well and brought honor to the company. On behalf of the company, I thank you! In the future, unite with your colleagues to make further progress. Keep working hard to bring glory to the company and your Customer Service Department!”

Tong Yumo’s cheeks turned crimson, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

Lin Qian wanted to step forward to clear up the misunderstanding, but Cao Chun pulled her aside. “Lin Qian, come help me serve some water to Director Qiu and our media friends!”

As she spoke, she led Lin Qian and two other team leaders away.

Lin Qian had no choice but to follow her to the break room to pour water.

Cao Chun first had the other two team leaders carry back two boxes of bottled water, then said to Lin Qian, “We should also prepare some hot water. Some people might not drink cold water.”

Lin Qian had to wait there.

Cao Chun handed Lin Qian paper cups filled with hot water, and Lin Qian neatly arranged them on a tray. As she did, she said to Cao Chun, “Supervisor, it was Yao Jia who took that call, not Tong Yumo.”

Cao Chun smiled and said, “I know, but does it really matter whether it was Yao Jia or Tong Yumo who took the call? The real spotlight should be on our leaders, right?”

Lin Qian frowned slightly.

This was the workplace culture she despised the most. When it came to taking credit, it was passed down from the top, with those higher up taking the lion’s share. By the time it reached the bottom, there was barely a crumb left. But when it came to taking the blame, it was the opposite, starting from the bottom, with the lower-level employees shouldering most of it. If necessary, regular employees might even be turned into “temporary workers” to bear the brunt, while those higher up often only faced verbal reprimands.

She disliked this kind of workplace culture. She hoped that even if the credit was just a crumb by the time it reached Yao Jia, it should be Yao Jia who received it, not someone else.

She quietly arranged the cups on the tray, making plans in her mind.

While Cao Chun was still getting water, she excused herself to the restroom and slipped out.

******

When Lin Qian and Cao Chun returned to the meeting room with the trays, Qin Zhenxin, Li Wangli, Qiu Lishi, and Tong Yumo were sitting in a row, being interviewed by reporters.

The reporters first asked Qin Zhenxin to describe how dangerous the phone call had been that day.

Qin Zhenxin said, “Here’s what happened. I’ve been struggling with my job since graduating two years ago. One day, I got a call from a college friend who said his company was hiring in *City, with a monthly salary over ten thousand, good benefits, and room and board included. He urged me to go, saying he knew my job wasn’t going well, so when the company started hiring, he thought of me right away. He even promised to be my reference to ensure I’d get the job.

“I was really unhappy with my job at the time, so I was very moved by his offer. I quit my job that day and took the high-speed train to *City the next day. But as soon as I got off the train, I was taken away by people who came to pick me up. I realized immediately that something was wrong, but it was too late to run. They confiscated my phone, ID, and wallet and took me to a very old residential building. The place was small, with two rooms and a living room, crammed with over a dozen people like me who had been tricked. Many had already been brainwashed, including the friend who tricked me. He had even become a small leader by recruiting others!

“I was shocked, disappointed, and heartbroken. I couldn’t believe my college friend would do such a thing, but he did! I had to accept reality and quickly adjust my mindset. I knew confronting him directly wouldn’t help, so I pretended to go along with it, hoping to find a chance to escape.

“But they watched me closely, especially my friend, who said I was too clever. No matter where I went, he either followed me himself or sent two others to watch me. Who would have thought that a college friend of four years would become so heartless after being brainwashed by a pyramid scheme? He not only tricked me but even tried to lure a female classmate who once liked him. Fortunately, she was already married.”

Hearing this, everyone sighed.

Qin Zhenxin’s expression showed his emotions. The memories of those difficult days, where human nature was tested, almost drove him to despair. A college friend had betrayed him, but a stranger on the phone had saved him.

“Later, bit by bit, I gained the trust of my classmate—well, let’s just call him ‘the little boss’ from now on. I don’t want the term ‘classmate’ to be tainted by this unpleasant experience.” Qin Zhenxin smiled wryly and continued, “Eventually, I gained enough trust that he only sent one person to follow me wherever I went. Sometimes, when he couldn’t sleep at night, he’d wake me up to have a smoke and chat, reminiscing about our university days. It’s quite absurd, really, that in such an environment and under such circumstances, he could still reminisce about college life with me!”

The reporters were visibly moved by his words. Li Wangli, Qiu Lishi, and Tong Yumo all showed expressions of empathy and sorrow, especially Tong Yumo, whose eyes turned red. She discreetly wiped away the tears at the corners of her eyes.

Qin Zhenxin continued, “Later, the air conditioner in the house broke down. It was hot, and with nearly twenty people crammed into one room, living without air conditioning was unbearable. The little boss applied to his superiors and got a new air conditioner. Yes, this air conditioner was bought from Kunyu Electric! To avoid leaks, he didn’t even write down the unit or room number, only the entrance of the community as the delivery address. When the air conditioner arrived, he didn’t dare let Kunyu’s after-sales service install it. Instead, he borrowed a drill and had us help him install it ourselves.

“Then, more than a month later, the little boss saw that the air conditioner had dropped in price. He called customer service to get a refund for the price difference, as it would go directly into his pocket. But customer service said the air conditioner was beyond the price protection period, so no refund was possible. He was furious. Suddenly, he remembered that I had a sharp tongue, so he asked me to call Kunyu Electric’s customer service and vent his anger.

“I immediately realized this was an opportunity for me! Normally, I had no chance to even touch a phone. I knew I had to seize this opportunity! So I called Kunyu Electric. Unfortunately, perhaps I was too harsh on the first call, and the first customer service representative got upset and didn’t catch my plea for help. After the call ended, I thought it was over, that I had missed my chance.”

Qin Zhenxin paused. Even though everyone knew he was now safely sitting in the conference room, their hearts were still gripped by the tension of his failed attempt to seek help.

“Then I thought, I can’t just give up like this. I must try to get another chance! After the call ended, I told the little boss, ‘That customer service rep had such an arrogant attitude. Do you feel any better? I think I’m even angrier now. How about we call again and really give them a piece of our mind?’ Fortunately, the little boss also felt unsatisfied and agreed to my suggestion, giving me another chance to seek help. And this time, the call went to—”

He turned to look at Tong Yumo, giving her a grateful smile, and said, “It was this young lady, Tong Yumo, who answered my call! I’m so grateful she had the patience to listen to my rant while deciphering the information I was trying to convey. Not only that, she had the courage to decide to call the police, rather than dismissing it as a coincidence or a prank. The process was very risky. If she had hesitated at any point, I wouldn’t be standing here today; I wouldn’t have been saved!”

Qin Zhenxin was visibly moved as he spoke, standing up to bow to Tong Yumo.

Tong Yumo quickly stood up, waving her hands in embarrassment.

The reporters were eager to hear what happened after the call. Li Wangli took the microphone from Qin Zhenxin and began to explain how, after listening to the recorded call, he conducted a thorough analysis, made the decisive decision to call the police, and credited the decision to the guidance of the Chairman and Vice President Qiu.

His words were met with general approval and satisfaction.

However, the reporters were not satisfied and wanted to hear more details about the call.

Qin Zhenxin laughed and said, “I’ll leave the rest to Miss Tong Yumo! She was directly involved, so she knows best!”

Tong Yumo blushed, waving her hands frantically, “No, no, no, let our leader speak instead!”

As she finished speaking, Qin Zhenxin looked at her intently.

The reporters assumed Tong Yumo was simply nervous and shy, having never faced such a barrage of camera flashes, and encouraged her to speak boldly.

Lin Qian wanted to step forward, but Cao Chun held her arm back, giving her a look that told her not to speak up now. Since everyone already misunderstood that Tong Yumo was the customer service representative who took the call, explaining it now would only cause embarrassment and loss of face.

Lin Qian thought about how, the day after the police were called, she told Yao Jia that her efforts hadn’t been in vain and that the police had dismantled the pyramid scheme and rescued people. Yao Jia’s radiant smile had been unforgettable.

Determined not to let that radiant smile fade or let the true do-gooders feel disheartened, Lin Qian resolved that even if she couldn’t continue working at Kunyu Electric after today, she would stand up and clarify who really took the call.

But before she could break free from Cao Chun’s grip, she heard Qin Zhenxin say to the reporters, “Excuse me, everyone, may I have a word with Miss Tong Yumo first?”

He turned to Tong Yumo and asked, “That day, I was rude on the phone and said many harsh words. Did it upset you?”

Tong Yumo blushed and waved her hands repeatedly, “No, no, our customer service training requires us to be patient no matter what the customer says. We never get angry or lose our temper, no matter who calls!”

The reporters nearby, as well as the leaders of Kunyu Electric, all nodded in approval.

Only Qin Zhenxin’s expression darkened as he frowned, “Something’s not right!”

He looked at Tong Yumo and said, “You weren’t the Customer Service Representative who answered my call that day. Your voice is different!”

Tong Yumo’s face turned pale from red in an instant.

*******

The scene quickly became chaotic and awkward, even leaving the experienced head of the public relations department momentarily stunned. However, he quickly regained his composure and said, “Everyone, please remain calm. There might be some misunderstanding!”

Lin Qian silently applauded Qin Zhenxin in her heart. It’s impressive that he could distinguish the voice of the person who answered the call, considering that female customer service voices often sound similar over the phone and so many days had passed.

Qin Zhenxin directly asked Qiu Lishi, “You’re the Vice President of Kunyu. I hope you can tell me what’s going on here. I want to thank my savior in person. I don’t know what internal considerations or agreements you have, but how could someone impersonate in such a matter?”

The reporters were momentarily stunned, then began snapping photos wildly. They had never imagined that a simple visit could lead to such an unexpected twist. This was far more attention-grabbing than the usual news broadcast!

Amidst the clicking sounds, Tong Yumo, overwhelmed with shame and anger, protested, “I never claimed that I was the one who answered the call!” With that, she lowered her head and ran out of the conference room.

Qiu Lishi’s expression also changed. Suppressing his anger and embarrassment, he quietly asked Li Wangli, “Explain, what exactly is going on?”

Li Wangli immediately followed the lead of the public relations head and attempted to smooth things over, saying, “Everyone, there’s been a misunderstanding. The Customer Service Representative you saw was one of our outstanding employee representatives. The one who actually took the call is feeling unwell today, so she asked the representative to stand in for her during the interview. It’s my fault for not clarifying this earlier, leading to such a big misunderstanding!”

Qin Zhenxin’s expression softened considerably, and he asked, “So where is the young lady who took my call?”

Li Wangli intended to continue with the story he had just concocted, planning to say she was too unwell to attend.

Just as Qin Zhenxin finished speaking, the conference room door was pushed open, and a clear, pleasant male voice came from the entrance, “She’s here.”

Everyone turned to look at the door.

Meng Xingzhe stood outside the conference room, gently ushering Yao Jia inside.