Chapter 3: How’s Your Driving?

Song Chunhui had done his fair share of double-dealing in the complex social web of the head office. He nodded and agreed, then turned around and randomly picked a salesperson to take over the mess, instructing them to take the new “chicken manure” to the employee dormitory to settle in. Liu Wenjin had emphasized that he was a college student, hinting that he wanted him to be well-trained. Who knew which diploma mill this loafer came from?

“Xiao Zhang,” Song Chunhui continued, “I see you’re skilled in business. From now on, you take him under your wing. Get him out there more often, let him get the hang of things quickly, and aim to close a deal by next month.”

It had been a while since the sales department had a newcomer. The chosen salesperson was just in need of a little sidekick, so Zhang Cong immediately took on the task: “Sure thing, Manager.”

Coincidentally, the cleaning lady came to the sales department to change the trash bags, and the office door was opened. Song Chunhui saw Auntie Wang, the only person in the company who treated him like a manager, and quickly called Zhang Cong back.

“Once he’s settled, bring him to my office.”

Downstairs in the office building.

Li Huan was waiting for the salesperson who was supposed to meet him and caught a glimpse of surprise in the other person’s eyes. He suppressed his displeasure and spoke first, “Hello, I’m Li Huan.”

“Oh, oh, I’m Zhang Cong. I’ll take you to the dormitory first.” Zhang Cong, who was eager to recruit a little brother, was genuinely surprised. On the way to the dormitory, he kept glancing at Li Huan, who had an outstanding demeanor and looked as handsome as Pan An.

Why would someone so fair and handsome, like a celebrity, come to be a salesperson? Wouldn’t it be better to find a rich woman to rely on? Or maybe he has strong family connections and will be transferred to the headquarters once the internship is over?

Zhang Cong: “You look really tall, are you 1.9 meters?”

Li Huan: “Exactly 1.9 meters.”

Zhang Cong: “How old are you? I’m 26, been with Jinhui for almost three years.”

Li Huan: “22.”

Following behind Zhang Cong, Li Huan looked around as they walked. Through Zhang Cong’s introduction, he learned that this pharmaceutical agency had been operating for five years. As for why the facilities were so rundown, it used to be a textile factory that went bankrupt and was rented by “Jinhui,” which directly converted the tin houses into warehouses, and the three-story old building was used for offices, with the sales department on the second floor.

The wheels of his suitcase rolled over the mottled concrete ground, occasionally bumping and making a “clunk” sound. Li Huan frowned slightly, instinctively raising his arm to check the time on his watch, only to remember that his father had confiscated it.

After walking a bit further, he saw a row of three-story dilapidated houses behind the tin warehouse, which were supposedly the employee dormitories. The dormitory was a brick-concrete structure, with the exterior paint long ravaged by time, peeling off in patches, and the doors and windows were old, showing their dilapidation in the sunlight.

Li Huan, accustomed to a life of luxury, had never encountered such harsh living conditions, and his expression was already strained. Unexpectedly, the “skinny black monkey” beside him was still praising it.

“Our company’s best feature is this dormitory building,” Zhang Cong, unsure of the intern’s background, tried to get close, “Everyone gets their own room, no need to squeeze together, and there’s a bathroom and shower on each floor, so you don’t have to wait long to shower.”

Li Huan: “…”

“There are plenty of empty rooms, you can pick any one you like,” Zhang Cong pointed to one of the rooms on the left side of the second floor, “I live there. The first floor is uninhabitable in winter, why don’t you stay next to me? That room’s empty.”

Li Huan pursed his lips and remained silent. After standing still for a few seconds, he pulled out a cigarette from his coat pocket, offered one to Zhang Cong, and put one in his own mouth. Then he took out a lighter, offered a light, and said with a smile, “I’ll stay next to you then, thanks.”

“Oh, no need to be so polite!” Zhang Cong, with sharp eyes, took a puff and noticed it was different, “Is this imported? I’ve never smoked it before, must be expensive, right?”

Li Huan didn’t have a smoking habit and rarely bought cigarettes, only smoking one or two when hanging out with friends. He casually replied, “Not expensive,” and asked Zhang Cong how many people lived in the dormitory. He learned that only salespeople, medical representatives, security guards, and warehouse staff lived there, while other employees were either locals from Ancheng or already had families.

While smoking, Zhang Cong continued to chat with Li Huan, kindly reminding him that if he had a girlfriend, he shouldn’t bring her to the dormitory.

Zhang Cong: “There was a guy who brought his girlfriend to live in the dormitory, and she was really flirtatious, ended up hooking up with the guy next door. It caused a huge scene.”

Li Huan was most annoyed by people who babbled on, but being unfamiliar with the place, he had to endure it to make himself as comfortable as possible, so he let Zhang Cong continue talking.

“The police even got involved at night, and General Manager Liu rushed over and fired them on the spot. The next day, he fired the sales manager too, and we all got a scolding.” Zhang Cong probed, “Why didn’t you intern at the headquarters?”

“What headquarters?” Li Huan feigned ignorance.

Zhang Cong: “You don’t know Nuolin Pharmaceuticals?”

Just hearing the name gave him a headache. Li Huan exhaled smoke and said, “I don’t know.”

Li Huan had a strong aura, like an invisible magnetic field, which made Zhang Cong curious about him and unconsciously scrutinize him. So Zhang Cong told Li Huan that Nuolin Pharmaceuticals was the parent company of this branch, a particularly impressive group. He himself would love to get in and see the world, but unfortunately, he didn’t have the ability, and the new sales manager was transferred from the headquarters.

What parent, what child, Li Huan felt disconnected, silently smoking.

“The new manager is a real pain, always making a fuss,” Zhang Cong complained, “constantly holding meetings to set rules, monitoring performance, and even checking the dormitory during the day.”

Li Huan was willing to listen to this kind of nonsense. After the brief exchange earlier, he knew there were six salespeople, including Zhang Cong, two security guards, two warehouse staff, and originally two medical representatives, but one was driven away by the manager last week.

One of the salespeople moved out after getting a girlfriend, and one of the warehouse staff had a family, so there should be nine people living in the dormitory now.

Seeing Zhang Cong casually toss his cigarette butt onto the ground, Li Huan followed suit, stepping on it to extinguish the ember. Then he asked Zhang Cong, “Does the manager live in the dormitory?”

Unexpectedly, when this topic was brought up, Zhang Cong’s mouth opened like a floodgate, and soon Li Huan had a preliminary impression of his future boss. Based on Zhang Cong’s description, he summed it up in one sentence: a nagging, pretentious four-eyed idiot.

“Luckily, he doesn’t live in the dormitory, or it would be a real pain,” Zhang Cong led Li Huan up the stairs, “Can you guess why he doesn’t live here?”

Li Huan wasn’t interested in knowing, but as they climbed to the second floor, he found out why. The narrow corridor was lined with clothes, and several pairs of black socks hanging on the line were particularly noticeable, like dried meat swaying gently in the breeze.

“He has a cleanliness obsession. He’s been at the branch for a month and hasn’t used the bathroom once, not even once,” Zhang Cong said, kicking open the door to the room next to his.

The musty, decaying smell mixed with dust hit Li Huan, making him cough and almost gag at the sight of the room’s condition. No wonder not many people wanted to live in the dormitory.

The room was cramped and oppressive, with several cobwebs hanging from the ceiling. The only window was covered in dust and grime, making it difficult for sunlight to penetrate, casting a weak, dim light inside. A narrow single bed, of unknown history, occupied one corner of the room, and next to it was an old set of table and chairs, the tabletop uneven, and whether the chair could still support a person was uncertain.

“It’s been unoccupied for a while, so it’s a bit dirty. Just needs some cleaning,” Zhang Cong said, opening the window to let in some air.

Li Huan didn’t enter the room. Judging by the “dried meat” in the corridor, he figured everyone lived on the second floor, and for some peace, he needed to go to the third floor. Unexpectedly, Zhang Cong dashed his hopes in the next second.

“Oh, by the way, don’t go to the third floor,” Zhang Cong said, “Warehouse manager Zhao Jie lives on the third floor, and we men aren’t allowed up there. She just got divorced this year and doesn’t have a good attitude towards men.”

Li Huan: “…”

Zhang Cong: “After lunch, I’ll take you to buy bedding and daily necessities. Do you have a car?”

“……”

Li Huan, having grown up without much hardship, could only say that the only hardship he had faced was academic. He eventually entered the room to put down his suitcase, and on the way back to the office building with Zhang Cong, he took his father’s secretary off the blacklist and sent a text message.

As they neared the office building, he received a reply, and his face immediately darkened, almost smashing his phone.

[Chairman Li asked me to tell you, if you can’t handle it, sleep on the street. If you really can’t stand it, we’ll send you to a construction site for a two-year internship tomorrow.]

“Are you okay?” Zhang Cong noticed something was off and kindly asked.

Li Huan controlled his emotions, turned to Zhang Cong with a slight smile, and said casually, “It’s nothing, my family’s dog is barking, maybe it’s sick.”

“You have a dog?” Zhang Cong asked, “What breed?”

“A mutt, let’s go.” Li Huan pocketed his phone and took the lead.

Worried that Li Huan might go the wrong way, Zhang Cong quickly caught up to lead him. Before they reached the sales department, they heard a heated argument inside.

“Song, don’t think just because you came from the head office you can boss me around!”

Li Huan didn’t know what was going on, and Zhang Cong nudged his arm, giving him a look.

He lightened his steps, following Zhang Cong closely, sticking to the wall, and peeking inside. The sales department was spacious and empty, the argument coming from a slightly ajar office on the right. Zhang Cong whispered to him that the “troublemaker” was going crazy, and going in now would be like walking into a trap.

*

Being yelled at by a medical representative, Song Chunhui wasn’t one to back down. He slammed his hand on the desk with a “bang” and then tossed the reimbursement form.

His expression was serious, and his voice rose a few notches.

“Spending three thousand just to treat the urology department to a meal, do you think the company’s money grows on trees? Did you treat them to a full banquet? And this five hundred for milk tea, just fill in the money and be done with it? Are you trying to fool ghosts with this reimbursement form? Calculate the profit from the orders Director Sun placed last month! Also, you’re under my management now, can you do your job properly or not?”

The medical representative, stunned by Song Chunhui’s powerful and seamless reprimand, turned red with anger and raised his voice to retort, “Everyone says imported ones work better, but domestic equipment is so damn hard to sell. If I don’t spend money to build relationships, who will pay attention to me? You, a procurement guy, what the hell do you know! Don’t think I don’t know, you were kicked out of the headquarters, keep bossing me around and I won’t work here anymore!”

The word “kicked” was like a heavy hammer, hitting Song Chunhui’s lungs hard, instantly igniting the frustration he had been suppressing, and the anger surged straight to his head.

He pressed his fist against the desk, trying hard to control his emotions. Arguing with the medical representative was pointless; the other party clearly had resources, and he had only been at Jinhui for a month and hadn’t established himself yet. With the “sales manager” as a nominal position, no one took him seriously except for Auntie Wang, the cleaner.

But Song Chunhui was unwilling to back down. If he retreated now, his position as sales manager would become a joke, and anyone could boss him around in the future.

“Knock, knock, knock—” The sound of knocking suddenly broke the tense atmosphere in the office.

Outside the sales department, Zhang Cong looked speechlessly at Li Huan, who had walked right into the line of fire. Despite his kind reminder, this intern still foolishly walked in to get scolded.

After all, he was a naive college student who had just entered society, unaware of the dangers of the workplace. Listening to gossip was so much more exciting.

Song Chunhui adjusted his glasses to maintain his composure, then opened the office door and said to the medical representative, “I won’t argue with you today, get out!”

The medical representative, having gotten his reimbursement approved, glared at Song Chunhui and left in big strides.

Only then did Song Chunhui turn his attention to the new intern. Seeing the tall and upright figure, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he had seen him somewhere before.

And Li Huan recognized at a glance that the new boss was the four-eyed guy who had been pulling and tugging with Cheng Yao at the hospital a week ago, threatening to call the police.

He had a bad feeling, thinking he shouldn’t have knocked and broken the tension earlier.

One-eyed dragon!

Song Chunhui remembered, wasn’t this the accomplice of that little punk from before? The eye patch and bandages were gone, the brown hair dyed black, a proper young college student.

Under someone else’s roof, Li Huan pretended not to recognize him and politely greeted his boss, “Hello, Manager.”

“The new intern, right? Come in.” Song Chunhui sat back in his office chair, leaned back, crossed his arms over his chest, and slightly raised his chin, putting on the airs of a manager.

Witnessing this, Li Huan thought, “……” This four-eyed guy really likes to put on airs.

“Close the door and sit down.” Not sure if the intern had heard the medical representative’s nonsense, Song Chunhui asked, “Where’s Xiao Zhang who brought you here?”

Zhang Cong didn’t come in, and Li Huan sat down on the sofa in front of the desk, displaying the demeanor of an intern, saying, “He went to run some errands, I came up by myself.”

If it weren’t for that hospital incident, Song Chunhui would have been very satisfied with Li Huan as an intern. The accidental interruption earlier allowed him to calm down, avoiding further escalation of the situation, which was a help to him.

He scrutinized Li Huan, his gaze stopping on the black hair, and asked, “Did you bring your resume? If not, just introduce yourself, your educational background and family, keep it simple.”

Kicked out by his own father, Li Huan lied with a straight face, casually naming a regular domestic university and major. As for family, he said he had a mother but no father, and his hometown was in the countryside of Jiangcheng. This internship was arranged by a relative who paid to pull some strings.

He looked sincere, speaking while rubbing his palms on his knees, his expression full of youthful innocence.

Just as he suspected, it wasn’t a prestigious university, and the family background was average, a single parent, probably went through many layers of connections to get to Liu Wenjin. If he had any ability, he would have been sent to the headquarters.

“A connection, huh.” Song Chunhui clicked his tongue, “You’re quite honest.”

Li Huan responded with a simple “Hmm,” not saying anything unnecessary, answering whatever the manager asked, trying not to take control of the conversation.

Why does this kid look so tall even when sitting? Song Chunhui wondered, glancing at the slightly low office chair, then got up and moved to the side of the desk, leaning against it, adopting a superior posture to set the rules for the intern.

“Don’t think having connections means you can slack off. There’s not much time for you to slowly adapt. You’re 22, not young. When I was your age, I was already promoted to team leader through part-time work. Get familiar with all the company’s product information within three days, I’ll test you on Friday.”

“……” A trace of displeasure flashed in Li Huan’s eyes, and the hand that had been rubbing his knee stopped. Then he heard Song Chunhui ask if he had a driver’s license.

He had inquired, all the salespeople had their own electric scooters, no one drove, and the company only reimbursed fuel costs for manager-level positions.

“If you can’t drive, it’s a bit tricky.” Song Chunhui pondered how to handle it, he couldn’t possibly, as a manager, end up being the intern’s driver.

The order Li Huan received was to report to “Jinhui,” he wasn’t clear on the specifics, thinking it was a sales position. Hearing the four-eyed guy’s words, it seemed like he was to be a driver, and if he was responsible for transporting goods, familiarizing himself with the product information was necessary.

So he replied, “I can drive, I have a license.”

Song Chunhui nodded in satisfaction, asking, “How’s your driving, are you skilled?”

Being a driver was better than dealing with this nagging four-eyed guy in the sales department, Li Huan also nodded in satisfaction, “Very skilled, I helped my relatives drive during holidays.”

“That’s good. Starting today, you’ll be my assistant.” With that, Song Chunhui tapped the lid of his thermos with his finger, staring at Li Huan and instructing him, “Every morning, the first thing you do is help me make tea.”

Li Huan: “……”

Song Chunhui: “Are you proficient with office software?”

Li Huan: “……”

Seeing the intern remain silent, Song Chunhui understood and said, “Your family paid for your education, and you just learned the basics in college, huh? I’ll give you an afternoon to learn how to make spreadsheets.”

Li Huan: “……”