Chapter 5: You Smell So Good

Li Huan was woken up by the “bang bang bang” of someone knocking on his door. The room was chilly, and he was still groggy, so he wrapped himself tighter in his blanket and turned over. As the old bed creaked, a loud voice boomed from outside.

“Xiao Li!”

“Bang bang bang—”

“Damn…” Li Huan slowly opened his eyes, momentarily thinking he was back at his home in Jiangcheng. But seeing the peeling wall paint, he remembered he was in Ancheng.

Last night, Zhang Cong and a few other employees had invited him out for dinner, and the medical representative Sun Wei was there too. They shared quite a bit of gossip about Song Chunhui at the table.

“Xiao Li! Still sleeping?!” Song Chunhui couldn’t believe he couldn’t handle the new intern. After all the life advice he generously shared last night, this brat probably didn’t want to work anymore.

Just as he was about to kick the door, it creaked open, and a white figure suddenly appeared in his view. Li Huan’s solid chest muscles and well-defined abs genuinely surprised him.

Are all college students this fit nowadays? How much protein powder do they have to eat?

Li Huan, still not fully awake and feeling cold and tired, couldn’t stand seeing Song Chunhui’s annoying face.

But Song Chunhui was quicker. He pushed the door open with a forceful shove, almost making Li Huan lose his balance. A gust of cold wind rushed into the room, carrying the pungent smell of cheap hair gel from Song Chunhui’s head straight into Li Huan’s nose, making him feel nauseous.

“It’s already late, hurry up and get dressed!” Song Chunhui urged repeatedly after closing the door. “What did I tell you last night? We have to visit two hospitals this morning, and there’s a ton of stuff to do in the afternoon. And why haven’t you added me on WeChat yet?”

So noisy.

Li Huan was fully awake now. He grabbed the sweater next to his pillow and quickly put it on, then sat down to put on his jeans. The nagging voice started again.

“Where’s the suit you bought yesterday? Is it not enough to show off at the company? Do you have to show off at the hospital too? With your unprofessional image, how can clients dare to cooperate?” Song Chunhui was frustrated, his eyes inadvertently glancing at the assistant’s crucial area, which startled him, and he quickly looked away.

“It needs to be custom-made; the store didn’t have my size,” Li Huan lazily replied, his voice tinged with the weariness of not having enough sleep.

“…” Song Chunhui frowned. “Then change your pants, wash your face with cold water if you’re not awake. Zhang Cong and the others have already gone out to visit clinics. If I hadn’t come to wake you, how long were you planning to sleep? Do you not want to work anymore?”

Li Huan rubbed his eyes and mumbled, “Sorry, Manager. I was a bit homesick last night and had trouble sleeping. I didn’t fall asleep until almost three. Give me a moment.” With that, he got up to open his suitcase, pulled out a pair of black sweatpants, and then looked up at Song Chunhui. “Are these appropriate?”

The assistant’s sincere attitude and reasonable excuse left Song Chunhui with no room to get angry. After all, he had already scolded him yesterday, and the most important thing was that he was willing to correct his mistakes.

New employees have a one-month probation period. He decided to give Li Huan another chance. If there was no improvement within two weeks, he could just leave.

The weather seemed to be in a bad mood too, with the rain drizzling endlessly.

By the time Li Huan finished washing up in the harsh environment, the rain had suddenly intensified, and the wind was howling. He didn’t have an umbrella. Meanwhile, Song Chunhui, who had come with an umbrella, had left a few words and returned to the office building.

He took out his phone and opened WeChat, immediately spotting an avatar that made him feel nauseous.

The man in the picture was dressed in a sharp suit, with slicked-back hair, wearing outdated, heavy black-framed glasses, and crossing his arms in a pose that screamed “successful person.”

Four Eyes really knows how to show off. Doesn’t he realize how ridiculous he looks? His WeChat name is equally laughable, “AAAAA Jinhui Pharmaceuticals – Manager Song,” as if he’s a 5A-level tourist attraction.

When he opened Song Chunhui’s Moments, Li Huan was amazed. Besides advertisements and promotions related to pharmaceuticals and equipment, it was all motivational quotes, like he had been brainwashed.

The latest post was from last night, featuring a scenic photo with the caption: “Life has no rehearsals, and every day won’t come again. Your mindset determines your altitude, and the key to success is to always stick to your goals!”

No wonder he’s such an old-fashioned fool, drinking too much toxic chicken soup.

Li Huan sent a message to his childhood friend Cheng Yao, pocketed his phone, and was about to leave when the door next to him opened. It was Zhang Cong, who hadn’t gone out to do business at all.

“Damn.” Zhang Cong yawned. “I heard that loudmouth earlier. Coming to check on us so early, Ding Lei will kick him out sooner or later.”

Ding Lei was the top-performing employee, someone Li Huan had met last night, and he was also a show-off. He relied on his family connections to lead the charge against Song Chunhui.

The rest of them weren’t much better. They and Four Eyes were just dogs biting dogs. Li Huan didn’t think much of them and didn’t want to get involved. He asked Zhang Cong if he had an extra umbrella.

Zhang Cong looked at him sympathetically. “He has issues with us but can’t vent, so he takes it out on you, the newcomer. Just bear with it. Going head-to-head with him is giving him an opportunity.”

A few minutes ago, Li Huan had indeed wanted to confront him head-on. Thanks to Song Chunhui’s nagging, he changed his mind after clearing his head. It’s just a fool who likes to put on airs; it’s easy to deal with.

It’s really tough.

Song Chunhui looked at the heavy rain outside. Rainy days affected not only performance but also people’s moods, especially his, which felt like a gray, endless expanse.

After half a cup of tea, the assistant finally arrived, carrying a laptop. Song Chunhui, who was punctual, habitually checked his watch.

“I told you to be here by 8:40, and now it’s 9:01. You’re 21 minutes late.” Song Chunhui glanced at the assistant with displeasure. “The rain outside is a bit heavy, so I’ll let it slide this time. But if you’re late again, your salary will be docked, understand? Fifty per instance.”

Li Huan had no concept of salary. When he heard that his intern salary was only two thousand, far less than what he could earn doing part-time modeling, he felt like he was here to beg.

“Thank you, Manager.” He went straight to his desk, plugged in the laptop, and tried to turn it on, but it didn’t respond. Anticipating that Four Eyes would start lecturing again, he quickly got up and took the laptop with him. “I’ll go to the storage room to get a replacement.”

“What a memory.” Song Chunhui noted down “poor memory” as a flaw for the assistant, yet he hadn’t discovered any strengths.

“Sincere attitude” barely counted as one.

Three years ago, Jinhui’s business department was thriving, but now the company’s performance had declined, leaving the storage room filled with old desks and laptops.

Li Huan found that the warehouse manager, Sister Zhao, wasn’t as fierce as Zhang Cong had said. At least she was friendly to him.

When he went back, he saw a woman in the storage room, looking to be in her early forties, chatting warmly with Sister Zhao. He caught snippets of their conversation and heard the name of General Manager Liu, so he approached with a friendly greeting, “Hello, sisters.”

Zhao Yun had a good impression of Li Huan, who was handsome and sweet-talking, and she introduced him to her friend.

The woman was named Fang Ping, an accountant in the finance department. Li Huan flashed a bright smile, showing his neat white teeth. “Sister Fang, I’m the new intern in the business department. You can just call me Xiao Li. I’ll be counting on your guidance and support in the future.” His youthful and radiant smile was so captivating that it was hard to look away.

Fang Ping felt ten years younger being called “sister” and was all smiles, saying that Li Huan had come at the right time. The company was celebrating its fifth anniversary, and General Manager Liu was personally organizing a team-building event, which was much more lavish than before. It was scheduled for this Saturday morning at a famous resort in Beicheng.

Zhao Yun added, “I read online that the hot spring water there has a lot of minerals, which are good for the body.”

There were only a few famous resorts in Beicheng. After returning to the country in June, Li Huan had stayed in Beicheng for a while to avoid his family’s nagging.

He wasn’t interested in food or entertainment now, but he did have a need to relieve some stress, preferably with a guy. In this godforsaken place, even using his hand didn’t excite him. It was a wonder he hadn’t gone crazy.

With Zhao Yun’s enthusiastic help, Li Huan took a laptop and hurried back to the office building to avoid more of Song Chunhui’s lectures, which were driving him crazy.

However, as soon as he reached the second floor, the same situation as yesterday occurred. Before he even entered the business department, he heard Song Chunhui’s loud voice.

“Who are you two working for? What do you gain by opposing me? Without any sense of teamwork, how can the business department thrive? Are you running the business for me? It’s for yourselves! If you don’t make money now, how will you support your parents or get married in the future? Have you bought a house? A car? You won’t even be able to afford the bride price!”

Taking advantage of Ding Lei’s absence, Song Chunhui earnestly tried to persuade the two employees who had come back to get a list to turn over a new leaf. But no matter how much he talked, it was useless, and he was even ridiculed by one of them.

“Manager, I don’t have a house or a car, but my girlfriend is willing to endure hardships with me. You have a house and a car, so why don’t you have a wife? And how can you say we’re not making money? We go out every day. Just because you don’t see it from your office doesn’t mean we’re slacking off.”

Although there was a bit of showing off, Song Chunhui genuinely wanted to use his experience of buying a house and a car through hard work as a positive example to motivate the employees.

Since it didn’t work, he didn’t waste any more words and directly pointed out, “Wu Yuliang, your performance this month is the worst. I’m telling you, poor performance means you’re slacking off, and you have no right to argue with me.”

“…”

“And,” Song Chunhui retorted, “I’m single because I have high standards, while you have no choice but to find someone who’s also slacking off.”

“You…!” Wu Yuliang was furious, but the other employee quickly pulled him away, apologizing to Song Chunhui, “Manager, we’ll go out and work on our performance right away.”

“If you don’t improve your performance next month, pack your bags and leave!” Song Chunhui showed no mercy.

He adjusted his glasses, his sharp gaze piercing through the two employees, seeing right through their little schemes.

Once the two employees left, Li Huan was about to go in. He hadn’t met Wu Yuliang before, but the other guy looked familiar. He was the one who poured drinks for Ding Lei last night, a lackey whose surname was Qian, though Li Huan couldn’t remember his full name. He nodded slightly as a greeting.

The guy signaled to Li Huan to be careful, warning him that the manager was in a bad mood and could explode at any moment.

Li Huan was only worried that if he didn’t go in now, Four Eyes would show off his Rolex and then lecture him, docking his salary on the spot.

Having his salary docked by someone he disliked was really annoying.

He walked into the business department, which was empty, and the manager’s office door was closed.

With the door shut tight, Song Chunhui finally took a breather. His head was throbbing; he hadn’t slept well last night either. He took off his glasses and leaned back in his chair to rest his eyes.

However, he couldn’t focus, his mind filled with thoughts of performance. The branch office’s benefits were average, and all his allowances had decreased. The worst part was the housing fund. At the beginning of the month, he had gone to the Jiangcheng headquarters to talk to HR, only to be told, “Everything is executed according to the branch office’s salary management system,” which was just short of telling him to quit if he wasn’t satisfied.

Hearing some noise, Song Chunhui put on his glasses and got up. When he opened the door, he saw the assistant already at his desk, bringing a bit of life to the previously empty business department.

He felt slightly relieved, his fighting spirit reignited. If he could improve performance, he could pay off the mortgage, and he wouldn’t have to touch his savings, which were reserved for renovating the house and getting married.

“Xiao Li, spend the morning learning how to make reports and familiarize yourself with the products. In the afternoon, come with me to the hospital.”

Surprisingly, Four Eyes didn’t lecture him. Li Huan nodded cooperatively, asked for the Wi-Fi password, and said he needed to run a virus scan on the computer and clean up the junk.

He planned to slack off as much as possible, but unexpectedly, Song Chunhui pulled up a chair next to him and sat down, assaulting his olfactory senses.

“It does need a good virus scan,” Song Chunhui reminded him seriously. “The company’s computers are for work, so don’t think about downloading games or watching movies, got it?”

Li Huan was sensitive to smells and couldn’t stand the pungent, sickly-sweet scent from Song Chunhui’s head. He politely said, “Manager, you smell really nice, but it’s a bit distracting. Could you move over a bit?”

Song Chunhui was taken aback, not expecting the new hair gel to have an effect. Unfortunately, there were no single, unmarried women in the branch office, and the cleaning lady Wang Ayi’s introductions were unreliable.

He changed his attitude and generously shared his experience with the assistant: perfume can add a unique charm and confidence to a man, helping to leave a good impression in social and business settings.

“It can also highlight your own temperament, you know? By enhancing your personal image, you can better integrate into society, and others will look up to you. Teachers don’t teach you this in school, so learn a bit.”

Li Huan just wanted to laugh.

He had never met such a ridiculous fool who used hair gel as perfume.

Soon, Li Huan couldn’t laugh anymore. In the overwhelming scent, he was practically forced by Song Chunhui to make two reports.

And because his position was an assistant, the work he was responsible for was very diverse. Four Eyes’ mouth never stopped, talking about analyzing market trends, adjusting marketing strategies, regularly analyzing business dynamics, and regularly visiting clients to understand other companies’ marketing policies and prices, among a bunch of other nonsense.

Li Huan even suspected that Song Chunhui was treating him like a donkey, dumping all the manager’s work on him and waiting to reap the benefits.

“Xiao Li, I have high expectations for you.”

“…”

Song Chunhui talked until his mouth was dry, then gestured with his hand, “Go to my office and get my thermos, fill it with tea from next door, and get ready to go.”

“…” Li Huan got up and went into the office, saw the black thermos on the desk, and reluctantly took it to the tea room next door to fill it with hot water.

Throughout the morning, Song Chunhui observed the assistant’s performance and not only found no faults but also discovered a strength: patience.

Li Huan worked without rushing, could focus on listening, but had a bit of hyperactivity, always liking to touch his nose.

“Let’s go, Xiao Li.” Song Chunhui handed the car keys to Li Huan. “We’ll eat out for lunch.”

Li Huan saw the Mercedes logo on the car key and pretended to be surprised, “Manager, is this a Mercedes? I don’t dare to drive it; you should drive.”

The assistant’s inexperienced demeanor greatly satisfied Song Chunhui’s vanity.

The road to the community hospital they were going to wasn’t in good condition, and fearing that Li Huan might actually damage his precious car, Song Chunhui took back the keys and laughed, “Look at you, scared of driving. A car is just for driving. If you work hard, by the time you’re my age, you can drive a nice car too.”

Hearing Song Chunhui laugh, Li Huan remembered the medical representative Sun Wei’s complaints from last night. Four Eyes treated a worthless second-hand Mercedes like a treasure, just to show off the steering wheel on social media.

He couldn’t help but chuckle, speaking with a double meaning, “Manager, you’re really impressive.”

Song Chunhui adjusted his shirt collar and cleared his throat, as if trying to showcase his pride in every way.

Then, he straightened his back and, with a show-off tone, said as they walked, “I got to where I am today because I can endure hardships. Don’t just look at how impressive someone is; the effort and sweat behind it are the true colors of success. You’re still young, so slowly accumulate experience.”

The rain had stopped.

Li Huan looked at the man walking ahead. He didn’t care how much effort and sweat Song Chunhui had put in; he just knew that the deliberately straightened back was as laughable as Song Chunhui himself.