My Mister Ostrich

88 | Entering the Workplace
Team leader, you’d better not start liking me. I have someone I like.

In the summer of 2006, Pang Shuisheng went to the bank to take care of some business. When he checked his bank card, he was a bit taken aback.

He went to the counter to ask about it. The bank teller told him that a sum of 21 thousand was remitted into his account from a bank in Z City. It was a cash remittance, submitted anonymously.

Pang Shuisheng knew that something was wrong. He immediately called Gu Guoxiang, though they hadn’t contacted each other in two years. Without even a simple greeting, he asked, “Guoxiang, has Mingxi contacted you recently?”

“Mingxi?” Gu Guoxiang asked. “I called him but he canceled his number. Then he called me twice using a public phone, both times to ask for money. What’s wrong?”

Pang Shuisheng grew more anxious. “Hurry and check your bank. Does your bank card have extra money?”

Without delay, Gu Guoxiang went to the bank to check his card and found an extra 100 thousand in his account. Extremely startled, he called Pang Shuisheng and asked, “Shuisheng, what’s going on?”

Pang Shuisheng hesitated a moment before saying, “I think… that… Ah Han’s gone.”

That August, Wang Song gave Pang Qian a call. “Xiao Qian, we’re having a high school class reunion. Although you were only there for a year, you’re still part of Class 2. And since we can’t contact Gu Mingxi, you should come for the both of you.”

At the reunion, the once 16 or 17 year old youths were now early 20s young adults. Each person had been studying at different schools all across the country. This summer vacation, they all found the chance to get together.

The class head did a good job organizing the event. Most of the students arrived, except for a few particular people. Xiao Yujing and Xie Yi had both gone to America to study. And Gu Mingxi, well, no one knew where he was.

The young Teacher Dai had gotten married and even became a mother. She was extremely happy being able to see this group of kids all grown up. When she sat together with Pang Qian, she asked, “You haven’t heard anything about Gu Mingxi at all?”

Pang Qian was silent for a bit, and then she shook her head slowly.

She wouldn’t tell them about the circumstances of the last call that Gu Mingxi made to her.

It was an evening several months earlier. Was it spring… or summer? Pang Qian remembered that the day was very hot and stuffy. The bedroom light was off, and then suddenly, her phone rang.

The area code was for Z City. Pang Qian picked up her phone and climbed out of bed. She ran over to the balcony and answered the call. Carefully, she said, “Gu Mingxi.”

She was afraid he would hang up, so she didn’t dare to shout at him. With a coquettish tone, she said, “Gu Mingxi, why haven’t you called me in such a long time?”

As usual, he didn’t say anything. Pang Qian said, “I know that you didn’t go back to B University for classes. I called the teacher there. Gu Mingxi, don’t worry, I won’t say anything about it. I’m sure that you had your own reasons.”

“After this semester ends, we won’t have classes anymore. Next semester, I have to start working. To be honest, I kind of can’t believe that I’ll be working soon.”

She laughed lightly, and then said, “Gu Mingxi, are you well? I really miss you. When you stood me up last time, I was so infuriated, and I thought I would start ignoring you. But… I still miss you.”

“It’s so late, what are you up to? Our dorm already turned the lights out. Gu Mingxi, how is your mom? My parents are both really worried about her. They keep asking if I’ve heard anything from you. Gu Mingxi–”

Kacha! He hung up.

One day, several months later, Pang Shuisheng told her that Li Han might have already passed away.

Sitting together with all these old classmates, Pang Qian didn’t say much. She listened to their own plans for the future. Zhou Nanzhong would try to get a research position (?) at Wuhan, but if he couldn’t, he would try to get into graduate school.

Wang Song and Li Xiaoyan didn’t plan on going to graduate school, but were planning to head back to E City for work. Li Xiaoyam’s family would arrange for her to work in some institution. Wang Song was planning to take the civil service exam.

Jiang Zhiya was interning at the broadcast station in E City over the summer. In order to appear on broadcast, she reluctantly cut off the hair she’d been growing for years. Now she had short hair that looked cool and relaxed. She presented the weather forecast and Zhou Nanzhong teased her and called her “Overcast and Cloudy Little Angel.” Jiang Zhiya was so angry that chased after him to hit him.

Wu Min’s studies were still outstanding. He said he’d applied for several schools abroad and would consider them carefully. After graduation, he would go abroad to continue his postgraduate studies.

…

Later, somehow, they started talking about Gu Mingxi. Jiang Zhiya cried softly and Teacher Dai’s eyes were wet. Gu Mingxi was the most particular/special student she ever had. She still remembered his words from the military training back in Year 1.

Standing in the shade, he lifted his head up high and said, “The ostrich is the world’s largest bird. I believe that I can become a great person.”

Gu Mingxi had steadily gone through those three years. He had a pair of quiet and gentle eyes and a pair of flexible, powerful legs. He didn’t speak much, but when he looked at others, he always had a shy smile on his face.

He was also very stubborn and obstinate, he had his persistence. And like most boys his age, there was a girl hidden in his heart.

When others weren’t paying attention, Teacher Dai said to Pang Qian, “If one day you find Gu Mingxi, you don’t have to say anything to him. Don’t ask him where he’s been, don’t ask him what happened to him all these years, don’t ask him if things have been tough or if he’s been tired. You just have to give him a hug, and that’s all.”

School started in September, and Pang Qian was a senior. She didn’t have any classes anymore, and everyone was preparing to start work, get into graduate school, or preparing to go abroad. SHUFE’s students didn’t have to worry for work, and Pang Qian studied finance. She just went to a few recruitment events and three companies gave offers to her.

After consulting with her teacher, Pang Qian chose an international investment banking company located in Lujiazui as the first stop in her career path.

After National Day, she started working.

Pang Qian had bought several sets of formal attire. When she looked at herself wearing them in the mirror, she wanted to laugh a bit.

She took the bus every day and then transferred to the metro. Her hair was chaotically tied up behind her head, her face had a slight trace of makeup, and she wore heels on her feet.

When Pang Qian used to ride the metro when she was studying, she always saw the young people who’d just gotten off of work. They carried their bags and sat or stood on the train car, their faces tired and numb. At the time, she’d giggled with Yang Lu and Wu Feiyan. She thought, these people really knew how to pretend. How could working be that tiring.

When she started working, she realized that when people said being a student was easy, they were right.

Pang Qian’s direct supervisor was named Zou Liwen. He was 30 years old, pretty young. He was talented but strict.

His strict wasn’t the kind where a person slammed the table and scolded people, but rather he looked at you with a cold, chilling expression, eyes full of contempt for the results of your work. He left you with two words, “Redo it.” And without giving a reason, he would just leave.

Pang Qian pulled back her tears and worked overtime until 12 in the morning. The dorms would already be locked and the metro stopped running. She just sprawled out across her desk for the night.

Newbie Pang Qian’s work was very, very complicated. Organize the data. Act and learn how to explain the market plans to clients. Make estimation models. Report the structure to her supervisor… One after another, she gave calls to clients, lawyers, and accountants to go over questions. She had to endure the other party’s criticisms and also come up with ideas to coordinate and solve the problems. Then she also had to help her supervisor with printing, faxing, ordering food, buying drinks, getting plane tickets…

Zou Liwen treated Pang Qian without much care. Originally, he’d asked for a male, but HR sent him a female. And this girl didn’t seem very smart, but a bit outspoken. The only good feelings Zou Liwen had for her was that they were from the same place, both from E City. Zou Liwen decided to just use her for now and if she was no good, he could just send her away after her internship.

Zou Liwen’s opinion of Pang Qian changed that Christmas. Christmas Eve happened to fall on a Sunday. He was working in the office when he suddenly needed a report from Pang Qian. Zou Liwen gave Pang Qian a call and had her send the documents over. Pang Qian was silent a bit and then said, “Team leader, give me half an hour.”

Half an hour later, Pang Qian arrived at his office. She was dressed prettily and wore a lot of makeup. There was a slight scent of alcohol on her, and it was obvious she’d been out with her friends.

She anxiously turned on her computer and Zou Liwen said, “It’s on your work computer too? You could have just told me which folder it was in, and I could have gotten it myself.”

“It’s fine, Team leader. I was looking for a reason to leave anyway, I don’t really like drinking.” She sent the files on her computer to Zou Liwen, and then she looked around the office and said, “Team leader, why are you working on Sunday? And it’s Christmas.”

“…” Zou Liwen glanced at her. “The deadline for one of the proposals is tomorrow.”

Pang Qian asked, “The one for Hengfang?”

“Mm.”

She said, “Should I help?”

Zou Liwen thought and then said, “Sure. Help me proofread this for any misspellings or wrong words.”

Pang Qian, “…”

The worked until 4 in the morning, and then Zou Liwen invited Pang Qian out for dinner.

Pang Qian giggled loudly, “Team leader, this is breakfast!”

Sitting in a 24 hour fast food restaurant, Zou Liwen and Pang Qian were both hungry and quickly devoured their food. Zou Liwen asked Pang Qian if she was planning on staying in Shanghai for work.

Pang Qian was really a fool as she said truthfully, “I plan to work here for two years first to get some experience. And then I’m going to do postgraduate studies or maybe go back to E City to work.”

Zou Liwen was speechless. “You’re telling your team leader that you’re taking this job as a stepping stone. Is that what you mean?”

Pang Qian, “…”

She stared at him with a pair of dark eyes, looking at him pitifully. She said, “Team leader, I’ve already stayed and helped you work overtime until morning. Don’t fire me, okay?”

Zou Liwen gave a rare smile. He said, “In two years, or maybe just one year, I’m probably returning to E City and then expand (?) in Hong Kong. If you study well from me for the next two years, I can bring you along if you’d like.”

“What’s the salary?” Pang Qian’s eyes were shining.

Zou Liwen squinted at her and asked, “Do you have any demands?”

“I want the salary you’re making right now!”

“You’re dreaming.”

“Then half of what you make!”

“Should be more than that.”

“Deal!”

Pang Qian was extremely excited. She fluttered her eyes and took a sip of cola. Then she turned her head and asked, “Team leader, why do you treat me so well? I just started working three months ago.”

Zou Liwen was silent as he rolled his eyes.

It was past 4 in the morning, a strange time. And after a night without sleep, Pang Qian was a bit muddle-headed and her courage was greater than normal. She said, “Team leader, you’d better not start liking me. I have someone I like.”

Zou Liwen, “…”

Pang Qian rustled around and pulled out her wallet. She pulled out her ID card and let Zou Liwen see the photo behind it. “Look, I’m serious. It’s this person. Isn’t he handsome?”

She laughed as Zou Liwen glanced at the photo. Then he turned to Pang Qian, “He…”

“Mm, he doesn’t have arms.” Pang Qian giggled, a bit shy. “So, Team leader, if you’re helping me because you started liking me, I have to apologize to you.”

Zou Liwen knocked Pang Qian on the head. “You’ve drunk too much!”