“President Yu, are you off work too?”
Just as she walked into the first-floor lobby, a man ran up from behind Yu Nian to greet her.
Yu Nian paused her steps and nodded. “Manager Cheng, why so late today?”
The company’s operations department had a total of nine groups with three managers. Each manager oversaw three groups, and each group had a leader and several staff members.
This man, named Cheng Si, was the manager responsible for groups seven through nine.
“Just following President Yu’s example!”
Yu Nian smiled but said nothing.
After walking a few steps out of the company doors, Cheng Si suddenly stopped and looked back.
“Oh, right, President Yu.”
“Is there something else?”
“Do you still remember that Australian wool import case?”
“Yes, didn’t you just coordinate that with the fiber group? Why, has a problem come up?” Yu Nian turned back to look at him; though her tone was flat, her expression revealed a hint of focus.
“Well, I expect I’ll have to go on a business trip. The standard moisture regain requirement for that batch of wool is 15%, but one-third of the goods do not meet the standard. If we want to complete the transaction, the timeline is a bit tight; I have to leave tonight.”
“I see.” Hearing Cheng Si’s words, Yu Nian nodded thoughtfully. “You’ve worked hard.”
“It’s only what I should do.” Cheng Si bowed his head slightly toward her with a face full of smiles.
“Then you should head home and rest for a bit first.”
“Yes. I wish you a pleasant evening, President Yu.”
Yu Nian paused slightly, looked up at him, and said softly, “Mm… go ahead.”
Cheng Si gave a likeable smile, picked up his briefcase, and turned to walk away.
Yu Nian watched his back disappear around the corner before shaking her head inexplicably.
After stepping out of the company building, the oncoming cold air made Yu Nian pause for a moment. She looked around and walked straight in a certain direction.
She would visit the private kitchen gifted to her by Ms. Zhang Yueqing whenever she had time, though she had refused the suggestion to hire a teacher to teach her how to cook.
She preferred to study recipes slowly and patiently by herself.
Di-li-li!
Unlocking the code lock of the private kitchen’s main door and closing it behind her, the noise of the outside world began to have nothing to do with her.
After entering, she first turned on the lights, put away her bag, changed her shoes, and incidentally took off her suit jacket to hang it on the coat rack next to the foyer. Finally, she took out her phone.
Buzz buzz!
Walking into the kitchen in her slippers, she placed the phone on the marble countertop and took a bottle of water out of the refrigerator. Just as she took a sip, the notification sound of a text message rang out.
She took a few more sips of water, and only after putting the bottle back in the fridge did she turn around to pick up the phone and look.
[Mai Kes: Ms. Nian San, are you off work yet?]
Yu Nian thought for a moment and replied:
[Nian San: Just finished. What about you?]
Buzz buzz
[Mai Kes: I got off work at the normal time today. Guess what I’m doing right now?]
Yu Nian really wanted to complain; how was she supposed to guess such a vague question?
Before she could reply, Mai Suisui proactively revealed the secret.
[Mai Kes: I’m still at the hair salon getting my hair done.]
Getting her hair done?
Why did she suddenly think of doing her hair?
Yu Nian thought it, and so she asked it.
Buzz buzz
[Mai Kes: Because I want to transform myself. Today my boss suggested I wear high heels, but I don’t have clothes to match. After buying two outfits, I realized my hair was too messy, so I came to the hair salon.]
Yu Nian’s finger unconsciously tapped the countertop, and she reflexively sent a sentence:
[Nian San: Looking forward to your new look.]
As soon as she sent it, Yu Nian realized there was a loophole in her words… was it too late to withdraw it?
Buzz buzz
[Mai Kes: Eh? We can’t see each other, how can you look forward to it, Ms. Nian San?]
[Nian San: Just a figure of speech, or you could send me a photo.]
[Mai Kes: No, I refuse!]
Yu Nian smiled and couldn’t help but shake her head; it was better to study the dishes for tonight’s meal first.
At that moment, her work phone suddenly rang.
Seeing the name on the caller ID, Yu Nian’s brow furrowed. She picked up the call and asked, “Yes, Manager Cheng, is there something wrong?”
“Well, President Yu… something has happened.”
Cheng Si’s tone sounded somewhat hesitant and frustrated.
Yu Nian’s eyes narrowed instantly, though she still asked calmly, “What happened? Don’t be anxious, explain it clearly. What is it, is there some new situation with that batch of wool?”
“No, it’s like this…”
On the other end of the phone, Cheng Si took a breath and then began to explain.
“Just now, while I was looking through some files in the car, I suddenly remembered another matter.”
“What matter?”
“The previous manager of groups seven through nine, Manager Zhao, had taken over a project that originally belonged to the fiber department. It wasn’t finished before Manager Zhao resigned, so it stayed with our group. It’s a project regarding down jackets. It wasn’t a big deal originally, but I just suddenly remembered that this project hasn’t had a progress update in a while. So, I made a call to check, and as it turns out…”
“As it turns out what?”
“As it turns out, the production at the garment factory has indeed been ongoing, but there is a problem. I checked the contract Manager Zhao signed back then and found… according to the terms of the contract, this batch of down jackets must be delivered before the 20th.”
Everything became clear in an instant.
Yu Nian raised her hand to pinch the bridge of her nose, holding the phone as she asked, “When is the nearest truck we can find?”
“Six o’clock tomorrow morning.”
On the other end of the line, Cheng Si spoke this fact in a very pessimistic tone.
“What is the situation over there right now?”
Yu Nian, who had just wanted to study what to eat tonight, had to dive back into work.
She spoke on the phone while taking the jacket she had just hung up back off the rack in the foyer.
“The twenty thousand down jackets are actually almost finished. If all the garment factory staff work overtime tonight, they should be able to finish production before four in the morning.”
“At a time like this, what we need is an absolute guarantee, not a vague estimation.”
Buzz buzz
The phone on the marble kitchen counter vibrated twice, as if reminding its owner not to forget to take it along.
[Mai Kes: Why did Ms. Nian San stop talking? I’m so bored all by myself!]
By the door, Yu Nian bent down, changed her shoes, and continued the call: “How much manpower can we find right now?”
“At this hour, it’s too difficult to find people. If it were just general labor, we might find a way.” Cheng Si’s tone sounded very helpless. “The key is needing workers with a certain amount of operational experience; we simply can’t find that kind of person right now.”
“Doesn’t our company, or your group, have any familiar garment factories?”
“You know as well as I do, originally this kind of project belongs to the fiber group. Our group has no connections in this area at all,” Cheng Si answered troubledly.
Hearing Cheng Si’s phrase “You know as well as I do,” Yu Nian, having finished changing her shoes, stood still at the foyer and stopped speaking.
The bright yellow, warm-toned light spilled down from above, casting a faint shadow over her face, but it wasn’t gloomy or oppressive; rather, it simply gave the impression of someone in quiet contemplation.
“You just said if everyone works overtime they might make it, but even if production is finished, are you certain there’s enough time to pack, box, and move twenty thousand pieces of clothing?”
Suddenly, Yu Nian asked another question.
“Right…”
Cheng Si on the other end of the phone said even more distressedly, “That is exactly the most headache-inducing part. In fact, because the person in charge wasn’t clear on the specific shipping time, all the garments currently produced are just sitting in the warehouse. Now that everyone at the garment factory is dedicated to production, there are simply no extra personnel to handle these tasks.”
Yu Nian narrowed her eyes, opened the door directly, and walked down the stairs.
Buzz buzz
[Mai Kes: Ms. Nian San, are you busy again? Or… are you angry?]
“This garment factory sounds like it’s not very large. Why was this project partnered with them?”
“Actually, this garment factory is a bit special.”
“Special how?”
“That…”
“Never mind.”
Without waiting for Cheng Si to answer her, Yu Nian cut him off and said into the phone softly but clearly, “First, call every staff member in your group who can be reached, and try to find as much extra help as possible. We will meet directly at the garment factory.”
“Yes, I understand,” came Cheng Si’s solemn reply from the phone.
“No matter what, the first priority is to prevent a breach of contract.”
“Even if we can load the truck on time tomorrow, the timing is very dangerous.”
“Do we have any other choice?” Yu Nian countered flatly.
Cheng Si was silent for a moment on the other end before responding respectfully, “Yes, I understand. I’ll go notify the others right away… I’m sorry, President Yu, I should have discovered this sooner.”
“It doesn’t have much to do with you.”
Yu Nian’s tone returned to its usual calm and steadiness. “I’m the one who feels a bit bad for troubling you while you’re on a business trip.”
“Not at all, it’s what I should do. It’s a pity I am out of town right now and can’t come to help.”
“You just need to help me find the others; it doesn’t matter if you don’t participate.”
On the other end of the line, Cheng Si seemed to pause upon hearing this, but then still said solemnly into his phone:
“Yes, I understand.”
After hanging up the phone, Yu Nian made a call to Jin Enna while driving.
“Secretary Kim, I’m giving you an address; let’s meet there in a bit.”
Jin Enna was a bit surprised on the other end, but immediately agreed, then asked hesitantly, “Do I need to call Suisui?”
Yu Nian instinctively stepped on the brakes.
She knew what she had forgotten—she had forgotten to bring her private phone again.
“President Yu?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.” Yu Nian regained her composure, thinking of Mai Suisui at the hair salon. “No need, let’s just head over there.”
“Alright.”
Buzz buzz
[Mai Kes: Ms. Nian San?]
In the dark room, that single beam of light gradually faded out.