Chapter 96 – Company Shake-up
During this time at home, Lin Ganzhi had completely given up. Before, when he and Yan Shengping were still in a superior-subordinate relationship, he always thought about doing something to repay his boss. Now that the two were officially together, Lin Ganzhi was almost spoiled into a salted fish by Yan Shengping. He didn’t have to make his own breakfast anymore, and now even dinner was delivered on time from a restaurant under Qin Feichen’s name. If he hadn’t insisted, Yan Shengping probably wouldn’t even let him make lunch.
When he had nothing to do, Lin Ganzhi would watch a movie with Yan Shengping or play a game together. He discovered that Yan Shengping, like him, was a bit of a homebody at heart. If there was nothing to do, he wouldn’t go out. Anyway, the equipment at home was quite complete. Yan Shengping’s health was also getting better and better. After a month of medicine, his complexion was no different from a normal person’s. Even the duration of their kisses had increased from the previous fifteen minutes to half an hour. Ahem, Lin Ganzhi didn’t think this was something that needed improvement. Being kissed for too long could also be very annoying!
Pink-haired angry.jpg
That night, Lin Ganzhi ran out of Yan Shengping’s room with weak legs, firmly locking the insatiable great beauty in the bedroom before he could safely return to his own room to take a bath. His neck was already covered in red marks from Yan Shengping’s gnawing. Lin Ganzhi gnashed his teeth in anger, vowing to find an excuse to hide at the Wenren residence for a few days tomorrow. They were both in their first relationship, so how come he wasn’t so thirsty? This was a question Yan Shengping needed to seriously reflect on. They were both adults, how could they have no self-control at all!
Lying in the bathtub, Lin Ganzhi opened a game and fought fiercely in the canyon to vent the resentment in his chest. Just as the interface for the last match settled, Zhang Dianhuai’s call came in. Lin Ganzhi put it on speakerphone, placed his phone on the stand, and first submerged himself in the water with a gurgle.
“Lin Ganzhi, are you free tomorrow morning? Come to the company,” Zhang Dianhuai’s voice sounded a bit tired.
Lin Ganzhi stuck his head out of the water and asked, “Brother Zhang, you’re not still working overtime, are you?”
“Sort of. It’s not about work, don’t worry,” Zhang Dianhuai said, knowing Lin Ganzhi’s disposition well.
Lin Ganzhi chuckled. Zhang Dianhuai really knew him well. He also wanted to get out for some fresh air. Maybe he should ask Wenren and the others to go out for a meal tomorrow.
“Sure, see you tomorrow morning~”
“Lin Ganzhi,” Zhang Dianhuai suddenly called his name again, but then trailed off. He changed the subject, “Never mind, we’ll talk when you get here tomorrow.”
Zhang Dianhuai’s tone sounded quite heavy, but since he didn’t want to say it now, Lin Ganzhi didn’t ask further. After agreeing, he told Zhang Dianhuai to go home early. After all, it was already nine or ten o’clock, and Brother Zhang was someone who particularly hated working overtime.
After hanging up, Lin Ganzhi asked in their three-person group chat if anyone wanted to go out tomorrow.
Que Jin: [I can, but I have to go to the company first. How about in the afternoon?]
Wenren Yi: [I’m going to the company with Que Jin tomorrow. Let’s meet in the afternoon?]
Hmm? They’re all going to the company?
Lin Ganzhi: [What a coincidence? Brother Zhang also asked me to go to the company tomorrow.]
Que Jin: [? He called you too?]
Lin Ganzhi: [What’s going on with the company?]
Could it be that it’s going bankrupt and they’re calling everyone for a farewell dinner? Lin Ganzhi’s thoughts were slightly wicked.
Que Jin: [Nothing’s wrong with the company. I don’t know what Brother Zhang is thinking, but on my end, sigh, Ganzhi, do you remember I said I was going to an audition last month?]
Lin Ganzhi had some impression of it: [Yeah, last time Wenren told me you passed the audition. It was for a well-received supporting role that suited your acting style.]
Que Jin: [Yeah, today Brother Zhang told me my role was cut. The person replacing me is a newcomer from the company.]
[Huh? Why!]
Lin Ganzhi frowned. The first time he met Que Jin, her role had also been snatched away. Why was the company so biased! He had thought that with Que Jin in Brother Zhang’s hands, her treatment in terms of resources might have improved.
Que Jin: [It has nothing to do with Brother Zhang. He tried very hard to fight for me, but the boss didn’t agree. I heard that the newcomer has some connection with him.]
Damn! Lin Ganzhi understood immediately after hearing this. Based on his understanding of Brother Zhang, he had a good guess what tomorrow’s trip to the company was about.
Lin Ganzhi: [Sister Que Jin, don’t worry, I’ll help you get even!]
Wenren Yi: [Hey, don’t steal my thunder. Would I let Que Jin be wronged? Tomorrow, once things are settled, either the role is given back to Que Jin, or no one gets to play it!]
Lin Ganzhi knew the strength of the Wenren family, but why did his tone sound so much like a husband actively standing up for his wife? After falling in love, Lin Ganzhi’s view of the world had undergone a subtle change.
Que Jin sent a huffy message: [Tone it down. You’re a girl, how can you talk like a gangster?]
Wenren Yi: [Am I? Then I’ll rephrase. Tomorrow, I will use some civilized means to persuade certain people. I hope they will be obedient and not put up a futile resistance. [Smile.jpg]]
Lin Ganzhi: That’s even weirder!!!
The next morning, Lin Ganzhi quickly finished his breakfast and drove his little car to the company. His lips were a bit red on the way. Before he left, Yan Shengping had slipped into his car and stayed for a full ten minutes before leaving. Lin Ganzhi’s tears were about to fall, but it didn’t elicit a shred of pity from the beast.
Lin Ganzhi sniffled hard and pulled his scarf up, making sure it was securely covering him before getting out of the car.
He went straight to Zhang Dianhuai’s office. As he passed the main office area, people’s gazes were not as enthusiastic as before, but rather somewhat evasive. They didn’t greet him either, just sat coldly at their workstations and watched him go to Zhang Dianhuai’s office.
Fortunately, Lin Ganzhi didn’t feel much about these people and walked towards Zhang Dianhuai’s office with an equally indifferent expression.
Zhang Dianhuai’s office, which had seemed quite large before, now felt cramped for the first time when Lin Ganzhi entered. The nearly seventy-square-meter office was now full of people. All three sofas were occupied, and some people had brought chairs from the conference room and were sitting on the side. Lin Ganzhi vaguely recognized a few of them; they were all popular Film Emperors and Best Actresses from the past two years.
Que Jin, who was sitting in the middle, quickly waved for him to come over. E Yuezhang, standing at the very edge, glared at Lin Ganzhi with red eyes. Lin Ganzhi, equally oblivious, walked over and sat down in the middle of Que Jin.
Zhang Dianhuai, standing in front of the desk, glanced at Lin Ganzhi. Beside him sat a man in his forties or fifties, with a pot belly and a balding head. Compared to Zhang Dianhuai’s calmness, his face was tinged with displeasure. If his memory served him right, this should be the boss of the company, President Shao.
“Everyone’s here, so I’ll get straight to the point.” Zhang Dianhuai pushed up his glasses with his index and middle fingers, a sharp glint flashing across the transparent lenses. “Given that I have recently discovered a problem with the contracts I signed with all of you, I have decided to give you a choice. I have also made it very clear to President Shao that for the artists I manage, I must have the final say, not have a job I’ve secured be given away to someone else halfway through.”
As soon as he said this, Lin Ganzhi, combined with what Que Jin had told him yesterday, knew what was going on. It seemed Brother Zhang was really angry this time. But Brother Zhang was indeed Brother Zhang, speaking so bluntly in front of the boss. Awesome!
“Manager Zhang, this issue is up for discussion. The resources are the company’s shared resources. I think there are better choices, and when it was time to change someone, I made it clear to you. It was also your own choice to be demoted. If the company didn’t consider your many years of service, hmph!” President Shao left his sentence half-finished, but everyone understood.
Zhang Dianhuai didn’t respond to this, but continued, “That’s all I have to say. Either re-sign the contract with me, with the term unchanged, or if you don’t want to, there are many other managers in the company to choose from. I won’t force you.” He looked at the dozens of people in the office, all of whom he had painstakingly brought up, including three Best Actresses, two Film Emperors, and some newcomers who had recently become popular first- and second-tier stars.
Everyone hesitated, looking at each other. Finally, a Film Emperor stood up and asked, “Brother Zhang, since we’re laying everything bare, I only have one question. After re-signing the contract, will there be any changes to our resources?”
Most people instinctively looked at the Film Emperor; this was what they wanted to ask too. Before Zhang Dianhuai could answer, President Shao had already spoken up: “Manager Zhang has been demoted by one level, so of course the resources will be allocated according to the company’s hierarchy. If you don’t re-sign the contract, your resources will remain the same. But if you follow Manager Zhang, your resources will be worse than they are now. After all, Manager Zhang himself agreed to distribute the resources he had on hand. Now everyone should have a clear idea. My time is precious, so let’s just vote by a show of hands. Those who need to change managers, raise your hand. Then just have your assistant register with HR.”
Damn! This dog company is really something else!
Lin Ganzhi almost flew into a rage, but was held down by Que Jin. It was really not easy to bring a younger brother out with her.
The people present were silent for a moment. The first Film Emperor was the first to raise his hand, saying, “Brother Zhang, thank you for your guidance over the years, but I really need the resources recently, as you know.”
A trace of smugness crossed President Shao’s face, but Zhang Dianhuai showed no signs of displeasure, just nodded as usual.
With the senior leading the way, the rest of the people also raised their hands one by one.
About half of the people chose the existing resources, and the younger the newcomer, the more readily they raised their hands. After all, not everyone could endure Zhang Dianhuai’s strict requirements.
Then, the remaining few Film Emperors and Best Actresses also chose to raise their hands. They didn’t say much when they raised their hands, just subconsciously made eye contact with President Shao a few times. Zhang Dianhuai had worked for so many years and had long since developed a pair of sharp eyes. He didn’t even have to think to know what was going on.
Among them, E Yuezhang was also one of the quick ones to raise his hand. Recently, Zhang Dianhuai had been arranging for him to go on some outdoor variety shows, where he was made a fool of by the seniors. He had long held a grudge. When he told Zhang Dianhuai, he was just told to look at his Weibo follower count. So what if his Weibo followers increased? He didn’t want to be a comedian!
Three to five minutes later, only Lin Ganzhi and Que Jin in the entire room had not raised their hands, making them a rare species.
Lin Ganzhi sat calmly, with no intention of raising his hand, until President Shao’s gaze fell on him.