Chapter 646: Chapter 646: Contradiction
Upon leaving the company, Xu Ke glanced at the sun blazing overhead, almost hot enough to fry him, and licked his back teeth again. Just the HR department alone was enough to make him this angry, he really didn’t know what kind of chaos would await him in the marketing department he had to visit tomorrow.
After taking a nap at the hotel, Xu Ke arrived early at the company the next day. He wandered around for half the day and managed to get into the marketing department just one minute before nine o’clock.
"You’re the new guy, right?" A man with slicked-back hair, doused in perfume, came up to Xu Ke and said.
"Yes."
"Since you’re new, I’ll forgive you this time, but don’t be late again." The man shoved a water cup into Xu Ke’s hand and said, "Go get me a cup of hot water and bring it to my office. It’s your first day on the job, go meet Sister Jane and let her teach you properly."
Holding the cup, Xu Ke said, "You might be mistaken. Our starting time is nine o’clock, I wasn’t late."
"Our marketing department starts at eight. Nine o’clock? What kind of dream are you living in? If our marketing department all started at nine, we’d be doomed to failure, couldn’t even catch up with a fart." The man sneered at Xu Ke, looking at him as if he were an idiot.
"Remember, if you want to make it big in the marketing department, get promotions and raises, and achieve good results, you have to work harder than others. There’s no such thing as a freeload. Keep it up, kid. You’ll learn a lot in our department, and even if you leave our company then, you’ll be in high demand elsewhere." The man patted Xu Ke on the shoulder, speaking with the demeanor of someone who’s been around the block.
Watching the man’s back as he left, Xu Ke went into the pantry, fetched a cup of warm water, and delivered it to the office.
In the office, besides the man from before, there was also a woman around forty, with a somewhat plump figure.
"Sister Jane, this is the new guy, Xiao Xu. Have him learn from you for two days, teach him well, I’m in urgent need of staff." The man took a sip from the cup, finding the temperature just right, and finally looked at Xu Ke with a hint of satisfaction.
The woman called Sister Jane gave Xu Ke a glance, and just that one glance left her stunned.
Xu Ke was indeed the most handsome person in the company, standing in the office like a ray of light. Sister Jane felt Xu Ke was more manager-like than the manager himself.
"Got it, manager. I’ll teach him properly." Sister Jane flashed Xu Ke a kind smile. "For the next two days, follow me around, watch how I work, and if there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask me, and I’ll tell you."
"I understand." Xu Ke nodded and replied.
The manager said a few more things in the office, the usual stuff about ideals and dreams that people always talk about in the workplace. Xu Ke listened in one ear and out the other, waiting for the manager to finish his spiel before leaving. By the time he came out, half an hour had passed since he entered.
It was the first time Xu Ke had encountered someone who could talk so much nonsense.
The marketing department and the HR department were like two extremes, one bustling like a marketplace, the other so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
Listening to the hustle and bustle in the marketing department, Xu Ke finally felt a bit of comfort, but that comfort vanished when he overheard an employee’s phone call, realizing it wasn’t work-related at all. Instead, the guy was flirting with his girlfriend, using a stern face to say mushy words. Xu Ke felt sorry for the other person.
So Xu Ke walked over and patted the guy on the shoulder, "It’s best not to chat during work hours." Xu Ke kindly reminded him.
The man who got patted was initially startled, but after realizing it was the new employee today, his little frightened heart managed to calm down, "I know, I’m almost done." The man replied impatiently, showing no intention of hanging up.
The other end of the call seemed to be asking about Xu Ke’s identity, "Today’s new marketing assistant." The man replied somewhat unhappily.
Xu Ke retraced his steps and stood behind the man, patiently listening for another five minutes as he kept complaining, despite claiming he was almost done but clearly getting more and more cheerful.
Xu Ke reached out and patted the man’s shoulder again.
"Damn, why are you still here? You know people can be scared to death by others." The man said unpleasantly to Xu Ke, trying to calm his anxious heart.
"Now is work time, not time for flirting. What you need to do now is work, not things unrelated to work." Xu Ke said expressionlessly.
Xu Ke’s words successfully quieted the surroundings. People always love to witness a spectacle no matter what.
Catching sight of his colleagues’ attention, coupled with the fact that his girlfriend was on the other end of the call, the man rolled his eyes, adjusted his collar, and stood up from his seat.
"Why do you have to be so nosy? You’re just a marketing assistant, not the general manager. We don’t follow your orders. Why do you act like a big shot here? You’re new, don’t you know the rules? You think you can show off in front of me? I was working in this company before you even knew where you were. Sticking your nose into a colleague’s business on your first day? Are you trying to show how competent you are?" The man reached out and gave Xu Ke a shove.
"I’ll tell you, just do your own work and keep out of my business. I won’t tolerate your nonsense, and if you keep pestering me, I’ll make sure you regret it. Do you believe I can make you quit this company?" The man reached out to push Xu Ke again, but Xu Ke grabbed his arm instead.
"What are you doing, do you want to fight? Let go of me now, or I’ll hit you." The man felt appalled that a newcomer dared to contradict him. If he didn’t do something, people in the office might think he was a coward, even scared of a newbie.
For the sake of his pride, the man reached out again as if he intended to fight.
This time, Xu Ke didn’t grab the man’s hand but instead pushed him back onto his seat. The chair hit the desk with a thud.
"I’m just reminding you, this is the company. You should know what should and shouldn’t be done here, okay? I don’t have the mood to argue with you. If you really want to fight, I can accommodate you after work. But not now, now is work time." Xu Ke pointed at his wrist and said.
"Fine, you’re something. I’ll remember you, newbie. You better stay put, because we’re not done. If you leave before I see you fall, I’ll feel really uncomfortable." The man shot Xu Ke a quick glare, sped up his words, and said.