A heartbeat, a lifetime

Chapter 3
"Dressed up like this, what did you do?" Seeing that I didn't speak, he became even angrier.

"Forget it." Seeing that I was downcast, he probably had no interest in cursing others, so he waved his hand and said, "Some new models will come in a while, you go and try your hand."

I raised my head abruptly, "Me?"

The corners of his eyes and brows were full of disdain, "Look at how you have learned during this time. But to be honest, I don't have much hope."

I nodded desperately, "I will try my best."

"Look at you, don't say I'm your master in the future." He twitched his lips.

I was so excited that I almost cried.

What kind of concept is it to be able to make a film under Mai Zhendong and worship the master openly?That is to say, even if I quit now, the qualifications for contributing to second- and third-rate magazines are more than enough.

Although he missed out on Rongwei today, but here is the harvest of Sangyu.

While there was still time, I hurriedly adjusted the machine and on-site lighting, and was about to add a few soft plates when the phone rang.

I picked it up, "Hello."

"Miss Bai Xi? I'm Rongwei's HR."

Don't you have to send the refusal letter twice?
"It's like this. Recently, our finance department has been a little nervous about hiring people. If it's convenient, please come here to sign the contract now, and you will start working in two working days."

I put down my phone and didn't come back to my senses for a while.

The staff has already run in, "The model is already in place!"

I saw Mai Zhendong pacing in slowly, and suddenly felt that this scene was a bit weird.I looked down and saw the unhealed scar on the back of my hand, and made up my mind.

Mai Zhendong kept watching during the whole shoot, without interfering with any of my decisions. At the end, he opened the photos one by one and nodded, "A few of them were captured well."

It's like walking many, many roads before finding the direction.I suddenly had a sore nose, turned my head away, and whispered, "I want to resign."

Mai Zhendong frowned, and looked at me suspiciously, "What?"

"I want to resign." I said it again articulately.

He beckoned and called me outside the door. The sunset in the city was like a huge oil painting, everyone was enveloped in it, the light and shadow were blurred and soft.

Mai Zhendong lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and squinted at me, "I can't keep going? Afraid of being scolded?"

I also lit a cigarette, "Thank you for your guidance during this time."

His hair was so stiff that it stood on end, and he exhaled a puff of smoke rings, "Okay, I chose the path myself. Tell me, what do you want to do in the future?"

"finance."

His hand holding the cigarette paused, as if he couldn't laugh or cry, "Finance?"

Photography and finance, the former needs romance and inspiration, while the latter needs rigor and meticulousness. No one can perfectly combine these two qualities.Mai Zhendong looked at me like he was looking at a madman.

"Forget it, people who play photography are all lunatics." He muttered and patted my shoulder, "If you can't do it anymore, come to me again."

A gust of wind blew over, soot caught my eyes, I nodded, "Thank you."

In this way, the trajectory of my life changed from a fashion photographer to a white-collar worker.

The frowns and smiles of the models in front of the camera, and the capture of light and shadow, have become rows of data formulas.

In Roewe, a group that started out as a heavy industry, pragmatism is the most important principle, and the thriving business of its subsidiaries makes the finance department extremely busy.I step into the gate of the group at [-]:[-] every morning, wrestling with the data in disgrace, and sometimes I can only leave late at night.

In the elevator, I met the HR who had interviewed me twice. When she saw me, she paused, then stepped in and greeted me.

There is a faint fragrance in the air, not too sweet, but with a mature freshness.

I have always wanted to ask her why she changed her mind in the end, but before she could open her mouth, she said, "Bai Xi, you are so lucky. When the final decision was made, the boss saw your resume, because he is also an alumnus of your school, so he asked You were hired."

Her tone was obviously meaningful, which puzzled me a little.

I laughed, just pretending that I didn't hear the irony in it.

The elevator arrived with a ding, and I said seriously, "Thank you for giving me another chance."

The moment I walked out, I saw that in the projection on the bright wall, her eyes did not leave me, but she stopped behind me with an examining and puzzled look.

As soon as she walked to her department, her colleague Lulu ran over: "Bai Xi, have you prepared your clothes for the annual meeting?"

"Not yet." I replied somewhat casually.

"Then let's go shopping together after get off work?" She said excitedly.

"Huh? I may have to work overtime today." I looked at the pile of reports on the table and felt a little headache.

"Then I'll wait for you." Her eyes were shining brightly, "The annual meeting! Old Mr. Shen and Mr. Xiao Shen will come."

"Mr. Xiao Shen?" I hesitated, "Shen Qinjun?"

"That's why!" Lulu lay on the table longingly, "There will be a lottery draw at that time, I don't know what the special prize this year is, anyway, it was a Chanel gift card last year, which was taken away by the marketing department. Then I changed two 'Chanel 2.55' bags."

"Oh." To be honest, I used to work in a fashion magazine, and I didn't find it surprising that luxury goods were thrown all over the set.

"Girls can still dance the opening dance with Mr. Shen." She added, "Although it's old Mr. Shen."

"Why not Mr. Xiao Shen?" I was curious.

"The group is traditional. After all, the chairman is still Mr. Shen."

If I dance the opening dance with Shen Qinjun... I was taken aback by my own thought, and immediately shook my head in self-deprecating manner, how is it possible?Not to mention anything else, since I entered Rongwei, I haven't even seen the corner of Shen Qinjun's clothes.Besides, since I was a child, my luck has been extremely bad, and it is considered pretty good to be able to win the fifth prize at the annual meeting.

In the past few days at the end of the year, I was so busy that I still didn't accompany Lulu to buy a small dress.Even myself, I went straight to the original "V" colleague and borrowed a small dress.

I finally didn’t have to work overtime on weekends. I woke up and found that the curtains were not drawn last night. The bright sunlight fell on the quilt, like a golden rain, so gentle that I didn’t want to get up.After struggling for a long time, I got up, found quick-frozen dumplings from the refrigerator, cooked them and ate them.I checked the time, put on my down jacket and rushed out.

Everyone will receive a red envelope at the annual meeting, and I have to rush to the scene to make a red envelope.When I jumped out of the taxi and ran into the building, I realized that even though the sun was out, I was still shivering with cold.I rushed into the building in one breath, and when I reached the designated floor, the security guards of the bank had just moved in several large boxes full of freshly baked cash.Stacks of red envelopes are put aside, it really makes people feel beaming.

The brand-new banknotes are pinched in the hand, and there is a smell of fresh ink.After counting, we rushed to the top floor.The chefs specially invited from the top hotels are already busy, and we put the first dish on each table - red envelopes.

Colleagues came one after another, and I rushed to the bathroom to change clothes.

When I came out, the hall was almost boiling with excitement. I found my department, and Lulu was holding two small balls in her hand, "Bai Xi, I got the number for you, which one do you want?"

"Whatever." I lowered my head and straightened the folds on the chest of the dress, "Just give me the other one."

Lulu thought about it and chose one.I opened mine, checked the number, and stuffed it back into my handbag.

There was a commotion at the door, and one didn't need to look to know that it was the company's top executives who appeared surrounded by the chairman.

I stood up and saw a tall, silver-haired old man walking steadily, greeting the employees from time to time with a very friendly attitude.

Mr. Shen has won high respect in the industry and within the company.Roewe Heavy Industry broke the monopoly of foreign heavy industries in an extremely difficult environment and greatly supported national construction; and during the decades when the old man was in power, he never laid off employees from the company, which really made employees feel that the company is everyone attribution.

"Mr. Xiao Shen is here too." Lulu pinched me, "Look!"

Shen Qinjun was really low-key, walked in alone, and soon sat down beside his grandfather.

This man is really generous.I lowered my eyes and couldn't help thinking... I'm sitting here just because of him.Is all of this predestined?

"...Since the establishment of the group, I have to thank many people. First of all, the senior chief engineers who came back from studying abroad. Under extremely difficult conditions, the R&D department led by them laid the foundation for Roewe..."

Those old engineers from those years have now become veteran directors, and they all burst into tears.

Shen Qinjun stood in front of the stage, as if the lights of the whole world were shrouded in this man. His every word was sincere and appropriate, short but powerful.At the end of the speech, the audience burst into applause.

Since he came here, my eyes have never left him, I watched him almost greedily, watching him sit back beside Grandpa, and old Mr. Shen patted him on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Hey, do you want grilled crab?" Lulu asked lively, "Or should I get some ice cream?"

I ate some casually, and saw that the host came to host the lottery draw again. The computer and screen at the front desk had been adjusted, and the numbers were constantly flashing and jumping.

From the fifth prize to the special prize, there were constant cheers.

I looked at the nondescript number in my hand, looked around, and silently guessed what the grand prize was.

Mr. Shen came to the stage in person, resting his fingers on the enter key of the computer, and asked the host humorously: "I don't know what the prize is?"

The host coughed lightly, "We have prepared two prizes this year, and the one who draws can choose one of them."

There are two options A and B on the screen.

The company pays for the extra [-] days of annual leave and a free European travel package, travel, meals and lodging.

The audience gasped, almost boiling, and I heard Lulu say loudly: "Of course I must choose A! Please get me!"

or……

I'm holding my breath looking at what's happening on the screen—

It is a Leica 9-group 11-element, 35mm fixed-focus lens!
The words on the screen finally freeze.

179--

"Number 179! Who is it?" The host looked around the audience excitedly, "Who is it?"

Dazed, I spread out the note in my hand——179.

Everyone at the table looked at me with standard expressions of envy and hatred, but I was pushed onto the stage in a daze like this, and stood face to face with Mr. Shen.

The lights were too dazzling, I blinked my eyes, and heard a voice from far and near by my ear: "Congratulations to Bai Xi from the Finance Department!"

"Little girl, what do you want to choose?" Mr. Shen asked me kindly.

I said "hmm", took the microphone and said, "Camera." Somewhat at a loss.

The old man was obviously stunned for a moment, and the audience was silent.

(End of this chapter)