Dawn of Life

In Hangzhou in 2022, as the pandemic was just beginning to ease, many companies were forced to tear off their last fig leaf.

In particular, some internet companies that rely on capital operations lack their own revenue-generating capabilities, and many operational and management problems have been exposed in the face of a poor economic environment.

Lin Yue, 36, is an HRBP manager at a mid-sized internet company. She's currently sitting in front of her computer revising a PowerPoint presentation about a competency model. The company wants to take measures to address the issue of salary inversion, and this competency model is one of the solutions they're trying to restructure.

HRBP, also known as Human Resources Partner, is expected by the company to be the most knowledgeable about human resources within the business team and the most knowledgeable about business within the human resources team.

However, they know in their hearts that they are actually the "sandwich" between the human resources department and the business department. It is the HRBP's responsibility if the department's policies are not implemented, and it is also the HRBP's responsibility if the business team's policies are unreasonable. They are typical of being unloved by both sides.

The Human Resources Department has 23 people and is structured according to a three-pillar framework, including three teams: SSC (Service Center), COE (Center for Policy and Engineering), and HRBP. SSC and COE are collectively referred to as the Shared Service Center. They are responsible for developing the company's rules, regulations, and various plans; after completion, HRBPs then follow up on their implementation in various business units.

The HRBP team consists of 13 people, all reporting to Lin Yue. She has been working in this position for over a decade, and the real challenges and criticisms have long since honed her into someone who remains calm and composed in the face of both honor and disgrace.

But this year, she is about to face an unprecedented challenge.

Her company, Dasheng, is a vertical e-commerce platform focusing on traditional culture. Founded eight years ago by General Manager Sheng Xing and Deputy General Manager Liu Zheng, Dasheng aims to integrate tradition with the internet. Sheng Xing, with his background in the cultural sector, and Liu Zheng, with his experience in a major internet company, naturally have significant differences in their management styles and work methods. Currently, the Human Resources department reports directly to the Deputy General Manager.

The difference between Dasheng Company and Taobao and JD.com is that Dasheng Company only deals in handcrafted works by artisans. These products have low production volume and long delivery times, resulting in slow capital recovery. Moreover, many of the artisans who sell their products are elderly and have very poor online operational capabilities.

This necessitates the company employing a large number of operations staff to provide hands-on support. So, over the years, as the number of merchants and users has increased, the company has grown in size, but its financial reports have actually declined year after year. Furthermore, the recent economic downturn and declining consumer spending have led to lower sales of these artworks, and disagreements among senior management have intensified.

Lin Yue was always grateful that she had a highly capable HRD (Human Resources Director) named Qin Lan above her. Qin Lan always stood in front of the department, so Lin Yue wasn't very aware of the cutthroat competition at the top.

"@Everyone, please meet at 18:00 in the meeting room on the 2nd floor [Jiexinglou]," a message popped up in the Lark HR group.

Lin Yue frowned slightly: "Why are you taking up your after-get off work hours again?"

She hesitated for a moment, then opened her husband Gao Ming's WeChat: "There's an unexpected meeting at the company tonight, could you pick up our son?"

About an hour later, Gao Ming replied with a "Okay".

Gao Ming runs a small supermarket and usually lives at the store, returning home every Friday. Lin Yue takes care of all the household chores. When there's an emergency where he has to work overtime, she'll ask Gao Ming to pick up their son.

They met through a blind date, have been married for ten years, and maintain a polite yet distant relationship. Gao Ming calls this state "respect."

She stopped sending messages and went back to revising the plan.

When Lin Yue walked into the conference room with her laptop, most of the people were already there. Some were engrossed in typing, while others were chatting amongst themselves.

At this moment, Qin Lan walked in, and unlike before, CEO Sheng Xing followed behind her.

Qin Lan was recruited by Deputy General Manager Liu Zheng. She also came from a major internet company, so the two have worked together very well for many years. Liu Zheng also trusts her enough, and he has rarely been seen at departmental weekly meetings like this.

Several department heads began reporting on their work from the previous week, each one on high alert. Lin Yue knew all too well what the shared service center had done; not only were they embellishing it with various HR jargon to make it sound impressive, but some tasks that had already been completed the previous week were also being re-reported this week. Qin Lan didn't expose them, and even provided very serious feedback.

Lin Yue was the last to report, discussing the progress of the "Competency Model." After she finished, President Sheng turned to Qin Lan and asked, "Is the 'Competency Model' you just mentioned the project we discussed last time?"

Qin Lan nodded and said, "Yes, from the writing of competency reports to the assessment of all employees, the entire project cycle is about 3 months. The plan part has been completed."

Shengxing said, "Just follow your own pace."

Sheng Xing is 39 years old this year. He comes from a scholarly family and is an expert in tea ceremony and calligraphy. He also has a humble and refined temperament. When you meet him at work, he will nod gently to his colleagues.

Qin Lan summarized the project progress from last week, and then calmly announced to the department: "From now on, the reporting relationship of the Human Resources Department will be adjusted to be under General Manager Sheng, and the managers of each department will report directly to General Manager Sheng." She then invited Sheng Xing to speak.

The colleagues below exchanged glances in surprise at this sudden organizational restructuring. It was tantamount to transferring the Human Resources department from Liu Zheng to Shengxing, making it report directly to President Sheng, effectively sidelining Qin Lan. Lin Yue couldn't help but glance at Qin Lan with concern, but Qin Lan remained composed.

Sheng Xing said, "I'm a pragmatic person and only look at results. The HR department currently has too many people, which is seriously overstaffed for a company with over a thousand employees. I haven't been satisfied with the department's work over the years and have received many complaints, but of course, this is not the responsibility of you executives. After the restructuring, everything needs to be communicated to me in a timely manner."

"In addition, the economy is in recession now, and many companies are not doing well, including ours. The company will gradually require all departments to work 996. The HR team should set an example first. Starting next week, the normal time for the team to leave work is 9 pm. If you need to take leave, please ask me in advance."

To think that such a gentle tone could convey such a heartless meaning, Lin Yue felt Sheng Xing's aura for the first time. A new broom sweeps clean, and the first one is already so fierce. It seems the days ahead are going to be tough.

Lin Yue glanced at her phone while driving; it was a WeChat message from Qin Lan: "Report the 'Competency Model' proposal to the General Manager's Office at 10 a.m. tomorrow. You'll be the one to present it then."

Lin Yue quickly replied, "Will you come along? Are there any things I should be aware of?" She had many questions about the current situation, and after thinking for a moment, she added, "Boss, are you alright?"

Half an hour later, Qin Lan replied, "That's good. You work hard. We'll talk about the logic of the plan tomorrow."

Lin Yue didn't press further after reading the message. She knew Qin Lan had always been a person with strong boundaries. If she wanted you to know something, she would tell you without asking; and vice versa.

Seven years ago, when Qin Lan was headhunted to Dasheng, she hired Lin Yue. Because of Lin Yue's exceptional professional skills, and because Qin Lan was considered her mentor, Qin Lan always trusted Lin Yue. Although Lin Yue frequently took leave because of her son, it didn't shake her position in the slightest. Lin Yue could even leave work on time to pick up her son, and then work overtime at home on her computer after he fell asleep.

Now that a new boss has taken over, this approach probably won't work. The market is in a state of utter despair; in various HR groups, Lin Yue sees discussions about companies laying off employees or going bankrupt. No matter how difficult it is, she has to keep her job. She plans to discuss her son's transportation arrangements with Gao Ming when she gets home that evening.

After finishing the meeting, Gao Ming got home around 10 p.m. His son was already asleep, and he was watching TV in the living room.

As Lin Yue took slippers from the entryway and changed, she said, "The company leadership has changed, and the new boss wants us to leave at nine o'clock. The overall environment is bad, it's really tough. Could you pick up our son from school from now on?"

Lin Yue talked for a while, but Gao Ming didn't react much and just kept watching TV in silence.

She sat down next to Gao Ming, patted him on the shoulder, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Gao Ming turned around and looked directly at Lin Yue, his eyes calm and indifferent.

"Let's get a divorce," he said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial.