Dawn of Life

Lin Yue turned and stared at her, looking at her with a puzzled expression, waiting for her to continue. Qian Minmin stood up and walked to her side, saying with annoyance, "The farce at the company this afternoon might be related to me!"

Qian Minmin was in a bad mood because her salary adjustment failed. Just then, Zhang Wei came over to chat with her, so she complained to him, saying, "I was in charge of implementing the salary adjustment and performance project, but in the end, it became the credit of Lin Yue and that consultant." As a result, Zhang Wei embellished the story and told the people from the previous team, and that's how the matter ended up being "Lin Yue using Xiao Feng to get promoted."

Seeing Lin Yue remain silent, Qian Minmin grew increasingly uneasy and anxiously continued to explain, "I really didn't mean it. You know I'm not the type to talk nonsense. I only found out later when someone from the company came to confirm that Zhang Wei told others that I was the one who told him. I thought you would find out sooner or later, and it was because of this incident that I became determined to go out and find a job. I'm really sorry."

After saying that, he lowered his eyes, too embarrassed to look at Lin Yue again.

Lin Yue hummed in agreement, patted her arm, and comforted her, "It's okay, I believe in you."

Lin Yue truly believed Qian Minmin. The fact that Qian Minmin was willing to confess to her even before leaving meant she genuinely didn't mean it and sincerely hoped for forgiveness. She wasn't the type to hold a grudge. However, she was surprised that Zhang Wei was still so persistent; jealousy was truly a terrifying thing.

It was already 7:30 when Lin Yue finished talking with Qian Minmin and came out. She picked up her phone; Xiao Feng had only sent her a message an hour earlier saying he was waiting for her in the garage, and hadn't urged her since. She picked up her bag and headed towards the underground garage. Since the restaurant Xiao Feng had chosen was quite far from the company, and she didn't want to come back for the car later, they decided to drive there in separate cars, one after the other.

Lin Yue opened the car door, got into the driver's seat, started the engine, and drove off with Xiao Feng's car. Night had fallen, and neon lights cast dappled shadows on the wet ground, the outside enveloped in a festive atmosphere.

Lin Yue wondered in her heart whether he would clarify their relationship later, and how she should respond if he did. His consulting project with the company had ended, and he still had a say in Shengxing, but without concrete matters to rely on, his influence was not so obvious.

However, her mindset has been subtly changing lately. Before, she would always wonder if he was serious, but now she thinks more about what she can gain from this relationship—the growth Qin Lan spoke of, or the energy Su Ling mentioned. Perhaps it's putting her mother at ease, but revenge against Gao Ming isn't on her mind; she just wants to stay far away from him now.

While waiting at a traffic light, Xiao Feng's car stopped in the lane next to Lin Yue. As if noticing her absent-mindedness, he gently rolled down the window and called out to Lin Yue, "Hey beautiful, wanna add each other on WeChat?" As he spoke, he held his phone up in the air, the screen faintly glowing in the night.

Lin Yue wasn't the type to be flamboyant, so this action was genuinely a bit awkward. She waved at him and rolled the car window back up. She couldn't help but think, "Men are boys until they die," but then she suddenly felt that perhaps this was just one of his usual flirting techniques. She then shook her head, laughing at herself for having just said she'd only be interested in herself; how had she fallen into this exploration of him again?

Soon, they arrived at their destination and entered the Japanese restaurant. Xiao Feng gentlemanly pulled out a chair for her, then carefully set out the tableware and poured her a cup of barley tea, the steam rising gently.

"I felt a strong connection with you from the first day I met you, and I think you felt it too during the time we spent together. During these days without contact, I've been thinking about our relationship, and I've finally decided to take it a step further. I have no questions for you anymore, do you still have any doubts about me?" Whether it was the atmosphere that was well-crafted or she had already opened her eyes to him, Lin Yue saw sincerity in his eyes at this moment.

Lin Yue gently put down her teacup: "Actually, from a realistic point of view, we are not suitable. You have many better choices, while I..." Her words carried a hint of self-deprecation, yet were exceptionally rational, and also had a touch of probing.

Xiao Feng gently interrupted her: "I'm not as good as you say. It's my luck to have met such a wonderful woman like you. Let's not think about those practical problems for now, okay? I think the most important thing for two people to be together is that their energies match. Only when their energies match will their relationship get better and better, and then they can work together to solve practical problems. Moreover, in my opinion, love is much more important than compatibility. When we encounter difficulties and conflicts in life, we will have the motivation to solve them. And what does it mean to stay together until the end? It's either separation by life or separation by death. In the end, it's all about loss."

Lin Yue stared at Xiao Feng, lost in thought. Every point he made emphasized living in the present moment—his attitude towards life, regardless of right or wrong. This idea had been constantly on her mind lately. Given her current state of mind, she hadn't really thought about anything too far ahead.

Slowly, the answer formed in her mind, and the confusion in her eyes gradually transformed into relief. She smiled at him and said, "Okay, let's give it a try."

As they walked out of the restaurant after dinner, a gust of cold wind made Lin Yue shiver. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged them. Xiao Feng naturally took off his coat and draped it over her shoulders. Lin Yue chuckled, slipped his coat over her sleeves, and casually took his arm. He then took her hand in his, and they intertwined their fingers.

Lin Yue thought to herself that adult relationships seem to progress quickly once the initial spark is broken. For people their age, love isn't a necessity, but rather an added bonus. The most important thing is to think things through and then be together openly and honestly.

With only a few days left until the "Family Heritage Day" on December 31st, the event data is far from ideal. Although this is a major annual event held by the company, the market environment is different every year. Liu Zheng is a veteran of internet e-commerce, and his sensitivity to the market is ingrained in him. Although he hasn't been in charge of execution-level matters in recent years, his overall control over the direction of a major event is still crucial.

In contrast, Shengxing lacks this capability. Its strength lies in its control over product selection, but its ability to successfully bring good products to market and get consumers to buy them is an area where it falls short.

So he pinned his bet on how to motivate his employees. The incentive plan was indeed tempting, but with such high goals, it was just a pie hanging high in the sky—no matter how hard everyone jumped, they couldn't reach it, and they probably gave up from the start.

Several key personnel involved in the event still chose to resign after the company adjusted their salaries. Salary adjustments are a very delicate matter in the workplace. Bosses don't like employees using resignation as leverage to ask for a raise, as it makes the boss feel that if they agree this time, the employee might use the same tactic next time. At the same time, employees feel that since they were already prepared to leave, the company only then offered them a raise, which feels like a handout and they don't feel truly appreciated.

In the final week, Shengxing panicked when they saw the data, but they were helpless and could only push the project under pressure. Several project managers for the main events had been working overtime until the wee hours every day for a week. One of the colleagues told Lin Yue that even though he was so busy, he still went to the company's lounge area to run on the treadmill for half an hour every day at noon, just because he was worried that he would suddenly die.

Lin Yue was anxious seeing this, so she went to discuss it with Xiao Feng. Xiao Feng patted her head and said, "Shengxing was prepared. Headquarters had long wanted to place its own people in some core management positions. He was just using an excuse to delay. As for this event, it was indeed worse than expected."

Lin Yue nodded and analyzed, "The market environment is getting worse year by year. College graduates are finding it hard to find jobs, many middle-aged people are unemployed, all companies are laying off employees, and you can clearly feel that there are more people loitering on the streets now. The real estate market and the stock market are in a state of utter despair, and consumption is downgrading across the board. I think the headquarters can understand the decline in performance, right?"

Xiao Feng's lips curled slightly as he said calmly, "Performance is just a handle for headquarters. Right now, they value management more. In fact, the worse things are now, the greater their potential for future promotion. It's not necessarily a bad thing. They did promise Shengxing during the acquisition that they would continue to operate the company according to his philosophy, but the more that's the case, the more important it is to keep your own people around him."

Lin Yue knew a new storm was brewing. The "Family Heritage Festival" results were predictably dismal, with a 20% year-on-year decline in annual performance, and Sheng Xing's expression grew increasingly grim. He invited Lin Yue to his office for a talk. Lin Yue had already mentally prepared herself for this, so she appeared quite calm.