The Early Spring - Chapter 18

Chapter 18 - Teaching My Own Student

People are bound to take a few detours when they are young.

The first detour Shang Zhitao took was buying that coffee for Luan Nian. Later on, she felt she had been far too foolish at the time; she should have poured her unreserved effort into her work instead of trying to take shortcuts.

Very few people in this world succeed by taking shortcuts, and those who can are the pampered darlings favored by the heavens. Most people have to plod ahead step by step with down-to-earth hard work, even though the outcome remains forever uncertain.

What was more, Luan Nian looked like the kind of person who would never approve of anyone taking shortcuts, viewing such behavior as mere opportunism.

Stepping out of the elevator and taking her seat at her desk, she seriously pondered Luan Nian's words and concluded that he was right. Work truly tempers a person, and in such a short span of time, it had already stimulated her potential for learning and self-reflection.

She genuinely and earnestly reviewed her work. Previously, she had been running herself ragged day in and day out without ever conducting such a systematic review. As she typed out her job responsibilities piece by piece onto her computer, she thought, Wow, I've actually done this many trivial things, and I've learned this much.

She would frequently conduct self-reviews from then on, and this rational way of thinking accompanied her throughout her entire career.

Therefore, Luan Nian was actually an exceptionally wonderful mentor.

When work wrapped up that day, her genius colleagues left one after another, but Shang Zhitao didn't leave. She conscientiously crafted a self-improvement plan for herself.

Everyone has drafted improvement plans or wish lists at some point in their lives.

Shang Zhitao carefully considered the gap between herself and her colleagues, wrote down her improvement plan, and even penned a bucket list for before she turned thirty. Not wanting anyone to see it, she locked it away in her drawer once she finished writing.

Suddenly, her goals felt crystal clear, and that sensation was truly fantastic.

Sometimes, communication between adults can also be unexpectedly profound.

The next day, she arrived at the office early and dove straight into work, completely oblivious when someone walked up to her desk. Today marked her first time presiding over the marketing department's supplier meeting, and she needed to review the procedures one more time.

An iced Americano was placed on her desk. Startled, she looked up to see Luan Nian standing beside her desk, offering a calm, single sentence: "Returning your favor."

"You're far too kind..." Shang Zhitao was at a loss, the embarrassment from yesterday's coffee incident flashing back into her mind.

Without a word, Luan Nian picked up her notebook to browse through it. Shang Zhitao had remarkably neat handwriting—the prettiest among everyone he knew. If Lime ever fired her, she could easily make a living by writing calligraphy copybooks. Such lovely handwriting was genuinely a pleasure to look at.

"Supplier meeting this afternoon?" Luan Nian asked her.

"Yes, I'm getting my preparations in order."

"Among these suppliers, who has the highest execution efficiency? Who has the highest cooperation level? Which one accepts the longest advance-payment period, and what is the maximum advance amount they can accept? What are their respective areas of expertise?" Luan Nian questioned her. "Have you ever organized these records?"

"I..."

"You didn't have these records in the past, did you?" Luan Nian pressed further.

"No." Shang Zhitao nodded. When the marketing department utilized suppliers, they basically just scrambled to find a few agencies for bidding whenever a project came up, and whoever won the pitch got the job. In reality, most companies operated that way.

Luan Nian raised an eyebrow and turned to walk away.

Shang Zhitao sat dazed for a long while before suddenly realizing: the marketing department didn't even have a unified supplier parameter database? Staring at the cup of coffee for a good while, she finally picked up her phone and called Yao Bei: "Senior, I want to ask you for a favor."

"What is it, Taotao?"

"I remember you mentioned before that state-owned enterprises have very strict supplier management. I'd like to take a look at your supplier onboarding parameters."

"I can only give you the header categories; other sensitive information is out of the question."

"Headers are more than enough. Thanks, Senior."

"Stop standing on ceremony. Three minutes."

Shang Zhitao suddenly experienced the true joy of working.

In the past, she had been far too rigid. When a task was placed before her, she executed it meticulously step-by-step, yet her perspective remained terribly narrow. She had never elevated her vantage point to contemplate these broader issues. Feeling a sudden surge of gratitude toward Luan Nian, she picked up her iced coffee and took a sip—it wasn't bitter at all, as he had added syrup.

"Thank you, Luke. I'm going to hurriedly organize the supplier information now," she messaged Luan Nian, expressing her heartfelt appreciation. Luan Nian didn't reply, of course; he certainly wouldn't. But he did raise an eyebrow, feeling that the student he was personally guiding wasn't quite as hopeless after all—with a little prodding, she could barely manage to hold her own in public.

Luan Nian had already begun viewing Shang Zhitao as his student, though he hadn't noticed this subtle shift in his own mindset himself.

That afternoon's marketing department meeting also included an invitation for Luan Nian. His promotion appointment was about to drop, a secret known to all the senior managers. Some accepted it, while others resented it. Yet whether they accepted it or not, the superficial pleasantries had to be maintained.

Alex didn't mind; he had partnered with Luan Nian on several projects and was on more familiar terms with him. Inviting Luan Nian to such an external meeting was also a way of signaling his stance.

As the meeting host, Shang Zhitao had put in a tremendous amount of preparatory work beforehand. Right before the meeting commenced, Alex remarked to Luan Nian with a hint of pride: "This morning, we've prepared a heavy feast to set a precedent for the professionalization and systematization of the company's external management work."

"Looking forward to it." Luan Nian kept his response neutral.

Shang Zhitao felt a touch of nerves during her opening remarks, a few strands of hair damp with sweat sticking flat against her forehead. Both Alex and Lumi crossed their fingers for her, and Lumi even heard Alex ask her: "Are you sure there's no problem?"

"No problem." Though Lumi said that, she still straightened her posture, feeling nervous on Shang Zhitao's behalf.

Catching the seemingly expected expression on Luan Nian's face as he sat right in the center, Shang Zhitao suddenly found her fighting spirit ignite. She wasn't entirely useless after all. Once Alex finished speaking, she gradually began to relax.

The meeting consisted of several agenda items: reviewing past project progress; introducing major projects and bidding plans for the second half of the year; a Q&A session; and finally, the Lime Marketing Department Agency Scoring System.

Yes, after receiving Yao Bei's data that morning, Shang Zhitao had suddenly felt that Lime's agency onboarding and contract termination processes ought to have a proper framework—much like a school exam, with a passing score, a score requiring remediation, and a performance threshold so poor it warranted dismissal. When she shared this idea with Lumi, Lumi's eyes widened as she slapped her shoulder: "Not bad at all, Shang Zhitao! You don't see a system like this floating around the market every day!"

Alex also praised Shang Zhitao: "Flora is truly brilliant."

The entire marketing department had holed up in the conference room all morning brainstorming this system, skipping lunch entirely.

The market required fairness; high-profile suppliers needed supervision, while smaller companies needed opportunities. Once everything was governed by a systematic framework, management would step onto the right track and prevent numerous financial irregularities.

Luan Nian was both intelligent and adventurous.

Taking over Lime China, he hoped to bring about changes to the company. However, not all changes should wait until after he formally took the reins. During Monday's team meeting, Alex had synchronized the news regarding the marketing department's supplier convention. Then, on Tuesday morning, a cup of syrup-sweetened iced Americano was placed on Shang Zhitao's desk, and Luan Nian casually picked up her notes, specifically quizzing her on several points.

Had Shang Zhitao failed to grasp the point, Luan Nian wouldn't have been surprised.

Yet Shang Zhitao did grasp it, and her swift action, combined with her determination to alter the status quo, had snatched victory from the jaws of defeat for her. When Luan Nian saw her morning message, he had initially felt that getting her to understand his intent was already mission accomplished, but she had turned in a gorgeous test paper—a rather pleasant surprise.

Pleasant surprise or not, he still wore an expressionless mask, keeping his head down as he tapped away at his computer to project an air of aloof detachment. The corporate environment was like a deep pool, chillingly cold at the top. He could neither appear overly eager for quick results nor seem effortlessly detached; everything relied on timing, coupled with the principle that Heaven rewards the diligent.

The final segment was genuinely stellar. Luan Nian heard the supplier bosses whispering among themselves, yet overall, everyone held an affirmative attitude toward the marketing department's new policies.

It was the first time work had ever brought Shang Zhitao a genuine sense of accomplishment.

As the meeting concluded, while organizing the meeting minutes, she also reviewed her own takeaways. She hoped that whenever she tackled any task, she could elevate her vantage point and approach problems with an alternative mindset. Only by mastering this capability could she walk further. Shang Zhitao, who had coasted through life muddling along for twenty-two years, suddenly discovered a vocational ideal.

She didn't finish outputting her meeting minutes until past midnight, keeping her head bowed so long that her shoulders and neck ached. Standing up to stretch her muscles, she noticed that the light in Luan Nian's office was still on, where he was sitting and working with intense focus.

Why was he working so late today?

Shang Zhitao's feelings toward Luan Nian were rather peculiar. She was terrified of him, yet she also felt that he was occasionally imparting lessons to her.

She wanted to go and say thank you to Luan Nian once more, but then felt she would be overstepping—he disliked being disturbed.

With that thought, Shang Zhitao packed her things and left the office.

Sustained by today's sense of accomplishment, her mood felt light and airy enough to float away, leaving her entirely free of fatigue. Aside from the difficulty of hailing a cab at that late hour, everything else was perfect. She stood by the roadside trying to flag down a car, but since many people were just getting off work while cabs were scarce, she couldn't catch one.

After more than half an hour, she contemplated walking a stretch to try her luck when a car pulled up right in front of her. It was Luan Nian.

Reluctant to inconvenience him further, Shang Zhitao waved him off: "It's too late, you should hurry home."

"It's on the way." Luan Nian pushed open the car door.

Shang Zhitao checked the time; it was too late to indulge in stubborn pride, so she climbed into Luan Nian's car.

"Is it really on the way?"

"Not really. Get out if you want." Luan Nian started the engine as he spoke. Having worked there for less than twenty days, Shang Zhitao had already grown accustomed to Luan Nian's conversational style. She gave a cheeky chuckle and asked him instead, "Where do you live?"

"Near you." Luan Nian wasn't entirely lying when he said it was on the way; there was a villa complex in Shahe, situated just a fifteen-minute drive past Shang Zhitao's neighborhood.

"Then why do you live so far away? How much more convenient would it be to live near the office."

"Why do you live so far away?"

"I don't have that much money for rent." Shang Zhitao didn't think there was any shame in admitting it; she had just graduated and hadn't even collected her first month's salary yet—it would be a miracle if she had any money to spare.

Luan Nian fell silent, turning his head to glance at Shang Zhitao. Even inside a car, she sat with rigid propriety, her legs pressed tightly together, looking as if she were facing an existential crisis.

"Are you afraid of me?"

"What?"

"Are you afraid of me?"

"I'm not. If I were afraid of you, I wouldn't have gotten into your car."

Shang Zhitao answered lightly, not daring to spare Luan Nian more than a glance. Turning her gaze toward the window at the colorful nightscape, a thought suddenly popped into her head: Maybe I should learn how to drive? Yes, she really ought to learn how to drive. What era was this to still not know how to drive a car!

Luan Nian switched on some music, which helped alleviate Shang Zhitao's tension. Finally turning her head back to look forward, she even took the initiative to start a conversation: "Thank you for today."

"For what?"

"Thank you for your guidance this morning," Shang Zhitao said. "I know I lack talent and am even rather mediocre. Therefore, I accept all your criticisms and admonitions. I only want to implore you to give me a little time to grow."

Luan Nian gave her a serious look and let out a rare, single word: "Mhm."

"In the future, if I run into things I don't understand or can't do, may I consult you?"

"Don't you have a mentor? Don't you have a boss?"

"It's different."

How was it different? Alex and Lumi made Shang Zhitao feel relaxed, making her feel that even in her mediocrity, she was still accepted. Luan Nian, however, was different. Luan Nian made her feel the constant crisis of being eliminated at any moment. She had learned a massive amount from Luan Nian. In less than twenty short days, Luan Nian had used his own methods to nudge Shang Zhitao's thinking a tiny step upward.

"Don't ask me stupid questions. Think carefully before you ask." Luan Nian tacitly granted Shang Zhitao's request, attaching only that single condition.