Chapter 305: The Meaning of Life Is to Get Some Chips
What’s the meaning of life?
If you’re a seagull, maybe it’s just to grab some chips?
If you’re a guy, then maybe it means you’re supposed to be thinking about how to make money and buy a house. Then spend the next 30 years stuck paying off loans for a house and car, shaking in fear, not even daring to fight back if someone treats you badly.
But luckily, she’s a girl now.
She doesn’t have to worry about houses or cars.
Because of that, she can fully focus on preparing for the upcoming provincial exam. Plus, she’s been working hard for a long time. Not the kind of person who studies a few days and then slacks off.
To get ready for this spring’s provincial exam, Lin Yibai has been preparing for over half a year. Heaven rewards those who work hard, so surely it will reward a girl like her, who’s serious and puts in real effort, right?
As the exam date gets closer, Lin Yibai plans to take a short three-day leave.
Partly so she can do a final full review, and partly so she can give her body and mind a little break before the test.
The office is pretty quiet lately. After double-checking several times, Lin Yibai finally let out a small sigh of relief:
“Luckily it's not too busy at the moment. Even if I take a few days off, it won’t affect the team.”
That’s how HR jobs usually are, really busy at the beginning and end of the year for hiring and keeping staff, but quieter the rest of the time.
When her coworker saw the leave request form, a worried look appeared on her face.
Everyone in the office is nice, and the coworker quietly warned her.
“Baiyi, you know as someone in HR that lots of people quit at the end of the year for different reasons, right?”
Lin Yibai nodded, thinking it over, “Yeah, so what?”
The coworker leaned closer, holding down the leave form and said again.
“As someone who’s been in the workplace longer, I have to tell you, after the new year and around mid-year are also risky times for people in HR.”
That’s just how these companies are!
Once they survive the tough early-year hiring season, many of them don’t really want to keep too many HR staff anymore.
When they need you, they treat you like royalty. But when they don’t, they’ll do everything they can to make you leave, whether by forcing you out or making you quit on your own.
They’ll pressure you in all kinds of ways: dropping hints, isolating you, or just plain making things hard.
Lin Yibai took a deep breath, shrugged, and said helplessly, “I’m only asking for leave because I really need it. If that’s enough for them to target me, then I guess this company isn’t worth holding onto anyway.”
Her coworker got anxious and scolded her like an older sister.
“Baiyi, are you silly?! As long as you don’t break the rules, do you think your contract was just for show? I think I was even the one who helped with your onboarding... Take it from me, sometimes it’s better to stay and hang in there than to leave. You’ve got a contract. Why not make the most of it?”
This older coworker clearly understood the way the workplace works. With her years of HR experience, she knew how to protect her own interests.
And because she liked Lin Yibai’s personality, she wanted to help her.
Lin Yibai smiled, thanked her, but still took the leave form and went to the manager’s office.
She spoke honestly and directly. “I’d like to request three days off. Please approve it.”
Manager Yang didn’t even look up before saying, “No. The company is in a busy growth stage right now. Do you know how much work there is? I won’t approve it.”
Lin Yibai smiled and pointed out, “Manager Yang, did you forget we’re in the HR department? If anyone knows whether the company is busy or not, it’s us.”
Manager Yang gave a cold snort, “What’s with your attitude?”
Lin Yibai raised her hand and calmly replied, “I’m just asking for a few days off when things clearly aren’t as busy as you say. Everyone has personal things to take care of. So, what’s wrong with my attitude exactly?”
Manager Yang became even more unhappy and said, “In any case, I won’t approve your leave.”
Lin Yibai also started to wonder, how did this weirdo even become a manager? Maybe he let his work emotions mess up his thinking too much?
This is a company, you know? It’s not a place for you to vent your personal feelings.
Lin Yibai calmly put the leave request form on the desk and said, “I’m just here to inform you. I’m not here to ask for your opinion, understand? If you have any concerns, you can follow company procedures, okay? After all, we both work in HR, you should know the rules even better than I do, right?”
Seriously, something must be wrong with this guy’s brain.
Yes, employees need to go through HR to request leave. But that doesn’t mean you can treat it like you’re holding a weapon just because you’re in charge!
If the leave is legal and reasonable, why not approve it? If you don’t approve it, then you’re the one with the problem.
She didn’t feel like talking to him anymore. So Lin Yibai simply closed the office door and left.
What she didn’t know was that as soon as she walked out, Manager Yang stormed off with the leave form in hand, rushing to complain to the general manager.
Meanwhile, a special guest arrived in the meeting room for a business discussion.
Xia Changyu’s small company by itself didn’t have much influence, but his family’s business was one of the top foreign trade companies in the country, representing many big international brands.
It just so happened that there were some business connections to explore.
Usually, he didn’t like getting involved in the family business. But now, if it was for his wife, he’d do it anyway.
He knew Lin Yibai didn’t like being protected too obviously by him. But if their companies were business partners, then he could take care of her quietly, right?
The general manager looked so happy his face nearly twisted from smiling.
Wow, he didn’t expect such a good thing to fall into his lap!
With the international brands that Xia Changyu’s family handled, even just one small business deal with them could bring in more than enough profit for the company. It wouldn’t be wrong to say this one deal could carry the entire year.
So the general manager kept praising him. “Mr. Xia, you’re so young and already so successful!”
Xia Changyu waved his hand, clearly a little impatient. “Have your legal team draft the contract quickly. If everything looks good, we’ll sign it. From now on, I’ll personally handle communication with your company.”
He felt very pleased with himself. Now he had a perfect excuse to visit his wife in a proper and professional way!
This was just one business option out of many on the market. In the past, they’d usually pick someone reliable from the family to manage it.
But when Xia Changyu said it was for his “wife,” his dad immediately gave him full control of all business in this city.
His dad’s exact words were, “Whether you make money or not doesn’t matter. Starting a family and building a career, that’s what’s really important.”
The meeting between the two sides went pretty well.
The general manager even suggested a dinner celebration.
But Xia Changyu didn’t want to go at all. He thought, ‘Why waste time eating out when I could go home and eat with my cute little wife instead?’
Just as the two of them were chatting and walking out together, a furious figure came stomping over from the distance.
It was Manager Yang, muttering angrily to himself. “Life is impossible like this... Today’s workers just can’t be managed anymore... They’re out of control…”
And he just happened to be heading straight for the general manager.
Right away, he started pouring out complaints.
“Manager, you have to help me with this! Employees are now asking for leave without any real reason, and when I don’t approve it, they give me attitude! What is this turning into? If this continues, it’ll create a terrible example. Employees like that must be punished seriously… Her name is Lin Baiyi, by the way.”
Just like Lin Yibai guessed, Manager Yang couldn’t legally fire her since she had done nothing wrong, so he was trying to create a false story to make upper management think otherwise, just to find an excuse to get rid of her.
Standing nearby, Xia Changyu stroked his chin.
He found the whole thing quite funny.