Once everything was said, I could have hung up.
But for a moment, no one hung up; instead, they all sighed in unison.
"I'm going to get busy," Zhao Xuning said. "Take good care of Xu Qingzhu."
“I know. Let me know if you have any new updates. If Xu Qingzhu finds out about this, she'll definitely go see Bai Weiwei. When she wakes up, or when someone can visit her, please remember to let her know. Thank you for your help,” Liang Shi said politely.
"OK."
After Zhao Xuning finished answering, he suddenly said jokingly, "You sound much better when you talk like this now."
Liang Shi: "..."
She always speaks in a very pleasant way.
It's just that the original owner didn't like the sound of it!
However, she didn't chat with Zhao Xuning much because she had to go back to work. She was relieved to know that Bai Weiwei was alright.
After hanging up the phone, she drove back to the company.
//
The magazine department is still in complete chaos.
Liang Shi went out during his lunch break, but he would clock in at 2:00 PM to continue working.
It was obvious that she went over time.
When I went to the gate to clock in, it showed that I had exceeded the time limit by 35 minutes.
An overdue electronic announcement was broadcast in the office area, and a group of people turned around to look.
Slightly awkward.
Liang Shi immediately returned to his workstation, where the little girl from that morning was still sitting and reading.
When she arrived in the morning, everyone in the magazine department was too busy to pay attention to her.
It's also possible that they simply disliked her being a parachuted-in employee with only a third-rate education, so they treated her like she was invisible and wanted to give her a hard time.
Based on what they said in the bathroom, the latter is more likely.
Liang Shi didn't care. She came here to find a class. It would be good if she could learn something, but if she couldn't, she would do something else.
It won't be a waste of time.
She hasn't watched the series of movies she previously treasured, and she still doesn't know anything about the entertainment industry in this world.
No one assigned her anything to do, and she seemed quite content with her lot.
At 3 o'clock, the magazine department held a new round of topic selection meetings.
The editor-in-chief was still irritable, and he took the new topic and berated every department mercilessly.
"We have a meeting with the general manager at five o'clock, and we must come up with a satisfactory topic. But look at what you've submitted! Not a single one is usable! Your thinking has become completely rigid, hasn't it?! Can't you come up with any new topics besides those celebrities with high traffic on Weibo? Our luxury goods aren't necessarily for celebrities; minor celebrities simply can't afford Dongheng's luxury goods! Do you even have brains?!" The editor-in-chief's voice was extremely loud and sharp.
Liang Shi stood in the back row. She had no idea what topics everyone had submitted; she was just going through the motions.
Unexpectedly, the editor-in-chief suddenly called on him, "Newcomer, what are your thoughts on this topic?"
Liang Shi: "...?"
She pointed incredulously at herself, "Me?"
The editor-in-chief nodded. "Yes, you."
Liang Shi was stunned for two seconds. Before she could speak, the editor-in-chief threw the stack of manuscripts on the table. "You don't know anything. What are you doing here? Just collecting a salary?! I don't care who got you in through connections. Since you're in the magazine department, you have to follow the rules. You're more than half an hour late on your first day. What kind of work attitude is that?"
"I'm sorry," Liang Shi said, undeniably, "something came up today..."
"Did you ask for leave before leaving?" the editor-in-chief said. "Not asking for leave is called absenteeism. Three times can result in immediate dismissal. Besides, you know nothing and can't do anything. What are you doing in the magazine department? Do you think our magazine department is for picking up trash?"
Liang Shi: "..."
"Editor-in-chief." Liang Shi frowned, wanting to retort, but the person next to her suddenly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to be quiet and not to confront the editor-in-chief.
These two words alone infuriated the editor-in-chief. "What? You think there's something wrong with what I said? If you don't want to stay in the magazine department, then switch to another department. You don't need to listen to my nasty words. Even if you're the daughter of the group's CEO, if you don't work properly in the magazine department, you're fired!"
Liang Shi: "..."
Her patience had reached its limit.
I've worked in the workplace before, when I was young and just starting out in society, I experienced all sorts of harsh environments.
But these were all due to the high intensity of her work, or her senior colleagues ganging up on her to make things difficult for her, plus making her buy coffee and drinks, and ordering her around to do odd jobs.
After she grew up, she changed jobs and learned to protect herself. She was never called out or verbally abused like that again.
It's obvious that this leader is using work as an excuse to vent his emotions.
She has always disliked people like that.
The colleague next door meant well, and Liang Shi's behavior was somewhat problematic since it was his first day there.
In a moment of panic, not knowing who to ask for leave from, I simply slipped out, thinking I could make it back before work hours.
So she took a deep breath and held back.
Unexpectedly, the editor-in-chief said, "I just asked you what your opinion is on this issue of the magazine. Are you deaf? Can't you hear my question? If this is your work attitude, then get out of here as soon as possible. Our magazine department does not keep useless people."
Liang Shi: "..."
Her eyes were fixed on the editor-in-chief, a woman in her early forties with slicked-back hair, thin lips, but a vicious tongue.
"What? You're not convinced?" The editor-in-chief scoffed. "I thought you were so capable, getting into Dongheng with a fake degree, and this is all you've got? You don't know anything. What's wrong with me saying a few words to you? If you don't know, then study properly instead of skipping work on the first day."
“First of all,” Liang Shi couldn’t help but speak. She was taller than everyone else present. Her gaze swept over everyone indifferently, and her voice was also indifferent, but it naturally carried the aura of a superior. “I apologize for leaving without asking for leave today. I just arrived and I didn’t have this awareness. It was my fault.”
"Secondly, apart from that point, I don't think I have any problems. Regardless of my educational background, as long as I've joined Dongheng and this department, it must mean I have some outstanding qualities. As a leader, shouldn't you be looking for new employees' strengths to utilize for your department? I can communicate in foreign languages, use Photoshop, and conduct interviews, including writing interview transcripts and helping with photography. You didn't ask me anything and directly dismissed me based on my educational background. Isn't that too short-sighted?"
The group exchanged glances privately, and all of them trembled with fear.
The look in everyone's eyes conveyed the same message—was this the newcomer really going up against the editor-in-chief?
Actually, everyone felt that the editor-in-chief was a bit of a hothead.
This newcomer, parachuted in, must be someone with connections. Why not just give her a workstation and some easy tasks?
It's not a big deal to raise pets casually, so why make a big deal out of it and criticize them, or even target them specifically? That's really low.
You never know when you might run into a brick wall.
However, those who know the inside story can understand. The editor-in-chief's previous magazine had a new editor-in-chief who was parachuted in, directly squeezing her out to become the deputy editor-in-chief. Therefore, after she switched to Dongheng, she especially hated people with connections and parachuted-in personnel.
In addition, at this critical juncture, she had been restless for days and just needed an outlet.
The newcomer just walked right into the gun.
It remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.
Upon hearing this, the editor-in-chief's eyes widened immediately. "I'm short-sighted? I've been running a magazine for so many years, and my judgment of people has always been accurate. Do I need a newcomer like you to teach me how to do things?"
"Then why haven't you decided on a topic yet?" Liang Shi asked lightly.
Her expression remained calm throughout, her gaze towards the editor-in-chief carrying a hint of coldness, but without any strong aggression. Even so, it was enough to convey her imposing presence. "As the editor-in-chief, shouldn't your responsibility be to coordinate? As far as I know, the planning department provided you with five topics, and you rejected each one. But the reasons you gave were always the same: unoriginal, already done, or not good. But you didn't explain why they weren't good. You just demanded that everyone keep changing and replacing them. You couldn't even offer a direction for adjustment. Are you sure you've thought about it seriously? Have you respected the creativity of your colleagues in the planning department? With your demands, you might not even be able to finalize the topics before the magazine goes to the factory, and the magazine will definitely be blank."
Everyone present gasped in shock.
They all looked at Liang Shi with admiration, their eyes filled with only two words—warrior.
They finally said what they hadn't dared to say these past few days!
"What nonsense are you spouting!" the editor-in-chief exclaimed, her voice trembling with emotion. "If you're so capable, why don't you decide on the topics?! The topics they've come up with are awful; they completely lack professionalism. At this rate, the magazine will inevitably go blank sooner or later, but what does that have to do with me? You bunch of incompetent people! The planning department can't come up with any topics, the editorial department's articles are a mess, and even with Dongheng's backing, the advertising department can't get any ads that align with our magazine's philosophy. A magazine like this is bound to run into problems sooner or later because the staff is incompetent!"
My colleagues' expressions all changed.
This is practically insulting everyone to their faces.
But because of Dongheng's reputation and the high wages here, no one dared to speak up.
Anyone who speaks up at this time will be the first to stick their neck out and will definitely be fired.
So everyone could only turn their attention to Liang Shi, to see if this newcomer dared to continue his confrontational style.
Liang Shi laughed when he heard her words.
The editor-in-chief snapped, "What are you laughing at?"
Liang Shi remained calm, "I'm laughing at you."
Editor-in-Chief: "..."
In such a tense atmosphere, someone accidentally laughed.
Several other people then caught on to Liang Shi's lame joke and covered their mouths, chuckling softly.
The editor-in-chief's sharp gaze swept over them, and they all fell silent.
Liang Shi said, "Do you know what your current behavior resembles?"
She said, enunciating each word clearly: "Impotent rage."
"You pushed all the blame onto your subordinates, thinking you were the most innocent one, but you were the one who rejected all the proposals. You're not even the target audience for this magazine, yet you're making arbitrary evaluations based on your own perspective. How can you possibly choose suitable topics like that? In fact, you're simply incapable of doing a good job with this magazine. I think the person who should leave the magazine department the most is you." Liang Shi smiled, a hint of charm in his eyes.
"You!" the editor-in-chief exclaimed angrily, "You're a newcomer..."
Before he could finish speaking, Liang Shi interrupted him, "Yes, I'm a newcomer, but I know that those in positions of authority should be open to diverse opinions, listen and observe more, and respect the work of others. If you were truly a capable leader, even if your subordinates submit a pile of garbage, you could make that garbage shine again, instead of suppressing your subordinates and trying to elevate yourself by attacking others. Do you deserve to be a leader? What are your abilities? To scold people? Or to vent your anger on newcomers?"
She asked the question calmly, but the editor-in-chief's expression changed because of her words, and he glared at her through gritted teeth.
"I've worked in this industry for nearly twenty years. Do I need a novice like you to give me pointers? Do you even know anything about magazines? Do you know how to make a magazine?"
"In 1867, the United States published its first fashion magazine, *Happers Bazaar*, the world's earliest women's fashion magazine. Initially, it focused on clothing, but later gradually expanded to include beauty, leisure, jewelry, and other fields. In 1980, mainland China published its first fashion magazine, *Fashion*. By the 21st century, print media had reached its golden age. However, with the advancement of technology, print media went from its rise to its decline in less than thirty years. Now, many print media outlets have closed down, and we have entered the era of new media. The circulation of electronic magazines is much higher than that of print media. So why are you still sticking to the old ways? Do you think that making a magazine is just about having ideals?" Liang Shi said without any emotion, while posing the question to her.
She didn't know much about magazines before, but because she was in that industry, she was involved in some aspects of it.
Before starting work at Dongheng, she deliberately researched the magazine's history and current predicament, and did some research herself.
At this point, he took the opportunity to share his thoughts.
"Haiwei Jewelry was able to launch its own publication in a short period of time and become a top-notch magazine in the industry. Do you think their editor-in-chief, like you, constantly suppressed his subordinates and made them work overtime every day to revise the topics, thus reaching the top of the industry?" Liang Shi continued to ask.
"Yes, perhaps you were a very good magazine editor before, but times have changed. You need traffic, readership, sales, and the ideals of a magazine editor. Shouldn't you balance these things yourself? If you can't balance them well, and your subordinates have to do everything, then what's the point of having you as the editor-in-chief? Is it just so you can take the money and yell at people? Is this the kind of work environment at Dongheng?"
Her series of rhetorical questions left the editor-in-chief completely bewildered.
This floor is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.