Chapter 2

Little Situ called us both into his office. After hearing the full story, he sipped his tea in silence before telling us to sit down.

He criticized me first. “Old Qiang, no matter what, we’re all colleagues. Anything can be discussed calmly. Getting physical was wrong of you.”

I nodded quickly, admitting my mistake. “Right, right, right. I was too impulsive.”

Then I stood up and bowed to Lu Cheng. “Xiao Lu, my brain just short-circuited. Don’t take it to heart. Did I hurt you? Do you need to go to the hospital? You’re the bigger man here—don’t lower yourself to the level of an idiot like me.”

This was something I learned from Old Jin. He once gave me four maxims over drinks: Never look for true love in a brothel, never sacrifice yourself for a slogan, play dumb in front of the boss, and muddy the waters whenever trouble strikes. Sometimes you have to play the fool and act like a grandson so you can be their grandfather later.

Lu Cheng was caught off guard by my sudden 180-degree turn, but he recovered quickly. He stood up with a smile and grabbed my hand. “Don’t say that, Qiang-ge. Even blood brothers have their scraps. I was in the wrong today too. Let’s just put this behind us. We’ll grab some drinks in a few days.”

This kid Lu Cheng might be young, but he wasn’t green at all. If he had been stubborn or complained to Little Situ just now, Little Situ probably wouldn’t have seen him as a real player. This ability to bend and stretch would actually earn him Little Situ’s respect.

Sure enough, Little Situ praised him. “Xiao Lu, you’ve got the makings of someone who does big things. You’re magnanimous. But today was partly your fault too. Old Qiang needed help from your department for the company’s sake. You shouldn’t have been so petty. You need to see the big picture.”

Lu Cheng nodded repeatedly, promising to change.

And so, after giving us both a talking-to, I was ordered to write a self-criticism and pay Lu Cheng three thousand yuan in medical expenses. Lu Cheng was very savvy and pleaded on my behalf, saying the money wasn’t necessary since we were colleagues and money would ruin the relationship. I thought to myself, this kid is a tough opponent. He didn’t want my money, but he still wanted me to post that self-criticism on the company door to get his dignity back. This way, we could keep fighting.

Little Situ nodded and told us to get back to work.

Before closing the door, I saw Little Situ standing thoughtfully under a piece of calligraphy. It was written by Old Situ: “Raising men is like feeding hawks: satiated, they fly away; starving, they devour their master.”

The handwriting was wild and bold, full of power. I couldn’t help but feel a chill in my heart.

Perhaps in the eyes of the bosses, we subordinates are nothing more than feathered beasts. The more we fight each other to the death, the happier they probably are.