Financial Workplace Survival Guide – CH 002

Chapter 2 ☆, The Workplace is Like a Battlefield: All’s Fair.

Overall, Zhao Xi treated Xin Xin well.

She also came at a good time. As the saying goes, you earn more money in a bull market, and you leave work early in a bear market. Zhao Xi arrived during the height of the national stock and fund boom.

No matter which department, everyone was making a killing.

Soon, Xin Xin achieved her first small goal. Regarding the salary increase, it wasn’t impossible for her to get two or three levels more. She worked hard, had some luck, and had Zhao Xi’s support. Overall, the past few years had been incredibly smooth.

Xin Xin lay in bed late at night, reminiscing about the past few years and watching her savings fluctuate. After the police arrived, she couldn’t sleep at all, her head buzzing and waves of dizziness forming.

She looked at the message: “Prepare two reports; the audit will be checking.”

After weighing her savings against her salary, Xin Xin finally got up and turned on her computer.

She sat up in shock, nearly dying. It was a work message.

This wasn’t the first or second time. The year before, when she was working on a project for Zhao Xi, she’d been busy from dawn until dawn, barely seeing the sun. She was always busy visiting clients and working on projects, exhausting herself and achieving remarkable results.

Xin Xin’s efforts had successfully brought Zhao Xi back to headquarters and landed her a higher position. Speaking of which, she was happy until Fu Meng suddenly arrived and became her immediate supervisor.

Thinking back, before she turned 25, she was incredibly content. When she received her first generous year-end bonus, her mouth opened wide enough to fit an egg.

Zhao Xi found her expression amusing. “What are you planning to buy? I see young girls buying bags when they get their year-end bonuses.”

Xin Xin was very cautious. She only bought necessities with her year-end bonus and invested the rest. She invested in savings, funds, and stocks, adhering to a conservative approach: a little more, not too much, a little less.

Zhao Xi gave Xin Xin a very accurate and objective assessment: “Solid and stable, never making mistakes, but unlikely to achieve significant success.”

By then, Xin Xin had already been with Zhao Xi for a year and was very familiar with his style. He was a man of great sophistication, gentle and approachable, always speaking with affection, and very good at making the best use of people.

Strangely enough, he was always honest with Xin Xin, almost to the point of being harsh.

But Xin Xin knew what he said was true. Although she wasn’t convinced, she couldn’t refute it.

Very different from her was Mary. When Xin Xin first graduated, she got along well with Mary, but there was always a sense of disapproval.

Xin Xin’s core belief was that you had to rely on yourself for everything and that life was all about work and effort. But for Mary, finding a good partner to marry was her lifelong pursuit. Work and love were both part of life; work was valuable, but love was even more precious.

This fundamental difference kept their relationship, while always harmonious, superficial.

The turning point came when Mary was in trouble and Xin Xin stepped forward to help her.

That year, Mary spent all her year-end bonus, even borrowing money, investing heavily in new stocks, and investing all her money in the stock market.

They both made money that year, and Mary’s assets almost increased tenfold overnight. While Xin Xin also did well, she lost money due to conservative investments and naturally didn’t achieve the same success as Mary.

However, Mary’s success in the capital market didn’t extend to her love life.

One day, just after work, an older woman rushed up to Mary, tore at her hair, and slapped her several times, hurling curses that were unbearable to hear.

Onlookers were horrified, while those who watched the spectacle were amazed.

Xin Xin was quick-witted and rushed over, stopping the intruder.

“Let’s talk things over. A gentleman uses words, not fists.”

The woman, acting aggressively, turned and slapped Xin Xin. “Little vixen,” she called her, “little bitch.”

The drama finally came to an end after mediation by various parties.

Mary flaunted her alluring figure and pretty face, and some people had long been dissatisfied with her, eager to give her a good beating. Rumors spread like wildfire.

It was said that Mary had been a mistress, using their shared assets to buy stocks, and now that she was being sued, she had to pay three times the amount back as compensation. Some even described Mary’s nighttime prostitution sessions in vivid detail, as if they had witnessed them themselves.

In Xin Xin’s view, Mary’s romantic life had made it inevitable that she would be embroiled in a relationship dispute. While the crime wasn’t punishable by death, assault was unacceptable.

Mary, however, was more cautious with Xin Xin. She asked her seriously, “Do you believe me? I didn’t know he was married.”

Xin Xin saw her look rather pitiful and exhausted, a ring mark left on her finger, which had once been adorned with a large diamond ring. She couldn’t help but feel pity.

“I do. I always thought you would get married.”

These words touched a nerve in Mary. The impulsive and heartless girl suddenly burst into tears. “I really love him. He gave me money and said we were going to buy a house for our wedding. I calculated and added some myself. If the market is good, we can almost pay for it. I didn’t expect he actually had a wife.”

Not all men have the potential to be covert agents, but women tend to lie to themselves.

When she wasn’t sober, Mary would make excuses for her partner. When he couldn’t be with her, she’d tell herself he was just busy with work and generous with his money. When he was hiding things, she’d tell herself that even love needed boundaries. She even had to reflect on herself from time to time, wondering if she was too possessive or demanding.

Xin Xin was secretly horrified. Even a seasoned lover like Mary had her moments of misstep.

But Mary cried, but after a few days, she wiped away her tears and held her head high to make a comeback.

“What’s there to be afraid of? I’ll return all his money, plus an 8% annual interest. I’ll even make seven or eight times the net profit, so at least I didn’t lose any money.”

After this incident, Xin Xin and Mary’s relationship made significant progress. Mary felt that Xin Xin was neither jealous nor overthinking. In crucial moments, she stood firm on her principles and was willing to step up to help. She was a rare friend.

Xin Xin, having previously dismissed Mary as a mere flirt, now felt she was someone who dared to love and hate, who could take things as they came, and who had a clear mind.

At that time, Xin Xin never imagined that Mary would one day become her savior. By the time Xin Xin received Fu Meng’s text at 8 a.m., she had already developed a fever. She was known for her exceptionally stable emotions. Over the years, no matter how bizarre the situations or unfair the treatment she encountered at work, she had never lost her composure.

But this time, after Zhao Xi’s backstabbing and then learning that Mary was getting married and about to resign, coupled with a fever of 39°C, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of Fu Meng’s attacks becoming all the more unbearable.

Who could have known the cost of an adult’s breakdown would be so high? A single scream and uncontrollable sobbing prompted a kind neighbor to call the police.

As dawn approached, Xin Xin stared blankly at the two-line report she had written. Her vision grew blurry, and everything, both good and bad, flooded into her mind.

She rolled her eyes and suddenly lost consciousness.

When she regained consciousness, she saw Mary, her eyes red. “Oh my god, you scared me to death.”

Xin Xin sat up dazed from the bed. Mary held her down, like a spectator in a meeting. “Lie down. I told Fu Meng this morning that you almost died. The last text on your phone was from her urging you to work.”

Even now, Xin Xin was still preoccupied with her financial report.

“Has the audit team been assigned yet?”

Mary rolled her eyes. “She lied to you about it. It wasn’t even part of your job description. She picked on you. Have you been happy all these years? You worked like a slave for Zhao Xi. He used you when he needed a springboard, and when he didn’t, he brought his ex-girlfriend in to be your immediate supervisor. You did all the work for the entire department. Now Fu Meng is here to squeeze you. Who will speak up for you?”

These things were all true. A closer look revealed far more blood and tears.

Xin Xin lay down again. Mary’s complaints suddenly stopped, her tone softening. “Don’t cry, don’t worry. I’ve asked for a long vacation for you. Fu Meng couldn’t disapprove. Your fainting was really dangerous this time, and she’s scared too.”

Xin Xin didn’t know what she was afraid of. She suddenly remembered the speeches she’d heard from senior leaders right after graduation and her ex-boyfriend’s classic line about young people not thinking about the weekend.

Habits were truly terrible. After a long period of compulsive busyness, you’d feel a deep sense of emptiness when you were idle.

At this point, Xin Xin had to consider her future.

The results of her hospitalization tests were already by her bedside. Aside from the absence of any particularly serious organic lesions, her indicators were practically normal. She had anemia, hypoglycemia, and low blood pressure, and her hormone levels were both high and low.

There weren’t any major issues, but there were plenty of minor ones. The toll of overworking herself in her youth was already beginning to show.

Her limited IQ and EQ had also made her realize that further advancement was unlikely.

She still remembered the promise Zhao Xi had made her: “After this project is finished, I might have to leave. Go to the Risk Department. I’ve already mentioned this. If I leave, you can get promoted by the end of the year, unless something unexpected happens.”

Xin Xin didn’t believe Zhao Xi was simply trying to trick her into working for him. Zhao Xi was extremely capable, and they had clearly benefited from his tenure.

But the fact that Zhao Xi was using her as a bargaining chip on crucial matters was truly chilling.

Even more unacceptable was that he’d successfully gotten his ex-girlfriend out of headquarters, while also making her believe their breakup was caused by a third party.

Unfortunately, at least in Fu Meng’s eyes, that person was Xin Xin.

Today, having witnessed Zhao Xi’s abilities, Xin Xin had gained a profound understanding of what it meant to be cunning and scheming.

She aimlessly opened her phone, her WeChat chat still lingering on her conversation with Fu Meng. Opening her Moments, she could still see Zhao Xi boasting about his appointment.

Men were truly the most venomous!

Workplace dramas often featured women taunting each other, while male characters were often portrayed as resolute and magnanimous. But once you actually started working and saw their true colors, you’d realize how men can be hundreds of times more vicious than women.