Summer #21

Don't Turn from Summer (莫负寒夏) by Ding Mo (丁墨)

Chapter 21

While waiting for the food, Lin Mochen picks up a finance magazine from the shelf nearby and starts to read. Mu Hanxia thinks to herself: this guy, although very cruel, is very diligent.

She searches the words, takes a tiny sip of the tea, and asks, “Chief Lin, I’d like to know, why would you want me to join your company?”

Lin Mochen looks up and gazes into her clear eyes.

He has been called “Chief Lin” by numerous people, but when it comes out from her mouth, it just doesn’t feel right. He looks at her unusually compliant attitude, and thinks it must be because she calls him without much sincerity.

“Call me Jason.” He says flatly.

“Oh... Jason.”

Why ask her to join his company? This morning the HR director went into his office and asked the same question.

“Jason, you always have high standards regarding employment. You said that you don’t want anyone who’s not from a prestigious institution, because you don’t have the extra energy to discover talents among those with lower educational backgrounds. But now, you bring back a high school graduate. Isn’t this drop way too big?”

The HR director is one of those who started up with him, and he values her very much. What did he say in reply?

“The educational background of Mu Hanxia is really no good. But this person, if she follows me and is used right, she may be the sharpest dagger in the business field.”

The HR director said no more. After a moment, she nods, “OK, I see. I will take good care of her.”

...

At these thoughts, Lin Mochen glances at Mu Hanxia and smiles, “When the boss does the hiring, does he have to explain the reasons to you?”

Mu Hanxia suddenly doesn’t want to speak with this guy any more.

The dishes are brought on table one after another, all very tempting. Mu Hanxia immediately forgets about the unpleasantness and, without feeling any awkwardness, she tastes each dish and then asks, “What’s this made of?” “What kind of mushroom is this?” “This is delicious. How’s it cooked?”

What good food hasn’t Lin Mochen tasted? But today he actually gets the interest to explain everything for her. He always has a poor appetite, but today while talking with her, he actually swallows down two small bowls of rice. 

The lunch is done and there are fewer people around, the restaurant quiets down a lot. Lin Mochen drinks his tea slowly, watching Mu Hanxia put down her chopsticks with satisfaction.

“Can I ask you another question?” She says.

“Go ahead.”

“Why do you choose to start from the apparel industry after you came back from abroad?”

Lin Mochen puts down the cup and rests his arms lightly on the back of a nearby chair. After a glance at each other in the eye, he takes an empty glass from nearby and puts it between them.

Mu Hanxia doesn’t know what that’s supposed to mean.

“Any industry has its own budding period, fast growing period, steady period, declining period and, in the end, death or reformation. They go on and on in cycles.” He says.

Mu Hanxia stares at him, nodding. Nobody has ever discussed something as high as ‘an industry’ with her, so subconsciously she listens very attentively.

“During the last ten years, the apparel industry in China experienced a fast growing period.” He takes up the tea pot and pours into the empty glass until it’s full.

Mu Hanxia agrees silently. In her mind she sees all those apparel stores opened all over the streets these years. Many brands pop out as the mushrooms after the rain.

“The best time usually is also the worst time.” He looks at her coolly, “During the last few years, almost everyone who entered the industry could make a profit. However, quality, service, character and all varies. It can even be said that most were of inferior quality -- many were OEMs, backward in management and services, or establishing their brands merely by advertisement.”

“Seems that’s the case.” She says.

He clicks the rim of the filled glass lightly with his figure: “Now, the growth has stopped.”

“Hmm.” True. Even though there are still a lot of apparel stores, few brands are expanding their business and opening new stores. The market is saturated.

He leans back slowly and says smilingly, “The commerce in China is developing rapidly. The purchase capability and customer demand are constantly increasing. They do not buy the inferior goods as before. At the same time, the apparel industry is affected by e-business. So, after the stop, there will be recession. Do you believe that in a few years most of the apparel companies that are prospering right now will suffer dramatic decline in their performance and close up many of their stores and face death in the end?”

Mu Hanxia is stunned inwardly. Many will die? Such a cruel prediction from him sounds hard to believe. But her instinct tells her, what he said most likely will turn into reality.

“Didn’t you teach yourself to study the curves?” Lin Mochen says, “Everyone dies, only profit is permanent. If the current brands are knocked out the market, there must be a huge room of demand and profit. This enormous new profit, will be whose?”

Mu Hanxia stares at him in silence.

He reaches over for her chopsticks, picks up two brightly orange carrot strips with them, and dumps them into the glass, “The new comers that are superior in quality and distinct in styles will quickly grab the chunk of profit. For the current brands, they may be in the worst time. But for the better starting up companies, this is their best time. This is why I choose this time to enter the apparel industry in China.”

It is quiet around them. Lin Mochen picks up the cup again and drinks slowly. Mu Hanxia gazes at his slender fingers around the cup, the slightly open shirt collar, and the dark hair by his ear, and feels the quiet turbulence in her heart caused by his words. She feels some kind of vague excitement from the depth of her heart, triggered by his words.

Lin Mochen glances at her and smiles, as if having read her thoughts and feeling at the moment.

--------

The sun is setting, Mu Hanxia walks toward the bus stop in the rosy light. The office building that holds Feng Chen is like a silver giant standing among the many skyscrapers behind her.

The phone rings and she picks up, “Hi, girl.”

The chattering voice of He Jing comes through the line, as if with the unique rough urban flavor of Jiang Cheng, “Wow, looks like you’re in a good mood. Where are you enjoying yourself?”

Mu Hanxia answers, “I’m in Beijing.”

“What are you doing in Beijing?”

“Work. I work at Lin Mochen’s company.”

He Jing is quiet for a few seconds before she starts, “I really don’t understand you guys. You trick him and he tricks you. Then you guys get together. Poof, whatever. I don’t care about those business stuff anyway. But Xia, you don’t seem to be someone who forgives easily. Could it be that... You’ve grown fondness out of hatred, and fall for him? You have a Masochism inclination?”

Mu Hanxia chuckles, retorting, “How can that be possible? It’s just that the job opportunity is really good and I don’t hold grudges.”

“Oh... he asked you to go?”

 Mu Hanxia’s heart seems to have skipped a beat, “Hmm.”

He Jing says, “He has a crash on you right? Really, last time he sent your cellphone over, I had the feeling that he looked at you in a peculiar way.”

Mu Hanxia pauses at her words, and then says, “How can that be possible? It’s impossible for him to be fond of me.”

--------

Immediately after he came back to China last year, Lin Mochen bought a condo unit, because he doesn’t like to live in others’ home.

The home is very close to International Trade Center, with only 5 minutes’ walk. A three-bedroom unit on some thirtieth floor, with a bird’s view of almost half of Beijing City. He is sociable but isn’t enthusiast about socialization or entertainment. If there’s no business obligations after work, his life is very simple: having dinner at the western food restaurant downstairs, going home, taking a shower, and then watching news or working on unfinished tasks. Occasionally he watches a video.

Today when he gets home, he doesn’t want to work. Instead he sits in the couch and gazes at the sparkling lights outside the window, seeing Mu Hanxia in his mind.

He seldom thought about her after they parted in Jiang Cheng. Even if he did occasionally think of her, he would quickly put her aside. But feelings are something mysterious. When she comes back before him, he thinks of her quite frequently these two days. He thinks of her standing in his office looking at him steadily but vulnerably; he thinks of her smiling to every colleague; he also thinks of her bright eyes at lunch today. Just now he was lost in his thoughts while staring at some light out there, only to recall the blush in her face today.

Lin Mochen thinks and thinks, and then smiles wryly. He gets up to turn off the light and lies down in bed.