【Serial】Design Story 61 – Dining

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(61) Dining: Ye Wenhui took Qin Rui to a nearby barbecue restaurant. Before entering, he secretly sent a text message to Liu Shuang, stating roughly that a client had come for discussions; after working for most of the day and as it was getting dark, it was only proper to show hospitality by requesting some funds for entertainment expenses. Such things are common in design institutes, and the cost is not high either, so Liu Shuang naturally had no objections. The meal continued until dark. Ye Wenhui had been working overtime for so many days and hadn’t had a proper meal in ages; so when he arrived at the buffet, he didn’t hesitate to eat whatever was available. In no time, he finished several plates of grilled meat. His eating style made Qin Rui laugh heartily, as he lost all trace of his usual grace and elegance. Qin Rui ate very little; he was busy helping Ye Wenhui grill meat the whole night and didn’t have a moment to rest. Although he spoke little, it didn’t lead to any awkward silences. Halfway through eating, Qin Rui suddenly realized and said, \"I get it now, Engineer Ye. You’re using your position for personal gain – you’re eating and drinking lavishly under the pretext of entertaining the property owners.\" ” At this point, Ye Wenhui’s audacity had truly increased; after being exposed, he became even more enthusiastic. While eating, he said to Qin Rui, “Haha… I’m reaping the benefits of your presence. It’s lucky you came today; otherwise I would have had to go back to the dormitory and eat pickled vegetables and steamed buns. You have no idea how tired I’ve been these past few days – finally, I can relax a bit.” ” Engineer Qin curled his lips and laughed heartily, \"Giggle... eating pickled vegetable steamed buns? Don’t make it sound so bad. Once this rush is over, Engineer Liu won’t treat you poorly.\" ” Ye Wenhui gave no response to Engineer Qin’s words. “I’ve just started working; I can’t expect much else. As long as nothing goes wrong, that’s fine.” ” “Giggle... You’re quite honest. I’m older than you, and I’ve been working with your company for several years now; so let me say something based on my experience. When I first started working, I was just like you – I wanted to improve my professional skills. But after a few years, one becomes realistic: if there’s no proper compensation, one isn’t willing to continue doing that job, whether it’s a technical role or a management position. To put it simply, we’re all just workers; most of the jobs we do are temporary, and they don’t become our own businesses. ” “Oh! It seems to be the case; have we worked for nothing? ”Hearing Qin Rui say these things, Ye Wenhui, holding a piece of meat in his hand, also stopped talking for the time being. “Not really; the company still pays salaries, right? ” “Yes, the company did give... some salary. ”Thinking about the small amount of money on his card over those months, Ye Wenhui felt a sense of guilt, sensing that Qin Rui was about to say something groundbreaking. “Ah! ”Qin Rui sighed. “Sis Qin, is there something on your mind? ”Seeing this, Ye Wenhui quickly resorted to his proven effective talking technique. Qin Rui glanced at the young man in front of him; it seemed he realized he had said too much. He shook his head and said, “I was just talking nonsense. Just ignore what I said; don’t overthink it.” ” “Hurry and tell me, Sister Qin – I’m truly here to learn. ” “Giggle... stop joking around, am I that old? ” “Immortality! You are in your youth, at the prime of your life. ” “Giggle... that’s much better. ”Qin Rui laughed without restraint, and the atmosphere, which had been a bit heavy just moments earlier, became lively again. “It’s actually quite old already; I’m 27 years old, and before long I’ll be 30. How old are you this year? ” “Twenty-five. ” “It’s not small either. ” “I think it’s okay. ” “Have you thought about what you want to do in the future? ” This question caught Ye Wenhui off guard. Having just graduated, he did have some ideas regarding his career path, but those ideas were more like fantasies than proper plans. It was only when he thought about it carefully that he realized he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do in the future. “Is it a bit early for this question? I also can’t figure out what to do in the future. ” “You must have some ideas; go ahead and share them. ” “If we continue to work in this way, I’m talking about those who work in chemical engineering design, then they should learn more, take on more projects, and improve their skills. Once they become more skilled, they can take on the role of project leader. With a bit of luck, they can even become experts and attend various project review meetings, thereby earning more money. ” “Then retire, and get hired again? ” “Yes, work until retirement, then get rehired, and that’s the end of it. ” “Giggle... You’re being honest; it’s true. That’s how most career paths in chemical engineering work. But have you ever thought about where you will be in that process? ” “Me? I’ve been working the whole time; I haven’t gone anywhere. ” “By the way! ”Hearing Ye Wenhui’s words, Qin Rui clapped his hands. “That’s the key point. From starting school to graduating, then going to work, moving from an employee to a supervisor and eventually to a manager, it seems like everything happens naturally, as if we’re just doing what’s expected of us. But have you ever thought about it?” Are the so-called right things we do the things we want to do? Is our life the life we want? Is who we think we are really who we are? ” Faced with Qin Rui’s three questions, Ye Wenhui fell into deep thought; he was caught in a confusion like he had never experienced before. From birth, through elementary school, middle school, college, and graduate studies, to now working, he had always strived to avoid making mistakes and to do what adults said one should do, aspiring to become the kind of person that adults consider ideal. He had always been seen by adults as a good student and a good child. Up to now, it seems I have also become an “adult.” Before me lies a path that has been laid out by those who are older, and a role that the larger population expects me to play. But is this really what I want? Is what I am doing really something I want to do? Will the person I will become in the near future be the person I want to become? He hadn’t thought about it himself, nor could he figure it out. He felt like it was yes, yet at the same time it seemed there was something wrong. What’s more frightening is that he seemed not to know what he actually wanted Questions he had never considered before caused great panic in Ye Wenhui’s mind. He thought with concern about the 25 years of his life that had already passed; if all of this wasn’t what he wanted, then where was he really meant to be? If this really isn’t what one wants, then for whom has one lived all these years? For whom will I live in all these years to come? Is it really necessary to go with the flow like this? Right, are there any other possibilities? Thinking of this, Ye Wenhui felt his mouth go dry; he didn’t know what to say in response. “I… I don’t know. I still can’t figure out what the differences are…” “Sigh!” Actually, I’m not sure either; it seems like everything is more or less plausible. ” “Yeah, it seems plausible. ” Both of them fell silent, lost in their own thoughts, idly fiddling with something in their hands. However, Ye Wenhui no longer had the appetite he had before. After a while, it was still Qin Rui who broke the silence. “Giggle… I told you not to overthink things. Look, you’ve lost your appetite, haven’t you?” ” “It’s good; I have a decent appetite. I really benefited from this meal – I ate my fill, haha… I didn’t expect such a beautiful woman to be so insightful. ”When the word \"depth\" came up, Ye Wenhui grew somewhat mischievous; he blushed and glanced secretly at Qin Rui. Fortunately, she didn’t show any unusual reaction. “I’m full, so what am I waiting for? Hurry up and go pay the bill – I have to go to work tomorrow. ” After settling the bill, they went home separately. After nightfall, the world in Ye Wenhui’s eyes seemed to have changed.