"Good evening, Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu..."
"Hello, boss and boss's wife..."
...
From the moment they entered, the greetings never stopped.
Nian Suian could only do her best to maintain her composure, nodding and smiling at everyone.
Finally catching a brief moment of respite, Nian Suian whispered to Gu Junxing, "I'm starting to regret this. Can I go home?" What was the point of having good food if she couldn't even eat it properly? She still had to maintain some dignity.
Gu Junxing knew she was uncomfortable and had already made arrangements. He patted her hand reassuringly and said, "It's alright, it'll be better once we sit down. When the performances start, no one will bother you. We'll sit at a table by ourselves, and no one will notice you eating."
"Junxing, Mrs. Gu."
"Old Yang, didn't I tell you to rest at home?"
After asking this, Gu Junxing introduced him to Nian Suian, "This is the company's vice president, Yang Jianan."
Nian Suian noticed he was in a wheelchair and understood. This must be the vice president Gu Junxing had mentioned earlier, who broke his leg while skiing over the weekend.
"Old Yang, this is the company's major shareholder and my wife, Nian Suian."
Yang Jianan extended his hand, "I've heard so much about you, Ms. Nian. Junxing often speaks of you."
Nian Suian shook his hand, "Hello, Mr. Yang."
After they exchanged greetings, Yang Jianan said to Gu Junxing, "You told me to rest at home, but I just couldn't stay put. You know me, I love being where the action is. How could I miss an event like this?" With that, he wheeled himself into the crowd without waiting for a response.
Gu Junxing shook his head and explained to Nian Suian, "This guy loves being in the thick of things. He'd stop to watch even if it was just two dogs fighting on the street. Don't mind him, let's go."
Gu Junxing led Nian Suian to a round table in the center of the hall.
Gu Junxing was right; most of the other tables were full, but theirs was empty except for them.
"It's your company's party, why is there KFC here?" Nian Suian was bewildered by the fried chicken and egg tarts on the table.
"It's all voted for by the employees. There will be more food later for the party."
Like duck necks, edamame... of course, there were also more expensive items like Wagyu beef and abalone, creating an eclectic mix.
Gu Junxing didn't understand it, but he respected the choices.
He handed an egg tart to Nian Suian, "Eat this first, egg tarts aren't good when they're cold."
Nian Suian took the egg tart and looked around.
Many people were chatting animatedly while holding fried chicken legs. She relaxed, realizing it wasn't a formal banquet after all.
"Later, there will be performances by different teams."
When the performances began, the lights in the audience dimmed, focusing only on the stage.
Fried chicken, munch munch munch
Milk tea, sip sip sip
Duck necks, nibble nibble nibble
If not now, when?
The company party truly brought out some hidden talents. Singing, dancing, and playing instruments were common, but Nian Suian watched in amazement as a small, thin girl broke three bricks with her bare hands.
"Your company's employees are really full of surprises!"
"I had no idea they had such skills either." Gu Junxing's mouth twitched... He hadn't really been involved in the details of this party, and now it seemed things had gotten a bit out of hand.
In the darkness, Nian Suian ate while pushing plates full of bones towards Gu Junxing.
When the lights came back on...
The company employees: So the boss likes fried chicken!
"I'm going to the restroom," Nian Suian said. She had drunk too much milk tea...
"Do you know where it is?"
Nian Suian nodded, "I saw it when we came in."
Question: What cliché drama often happens in restrooms?
Answer: Of course, it's overhearing people gossiping behind someone's back, or hearing others talking about you.
This has been portrayed in many TV shows and movies, warning people not to discuss others in restrooms.
But the phenomenon persists.
For instance, right now...
Nian Suian had just finished adjusting her pants and was about to open the door when she heard two people talking.
The atmosphere was set; how could she not listen?
So Nian Suian paused, silently listening to the two people outside.
A: "Did you see the boss's wife today?"
B: "Yes, she's quite pretty."
Nian Suian: *nods silently*
A: "Didn't some people in the company like our boss? I guess they'll give up now?"
Nian Suian: *mental popcorn eating gif*
B: "Your information is outdated. She stopped liking him long ago."
A: "How do you know?"
B: "She said so herself. She said she revised a project proposal six times, and her direct supervisor approved it, but the boss still said it wasn't good enough. Last time we had dinner, she said she felt like stabbing the boss and then hanging herself with her six versions of the proposal at the company's entrance."
A: "..."
Nian Suian: ...
Nian Suian stayed in the stall until it was completely quiet outside before coming out.
"Are the performances over?" Nian Suian saw all the lights were on.
"Yes, it's almost time for the lucky draw."
"Okay, I was in the bathroom for a while." As she said this, Nian Suian couldn't help but glance at Gu Junxing.
She wanted to laugh...
"What's wrong?" Gu Junxing noticed Nian Suian's odd expression.
"Nothing, just... be careful at work in the future."
...
Nian Suian had been wondering what she'd do if she won a prize, but it turned out she wasn't even in the running.
The first and second prizes were one thing, but there were loads of third prizes, and still nothing for her.
"What's going on? Did they not put my number in?"
Each seat had a number, and the host drew corresponding numbers from a box to determine the winners.
"They did, really."
Just as Gu Junxing finished speaking, the host's voice rang out:
"Now, we're about to draw for the final prize of the night: spending New Year's Eve with President Gu!"
As soon as the host finished, the audience erupted in cheers and whistles.
Someone joked, "Does the winner have to work overtime with President Gu at the company until tomorrow?"
Nian Suian also looked at Gu Junxing in surprise.
"Let's congratulate our final winner—
Number 18! Who has number 18?"
Nian Suian suddenly looked up. Well, well, it was a rigged draw after all!
By now, some employees had spotted the number on the back of Nian Suian's chair.
Someone quipped, "Number 18 is the boss's wife! Are you sure this wasn't fixed?"
"Can you call it rigging when it's between husband and wife?"
"I guess the boss definitely can't work overtime now!"
The air was suddenly filled with a lively atmosphere.
"This is way too obvious!" Nian Suian complained. Wasn't this blatant "cheating"?
Hearing this, Gu Junxing nodded and said, "Next time, I'll have the host act better, try to make it less obvious."
"..."
"Now, it's time to claim the prize."
