E-Ladies: Navigating the Wired World
Chapter 176: Episode 176: Resignation is Fine as Long as You Return the Prizes

Chapter 176: Episode 176: Resignation is Fine as Long as You Return the Prizes

"No, it’s none of that, my salary is already the highest in the industry, and I’m very content with that. It’s not that another company is headhunting me... it’s..." Zhang Jingwan stammered, "It’s my parents asking me to go back to my hometown to get married..."

"Going home to get married doesn’t necessarily mean you have to resign..." Zhou Xueyin said with regret.

"Mainly, they want me to go back and take care of my health. You know how it is in sales, I haven’t skimped on drinking. I went back home for a check-up over the Spring Festival and they said if I don’t start taking better care, if I keep drinking, my health will collapse. My parents don’t want me to suffer in Beijing anymore." As Zhang Jingwan spoke, she wiped away her tears, "Besides, with the money from the company’s sale and my own savings, it’s enough to buy a house back home..."

"Alright, alright, stop crying. Getting married is a good thing. How is the other person treating you?" Zhou Xueyin comforted her.

"He’s my high school classmate, but we dated. We went to different colleges and broke up. Who knew that upon my return, he would still be waiting for me..." Zhang Jingwan tearfully smiled with embarrassment.

"That’s good. As long as he’s good to you, that’s more important than anything! When are you planning to leave your job?" Zhou Xueyin was still very reluctant to let her go.

"After finishing February’s work, just in time to hand over my current projects to Li Ji’niang and Zhao Caiyun." Zhang Jingwan had already planned her work, only the handover was left.

"How about this then, let’s have a meal together on the sixteenth of the first lunar month? What do you say?" Zhou Xueyin looked at the calendar on her phone and asked.

"I’m fine with it, it depends on everyone else’s schedule." Zhang Jingwan agreed happily.

"The idiot... Let’s not call him. If we invite him, no one will be able to eat." It wasn’t that Zhou Xueyin intentionally ostracized Zhang Yongzhong, but his manners at the dining table were truly embarrassing.

Besides, every meal he attended, which could have been lively and fun, turned into a one-man show of his unwelcome jokes.

Luckily, Zhang Yongzhong hadn’t returned to work yet. Zhou Xueyin discussed Zhang Jingwan’s upcoming departure in the work chat group, and they agreed to meet at Dinghao Grand Restaurant on the sixteenth of the first lunar month for a meal.

On the tenth day of the first lunar month, Zhang Yongzhong finally came back to the office, generously bringing everyone a local specialty from his hometown: Huangshan Pancakes, one for each person...

Seeing Zhang Yongzhong return, Zhang Jingwan thought of the Langri Razor project she had discussed with him before, which she needed to hand over to Zhao Caiyun, so she took the initiative to visit his office.

"Brother Yong, happy New Year..."

"Happy New Year, happy New Year... What’s up? Something on your mind?" Zhang Yongzhong asked as he cleaned his desk.

"I’ve already reported to boss Zhou... I’ll only be working until the end of this month. The cooperation with Langri Razor, I’ve handed it over to Zhao Caiyun..." Zhang Jingwan blurted it all out at once.

"Oh, only until the end of this month, huh..." Zhang Yongzhong repeated nonchalantly, "What? You’re resigning?"

His overly dramatic reaction startled Zhang Jingwan, "Yes... yes, that’s right, I’m resigning. I’m going back home to get married..."

"Get married?" Zhang Yongzhong looked at her in disbelief, a look that said, ’Someone like you managed to find someone to settle down with?’

"Yes! With my high school classmate!" Seeing his expression, Zhang Jingwan felt very disgusted inside.

Saying she slept with clients was actually to save them face. She could hold her liquor very well, and never really got into trouble, whereas the bosses were completely wasted...

It wasn’t proper to just leave them at the hotel, so she had to book a room to let these people rest.

But word got around and it turned into rumors that she slept with clients...

Of course, aside from the incident with Pei Yonghua which she entered into willingly, the rest was all unfounded.

But in Zhang Yongzhong’s eyes, what kind of good bird could a girl be, who wore skimpy clothing all winter long?

"Oh right! Before you leave the company, remember to return the prize you received at the summary meeting..."

Zhang Jingwan thought she had heard wrong and stared blankly at the other person, "What did you say?"

"I said, this mobile phone you’re using now, it’s the prize I gave you, right?" Zhang Yongzhong pointed at the iPhone 3G in her hand.

"Yes, at the last KTV summary meeting, the prize you gave me..." Zhang Jingwan nodded vaguely, "Do you mean that I have to return this phone, which has been in my use for several months, because I’m resigning?"

"I knew you were a smart girl!" Zhang Yongzhong said with a smug smile, "This prize was purchased with company reimbursements. It’s one of the company’s assets, so if you’re leaving, it has to be returned."

"But isn’t this a prize? Wasn’t it a gift to me? Since when does a given prize get taken back?" Zhang Jingwan said, with a mixture of exasperation and amusement.

During her time with 51buy, all the annual prizes had been bought by Zhou Xueyin with his own salary, and he never mentioned having to return them.

Now that she had joined the group, were they actually expecting prizes to be returned? So as long as she wasn’t rational, she could use the phone indefinitely but didn’t own it? That made no sense at all!

"After all, you got it for free, and you’ve used it for a few months without paying anything, it’s already good that I didn’t ask for a user experience report. If you’re resigning, the prize must be taken back... Otherwise, believe it or not, you won’t be able to leave the Silver Web Building," Zhang Yongzhong said seriously.

"Who cares..." If it weren’t for the important information and photos in the phone, Zhang Jingwan would have loved to just remove the SIM card and toss the phone to Zhang Yongzhong right there.

Back at her desk, Zhang Jingwan messaged Sun Miao, warning her to watch out for Zhang Yongzhong trying to take away her prize.

But unexpectedly, Sun Miao, in need of money, sold the phone for cash the week after receiving it.

[Damn, what now? I’ve already sold the phone, and the money I got for it was all spent during the New Year...] Sun Miao worried.

[Forget it, as long as you don’t resign, he probably won’t bother asking for the phone back, wait till the phone’s value decreases over time, and he’ll stop caring about it...] Zhang Jingwan could only silently pray that Sun Miao wouldn’t become a target for Zhang Yongzhong’s nitpicking.

On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, everyone left the company one after another, taking advantage of Zhang Yongzhong’s inattention, and then regrouped at Dinghao Grand Restaurant.

Zhang Jingwan was the second person to leave 51buy, and since she had spent more time with everyone, each person found it very hard to say goodbye to her.

Everyone was crying, drinking, and wishing her a blissful and happy marriage.

In the second half of February, Zhang Jingwan thought to herself that since she was leaving the job anyway and was planning to leave Beijing and the Internet industry for good, she wasn’t afraid of being talked about behind her back anymore.

She began to spread some rumors about Zhang Yongzhong in the group, talking about his inappropriate behavior at 51buy and how he was lecherous, a glutton and drunkard, had no real skills but loved to boast, and the key point was that he was stingy!

He was the type to take back a prize given to an employee, more stingy than Huang Shiren himself!

Of course, Zhang Yongzhong couldn’t have possibly missed these rumors, but he was too angry to respond openly because what was being said was true...

It wasn’t long before the end of February arrived, and with the handover of her work done and all borrowed items returned, Zhang Jingwan left the Silver Web Building with a smile through her tears.

All the staff of 51buy stood at the entrance of the building, watching her get into the car and drive away...