Assistant Architect

Assistant Architect by Xi He Qing Ling

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Chapter 5: Colleague

After Gu Yu left, Zhang Siyi couldn’t help but wipe the sweat off his brow.He felt like this morning was one long roller coaster ride. The personnel ofthe Human Resources department came over to give him a tour of the company’sinternal environment. There was a glass-separated discussion room, a readingarea for the mini-library, a relaxed dining and refreshment area, and even afew beds. I have to say that Borderless has a fantastic environment!

Zhang Siyi grinned all throughout the tour. Thinking about how much he willbe able to enjoy these resources unconditionally now that he is a member of thefirm, the sense of belonging and happiness welled up inside him.

"The coffee machine in the refreshment area provides unlimited coffee, freecookies, bread and milk. The company provides ordering service at noon. Themeal is free of charge within 30 yuan. You can also choose to bring your ownlunch. The dining area has a refrigerator and microwave and otherequipment…”

"In accordance with the company’s Basic Rules and regulations, we asked ourstaff to go to work from 9am until 6pm. Lunch breaks are between 12:30pm and1:30pm."

Zhang Siyi nodded. It turned out the work day nine to six, but there was anhour of lunch break in the middle, so It was also an eight-hour work day,perfect. “However,” Miss Wang turned to him and shrugged. “Thedesign department is a special case. The company supplies electricity and waterfor 24 hours a day. There is a fingerprint lock, so employees can gain accessand work overtime without problems.”

Zhang Siyi listened to Miss Wang's explanation and followed her to a doorwith the fingerprint lock. Opening it, he was taken into the design departmentwhich he briefly saw while exiting the elevators previously.

There was a large table at the side of the walkway where three people wereseated together discussing a plan there. A leading female designer saw MissWang approaching with Zhang Siyi. Qi Liu Hai called out, "Hey the new guy". Shewas wearing a pair of black-rimmed glasses with a black and white businesswear. She looked older, but her temperament seems good. They are curious about ZhangSiyi. He smiles at them.

“This is Zhang Siyi, who graduated from the British Department ofArchitecture. Director Gu just recruited him as an assistant architect.”Miss Wang also pointed to the woman, “This is Child Labor, another masterarchitect in the design department.”

……child labor? How can someone be called this? Zhang Siyi thought that he heardit wrong.

“Child Labor” shook hands with him and enthusiastically said:“Welcome to Borderless.”

Zhang Siyi: “Thank you.”

The two young people sitting on the side also smiled at Zhang Siyi:“Welcome.”

Child Labor signaled to the other two employees: “Time to get working.Let's make sure we don't pad other people's pockets with our quarterly bonuses."

Two young people: “…”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Arriving at an empty table near the corner, Miss Wang arranged a workposition for him. On the left, there was a small, fat young man. On the rightwas a walkway. Behind it was a row of glass compartments. Zhang Siyi had notime to look at it. Miss Wang said: “Zhu Hongzhen, this is Zhang Siyi, anew employee. He will sit next to you, please take care of him.”

The young man was pretending to fiddle with the building model of thecomputer, and immediately turned around smiling: “Hello.”

Miss Wang looked at the watch: “It's almost time for lunch. Aftereating lunch, come to me.” Zhang Siyi said thank you and Miss Wang left.

“Hey, my name is Zhu Hongzhen, nicknamed Piggy.” His desk-matere-introduced himself.

Zhang Siyi shook hands with him. A girl who was facing him also slid over onthe swivel chair: “Hello!”

“This is Bi Lele.” Pig took the initiative to introduce her thenpointed at the young man next to Bi Lele who had his head down engrossed with painting.“That is Yuan Zhicheng.” The named person looked up. Zhang Siyismiled, and said hello.

Bi Lele grinned at Zhang Siyi. She teased him: "The front desk staff toldme about a really handsome young man scheduled for an interview. We werecurious, and they were right!" Several of the people there were of similar ageso, after introductions, they soon became familiar with each other.

From the two people, Zhang Siyi also learned about the structure of thedifferent departments of Borderless. It totaled less than 50 people. 10 ofwhich were specialized in structural and HVAC-related engineers, and less thanten were professional landscapes and Interior designers. The remaining 30people are doing architectural design. Among the 30 people, there are threegroups. Each group has its own head. Zhang Siyi's circle is Gu Yu's men.

Zhu Hongzhen commented: “Our boss never recruit useless people, so youmust have some talent."

Zhang Siyi has some guilty conscience. “I only just graduated.”

“You are the only person who has graduated from a foreign universityin our group.” Bi Lele said.

“You all graduated from a domestic University?” Asked Zhang Siyi.Bi Lele and the others said where they graduated from. To Zhang Siyi surprised,they were all from elite educational institutions. Is he now working with agroup of school tyrants?

"Which school did Gu Yu graduate from?" Zhang Siyi was very curious andwhispered, "He is only a few years older and looks so young."

“T University,” Bi Lele gave the answer from across the aisle. “Heis a master of continuous reading. After graduation, he first worked at X DesignInstitute. I have a classmate who worked together with GU Yu during hisinternship. He learned fast on the job while also studying. During his time at university,he won many awards at various competitions for architectural design. It was thefirst time someone so young received the awards. He didn't go abroad aftergraduating and went straight to work a X Design Institute. Two years later, hepassed the nine-time examination directly, then applied at Borderless and wasgiven the position of creative director. “I think he’s at leasttwenty-seven or twenty-eight."

Zhang Siyi was shocked and stunned. This person is too damn good. How canlife be so smooth!

Zhu Hongzhen nods and says: “Our boss is really a God!"

Bi Lele looked around and whispered: “I heard Gu Yu's real reason forleaving X Design is a because of an older female architect's pursuit of him. Hecouldn't help but hide here.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Zhu Hongzhen: “…”

Zhang Siyi: “I thought that there are many foreign students inBorderless. How is it just me?"

"Our sister department is led by Child Labor.” Zhu Hongzhen pointed tothe direction,” She has a doctorate of architecture and leads a group ofpeople who are all from international universities. Two of them are foreigners,one from Spain and one from Bulgaria. When it comes to the child labor group,Zhang Siyi wants to laugh a little. He asks: “Why would someone call hersuch a strange name?”

Zhu Hongzhen's mouth smacked: "Hey, you may have made a mistake. It's nother name."

Zhang Siyi: “Ah?”

She is called Tong Heyi, and the ‘work’ is the abbreviation of theconstruction engineer. It is the most commonly used name in our industry, soyou don’t feel strange when someone calls you ‘Zhanggong’.”

Zhang, Zhang Gong, hehe…

Zhu Hongzhen: “in fact, our boss does not like the formal title of director.Just follow us and call him Boss. OK."

“I see,” asked Zhang Siyi, looking around: “Where is hisoffice?"

Zhu Hongzhen pointed to him behind: “It’s right behind you."

“…” Zhang Siyi turned back and saw the name card of Gu Yuhanging on the back of the glass compartment door! He shrank his neck andturned back, summing up, “It seems that my position is a bitdangerous.”

Zhu Hongzhen nodded solemnly: “Yes, at work if you get discovered playingaround by the boss, you will see the end sooner rather than later.”

Zhang Siyi: “No? I can’t do anything on the internet? Not even alittle bit?"

“That depends on what you are doing online. Checking information is okof course, but anything else…." Zhu Hongzhen did not say exactly but his coldtone made the implication even clearer. Zhang Siyi swallowed nervously.

"I didn't think the boss was so strict. It seemed to me, he had much warmerrelationship with everyone in the department." Because of the mishap andreconciliation at the café, Zhang Siyi felt that the animosity towards Gu Yu wasunfounded.

Zhu Hongzhen looked at him oddly: “where did you get that idea?"

“It isn't?”

"Because he himself has strict principles he expects everyone else tofollow them as well. Its not easy following a talented genius," Zhu Hongzhensaid bitterly. "You have been warned. It isn't a wonderful experience workingunder his hands. You will understand after a while. "

Yuan Zhicheng, who has never spoken, heard this and suddenly looked up atZhang Siyi, his eyes were blue, and his smile was bleak: “Welcome to thegroup of hard work.”

Zhang Siyi: “…”

Bi Lele, who had a look of ignorance, had quietly shut her mouth when hercolleagues complained, and sighed with a look of “pain andhappiness.”

At lunch time, Zhu Hongzhen had booked the company’s lunch. Others hadbrought their own and thus, Zhang Siyi could only go downstairs a find arestaurant.

Because the office building is in the commercial center, there are manyvery good restaurants nearby, however they are a bit pricey. Except for theconvenience stores such as 7-11 and Rosen, most of them are acceptable.

In celebration of his new job, Zhang Siyi wanted to treat himself to a nicemeal instead of the convenience store’s lunch. He chose a Japanese restaurantthat looked like it had many patrons. Zhang Siyi lined up in queue and waitedto be seated. At this time, he took his phone out to check his messages. Hewanted to let his friends know about the good news.

Two hours have passed since Zhang Siyi sent the two crying emojis in chat.There were hundreds of messages in the discussion group.

At first, his friends were anxious and didn't know if they should ask him fordetails about the situation. Fu Xinhui even gloated about it, but since ZhangSiyi stopped responding he stopped chatting. Everyone began to comfort ZhangSiyi. Others wondered if he couldn't read the messages. Eventually the topic movedonto something else. When Zhang Siyi opened the phone, his friends were eagerto discuss the future development of the Chinese construction industry in thegroup.

He clicked Fu Xinhui icon to look at some private messages. There wereseveral unread messages on the top.

Fu Xinhui: ” What's the matter? Are you feeling alright?"

Fu Xinhui: “We were just joking around don't get caught up in that.……"

Fu Xinhui: “Sorry, I shouldn't have laughed at you, don’t be sad, comeback I'll invite you to dinner!”"

Fu Xinhui: “Don't worry about money. I'll raise you."

……

Zhang Siyi sent a message to Fu Xinhui, “Fuck you, Crow mouth! I gotin!"

He then went to the chat group and sent an update, "I got the job"

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