Chapter 7, the heavens are unpredictable in their storms and clouds

She cried even harder, gasping for breath.

Hu Qian, a graduate from a prestigious university with a background in science and engineering, has two years of work experience in a large enterprise. As long as her English scores are satisfactory and her application materials are slightly polished, she has over a 90% chance of being accepted into a school with this background. After waiting a year or two, she can obtain a master's degree, transforming into a returnee and becoming a bona fide elite.

This is what true friendship in adversity looks like

Oh... The only benefit is that during the performance evaluation, there is a peer review from a colleague, and she finally got the chance to give a poor rating to the old woman

Yan Ke himself was feeling quite miserable, moved to sadness by her tears, and silently mourned for himself. It was not until more than half an hour later that he came to his senses and realized that Ye Zilu had cried herself out, lying on the bed with her face buried in the pillow, completely motionless

Hu Qian said insincerely: "Alright"

Ye Zilu first complained about her unexpected injury with a series of exclamations, and finally, with her occasionally reliable sixth sense, she pointed out the issue: "Master, I must tell you, I have a foreboding feeling that my livelihood is being swept to the edge of the table, teetering on the brink of collapse"

On the day she took leave due to a foot injury, she was so delighted at not having to go to work that she rolled around in joy, and on that day, she truly would not have to come back again

However, Hu Qian achieved much more than Ye Zilu during the college entrance examination. After graduating, she worked for two years and is now preparing for the English exam, intending to apply to a prestigious business school in North America

In Ye Zilu's view, the personnel department is essentially idle throughout the year except during the recruitment season. The nonsense they produce is of no use whatsoever, except for possibly reducing one's appetite and aiding in weight loss

Then the troublesome situation arose

"Hu Ai-qing, I truly misjudged you!" Ye Zi-lu gritted her teeth

Does this mean becoming a vagrant

Yan Ke said: "If you are alive, move for me!"

Ye Zilu wisely felt that if she continued to argue, she would lose her dignity. At that moment, without saying a word, she decided to leave quietly. The big boss, considering the partnership, could still adhere to the principle of maintaining relationships even when parting ways, and might offer a little more severance pay.

Ye Zilu sprang up in response, sitting up from the bed as if resurrected, with a strange light flashing in her swollen eyes

He felt that his last sentence seemed a bit off, so he cleared his throat and said: "That's not right either, I didn't embarrass myself, I just lost my body... Hey, what are you even talking about? Looking at me, do you feel a sense of balance in your heart?"

Yan Ke asked, "Hello, are you still alive?"

Mother Ye did not dare to say a harsh word, fearing it would provoke her. She repeatedly offered comfort and immediately stated that starting next month, the living expenses would be discreetly transferred to her card, assuring her that she could take her time to find a new job and would not be short of money.

Hu Qian is a high school classmate of Ye Zilu. During their studies, she performed well academically, and naturally, the two outstanding students gradually became friends.

Ye Zilu felt a lack of balance, which made her even sadder

The usually elusive big boss, who is rarely seen, is seldom in a good mood, first seeks to build rapport, then engages in a discussion of ideas. In summary, the central message can be distilled into one sentence: Sorry, comrade, you have been laid off

Ye Zilu ignored him, busy venting her frustration

Isn't that so? Yan Ke agreed with this statement, saying, "However, you do have some merits, such as your current self-awareness."

"Oh, I said, forget it. Look at me, how unlucky I am," Yan Ke tried to comfort her, "Alright, alright, stop crying. You said I neither drank nor drove, just took a nap in the back seat. Who did I offend? I wake up to find myself in this state. Who am I supposed to cry to? Losing a lousy job is nothing impressive. Is it as serious as my situation? I lost a person."

Ye Zilu hung up the phone, yet the melancholy in her heart did not diminish at all. She repeated the thought process from the previous day: if only she had read a few more pages of the book the night before

In fact, she does not feel that distressed; she is simply very confused

However, there are always those who remind her of it. On this day, just before the end of work, Ye Zilu and the old woman were called to the big boss's office one after the other

He made himself sound a bit more sincere and asked again: "What exactly happened?"

Hu Qian said: "Let it fall if it must, you should have resigned from that lousy job long ago"

"It's nothing," Hu Qianhao said with great confidence, "I will support you."

Is it true that in today's society, one's entire life is determined by a single examination, leaving no opportunity for a second chance?

The marketing department and sales have merged, while planning has been separated. The finance, administration, general affairs, and other support departments will need to be streamlined

Clearly, she forgot that there was another "person" in the room, which startled her when Yan Ke suddenly spoke. Yan Ke asked, "What’s wrong with you?"

Yan Ke had never seen an adult cry like this, with a face so red that it seemed something serious might happen. He often saw people on television fainting while crying, and then a crowd would rush in, calling for someone to pinch their acupoints, pinching here and there. He felt a bit worried; what if Ye Zilu also cried to the point of having some kind of problem? He wouldn't even be able to wake her up, let alone call for emergency help.

However, before Ye Zilu had the chance to be moved to tears, Hu Qian continued, "Once you have fattened up, we can sell you, and the investment will be recouped."

She returned home like a wandering soul, and of course, Wang Laura was not there. Hu Qian would not arrive until the evening. Ye Zilu aimlessly wandered for a while, took a pudding from the refrigerator, and sat in front of her computer in her room to eat it. However, it was hard to digest, and the websites that usually captured her attention were now completely unreadable. She felt as if something was blocking her heart. As she continued eating, she lost her appetite and inexplicably began to cry. Yet it was hard to digest, and the websites that usually captured her attention were now completely unreadable. She felt as if something was blocking her heart. As she continued eating, she lost her appetite and inexplicably began to cry.

I feel like a complete failure..." Ye Zilu cried, gasping for breath, "I am almost twenty-five, and I have nothing, not even a job... I feel like a walking corpse..."

Ye Zilu first called her parents halfway through the journey

The next day, when Ye Zilu arrived at the office yawning, she suddenly learned of a disconcerting piece of news—department merger, the company was to be restructured

She kept going on and on, saying these few sentences in a disordered manner, crying as if her heart were broken

Unexpectedly, Ye Zilu suddenly let out a loud "ao" and burst into tears. This time, it was different from the previous adult-like crying where she sat there shedding tears; she was now crying hysterically. The volume and the intensity of her expression surpassed even that of professional mourners, startling Yan Ke to the point of shivering—if he could indeed shiver.

Does the college entrance examination really play such a significant role in a person's life

Ye Zilu felt a numb sense of liberation as she packed her belongings and walked into the hallway, as if she were dreaming

Oh. Having already seen through life and death, everything else is trivial. Yan Ke had just spoken a word, and was about to advise her to take it easy—yet he was completely paralyzed, his soul having left his body; who could he reason with in this state

"Oh, what is it? Your Majesty, are you going to execute me in front of the Wumen Gate for all to see?" Hu Qian laughed heartily, "Alright, I have some matters to attend to this afternoon. Once I finish, I will go to your home and take a look at your injured hoof."

She is currently facing an uncertain future, on the brink of unemployment, with no prospects, no direction, and even her dreams have long been consumed.

At that time, their academic performances were quite similar, and Hu Qian seemed to be a bit more diligent than her. This suggests that her intelligence quotient should be higher than Hu Qian's. But why, in just five or six years, have they already embarked on two different paths in life?

Ye Zilu howled, "What will I do if I lose my job?"

So much so that during the lunch break, Ye Zilu's best friend No. 1, Hu Qian, called to invite her out to play, but she declined.

The performance evaluation results were handed to Ye Zilu, with the old woman's enormous negative review laid out before her, and all other indicators clearly documented.

Ye Zilu shivered and asked with a sobbing voice, "You... you still haven't returned where?"

Is this what unemployment looks like

Yan Ke felt as if her soul was being cleansed in the vegetable soup, and if the bear-faced one could change, it would definitely have a face full of vegetable hues: "I want to as well!"

Last month, the company launched a new performance evaluation system, the details of which were copied by Ye Zilu and distributed to various offices. It was requested that everyone "study it carefully," but who has the time to read it... In any case, Ye Zilu did not read it.

Although Ye Zilu was well aware, the old woman must have given her a negative review

I want to change! She announced this with a sudden outburst, her voice resonating with authority.

Ye Zilu feels that their relationship is currently very good, but one day, the disparity in their life levels will become too great. There are topics that others discuss that she has never heard of, and the things she knows do not interest others. This friendship, apart from the occasional encounters and reminiscing about the glorious years of their adolescence, truly lacks any further bonds to continue its existence

Ye Zilu herself did not understand why she could cry so heart-wrenchingly. She believed that there was actually nothing to feel wronged about—her work was merely a way to pass the time, her relationships with colleagues were average, she engaged in personal matters during work hours, and she had been caught by her supervisor a few times, with no achievements to speak of

Even though she and Hu Qian are indeed very good friends, Ye Zilu is truly not jealous of her friend, but... sometimes when she looks at Hu Qian, she still feels confused

Ye Zilu became upset: "How did the work get ruined? How did it break? It was so hard to find!"

Ye Zilu blew her nose and, with a heavy nasal tone, said: "I am unemployed..."

She mumbled something indistinctly, and it took Yan Ke a long time to understand. She said: "I feel that I have achieved nothing in my life"

What will she do afterwards

However, despite the differences in our social standings, the friendship among high school classmates has surprisingly endured

Ye Zilu left the office of the big boss, listening to the old woman who had just entered behind her erupting into loud shouts. She thought to herself that she would no longer have to engage in a battle of wits and courage with her.

What are you crying about? I just can't stop.

As she thought about this, Ye Zilu inevitably felt a bit of resentment, but fortunately, she was broad-minded and quickly forgot about the matter

Throughout the entire morning, no one was focused on their work; everyone was engaged in animated discussions. Ye Zilu sat there playing a game of word association, observing everything around her and listening intently, feeling an inexplicable twitch in her eyelids.

She is someone who is incapable of doing anything and never seems to have enough to eat. If not her, who else would be laid off?

This year the market is poor, and many companies are laying off employees, but Ye Zilu did not expect that it would happen to her. She wants to fight for her rights as much as possible, but the labor contract and the company regulations clearly state that employees who do not meet performance evaluations can be laid off by the company