Chapter 31: Miracles Born of Strength
Saturday, team building for Team Three.
Others might not know, but Zhang Long actually disliked having team building take up his weekend rest time. He’d much rather stay home and sleep in than go out and exhaust himself for nothing.
If it were up to him, a simple dinner and some karaoke on Friday night would suffice—convenient, effortless, and trouble-free.
...
“Manager Zhang…”
Liang Xue approached Zhang Long and greeted him, “You're so young, yet you have no energy at all. Eating, drinking, and having fun all day—isn’t that better than lazing around at home?”
“Hurry up, lend a hand.”
Standing at the entrance of a suburban villa hired for the party, Zhang Long was speechless. There went his Saturday sleep-in, and he still had driving school the next day. Poor him.
For the next three weekends, it was team building on Saturday and driving school on Sunday, with busy weekdays in between? October was shaping up to be exhausting.
The party villa had two floors, and the main hall downstairs was bustling with people, all busy getting things ready. The three teams had to prepare their own lunch; the villa only provided the venue and kitchenware. With so many people, stir-frying dishes was out of the question, so they settled on a hotpot buffet.
No need to mention the various vegetables, meats, seafood, and mushrooms—all bought at the supermarket. The whole point of the party was a lively atmosphere for eating, drinking, and entertainment, with a karaoke room, billiards room, and card room to boot.
No overnight stay; everything wrapped up by six in the evening.
The staff were enthusiastic. Even though it took up their Saturday, at least they weren’t hiking or picnicking somewhere remote. Lounging in the villa, with food, drinks, and plenty of games, wasn’t bad at all. Better than being stuck at home.
Young people love this kind of lively gathering.
Among the twenty-five attendees from the three teams, there were more men than women, but it was mostly the women who did the work. Liang Xue led the charge, with Zhou Yu and Shao Kang assisting.
As for Zhang Long, to be honest, apart from the occasional helping hand, he wasn’t all that busy—nor was he really needed.
Might as well play some pool or mahjong.
...
“Living the good life, huh?”
At a branch bank on a certain street, Luo Man scrolled through her social media and saw Zhang Long’s recent post: four photos of the busy villa party, captioned “Team building in progress…”
She glanced through them and hit ‘like.’
Comment: Have fun / tongue out emoji.
But at that moment, Zhang Long wasn’t on his phone—he was locked in a fierce billiards match. Even with the skills of two lifetimes combined, he was still terrible, getting completely thrashed.
He lost three games in a row.
“Brother Long…”
Jiang Hao straightened up, proud as could be. “Strength alone isn’t enough—you’ve got to aim for the pocket, haha…”
Zhang Long replied, half-annoyed, “Billiards is a game that costs both time and money. Looks like you’ve spent plenty on it. Practice makes perfect, don’t get cocky.”
“I’ll practice more next time.”
After work, everyone’s just colleagues, and a party like this was meant for fun. No need to put on a leader’s airs; losing a few games was no big deal.
Zhang Long and Jiang Hao were on good terms, so playful banter was no problem.
You’ve got to know how to have fun when you’re out.
They weren’t gambling, but after three straight losses, it was time to let someone else have the table. Zhang Long bowed out—among the dozen or so guys, he was probably the worst player.
Young people these days spend as much as they earn, experts in all things fun and indulgent. He couldn’t keep up.
As for singing, Zhang Long only wandered by to watch. None of the songs were those he knew from his previous life. Even if the melodies were pleasant or familiar, they weren’t the same—so he didn’t bother.
Then there was playing cards and mahjong—some played for fun, others for small stakes, but the most anyone won or lost in a round was a few dozen yuan. He was content just to watch.
Finally, after wandering around a few times, Zhang Long, bored, joined in with the hotpot preparations.
Washing and picking vegetables, setting the tables, plugging in wires.
Team building at the villa—here we go!
...
“Sorry for being late.”
At a specialty restaurant, Zhan Yi arrived with his wife, Zhang Lizhen. Mr. Zhao from Tengda’s home renovation division had called the meeting. Zhan Yi hadn’t wanted to come but was curious to see how things would play out.
The Monday after the National Day holiday, Zhan Yi had filed a lawsuit against Tengda.
Generally, though, lawyers on both sides would suggest negotiating before formal proceedings began—no need to really fight it out in court if possible; lawsuits take too long.
Tengda was a big company, and the renovation subsidiary owed the final payment. Zhao was the contact.
“What would you like to eat, Mr. Zhan?”
Zhao Hui, a short and stout man, handed over the menu, his small eyes squinting, “Your wife looks about ready to give birth—when’s the due date?”
“No need to trouble yourself,” Zhan Yi replied, passing the menu to his wife. She could order whatever she liked—it was Zhao Hui’s treat, after all, so why not pick something expensive?
“Don’t be so formal, Mr. Zhan…”
Zhao Hui shrugged with a laugh, “I know an excellent OB-GYN. If you need anything, just ask—delivery and postpartum care, all arranged.”
Zhan Yi smiled faintly, offering no opinion.
“About today’s meeting…”
Seeing his reaction, Zhao Hui didn’t waste any more words. The lawsuit had already been filed, grievances aired—surely they wouldn’t really go to court? Win or lose, dragging it out would take two or three years at least. What was the point?
“Think it over, Mr. Zhan.”
Zhan Yi laughed in response, “Are you trying to delay things again? Let’s be clear—it’s Tengda who owes me, not the other way around. Let’s get our priorities straight.”
“If you want an out-of-court settlement, show some sincerity. Words alone won’t cut it.”
“What do you say, Mr. Zhao?”
...
The villa party was supposed to end by six, but after a lively hotpot lunch, most of the women drifted off after a bit of singing, while the men lingered over billiards and cards. By four or five, the party was over.
During that time, they cleaned up.
No need to scrub the place spotless, but food waste, shells, and seeds had to be cleared away.
“Did you have fun?”
On the subway home, casual chatter.
As the group dispersed, only Liang Xue and Zhang Long were left. Their routes home were similar—one heading to the Bund, the other toward Century Park past Lujiazui.
“It was alright, but tiring,” Zhang Long sighed. “The staff were all enthusiastic, of course—mainly because it was free. Free food, free drinks, free entertainment—who wouldn’t be happy?”
“And you weren’t eating for free?” Liang Xue rolled her eyes. “Hey! I paid today. Next week it’s your turn.”
“What’s the plan for next week?” Zhang Long thought for a moment. “No hiking, picnics, or anything too strenuous. You covered the villa, so I’ll take everyone to the amusement park—just the tickets, though.”
“Everyone brings their own food and drinks.”
Honestly, team building only had a few fun activities—they couldn’t be too exhausting. That left the amusement park.
“Alright, that sounds good,” Liang Xue nodded, picturing it, but then added, “Should we allow family members? What about that beautiful classmate of yours—aren’t you going to introduce her?”
Zhang Long broke out in a sweat—she wasn’t family yet.
“Whatever, it’s fine,” he didn’t object. “But I’m only providing one extra ticket. Besides, do many people in our three teams have partners? If there are too many, the singles will feel left out, no one to pair up with.”
“You’re overthinking it…” Liang Xue pursed her lips. “Office romances are banned by the company. These kids work all week; how many really have partners to bring on weekends? Most are single.”
“Or in long-distance relationships.”
With that, Zhang Long had nothing more to add. Next week’s team building was set. Whether people brought a real family member or not, it didn’t matter.
“Oh? You’re getting off here too?” As Zhang Long reached his stop, he was surprised to see Liang Xue follow him out. What was going on?
“Going to the Bund for a walk…” Liang Xue’s eyes sparkled with a smile. Care to join?