Chapter 6: A Cult Ritual (2/2)
He clapped his hands, motioning for everyone to quiet down. “Alright, one last thing. This is Song Yunfei, our new hire who just joined today. Everyone, let's welcome her.”
Zhang Tao took the lead in clapping, and the others followed suit, their eyes turning toward Song Yunfei one after another.
Song Yunfei squeezed out a polite smile and forced herself to speak up: “Hello everyone, I’m Song Yunfei. As a newcomer, I still have a lot to learn, so I hope you’ll give me your guidance moving forward.”
“Great!” Zhang Tao started clapping again.
The rest of the team clapped along, though each person carried a distinct expression on their face.
Some measured Song Yunfei from head to toe, while others’ eyes were filled with wariness and open hostility; some looked impatient, some sneered with disdain, and a few hid their thoughts entirely behind unreadable expressions.
Who would have guessed that such a tiny office could be filled with such a chaotic mixture of personalities?
Zhang Tao addressed the team once more, ensuring the high-energy mood was set before waving his hand to send everyone back to work.
He then called Song Yunfei into his office separately.
Once inside, Zhang Tao gestured for her to close the door.
“Sit, sit, sit!” Zhang Tao raised a hand and sat down with a warm grin, even pouring a glass of tea for Song Yunfei himself.
“So, Little Song, how are you feeling? Are the study materials a bit overwhelming?”
Song Yunfei offered a gentle smile. “It’s a bit much, but I’ll make sure to familiarize myself with everything as quickly as possible.”
“No rush, take your time,” Zhang Tao said, leaning back comfortably into the sofa with a easygoing laugh. “I didn’t call you in here for anything heavy—just a casual chat.”
“To tell you the truth, when I interviewed you yesterday, I could tell right away that you had what it takes! Good looks, great aura, and articulate speech—you’re a natural fit for sales.”
The sudden, excessive praise instantly put Song Yunfei on high alert. She merely offered a slight smile, choosing not to take the bait.
Zhang Tao didn't seem to notice—or perhaps he simply didn't care—and carried on talking to himself: “In our industry, competence matters, but when you’re born with certain natural advantages, you ought to use them when necessary.”
“Take Chen Lu from our store, for example—you probably haven't met her yet. Just like you, she had both the looks and the height. She was exceptionally quick-witted and knew how to handle people, so clients were always eager to buy from her.”
“And the result? In less than two years, she bought herself both a car and a house! Just last month, she was promoted to sales manager for a project in another district. Her future is boundless!”
Song Yunfei picked up on the subtext hidden in his words immediately.
Was he hinting that she should use her looks—or to put it bluntly, sell her body—to secure sales performance?
Song Yunfei had heard of such cases before, but she had never expected her manager to personally suggest it to her face. In an instant, any remaining goodwill she held toward this sales office evaporated.
However, Zhang Tao seemed to notice her displeasure as well. He let out a chuckle, quickly covering up his words: “Well, I’m only telling you this because I noticed you weren't quite used to things just now, so I wanted to give you a little motivation.”
“Young people need to have ambition, dreams, and drive! I just want to reassure you that it’s fine if you aren't familiar with the business yet—take it step by step. As long as you persist, you’ll have everything you want in the future.”
Song Yunfei smiled politely. “Yes, thank you for the encouragement, Manager.”
Though his words sounded sweet, Song Yunfei knew the harsh reality: she only had three months of base salary protection. If she didn't close a deal within those three months, she’d be kicked out.
Zhang Tao had explicitly stated this before her onboarding: while the company didn't care about educational backgrounds or past work experience, they didn't keep freeloaders around either.
After chatting for a bit longer, Zhang Tao finally dismissed her to get to work.
He assigned her basic tasks: for the first two days, she was to study the materials, and for the following week, she would start making cold calls and handing out flyers on the street.
Ultimately, no matter what she did, if she closed a deal within three months, she stayed; if she couldn't, she’d pack her bags and scram.
As long as she managed to close a single deal, she could secure another six months of base salary at 1,500 yuan per month. Although the pay was modest, the schedule was exceptionally loose—no clocking in, no sitting in the office all day. She could do whatever she wanted, as the company judged purely by performance numbers.
In other words, if she managed to sell just one house, she could even take on other side gigs for the next six months.
Before long, only she and two other colleagues making phone calls were left in the office, while everyone else had gone out.
Song Yunfei didn't call to check up on Chu Jinhan the entire day. Meanwhile, over at his workplace, Hu Yao kept her eyes glued on him, paying even more attention to his phone than Chu Jinhan himself did.
“Your girlfriend didn't call to check on you again today,” Hu Yao noted casually. “You two didn't break up, did you?”
