Chapter 1303: 1302 Boss and Employee
Tan Rou and Hang Wei had finished getting their food and sat down at Shang Jin’s table. The others felt somewhat nervous seeing the big boss and general manager join them, especially since the general manager had just lost his temper with them.
“What were you all talking about just now?” Tan Rou asked as she sat down, “Why did you stop talking as soon as we sat down?”
The employees, seeing the boss join them, were so nervous they hardly dared to breathe, let alone continue their previous conversation.
Hang Wei said, “Don’t ask them anymore, they’re so nervous seeing you that they don’t dare to breathe, how can they dare to continue their previous topic?”
Topics that can’t be discussed in front of the boss are generally of two kinds: those related to the boss and those related to the company.
Tan Rou said, “It’s okay, just say whatever you want to say. I won’t mind.” She actually wanted to hear how the employees talked about her privately. Although she didn’t mind if they spoke ill of her, dissatisfaction among too many employees wasn’t good for internal stability at the company.
“We weren’t really talking about much, just the new mall,” Shang Jin said boldly. Officer Xiao Li’s issue was related to the new mall, so their discussion about Officer Xiao Li was effectively about the new mall.
After Shang Jin spoke, he quickly changed the subject, fearing Tan Rou would ask further. “What are you eating? Eggplant and bok choy. Why no meat? Are you trying to lose weight?”
Tan Rou understood Shang Jin’s intent and thus skipped the first topic, “I arrived late, and there wasn’t much left at the counter, so I felt there was no need to have the cooks make a separate meal for me. I just took two vegetarian dishes.”
In theory, as the boss, Tan Rou could eat whatever she wished. If she asked the cafeteria’s chefs to cook now, they couldn’t refuse. However, she felt it was unnecessary to cook more, as it would just waste food, and she was sometimes frugal.
Because Tan Rou rarely dined in the cafeteria, everyone thought she might not be fond of cafeteria food, but seeing her eat there today, and choosing the cheapest dishes, left many employees with mixed feelings.
“Why are you all staring at me?” Tan Rou noticed everyone’s gaze and said, “Hurry and eat. Rest a bit after lunch; we still have work to do this afternoon.”
Her afternoon was supposed to be for resting, as the school had allotted her this time to review knowledge from the term, but Tan Rou didn’t need the review, so she spent the time working instead.
People often say being a boss is the most relaxing job, and indeed, some bosses have it easy, but not those like Tan Rou who hold multiple roles.
She not only had to manage part of the company operations but also needed to research new products, and most of the time, she had to attend classes. Her schedule was packed, leaving no time for relaxation.
Although Tan Rou had told everyone to eat quickly, the presence of the big boss still made them nervous. They fiddled with the food on their plates cautiously.
Noticing their behavior, Tan Rou asked, “Is there something wrong with the serving plates?”
The company’s cafeteria used stainless steel serving trays, spoons, and chopsticks, which made noise during eating.
“No, not at all,” Employee a quickly shook his head, “We are just worried the noise from our eating might disturb you.”
Tan Rou smiled gently, “I’m not sleeping, am I? How could it bother me? Eat as you normally do. In this cafeteria, I’m not the boss, and you’re not employees. Right now, we are all just people eating.”
Employee b said, “The boss really has a great approachability. Having such a boss is really our luck.”
Tan Rou said, “I don’t need to hear praise. Just do as you normally would. During work, I’m the boss, but off work, I’m just an ordinary person. Don’t worry, I won’t fire you for making noise while eating.”
The employees were amused by her words, but after hearing them, they relaxed quite a bit and started eating normally.
Tan Rou had wanted to discuss the opening matters with Hang Wei while eating, but the place was too crowded and not suitable for discussing work. Therefore, she quickly finished her meal and then asked Hang Wei to work overtime.