Apart from Director Wang, everyone else in the room was looking at me with apprehension. The cigarette in my hand was almost burnt to the filter, leaving me less and less time to think. I was becoming more and more flustered, unable to find the right words to say, to the point where sweat was starting to seep from my palms.

The cigarette finally burnt out, and a bold idea suddenly popped into my mind. But I hesitated, because the idea was too outrageous, too unconventional.

In that fleeting moment, I suddenly calmed down, extinguished the cigarette in the ashtray, and glanced at a glass cup next to the ashtray. I grabbed it with one hand and smashed it to the ground.

The sound of the glass shattering echoed in the room, followed by a deafening silence. The planners and designers who were with us turned pale with fright at my sudden action, while Jian Wei stood up from the sofa, staring at me in shock.

In the deathly silence, I smiled and said, “We have the audacity that other advertising companies lack.”

Director Wang wiped the sweat from his forehead with a tissue, waved away the security guards who had rushed over at the sound, and then said to me, “Explain to me, what do you mean by audacity? If I’m not satisfied, you’ll have to pay me double for the cup you just smashed.”

I steadied my emotions again, still smiling, and said, “Among the three projects currently under construction by Jinding Real Estate, two are apartment buildings, mainly targeting white-collar workers who are under tremendous work pressure. They are busy with work and socializing, but their personal lives are often suppressed. They need a kind of explosive release, just like the pleasure I got from smashing a cup… I believe my just action can be described as audacious, and only our audacious, fearless advertising company can come up with a promotional theme that best meets the needs of urban white-collar consumers.”

“What kind of promotional theme would you give me if you were in charge?”

My mind was racing like a flood, and without a second thought, I said, “Shatter life, explode pleasure.”

“Shatter life, explode pleasure!”

Director Wang repeated the theme I proposed, then clapped his hands and said, “Those who work in advertising are either madmen or geniuses. I hope you’re a genius… Among the advertising companies that have recently bid, they always provide us with a pile of emotionless data and company qualifications. I’ve long been sick of this uniform pattern. Today, I see audacity and the madness that an advertiser should have in you. Our two youth apartment projects under construction need such breakthrough publicity.

Jian Wei’s face lit up with joy, and she asked, “Director Wang, are you willing to cooperate with our company?”

“I personally am very interested in cooperating with Si Mei Advertising, but I still need to submit it to the higher-ups for their decision. You leave your company’s information and previous real estate planning cases, and wait for the notice.”

Jian Wei nodded and handed the information to Director Wang, while my palms were completely soaked with sweat.

…

After discussing some planning ideas with Director Wang, we left Jinding Real Estate. On the way back, Jian Wei seemed very excited. She said to me, “Zhao Yang, your performance just now was audacious, but it was a reflection of your personality. Well done!”

I smiled and didn’t say anything. It seems that I, who was about to be worn down by life, rarely have such arrogance.

Jian Wei responded with a smile and asked, “Can you tell me, what were you thinking at the moment you smashed the glass?”

“I was just going for broke. He said he hated conventionality, so I gave him something exciting!”

Jian Wei nodded, “If we can secure the annual advertising agency of Jinding Real Estate this time, you’ll be the hero.”

“They haven’t confirmed their cooperation with us yet. You should calm down a bit. The greater the hope, the greater the disappointment.”

Jian Wei shook her head, “I know Director Wang very well. He will definitely fight for it. Given his position in Jinding Real Estate, it’s not a big problem for us to get the agency rights.”

I asked in confusion, “You know him well? Haven’t you just had a few meals with him?”

Jian Wei paused before replying, “My understanding of him is based on hearsay. In this industry, there are always some rumors!”

I didn’t think much about it and laughed, “If I can help the company secure this business, it would really be like a blind cat catching a dead rat.”

Jian Wei seriously disagreed, “You’re wrong. I think it was your bold advertising spirit that won over Director Wang!”

…

That evening, I declined Jian Wei’s invitation to have dinner together and returned to the old house early. Then I called Mi Cai and asked her if she would come home for dinner tonight. Mi Cai gave me a positive answer, so I got busy preparing dinner.

At seven o’clock in the evening, I finally made a sumptuous dinner and then began to wait for Mi Cai to come home.

I sat on the sofa, watching the second hand on the wall clock go round and round. I lay down in exhaustion, then watched the minute hand go round again.

I couldn’t help myself and lit another cigarette, still stuck in the painful wait.

After putting out the cigarette in my hand, I opened a can of beer, then crushed the empty can. Looking at the wall clock again, the minute hand had gone around its original track again.

Time suddenly seemed extremely long to me, and Mi Cai seemed to be getting further and further away from me. The scenes of her coming home on time became clearer and clearer. I couldn’t help but wonder: why did she always come home on time before we were dating, but kept delaying after we started dating?

Thinking about it, I understood. Before we were dating, I was always worried that she would come back to the old house and kick me out, so all I could remember were the scenes of her appearing on time.

After we started dating, I was always longing for more time to spend with her, so I cared more about her delays at work.

In reality, she used to be very busy, and even now, she does have times when she comes home on schedule. It’s just that my focus has shifted. It seems that love really does increase the distance between two people, because the longing is too much, but the time spent together is too little!

The minute hand made another round, and I finally fell asleep in the wait. In fact, I was very tired today too. If I had accepted Jian Wei’s invitation and had dinner with a group of people, I would have been even more exhausted.

……

I don’t know how long I slept, but I finally felt someone nudging me. I opened my eyes groggily and saw Mi Cai’s beautiful but tired face. She apologized to me, saying, “I could have been back before eight, but there was a safety incident at the mall, and I had to organize a meeting at the last minute, so I was delayed… You’ve been waiting for a long time, haven’t you?”

I smiled and said, “It’s okay, I’ll go heat up the food, you sit down and rest for a while.”

Mi Cai nodded apologetically, and I picked up the now cold food and headed to the kitchen. This was already the fourth time I was reheating it.

As I was heating up the food, I couldn’t help but wonder, if I could help Jian Wei secure that deal, earn a commission, and then start my own business, would I spend even less time with Mi Cai?

—–

The above act of smashing the cup is required for the plot, please do not imitate it, my dear readers who are in business. If you break a cup and lose a deal, you are responsible for it……