Part 1The Five-Year Intern

Five years at this company, and my salary is still stuck at $3,800 a month. Everyone calls me a pathetic lapdog, unable to leave my female boss, Claire Chen. I count on my fingers; this is the tenth time I've asked for a raise. Her face is still cold, impatient. "How many times have I told you? The company isn't doing well right now. Can't we talk about this at the end of the year?" My colleagues whisper about me. "See that? That's the end of an old lapdog! Even after being treated like this, he still can't leave Claire." The next day, a new intern arrived, a returnee from overseas, with a salary of $25,000. On his first day, Claire put him right at my desk. Only then did I realize that my request for a raise had offended her. In a fit of anger, I turned around and jumped to a competitor company as a vice president. I'm done being this old lapdog!

* * *

"Claire, the contract with Runyuan Company has been signed. I'm asking for a raise!"

"Can't you see I'm busy? Who let you in? Asking for a raise just because you closed one deal? I don't like employees who bargain!"

I forced a smile and repeated it. This was her own promise to me.

She said that if I could close this project with Runyuan Company, she would double my salary.

Before I could finish, she looked at me with impatience. "Didn't I tell you? The company is facing the pressure of going public right now. It's good enough that I haven't laid anyone off. You should be secretly happy that you still have a job. Where else can you find a good boss like me?"

It was the same old rhetoric. I couldn't help but remind her, "But, boss, my salary has been only $3,800 for all these years..."

"I'm giving you $3,800, and you're still not satisfied? With your work level, who would want you if you left my company? Don't think that just because you closed a few deals, the company can't do without you, understand?"

Claire waved her hand as if she were shooing away a fly, wanting to end this unpleasant topic as soon as possible.

I suppressed my anger and explained, "Claire, I've always been grateful to you, but I also need to eat and live. With this salary, I really don't have enough!"

She poked her finger at my forehead in anger. "Jiang Yuan, don't always think about getting a raise. After so many years, why haven't I given you a raise? Isn't it because you haven't done well enough in some places, and your contribution to the company isn't big enough?"

When Claire said my contribution to the company wasn't big enough, I couldn't help but sneer out loud.

I've been with the company for five years. To close deals, I don't know how many times I've drunk with clients, how many times I've drunk until my stomach bled.

If it weren't for that special feeling for Claire, I would have chosen to leave the company long ago.

Now, she denied me with a single sentence, which couldn't help but chill my heart.

Seeing me stunned in place, she looked at me impatiently and said, "Alright, I still have things to do. Next month's salary will increase by $200!"

$200? Do you really think I'm a beggar?

Back at my desk, several female colleagues started whispering. "I say Jiang Yuan is just a lapdog. Being humiliated by Claire like that, he doesn't dare to fart."

A girl covered her mouth and laughed. "That's right. For so many years, he's been following Claire around like a dog without a mind of his own. Can Claire even look at him? It's really a toad wanting to eat swan meat. He doesn't even take a look at himself in the mirror!"

I clenched my fists, suppressed my anger, and walked back to my desk quietly.

As soon as I got home after work, I received a call from Claire.

"Why did you leave after work? We're about to sign a contract with Shengshi Group. Don't you know? Have you done the proposal?"

"Claire, didn't you ask Dong Xin to coordinate that proposal? Besides, if I do it now, I'm afraid it will be too late!"

Before I could finish, Claire yelled at me. "How many times have I told you to cooperate with Dong Xin? What's the matter with you? Do you really think my company is a place to loaf around and wait for death?"

"Claire, that's not my duty. Besides, the projects under my command are also rushing to catch up with the schedule. I really don't have time..."