Hell and Heaven
A new batch of colleagues joined the marketing department, among them a younger one who is 28 years old and has a unique nickname, Sweet Potato. I have a particularly deep impression of him.
Sweet Potato is articulate and speaks with a booming voice, excelling in exaggerated performances. While his appearance isn’t striking, his performance skills and enthusiasm are certainly on par with the best!
During the self-introduction in the meeting room on the first day, when he talked about his experiences, it really caught my attention!
He has worked as a delivery boy, served as a bellboy in hotels, sold women’s lingerie at night markets, sold grilled chicken cutlets near Fu Jen University, and even sold insurance. The passion he showed while speaking truly impressed me!
Compared to how I was at his age, he is indeed much stronger!
After the morning meeting on the second day, just as I stepped out of the conference room, Sweet Potato suddenly ran up to me. “Director Chen! Is there any chance for me to shoot a video? I want to be famous!” He looked at me with great hope and intensity that didn’t seem like a joke.
“Sure! If you can convince the client to let you be the male lead, then you have a chance!” I gave him a clear answer,
“Is that true?” He still looked doubtful. “Opportunities are created by yourself! They must also be fought for!” I patted him on the shoulder to encourage him.
After three days of pre-job training, just before getting off work, Sweet Potato suddenly came running to my desk again. He looked troubled and seemed unhappy. “Director Chen, how long have you been here?!” he whispered as if afraid others would hear,
His expression was serious, unlike his usual lively self. “More than eight years!” I replied casually. “What! How is that possible?” His eyes widened in surprise.
“This place is hell! I can’t stand it for three days! Yet you’ve been here for eight years…? How did you get through it?” It was clear that Sweet Potato’s mind was filled with extreme confusion and disbelief.
“Hell and heaven are just a thought away; I treat work as cultivation!” I said earnestly. “But this place… it’s really not suitable for humans!” From his eyes, it was evident that he felt extremely out of place.
“This damn place! It’s full of ghosts; I really can’t continue here!” he continued. “Your heart probably hasn’t settled yet! Have you ever served in the military?” I tried to soothe him. “I have! I have!” He answered quickly.
“Since you’ve been in the military, you should know that reasonable demands are training while unreasonable ones are tempering!” At this point, I took on the role of Teacher Chen.
“But being in the military is different from working; what I want is respect!” It seemed he had plenty of anger and dissatisfaction bottled up.
“What’s so different? Why do you need to differentiate? You said you like working in advertising sales and want to find an opportunity to become famous! You can’t skip over hardships; this is something you must understand clearly!”
I pointed out where his problem lay. “Director Chen! Can you give me some specific advice?” A slight smile appeared on his face.
“Unless the company doesn’t want you anymore! Otherwise, you should give yourself three months—go all out—change your mindset—accept rigorous hellish training; that’s your opportunity!” After hearing my words, he fell silent for a moment…
Finally nodding off any thoughts of quitting. Three months later, after an extended marketing meeting one afternoon that went past quitting time, seeing Sweet Potato rush out of the conference room with a pale face while hurriedly packing,
made me somewhat puzzled; just as I was about to ask him… “Director Chen! Goodbye! Here’s a jar of seven-leaf gallbladder tea, a bottle of coffee, and a canister of oatmeal—all gifts for you! Consider them souvenirs; thank you for taking care of me during this time.”
Sweet Potato’s tone was no longer loud; his eyes lacked their previous sparkle as he gave me everything edible or usable from his desk—a gesture that moved me deeply yet made me reluctant to part ways. In my heart, I thought he should have had opportunities to become another Hu Gua instead! Wasn’t he truly exceptional?
Perhaps this pond is too small for him; he should choose to go into the Pacific Ocean instead. At this moment it felt like another setback in Sweet Potato’s life—I waved goodbye with concern typical of an elder caring for their junior!
Watching him leave with such heaviness and helplessness inevitably brought sadness; turnover rates are always highest in sales departments where people come and go—it’s something we’ve long since grown accustomed to.!
The market has always been brutal: if one cannot produce results themselves without being pushed out by others—they simply won’t last either! This reminds me of an excellent line from Tang poetry: “After passing countless sails none remain,”
Teams and individuals alike have no right or wrong answers—everyone has simply grown accustomed to seeking out someone better or looking for better life opportunities ahead! Sweet Potato is merely a typical representative,
Starting tomorrow this hopeful young man will embark on another stumbling journey anew—he will seek out yet another better opportunity—which isn’t that what makes life exciting? by – Director Chen