Chapter 1 — After Ten Years of Silence, the Whole Industry Sees Me

Earned 500,000,000 yuan in revenue, year-end bonus was only given 32,000 yuan. After I refused to accept a big contract, the top master in the industry worshiped me like a god.

"The year-end bonus was cut from 380,000 yuan to 32,000 yuan, and new employees got 60,000 yuan."

The deputy general director didn't feel guilty at all and threw the documents down in front of me.

"Only you can do Cam Hoa Group's project."

Twenty-three grand prizes. 500,000,000 yuan in revenue. In return, there are only unlimited humiliations. I pushed the contract worth 80,000,000 yuan back in front of him.

"Wouldn't it be more profitable to give it to someone new?"

His face immediately turned pale. Just about to get angry. At that moment, the company door was pushed open. The person the company spent 1,200,000 yuan to invite, the legend of the advertising world, walked in surrounded by a crowd. He ignored all the leaders who were competing to please him. His eyes directly glanced over the crowd, stopping on my desk. Then he called my name.

"Tham Nhuoc Tinh, are you serious?"

Tong Chi Vien slammed the plan in his hand on the table, the blue vein on his forehead twitched twice. I leaned back in my chair, looking at him.

"President Tong, of course I'm serious."

"The project to reposition the entire brand system of Cam Hoa Group, the contract is worth 80,000,000 yuan. There is no second company in Hai Thanh that can accept it. You are the Creative Director, if you don't do it, who will?"

"Then I also want to ask President Tong a question."

I took out the year-end bonus coupon from the drawer and placed it in front of him.

"Last year, I led the team to win six national awards. Three customers, Cam Hoa, Minh Tuyen and Thuy Phong, were all brought in by me, contributing more than 100,000,000 yuan in revenue. So why did the year-end bonus this year change from 380,000 yuan to 32,000 yuan?"

Tong Chi Vien's face darkened. He pushed back his golden glasses and leaned back.

"This is a unified adjustment for the company, not just for you. This year's policy is calculated based on position coefficient plus seniority, everyone is the same."

"Are they all the same?"

I stood up and pointed to the wall behind me. It was filled with trophies, certificates of merit and thank you letters from customers.

"A planning employee who joins the company for two years receives a year-end bonus of 60,000 yuan. I work for ten years and receive 32,000 yuan. President Tong, is this the same thing?"

He didn't answer. After a few seconds of silence, he picked up the plan on the table and stood up.

"Tham Nhuoc Tinh, the company's decision is not something you can change."

"Cam Hoa's project, you have to do it if you do it, you have to do it if you don't do it."

"Then don't do it."

I sat down, turned on the computer.

"You take care of it yourself."

He slammed the door and left. I looked at the door that was still shaking, feeling like I was choking on a block of ice in my chest, unable to swallow it but unable to spit it out. It's been ten years. I threw my best ten years into this company. I used to stay up until three o'clock in the morning to complete the project. I've had to endure seeing customers tear up plans and throw them back right in front of me. Leading seven new teams of employees from scratch. The result is only worth 32,000 yuan. But the real turn of events happened five days later. When that person appeared in front of the company, the expression above I will never forget everyone's faces at that time. Thinh Hang Media has existed in Hai Thanh for fifteen years. Not considered too big, but in the advertising industry it is still considered a famous name. My name is Tham Nhuoc Tinh, thirty-five years old this year, Creative Director. Ten years ago, I graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts and brought an old suitcase to Hai Thanh. It was raining on the day of the interview. Half of my work portfolio was wet. Ms. Tan at the front desk helped me use a dryer to dry each page. After that, I stayed at this place. Start from the lowest art assistant position. Write advertising content, draw storyboards, follow the filming crew, meet customers, edit plans, stay up all night. My colleagues all call me "iron man". Because my record is four consecutive days of not going home, sleeping on the sofa in the company conference room. There was a time when I stayed up all night to complete the plan. The next day I fainted right in front of the customer. When I woke up, Ms. Tan was sitting next to the hospital bed and scolded me:

"You don't need the internet anymore?"

"If the plan is not approved, what is lost is the team's bread and butter."

That's not a polite word. My mother died because of this industry. She is the designer of a textile factory. In twenty years, she painted more than a thousand patterns. The factory's best-selling products are all designed by her. But the name signed on those designs was the name of the factory director. My mother never fought.

"The design is made, someone wears it, someone praises it, that's enough."

The winter of my eleventh grade year. She worked overtime in the workshop to complete the drawing. Myocardial infarction suddenly occurred. By the time he was taken to the hospital, it was too late. When I was cleaning up my mother's remains, I found a vellum envelope under her pillow. Inside is a stack of award certificates. These are all industry awards. Excellent designer. But on each certificate, the person whose name is written is a different person. From that day on, I made a vow to myself. I have to be the best in this industry. I have to let my name appear on each work I create.

"Director Tham, are you here?"

The person knocking on the door is Ha Than. The student I have been leading for three years now. Twenty-six years old this year, he is the most talented young person in the team. He pushed the door open and walked in, an awkward look on his face.

"Teacher, there's something I don't know if I should tell you or not."

"Today, Hua Uyen Thanh proactively sought out General Tong to talk for more than half an hour. After going out, she told the group that Cam Hoa's project would be directly responsible for her."

Hua Uyen Thanh. Strategy Director of Thinh Hang Media. Joined the company for four years.