Mr Mermaid | LK Adaptation

Chapter 61

Chapter 61

Mama Manoban received a call from her daughter during dinner. Rather surprised, she answered and asked, "Lisa, what's going on?"

"Mum, I need to ask you something."

"Okay, go on."

"When I was applying for my current job, did you all pull on any strings?"

Mama Manoban avoided the question. "Why are you suddenly asking about this?"

"Mum, just tell me whether you did or did not," said Lisa, though based off her mother's hesitant tone, she was already somewhat certain that her mother was hiding something from her.

Mama Manoban seemed to consider the matter for a moment, and then she said, "It's like this. After your dad and I had a discussion, he did go look for one of his old university schoolmates who is a deputy editor-in-chief at your agency. We didn't tell you at the time, worried that it would disturb you, and your dad and that deputy editor-in-chief aren't that close anyway..."

Lisa interrupted her before she could finish speaking, "Mum, how could you all do this?!" Worked up, she subconsciously raised her voice, drawing the attention of the people around her.

Bambam glanced over at her for a moment, and then silently continued to eat his steak.

Mama Manoban was startled by the sharp spike in her daughter's emotions. Lisa had always been mild-mannered and patient, rarely ever flaring up at others... and what's more, right now, she was actually roaring at her own mother. Mama Manoban was a little unhappy. "Didn't I do it for your sake?"

"But why didn't you tell me about it then?"

"If I told you, would you have gone?"

"I... whether I go or not, you should have let me know. I would have liked to make my own decisions."

"And then? Without help from me and your dad, you would have gone out to hit wall after wall and simply settle for a part-time job? Without proper employment registration and no residence permit?"

Lisa had been trying to control her emotions, but now hearing what her mother had to say, she felt her rage burning. "Permit, permit — to hell with the Beijing residence permit! How many people tear each other apart just for this stupid residence permit! Did you know that my employment spot and residence permit were ripped from someone else's hands? How is this any different from robbery?!"

"Child! How can you say that? Are you saying that me and your dad are wrong? We put in so much effort and humbled ourselves to pull strings for you, and you call all that robbery? Do you have a conscience? !"

Lisa's eyes turned red. "I know you both care for me very much, but this isn't the sort of care I want!"

The mother and daughter's conversation ended on this unhappy note.

Hanging up, Lisa was no longer in the mood to eat. She pushed aside the cutlery in front of her, silent with a long face.

Bambam put down his fork and knife and dabbed gently at the corners of his mouth, elegant and composed. He said, "Even though this might not be very nice to hear, I still need to say that, Lisa, this time you're wrong."

"Why am I wrong?"

"You're being too naive. There is no such thing as absolute fair competition. Connections are also a type of resource. If you possess this resource but don't use it, it's a form of waste."

"But this isn't fair to others."

Ho," Bambam chuckled, shaking his head, "That's why I say that fresh graduates are too idealistic and sentimental. Under these circumstances, if you want to be fair to others, then you must first sacrifice the fairness your parents have worked so hard to create for you. Don't think that it's unfair because they pulled some strings for you. Many other people are also doing the same and relying on their connections. In competition with these people, only by relying on connections will you truly be on an even playing field. Of course, you could also choose to give your fairness away to others, then you would be a noble person who sacrificed your little self for a greater good. However, though you might think that what you're doing is following the rules, truth is, you're actually going against the rules. You're flouting the unspoken rules, which are the real rules."