《拉薩情書》

第三十章、上海分公司和夢影重逢
01
看見懷民的房車出現在家門口，愛玉一臉狐疑問安妮：「大嫂，大哥怎麼這時候跑回來？」
抱著嬰兒的安妮微笑說：「應該是喜事吧！你哥可能要高昇了。」
「喔？真的嗎？」愛玉說完走出木門去到門口。
懷民吩咐說：「我後車箱裡有兩箱文具，妳幫我扛一箱。」
「哥，你真的升官了？」愛玉還是半信半疑。
懷民滿面春風問：「大嫂跟妳說的？」
愛玉點頭說；「就剛才，你的車子回來時。」
懷民開心說：「妳大嫂料事如神呢！哥的確升遷了，公司派我去上海。」
兩兄妹把兩箱文具搬進客廳裡。安妮已經從兩人對話，知道公司派懷民去上海。
安妮問：「公司要你幾時到上海？」
「下個月初。」懷民接著說：「妳要跟著去喔！」
安妮訝異問：「我還在寫博士論文，怎麼跟著你去上海啊？」
懷民喜孜孜說：「霍爾指定的，妳是我的特別助理，我是上海分公司總經理。」
愛玉驚訝地吐舌頭，結巴著問：「真、真的假、假的啊？」
「當然是真的囉！」懷民問：「安妮，這幾天，妳趕緊跟指導教授見面，談妥修改論文題目的事。」
安妮微笑說：「好吧！今天我整理一下，明天就去學校見教授和Uncle。」
愛玉忍不住抱怨說：「昨天才說，不會那麼快出遠門，今天就說下個月初要去上海。」
懷民摸摸愛玉的頭說：「公司長官們的決定，再麻煩妳看家囉，愛玉。」

02
湯懷民一家三口和艾森豪主任，搭機抵達上海虹橋機場。
四人走出出境大廳，搭上接送專車。
艾森豪說：「報告總經理，老霍爾兩個月前就派我來這裡選址、佈置，他做事一向重視SOP。」
懷民驚訝說：「喔？原來長官兩個月前就…」
「是啊！兩個多月前，聽說臨時董事會通過，成立上海分公司，當時只有一級主管知情。至於他矚意人選，則是不久前，我的部長湯瑪斯告知我的。」
安妮微笑說：「霍爾長官真是保密到家。」
艾森豪說：「在此之前，我只聽過你跟動畫部蘇莉敏主任，接手大中華A三案，對你實在沒什麼印象。」
懷民突然想到：「對了！蘇主任怎麼沒被派來上海？」
「我只知道上面的長官，要她放手大中華A三案，還有她被歸建，不再兼任人力儲訓部的動畫師考核官。」
懷民問：「喔？這樣說來，她是被降級囉？什麼原因呢？」
「算是被降級！」艾森豪說：「至於原因，連我的小老闆湯瑪斯都沒聽說。」
「喔！」懷民直覺聯想到，先前他寄給老霍爾那份故事大綱和那封短信，但是他仍想不透這其中到底發生什麼事。
懷民望著安妮，手臂彎抱著嬰兒的安妮故作神秘說：「我大概猜到會是什麼原因，以後告訴你。」
「從今天起，你是我的小老闆了。」艾森豪說：「老霍爾特地指示我，大小事都必須跟兩位商量討論，如果我們三人意見不一致，就由安妮特助來定奪。」
懷民苦笑說：「原來，在長官的心目中，我太太才是最後的決策者。」

03
在湯懷民的人事派令正式公告前，蘇莉敏就從大嘴巴的艾蜜莉口中，打聽出湯懷民即將出任上海分公司總經理的消息，莉敏隨即以電子信告知人在巴黎的唐夢影。
夢影收到來信，當下決定放棄即將到手的巴黎藝術大學美術研究所博士班入學許可，束裝回到台灣。
在日月潭唐家豪宅客廳裡，唐夢影極力說服父母親，同意她前來上海，報考狄士尼公司的動畫師。
唐雲飛勸著說：「ㄚ頭，妳的心思老爸都清楚，妳這是何苦來哉呢？」
夢影埋怨說：「爸，當初我原本想跟懷民一起去西藏，要不是考慮到你的事業…」
「懷民懷民，妳心裡眼裡，難道就只有懷民？」唐雲飛不禁動怒說：「就算我當時看走眼，把他這頭千里馬當成驢子，女兒，妳真的不要為了一棵樹，就放棄一片美麗的森林。我商場朋友裡，青年才俊隨手一抓就有一大把，可以讓妳東挑西撿…」
夢影打斷父親的話尾說：「爸！除了懷民，沒有另外一個男孩，一路陪伴我成長，我對他的感情，根本不是任何人可以取代的。」
趙雅雲安撫說：「ㄚ頭，你爸和我從來沒有反對妳跟懷民在一起，也沒做過任何對不起妳的事，誰會曉得他去了一趟西藏，就喜新厭舊、移情別戀呢？」
唐雲飛沒好氣說：「妳為了懷民，連研究所也放掉，可懷民不只移情別戀，跟別的女人結婚生子，還搭上直升機，高昇去了上海，你卻看不透，還想跟著去上海瞎攪和。ㄚ頭，妳腦子能不能清醒一下？」
唐夢影心意已決，紅著眼眶說：「我不甘心，我沒有做過任何對不起懷民的事，他不應該這樣對待我，我不甘心，不甘心啊！」
唐家夫妻看著女兒態度如此堅決，四眼對望。
趙雅雲無奈嘆氣說：「唉！真不知上輩子到底咱們唐家虧欠他們湯家什麼？這輩子要拿晚輩的幸福來抵償。ㄚ頭，媽就讓你去上海，可妳要答應媽，照顧好自己。」
唐雲飛說：「老婆，妳當真要讓ㄚ頭去上海？」
趙雅雲說：「老頭子，你真不懂ㄚ頭的心思嗎？就算不能挽回懷民，ㄚ頭還是執意要去，難不成我們能把她綁在身邊嗎？」

04
安妮的特助辦公室裡，辦公桌座位旁擺著一張嬰兒床。無論嬰兒有無動靜，安妮隨時都看著嬰兒。
分公司的組織編制比照總公司，但規模小多了。各部門一級主管，都是霍爾欽點的，他們晚三天到上海履新。這是個小而美，充滿活力的新公司。
艾蜜莉是動畫部門主管，整個公司裡，她和湯懷民最投契。公司招考一批在地員工，艾蜜莉把動畫部門初選後的動畫師名單和他們初試時的作品，整理出一疊檔案夾，呈給湯懷民圈選後，由懷民親自面試。此外，還有各部門主管呈上來的面試人員名單。
在這疊動畫師檔案夾裡，湯懷民意外發現一個熟悉的身影：唐夢影，令湯懷民傷透腦筋。懷民把這份檔案給安妮過目，一臉憂愁。
安妮微笑調侃說：「唐夢影似乎還不想放棄你，可見你很有魅力喔！」
「妳別酸我了，安妮」懷民搔頭苦笑說：「我該怎麼處理呢？」
安妮分析說：「如果你不想再跟她糾纏下去，在面試時你就可以刷掉她，但我希望你去面對她，身正不怕影子斜，讓她知難而退，從此捨得放下。」
懷民喃喃自語說：「我得冷靜下來想清楚…，想清楚。」

05
面試會場上，湯懷民似乎有些坐立難安，不時拿起保溫杯喝水，掏面紙擦拭額頭和眼臉。
艾蜜莉察覺到這情形，湊近來小聲關切：「總座，你還好嗎？身體有哪裡不舒服？」
懷民挺了一下腰稈說：「昨晚沒睡好，不礙事、不礙事。」
輪到唐夢影出場，她把長髮盤起，臉上薄施脂粉，身上穿著一襲鵝黃色長裙套裝，顯得端莊典雅。懷民一眼認出，這襲套裝，正是他去西藏前一年，夢影生日時，陪著她去百貨公司挑選的。
唐夢影坐下來，接受面試官以美語提問。
艾森豪翻閱夢影的檔案夾，好奇問：「唐小姐，從妳的學歷證件裡，看見妳已獲得巴黎藝術大學美術研究所博士班入學許可，為什麼妳甘願放棄這個深造機會，來應徵這份動畫師工作？」
唐夢影一臉哀怨說：「面試官這道問題，像一道閃電，擊中我的傷心往事。」
夢影的回答，立馬引起艾森豪和艾蜜莉的好奇。湯懷民卻是眉頭深鎖，面如寒霜。
夢影娓娓道出她和前男友的傷心往事：「我的未婚夫，跟我從小一起成長，為了一路與他相伴同行，我放棄自己喜歡的音樂，選擇了美術。我的未婚夫是個有自己想法、氣質浪漫的畫家，原本他跟我約定，要一起去巴黎深造美術，可他後來黃牛了！他去了一趟西藏後，就另結新歡…」夢影暫停了半晌，一雙哀怨的眼睛直盯著湯懷民。
艾森豪和艾蜜莉聽到「西藏」，直覺聯想到湯懷民，這個唐小姐似乎影射湯總經理，兩人不約而同側臉望著懷民，懷民這時卻面無表情、呆若木雞，這情景不免引起兩人疑心，加上這時唐小姐竟然直盯著主考官，更是啟人疑竇。
「我的未婚夫和新認識的女友，很快地結婚回到加州，而我人在巴黎，一直被他矇在鼓裡，後來他進到貴公司，獲得高層賞識，很快地位居要職…」說到這裡，夢影忍不住掏出手絹，擦拭眼角的淚水，令艾森豪和艾蜜莉看得動容。
「唐小姐，妳似乎須要舒緩一下情緒，過一會兒再請妳繼續這場面談。」艾蜜莉說著，跟現場助理人員以眼神示意，兩位女助理走過來，把唐夢影請到休息室去。
艾森豪和艾蜜莉都已心裡有數，這位唐小姐顯然就是湯總座的前任女友，兩人很有默契走到角落低聲討論。
「艾咪，妳看這位唐小姐，咱們該怎麼處理？」
艾蜜莉苦笑說：「就看總座的意思囉！難不成我們兩個還能跟總座故意過不去？」
艾森豪苦惱說：「可總座從剛才就板著臉孔，雕像似地一直紋風不動，根本摸不清楚他的心意啊！」
艾蜜莉想了一下說：「艾森，評分表上就寫這句：有請總座決定。」
艾森豪雙手一攤說：「只好這樣囉！我可不想踩到地雷。」
座位上的湯懷民仍雕像似地發呆著，直到兩位陪席面試官回到座位上，湯懷民這才開口說：「兩位部長認為這位唐小姐，能力方面能否勝任這份工作？」
艾森豪和艾蜜莉兩人對望一眼，艾蜜莉謹慎地說：「有請總座決定！」
湯懷民拿起那只「PASS」戳章，在評分表蓋上，有些木吶地說：「唐小姐的面試通過，後半段就省略吧！」
艾森豪和艾蜜莉跟著點頭，明白總經理想息事寧人，特意放水，於是在評分表蓋上那只「PASS」底下簽名。
湯懷民起身離席說：「休息十分鐘。」隨即來到走廊，爬上陽台，點起香菸，搔著頭吞雲吐霧起來。艾蜜莉跟著起身，去洗手間路過那裡，看見湯懷民抽菸的背影，心裡訝異：「原來，總座會抽菸，以前我怎麼都沒見過呢…」。

Chapter 30: Shanghai Branch and Reunion with Mengying
01
Seeing Huaimin’s car at the door, Aiyu asked Anne suspiciously: “Big brother, sister-in-law, why are you back now?”
Anne, holding the baby, smiled: “It must be good news! Your brother might be getting promoted.”
“Oh? Really?” Aiyu said and went to the door.
Huaimin instructed: “There are two boxes of stationery in the trunk. Help me carry one.”
“Brother, you really got promoted?” Aiyu still doubted.
Huaimin beamed: “Did your sister-in-law tell you?”
Aiyu nodded: “Just now, when your car came back.”
Huaimin happily said: “Your sister-in-law is prophetic! Yes, I’ve been promoted. The company is sending me to Shanghai.”
The two siblings carried the stationery boxes into the living room. Anne had already learned from their conversation that Huaimin was being sent to Shanghai.
Anne asked: “When do you have to go?”
“Beginning of next month,” Huaimin replied. “And you’re coming with me.”
Anne was surprised: “I’m still working on my PhD thesis. How can I follow you to Shanghai?”
Huaimin beamed: “Hall specifically designated you as my special assistant. I’m the general manager of the Shanghai branch.”
Aiyu stuck out her tongue in surprise and stammered: “R-really? Is it true?”
“Of course it’s true!” Huaimin said. “Anne, these days, meet your advisor and finalize the thesis title change.”
Anne smiled: “Alright! I’ll organize my notes today and meet the professor and Uncle tomorrow.”
Aiyu complained: “Yesterday you said we wouldn’t go so soon. Today you say early next month to Shanghai.”
Huaimin patted Aiyu’s head: “It’s the bosses’ decision. I’ll need you to look after the house, Aiyu.”
________________________________________
02
Huaimin, Anne, their baby, and Director Eisenhower flew to Shanghai Hongqiao Airport.
After leaving the arrivals hall, they took a chauffeured car.
Eisenhower reported: “General Manager, Old Hall sent me here two months ago to select the site and prepare. He always emphasizes SOP.”
Huaimin was surprised: “Oh? So the boss… two months ago?”
“Yes, over two months ago. The temporary board approved establishing the Shanghai branch. Only first-level managers knew at the time. As for the person he preferred, my manager Thomas informed me recently.”
Anne smiled: “Hall really keeps secrets well.”
Eisenhower continued: “Before this, I only knew you and Director Suliman took over the Greater China A3 project. You left little impression on me.”
Huaimin suddenly remembered: “Why wasn’t Director Suliman sent to Shanghai?”
“I only know that the higher-ups told her to hand over the Greater China A3 project. She was also reassigned and no longer served as the animator assessor for the HR Training Department.”
Huaimin asked: “Oh? So she was demoted? For what reason?”
“Consider it a demotion,” Eisenhower said. “Even my little boss Thomas doesn’t know the reason.”
Huaimin thought of the story outline and email he sent Old Hall, but he still couldn’t figure out exactly what happened.
He looked at Anne, who cradled the baby with a mysterious smile: “I think I know the reason. I’ll tell you later.”
“From today on, you’re my little boss,” Eisenhower said. “Hall instructed me to discuss all matters with both of you. If the three of us disagree, Special Assistant Anne makes the final call.”
Huaimin bitterly smiled: “So in the boss’s mind, my wife is the ultimate decision-maker.”
________________________________________
03
Before Huaimin’s appointment was officially announced, Suliman learned from the chatty Emily that Huaimin would become GM of the Shanghai branch. Suliman immediately emailed Mengying, who was in Paris.
Mengying decided to give up her upcoming PhD offer from Paris Art University and returned to Taiwan.
In the Tang family mansion at Sun Moon Lake, Mengying tried to persuade her parents to let her go to Shanghai to apply to Disney as an animator.
Tang Yunfei tried to reason: “Mengying, your father understands your heart. Why are you making things so difficult for yourself?”
Mengying complained: “Dad, I originally wanted to go to Tibet with Huaimin, but I had to consider your career…”
Tang Yunfei, upset: “Huaimin, is he the only person you care about? Even if I misjudged him, daughter, don’t sacrifice a whole forest for a single tree! You have plenty of talented young men to choose from…”
Mengying interrupted: “Dad! Besides Huaimin, no other boy has accompanied me my whole life. My feelings for him cannot be replaced.”
Tang Yayun comforted: “Mengying, your father and I never opposed you being with Huaimin. No one wronged you. Just because he went to Tibet, doesn’t mean he’d forget his old love and move on.”
Tang Yunfei said irritably: “You gave up graduate school for him. Meanwhile, he married another woman, had a child, and climbed the corporate ladder to Shanghai. And you still want to follow him? Are you out of your mind?”
Mengying, eyes red, said firmly: “I refuse to accept this. I never wronged Huaimin. He shouldn’t treat me this way. I won’t accept it!”
Tang parents exchanged glances.
Tang Yayun sighed: “I don’t know what our Tang family owed the Tang family’s next generation to repay this way. Mengying, I’ll let you go to Shanghai, but you must promise to take care of yourself.”
Tang Yunfei asked: “Wife, are you really letting her go to Shanghai?”
Tang Yayun said: “Old man, you don’t understand her heart. Even if she can’t win back Huaimin, she insists on going. Can we really bind her to us?”
________________________________________
04
In Anne’s assistant office, there was a crib next to her desk. She watched the baby at all times.
The branch’s structure mirrored the head office but was much smaller. Department heads, all appointed by Hall, arrived three days later. This was a small, vibrant new company.
Emily was the animation department head and clicked well with Huaimin. She organized the animator candidates’ portfolios from the initial selection and presented them to Huaimin for screening and interviews.
Among the portfolios, Huaimin unexpectedly saw a familiar face: Tang Mengying, causing him great distress. He showed the file to Anne, frowning.
Anne teased with a smile: “Mengying still doesn’t want to give up on you. You must be charming!”
“Don’t tease me, Anne,” Huaimin said, scratching his head. “What should I do?”
Anne analyzed: “If you don’t want to get involved, you can eliminate her in the interview. But I hope you face her, be upright, and make her back off.”
Huaimin muttered: “I need to calm down and think clearly… think clearly.”
________________________________________
05
At the interview, Huaimin was uneasy, sipping water and dabbing his forehead.
Emily noticed and whispered: “GM, are you okay? Any discomfort?”
Huaimin straightened: “Didn’t sleep well last night. It’s nothing.”
When Tang Mengying’s turn came, she had her hair up, light makeup, and wore a pale yellow long skirt suit—elegant and dignified. Huaimin recognized it from a shopping trip the year before for her birthday.
Mengying sat for the interview, answering in English.
Eisenhower, reviewing her file, asked: “Miss Tang, your credentials show you were admitted to Paris Art University for a PhD. Why give up that chance to apply for this animator role?”
Mengying, looking sorrowful: “This question struck me like lightning, hitting an old wound.”
Her answer piqued Eisenhower and Emily’s curiosity. Huaimin frowned, expression icy.
Mengying recounted her heartbreak with her ex: “My fiancé grew up with me. To accompany him, I gave up music for art. He was a romantic-minded artist. We planned to study in Paris together… but he went to Tibet, then moved on with someone else.”
She paused, staring at Huaimin with sorrowful eyes.
Eisenhower and Emily, hearing “Tibet,” immediately connected the dots—Tang’s story seemed to reference GM Tang. Both glanced at Huaimin, who remained expressionless, frozen.
Mengying continued: “My ex married quickly and returned to California. I was in Paris, kept in the dark. Later, he joined your company and was quickly promoted…”
She dabbed her tears with a handkerchief, moving both Eisenhower and Emily.
Emily said: “Miss Tang, maybe you need a moment to compose yourself. We’ll continue shortly.”
Two assistants escorted Mengying to the lounge.
Eisenhower and Emily were certain: this was Huaimin’s ex-girlfriend. They whispered in a corner:
“Emmy, what should we do with her?”
Emily smiled: “It depends on the GM’s decision. We’re not going to oppose him deliberately, right?”
Eisenhower fretted: “But he’s been like a statue this whole time. I can’t read his mind!”
Emily said: “The evaluation form says: GM decides.”
Eisenhower shrugged: “Fine, I don’t want to step on a landmine.”
Huaimin sat like a statue until the two interviewers returned. Then he asked: “Do you think Miss Tang is capable for this position?”
They exchanged glances. Emily cautiously said: “Please decide, GM.”
Huaimin stamped “PASS” on her evaluation form, muttering awkwardly: “She passes; we can skip the second half.”
They nodded, understanding he wanted to keep the peace.
Huaimin stood, saying: “Ten-minute break.” He went to the balcony, lit a cigarette, ran his hand through his hair, exhaling smoke.
Emily, passing by to the restroom, noticed him smoking and thought: “GM smokes? I’ve never seen that before…”