Chapter 1169 A Severe Task
Days passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was already mid-to-late this month.
Daryl showed up in her sight every other day, often buying her breakfast and other things.
He knew she wouldn't accept them, so he always had Douglas deliver them to her.
Every time, Douglas would put on a troubled face and plead with her, and each time, Cecilia softened and gave him ten dollars.
Over the past half month, Cecilia had given over a hundred dollars, and Daryl had practically become a breakfast reseller.
That afternoon, Seraphine called Cecilia into her office.
"Ms. Lawson, you wanted to see me?" Cecilia respectfully asked Seraphine.
Seraphine gestured for Cecilia to sit down, then frowned and said, "Cecilia, I appreciate your abilities, but our magazine is facing difficulties. It's not just about doing your column well; you also need to understand commercial operations. With the rise of the internet, print media is facing different challenges. To keep our magazine afloat, we must bring in advertising revenue. Do you understand?"
Hearing this, Cecilia lowered her head in shame.
This month, she had brought in the least advertising revenue in the entire magazine, so it was only right for Seraphine to call her out and urge her.
"I understand, Ms. Lawson. It's my fault for not doing my job well." Cecilia admitted, head bowed.
Seraphine was satisfied with Cecilia's sincere attitude but still urged, "It's not enough to just understand; you need to find a way to bring in the advertising revenue. There's only one week left in this month. If you don't meet your target, your whole team's bonus will be gone!"
"Ms. Lawson, it's mainly my fault, not the other team members'. If you have to deduct the bonus, just deduct mine. Can you not deduct theirs?"
Since Cecilia had taken on the role of team leader for the finance column, her colleagues had been very cooperative. If they lost their bonuses because of her, she would feel guilty. Besides, her colleagues weren't well-off and relied on that bonus.
Seraphine replied, "Cecilia, I understand how you feel, but these are company rules, and no one can change them!"
Hearing this, Cecilia furrowed her brows.
At this point, Seraphine said, "Instead of worrying, you should start working on it now. There's still time before the end of the month."
"Okay." Cecilia nodded.
Leaving Seraphine's office, Cecilia felt lost.
At that moment, Marcella ran into Cecilia in the hallway.
Seeing Cecilia's troubled expression, Marcella pulled her into the break room.
"Did Ms. Lawson call you in because of the advertising revenue?" Marcella asked.
"If I don't meet the advertising target this month, our whole team will lose their bonuses. It's all my fault," Cecilia said, feeling hopeless about bringing in the revenue.
Hearing this, Marcella said, "What's the use of wallowing in self-pity? You should be thinking of solutions."
"What can I do? I spent both weekends handing out flyers on the busiest streets of Maple Valley, but it was useless," Cecilia said.
Hearing this, Marcella gave Cecilia a push and said, "That won't work. Have you ever seen any other column team leader handing out flyers?"
"So they all have business friends?" Cecilia asked naively.
Hearing that, Marcella rolled her eyes.
"Why aren't you saying anything? Tell me!" Cecilia grabbed Marcella's arm.
Finally, Marcella said, "They do have business friends, but those are just superficial relationships."
"What do you mean?" Cecilia asked, puzzled.
Marcella blushed a bit and said, "In this line of work, you inevitably meet a lot of business owners. You know what those guys are like; they all want to take advantage of women. These team leaders have no choice but to play along. Some really do get taken advantage of, but they never have to worry about advertising revenue. For someone like me, who just plays along without letting them succeed, it's a bit harder. I managed to bring in revenue this month, but who knows about next month!"
Hearing this, Cecilia was stunned.
So there was so much to learn about bringing in advertising revenue. No wonder the team leaders dressed so flamboyantly, sometimes even too revealingly.
Seeing Cecilia silent, Marcella said in a low voice, "Cecilia, you don't look down on me, do you? I have no choice. My mom is sick, I have a brother in college, and my dad is unreliable. This job is stressful and involves dealing with men, but the pay and benefits are good. Without this job, I couldn't support my family."
Cecilia quickly said, "Of course not. I'm in a similar situation; sometimes we have no choice."
This was also Cecilia's heartfelt sentiment. Because of her family's situation, she had also compromised herself, so she deeply empathized with Marcella.
Marcella felt a bit better and said, "You should think of something quickly. Losing this month's bonus is a small matter. If you can't bring in advertising revenue in the future, your position as team leader will be in jeopardy, and the whole column might be cut."
"Yes, I understand." Cecilia nodded.
Back at her desk, Cecilia racked her brain but couldn't think of any other solution. She could only turn to Susan and Isabella for help. They were the only wealthy business owners she knew. Although she didn't want to ask them, she had to get through this tough time. Cecilia knew they would help if she asked. So, she called Susan.
The phone rang a few times before connecting, but just as Cecilia was about to speak, a recorded message played. "Hi, this is Susan. I'm currently on vacation in Majestic City and will be back next month. If it's urgent, please leave a message. Sorry for the inconvenience. Goodbye!"
Hearing this, Cecilia frowned.
After hesitating, she called Isabella.
To her surprise, the message was the same as Susan's.
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