Chapter 83: Unborn

mirror at the same time and replied.Your family is clearly...Pei Xiuzhi rubbed her eyes, squeezed them shut hard then opened them again. Looking at Ji Jingyuan who was about to leave, she asked in bew...As a staff member of the planning department, team 3 of a medium-sized foreign trade company, 27-year-old Nanto Ken tidied up the things on his desk. After organizing all the documents neatly and taking a look at the table, he glanced out the window at the already gloomy sky and couldn't help but sigh. It was another day of overtime work.

The pressure and competition in the Hanwha company workplace are really great, especially for those in lower-level positions. There is a lot of internal competition among them, with overtime work and scolding from superiors being commonplace.

Originally not from a prestigious university, Nan Dong Jian had almost completely lost his youthful vigor and naiveté in these past few years of work. His words and deeds were fully devoted to the workplace, this small social environment that he was immersed in.

It was past quitting time, and many people had already left. Naito Ken finished packing up and was about to leave when a burst of laughter from not far away caught his attention.

At a glance, he noticed several female employees who had just joined the company were laughing with a few male colleagues. He couldn't hear what they were saying from afar, but Nanto Ken could probably guess some things.

These few girls who joined the company recently have been promoting a TV series called "The Untamed" among familiar colleagues since a few days ago. Naito Ken has heard them talk about it before, and some of them seem to be fans of the actor Wang Yibo, who plays the male lead in the series. To support their idol, they are even so diligently promoting him at their workplace, which is really dedicated love from these fans!

Actually, some employees are quite against this kind of thing. After all, they've long passed the age of chasing stars and are incredibly busy with work every day. However, these female staff members look youthful and beautiful after putting on makeup, making it hard to dislike them. One of them is said to be a relative of the department manager and has connections.

And they only introduced and recommended it to colleagues they knew in the same group. When others saw it, they could only smile and let it go.

Nando glanced in that direction a few times, shook his head, and left the office to go to the parking lot. He drove his Hyundai back to his apartment, stopping and going all the way through the traffic jam.

Thanks to the department head organizing a drinking session the day before yesterday, I need to take it easy these two days. Otherwise, I estimate that today would be another round of drinking until I'm unconscious and can barely make it back to rest.

After buying a bowl of Zhajiangmian to fill his stomach and finishing his laundry, he sat on the sofa feeling a bit bored. He opened the television and flipped through several channels but didn't find any TV dramas that he particularly liked. After checking the schedule, Nando thought suddenly of the fans of Chi Jingyuan from his company who had been enthusiastically recommending "Unborn" these past few days.

Of course, he'd heard of the name "Ji Chang Wook." After all, he was really popular these past two years. When chatting with young girls, EXO and Ji Chang Wook were great common topics. Even though she wasn't really into boy bands, sometimes she would make an effort to learn about people like Nam Dong Jin.

A drama about "The Untamed" An office drama

After a brief moment of thought, Nando Ken recalled that it was Friday's premiere today. Since he had nothing better to do anyway, he decided to switch channels and watch with a critical eye.

Thanks to him, there are still N cable TV subscribers.

The Golden Soil drama starts broadcasting every Friday and Saturday at 10:00 PM. He had already arrived at nine fifty, as he sat there. He changed the channel and didn't wait two minutes before, after a round of commercials, it went into the broadcast time.

After a pleasant BGM and scenes of an office and a bird's-eye view of Seoul traffic, the words "Unsung" appear on the screen with rain effects.

《Unsung》 officially begins broadcasting.

A soothing BGM accompanies the shots of barren stone walls swaying gently, as Chi Jingyuan's voice, a low murmur, narrates in your ear:

The road is not walked out, but created in order to walk out.

"A path that you can't walk out of isn't a real path."

The dilapidated walls, coupled with just the right amount of

The accompaniment and the static magnetism of the narration, at the beginning, a profound sense of desolation arises, but in Nanto Ken's heart, he felt that this section was superfluous, pretentious:

"Pretending."

Next, Zhang Kelai, played by Chi Jingyuan, appears on screen. The camera slowly pans from behind him to the front, giving him a close-up shot of his whole body. In a well-tailored suit, paired with his excellent physique and specially designed hairstyle that reveals his forehead, the image of a confident office elite instantly comes to life. The first appearance of the male protagonist at the beginning really caught people's eye.

Even though he might not approve, Nan Dong Jian couldn't help but sigh inwardly when reviewing the attitude. "This boy is truly handsome. No wonder so many graduates admire him."

But soon, I also felt a bit disdain for this casting choice, thinking it was another cliché, invincible handsome male lead from a Peninsula idol drama. It's called a workplace drama, but it's just an idol drama in disguise.

In his perception of reality, someone who looks this good in the workplace would definitely be envied by others. If it were a girl, it might even be an advantage, but for a man, things are really different.

Unless it's related and has a background.

Although he grumbled inwardly, the visual quality of this segment actually impressed Nanto Ken. He felt that both the picture and the lens had a very cinematic style and quality.

At the beginning, these are scenes of Chi Jingyuan and they filmed in Jordan before. They put the plot of the last two episodes in the first episode to create suspense.

This opening scene showcases Zhang Kulai's growth, demonstrating his confidence and decisiveness in handling matters.

Although watching with a critical eye, the opening sequence of this intense chase scene on the street quickly drew Nan Dongjian in. Watching Zhang Klai and Xu Jin chasing each other on the very characteristic streets of the old city of Jordan, coupled with the tense BGM, truly gives you a bit of an action movie feel.

"Bang!" A loud crash, the sudden collision startled Nan Dongjian. He stared at Chi Jingyuan who staggered to his feet after being knocked over, momentarily speechless and unsure how to react.

He was truly startled by this sudden car accident.

The Jordan scene ended with Zhang Klai jumping from the rooftop, and the first episode began. Many viewers watching on television were momentarily caught off guard.

After entering the main part of the story, Zhang Klai, who was just brimming with confidence and maturity, was immediately brought back down to earth. The first scene opens with him doing a part-time job at a bathhouse, diligently wiping glass.

After finishing cleaning the windows, he quickly put on his uniform and ran to do a ride-hailing job. He panted heavily as he sprinted down the street, while simultaneously contacting the client with his phone.

Here you go, have it.

After delivering the drunken customer home, Zhang Ke bent down to pick up the bills he had carelessly tossed aside. To his surprise, it was a fifty thousand won note—the customer had overpaid. He hurried after the man to tell him, but the customer simply waved him off without looking, slamming the door shut. Zhang Ke stood silently outside, staring at the money in his hand, his expression a mixture of silence and complexity.

A few simple plots reveal the protagonist Zhang Kelai's family background and mission personality. Due to his difficult family circumstances, he takes on various part-time jobs, such as cleaning and driving, doing whatever it takes. He works very hard every day.

Although Zhang Kelai came from a single-parent family, his home was very warm. When his mother learned that her son was going to intern at "Quan Guoji," a well-known comprehensive trading company, because of some special reasons and didn't have a new, tailored suit, she cheered him on while also deciding to buy her son a new suit so he could look more presentable.

As an intern at "Qian Guo", Zhang Ke was assigned to Sales Team 3. He sat there idly, like a visiting guest, looking clueless as he just started the company. However, soon he was called up to the rooftop by Jin Da Ming, the team's agent, to be tested.

"Your name is Zhang…" On the rooftop, Jin Daming tapped his cigarette case and pulled out a cigarette. He held it in his hand but didn't light it, nor did he intend to smoke. He simply put the case back in his pocket and looked at the other person with a smirk that didn't reach his eyes.

>

This is Zhang Kelai. My name is Zhang Kelai.

"How old are you"

"26 years old."

"Have you stopped studying after passing the college entrance exam"

"Yes," Zhang Kelei, played by Chi Jingyuan, whose smile had just been present on his face moments ago, stiffened. His eyes darted around as he softly replied with a "yes."

"Did you drop out of high school Or are you just not interested in going to school, or did something happen"

"I didn't go to school...."

Why

..."

"Do you have any work experience"

"…"

Can you speak English or any other foreign languages

"Won't..."

A few simple, straightforward questions stripped Zhang Kelai's pride layer by layer, leaving him unable to answer and resorting to silence.

In just a few words, Jin Daming had figured out Zhang Klai's background and immediately lost interest. He casually greeted him before leaving first.

While Zhang Kelai squatted down and picked up the cigarette that had been dropped but not smoked, throwing it into the trash can. Standing beside the rooftop, he gazed silently into the distance, but his heart was filled with deep self-reflection due to his own silence just now.

"What have I done in these 26 years..."

Seeing this scene, Nanto Ken, who had been carrying himself with a superior air before, suddenly felt a stir within him.

Zhang Kulai's shame, pride, sadness, and a myriad of other indescribable complex emotions in response to Jin Daming's inquiry were palpable on the screen. Despite the distance, Chi Jingyuan's eyes clearly conveyed these feelings to him.

Just a few glances and expressions, along with a low murmur of self-questioning, allowed Nanto Ken to instantly grasp Zhang Klai's complex emotions at this moment.

After a long silence, the leg he had been casually resting on dropped down, and his waist straightened slightly. He continued to read with renewed seriousness.

Before he knew it, Nando started to truly immerse himself in the television drama.

Competition among sales teams is fierce. To boost revenue and handle the heavy workload, each team is desperately short-staffed, but they are all looking for highly educated employees with strong work capabilities who can make an immediate impact.

Like Zhang Ke, an intern with no experience, lacking any skills, and only a high school diploma, was seen as a burden and a nepotistic hire. Nobody looked at him seriously.

It's not surprising that others behave this way. In the workplace, everyone needs to demonstrate their abilities and value. But Zhang Kelai, who just joined, seems like a clueless newborn, knowing nothing. He doesn't know how to answer the phone, organize documents, or even make copies. He stands there looking lost and confused, completely out of place in the busy environment.

As if he were just an extra person.

She also took on the role of An Yingyi, played by Ginger. Ginger is a new intern who recently joined the company and is currently in the Business Department II. However, An Yingyi is skilled in her work, fluent in foreign languages, courageous, and full of ideas. She handles all tasks efficiently and has already closed a deal (ASE) shortly after joining the company, making her the type of employee that every department head desires. She is also the most outstanding intern among them.

Zhang Kelai and An Yingyi formed a stark contrast, further highlighting the male protagonist's feelings of loss and frustration.

Because of a coincidence, An Yingyi helped Zhang Kelai answer a client's call, which gave Zhang Kelai an idea. Whenever he encountered a problem, he would lick his face and ask An Yingyi for help, even if he was met with cold eyes, he would put down his pride and sincerely beg her. At the same time, he followed by her side, learning her every move and handling methods.

No matter how unwilling or impatient the other party is.

Zhang Klai's inner monologue seems to reveal his current thoughts and psychological shift:

"Whether it's face, dignity or self-respect, I don't have the time to care about them. To me, they are all insignificant now."

At this time, the news that he had no college experience also spread. Many interns who graduated from prestigious universities and came to intern at the same time were very unhappy, feeling that after all their hard work, they ended up working with a high school student, which made them feel devalued.

Under the initiative of some people, whether it's during meals or

Whenever Zhang Ke rides an elevator, he is subjected to verbal attacks from yin and yang energies as well as overt workplace ostracism.

Even though Zhang Ke knew these things well and hadn't yet demonstrated his worth, he could only steel himself, putting on a somewhat strained smile to face the situation.

Only Zhang Baiki, who was also an intern, didn't have any prejudice against him and even proactively spoke up to defend and explain for him twice.

The first day of internship ended just like that. Back home in the evening, the protagonist reminisced, showing the audience his past experiences and family changes.

He was a child who loved Go very much and had some talent. He was a serious and hardworking child, but because of family changes, his father had an accident and needed money, so he had been doing various part-time jobs since he was young. After graduating from high school, he didn't even go to college.

> At the same time, because of his part-time job, he hesitated and was distracted, which led to him being unable to pass the professional Go entrance exam. After the deadline for his research student at the Peninsula Go Institute arrived, he reluctantly gave up on Go, which he had always loved and worked hard for.

The next day, because Section Chief Wu Sangzhi was stuck in traffic and late, Zhang Kelei, at Kim Daemin's request, used Go to keep the originally scheduled foreign clients. It could be considered his first small achievement after starting work.

But this kind of thing couldn't change anyone's opinion of him at all. Wu Sang-植, the head of Business Group 3 who had just returned from an overseas business trip, directly told Zhang Kelai in the car: "Our group doesn't need promising rookies...After returning, I might send you back...What's your selling point Try to impress me with it."

"I try my best." After some nervous thought, Zhang Ke said what he believed was his greatest strength, and also his only armor.

But Wu Shangzhi just shook his head and said with a hint of amusement, "Nobody here doesn't work hard."

After arriving at the company, Wu Shangzhi hadn't even had a chance to say anything when he received a call from Jin Daming. Jin said that there was a problem with the supply of yu fish goods. Originally, the goods were supposed to be pure yu fish, but now it seemed that the supplier might have mixed in frozen squid to make up the numbers.

This is not a small matter. Once this batch of yellow croaker is made into food, if there are squid mixed in, it will greatly affect the purity.

Because the factory over there was automated and also short-handed, Wu Shangzhi decided to personally lead a team to manually inspect the goods at the loading area to see if there were any adulterated yellow croakers mixed in.

While Wu Shangzhi was on the phone, Zhang Kelai's mother brought him a brand-new black suit she had just bought with gritted teeth to his company. She gave the suit to her son in the lobby. When he saw the suit, he was a little puzzled. His mother pointed at her eyes and explained: "When you become a parent, you'll understand. If you see your child dressed shabbily, your eyelids will feel glued shut all day long, and you won't be able to do anything."

After leaving a touching quote, Mom stylishly waved goodbye and left the company, leaving Zhang Kelai speechless, staring at her departing figure.

As soon as Zhang Ke came back to Group 3 after changing his clothes in the restroom, he was caught by Wu Shangzhi and drafted into service. All the new interns were taken to the factory by him to inspect the eel.

Because there weren't enough work uniforms, Zhang Ke, who didn't get one, could only wear a new suit. The work environment was also very cold and he couldn't take his clothes off.

And with five refrigerated trucks, there were nine interns in total. They were divided into pairs of two, but under obvious pressure, no one was willing to be paired with him. In the end, only Zhang Ke came alone, and he could only single-handedly complete the workload of two people, inspecting a 3.5-ton shipment of silver carp all by himself.

When someone's luck is bad, nothing goes smoothly. While checking the sea bass in a refrigerated truck, Zhang Ke got splashed with water all over his body, and his phone even fell into the bucket holding the fish.

Finally, after much searching, I found the squid mixed in. However, I discovered that Wu Shangzhi had called earlier to say we didn't need to look for it anymore and could leave. The people who came with him had already left by car to return to the company.

Among those who despised him were his two interns, who had been sent to assist him. They deliberately failed to inform him and left without a word.

most

It wasn't until other factory employees found him still working inside that he was incredibly surprised and realized what had happened.

When realizing he was abandoned, the bewilderment and confusion on his face were palpable. The long-held feelings of disappointment and anger that had been accumulating within Ji Jingyuan were fully expressed in his expression.

When seeing Chi Jingyuan's stiff close-up shot on the television, combined with his messy hair from work, the soiled suit and face splashed with mud, countless viewers, including Nan Dongjian who had already been deeply immersed in the plot, couldn't help but tremble inwardly. For some reason, a feeling of empathy surged within them all.

Because the factory was far from the city center and it was difficult to take a taxi, Zhang Ke came back to the city alone after much difficulty. He arrived at the place where the interns were having a celebratory dinner.

These people who came back earlier have already finished eating and are chatting at the door. They are preparing to go home and rest.

As they were laughing and joking together, Dr. Wu Shangzhi, the section chief, happened to arrive at the door. They all saw Zhang Keli coming over from the side, looking disheveled and smelling strongly of fish.

Ignoring the ridicule and sarcasm of these people, and disregarding Wu Shangzhi's suggestion that he should go back to rest first, after bowing to the section chief, Zhang Ke turned and prepared to return to the company to work overtime and complete the task of sorting files on the computer that Wu Shangzhi had given him this afternoon.

As he walked away from the crowd and closer to the camera, his inner monologue began:

"Do you think I'm taking things too seriously"

"No, it's because I wasn't serious enough that I need to be tempered in society."

"Because I wasn't serious enough, that's why I was abandoned."

Finally, Zhang Klai pursed his lips and fixed a determined expression. The OST began to play, and the first episode of "The Untamed" officially ended.

Staring blankly at this last scene, Nanto Ken fell silent for a moment.

Although she was looking at it with a critical eye, although she felt nothing for this idol-actor named Ji Jingyuan, even somewhat disliked him, and although she was initially disappointed and found fault with the male lead and the drama in every way.

But why was he sitting on the couch for an hour and a half without moving, not even going to the restroom

Why would he empathize with Zhang Ke, a fledgling actor who is so physically attractive

Why is the pace of this first episode so slow There's no romance, and the protagonist isn't some wealthy heir or office elite. Instead, he keeps facing setbacks and being mistreated, yet the more I watch, the more invested and immersed I become.

Why did he, upon seeing the close-up portrait of Zhang Kelai at the end, feel a sudden tug in his heart Why did it unexpectedly make him think of himself out of the blue

Thinking and thinking, Nando Ken found that besides the initial thought in his heart that the male protagonist's appearance was too eye-catching, he never felt this way again after officially entering the plot.

Even in the middle, he had several times because Chi Jingyuan's performance was very impressive and thought-provoking, his facial expressions made him unable to hold back and secretly applaud.

This drama...

Nantongjian stared blankly at the advertisements that came on after the first episode ended, then picked up his phone and opened the search engine Naver. After a moment's hesitation, he typed in two words.

Unborn.

…………

The first episode of "Unborn" is a 90-minute special broadcast, significantly longer than the usual 60-minute length of a Peninsula television drama.

But after watching it, many viewers still felt a sense of unfulfillment, as if it wasn't enough.

After the first episode aired, online discussions heated up that night. After a night of fermentation, by the next day, it had caused quite an impact.

"It's really great, yesterday I was just casually watching it because I saw the promotion before and was bored. Before I knew it, I finished watching it. The filming is very good."

After watching it, I don't want to evaluate anything else. I just want to say that Park Ji-won is indeed the best actor among the 20-something actors. After watching the whole thing yesterday, when playing Zhang Kelai, this perpetually unlucky office newbie, his overly superior appearance didn't overshadow the role at all, making it feel very natural. He seemed to truly be that little clerk.

Same. The close-up expressions he had in there were really shocking, especially the scene where the cold car knew it was abandoned, and that final shot at the end really blew me away. As Kim Won Suk PD said, he's the best young actor out there.

"Indeed, I just rewatched "The Heirs" not long ago. Today, watching "Go Ahead", I didn't feel out of place at all. From Kim Tan to Zhang Kulai, the gap between the two roles is immeasurable. His acting skills are really good, and the casting team definitely has a knack for it."

"After watching it, I felt that it was really realistic, including the handling of various work matters in the three business groups, the interactions between interns and the various competitions and exclusion. There are many similarities to my own personal experiences. There's no mushy romantic ambiguity, which is what I hoped to see in a workplace drama."

Chi Jingyuan picked up a steamed bun with his chopsticks and stuffed it into his mouth. While watching the enthusiastic reviews of "The Untamed" online, his mood improved greatly after just waking up.

What are you looking at that makes you so happy

First published on the Traditional Chinese Novel Network here. It was early in the morning, before the shops even opened, and it was already bustling with activity.After finishing the concert and returning from Xia Country, Ji Jingyuan immediately joined t...