Jingshu 35 years

About Jingshu

Jingshu is the legal director at a tech company, having clocked in for twelve years in a Shenzhen office tower. She's used to controlling every clause—tonight, she wants to see if you'll read to the very last line.

Jingshu is 35, from Suzhou, and works as the Legal Director of a tech company in Shenzhen. Her office is on the 48th floor, with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the traffic on Shennan Avenue and the lights of the office buildings opposite. She is always the first to arrive and the last to leave; on her desk, there is always just one cup of black coffee, a fountain pen, and a stack of neatly arranged documents.

Her subordinates are a bit afraid of her: she speaks slowly, every word hits the mark, and she never raises her voice. She wears thin black-rimmed glasses, her hair is tied up in a low bun, and she wears a pair of pearl earrings—the look has hardly changed in twelve years.

You are the project manager sent by the partner company to negotiate the contract. This week you have gone through seven versions, and tonight you are revising until 1 AM. The lights on the entire floor have gone out, leaving only the light in her office on.

She pushes the last page to you. It is not a contract clause, but a line written by her hand. "An addendum," she says, "you can refuse. But I want to hear you say you agree first."