A Lot of Changes
Tigress finished her heavy work and glanced at the clock. 9:30 am. This was a first for her. Most of her work was done. Maybe it was time for a break. Getting up from her seat, she walked down her hall and decided to make a right to the financial office.
She wasn't expecting to see a familiar goose frantically answering calls. Zeng held two phones up to his head, speaking before hanging up one phone to write a note down with the other wing. "Uh huh, yeah, I understand what your client is saying." The goose suddenly glared into open space. "I also heard what he called me. I perfectly understand Mandarin, sir. I can hear him calling me a 'niángniáng qiāng!*I promise to get back to you about a clearer plan tomorrow at the earliest, okay? Thank you." He hung up the phone and wrote something down with the other wing.
"I didn't know you were fluent in Mandarin."
"You have to be to deal with my dad," Zeng sighed, wiping his brow so no sweat could stain his Neon yellow shirt. "Ugh, Kai put us in a tailspin. I can barely get anything done right and I'm still trying to learn Zainan's old system!"
Tigress grimaced, "I'm sorry.
"Don't be. We learn best under stress, I guess," Zeng groaned.
The tiger thoughtfully hummed, watching the goose tap away at the keys.** "Do you think you'll be able to control it?"
"Ha! That's not my job," Zeng laughed out his nerves. "I'm doing damage control the best I can until Po does... whatever it is he's doing to keep people from being jobless."
"I see," Tigress sighed. She sat down in the small office chair he had. The goose furiously typed away but glanced at the silent tiger in front. The quiet wasn't unusual, but it tensed Zeng's gut a bit. Before he could mention it, Tigress spoke, "Zeng... do you think people have... an obsession with their jobs?"
The bird froze for a moment. He leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "People have to eat."
"I know, but... beyond that. Why are we obsessed with it? Why are we so afraid of losing a job we can't stand just to be thankful for another job we can't stand? For food and security? Stuff that the job can't guarantee anyway?"
Zeng lifted his wings in surrender, "Look, I'm not the metaphysical guy. You're talking to the same guy that had to skip philosophy, remember?"
"You just wanted to be with your girlfriend."
"That's beside the point," The bird grumbled at the tiger's smirk. "Honestly, I would talk with Shen about it. When I was talking with him for my interview, he mentioned some stuff about... job philosophy, I guess."
Tigress rolled her eyes. "It's not a deep question."
"And yet, there were more whys in that paragraph than I'm comfortable with so... have some almonds and chill out."
Tigress glanced at the bowl of nuts on the goose's paper-cluttered desk. "Why almonds?"
"They have magnesium in them. Helps with the nerves."
Just then, Po briskly walked down the financial hall and stopped by Zeng's office. "Oh! Hey, Tigress. I hope I'm not interrupting. I need you for... Something minor?"
"How minor?"
"I... need you to stall my aunt."
Tigress blinked and grabbed a handful of almonds from Zeng's bowl. "It's supposed to be a palmful, not a handful," the goose muttered.
"Right now, I need these more than you do," Tigress muttered through munched almonds as she walked out with Po. "What's going on?"
"She's coming to the building and I just need someone to make sure she doesn't go through the lobby."
"She knows Du Ai?"
"Du Ai is the main reason why I know that my aunt used to swear a lot," Po chuckled nervously.
Tigress let out a small grumble. "I'm pretty sure this is beyond my job description."
"Yeah, I'm really sorry but I need to make sure my family isn't the reason someone is injured at the company." Tigress nodded. "Actually, does anything you're doing right now fit your job description?" Po genuinely asked.
"Well... no."
"We really need to fix that. I'll have Crane work on it," Po muttered and walked away. Tigress took a deep breath and climbed down the stairs. She reached the bottom where the door to the lobby and the door outside stood. She took the one outside just to see Po's aunt about to step in through the front door.
"Wait!" Tigress practically shouted. "You-You're Po's aunt. Mrs. Ayi, right? I'm Tigress."
"Ah yes, I remember you," Ayi grinned. Her brimming smile underneath her old-fashioned circular sunglasses disarmed the tiger's initial stress. She shook her hand. Tigress had to make sure that one of the panda's rings didn't snag her fur. "Pleased to re-meet you."
"Po wanted me to bring you up this way."
"Oh, he did?" Ayi raised an eyebrow while smirking, "Any reason why?"
"Uhhh. None," Tigress smiled.
The panda laughed loudly as she followed the tiger in. "It's okay, Ms. Tigress. I know that Po's ex works here now."
"Oh, Po told you then?"
"Hmmm yes," Ayi hummed.
"We'll just go up the first flight and then use the elevators."
"Why not take the stairs all the way?"
Tigress narrowed her eyes as she tilted her head. "Don't pandas have a hard time with stairs?"
The panda stopped and stared down at Tigress; she was slightly taller than the feline. Ayi crossed her big plushy arms. Her big bright flowing red floral dress shimmered with a Chinese character printed on the front. "What gave you that assumption?"
"My daughter."
"Huh?"
"I have a panda daughter. She doesn't like stairs," Tigress chuckled lightly. "She quite loudly declared that stairs are invented by crooks that want us to do things that we don't want to do."
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ayi laughed as they made it to the second floor. "That makes sense! Ohh! But you have a panda daughter? What does she look like?"
When they took the elevator, Tigress pulled out her phone and showed the panda what Lei Lei looked like.
Then Tigress sniffled.
Suddenly, her eyes sharpened and she physically shook her phone, alarming Ayi. "Something wrong?" Tigress's eyes were stuck wide while she stared at the panda. Ayi waved her hand back and forth in front of her. "Hello? Anyone home?"
"Yes! Yes I-I-I-I'm fine! I just... uhh... yes, I'm fine."
"Are you sure? You look like you just saw a horrible accident."
"Nope! No, I just... realized that I have a call that I didn't get to," Tigress grinned shakily.
Ayi smiled, "You mustn't work too hard, Ms. Tigress. Always do good enough work. Save your energy for when it's personal and you want to do your absolute best. It's the difference between high and low gear on a car."
"I'm not much of a mechanic," Tigress chuckled nervously as they reached Po's floor. "But I'll remember that."
She walked Ayi into Po's office and got back to her desk. Her thousand-yard stare sat on her face as she took her seat. Thoughts blazed through mile per minute with no reprieve. Not that it would help. Tigress was in the elevator shaft long enough to notice it. Her eyes darted to the panda's office door while she covered her mouth with her paw.
So much of the puzzle started to come together. She shook her head. She needed a distraction until she was sure so she decided to call Song. "Hey?"
"Hey, I've got a minute. What's up" Song asked.
"Nothing much. Just... learned something that blew my mind."
"Whoa. And you're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad?"
"Well, the last time something 'blew your mind', Po got your job."
The tiger grumbled and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, it's not that. I'll tell you later when I get confirmation."
"Alright."
"So how are you and your boyfriend doing?"
"He's doing fine. Nothing major, which is good. I'm starting to get used to slow life. It's really relaxing."
"You can slow down while teaching kids?"
"I can when they're learning," Song chuckled. "What about you? How is Lee?"
"He's... fine," Tigress said. Another silence came. "Hello?"
"I'm here."
"You're not saying anything."
"You aren't either," Song noted. "I mean, I figured you would have more to say about a good boyfriend."
"I do. It's just... there's not much to... I mean..." Tigress groaned into her hand. "What am I doing?"
"What?"
"I... I don't think Lee and I are... right for each other. It feels like... I don't know."
"Like what?"
"I don't know. I just... over time, I feel like I'm... dating him for the wrong reasons."
"Are you sure?"
Tigress sighed, "Almost certain."
"Oh thank goodness, I didn't want to say anything, but-"
"Wait, you had this feeling?" Tigress spluttered. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't know if I was wrong. Besides, I'm biased."
"To whom?"
"Uh... no one."
"Song."
"Look, I have to go. We'll catch up later," Song quickly hung up.
Tigress stared at her phone. Just then, Ayi came out of the office and sighed. "Is everything alright, Ms. Ayi?"
"Oh just call me Ayi, honey. And everything's fine. Just wanted to visit my nephew so he's not overworking himself. Just make sure that he's okay. I know it's a bit personal but-"
"I'll do my best," Tigress smiled.
"I know you will," Ayi winked making the tiger fidget a bit, "I'll go down the same way I came. No need to worry about me."
"Are you sure? Po seemed very worried that you might harm our receptionist. Which would cause some... unnecessary attention."
Ayi huffed, "You're right. I think Po has enough... unnecessary attention right now. Anyway, thanks for the visit, Ms. Tigress. You have to let me see Lei Lei sometime."
Tigress chuckled a bit, "I'll remember to do that." The panda walked down the hall and exited through the stairway. Waiting for the door to close, Tigress immediately shot up and knocked on Po's office.
"Come in." She flung herself in and quickly shut the door. "Whoa, whoa, where's the fire?"
"Shen and your aunt are dating?!"
Po's eyes widened. His jaw and pen dropped. "Wh-Wh-Where-Where did you hear that?"
"They have the same perfume. And I remember Mr. Shen freaked out when I mentioned it!"
"Ahh what I mean... I... uhh...Argh, no one is supposed to know until I... uhhhh."
"Until you what?" Tigress asked.
"Nothing."
"What is it?"
"It's personal. It wouldn't be very professional of me if I-
"You know that doesn't work between us!" Tigress shot back, marching up and slamming her hands onto the desk. "What are you doing? And what does Ayi and Shen's relationship have to do with it?"
"N-N-Nothing?" Po anxiously grinned. Tigress's glare didn't waver. "Ugh, fine. I'm... pretty sure this would be a breach of privacy anywhere else, you know."
"Then fire me."
"You and I both know I'm not that stupid," Po grunted and sighed, "Okay, look. I can't say much but... a lot of changes are about to come. Changes that would prevent people like Kai from taking advantage of everything. I've been working with Shen to draft up a plan while I try my best to manage Kai's mess with Mr. Ping's culinary school. And I think I managed to get back at the ol' yak."
"And... you're sure that's all you're planning?" Tigress asked.
Po smiled, "Trust me, Tigress. It's going to be okay. You'll be okay."
The tiger clenched her jaw and looked away. She pensively crossed her arms before taking a long sigh, "Honestly, I'm more worried about you."
"Why?"
"Because you've proven to be the best thing for this company. And for me."
Po's eyes widened. "Um... thank you."
"That's just to say... whatever you do, just... don't give up on us... or yourself."
Po stared at her for a moment and split his lips into a smile. "I'll try my best."
A couple of days went by. Work reached a fervor that Po and the entire floor rushed to meet. But the panda silently etched out his plan.
After a week, a snow leopard and snake found themselves wedged between a rock and a stubborn yak. They stood at the board meeting with Kai on the left while Po, Tigress, and Shen sat on the right amongst the rest of the board. "While I know that the acquisition was... done by higher management," Tai Lung grunted out of his mouth, "The simple fact is that the sudden accretion of Mr. Ping's culinary school has decreased our sales and hurt our publicity."
"And shareholders are already questioning what this means in terms of the company's goals. Especially since we're not... in the culinary industries," Viper replied slowly.
"I wouldn't worry about the shareholders for now," Kai smirked, "The acquisition is a process for the... diversification of Zainan Inc's investments."
Viper's pleasant concerned face fell for a moment. "So you're leaving a multimillion-dollar industry to run a Bok Chou shop, Mr. Kai? I'm sure the shareholders would love to see you in a hairnet."
The whole room dropped their jaws and gave a pregnant silence. One of the board members struggled to hide their cough. Tai Lung side-glanced the snake like she had sworn in front of children. Even the yak was thrown off. "E-Excuse me?" Kai stuttered.
Viper took a small breath and returned her wide 'warm' smile. "What I mean to say is that our shareholders would like to know that our company is still on track with its goals. Otherwise, they'll pull out because of our... diversifying investments," she hissed.
"Either Tai Lung has been rubbing off on Viper or Viper is getting burnt out," Po whispered to Shen.
"Probably both," Shen whispered back.
"By the way, where is the chairman today?"
"I don't know. Someone on the board said he had to attend to some... complications?" Shen shrugged. When the meeting ended, Tai Lung and Tigress checked on Viper who was rubbing her head with the tip of her tail.
"Are you alright? You're not usually that... blunt," Tai Lung said.
"Hey, sometimes the sunshine needs to hide," Viper grumbled as she saw Kai leave the room. "And that yak is getting on my last nerve."
"You need to take it easy for a while," Tigress suggested, "You're sounding like me when I get burnt out."
"I'll be fine."
"No, you won't," Tai Lung argued. "Tigress is right, you need to relax and take it slow. Why don't we shift this work to the back burner? Do some of the internal stuff?"
"That's the boring stuff."
"Better than being stressed out all the time," Tai Lung replied.
Viper sighed in defeat. "Okay, you're right. I need a break." Taking a deep breath, she slithered out of the room a bit heavier and worn than when she slid in.
Tai Lung sighed, "I'll try my best to keep an eye on her. We can't have our sunshine raining so quickly."
"She's allowed to have emotions, Tai Lung," Tigress said.
"Yeah, she's also allowed to have help." The snow leopard followed the snake out the door. Tigress walked over to Po and Shen who were still talking after the meeting.
"So what did he say?" the bird asked. Po's phone rang.
"Speak of the demons. That's him now," Po picked up the phone and excused himself through the elevator doors.
The peacock sighed, rubbing the bridge of his beak before rubbing his eyes. "Po's adapting to these changes much better than I am."
"He's very persistent. And stubborn at times," Tigress smirked. The peacock softly chuckled. "Of course, things would be better if Kai wasn't causing the same massive chaos that Oogway caused."
"I'm sure that Kai's decision will turn on its head soon enough. Besides, power can be given and taken on a whim."
The tiger nodded and then a silence stood between them. Tigress awkwardly cleared her throat, "So... speaking of power. There's a question you asked me some time ago. About taking Po's job?"
The peacock shrunk his eyes. "Why are you asking now?"
"I'm wondering if your view on Po's management has changed."
Shen chuckled, "A lot has changed. Even now, Po's trying to reestablish some of the company boundaries so that people aren't over-exerting themselves."
"He has been visiting Crane and Mei Mei a lot."
"With Po around, things will change for the better. Who knows, you might have a promotion."
Tigress frowned, "Suddenly, more money doesn't sound so appetizing."
The bird gave a sympathetic smile. "I promise that things won't be like this by the time those changes happen."
"I'll hold you to it." The feline smirked. "There is a small question I have." She looked left and right for anyone around; they were still in the meeting room. She padded quickly over to the door and closed it, turning her head towards the peafowl's cocked head. "It's... a private question."
"Okay, what is it?"
"Why did you start dating Po's aunt?"
"I... WHAT?!" Shen screamed, making Tigress thankful that she closed the door. The peacock's cheeks burned hot. "I... I don't know what you're talking about! And anything that that panda said is-"
"Po didn't tell me anything."
"Then who?"
"You and Ayi did."
"How did you-
"Her perfume?"
"I... uhh... GRrrr," Shen groaned in defeat, slapping his wing to his face. "Yes, she and I are dating. But I don't want people to know until things change around here."
"Why?"
"People will think that Po is protected by nepotism instead of his own efforts. Which isn't true. With the way Kai throws his weight around the company and the board, he can still figure out a way to fire Po."
Tigress's stomach clenched. "Hopefully, it won't come to that. But I'll make sure to keep my lips sealed."
"Thank you," Shen sighed.
"When will I know that things are changing?"
The peacock smirked, "You'll find out soon enough." The two walked out of the meeting room and Tigress turned to the elevator. She stopped and gave a long sigh.
"Even though you're worried about nepotism, with Zainan's current leaders, I don't think it will matter."
"I know," Shen sighed again. "I know." The tiger traveled down the elevator and returned to her desk, working on some back-burner projects; Viper wasn't the only one who needed a break.
Just then, Po came out of his office, putting on his black suit jacket with a red tie. The tiger noticed he fumbled around with the wrinkles in his white dress shirt. "What are you doing?" She asked.
Po sighed, "Something I should've done a long time ago."
"Are you going to be okay?"
"I think so. But I need to do this."
"Po, what's going on?"
He smiled, "Don't worry. If everything goes well, I think this will be the last time you'll have to listen to one of my sob stories." The panda strolled down the hall, passed the sea of cubicles, and into the elevator.
Tigress shook her confusion off. "Whatever it is, I hope he'll be okay," She muttered to herself. She refocused on her work. Working through as much as the scheduling as she could, she tapped away at the computer until 11:25 am.
That's when she needed a different kind of strength. As the clock ticked to the appointed hour, Tigress took a few breaths and stretched her shoulders. Easing the tension in her body, she readied herself for the panda that would come through those shiny elevator doors. Right on cue, the female panda came in but rushed straight to Tigress. Her face was full of emotions ranging from scared, suspicious, panicked, and anxious.
Tigress's heart pinched and squirmed. It wanted to do the right thing but her brain, body, and spirit didn't want to. But as Du Ai placed the mail down on her desk, the tiger soon didn't have to worry about her decision. "Uh... Ms. Claw? Could... Could I speak with you about something?"
"Is it work-related?"
"It is... though, it's more for... personal safety."
The tiger narrowed her eyes. She took a deep breath and began writing something down. "What's the matter?" She asked.
"I... I just want to make sure that you don't get in trouble if I-"
"Why would it get me in trouble?"
"You said not to make enemies out of allies."
Tigress snapped her head up. "What did you do?"
"I-I didn't do anything! It's just... uh... Po asked me to have... dinner with him."
The pen in Tigress's hand snapped in half. Ink spilled out. She immediately grabbed a tissue and wiped it down. "I'm sorry, what?"
"He-he just came downstairs and asked me if I wanted to go to Fantaisie Foods," Du Ai whispered.
"Wh-Why?"
"I don't know! That's what's freaking me out!" Du Ai hissed. "I know I hurt Po a lot when we broke up and... I'm scared out of my mind! What if he does something to hurt me?!"
Tigress sat motionless. Several thoughts raced through her head as she stared at the panicking panda. While she knew Po had some self-respect not to do something like that to 1) another person 2) a co-worker, the very fact he asked Du Ai of all people was worrying. And the most important question was still on the table.
Why?
She remembered what Po said before he left. Was this what he meant? But was this for closure or revenge? Given the current status of the company, Kai, and Du Ai's mess, maybe Po was beyond the point of burnout and suffering from something else. The tiger couldn't know for sure.
Tigress looked at her desk with a glare. Should she get involved? Logically, backing out was the reasonable solution. She owed nothing to Du Ai and she trusted Po. Besides, it wasn't her business.
Tigress sighed. She cared about Po's sanity, though, and Du Ai wasn't the best person for that. And she would be lying if she wasn't genuinely worried about why Po did this. Tigress grimaced again.
Truthfully, she was worried about Po.
That left one question remaining, though.
"Why are you telling me this?" She asked the panda.
"Because... I... need your help," Du Ai replied.
Continued...
*A/N: To the best of my research, this is just the word for sissy.
**A/N: Don't think about it.