EIGHT (BONUS II/III) (1/1)

♕ 队长 ♕ To be honest, Kris didn't even know how he got the nickname duìzhǎng. He was a boss, an intimidating man who no one questioned when he put his plans forward and nobody really bothered to get close enough to be really friendly with him. He was just a man doing his job. He didn't really think he was a leader, of all things. He told people what to do and they did it.

In his mind, a leader was someone who was close and friendly with all of the people which they ruled over and did their best to relate and care for them. Kris didn't do that per se, he told people what to do and because of the authority he held over them, they didn't dare disagree with him. He didn't make that much of an effort to be friendly with his co-workers, unless they were people he'd known for a long time.

He cared for everyone, of course. He made sure no one was doing what they were past capable of and gave people the right amount of days off when they needed him. Lu Han told him that it made him a good leader and a solid human being; the way he treated everyone. He himself just thought he was doing his job and gaining advantages for himself and his company.

Zitao told him he was more than a leader; he was a friend and a caring mentor for the people he hired into the business. No one came in with complete full knowledge of what they were getting themselves into, and it was mostly his job to educate them on what they did as a company and the person's role in said company.

He still didn't know why everyone insisted on calling him duìzhǎng all the time, despite his constant requests on them calling him Wufan or Kris (Wufan-ge if they were off business, Kris if they were with clients).

He's eating dinner with Zitao one evening when he starts thinking about it again; slurping on noodles and unconsciously furrowing his brow while trying to think.

"What's wrong, duìzhǎng?" Zitao questions across the dinner table, head cocking to the side and Kris smirks at how much of a child he looks when he's confused.

"Why does everyone call me that?" he asks, placing his chopsticks down and loosening his tie (he doesn't know why he wore the damn thing to a dinner in a roadside noodle shop)

"You mean duìzhǎng?" Zitao reiterates and Kris nods while Zitao places down his own chopsticks and pouts while thinking.

"You're a good leader... You make everyone feel at home, ge, and everyone appreciates that enough to give you the title" and Kris smiles at that, he didn't realize the extent to which people appreciated him. As the boss of a large company, he's expecting more to be thought of as an asshole that pushes people to do their job relentlessly. Isn't that what most people think of their bosses?"I just didn't really think of myself as so.... Friendly-seeming?" he purses his lips and signals to the waitress for the bill, and Zitao smiles softly.

"It's probably just me that sees you as a big softie" Zitao smirks and Kris has the decency to blush a little until the waitress returns and hands him the bill; to which he swiftly hands her his card. Zitao tries to protest and push the card out of his hand but Kris just slaps his hand away and smiles up at the waitress as he pays for dinner and motions for Zitao to get up and leave with him.

"I could totally have paid for that, ge" Zitao whines once they've left the restaurant and Kris rolls his eyes and puts an arm aroun