At home, after dinner, Chu Zhishui was studying the Economic Development Department's materials. The resources of the Huaijiang Observation Bureau were indeed abundant, but turning them into revenue and sustaining continuous operations was no easy task.
Having decided to stay, she either wouldn't do it at all or would do it well. She flipped through her contacts, looking for old connections she could use, but found her social media feed abuzz, and then her eyes were stung by a line of text.
【Dragon Knowledge Video announces completion of nearly 100 million yuan A round financing, led by Green Profit Group, with Thousand Peaks Capital and founder Li Longke also participating.】
No wonder her former company was filled with laughter and joy; they had just lured in a big investor.
Chu Zhishui couldn't describe the feeling in her heart, but she found the phrase "founder participating" quite ironic. Before she could contact any old friends, her phone suddenly displayed an incoming call from a colleague from her previous company. The two had a close relationship and had never lost touch.
As soon as the call connected, Wang Yiwen's voice came through, indignantly voicing her grievances: "I can't believe I had to celebrate with them today; I almost vomited on the spot. How does your senior have the face to boast about himself!?"
Chu Zhishui laughed: "He's now Mr. Li, what can't he say?"
"It's so infuriating. I've seen through it. Don't ever join a phoenix man in his venture; he's really cunning!" Wang Yiwen fumed. "You should have recorded him groveling to buy back his shares. I'd directly post it in the company group chat and see if he still dares to boast."
This was a clichéd story. The founder of Dragon Knowledge Video was an alumnus of Yinhai City University. Li Longke was in charge of technology and finance, while Chu Zhishui managed content and operations. Initially, it was just a small venture, but unexpectedly, they caught a windfall and grew unstoppably. This strong wind not only spread the company's reputation far and wide but also blew the founders apart.
From a certain day onwards, Li Longke believed that Chu Zhishui was insignificant in the company. If not for their shared alma mater, she wouldn't have risen to her current position. He was the soul of Dragon Knowledge Video.
Chu Zhishui couldn't understand how a person's character could change overnight. Someone with a higher education was corrupted by greed. She had always thought Li Longke was steady and courteous, but she didn't expect wealth to make him swell like this. Or perhaps he had always been this way, merely lacking the capital to be arrogant, so he had pretended to be a decent person.
After a serious illness, she suddenly felt it was all meaningless. The only ones who could fully devote themselves to her were her parents. The rest were good if they didn't demand anything from her, let alone those who weighed her on a scale.
"That's unnecessary. Mr. Li did pay for the shares, and I got a talent introduction after returning." Chu Zhishui advised. "We're all adults; partings should be dignified."
Hearing the calm tone of the person involved, Wang Yiwen couldn't help but sigh deeply: "But I just can't stand seeing a scoundrel rise to power. To be honest, I don't even want to work at the company anymore."
Chu Zhishui chuckled: "Then you'd better hurry up and run. If Dragon Knowledge doesn't collapse within two years, I'll change my name to follow you, Wang Zhishui."
"Really? Are you joking with me?"
"Of course it's true. Otherwise, why would I sell my shares? I didn't expect him to invest himself; I thought he'd just fleece some outsiders. He's really not in his right mind."
Li Longke's family background was ordinary, far from being that of a rich second generation. This move had no safety net.
"If you say that, then I really will leave. Someone is already recruiting me." Wang Yiwen suddenly thought, "By the way, you're staying in Huaijiang now. What are you doing? Why don't I work with you?"
"What would you do with me?" Chu Zhishui was at a loss. "Two thousand yuan a month, living happily?"
"Come on! What are you pretending to be poor with me for!"
"…I'm not pretending."
"Boring, boring. If you don't want me, then forget it. When I'm ready to switch companies, you help me check out which one is suitable."
Chu Zhishui had no choice but to agree, finding it unbelievable that no one believed her when she told the truth.
After the call ended, she flipped through the tea garden's materials, hoping the Economic Development Department would soon get on track so she could have a chance to slack off.
As the moon set and the sun rose, a new day began.
At the Observation Bureau, Chu Zhishui got out of the car and picked up the lunchbox from the passenger seat, suddenly remembering something and quickly opened the lid to check. Sure enough, Chu Xiaohe had packed her steamed small yellow croaker today, and it still felt slightly warm through the box.
She had been busy reading the new department's materials last night and had forgotten to tell her father to change the menu.
Chu Zhishui didn't know if the crab incident at the cafeteria was Wu Changgong's deliberate revenge or if the monsters really had such taboos, so she didn't dare bring fish into the unit cafeteria. Although Jin Yu had said she was an inedible fish, maybe she couldn't accept her kind being cooked?
Of course, Jin Yu had eaten the swimming crab quite happily yesterday, so she should be able to accept crab dishes.
After some hesitation, considering her colleagues' feelings, Chu Zhishui took out a clean pair of chopsticks and decided to finish the steamed fish here.
There was no place to sit nearby, so Chu Zhishui opened the car door and half-sat in the driver's seat, her legs still stretched out of the car, enjoying the semi-outdoor dining experience. Surrounded by lush trees and gentle breezes, savoring the fresh, tender, and juicy steamed small yellow croaker in the morning was quite pleasant.
A series of faint footsteps came from the dense foliage, and a pair of golden eyes peeked out from the dark leaves.
"Kitty."
Chu Zhishui recognized the black cat; its body was hidden in the shadows, only its beautiful eyes glowing brightly.
The black cat didn't run away when discovered, calmly walking over and fully exposing itself to the light, stopping a few steps away from her. It quietly sat down, its two front paws elegantly tucked in, unmoving as it looked up at her, its black tail swaying rhythmically and energetically.
"Do you want to eat?" Chu Zhishui saw its gaze on the lunchbox and searched for information on her phone. "Let me check if you can eat this."
"Meow." The black cat seemed to understand her words and even voiced its opinion, though humans couldn't decipher cat language.
"Fried is not okay, steamed is fine."
"Meow—"
There were two steamed small yellow croakers in the lunchbox. Chu Zhishui picked up the other one with chopsticks: "I'll give you one."
The black cat immediately stood up and leaned over, staring at the small yellow croaker in mid-air.
Chu Zhishui was still thinking about where to place it, but as soon as she let go of the chopsticks, the steamed small yellow croaker hadn't even landed when it was accurately caught.
The black cat, holding the fish, ran a few steps out, then turned back to look at her, its black tail held high and happily swaying in the air, much like a human waving goodbye before leaving. Then, it quickly leaped into the dense leaves, disappearing with the fish in an instant.
Chu Zhishui didn't chase after it. After finishing her fish, she tidied up and went to the office.
The Economic Development Department was on the third floor of the office building, originally locked by the bureau, and the key was only found yesterday. The new office was not far from the Logistics Department. Chu Zhishui first went to the old place to take a look and found no one there, then headed to the Economic Development Department.
She arrived early today, intending to tidy up the place, but someone had beaten her to it.
The door of the Economic Development Department was wide open. As soon as she entered, she saw Xin Yunmao sitting in his usual spot by the window, still without a computer on his desk. He was wearing a dark blue top today, comfortably leaning back in his chair, eyes closed, napping in the soft light.
The room was bright and clean, with the desks and chairs neatly arranged. Chu Zhishui found that her belongings left in the Logistics Department had been moved here, still in their original state on her desk, her position still in front of him.
"You've already cleaned up?"
Chu Zhishui noticed many details. The first time she saw Xin Yunmao in the morning, she felt a sense of absurdity, as if the sun had risen in the west.
Xin Yunmao opened his eyes and, upon seeing her, was somewhat surprised: "So early?"
"Shouldn't I be the one saying that? Why are you here so early?"
He calmly said, "I always come this early."
Chu Zhishui was taken aback. She had always been punctual for work and didn't know this. She wondered, "You don't show up during work hours, but you appear randomly during non-work hours?"
Xin Yunmao ignored her question and instead asked, "Why are you here so early?"
"It's the first day in the new department, so of course I need to arrive early." Chu Zhishui's original plan was to clean the office, but to her surprise, Xin Yunmao had already done it silently. This made her feel a bit embarrassed, but he was even more considerate than she had anticipated, observing the new environment attentively.
Xin Yunmao stared at Chu Zhishui for a long time until her gaze shifted away. Her skin was translucent under the warm light, and without makeup, the natural blush on her cheeks was clearly visible. It was unclear whether it was due to fragile capillaries or the unspoken emotions that painted her face with a peach-like hue, but her averted gaze revealed her shyness.
She didn't look at him, her eyes fixed on the window.
Xin Yunmao recalled what Hu Chenrui had said, about her wanting to transfer him here, and he chuckled softly, "Are you so happy to have me transferred here? You could have come later; I wouldn't go back on my word."
"..."
Chu Zhishui had been comparing the location of the Economic Development Department by looking at the scenery outside the window. The director's office was right above them. She had just been slightly distracted for a moment, and Xin Yunmao had already started imagining things, falling into his usual delusions.
One's tolerance could indeed be constantly tested. Initially, Chu Zhishui was utterly speechless about his narcissism, but now she had grown accustomed to it and could even extract useful information from it. This should be a caring remark.
She calmly said, "Let's make a deal."
"What kind of deal?"
"There are national laws, and new departments have new rules. Before, we were in the Logistics Department, and now we are in the Economic Development Department," Chu Zhishui said gently. "Although our ranks are not very different, and I don't care much about hierarchical titles, in certain specific work situations, you should acknowledge me as your direct superior, right?"
The Observation Bureau was not a private enterprise, lacking effective rewards and punishments, making personnel management difficult. Since she had transferred him here, she couldn't accept him slacking off; a new system needed to be established.
Xin Yunmao propped his chin with his hand and thought quietly for a moment before suddenly saying, "You don't seem to acknowledge being my first follower."
"How about this, let's each follow our own rules," Chu Zhishui proposed. "Work hours follow mine, and the rest of the time is more flexible."
After all, they only met during work hours, so they should first stabilize the situation in the office.
"Alright."
Hearing him agree, Chu Zhishui continued step by step, "Since it's a work situation, some strange remarks should be kept to a minimum, especially don't bring up personal matters during office hours."
"What counts as strange remarks?" Xin Yunmao raised an eyebrow, then understood, "You mean your true thoughts? Like being uncontrollably drawn to me?"
"Okay, if you're embarrassed to be exposed, I'll try to save face for you in the future."
He agreed readily, sounding quite agreeable.
Chu Zhishui took a deep breath, directly activating her ear purification to filter out some of his nonsense, and continued to make demands, "One more thing, past matters are not my concern, but as long as we are in the Economic Development Department, I hope you can follow the bureau's rules and regulations, working from eight in the morning to five in the afternoon."
This was Xin Yunmao's biggest flaw; he always wandered around during work hours.
"No matter whether there is initial work or not, the attitude must be sufficiently correct, and there should be no cases of tardiness or absenteeism."
This time, he was silent for a long while, clearly hesitating.
Chu Zhishui stared at him, her heart pounding, mainly because he was indeed too self-centered, and might flare up at any moment.
Xin Yunmao's expression was strange: "Some humans who support household spirits are indeed required not to stay too far away, but I don't have such rules. You can move around freely."
Generally, it's the household spirits who force humans not to wander off, rarely the other way around.
Chu Zhishui had already mastered the skill of cross-server chatting, patiently saying, "But I have these rules. Can you appear on time?"
"It's possible..." He frowned, puzzled, "But is your life so inseparable from me?"
He didn't know what other followers were like, but she seemed a bit too clingy, though the words had come from him.
Hearing him agree, Chu Zhishui's heart finally settled.
Her first attempt at setting rules was a great success, and she naturally didn't care about his nonsense, her mood brightening as she nodded seriously, "Yes, my life can't do without you. You are the biggest joy in my life, the most humorous and witty comedy spirit."
Chu Zhishui's smile was like a blooming flower, her bright eyes like slender crescent moons, tempting one to pinch her tiny dimples.
Xin Yunmao was stunned, then subtly shifted his gaze, his fingers tapping restlessly on the table as he warned, "Control yourself. I only agreed to let you be my follower; rein in those overly intense emotions."
"Okay, no problem."
Chu Zhishui readily agreed. She had long noticed that he only looked at attitude and couldn't read the subtext in words. Sure enough, he didn't mention the joy and comedy spirit at all, satisfied and happy to settle into her seat in the new department.
