In Old Bai's mind, Chu Zhishui's image quickly transformed from that of a virtuous person to a brutal beast in scholar's clothing. Indeed, an intellectual's way of tormenting a ginseng spirit was formidable - when someone is educated, they excel at everything, even making organized crime appear righteous.
Of course, Chu Zhishui didn't care about the ginseng spirit's thoughts. She was focused on developing products using ginger, Chinese knotweed, and ginseng. The spirit-infused green tea only appealed to supernatural beings, making it less competitive in the human market. Fortunately, the Yinhai Bureau purchased all fifty acres of green tea, providing a stable annual income that guaranteed monthly salaries of 5,000 yuan per person.
The Yinhai Bureau had purchasing limits, so rashly expanding production to sell only to supernatural beings wasn't a sustainable strategy.
New products would target the human market, hopefully showing results before year-end to enable substantial New Year bonuses.
In the Economic Development Department, Chu Zhishui sat at her computer, working busily for hours. Checking the time and glancing at the door, she wondered aloud, "No documents delivered today?"
Recently, the female spirits from the Finance Department often came to deliver documents, chatting and playing with Chu Zhishui and Jin Yu, arriving as punctually as if they were clocking in for work. The two spirits, named Xiao Chong and Xiao Xia, usually came during lunch break when Xin Yunmao wasn't in the room, leaving just a group of girls.
However, lunch break had ended and the afternoon had arrived with no sign of them.
Hearing this, Jin Yu looked at the calendar and hesitantly said, "They probably won't come today."
"Why not?"
"Today's the final deadline for reimbursements. Director Miao might be staying in the Finance Department, so they won't come over."
Chu Zhishui asked puzzled, "What does that have to do with Director Miao?"
"You don't actually think that cat has a good temper, do you?" Xin Yunmao rested his chin on his hand. Though he rarely spoke in the office, he unexpectedly joined the conversation, saying airily, "Flattering superiors while bullying subordinates is typical behavior for such creatures."
Chu Zhishui: "...You really do have a strong animosity toward Director Miao."
"But he's not wrong," Jin Yu timidly agreed, quickly adding, "Of course, I have no issues with Director Miao, it's just that cats like to do nasty things, always fishing with their tails and leaving fish on the ground to watch without eating them..."
Xin Yunmao sneered, "That's just cats' inherent vice."
Chu Zhishui was amazed to see the two spirits in agreement for the first time ever, exclaiming, "You two actually have moments of alliance?"
Jin Yu was usually too scared to speak around Xin Yunmao, while Xin Yunmao typically ignored Jin Yu. Seeing them united in their grievances now was quite surprising to Chu Zhishui. Perhaps everyone had suffered enough under cats?
Chu Zhishui glanced at her computer, then set down her mouse and stood up, saying, "I'll go get the documents from the Finance Department myself."
"They might be too busy for you. I bet there's chaos there today."
"?"
Second floor of the office building, Finance Department.
Chu Zhishui knocked politely but received no response. She heard chaotic noises and tentatively entered the room, finally understanding Jin Yu's words.
The Finance Department was in complete disarray, as if it had been bombed, with old documents scattered everywhere. It looked like a pack of huskies had passed through, trampling everything to pieces, leaving nowhere to step.
"Is anyone..." Chu Zhishui looked around, "any spirit here?"
No one responded in the outer office, but there was movement in He Shougui's small room.
As Chu Zhishui approached the small office door, she glimpsed Miao Li wearing his spirit-subduing robe, and He Shougui trembling in the corner. Puzzled, she was about to step forward to greet them when she was suddenly blocked by two spirits - Xiao Chong and Xiao Xia.
The Finance Department spirits appeared out of nowhere, grabbing Chu Zhishui to stop her from entering, frantically saying, "Section Chief Chu, why are you here? You should stay away for now!"
"I came to get some documents," Chu Zhishui asked, "Was there an explosion in there?"
"Oh, it's nothing, this happens every month!" Xiao Chong quickly stuffed the documents into her hands, "Everything will be back to normal once Director Miao leaves."
"What are you all doing?"
"The Observation Department exceeded their compensation budget last month, and Director He won't approve the documents, so Director Miao came to cause trouble... I mean, to discuss with Director He."
Having handled on-site compensation before, Chu Zhishui asked curiously, "Isn't this just normal procedure? Why has it turned into such a mess?"
When the Observation Department damaged property while catching spirits, the bureau had to compensate the victims, just like when they compensated Old Li for his vegetable field - it was all routine business.
"Section Chief Chu, it's not that we have anything against Director Miao..."
From this opening, Chu Zhishui knew they definitely had complaints.
"But as a human, you must know that cats have certain habits they can't break," Xiao Chong peeked around, and after making sure Director Miao was too busy to notice, whispered, "For example, see how this cup is sitting perfectly fine on the edge of the table? They just love to rub against things, and right when you look at the cup, even though nothing was happening before, that's exactly when they push it off!"
"Yes, yes! And they always push while watching your reaction, just to see your despair," Xiao Xia agreed beside her, "It's absolutely malicious!"
Chu Zhishui: "..."
She could already picture the image of a black cat knocking over a cup and the guilty figure walking away, probably turning back carelessly to look, showing an innocent and sweet face, completely unashamed of their crime.
This was the root of conflict between the Observation Department and Finance Department. In their impoverished bureau, Director Miao believed all damage caused during missions should be compensated, while Director He suspected Director Miao of causing unnecessary destruction when in a bad mood. They could have been more restrained, but instead always caused chaos.
As a result, compensation documents were often delayed until the last day, ending with Director Miao beating up Director He.
"Is Director Miao going to hit Director He?" Chu Zhishui thought of the hunched He Shougui and exclaimed, "That's not appropriate!"
"It's fine, Director He looks weak but his true form has a turtle shell - he can take a beating."
"?"
Chu Zhishui couldn't bear to listen anymore and decided to enter the small office to stop the fight, despite Xiao Chong and Xiao Xia's attempts to stop her. As soon as she entered, she saw a huge turtle shell in the corner of the room, with Miao Li anxiously circling around it, seemingly frustrated about where to strike.
Chu Zhishui hurriedly called out, "Director Miao..."
Miao Li ignored her, finding a gap in the turtle shell and preparing to reach in with his claws.
"Director Miao, Director Miao."
Miao Li remained unmoved, still busy trying to get at the turtle.
After calling several times without getting the spirit-energy-shrouded Miao Li to turn around, Chu Zhishui finally reached out and grabbed the hood of his spirit-subduing robe, calling loudly, "Director Miao!"
Miao Li was taller than Chu Zhishui, and with his cloak hood drooping down, she managed to grab it easily, feeling like she was holding a cat by its scruff.
Miao Li, caught by the neck, turned around furiously ready to lash out, but upon seeing it was Chu Zhishui, instantly switched to a friendly smile: "Oh, it's Section Chief Chu. What can I do for you?"
"Have you changed your mind about performing the ritual with me?" Miao Li blinked and tilted his head, "I'll settle for daily yellow croaker."
"No, no, it's not about that," Chu Zhishui released the hood and glanced at the giant turtle shell, diplomatically saying, "It's not right to torment an elderly person like this."
He Shougui was old and frail, now driven to desperation.
Miao Li, with his capricious nature, agreed, "Section Chief Chu is right, I'm older than him, it's not nice of him to torment me like this."
Chu Zhishui: "??"
Chu Zhishui glanced at the young-looking mixed-blood Director Miao, then thought of the withered old Director He, marveling at how the heavy workload in the Finance Department had aged He Shougui so prematurely!
Hearing someone speak up for justice, He Shougui instantly retracted his turtle shell and transformed back into a shriveled old man, lamenting, "Section Chief Chu, please be the judge - how can anyone approve documents like this—"
Miao Li bared his teeth in displeasure: "Isn't it because you kept delaying the approval?"
"Do you think I want to delay? We simply don't have the money! Last time we had to use the cafeteria funds, but this time we really can't balance the books!"
"How can it be impossible to balance? Isn't that what you finance people do? Make the books balance?" Miao Li raised an eyebrow, "There must be a way, right?"
"Bookkeeping is bookkeeping, not cooking the books. Don't have those dangerous human ideas," He Shougui thundered. "Only humans who study accounting end up spending half their time making fake accounts and half their time investigating fake accounts!"
"Can't you learn a thing or two from humans?"
Chu Zhishui thought this wasn't right, so she quickly stepped in to mediate: "Director He, how much money are we short exactly?"
He Shougui glanced at her and quoted a five-digit number.
"Including what's missing from the cafeteria?"
"Over a hundred thousand."
Chu Zhishui sighed: "Let's transfer it from the company account. Approve the compensation forms and replenish the cafeteria funds."
The Economic Development Department's account had green tea revenue, which was originally calculated to pay monthly performance bonuses of 5,000 yuan. She had been thinking about earning more recently, but who knew the already impoverished bureau would go from bad to worse, with unfilled holes ahead that even affected cafeteria meals.
To be honest, she could no longer tolerate the terrible work meals and wanted normal meals with two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and soup.
He Shougui was deeply moved, with tears in his eyes: "Can we really do that?"
"Yes, this money was meant for the bureau's staff anyway, including holiday gifts," Chu Zhishui said. "Everyone needs to eat well."
The Economic Development Department earned money to improve staff welfare - higher performance bonuses, grain and oil during holidays, year-end awards, and at best, building a new office building. But the Huaijiang Observation Bureau couldn't hope for new construction anytime soon.
"Good, good, that's wonderful," He Shougui wiped his tears. "As long as the accounts balance, you can have Old Niu stew me into soup if you want."
The demon spirits Xiao Chong and Xiao Xia whispered: "Don't eat that - Director He is hard of hearing and confused. Drinking his soup would make you stupid."
Chu Zhishui: "..." You two really have a bad habit of making fun of leaders.
Miao Li listened from the side. Something suddenly occurred to him, and he asked with interest: "So if the cafeteria budget returns to normal, does that mean we can have yellow croaker?"
Chu Zhishui looked at the troublemaker, her eyebrow twitching as she asked: "Yellow croaker?"
Thinking carefully, the black cat detective wouldn't even let anyone touch him before - the turning point in their relationship was when she fed him fish.
Miao Li reminisced: "Yes, the kind you brought before. Since everyone should eat well now, can the cafeteria serve fish?"
"..."
This troublemaking glutton of a cat was still thinking about eating fish?
She was already being merciful by not taking him to get neutered - they say cats become less destructive after surgery.
"Director Miao, there's a consensus in human society that cats who cause trouble don't get canned food or cat treats," Chu Zhishui said with a smile. "The bureau should learn from humans - I'll ask Brother Niu to prepare special work meal cat food for you."
Miao Li's cat eyes widened: "!!?"
The Observation Bureau cafeteria regained its full funding, which delighted cafeteria manager Niu Shi. The next day during lunch break, he visited the Economic Development Department.
Niu Shi handed the cafeteria menu to Chu Zhishui and declared grandly: "Come, from now on you decide the menu. Just write down the dishes, and I'll prepare them!"
Jin Yu: "Brother Niu hasn't been this happy in a long time."
"Of course! Since the cafeteria budget was cut, this job has become less and less enjoyable," Niu Shi sighed. "Even a skilled cook can't make a meal without rice. But now things are different - I can finally show my culinary skills!"
Chu Zhishui hesitated: "Is it appropriate for me to write the menu?"
"It's fine. If you don't write it, I will, and then I'll just arrange it based on recent food prices."
Niu Shi would plan cafeteria meals according to recent food prices. Now he was delegating some authority, letting Chu Zhishui choose ingredients she liked.
Chu Zhishui wrote down two dishes, then asked: "Jin Yu, what do you like to eat?"
"Oh, me?" Jin Yu thought for a moment. "I like fried cicadas."
Chu Zhishui looked at Jin Yu's soft, cute round face in shock: "...That's quite hardcore, isn't it?"
"Pine nut corn is fine too."
Chu Zhishui wrote down several dishes Jin Yu liked. Noticing Xin Yunmao wasn't in the room, she thought for a moment and added a fruit tea, plus several light sweet soups.
"These are drinks and soups?" Niu Shi asked in surprise. "That works - fermented rice balls with sweet soup won't be difficult."
Niu Shi probably thought the Economic Development Department's menu choices weren't grand enough. To celebrate the cafeteria's return to normal, he even bought sea crabs for the first day.
Typhoon shelter-style fried crab, as a delicious dish, perfectly combined crab meat with garlic fragrance, topped with crispy but not mushy breadcrumbs that made mouths water. The crab pieces were rich in flavor, with the crab paste spicy and aromatic - simply unforgettable.
Looking at the sumptuous work meal, Chu Zhishui praised endlessly: "Brother Niu really has skills - you just didn't have the chance to show them before."
The cafeteria food had been constrained by money in the past. Now not only were portions normal, but there was a good balance of meat and vegetables, healthy and delicious. The wok hei from large-scale stir-frying added a special flavor that was missing at home. She now looked forward to lunch - if you're not enthusiastic about eating, there must be something wrong with your thinking.
"I heard Section Chief Wu complained for a long time about having crab for lunch," Jin Yu said. "But Brother Niu ignored him. I hope he won't blame us?"
"No one envies mediocrity - who has time to care about him? You need to think bigger," Chu Zhishui patted Jin Yu's head and said meaningfully. "You'll understand when you're older that once people reach a certain level, the world becomes very kind."
Jin Yu asked curiously: "Why?"
"Because people you've helped will automatically deal with those who are unkind to you. That's why it's important to improve yourself and move up - never look back and get entangled, that just lowers your level," Chu Zhishui said lazily, biting into a piece of crab. "Don't hold grudges against ingredients."
The Observation Bureau had no villains or evil people, only expensive edible ingredients - whoever makes you uncomfortable gets stewed. This world had no plot about slapping villains' faces, only "A Bite of Huaijiang Observation Bureau."
After the meal, Chu Zhishui asked Niu Shi to pack a portion of food. She had never seen Xin Yunmao in the cafeteria and didn't know where he ate - perhaps he previously found the cafeteria food unpalatable. Now that the food had improved, she should let him know.
In the office, Chu Zhishui placed the lunch box on Xin Yunmao's desk.
She just went to get a document, but when she returned, the disposable lunch box had disappeared. There was no lingering food smell in the air, but the after-meal mint candy he ate had been thrown into his candy pile.
Xin Yunmao had a small pile of candy on his desk. He would neatly arrange the crystal-clear candy wrappers in a stack, throwing away the unattractive ones. This was quite a girlish behavior, but Chu Zhishui didn't dare comment, fearing he would become embarrassed and angry.
Chu Zhishui glanced at the trash can - it was completely empty, and the surrounding area was spotless.
He was unexpectedly neat and clean.
When people live under the same roof, they encounter common rules - those who clean are usually the ones who can't stand mess. Because when others can still tolerate it, the most particular person can't sit still, always feeling dust everywhere.
Currently, the ranking of intolerance for messiness in the Economic Development Department from highest to lowest was: Xin Yunmao, Chu Zhishui, Jin Yu.
Therefore, Xin Yunmao became the one who couldn't sit still in the department, basically dealing with any garbage he saw.
As the tea garden work wrapped up, new product development began.
When Chu Zhishui first started with the tea garden, she had asked Wang Yiwen to deliver tea to the Yinhai Bureau, not expecting this would lead to a side story.
At home, she stood by the window talking to Wang Yiwen on the phone about recent developments.
"Remember when you asked me to deliver tea to the Yinhai Bureau? I went with a friend that day, and when he smelled the tea fragrance, his eyes lit up. He kept asking me how to buy the tea after we got back," Wang Yiwen inquired. "How much stock do you have? He seems to do livestream sales, and apparently he's quite successful!"
Wang Yiwen worked at Dragon Knowledge Video, mainly responsible for promoting commercialization and helping the video platform monetize, dealing with various industries. She wasn't a tea expert and didn't even drink green tea, but she remembered how that day after brewing the tea, the room was filled with fragrance, with the clear and lingering tea aroma refusing to dissipate, making it unforgettable.
Huaijiang Tea wasn't famous domestically, but Wang Yiwen's friend sensed a business opportunity, thinking he might be able to get high-value products.
Chu Zhishui hadn't expected this development and said apologetically: "Please apologize to your friend - our tea is sold out, and we probably won't have any more stock this year."
"So quickly?" Wang Yiwen exclaimed. "Didn't you say recently that you might not be able to sell it all?"
"At the time we really hadn't signed any contracts, but our production volume is low - we didn't have much to begin with."
Moreover, Chu Zhishui felt that tea infused with demon energy wasn't suitable for human consumption. This green tea had nourishing effects for demons, which is why it could be sold at premium prices. But humans might not accept it, thinking the value for money wasn't good enough when they could buy top-grade Dragon Well tea instead.
Wang Yiwen admired: "As expected of Boss Chu, still as efficient as ever!"
"Why still call me Director Chu? What kind of director makes just a few thousand a month? It's laughable."
"But you'll always be Director Chu to me. I still think about the times we struggled together," Wang Yiwen, who had been enthusiastic moments ago, became dejected upon hearing this. "Why does life always have to change?"
Chu Zhishui was taken aback.
"I really admire that you could go back home. I've been thinking about switching jobs lately, and sometimes I consider returning to my hometown too, but I just can't bring myself to do it. If I went back, what was the point of leaving in the first place? Plus, my parents would definitely pressure me about marriage," Wang Yiwen asked, "Do your parents pressure you about that?"
"They don't really interfere."
"That's so fortunate. Every time I go home, they nag me endlessly. It drives me crazy, and when I return to Yinhai after the New Year, I still feel awful. To be honest, after working here for so many years, I still feel like an outsider..." Wang Yiwen lamented, "And now you've gone back too."
Chu Zhishui detected a hint of tears in her voice and comforted her: "Whenever you need me, we can always stay in touch."
Wang Yiwen spoke with a muffled voice: "I still remember my first year at the company when you took me to the hospital when I was sick. We barely knew each other then. I even thought you were fake at first. Remember how we didn't get along initially? That was when I realized what a genuinely good person you are..."
Chu Zhishui didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Taking you to the hospital wasn't such a big deal."
"That's exactly why I thought you were fake before," Wang Yiwen sniffled, feeling down. "I don't know what's wrong with me today. After a long day at work, I just completely broke down. Am I worthless? I've been out here hustling for so long with nothing to show for it. I don't even know where I'm going or what I'm doing with my future."
"Of course you're not worthless. You're just tired after work. You'll feel better after some sleep."
"But I can't think as clearly as you do, and I can't be as good as you are."
Chu Zhishui said softly: "Yiwen, it's not that I'm good. Actually, you're the good person."
"Huh?"
"Taking you to the hospital wasn't a big deal, but you've kept it in your heart all this time. I've done many things like that before, but some people never cared. After I left my job, you're the only one who actively reached out to me and wanted to help," Chu Zhishui said gently. "So it's not that I'm good, it's that you're a really good person. Stop putting yourself down."
There was only soft breathing on the other end of the line.
"Although no one calls me Director Chu anymore, they call me Section Chief Chu now, which feels quite fresh," Chu Zhishui chuckled. "Things will get better for you too. Take a shower, get some early rest, and tomorrow will be different."
"Mm." Wang Yiwen's mood improved. "When I take my annual leave, I'll come travel to Huaijiang, and Section Chief Chu can be my guide."
"Sure, but there's not much to see here. I'm afraid you might be disappointed."
"It's fine, I just want to see you."
Adults' emotional breakdowns and recovery tend to be quick, not because they're particularly strong, but because life must go on after the breakdown.
Chu Zhishui and Wang Yiwen were now worlds apart, and she couldn't comfort her friend face-to-face. She could only hope for a future business trip to Yinhai.
In the Economic Development Department, Chu Zhishui asked Jin Yu to send her the materials they had organized recently. When the tea garden was starting up, they had done quite a bit of research on Huaijiang Tea, which could now be used to improve the proposal in her hands.
Although the bureau didn't need to sell tea externally, she still wanted to get Wang Yiwen's friend's contact information. She also consulted Director Hu about channels to relevant departments in Huaijiang City, hoping to find local personnel responsible for characteristic agricultural poverty alleviation projects.
Even with the low salary at the Huaijiang Observation Bureau, some things could still be managed. Similar institutional units found it easy to communicate with each other, though the bureau previously hadn't been keen on getting involved.
She had always felt that Huaijiang Tea had potential, but unfortunately, locals couldn't establish a brand. Now perhaps she could help bridge connections. Relevant departments in Huaijiang City could provide policy support, livestreamers could help with sales, and tea farmers could increase their income through this.
"But what does any of this have to do with us or the bureau?" Jin Yu questioned. "You're just increasing your workload by making this proposal, and no one's paying for it."
The Huaijiang Tea proposal seemed to benefit three parties - Huaijiang City departments, livestreamers, and tea farmers - but had nothing to do with the Observation Bureau.
"In the short term, there's no direct connection, but only when the whole picture comes together and the environment becomes more dynamic will there be future opportunities," Chu Zhishui explained. "If Huaijiang Tea can succeed, related industry chains will develop, possibly even affecting other products, and the bureau's new products might benefit."
It's undoubtedly difficult to rise in a declining environment, but with favorable winds, success comes easily, while going against the wind meets obstacles everywhere. Her participation in creating Dragon Knowledge Video followed the same principle - with so many startups each year and talented people with impressive credentials everywhere, why should she be the lucky one? One must ride the wind to soar higher.
"Besides, even if it doesn't work out, it doesn't matter. Once we establish relationships with these departments, we'll get information faster than others and be the first to know about policy trends," Chu Zhishui smiled. "You can't just show up with cigarettes and alcohol when you need something done. Who would help you then? You need to build familiarity beforehand."
To be fair, everyone is wary of people who approach with ulterior motives, considering them utilitarian and worldly. These days, no one lacks a box of yogurt or fruit, and there's no need to help others for such trivial benefits.
But if both sides remain rigid, nothing gets done. Someone has to take the first step.
Connections become more valuable with use, and only by converting resources from one side to another can they continue to flourish. Chu Zhishui's previous connections in Yinhai City would fade if unused, so it was better to invest some effort in converting them into connections in Huaijiang City. Putting in appropriate effort was necessary.
With the preliminary materials complete, the proposal wasn't difficult to make. While typing away at her computer, Chu Zhishui suddenly remembered something and turned to ask Xin Yunmao behind her: "Come to think of it, you're quite skilled at agricultural planting. Do you have any tea-growing experience worth sharing?"
Including interviews with cultivation experts would make the proposal more credible. If Little Yellow and Little Black could come up with hair growth formulas, perhaps Xin Yunmao had some knowledge in this area too.
"Tea-growing experience?" Xin Yunmao frowned and said in a gloomy tone, "I just tell them to grow well, and they dare not disobey, right? You think they're all like you, constantly opposing me?"
"..."
Chu Zhishui seriously doubted whether he could function without fighting with her.
"Hold on, I really haven't done anything today, have I?"
What had she done to provoke him this time?
Xin Yunmao sneered: "Huh, I suppose I can't compare to whatever fish or cat it was. You're quick to clean up their mess, faster than anyone at paying up."
Jin Yu: "?"
Jin Yu, sitting in front, was suddenly brought into this. Her heart skipped a beat, hoping this daily confrontation would end quickly. The great demon had a few days each month when he was irritated with everyone. Now, she wasn't afraid of his demonic aura anymore, just his passive-aggressive attitude.
"Let's be reasonable here. The bureau's accounts need to be balanced. Do you really want to worry Director He to death?" Chu Zhishui said patiently. "Besides, you have to admit the new cafeteria is good, right? I've noticed you seem quite happy dining there lately, eating exactly what you take, without any waste."
She had been worried about him being picky with food, but he seemed to eat everything and never left anything behind.
"Hmph."
Xin Yunmao remained noncommittal, turning his gaze to the window, unwilling to even look at her directly. He was clearly still hung up on the matter of moving money to cover the deficit, though it was unclear where he had gotten this information.
Chu Zhishui stared at his tense profile for a long while before suddenly softening her tone and unexpectedly saying: "I just discovered another good quality about you."
Xin Yunmao was startled. Though he didn't want to turn his head at first, he couldn't help but glance at her: "What good quality?"
His expression was deliberately cold, but his eyes showed strange anticipation. Though his tone seemed indifferent, he remained perfectly still, waiting for her response.
"Not only can you grow tea, you might also be good at burying flowers," Chu Zhishui said matter-of-factly. "After all, the last person who talked like this enjoyed doing that. Maybe you demons are the same way."
"..."
His way of speaking now had a distinct Lin Daiyu flavor, making one wonder if he could not only manage fifty acres of tea gardens but might also casually bury flowers in fifty acres of gardens.
