Boss Peng hesitated and swallowed, hesitating to speak, "Is there no one in your unit who works efficiently?"
Chu Zhishui hadn't had a chance to respond when Xin Yunmao pointed at her.
"Indeed, I should have guessed when I talked to her at the bureau," Boss Peng lamented, "Efficient Little Chu only handles making money. What kind of unit is this?"
The overall development direction of this serious unit is problematic!
Chu Zhishui quickly waved her hands, trying to correct the misunderstanding, "No, no, no, please don't misunderstand the bureau. He pointed at me just because I'm human, we have many efficient colleagues!"
But Boss Peng asked about efficient people, not efficient demons, so he could only point at her.
After hearing this, Boss Peng was not soothed but instead showed a more subtle expression, even taking a closer look at Xin Yunmao, but couldn't discern anything from his calm demeanor.
"Ah, I'm completely confused now," Boss Peng was flustered by the supernatural events, patting his head to clear his mind, "So, am I not allowed to dig ginseng for the next four to five decades, or is it that I can't do any ginseng-related business at all? You mentioned they're all underage, and it makes me feel strange."
"You just can't dig ginseng near the cabin in the woods; they specified a particular area," Xin Yunmao said, "In fact, they didn't do anything when you dug ginseng in previous years."
Boss Peng spread out a map on the table: "Let me see, which area is it?"
Xin Yunmao marked the area with a marker, not the entire forest, just the part with the strongest demonic aura, where ginseng demons are most likely to become spirits.
"That's not too bad," Boss Peng calculated the loss, muttering, "The yield of forest ginseng will decrease a bit, but it won't affect other things much. They are quite calculating."
"After all, they watch you dig ginseng every day, so they must be very clear about the situation here."
The ginseng demons might have been here even before Boss Peng, witnessing the rise of the plantation and processing factory, so they naturally know the company's situation very well.
Although they initially demanded Boss Peng to leave immediately, after the divine being's civilized and polite education, their overall quality improved significantly, and the conditions they proposed became more reasonable.
Boss Peng tossed the marker onto the table, sighing, "Alright, I accept the mediation."
"Really?" Chu Zhishui exclaimed in surprise, "Actually, you could ignore it. At most, they'll knock on your door at night, it won't affect your business."
The Yinhai Observation Bureau ranked this matter extremely low because the untransformed ginseng demons have no offensive power, at most disturbing at night and scattering tools everywhere. Even if Boss Peng and others forcibly dug up the ginseng, they couldn't do anything about it, just waiting to be exploited.
Chu Zhishui didn't expect Boss Peng to yield. Many businessmen she encountered would dare to break the rules, but Boss Peng directly gave up his interests.
"There was a complete ginseng ban period in the Qing Dynasty, and this only bans one area, so it's not unacceptable," Boss Peng scratched his head, "And this mountain area was indeed what I later acquired. In the past, I could dig wild ginseng, but now I can only grow forest ginseng."
Ginseng cultivation is best harvested after 4-6 years, and wild ginseng has even higher requirements, so four to five decades is not long for ginseng.
Boss Peng made his fortune from ginseng and has some reverence for it. If it were other supernatural beings, he would have found a way to deal with them, but hearing that it was young ginseng demons speaking, it felt different.
Boss Peng smiled bitterly, "Leave some leeway, don't be too extreme, really dig them all up. Since either way is four to five decades, maybe it's fate."
Xin Yunmao showed a hint of surprise, looking at Boss Peng for a moment, and commented, "It's unexpected that you accidentally grasped the principle."
No cause and effect can come out of thin air. The connection between humans and demons must be due to strange fate. Some are good, some are evil, and at certain moments, good and evil can transform into each other.
The Yinhai Bureau ranked this matter low not only because of the lack of personnel but also because interfering rashly might exacerbate the conflict. From the perspective of the ginseng demons, they feel they have been dug up for many years; from Boss Peng's perspective, he is digging ginseng according to the scientific cycle, which is fine. Both sides have their arguments.
Boss Peng and the ginseng demons' fate is not deep, but it can't be cut off immediately, so either way is four to five decades, naturally dissipating the fate through friction and collision, which is the safest approach.
It's just that Boss Peng is quite stubborn, likes to do things personally, and had to go to the bureau to get to the bottom of it, only then learning the real reason.
When human interests are harmed, the first reaction is usually to be furious, rarely willing to look at the problem objectively. The ginseng demons are not reasonable, but Boss Peng is, and he knows that everything has its own fate.
Chu Zhishui smiled, "You really like ginseng."
"Of course, who would do it if they didn't like it?" Boss Peng waved his hand, "Selling unscrupulous health products is much more profitable than growing ginseng in the fields!"
Xin Yunmao stared thoughtfully at Boss Peng and said, "If you accept, I'll help you draw up an agreement. You can't dig in this area for fifty years, and if you agree, they won't cause trouble anymore."
Boss Peng nodded, "Okay."
"In exchange, if you engage in ginseng-related business, they will provide help to you and your descendants for these fifty years. After fifty years, the agreement will expire, and you can dig ginseng again, and neither side will owe the other," Xin Yunmao said.
"Is that even possible?" Boss Peng was astonished, "Provide business help?"
"Of course, this is the rule of law, there is a loss and a gain," Xin Yunmao said, "Even if they don't want to, they have to do it, that's our rule of give and take."
After humans sign an agreement, they cannot refuse to pay the reward, and demons cannot refuse to pay the reward after signing an agreement, otherwise, they will both pay the price. If it's not an equal exchange, the ritual won't work.
"If they break the contract, you don't need to go to the bureau, they will be punished," Xin Yunmao's fingertip emitted a dark green flame, lighting up his pitch-black eyes, and he said calmly, "Do you want to sign the agreement?"
Boss Peng had been skeptical before, but when he saw the eerie green fire, he finally confirmed that Xin Yunmao was no ordinary person. He subconsciously looked at Chu Zhishui, wanting to seek her opinion, and saw her nodding at him.
"Okay, I agree to the agreement."
The dark cold fire dissipated in the small cabin.
In the forest, countless green lights gathered together, swaying among the leaves, floating in the air with the wind.
After a while, Boss Peng accompanied the two out, his attitude towards them different now, cautiously asking, "Is that it? Are there any precautions?"
"Precautions?" Chu Zhishui looked at Xin Yunmao, asking, "Is there?"
Xin Yunmao thought, "It's better to read them some classics like the Four Books and Five Classics in the cabin more often, without learning etiquette, one cannot stand. Let them learn courtesy and decorum."
The young ginseng demons on the mountain are indeed quite mischievous and should follow mature and reliable adults to learn well.
"If it doesn't work, you can buy some early childhood education audio to play," Chu Zhishui kindly suggested, "Don't let our ginseng fall behind in the starting line."
Boss Peng: "?"
As they walked down the forest path, Boss Peng suddenly received a phone call.
He accidentally pressed the speaker button when he answered, and a voice of joy came from the phone: "Dad, tell you, don't mess with those weird things, it's normal to have some strange things in the deep mountains. I just got a big order, you should come back to the company quickly, it's a great opportunity!"
Boss Peng quickly turned off the speaker and then bowed to the two to apologize before he had the heart to put the phone to his ear.
"Don't shout at your old man like that!" Boss Peng shouted, "You don't know what your old man just went through!"
After scolding, Boss Peng started talking business with his son, and soon his face showed joy, apparently things were going well.
"Little Chu, Little Xin, sorry for the rudeness," Boss Peng hung up the phone and remembered that he had been heard scolding his son, so he quickly tried to salvage his image.
Chu Zhishui smiled, "It's okay, congratulations Boss Peng, business is booming."
It seems the demons' agreement is very trustworthy, taking effect immediately after signing the contract.
Boss Peng's company was quite substantial, with ginseng cultivation being one of his many projects, involving numerous upstream and downstream industries. Since his business operations were extensive, he needed to source ginseng from external suppliers, as his own cultivation wasn't sufficient to meet demand.
"Business is coming in, but ginseng supplies are dwindling. To fulfill this order, I'll need to source more," Boss Peng suddenly had an idea, "Say, don't you also grow forest ginseng? What's your annual yield like?"
While cultivated ginseng was relatively easy to source, wild mountain ginseng and forest ginseng were rare finds, especially high-quality ones, which were priced based on their appearance.
"I'll check the numbers and get back to you," Chu Zhishui replied diplomatically. "How much do you need?"
"As long as the quality and grade are good, I'll take whatever you have."
"..."
No wonder the young ginseng spirit was so disgruntled - the demand was indeed overwhelming!
Many wealthy people liked to hoard quality ginseng, buying it even if they didn't consume it. Whenever they saw good specimens, they were willing to pay premium prices. To truly satisfy human demand, they'd probably need to hollow out every mountain in the country.
Seeing her unusual expression, Boss Peng, who had developed some psychological trauma, quickly probed, "There's no issue with your ginseng, right? They won't make any strange demands?"
Chu Zhishui responded seriously, "Rest assured, our ginseng are all well-mannered adults who understand social etiquette. They're not inexperienced youngsters who haven't had jobs or been hardened by society yet."
"That's good, that's good. No minors - ginseng needs to be mature!"
Chu Zhishui exchanged contact information with Boss Peng, promising to send him materials after returning to Huaijiang, including photos of the forest ginseng's growing environment. Once the ginseng was harvested, she would also send pictures to show him the quality.
After returning from the distant ginseng farm, Boss Peng cancelled his number at the Yinhai Bureau, while Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao returned to their guesthouse. Checking the time, she suddenly remembered her evening appointment with Wang Yiwen.
Chu Zhishui: "Let's have dinner first, then I need to go out for a while."
Xin Yunmao: "Go out?"
"Meeting a friend, I'll be back a bit late," Chu Zhishui suggested, "Should I teach you how to use the TV?"
The Yinhai Bureau guesthouse had good facilities, but the earth spirit from Huaijiang might not know how to use them. Chu Zhishui showed Xin Yunmao how to operate the TV, helped him browse channels, and finally settled on a documentary channel showing programs about plants.
"If you're not interested, you can switch to the agricultural channel - it's related to our department's work," Chu Zhishui encouraged. "It's good to learn some professional knowledge during off-hours."
Xin Yunmao studied the remote control, appearing somewhat bewildered.
After getting him settled, Chu Zhishui hurriedly prepared in her room and headed to the agreed-upon bar. Since it wasn't far from the Yinhai Bureau, she decided to walk instead of taking a taxi.
Dragon Knowledge Video had a culture of working overtime, so Wang Yiwen got off work quite late. They couldn't meet for dinner, so they agreed to sit at a quiet bar for a while. For working adults, finding time to meet often involved overcoming various obstacles - they should be grateful for such opportunities.
Yinhai City's nightlife was vibrant. The bar's walls were decorated with countless uniquely shaped bottles, and the bartender stood behind the counter mixing colorful cocktails. The lighting was dim, music filled the air, and couples occupied the corners.
Wang Yiwen had arrived first, wearing full makeup and work-appropriate attire - the picture of a polished urban woman. She excitedly waved when she saw Chu Zhishui.
"You're actually here already," Chu Zhishui said in surprise. "I thought I'd have to wait for you."
"Everyone else left, so I slipped away immediately. No point in staying late with others," Wang Yiwen waited for Chu Zhishui to sit down, then leaned forward excitedly, but was surprised when she saw her friend's face clearly, "You really treat me like family - you didn't even put on makeup! Can we even take photos?"
"To be honest, I washed my hair just for you," Chu Zhishui said. "I just got back from the fields today."
"Your job lets you be this casual?" Wang Yiwen clicked her tongue. "Seems like there aren't any men worth noting among your new colleagues."
Hearing this, Chu Zhishui made a funny face and said with a twisted smile, "Funny you should say that - there are no men among my colleagues."
What's even funnier was that there weren't even any people among her colleagues.
Wang Yiwen exclaimed, "No way! All women?"
"No men, just male green tea."
Like the bamboo spirit who loudly proclaimed he couldn't respond to human emotions while constantly pestering her with complaints.
Wang Yiwen's expression changed slightly as she carefully examined her friend, asking suspiciously, "You think your male colleague is a green tea?"
Chu Zhishui looked up: "Mm, why?"
"Oh no, something's up with you - you never used to talk like this," Wang Yiwen put her hand on Chu Zhishui's shoulder, subtly drawing closer as she said meaningfully, "Honey, have you considered that cold water can't brew green tea? If you can smell the tea, it means you have feelings too - your heart must also have some warmth for him."
"..."
Chu Zhishui's heart skipped a beat, but her face remained perfectly composed as she calmly replied, "That's so outdated."
Wang Yiwen: "?"
Chu Zhishui: "Haven't you ever had cold-brewed green tea?"
What's this about cold water not being able to brew green tea? Where does that leave the dignity of cold-brew tea!
"Still couldn't trick anything out of you," Wang Yiwen said with great disappointment. "Your love life really is non-existent - I've never seen anything in all these years."
Since knowing Chu Zhishui, Wang Yiwen had never seen her show any romantic interest. She was a true straight woman, legitimately single to this day, unmoved by any obvious or subtle romantic advances.
Chu Zhishui replied mercilessly, "I have no such worldly desires."
"Ms. Chu, no, Section Chief Chu," Wang Yiwen said, "With your complete rejection of love, forget about the red thread of fate - you'd snap even steel cables. Really, there's not a single man you find appealing?"
"Whenever I see a man, I imagine myself as a man and compare myself to him," Chu Zhishui confessed. "I quickly realize that if I were a man, I'd be better than all of them."
Chu Zhishui had never been one to harbor false hopes. If she didn't feel anything, there was nothing there. Without explicit confirmation, it didn't exist, and when things were made clear, she'd immediately friend-zone them. As long as she ran fast enough, ambiguity couldn't catch up to her.
She had no time to play games of subtle hints and tests. Perhaps only pure, burning passion could truly move her, but unfortunately, modern people didn't have that.
She was complete enough on her own; she didn't need to look at conditions and partner up with someone just to get through life. Things were fine as they were now, everything else could come naturally.
"With your conditions, that's certainly true," Wang Yiwen laughed. "Why don't you just be with me then? We can go to the nursing home together in the future."
Chu Zhishui retorted: "What are you talking about when you have a boyfriend?"
"Having a boyfriend doesn't mean I can't flirt," Wang Yiwen said righteously. "I'll steal my man's money to support you - he's just for show anyway."
"???"
"It's true. You're better off single - relationships aren't even interesting," Wang Yiwen sighed, mumbling, "He doesn't understand when I talk about my interests, can't be relied on for anything important, and even when I changed jobs, you cared more than he did."
"Don't compare me with him, I'm not a fish in your pond," Chu Zhishui paused, then seeing her friend's low spirits, consoled her gently, "Cherish what you have, you've been together for quite a while."
"Never mind, let's not talk about him. Let me tell you some company gossip," Wang Yiwen secretly observed their surroundings and lowered her voice conspiratorially, "That person probably secured funding and might start a new round of financing, even though the last round just finished."
Chu Zhishui: "I guessed as much, knew that was his plan from the start."
Li Longke couldn't make money without financing - now his true merchant face was fully exposed.
"Can't stand it anymore, the more money he has, the more idiotic he becomes. Many of us think there's something wrong with him," Wang Yiwen said with disgust. "He used to criticize you for wanting power, saying you wouldn't agree to his proposals because you didn't want to give up content operations, but now the new team is doing a terrible job."
"You know how some people in our company used to be sour about you, saying you were a hypocrite who would eventually show your true colors? Now they're muttering that whether or not you were a hypocrite is debatable, but there's no question that Li is truly despicable. It's quite funny - where were they before?"
In the later stages of the power struggle at Dragon Knowledge Video, some people naturally began to privately discredit Chu Zhishui, claiming that while her words sounded nice, she actually just didn't want to delegate power and was trying to curry favor with Li Longke.
Little did they know that if Li Longke could turn against the founder Chu Zhishui, he wouldn't keep his promises to support others once he truly gained power.
"Really? I don't remember," Chu Zhishui said nonchalantly. "I don't bother remembering what people beneath me say. I've forgotten all about it."
"You never thought about getting back at him?" Wang Yiwen instigated. "New Perspective approached you first, right? They'd offer you good terms, and you don't have a non-compete agreement. You don't need to worry about industry ethics with him."
Wang Yiwen was hoping Chu Zhishui would return to Yinhai City and lead them to accomplish great things together, ideally crushing Li Longke and bringing down Dragon Knowledge Video.
Chu Zhishui smiled wryly: "Yiwen, you're all misunderstanding something. I wasn't pushed out of the team - I genuinely wanted to leave. If I wanted to stay in the industry, I would have stayed in Yinhai, but I chose to return to Huaijiang."
Wang Yiwen was stunned.
"Remember when I fell seriously ill for a while? My stomach was bleeding, and it scared my parents so much they flew to Yinhai. They were crying at the hospital every day. You came to visit me in the hospital then too."
Wang Yiwen's mind flashed back: "Yes."
"After that incident, I suddenly realized that my parents never actually expected me to ring the bell at NASDAQ. They just wanted me to be safe, healthy, and happy, with a decent job - just living a normal life," Chu Zhishui lowered her eyelashes, her eyes gleaming with clarity as she spoke softly, "I was the one always comparing myself to others, feeling competitive since childhood, striving to be first in school, then wanting to make big money at work. I felt I had to make them proud."
"Because in Huaijiang, families like ours were rare. I didn't want their daughter to be inferior to other people's children."
As an only child, Chu Zhishui was uncommon in Huaijiang, and couldn't escape public scrutiny and comparison. She had never been treated unfairly since childhood, but she heard many outside voices. Beyond the greenhouse her parents built for her, there was wind and rain, drumming on the eaves with an unavoidable clamor.
Having received all their resources and love, she felt compelled to give her all to prove her parents' choice was right.
For a long time, she played the role of "other people's perfect child," wanting her parents to hold their heads high in front of everyone.
It wasn't until she saw her parents' tears during her illness that she realized she might have been presumptuous - this wasn't what they wanted at all.
"I overthought things. They're actually quite simple, without such high expectations," Chu Zhishui shrugged. "So I went back. Rather than having them come to unfamiliar Yinhai, it made more sense for me to return to my hometown where I grew up."
"I was born into an ordinary family, my parents are ordinary, and I'm very ordinary too. But we love each other, and I can accept all of this."
Chu Zhishui smiled, at peace with her decision: "Even if I only earn a few thousand now, it doesn't matter. It's not a big deal. We're safe and together."
Being safe, healthy, and happy - that was enough, more than enough luck.
She had experienced a glamorous life in Yinhai, but she could also return to the simple, ordinary life in Huaijiang.
Wang Yiwen was stunned: "I really hadn't thought this was why you went back."
"Of course, even though I've returned home, I still hope you all make it big!" Chu Zhishui raised her glass and clinked it with her friend's, joking, "So work hard at New Perspective. If you really plan to live together with me, earn more now so we can find a nice nursing home later."
Wang Yiwen had gotten a title change when she jumped from Dragon Knowledge to New Perspective, and would have shares too - her future was limitless.
"Fine, then I'll be your sugar mama," Wang Yiwen held her glass, laughing heartily. "My man probably has no money left to steal, so it's faster if I earn money to support you."
The two chatted enthusiastically late into the night, not noticing how time flew by. Many shops had already closed, with only the entrance of the lounge still bustling.
At the entrance, the cold wind swept across people's faces, dispersing the lingering alcoholic haze and finally calming their excitement from the long-awaited reunion. The two prepared to head home, standing by the roadside waiting for a car.
Wang Yiwen held up her phone, looking around before waving at a car on the street. The window slowly rolled down, and a man leaned out, waving back.
Chu Zhishui watched this scene with amusement, teasing: "Oh? You were just complaining about him, but now you're letting him pick you up."
"How are you getting back?" Wang Yiwen smiled sheepishly. "We can give you a ride since we're heading the same way."
"I..." Chu Zhishui was about to say she'd walk back, but she froze when she saw a familiar figure on the street, swallowing the rest of her sentence.
Why did he come out from the guesthouse?
Xin Yunmao stood under the dim light, casting a long shadow, who knew how long he'd been waiting in the cold wind. Seeing Chu Zhishui emerge from the lounge, he finally walked over unhurriedly, his ink-black eyes touched with frost as he complained: "Why aren't you going back yet?"
Wang Yiwen glanced at the unfamiliar Xin Yunmao, then at Chu Zhishui beside him. Her eyes lit up as she probed quietly: "Is this...?"
Chu Zhishui's expression went blank: "A colleague."
"Oh—the male green tea is here." Wang Yiwen made a phone gesture, hinting at keeping in touch via WeChat, winking as she said, "Got it, got it. I'll disappear right away."
Before Chu Zhishui could explain, Wang Yiwen had already darted into her boyfriend's car.
"What male green tea?" Xin Yunmao watched that human leave, then turned to Chu Zhishui, puzzled. "Don't you know my true form?"
Chu Zhishui felt too guilty to admit she had secretly criticized him as a green tea, explaining weakly: "That's not it."
"Not it?" Xin Yunmao frowned, his gaze deep as he asked incredulously: "Then how do you know another green tea spirit?"
"..."
