Chu Zhishui gently explained, "That was the general situation back then. Besides, the stomach issue came on suddenly. Emergency treatment sounds serious, but it was fine after some recuperation..."
Young people in big cities all get sick. High-intensity work inevitably brings health issues. It's just a matter of balancing work and health.
Xin Yunmao frowned upon hearing this and abruptly interjected, "So you're still not eating regularly now?"
She would occasionally get busy in the tea garden and forget to eat, still needing his reminders.
Chu Zhishui helplessly put her hand to her forehead. "My dad just said the same thing before leaving this morning."
Jin Yu's eyes widened. "Right, sometimes when you don't come to the cafeteria with me, you don't eat on time."
Her eyes darted away. "...I did eat, really."
She just sometimes ate with Xin Yunmao in her room.
Chu Zhishui found herself surrounded by the two, one in front and one behind, both reproaching her negligence with their gazes, as if she were incapable of taking care of herself.
Jin Yu's eyes suddenly lit up as something occurred to her. "I know where the bureau should focus next."
Now that they knew the situation, they could address it specifically.
After the Dragon Knowledge scandal broke, Chu Zhishui and Wang Yiwen had a private conversation. Having worked together before, they naturally wanted to stay informed about the aftermath.
The whistleblower account was initially suppressed by PR efforts, but later continued to release new information. It said that Li Longke reluctantly paid overdue wages to quell the unrest, but project bonuses were still in arrears, and many employees had organized to file for labor arbitration. The franchise stores' debts continued to pile up. More alarmingly, Green Profit Group had begun liquidation, questioning Li Longke's past strategic decisions in the company.
Li Longke was now in a panic. Company assets would be used to compensate employees and offset debts. He personally faced accountability from the investment group. The only way out now was to return the money and face imprisonment. If he didn't return the funds he had misappropriated in the past, the punishment would only be more severe.
After this blow, Dragon Knowledge Video was in ruins. Its future would either be bankruptcy or acquisition by another company.
On the phone, Wang Yiwen sighed, "I asked around. Some people got their wages, but bonuses are still unpaid. The main issue is the franchise stores' debt. They expanded too broadly, which became a burden. It's hard to separate cleanly."
Chu Zhishui replied, "Getting the wages is the main thing. The rest will be up to the court."
"Wow, I've been feeling so conflicted lately," Wang Yiwen said dejectedly. "I've been hoping for it to go bankrupt, but now that it's actually happening, it doesn't feel good. I even had a dream last night about when I first joined the company. We were so happy then. The meeting room was tiny, but everyone was so ambitious. How did it come to this?"
Dragon Knowledge had moved from a small office to Jinmao Center, with countless young people working hard and dedicating themselves to it.
Chu Zhishui felt nothing for the fatigue and illness of that time, perhaps because that drive was still etched in her memory. It was only with the reminder from the two that she suddenly realized how tough that period had been.
Wang Yiwen continued, "It's not that I sympathize with Li Longke. He should rot in jail. But you understand how I feel, right?"
"I do. You're not sympathizing with him or with Dragon Knowledge," Chu Zhishui smiled. "You're nostalgic for your own time of struggle. Dragon Knowledge just happens to be the symbol of that experience."
"Yes, yes, that's exactly it. Anyway, working then felt different from now!"
Chu Zhishui's tone was light. "Me too. I sometimes think that even though I left Dragon Knowledge later, I'm glad I went through it all. If I could do it all over again, I might make the same choice."
Wang Yiwen decisively said, "Let's not do it all over again. You shouldn't choose to start a business with Li Longke again."
"But then I wouldn't have met you, would I?" Chu Zhishui laughed. "You were introduced to the company by him. Everything has its pros and cons. It's all fate."
"Alright, I know you really love me. I'll pay for the nursing home in the future," Wang Yiwen said cheerfully.
The two chatted a bit more about the soon-to-be-imprisoned Li Longke, reminisced about their youthful passion and hard work, before slowly ending the call and putting Dragon Knowledge behind them for good.
Time can wash away many things, allowing all things to grow from bud to wither. The beautiful scenes of the past may linger in memory, but when one opens their eyes, everything has changed. What's worth celebrating is that the beautiful feeling hasn't disappeared. It's like a calm, unrippled water surface, waiting for a small pebble to create sparkling ripples.
After the National Brand Special Offer event orders were gradually completed, the Observation Bureau Company's account had a huge balance, more than enough to continue construction.
The staff dormitory was perfectly built and currently in the ventilation stage. The efficiency was truly astonishing. Chu Zhishui didn't dare to think deeply about how many spirits from Director Miao's furnace were used. She always felt that at this rate, the observation department's furnace would be emptied.
In the bureau, the small courtyard near the big tree was also completed. A row of white walls and gray tiles in classical courtyard style, without paintings on the walls, but with bamboo planted in a green belt on one side. Inside the courtyard were tea tables with chess sets and stone chairs. The stone round stools under the tree, which no spirit dared to move, fit perfectly in the new courtyard.
Xin Yunmao was very satisfied with the new courtyard. He had been frequenting it lately, especially pleased to see the bamboo planted, finding fewer and fewer faults.
When Chu Zhishui first saw the bamboo in the courtyard, her heart skipped a beat. She hadn't been paying attention to the bureau for the past two months while in Yinhai, and didn't know whose idea this was. This plant truly was the countryside surrounding the city, impossible to remove from her life.
Miao Li was the only one who dared to express dissatisfaction with the bamboo in the courtyard, whether it was ordinary bamboo or bamboo spirits.
During the lunch break, Xin Yunmao sat near the round stool sunbathing. Chu Zhishui had also just finished her meal and was getting some fresh air and taking a few steps in the sunshine.
Bureau staff were gradually coming out of the cafeteria, happening to pass by the newly built courtyard.
As Miao Li passed by, he saw the human and the spirit, glanced at the bamboo grove in the corner, and questioned, "Why plant bamboo?"
Chu Zhishui's gaze flickered as she hesitated, "Director Miao, you shouldn't ask me that. You should ask the logistics department."
"If not bamboo, what should we plant?" Xin Yunmao's tone was arrogant. "Should we plant catnip for you?"
Chu Zhishui asked, "What's catnip?"
"Humans call it catnip."
Miao Li stared at the human and spirit, clicking his tongue as if heartbroken, using his gaze to reproach Chu Zhishui for her improper conduct.
Chu Zhishui hurriedly said, "No, Director Miao, I wasn't even at the bureau for the past few months. The bamboo planting really has nothing to do with me."
"Indeed, why would she need to plant bamboo here when she has it at home..."
"Shut up!"
With the staff dormitory and courtyard renovations complete, the bureau's cafeteria was also upgraded. Jin Yu, citing Chu Zhishui's past stomach issues, suggested that Niu Shi change the cafeteria's set meals to a buffet style, eliminating the standard two meat dishes, two vegetable dishes, and one soup, and aligning it more with the Yinhai Bureau's dining style.
Now, the cafeteria had two long tables with thermal containers filled with various delicacies. Considering the different species of the staff, there were options from land, sea, and air, finally stepping into a life of abundance.
The Huaijiang Bureau only had about twenty people, and Chu Zhishui initially felt that a buffet was extravagant, especially since the Yinhai Bureau's cafeteria was also open to non-staff members, like human employees working in the guesthouse. But Niu Shi guaranteed that all the food would be consumed, and with Director Hu's full support, the staff buffet was successfully implemented.
In the bureau chief's office, Hu Chenrui had specifically called Chu Zhishui to discuss matters related to the company's funds.
Chu Zhishui lightly knocked on the door and entered after hearing a response. "Director Hu, you were looking for me?"
Seeing her appear, Hu Chenrui quickly stood up, holding an ancient coin in his hand. He began pacing the room, sighing, "Little Chu, I really didn't expect you to be so capable, managing to develop the Economic Development Department to this extent in just over a year, and even presenting our bureau with this kind of problem for the first time."
"Problem?" Chu Zhishui was startled. "Is there an issue with the financial accounts?"
The Observation Bureau Company operated legally, with all procedures properly handled. There shouldn't have been any discrepancies.
Hu Chenrui said helplessly, "There's no problem with the financial accounts. That's the biggest problem."
He knew Chu Zhishui was good at making money, but he didn't expect her to be this good. A single event bringing in 20 million yuan was indeed unexpected.
Chu Zhishui looked puzzled, not understanding his meaning.
Hu Chenrui sighed deeply and decided, "Let's do this. I'll give you a task. Set aside money for performance bonuses and rewards for the bureau, then find ways to spend the rest of the money in the account!"
Chu Zhishui: "?"
Chu Zhishui exclaimed in shock, "Director Hu, misappropriating public funds is illegal..."
Hu Chenrui: "No, just spend it on bureau improvements. Think of ways to use it up."
Chu Zhishui probed: "How about building an office building?"
Hu Chenrui immediately agreed: "That works. We'll put it on the agenda for the next bureau-wide meeting. What else?"
"How about installing an elevator?"
"That's simple too. Anything else?" Hu Chenrui said, "These are all small projects, they won't use up twenty million."
"But I can't think of anything else," Chu Zhishui said worriedly. "Maybe we shouldn't spend it all, just keep it for now..."
"We can't keep it, we must spend it!" Hu Chenrui said decisively. He looked at her in surprise, "How come someone so young knows how to earn but not how to spend? What kind of problem is that?"
"Well..." Chu Zhishui was stumped. "Maybe I just don't have those worldly desires?"
If she were materialistic, she wouldn't have returned to Huaijiang Bureau in the first place - she probably would have stayed at Dragon Knowledge Video to chase money.
Hu Chenrui was deeply disappointed in her. He shook his head regretfully and waved his hand: "Forget it, let's rely on the bureau-wide meeting to discuss this. Let's hear their outrageous ideas."
Since joining the bureau, this was the first time Chu Zhishui had been criticized by leadership - surprisingly not for being unable to make money, but for being unable to spend it: "..."
The Huaijiang Bureau's general meeting didn't disappoint Hu Chenrui. Everyone voted to approve many outlandish ideas. Not only did they start building a new office building and elevator, but they also planned to build a library and basketball court in the bureau, and even planned to build a swimming pool.
"Don't we need approval procedures to build all this?" Chu Zhishui said, "Plus maintenance will cost money later."
While the staff dormitory would save labor costs, the initial approval process would need to be handled through bureau connections.
Hu Chenrui: "Don't worry about maintenance for now, let's just spend the money first."
Chu Zhishui: "..."
This was starting to feel like her previous company, though the Huaijiang Bureau probably wouldn't go bankrupt.
While Hu Chenrui was anxiously organizing all this construction, Murphy's Law proved true - the situation they least wanted to face still occurred.
In the Finance Department office, Hu Chenrui, He Shougui, and Chu Zhishui gathered in the small room, while Xiao Chong and Xiao Xia waited in the outer room. This was a private meeting about the bureau's finances.
He Shougui, abandoning his usual slow and procrastinating manner, said seriously: "Director Hu, it's our turn to help this year."
"How could Yinhai Bureau have less money than us?" Hu Chenrui frowned, saying incredulously, "With rental income from so many properties, this shouldn't happen."
Chu Zhishui: "But Director Ye waived our rent." So there was no rental income from that one shop.
He Shougui: "The tea is still being sold at four times the price this year, which means our account increases while theirs decreases."
"..." Hu Chenrui silently cursed Ye Huayu for being wasteful, then sighed, "Well, we'll have to accept it. How much help do they need?"
"We'll need to lend about a million to Qiwu Bureau."
Chu Zhishui: "???"
Chu Zhishui was shocked: "Director Hu, Director He, what does this mean?"
He Shougui explained wearily: "Most Observation Bureaus barely make a profit. Only Yinhai Bureau has decent income, so we've relied on their help over the years. If any bureau faces disasters or excessive compensation payments and can't balance their books, they have to borrow money from other bureaus. We can't delay wages and compensation payments, so usually the bureau with the most money steps in."
Hu Chenrui smiled: "But we've never experienced this before. This time we lacked experience and suffered from not knowing how to spend money."
"..."
No wonder Director Hu had been frantically spending money, preferring to build random facilities just to use it up.
Chu Zhishui humbly asked: "So when do they pay it back? Do we get an IOU?"
"The IOU usually says 'assets as repayment,'" Hu Chenrui said, "But as you know, the bureaus basically have no assets."
Except for Yinhai Bureau, other Observation Bureaus were quite desolate and had nothing of value.
Chu Zhishui: "So it's basically borrowing without returning?"
"Nominally they say they'll repay, but you probably won't see it during your tenure."
"..."
No wonder Ye Huayu had been so quick to offer the shop and waive rent - he must have become numb to being asked for money. Since they would borrow through official channels if he refused, no wonder he acted like a wastrel who had given up.
But Chu Zhishui wasn't ready to give up, still trying to struggle: "So what assets do they use as collateral? Really nothing at all?"
"Qiwu Bureau is similar to how our bureau was before construction, at most they have the sea where they can catch some fish," Hu Chenrui said. "If you really want to look, you can go there yourself and discuss what you want with them."
He pondered: "Director Sha has a shark, which you saw last time. I'm not sure how much a shark would sell for."
"?"
Those by the sea with nothing really don't fear those inland with something.
In the Economic Development Department, when Jin Yu heard the news about lending money to Qiwu Bureau, she spoke in a daze: "Isn't Qiwu where Director Wu used to work? He clearly said the seaside was sophisticated and developed, a hundred times better than our Huaijiang, how could they have no assets for collateral?"
"Congratulations, you finally realized he was lying to you," Chu Zhishui said. "They may both have seas, but Qiwu is nothing like Yinhai. You'd know if you just checked the GDP of different cities."
Jin Yu was incredulous as she finally came to this realization.
During break time, only Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao were left in the office. When Xin Yunmao stood up, he glanced at her screen and saw it was full of information about Qiwu's specialties and economic conditions. He frowned and asked: "Are you planning to go to Qiwu?"
She replied: "I'm thinking about it. Mainly because if the bureau's revenue keeps up like this, we might have to lend money every year. We can't keep setting this precedent."
Chu Zhishui didn't want to be taken advantage of like Director Ye. If Huaijiang Bureau had the most money every year, wouldn't this never end?
"Can I not go?"
Chu Zhishui was startled. She turned around to find Xin Yunmao looking down, standing by the desk like an ancient tree.
"Of course you can," Chu Zhishui blinked and readily agreed.
Xin Yunmao was surprised: "You're not going to ask why?"
"I told you before, right? Do what you want to do at the bureau, and if you don't want to do something, you don't have to. What matters is what you think," Chu Zhishui smiled. "Similarly, go wherever you want to go, and don't go where you don't want to go. You don't need to consider other things."
She joked lightly: "Aren't you the God-Lord? Since you're omnipotent, make your own choices. Even humans can live like this, it should be easier for a god."
Xin Yunmao's eyelashes trembled slightly. He remained silent for a long while, as if hesitating, before finally admitting: "I need some time."
"What?" Chu Zhishui asked, "Time to think about it?"
"Yes." Xin Yunmao's voice was muffled. "Qiwu is where he was born. With the dragon flame affecting me now, it might have some impact."
Back then, he had been burned black by dragon flames containing the resentment of dragon god believers, and Qiwu was the place with the most dragon god temples.
Chu Zhishui's expression changed slightly. Thinking of the black markings, she hurriedly said: "Is it dangerous? Then don't go."
"No, it's not dangerous, just makes me irritable," he muttered. "Slightly uncomfortable."
"It's fine, I'll probably just go look at the assets and have them write an IOU. Maybe just a day trip, it's not a big deal," Chu Zhishui said soothingly. "Two days at most if we take it slow."
Xin Yunmao pressed his lips together, his brows slightly furrowed, black eyes gleaming with an inscrutable look.
After a long while, he finally made his decision and said softly: "But I want to go with you."
"I've never been to other places before, but recently it's been quite nice," Xin Yunmao avoided her gaze, seeming somewhat awkward as he spoke vaguely. "Maybe this time will be the same."
He had never left Huaijiang before, treating the monsters who rejected him with cold indifference, but the trip to Danshan had been quite pleasant, and even his view of Yinhai Bureau had improved.
Because they had made many precious memories in Yinhai City, even the chattering peacock was no longer annoying.
He had a strange feeling that he could override his aversion to Qiwu City with happy memories made with her, at least it had worked the previous times. Wherever she went was filled with vitality that made him genuinely happy.
Chu Zhishui hadn't expected him to say this. She pondered for a few seconds before smiling: "Sure, then let's stay for two days. I heard Qiwu Bureau is on an island - you've been on a plane before, and now you can try a boat too."
The human and monster settled on their itinerary and began planning their seaside trip.
At the airport, as Chu Zhishui and Xin Yunmao sat in the waiting area, they unexpectedly encountered another monster from their bureau. They heard the lively song "Good Fortune Comes" and turned to see Wu Changgong fumbling to answer his phone in his seat.
Chu Zhishui complained, "I can't believe he still hasn't changed his ringtone."
When she first joined the Logistics Department, Wu Changgong's phone ringtone was "Good Fortune Comes," and he always had the volume turned up especially loud. Although he wasn't in the same room as Chu Zhishui and others, the loud ringtone would always travel to the next room, disturbing other colleagues in the Logistics Department.
Listening to the noisy music, Xin Yunmao said in a flat voice, "What on earth was the human who wrote this song thinking?"
As a bamboo spirit who had taken human form, he had acquired hearing, which also brought him the troubles of noise pollution.
"It's not about who wrote the song, it's about who plays it. This song carries humans' good wishes, it's meant to make people happy and energetic," she said. "But it's unbearable when he plays it every day."
"Good Fortune Comes" probably carried Wu Changgong's wishes too - after all, with lyrics like "Welcome good fortune and prosper across the four seas," it perfectly captured a sea crab's dreams.
Reportedly, Wu Changgong would take family leave every year to return to the sea in Qiwu for rest. He happened to run into the human and spirit duo, though his flight seat wasn't near theirs - they just unexpectedly met in the waiting hall.
During boarding, Wu Changgong didn't want to linger in front of Xin Yunmao. He politely waved, "Director Chu, see you after we land, see you after we land!"
Wu Changgong was returning home for vacation, while the Economic Development Department was there for work. They probably wouldn't see each other again after leaving the airport.
Chu Zhishui still had her principles. Setting aside their past minor grievances - she had no major feud with Director Wu - it would be wrong to disturb a colleague's vacation. She had already decided not to contact him once they left Qiwu airport.
The plane took off smoothly and the flight proceeded normally.
In the cabin, Chu Zhishui looked at the small map on the screen and noticed they were flying over Qiwu. She remembered Xin Yunmao once mentioned he was bound by dragon flames. She quickly turned to him and asked seriously, "We're almost at Qiwu, are you feeling unwell?"
Xin Yunmao was startled by her words. He felt the plane descending and only then realized they were almost there.
Seeing her worried expression, he paused slightly, his eyes flickering as he said, "I feel unwell."
Sure enough, Chu Zhishui grew more concerned and looked him up and down: "Where does it hurt?"
"It hurts here and there."
"?"
Chu Zhishui glanced up at him and saw his eyes gleaming like a large dog deliberately seeking attention. She immediately understood what he was up to.
Facing the tea-scented bamboo spirit, she heartlessly replied, "Then just deal with it."
"Hmph."
