Time flew by quickly.
If it weren't for the absurd situation and salary at the Bureau, Chu Zhishui would have been quite satisfied with her current life. Except for Wu Changgong, her colleagues were all easy to get along with. Though their behaviors might differ, they were all friendly and unbiased towards her.
Chief Wu wasn't hostile either; he simply had the typical flaw of a low-level leader - enjoying giving impromptu assignments. Ever since he discovered Chu Zhishui's work efficiency, he began deliberately assigning her tasks, probably thinking she was as pliable as Jin Yu.
Chu Zhishui had already decided to resign, so she couldn't be bothered to cause trouble now. Besides, the work wasn't much for her, so she hadn't yet come into conflict with Chief Wu.
The Huaijiang Observation Bureau was located in the suburbs, with incomplete supporting facilities nearby. Even the noisy sound of cars couldn't be heard. The courtyard remained silent, with only occasional gentle breezes causing ripples on the stream.
Chu Zhishui parked her car and walked along the path towards the office building when she suddenly heard a rustling sound. Before she could get nervous, a black cat darted out from the shadows of the trees, moving like black lightning through the dense leaves.
Chu Zhishui instinctively followed it with her eyes. The cat's fur was sleek and shiny, without any unusual coloration, except for its four white paws - like dark clouds treading on snow.
It seemed to have extremely keen observation skills, leaping and bounding with agile movements. Suddenly, it stopped and turned back to look at Chu Zhishui, as if sensing something. Its golden cat eyes were unbelievably beautiful, still carrying a wild vitality and vigilance.
The way humans address feline animals might be universal. Seeing it staring at her, Chu Zhishui crouched down and called out, extending her hand: "Kitty."
The black cat's body stiffened. It glanced at Chu Zhishui once more before swiftly jumping into the bushes, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
Chu Zhishui sighed with disappointment and stood up to walk into the building.
In the Logistics Department, Chu Zhishui had been preparing her resignation report recently, planning to talk to Hong Ximing in the next couple of days. She chatted and joked with Jin Yu at noon, finished her daily tasks in the afternoon, and thought she could leave work smoothly. Unexpectedly, Wu Changgong showed up right on the dot.
At the office door, Wu Changgong suddenly poked his head in. He scanned the room with his small, round black eyes, startling Jin Yu into lowering her head and avoiding his gaze. Niu Shi was busy in the cafeteria, and Xin Yunmao wasn't in the room, leaving only two people present.
"Little Chu, process these forms and don't leave until you're done today."
In the end, Chu Zhishui became the new unfortunate one, forced to accept the chief's task. She glanced at the time - it was 16:50, ten minutes before the end of the workday.
"What forms?"
"These ones." Wu Changgong handed over several sheets with sloppy handwriting. "You've done them before."
Chu Zhishui took a quick look. The data was from yesterday. If he had given them to her this morning, they would probably have been submitted by now. However, Wu Changgong had been off doing who knows what all day, only to assign work right before closing time.
Chu Zhishui calmly said, "Alright, I'll do them tomorrow morning. You can come get them then."
"I'll be back later..." Wu Changgong was stunned. "Wait, can't you do them today? Are you busy with something now?"
"No," Chu Zhishui inquired, "Do you have something to do tomorrow morning?"
"No."
"Okay, then come get them tomorrow. The deadline is just at noon, so you can double-check them in the morning."
It was the first time Wu Changgong had been refused. Feeling he should reassert his authority, he burst out angrily, "Hey, didn't I say to finish them today? Is it necessary for you to be in such a rush to leave work?"
His voice roared like angry waves, frightening Jin Yu into trembling.
Chu Zhishui, however, remained unmoved by the shouting. She calmly asked in return, "Is it necessary for you to be in such a rush to skip work?"
"What do you mean?" Seeing that she was neither soft nor hard to deal with, Wu Changgong tried to snatch back the forms, impatiently saying, "Forget it, I won't waste words with you. Jin Yu, you do this!"
"...Okay."
But Chu Zhishui raised her hand, not handing over the paper forms, and repeated, "I'll do them tomorrow morning."
"Chu Zhishui, why are you so full of ideas?" Wu Changgong said angrily. "Who's the department chief here, you or me!?"
Jin Yu quickly made faces at Chu Zhishui, shaking her head like a rattle drum, frantically hinting for her not to argue back.
Seeing Wu Changgong's angry face, Chu Zhishui didn't rush to argue. Instead, she smiled gently: "Chief Wu, there's a serious crackdown on absenteeism and ghost workers now. To be honest, if your behavior gets reported, the Logistics Department might actually get a new chief."
"Since I started working here, except for the first day, you've basically been absent every day, seriously violating the Bureau's attendance system." Her voice was soft and gentle, her face still wearing a mild smile, but she didn't give the leader any face at all.
Wu Changgong's face turned bright red as he retorted, "Who-who says I've been absent? I've clearly been here every day, just a little late!"
"Barely showing up at noon, occasionally appearing in the afternoon, can that still be considered just being late?" Chu Zhishui said unhurriedly. "The insistence on finishing the forms today is probably because you don't want to come in on time tomorrow, right? If you had been just a bit more polite and not wasted other people's time, I think we could have let it slide peacefully."
"But if you really want to make a fuss, that's fine too. It's just a matter of getting an 'unsatisfactory' rating at the end of the year. I hear you transferred from Qi Wu, so you should be familiar with this system."
Chu Zhishui had always been curious about how Wu Changgong became a department chief. Later, she learned that he was promoted to full chief after transferring to Huaijiang, and from his praises of Qi Wu in conversation, she could pretty much guess the whole story.
Apart from his tendency to brag, the reason Wu Changgong gave up his familiar Qi Wu to come to Huaijiang was simply because he couldn't make it there anymore. Everyone in the Qi Wu bureau knew his background, so it would be easy to deal with him. If he hadn't run off elsewhere, he might have been demoted from deputy chief after the year-end evaluation.
But when he came to Huaijiang, he turned over a new leaf. Not only was he promoted to full chief, but he could also fool his junior colleagues.
Jin Yu and Niu Shi were more honest and hadn't given him an unsatisfactory rating yet, but Chu Zhishui wasn't so easy to manipulate.
Hearing this, Wu Changgong's face instantly turned ashen. He exclaimed in shock, "What do you know?"
"What could I possibly know?" Chu Zhishui held the forms in one hand and picked up her bag with the other, smiling brightly. "Chief Wu, I'll be leaving now. See you tomorrow morning."
She usually appeared gentle and even-tempered, looking easy to bully, but who would have thought she'd maintain this harmless facade even when talking back.
Seeing her leave work without looking back, Wu Changgong was so angry he was practically bubbling in the office. He shrieked, "Jin Yu, you go do this!"
Jin Yu found him inexplicably unreasonable: "But the forms were taken away."
Wu Changgong grew even more furious. Of course he knew that, he was just looking for someone to vent his anger on, trying to salvage his leadership dignity.
The next day, except for the always-aloof Xin Yunmao, the Logistics Department was unusually full. Both Jin Yu and Niu Shi sensed an impending storm, while only Chu Zhishui remained as calm as ever, sitting composedly at her desk.
Moments later, Wu Changgong finally appeared, his face still looking unwell.
Seeing Wu Changgong arrive on time, Chu Zhishui wore a bright smile and took the initiative to greet him: "Chief Wu is early today."
It was unprecedented for Wu Changgong to arrive in the morning. By nature, he disliked going out during the day, and taking advantage of the Bureau Chief being away on a business trip, he had grown accustomed to slacking off. Who would have thought he'd be outmaneuvered like this?
His disrupted routine left him looking gloomy and somewhat dazed, but unwilling to lose face again, he angrily said, "I'll just sit here and watch you do the forms."
He was determined to give her a hard time.
"They're already done." Chu Zhishui handed him the paper forms. "I just sent you the electronic version."
Wu Changgong felt like he had punched cotton: "When did you do them?"
It was clearly just the start of the workday, and she hadn't even turned on her computer yet.
"Last night."
Chu Zhishui planned to submit her resignation today and didn't want to waste time on other work.
Wu Changgong was furious: "If you could do them last night, why did you make me come in the morning!?"
Chu Zhishui gave him a sidelong glance and chuckled, "If you could have assigned them during the day yesterday, why did you have to wait until right before closing time?"
This was undoubtedly retaliation.
"Chu Zhishui, do you know..." Wu Changgong was so provoked his eyebrows stood up. If it weren't for remembering Director Hong's instructions, he would have wanted to strangle her on the spot. He blurted out, "You're nothing but a..."
"Nothing but a human?" Chu Zhishui raised an eyebrow. "And you're nothing but a crab."
Wu Changgong, the Gutless Gentleman, was just a polite version of a crab.
With one sentence, she had exposed Chief Wu's true form.
Wu Changgong didn't expect her to see through his monster identity. Recalling Director Hong's warning, he suddenly became flustered and instinctively looked towards the other two monsters.
Jin Yu and Niu Shi simultaneously averted their gazes, instantly feigning ignorance.
In reality, everyone in the Logistics Department, including Xin Yunmao, knew that Chu Zhishui understood the truth about the monsters. Only Wu Changgong remained in the dark.
Wu Changgong realized he had met his match.
Chu Zhishui calmly said, "Director Wu, can you fire me?"
"Of course..." Wu Changgong began, but then grudgingly changed his tune, "...not."
Unless there was gross misconduct, the Huaijiang Observation Bureau wouldn't fire anyone - that's why it was called an iron rice bowl job. Moreover, the monsters in the bureau were not allowed to attack humans.
"If you have no power to fire me, why are you throwing your weight around?" Chu Zhishui smiled. "I hope you learn your lesson and show up to work on time from now on, instead of hassling others."
Wu Changgong hadn't been scolded like this since becoming director!
Unable to tolerate Chu Zhishui's audacity, he exploded in anger: "Why can't I throw my weight around? Why can't I?!"
His roar was like a surging wave, seemingly powerful enough to make the walls vibrate, displaying the indignation of waves crashing against rocks.
Jin Yu trembled in fear.
Niu Shi tried to mediate: "Come on now..."
Chu Zhishui remained the calmest in the room.
Wu Changgong put on a display of rage, hoping to intimidate his insolent enemy, but Chu Zhishui showed no reaction.
She knew Wu Changgong was a paper tiger who only bullied the weak. She didn't even bother to lift an eyelid or look at him directly, casually turning on her computer instead.
Sure enough, seeing that she ignored him, Wu Changgong's exaggerated performance deflated like a punctured balloon. His next words lacked their previous force: "Why can't I throw my weight around? We crabs all walk sideways!"
With that, he exited the room sideways, oblivious to how ridiculous he looked, like a crab on the beach.
"..."
All bark and no bite.
He didn't dare provoke Chu Zhishui further, surprisingly letting the matter drop.
"That was really..." Jin Yu stuttered, watching Director Wu's awkward gait, "...sideways."
Chu Zhishui had no time to worry about Director Wu's fragile ego. After sharing her aromatic razor clams with colleagues at lunch, she went to submit her resignation to Hong Ximing in the afternoon.
Given the morning's dispute in the Logistics Department and Chu Zhishui's afternoon resignation, Hong Ximing couldn't help but speculate.
"Xiao Chu, I heard about this morning's incident. Director Hu is on his way back," Hong Ximing said anxiously. "If you have any grievances, just say so. Don't do anything rash!"
Chu Zhishui hurried to explain: "No, Sister Hong, it has nothing to do with this morning's incident. It's for personal reasons..."
Wu Changgong truly didn't have the power to drive her away; it was merely a coincidence.
Hong Ximing was skeptical but tried to reassure her: "Alright, alright, it's not related to this morning's incident. But we can't judge all monsters in the bureau based on one bad apple. At least wait until Director Hu returns."
Chu Zhishui felt there was no need to trouble the bureau chief over such a small matter, but Hong Ximing insisted that all resignations must be reported to leadership. Unable to refuse, she agreed.
The bureau chief's office was on the fourth floor, directly across from the Personnel Office.
Hong Ximing opened the door and asked Chu Zhishui to wait inside, saying Director Hu would arrive shortly.
The room was quite spacious, with an antique wooden desk, a leather executive chair, and a wall of curio shelves. In the corner stood two rows of bookcases filled with ancient texts, their contents indiscernible from the covers.
The walls were adorned with calligraphy, paintings, and ancient star charts. Bronze swords were displayed on the shelves, with a few ancient coins scattered about - a simple yet tasteful arrangement.
Chu Zhishui sat at a small tea table to wait, presumably the guest area, with a tea set placed below.
Footsteps echoed in the hallway, and the door creaked open. Chu Zhishui quickly stood to greet the newcomers, just as two monsters entered.
A man in a Zhongshan suit with graying hair had a scholarly air and a friendly smile. Seeing her stand respectfully, he quickly waved for her to sit: "It's fine, sit down, sit down!"
Hong Ximing made the introduction: "This is Director Hu."
"Hello, Director Hu. I'm Chu Zhishui."
"I've heard about you, heard about you. It's a pity we haven't met until now..." Director Hu said with a smile. "I'm Hu Chenrui. I apologize, I just returned from a business trip."
Chu Zhishui hastily exchanged pleasantries.
Hu Chenrui's hair was a gradient from light chestnut to silver, at first glance resembling an old man's white hair. However, his face didn't look particularly old, with few wrinkles - clearly still middle-aged, with the air of an old-school gentleman. He had almond-shaped eyes that must have been quite popular in his youth, but now carried a certain maturity that was perhaps even more attractive.
Upon first meeting Director Hu, Chu Zhishui felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity, though she couldn't pinpoint why. She found this feeling strange and tried to shake it off, forcing herself to remain on guard.
Hu Chenrui's eyes narrowed slightly as he asked with concern, "Is something wrong?"
Chu Zhishui snapped back to attention, sitting up straight: "It's nothing. Sister Hong may have already told you, but for personal reasons, I'm considering resigning. Of course, I'm very grateful for the training the bureau has provided during this time..."
"I haven't even been back, so what training could there have been?" Hu Chenrui interrupted her pleasantries with a smile. "I heard you had some conflict with Wu Changgong. Is that the reason?"
Chu Zhishui replied respectfully but firmly: "Director Wu and I had some work-related disagreements, but my decision to resign truly has nothing to do with him. Jin Yu and the others have been very supportive of me."
"Then is it for another reason?" Hu Chenrui looked troubled. "You seem to already know about the bureau's situation - that except for you, we're all monsters. Are you unable to accept this work environment?"
"Well..." Chu Zhishui hesitated. "Actually, I've gotten used to it. That's not the reason."
Hu Chenrui looked even more puzzled: "Then why?"
Chu Zhishui gave a vague, noncommittal answer.
Hu Chenrui possessed an innate charm that ordinary people found hard to resist, often leaving them too nervous to speak.
Not only was Chu Zhishui unaffected, but she also skillfully dodged the question, clearly not afraid of monsters. This made Hu Chenrui even more perplexed about her reasons for leaving.
"Xiao Chu, to be honest, it's very difficult for us to find someone like you..." Hu Chenrui said diplomatically, "Someone who doesn't mind our identities."
"So we really hope you'll stay. We'd like to hear the real reason for your resignation and see if there's any way we can address it."
Hu Chenrui's tone was sincere, and his words were quite tactful.
It seemed she had no choice but to come clean.
Chu Zhishui lowered her head reluctantly, her tone rather awkward: "It might be due to the difference in our identities. Director Hu, you all are quite noble, but as a human, my thoughts are more... worldly."
Hu Chenrui listened, perplexed.
She steeled herself and decided to be frank: "I also want to serve the people and stop working for capitalists, but I've found that if you don't sell your soul to the devil, you might end up too poor to have a soul."
"The current compensation at the bureau is indeed... ahem..." She coughed strategically. "...somewhat lacking."
"..."
