Finally Got a Raise!

"Actually, there's a custom like this in my hometown..."

Li Mubai spoke at length without blushing or missing a heartbeat.

He laid out the traditional culture of a village deep in the mountains before Bibi Dong.

Watching Li Mubai, who showed no embarrassment and did not blush in the slightest, Bibi Dong kept her expression unchanged, but inwardly she was sneering.

She knew that Li Mubai was making up lies.

Still.

She had not expected Li Mubai to be so confident even when lying.

If she had not heard his inner voice from time to time, she might almost have believed his nonsense by now.

All because.

What Li Mubai said sounded so convincing!

He had practically reached the point where the fake was indistinguishable from the real!!

"So you didn't neglect to prepare rice. You prepared a traditional specialty from your hometown instead, called... zongzi?"

After quite a while.

Li Mubai finally finished explaining the hometown culture he had conjured out of thin air.

During that time.

Bibi Dong had kept asking questions, and he had cleverly talked his way around them.

He had even.

To answer Bibi Dong's questions, made up an entire piece of nonexistent history out of thin air!

Now.

Faced with Bibi Dong's question, Li Mubai could only nod repeatedly:

"That's right. This thing is called zongzi, and it's our staple for lunch today."

After saying that.

He watched the suspicion on Bibi Dong's face fade away.

He could not help letting out a long breath.

The worry hanging over his heart finally settled.

This was exhausting.

He had not expected Bibi Dong to throw questions at him while he was making up lies!

It had scared him half to death.

If he had not been quick-witted, the lie might have been exposed on the spot.

Because every question Bibi Dong asked was a little too sharp.

Every single one struck right at the weak points in his lies.

It had given him quite a fright.

Fortunately, he had weathered plenty of storms and managed to deal with the questions one by one in the end.

He had merely wasted a bit more breath.

He had kept piling one lie on top of another.

Fortunately, the outcome was good.

Just when he thought Bibi Dong would ask more questions and he would have to keep coming up with new lies.

Bibi Dong had suddenly stopped asking.

It seemed she had believed what he said.

What Li Mubai did not know was.

Bibi Dong had actually known from the start that everything he said was a lie he had made up.

The reason she asked questions.

Was to give Li Mubai a hard time and tease him.

Even Bibi Dong did not know why she was doing something so pointless.

But.

Whenever she heard Li Mubai's panicked inner voice, she found it very amusing.

Several times, she had even.

While Li Mubai was flustered inside as he faced her questions.

Almost burst out laughing.

However.

In the end, she relied on the self-control she possessed as the Pope to forcibly stifle her urge to laugh aloud.

She had nearly given herself internal injuries holding it in.

"This Li Mubai is really too amusing!

He was clearly panicking inside when faced with my questions.

Yet on the surface, he remained calm throughout, as if nothing could make his expression change.

Bibi Dong shook her head inwardly.

She had teased Li Mubai for quite a while and did not intend to continue.

What she was most curious about now was.

The food Li Mubai called "zongzi."

According to Li Mubai's thoughts.

This thing seemed to taste pretty good,

Otherwise, Li Mubai could not have missed it so much.

At the dining table.

The four each sat on one side.

And Bibi Dong naturally took the place of honor facing the door.

She was Li Mubai's boss and outranked him, so naturally she needed to sit there.

Actually.

The reason Li Mubai was showing Bibi Dong such respect now was also because they had just discussed a raise.

Bibi Dong had promised him.

That she would raise his current salary by another fifty percent!

That was fifty percent!

A full half more than before!!

As it happened.

Li Mubai had just begun to feel that he did not have enough for his daily expenses.

He had not expected.

Bibi Dong to bring him such a fine benefit today.

Li Mubai, who had previously been somewhat dissatisfied with Bibi Dong, no longer had the slightest complaint.

He even.

Felt now that Bibi Dong was actually not too bad.

At least she understood that life was not easy for her subordinates.

Of course.

Li Mubai had made up that hardship himself.

As for Bibi Dong, who could hear his inner voice, the reason she had agreed so readily.

Was that she wanted to use this opportunity to bring the two of them closer.

So that they could also work together on great undertakings in the future.

She still needed Li Mubai in many ways, needed him to help her devise plans and resolve crises.

Moreover.

From Li Mubai's inner voice, she had gradually come to understand.

That Li Mubai was a very farsighted person, worth winning over.

Therefore.

She had agreed without a moment's consideration when Li Mubai asked for a raise.

For her.

As long as Li Mubai's requests were not too excessive, she could grant them.

As long as he did not leave Spirit Hall, everything was negotiable!

"Boss... your..."

Halfway through his sentence.

Li Mubai suddenly froze.

At that moment, he.

Suddenly realized he had used the wrong form of address.

In his happiness just now, he had blurted out the way he addressed her in his thoughts.

He looked at Bibi Dong sitting upright before him, his eyelid twitching.

As far as he knew.

Bibi Dong seemed to place great importance on the hierarchy between superiors and subordinates.

Would his slip just now cause her to cancel his raise?

It was all his fault for getting carried away and letting his guard down for a moment!

Li Mubai was full of regret.

The price of this tiny slip was far too great.

Half his salary might just vanish like that...

"Your Holiness, that was a slip of the tongue. Please don't forgive me..."

Looking at Bibi Dong, who sat there with a stern face and said nothing.

Li Mubai wanted to say more and try to salvage the situation.

But halfway through, Bibi Dong suddenly interrupted him.

"There's no need to apologize or explain."

Hearing this, Li Mubai froze, and the mouth he had been about to open closed involuntarily.

His heart immediately went cold.

It's over.

Half my salary has flown away like a cooked duck...

Just as Li Mubai was grieving inwardly.

The familiar voice rang out again.

"That way you call me 'boss' is quite interesting. It sounds much nicer than 'Your Holiness.' From now on, except at the monthly assembly, I'll allow you to call me that."

Hearing those words.

Li Mubai was stunned again.

At that moment.

He was greatly astonished.

What's going on?

What's gotten into Bibi Dong?

Hasn't she always observed the proper hierarchy? What's gotten into her today?

Though he was a little puzzled, Li Mubai was still happy.

He had not originally intended to have much contact with Bibi Dong, for fear it would cause some inconvenience.

But what he had not expected was.

That in such a short time, the connection between him and Bibi Dong had grown so close.

That had taken him by surprise.

In short.

His attitude toward Bibi Dong had changed, and he no longer felt averse to her.