Liu Kun's Discovery

For the next half month, Chen Xu spent his days working overtime, busy until eight every night, and it was not unusual for him to work until nine.

The Electronic Sales Department had just been established, and there was an especially large amount of work to do. Everyone was rushed off their feet.

At first, he had found it a little hard to adapt. Back in the Advertising Department, his daily workload had been clearly defined, and his coworkers had already developed a good rhythm together. As long as he handled his own responsibilities, he could generally finish everything during working hours.

Now, he was like a tightly wound spring, never stopping. The moment he finished one task, he had to move straight on to another, and unexpected problems kept cropping up.

It was common for him to get halfway through something, discover that it differed greatly from the plan, then scrap it and start over.

He was certainly tired, but Chen Xu also felt fulfilled. He felt that he was learning a great deal.

The New Department had another characteristic: there were a lot of meetings. Every morning, they held a regular meeting to report everyone's progress. No matter how busy Liu Kun was, he attended every day.

Every coworker worked hard, filled with the drive unique to young people.

Chen Xu liked this working atmosphere very much. More than once, he had thought that if he had joined a company with such an environment right after graduation, things would definitely have turned out very differently.

It was another Friday. As quitting time approached, Liu Kun appeared. After entering, he clapped his hands and had everyone stop working. "You've all worked hard these past two weeks. Go home early today. You don't need to come in tomorrow. Those who should go on dates, go on dates. Those who should spend time with their families, go spend time with them."

"Long live Director Liu!"

Everyone cheered. After working nonstop for half a month, they could finally rest. Everyone wholeheartedly supported the decision.

After Liu Kun finished speaking, he did not waste any more of their time and announced that work was over.

Everyone eagerly left the Office.

"Chen Xu, you're not leaving yet?"

The female coworker named Dai Zixin saw that Chen Xu was still seated in front of his computer and asked him.

Chen Xu waved a hand. "I'm still waiting for a design proposal. You go on home first."

"Then I'm off." Dai Zixin tossed out the remark and left.

Before long, Chen Xu was the only one left in the department, apart from Luo Xiyun in the Office and Liu Kun, who had just gone in.

He could not help thinking, I wonder what they're talking about?

"Xi Yun."

Liu Kun sat at the desk, concern in his eyes. "I heard from Xiaoyu that you've been working until midnight every day lately."

Luo Xiyun put down her pen and said helplessly, "That mouth of Liu Yumeng's... I never should have let her move into my home."

"She's concerned about you too. How can your body take it if you stay up late every day? You don't need to come to the company for the next few days. Get some proper rest."

"No." Luo Xiyun refused flatly. "They need me here."

Liu Kun rarely showed such a helpless expression. "If you really work yourself into the ground, how am I supposed to explain it to Director Luo?"

Even when he brought up her father, Luo Xiyun showed no intention of yielding. "Don't worry. I know my own body. When it's time to rest, I won't force myself."

Liu Kun did not try to persuade her further. His gaze suddenly fell on a potted plant on the desk, and he found it somewhat strange. She was a neat freak and had never kept anything like this in her Office before, because she hated mud and bugs.

As if asking casually, he said, "What kind of plant is this? It looks rather unusual."

"I just planted it casually," she said vaguely.

Liu Kun had clearly caught a flicker of emotion in her eyes, making him even more curious. Thinking of something else, he wondered whether it was related, then probed, "I heard you turned Zhou Hao down."

At the mention of that name, Luo Xiyun's brows unconsciously furrowed. "Who did you hear that from?"

"A few days ago, Zhou Hao got drunk and shouted that he was going to find the bastard who had stolen his woman. He said he'd break that man's three legs." Liu Kun recounted the amusing story. "Now everyone is curious about who that man is."

Luo Xiyun's expression turned somewhat cold.

Knock, knock.

Just then, someone knocked outside.

"Come in," Luo Xiyun said.

Chen Xu entered. He first greeted Liu Kun. "Director Liu." Then he handed over a USB Drive. "Director Luo, this is the new proposal sent over by the advertising company."

"Just leave it there." Luo Xiyun's tone was cool.

"Then I'll be leaving." Chen Xu nodded to Liu Kun. Before he left, he caught sight of tender sprouts emerging from the flowerpot on the desk and felt a little puzzled. Why does that look like a tomato?

In the dream, he had grown tomatoes so he could eat fresh vegetables, so he recognized what they looked like when they had just sprouted.

Then he thought it was unlikely. How could anyone grow tomatoes in a flowerpot in the Office?

The thought merely flashed through his mind. He did not pay it any attention and left the Office.

Liu Kun had not paid attention to the employee either. But as the man left, Liu Kun caught a glimpse of the gaze Luo Xiyun directed at his retreating back, and an extremely complicated emotion showed in her eyes.

That single glance gave him a certain suspicion.

Still, was that guess too absurd? He felt it was necessary to confirm it. He looked at the closed door, his gaze seeming to pierce through it and see the employee beyond.

If he remembered correctly, that man was called Chen Xu. It was a very ordinary name, just like his ordinary looks.

When Chen Xu left the company, he called Old Tang. He wanted to take the opportunity to treat him to a meal, to thank him for taking care of him over the past year or so.

Old Tang told him not to spend the money and invited him over to eat at his home instead.

So Chen Xu went to the supermarket, bought a pile of ingredients, and headed straight to Old Tang's home.

Old Tang's home was a little far from the company. Chen Xu had helped him move when he relocated, so he knew the address.

He hailed a taxi and arrived in less than an hour.

Old Tang's wife was not exceptionally beautiful, but she was pleasant to look at, the virtuous wife and loving mother type.

To be honest, Chen Xu had always envied Old Tang. Through his own efforts, he had settled down in this city and found such a wonderful woman to marry.

That evening, after eating the food Old Tang's wife had cooked, he envied him even more. These days, it was far too difficult to find a woman who could cook well.

That night, Chen Xu had a dream. He dreamed that, in his second dream world, he copied Old Tang's wife and brought her into the dream with him.

When he woke up the next day and recalled what had happened in the dream, he could not help shuddering. Fortunately, it had only been a dream.

He hurried into the bathroom and took a cold shower to calm himself down.

Then he set a rule for himself: "From now on, I absolutely must not choose anyone I know in reality to copy when entering the dream."