Newcomer

I wasn't looking down on my own job. It was just that our work involved dealing directly with the public on behalf of a government department, and it affected people's interests on a massive scale. It was even harder than the work done by neighborhood committees or police stations. Chen Xiao Qiu clearly didn't seem like someone who could handle public relations well. She was nothing like Guo Yujie, that big-hearted tomboy. To put it bluntly, if she stood in front of the public, most people—except for a few men—would instinctively feel repelled. How could we get any further work done like that?

The old leader surely knew what the problem was with this girl. He smiled warmly at Guo Yujie and Chen Xiao Qiu and said, "Xiao Guo, why don't you tell Xiao Chen a little about how your team is doing? Xiao Chen, listen carefully and learn from her. Xiao Guo's a good person. If there's anything you don't understand, just ask."

The two girls nodded, and Guo Yujie answered cheerfully.

The old leader turned to me. "Xiao Lin, come with me. How is that Uncle Wang your team's responsible for doing?"

I understood his meaning and hurried after him. I made a show of reporting on Uncle Wang's situation, then wrapped up my report at just the right moment, shortly after we left the office.

The old leader didn't bring up the matter again. Instead, he said to me, "This Xiao Chen used to work at the State Taxation Bureau. Her father's an old comrade of mine, and he's working in the central government now. He asked me to help her get some experience."

I was secretly astonished.

Transferred from the State Taxation Bureau to a small demolition office? What kind of experience was that? There was no way this counted as going down to the grassroots level.

The old leader had the weary look of an elder worried about a younger generation. "You saw it yourself. She's proud—too proud, really. No matter how capable her father is, he can't make everyone revolve around her, can he? She's been at the State Taxation Bureau for over a year, and her relationships with her colleagues are a complete mess. The work's been difficult, and she's been in a bad mood. Her father's been so worried!"

I was at a loss for words. With a powerful father like that, how could she still have such a hard time? Just what kind of personality could make everyone worry so much?

"Xiao Chen's a good girl at heart, and she's capable, too. So her father and I thought we'd give her a change of scenery. She can come work here, where I can keep an eye on her, and her father can rest easy." The old leader abruptly changed tack and patted my shoulder. "I'm leaving her in your hands."

I smiled wryly. "Old leader, what do you mean, leaving her in my hands? If she's really as you say, wouldn't a technical job suit her better? Something in computers, software, or high tech—work she could do independently. Wouldn't that be more suitable?"

"Don't be ridiculous. You think technical experts don't have to work as part of a team?" The old leader dropped his troubled expression and chuckled. "Xiao Lin, I know you better than anyone. I'm comfortable leaving Xiao Chen with you, and so is my old comrade. Do your best." With that, he walked off with his hands behind his back, humming a little tune.

What was that supposed to mean? Was he trying to find her a husband? And he was comfortable, too!

I laughed helplessly, but she was already in my team. It wasn't as if I could send her back.

I sighed as I returned to the office. The Thin Guy and the Fat Guy were already back, making faces at each other and exchanging secret glances. Every so often, they'd sneak a look at Chen Xiao Qiu. They looked especially sleazy.

"Lin Qi, you're back. We were just saying we should all go out for a meal later to welcome Xiao Qiu. Luckily, those two don't have to work overtime today." Guo Yujie waved her hand toward the Thin Guy and the Fat Guy, grinning broadly.

The two of them stopped looking sleazy. The Thin Guy's face darkened, while the Fat Guy looked worried.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

They'd probably gone to Junli Hotel that afternoon to get the guest records and find out the identities of Ye Qing and Liu Miao. Had something gone wrong?

The Thin Guy furrowed his brow. "Qi-ge, I think I was right. There's something seriously weird about that agency."

"Hm? What happened?" I asked, surprised.

"The hotel couldn't find the records. Their database got damaged a few years ago, and they lost some of their guest data. The exact times the agency stayed there were among the records that went missing," the Fat Guy replied.

The Thin Guy slapped his thigh. "Tell me that isn't weird! What else could it be? The Housing Bureau's files were illegible, the handwriting at their workplace was sloppy, and now the hotel's data is missing too. How could all that be a coincidence?"

Seeing how worked up the Thin Guy was, I quickly tried to reassure him. "Maybe it really is a coincidence. If there's something weird going on, how come the Greenleaf sign and all those files inside are fine? And it's been a long time. It's understandable that files and data might be damaged. If the hotel can't find anything, so be it. Start with that list, then get in touch with the people who hired them."

"I don't think we'll get anything out of their clients," the Thin Guy said, shaking his head. "We'll have to narrow down the targets first, then get someone to identify their faces."

"That's what I meant. Start with the list." I had an idea and turned to Chen Xiao Qiu. "Since you've met Guo Yujie and the others, you can help them go through the list starting tomorrow and narrow things down."

That way, Chen Xiao Qiu wouldn't have to deal with people directly. If she offended someone, it could affect our work too.

The old leader hadn't given me the details, and I didn't know exactly how "capable" Chen Xiao Qiu was. I could only be extra cautious.

Chen Xiao Qiu asked, "I just heard Guo Yujie mention the Greenleaf Paranormal Agency. Since we can't confirm who owns the property, why are we looking for them? Workers and Peasants Sixth Village was company housing. If we're going to investigate everyone, we should be looking into the company's employees."

The Fat Guy tactfully replied, "The company was Municipal Steel Plant No. 3. Before that, it was the Qingzhou Manufacturing Bureau."

"It doesn't matter what it was called before. We just need to look at the personnel records from right before the housing was allocated," Chen Xiao Qiu said, frowning. She wasn't looking down on the Fat Guy, but her tone made it sound as obvious as saying one plus one equals two.

The Thin Guy rolled his eyes.

"Are there no such records?" Chen Xiao Qiu pressed.

"No," the Thin Guy said irritably. "I told you, it's an old factory with a history. It was around before the founding of the country. Do you know what they were called back then? People's Celebration City wasn't even called that yet. It was Qingzhou, and they were the Qingzhou Manufacturing Bureau, one of only seven manufacturing bureaus in the whole country! A special imperial commissioner oversaw it personally! During the war, they even became an arsenal. The guns and cannons used to fight the Japanese were all made by them! After the founding of the country, they were split into No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4—four whole steel plants! And two machinery plants besides! What was Municipal Steel Plant No. 3? It was just one little finger of the original bureau! They managed the workers and paid their wages through the Qingzhou Manufacturing Bureau!"

Chen Xiao Qiu didn't understand. "What do you mean?"

The Fat Guy hurried to explain on the Thin Guy's behalf. "Don't take it personally. He's just repeating what an old employee there told us. The Qingzhou Manufacturing Bureau went through a lot of restructurings, but it kept its old foundations internally, and its affairs were still handled the old way. On the surface, it was divided into several plants, with government-appointed managers. But behind the scenes... Those homes were officially listed as company housing for Municipal Steel Plant No. 3, but the people who got them weren't all employees of that plant. Some weren't even employees of the other three steel plants or the two machinery plants."

Chen Xiao Qiu was baffled. Clearly, she hadn't expected anything like this.