Had Chi Qing Become the Ultimate Cannon Fodder?
"Oh my, Sister Qing, you've struck it rich! Isn't that the feather diamond collarbone necklace from that Chow-something jewelry brand that's been so popular lately?" Another sharp-eyed sales associate had spotted the new necklace around Chi Qing's neck.
Miss Chi Qing, a Leo who kept thinking she should stay low-key yet could hardly suppress her desire to show off, felt her little streak of vanity somewhat satisfied.
"No, haven't you all always said women should treat themselves better?" Chi Qing said, half honestly and half not.
Although Chi Qing had never openly announced her breakup with her boyfriend, everyone in the center more or less knew about it. Hearing her say this, they automatically pictured an older single woman soothing her heartbreak with shopping, shopping, and more shopping.
So no one pressed her further. Instead, they offered Chi Qing some veiled comfort, saying things like there were plenty of other fish in the sea. Having already moved on completely, Chi Qing thought to herself, I've already got my system big bro. What do I need a man for?
The system big bro in the shadows: Leave me out of this...
After finally making it through everyone's well-meaning comfort, Chi Qing returned to the office, exchanged a few idle words with Li Yan, and eagerly began planning how to spend the 880,000.
Chi Qing figured that although she only had to spend it within thirty days, the sooner she spent it, the better! That way, the second doubled sum could arrive sooner. Just thinking about it had her rubbing her hands together.
Hmm, 880,000. I'll buy a car after work today. Nothing too extravagant, just something around 500,000. As for the rest... Oh, I really don't want to work anymore. I want to go shopping, shopping, shopping. The more Chi Qing planned, the more she felt that this job was seriously getting in the way of her spending.
Should I quit? But that feels a little insecure. What if the system stops working? Jobs in real estate aren't easy to find these days, either. And although relationships within the company are a little complicated, the atmosphere in my own department is great.
Aaaaaah, I can't decide...
While she was scratching her head, Liu Ping, who had gone upstairs for a management meeting, walked into the office the three of them shared, carrying a notebook. "Qingqing, Brother Li, come over here. Let's have a quick meeting," Liu Ping said, looking somewhat serious.
"Qingqing, have you had any friction with Zhang Qin from auditing upstairs?" Liu Ping asked without preamble. "Huh? No. What happened?" Chi Qing looked utterly confused.
"Today's weekly management meeting practically turned into a denunciation session aimed at you alone-or rather, the entire planning department." Liu Ping wiped a hand over her face and continued helplessly,
"Zhang Qin said every contract the planning department submits is a complete mess, riddled with typos, and creates a lot of extra work for her. She specifically singled out the contract you submitted last week, saying it was all over the place and your work was very poor. She also said almost every contract you submit is a mess that she has to reorganize."
The more Chi Qing listened, the closer she came to exploding. She had submitted so many contracts, and apart from auditing adding a few necessary statutory clauses, almost none had ever required changes. The only time there had been a typo, she had spotted it herself just after sending the contract, immediately recalled it, promptly sent the corrected version, and explained the reason to Zhang Qin right away.
"Look, here's our chat history." Chi Qing took out her phone and opened WeChat. Her message read: "Sister Zhang, sorry for taking up your time. I just spotted a typo. I've sent the correct version."
Zhang Qin's reply was warm and friendly: "You're always so careful. Your contracts hardly ever have any problems, unlike other people's sloppy work. I haven't had time to look at this contract yet, so don't worry."