CHAPTER 335: CHAPTER 329: WOLVES ABOUND, PREY IS SCARCE

"Spill it, hasn’t changed, right?"

"Seems like they’re heading for morning tea first, not sure about the specifics; I just overheard Old Zhao mentioning it."

No sooner had she finished speaking than Cheng Shi rushed off towards the gym with an earnest expression. To anyone who didn’t know better, they might have thought he was off to a brawl.

"Hey, Cheng Shi, where are you off to? I was telling you, Mr. Leng is currently with the lady..."

"Need to discuss something with Mr. Leng."

"Please, the lady just settled down a moment ago; don’t stir things up and make her want to run off to Huang City again."

On hearing this, Cheng Shi abruptly halted in his tracks.

Wang Meijuan let out a sigh of relief and continued, "Didn’t Grandma Tang make it clear last night? We need to keep Lady Tang steady, can’t let her leave Chicheng."

"Yeah, right, Grandma Tang is always meticulous in her doings. Nothing will go wrong, no, it will definitely not."

Cheng Shi murmured to himself, frowning.

"What are you muttering about now?"

"It’s getting late. I’m going to check the car. Remember to remind Lady Tang to have breakfast later. Today’s her first day at work; she needs a full meal to get through it."

Wang Meijuan shook her head as she watched Cheng Shi’s retreating figure hurry away.

Although she couldn’t quite grasp why Cheng Shi was acting so erratically just now, she knew very well that Cheng Shi was a loyal and dependable person. He would never do anything to upset Lady Tang.

So, she turned and made her way to the gym.

Fifteen minutes later, in the dining room.

Tang Xiaowan sat politely at the dining table, her knife and fork tapping gently against the plate, producing a crisp tinkling sound. Her face bore a hint of nervousness, but more than anything, it was anticipation.

Today was the first day of her new job, marking the beginning of something entirely new for her.

"Tangtang, no need to be nervous, everything will be alright."

Hearing that, Tang Xiaowan immediately set down her knife and fork, her face breaking into a grin as she pulled out her phone.

"Huahua, do you think... this outfit is okay for the office? Is it too childish? Not mature enough, like a student’s?"

Tang Xiaowan pointed to a light grey dress shown on her phone, which she had painstakingly chosen the night before and even removed the label from.

She didn’t want anyone to realize the dress was expensive.

"Not bad at all, simple and elegant, totally suitable for a clerk’s attire," Leng Lingxiao complimented.

"Oh, that’s a relief. I was worried it might be too casual." Tang Xiaowan breathed a sigh of relief and went on, "Huahua, do you know? I’ve always been so eager to work, to experience a different life."

Leng Lingxiao nodded, indicating he understood.

From a young age, Tang Xiaowan had led a life free of worries about food and clothing. Although Grandma Tang was quite strict, she was also always indulgently responsive to Tang Xiaowan’s needs.

"Good luck, you’re definitely going to do great!" Leng Lingxiao smiled encouragingly.

"Yeah, I think so too," Tang Xiaowan said confidently. "Oh, Huahua, I might not come back for lunch..."

"Planning on trying the cafeteria?"

"Yeah, I’m kind of looking forward to it. I wonder how it compares to the school cafeteria... which one’s better?"

"You little glutton, go if you want."

Tang Xiaowan nibbled her lip, then nodded and picked up her chopsticks to start on breakfast.

Internally, she was thrilled. From today, she would step into a brand-new phase of life. There might be many unknown challenges at the company, but she also believed that as long as she humbly sought advice, she would be able to integrate quickly.

If Huahua can do it, so can I.

I’m not just some little girl who only knows how to cry and lust for food, just wait and see.

Half an hour later, Tang Xiaowan, with her backpack slung over her shoulder, was just about to hop onto her motorcycle and head to work when she saw a familiar figure not far away.

Isn’t that the mercenary?

Humph! Stinky Huahua, dumb Huahua, you’ve finally seen the light, not planning to keep it from me anymore?

Big goofball, it’s not like I would despise you.

Tang Xiaowan set off with a secret delight.

In the study, Leng Lingxiao watched her receding figure, a smile in his eyes: "Have fun!"

"Master, are you really letting Lady Tang..."

"It’s just to pass the time, keeps her from getting bored at home and constantly thinking about bothering Grandma Tang in Huang City."

Zhao Renjie remained silent; of course, he knew Leng Lingxiao was actually worried about Tang Xiaowan getting caught up in a vengeful spiral, which is why he was leading her to work at Haisong Co., Ltd.

The paltry salary of a clerk wouldn’t even be enough for Tang Xiaowan to buy a single dress.

...

Huanhai Road, Haisong Co., Ltd.

Tang Xiaowan, dressed in a simply-styled dress and wearing white soft-soled leather shoes, stepped lightly into the company elevator and then followed the HR department’s directions to the R&D department.

Here, every employee was focused on their work at their own stations.

The best thing about open-plan offices was how easy it was to see everyone. The gender ratio in the R&D department was severely unbalanced; Tang Xiaowan looked around and saw almost exclusively male colleagues wearing shirts and ties.

There were very few girls, just a handful.

"Excuse me, Miss...is there something you need?" a young man stopped Tang Xiaowan.

"Hello, I’m here to report for work."

"Oh, you’re looking for Supervisor Gao, right? Come on, this way, I’ll take you there."

"Thank you so much."

"No need to thank me, that’s what I should do. By the way, let me introduce myself. My name is Chen Ran, 25 years old. I’ve been with our company for two years now. What’s your name? You just graduated, right? You look quite young."

In fact, Chen Ran was wearing a name badge, so there was no need to introduce himself.

But Tang Xiaowan was still happy.

At least it showed that the people here were not as scheming as Wang Meijuan had said, nor were they as dull and boring as Cheng Shi had thought. The atmosphere was nice; it was what she had been hoping for.

"Tang Xiaowan, 20 years old."

Chen Ran: "..."

"So young and already working? Oh, no worries, starting work early is good too."

And so, guided by Chen Ran, Tang Xiaowan walked to the supervisor’s office, smiling courteously the entire time.

Knock, knock, knock – she gently tapped on the door three times.

"Come in."

"Hello, Supervisor Gao, my name is Tang Xiaowan. HR has sent me to report for duty."

"Oh, Tang Xiaowan, welcome, welcome!"

However, outside, a commotion had already broken out.

Even though Chen Ran had only mentioned the arrival of the new employee to the person next to him, the news spread like wildfire all around.

Everyone began to whisper, discussing whether the new colleague was married and who would mentor her.

"Hey, Chen Ran, is she pretty?"

"Average, decent enough."

Chen Ran lied very reluctantly and chuckled secretly in his heart.

Pretty? She was a little fairy!

"How come I didn’t see her just now? Ah, I’ve missed out, all because I’m too conscientious, with my mind entirely on my work."

"Get out of here, always patting yourself on the back!"

"What’s going on, when is she coming out?"

"Maybe... you should go have a look?" Chen Ran spun his chair and raised an eyebrow.

"Forget it, I’m a good colleague."

Fifteen minutes later, Supervisor Gao led Tang Xiaowan out to the general office area. Before he could introduce her, the male colleagues stood up in unison, erupting into enthusiastic applause.

"That’s enough, settle down. There will be plenty of chances in the future."

Supervisor Gao then turned to Tang Xiaowan.

"Hello everyone, my name is Tang Xiaowan. Please take good care of me, thank you!"

Her sweet voice once again earned cheers, but to everyone’s surprise, Supervisor Gao actually assigned the task of mentoring the newcomer to Chen Ran.

"No way, you call that average?"

"Chen Ran, you big liar!"

"Congratulations, you’re going to be a mentor!"

...

Faced with his colleagues’ teasing, Chen Ran put on a very helpless look.

"Ah, so many wolves and so little meat, it’s a tough job!"

At this remark, the room burst into an uproar.