Of course, I couldn’t take leave that day. After working overtime to finish the budget report, early the next morning, I placed both the printed leave request and the report on Lin Yusen’s desk.

I thought my leave request would be approved quietly like everyone else’s, but I was too naive…

As soon as Lin Yusen arrived, I was called into his office.

“Why are you requesting leave?”

“Um, I’m not feeling well.”

Lin Yusen looked up.

His gaze fell on me, examining me deliberately from head to toe: “Unfortunately, I used to be a doctor, and I really can’t see anything wrong with you.”

I reflexively asked: “Are you a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?”

How else would he know just by looking?

Unexpectedly, as soon as the words left my mouth, his expression suddenly changed, his gaze turning ice-cold. I froze. He looked away and said in a restrained voice: “Leave denied. You may go.”

I walked out of his office dejectedly with my leave request. Yin Jie came over: “Did you get your leave approved?”

I looked at her seriously and asked: “Are you a traditional Chinese medicine doctor?”

Yin Jie responded bewilderedly: “No, what’s wrong with you?”

“Would that question make you angry?”

“Why would that make anyone angry? At most, I’d think you’re crazy.”

Exactly! But why did Lin Yusen’s reaction seem like I’d stepped on a landmine? I sighed, tore up the leave request, threw it in the trash, and decided to lay low for the next few days.

But though the tree craves calm, the wind refuses to stop. The following days became even more eventful.

It started when Yin Jie discovered we were being discriminated against.

“This is too much! She just started working here but gets assigned to Building A. Even if that room happened to be vacant because someone left, we should have priority since we started earlier. It’s just because she has connections and is the department head’s relative. I’m so angry, the Logistics Department is being ridiculous!”

The company’s two dormitory buildings, A and B, had different conditions. Building A had two-person rooms with private bathrooms and washing machines – better conditions overall. Building B had four or eight-person rooms with shared bathrooms and showers. When we started, Logistics told us Building A was full and assigned us to Building B. But Yin Jie recently discovered that an HR employee who started after us had been assigned to Building A.

So now she was raging in the dorm.

“What should we do? We absolutely can’t let this slide. I’m going to protest to Logistics!”

Though Yu Hua was normally mild-mannered, she didn’t like being taken advantage of either. She nodded: “Right, let’s file a complaint.”

Yin Jie said worriedly: “I’m afraid complaining won’t help. They might just stall us. By then she’ll have been living there a while – we can’t force her to move out.”

I thought for a moment. “Why not go directly to Deputy Manager Lin? When I was in Finance, the section chief specifically told new employees we could go to him with any work or life issues.”

Yu Hua nodded: “Our manager said the same, but… go to the Deputy Manager?”

“Of course! Yin Jie and I are in Administration, and Yu Hua is in Marketing – we’re all under his direct leadership. Who else would we go to?”

Thinking of how he always casually ordered me to do this and that, work overtime, and run errands, I suddenly felt this idea was justified!

Yu Hua, being detail-oriented, worried more: “Maybe we shouldn’t. That person is the department head’s relative. What if Deputy Manager Lin resents us for causing him trouble, putting him in a difficult position?”

That’s true… if your direct superior thinks you’re causing problems, you’re finished.

My attitude was different from theirs, which is why I could speak so casually about it. Realizing this, I felt a bit ashamed and quickly said: “How about this – you write the complaint, and I’ll go talk to Deputy Manager Lin.”

Yin Jie immediately objected: “No way, either we all go or nobody goes.”

Yu Hua nodded in agreement.

I made up an excuse to convince them: “No need, I’ll go alone. If too many people go, the Deputy Manager might think we’re pressuring him.”

After all, when you’re already in trouble, a bit more doesn’t matter. I wasn’t worried about what Lin Yusen would think of me anymore. I found myself quite happy to cause him a bit of trouble, within reason. Besides, something this minor couldn’t be considered trouble for him…

However, Lin Yusen wasn’t in the office all morning the next day. I waited and waited until three or four in the afternoon before he finally appeared at the office door. I immediately rushed over excitedly.

“Deputy Manager, do you have a moment?”

He paused, his gaze circling my face once, saying nothing as he walked straight to his office. I hesitated before following him in.

Only after entering did he speak…

“Close the door. What is it?”

I went to close the door first, turning around just in time to see him take off his suit jacket and casually toss it aside.

He was wearing a rather formal suit today, looking especially distinguished. When he walked into the main office earlier, he’d attracted everyone’s attention. Now with the jacket thrown aside, wearing just a crisp white shirt, he stood by his desk pouring tea, black cufflinks glimpsed occasionally, every movement pleasing to the eye.

I suddenly remembered people saying he used to be a surgeon and wondered what he looked like in a white coat holding a scalpel…

A burst of conversation from the main office snapped me back to reality. I realized I’d been lost in thought, but surprisingly, he hadn’t rushed me, just standing there silently, his expression calm as he let me stare. Feeling embarrassed, I hurriedly explained the dormitory situation.

He lowered his gaze. “You came to me for this kind of thing?”

“Y-yes.”

He quietly took a sip of tea, his composed expression revealing nothing of his thoughts. Then he turned back to put down his teacup and picked up the phone.

Soon the Logistics Department head arrived, and I ran out to get Yin Jie and Yu Hua.

The Logistics head apologized as soon as he saw us, saying it was all due to their oversight at work and such. Yin Jie, ever diplomatic, immediately expressed understanding, saying things like “We’re sorry to trouble Logistics” and so on.

Even Yu Hua, who wasn’t good at social interactions, managed a stiff smile…

Everyone seemed harmonious.

Then the Logistics head tactfully presented a problem – there was only one dormitory room with two beds available, but there were three of us. What should they do?

We hadn’t thought about this issue at all and were momentarily stunned.

But we had no say in the matter. Lin Yusen decided with one sentence: “Yin Jie and Wan Yu Hua will move.”

The Logistics head naturally had no objections: “Alright, please fill out the transfer forms when you can, and we’ll arrange it as soon as possible.”

Yin Jie and Yu Hua exchanged looks and stepped forward together: “Deputy Manager, we…”

Lin Yusen didn’t give them a chance to finish.

“That’s settled. Nie Xiguang, stay behind.”

Yin Jie and Yu Hua gave me worried looks. I shook my head, and they had no choice but to quietly leave.

The office fell silent. Lin Yusen leaned back in his chair: “Miss Nie, do you have any objections to my decision?”

I didn’t immediately notice the change in how he addressed me, and shook my head saying: “No.”

“I thought not.” He nodded, his gaze gradually turning mocking as he looked at me. “Since Miss Nie is so interested in going undercover, I assume you won’t mind living a bit closer to the common people.”