The pushover offended a top-tier boss

Chen Xuefei led her outside, her high heels clicking crisply and rhythmically on the marble floor.

"This is Comrade Ye Zhenzhen, who has been temporarily transferred to our department," Chen Xuefei led her to the open office area. "She has a formal education in Chinese Language and Literature, and everyone can ask her for advice in the future."

Ye Zhenzhen felt a chill run down her spine.

They probably don't realize that they are the "negative example" who were held back by their superiors for being too incompetent and had to be sent back for retraining.

There were about ten people in the secretariat, and they all looked older than her.

She thought about it and realized that those who could work in the secretariat were all elites who had worked their way up in the system for many years.

Some people glanced up at her, smiled politely, and then went back to their work. Others didn't even look up, their fingers flying across the keyboard.

Chen Xuefei arranged a desk for her in the corner. The desk was clean and tidy, with only a folder and a pen on it.

"Zhenzhen," Chen Xuefei turned around, her tone gentle, "just tell me if you need anything."

"Okay, thank you, Director Chen." Ye Zhenzhen nodded.

"Everyone is very friendly, so don't be shy." Chen Xuefei smiled, revealing a pair of shallow dimples, looking gentle and sincere.

Ye Zhenzhen was no longer so panicked.

This beautiful woman is both gentle and capable, and her smile is warm, completely different from those arrogant leaders in the school.

She sat down, opened her laptop, and secretly sent a message to Meng Chen when no one was looking:

I've been detained and am being seconded to the New District Secretariat.

My boss said my proposal was terrible and that I need to study hard in the secretariat. Waaaaah!

After a long pause, Meng Chen replied with a "pat on the head" emoji, and then said:

[Baby, you've been having such bad luck lately, how about we go burn some incense?]

[However… being seconded to the New Area Secretariat? That's the most crucial department. The New Area is currently receiving key support, directly under the jurisdiction of higher authorities. If you perform well there and cultivate good relationships with the leaders, it might not necessarily be a bad thing.]

Ye Zhenzhen stared at the screen and sighed.

Building connections. It's always about building connections.

What she fears most now is the word "leader".

-

Meanwhile, in the School of Pharmacy office.

Liu Jian hung up the phone, feeling completely distraught.

"On secondment? Ye Zhenzhen? To the New District Secretariat?"

He sat in the chair, unable to recover for a long time.

This Ye Zhenzhen is a bit slow-witted, speaks slowly, and is not very efficient. She is somewhat pretty, but not a stunning beauty.

Who is Zhou Huaijin? He grew up in the capital, with impeccable political credentials, and has seen it all. Celebrities, socialites, and heiresses have flocked to him, but he doesn't even give them a second glance.

He looked down on his own niece, Guo Jiawen, who was both beautiful and well-educated.

Why did he have to fall for Ye Zhenzhen?

Liu Jian pondered for a long time but couldn't figure it out. He threw his pen on the table, leaned back in his chair, and stared blankly at the ceiling for a while.

In the end, he could only come to one conclusion: This world is truly bizarre.

When the department heard the news, several people were instantly in an uproar.

"What? Ye Zhenzhen? Why is she at the New District Secretariat?"

"The positions in the new district are all so desirable that even connections can't get you in. What makes her think she can get in?"

"I heard it was personally selected by the leader..."

"What? I heard it was Dean Liu who recommended her. Ye Zhenzhen and Dean Liu have a very special relationship."

There were all sorts of opinions. Most of them were a mix of envy and sour grapes.

Everyone was jealous of Ye Zhenzhen's good fortune.

Only Ye Zhenzhen herself knew that she was kept on because she was too bad.

What's so good about being seconded? At the new company, they don't treat you like one of their own. Your salary and promotions still depend on your original company, but they've already treated you like water spilled from a cup.

Unless you have strong connections or exceptional abilities, you can't get a temporary transfer and become a permanent employee, or achieve a meteoric rise in your career.

Moreover, the difficulty of transitioning from a public institution position to an administrative position, especially to a top-tier department like the District Party Committee Secretariat, is no less than the difficulty of getting into Tsinghua or Peking University after repeating a year of high school.

She's incredibly depressed right now. School will be out for winter break in a few days, and her colleagues are all planning trips and going home for the New Year, but what about her? She's stuck in this unfamiliar place, suffering every day.

She felt like her life had turned gray.

Take a deep breath.

Ye Zhenzhen opened her laptop and began revising the PowerPoint presentation that had been heavily criticized.

The screen still displayed that same blue-green gradient template, densely packed with data that gave her a headache. She flipped through those appalling slides again and again, feeling more and more like an illiterate person.

In desperation, I simply changed my WeChat name to "Desperate Illiterate".

It's lunch break time.

People in the office gradually stood up. Some stretched, some walked out with their phones, and others chatted in small groups. As they passed her workstation, someone glanced at her, but no one called out to her.

Chen Xuefei has also disappeared; she probably went to the cafeteria.

Ye Zhenzhen hesitated for a moment, then closed her laptop and followed the crowd outside.

The government canteen was on the first floor, and it was much larger than she had imagined. The spacious and bright area had dozens of rows of tables and chairs, with food windows lined up in a row, offering a wide variety of dishes, a good mix of meat and vegetables, as well as fruit, soup, and a dessert table. It was far superior to the medical school's faculty canteen.

However, Ye Zhenzhen soon discovered a problem.

You have to swipe your card to eat.

She didn't have a card.

She stood at the food counter, holding an empty tray, watching people swipe their cards to pass through, a wave of inexplicable embarrassment washing over her. People next to her occasionally glanced at her, their gazes indifferent, devoid of malice, but certainly not friendly.

She suddenly had a strong feeling of being out of place.

How long am I supposed to stay here?

"Teacher Ye?"

A male voice suddenly came from behind.

Ye Zhenzhen turned her head and saw a tall and strong boy with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and slightly dark skin. He was wearing a dark blue jacket and had a set of white teeth when he smiled. He looked to be in his early twenties.

"Who are you?" she asked hesitantly.

"I'm the boss's driver, Chen Zheng." The boy grinned. "Brother Lin is still in a meeting. He said you might not have a meal card, so he sent me over to check."

Ye Zhenzhen felt a warmth in her heart. Secretary Lin had even thought of this.

"Teacher Ye, what would you like to eat? You can use your employee card." Chen Zheng took out his card and waved it in front of her.

They walked side by side toward the window. The cafeteria's food was all self-service, with noodles, rice dishes, and various ready-made stir-fries, soups, and fruit platters.

Ye Zhenzhen took a plate and selected a serving of rice, braised pork, braised eggplant, mushrooms and greens, and a bowl of pork rib soup. Finally, she couldn't resist taking a small plate of fruit.

Chen Zheng followed behind her, carrying a full bowl of braised noodles in one hand and a plate piled high with food in the other—rice, braised pork ribs, fried chicken legs, stir-fried shredded potatoes, spicy and sour cabbage, two large steamed buns, and a steamed egg.

Ye Zhenzhen was stunned.