As they talked, the conversation drifted toward previous events.
"As expected of Blooming Media Company, everyone here is a beauty."
Nan Yue smiled. "It sounds like you've met Linda."
The man stroked his chin. "Linda is a bit too aggressive. I liked that little beauty from before as well."
"But her temperament wasn't as good as yours. Her voice was like a mosquito's buzz."
Nan Yue paused her organizing. "What was her name?"
The man thought for a long time. "I think it was... Su... Su something."
Seeing that the man truly couldn't remember, Nan Yue could only agree to come back and ask him again another time.
The conversation was very pleasant. When Sister Lian came out, her eyes were brimming with a smile. On the way back, she suddenly spoke up.
"You're quite clever. President Gao said the materials were very detailed and gave you a good evaluation."
Nan Yue offered a few polite words of flattery toward Sister Lian. She watched as the woman played with her phone and spoke nonchalantly.
"I'll move you up a grade when we get back tomorrow."
Nan Yue, who had been sitting casually, froze. "Sister Lian... isn't that a bit too fast? I've only been here for two days."
Sister Lian gave a cold laugh. "Some people are just slow on the uptake. Working for twenty years won't help them. Others come in as a V8 employee. You can't compare yourself to others; it'll only drive you to an early grave."
Nan Yue was speechless. Though the words were harsh, it was true that some people were simply born with talent that no amount of hard work could match.
Nan Yue felt it was a bit strange because a surge of excitement actually rose in her heart. This was the inevitable psychological response to being recognized.
Nan Yue herself was exceptionally gifted. She had promoted from Nameless City to a digital city state after just one Qualification Exam, and she had fared quite well.
After two missions, she had reached the letter cities. Her experience of less than a month in purification surpassed the progress of ninety-nine percent of scavengers over a decade, or even a lifetime.
Yet she had never felt this way before. This was because, as Zhu Xi Ning and Gu Xiang Kai had said, although the scavenger system was a massive pyramid hierarchy, it wasn't quite so blatant.
Blooming Media Company, however, wrote one's rank right on their face, invading every aspect of personal life.
Nan Yue had only been here for two days, and she wasn't even at the top of the hierarchy, yet she was already enjoying the advantages of the system.
When Sister Lian said she would promote her after only two days, her heart indeed raced for a moment.
When Nan Yue escorted Sister Lian back, she felt that everyone they encountered along the way was secretly sizing her up.
There were no secrets in this company.
Nan Yue had been busy all day, so Sister Lian let her off early to go back and rest. Although she said 'early,' it was already eight in the evening.
Great, she had spent the entire day acting like a corporate drone.
Nan Yue sent a message to the other two, intending to go to the cafeteria to grab a bite. On her way out, she ran into Linda and instinctively stood to the side with a smile to let her pass.
"I underestimated you. I didn't realize you were so capable."
The words didn't sound like a compliment, and Linda's tone wasn't friendly either. By the time Nan Yue looked up, the other woman had already walked far away.
Even if she promoted quickly, she was still three levels below Linda. Everyone in the company knew that the higher you went, the harder it was to advance. This woman's sense of crisis seemed a bit excessive.
Nan Yue didn't think much of it. Although her rank hadn't officially increased yet, everyone clearly knew about it. The cafeteria manager personally led her to the V7 buffet area.
"What is... that?"
A girl answered respectfully, "This is an individual hot pot. You can choose either clear broth or spicy."
Nan Yue's eyes lit up. "I'll have that then."
The small pot was soon delivered. The flames burning beneath it made the soup bubble and pop, and the spicy aroma of chili peppers filled the air, dispelling the evening chill.
At this time, the cafeteria was still crowded. With so many people in the company, it was impossible for everyone to eat during normal meal times.
People were drawn by the scent and frequently looked over. Nan Yue saw two large men nearby staring at her pot and swallowing hard before desperately shoving mouthfuls of plain white rice into their mouths.
...It was a bit embarrassing.
Nan Yue's gaze drifted toward the private booths. Inside, people were clinking glasses, and part-time employees were constantly delivering lobsters, sashimi, and various other high-end dishes.
Gulp.
She also swallowed hard.
This was the omnipresent hierarchy. You could feel it even while eating—being envied by lower-ranking employees while feeling jealous of those higher than you.
If nothing else, Nan Yue was definitely jealous when it came to food.
After a while, someone stood opposite her. Nan Yue looked up to see Gu Xiang Kai.
He was wearing the standard white shirt of the Sales Department and was using his hand to loosen his black tie. He exuded an intense charismatic energy.
Then he spoke.
"Damn, this thing is choking me."
Nan Yue: ...
Seeing that Gu Xiang Kai hesitated to sit down, and that people around were constantly sizing him up—with the men looking unfriendly and the women looking quite suggestive—Nan Yue realized why.
A handsome guy like Gu Xiang Kai, with his long legs, narrow waist, and broad shoulders, was eye-catching wherever he went.
"Sit down and eat with me."
Nan Yue understood. Since Gu Xiang Kai was the lowest-ranked of the three of them, he must have been warned already. Without her permission, he couldn't sit at the same table as her.
"Alright."
Gu Xiang Kai smiled gently, and Nan Yue saw the scar above his eyebrow twitch slightly.
Looking at Gu Xiang Kai's meal, which was still just a sea of green vegetables, she tapped the pot in front of her with her chopsticks.
"I don't like eating alone. Join me for a bit."
Gu Xiang Kai acted shy. "That wouldn't be right. I'd be intruding on you."
As he spoke, his chopsticks snatched away at least ten slices of meat.
Nan Yue: ...Leave some for me.
"Zhu Xi Ning is busy too. I've been working until now and only remembered to eat because of your text. This place really isn't fit for humans."
Gu Xiang Kai lowered his voice, putting on a show of flattering Nan Yue.
"I signed a big contract today. The Team Leader said I did well, and our department head thinks highly of me. I might be promoted in a couple of days."
"I heard you were moved up a grade today. A big shot is truly a big shot everywhere."
Nan Yue slowly fished a thin slice of beef out of the boiling pot and coated it in the spicy sauce.
"Do you know what this is?" Nan Yue pointed at some white, plant-like roots of varying lengths in the sauce. "It's actually quite tasty."
Gu Xiang Kai curled his lip. "It smells fishy."
"Did you see those two from yesterday?"
Nan Yue spoke vaguely, worried that if they mentioned the two who had violated company rules, they might be implicated. Gu Xiang Kai understood this perfectly.
"I didn't see that guy named Zhao Ming, but I saw that timid girl."
Gu Xiang Kai stuffed two mouthfuls of meat into his mouth, his expression turning meaningful. "That girl went to find Lan Jing Shui."
Seeing Nan Yue look up, Gu Xiang Kai explained, "She's in Logistics, right? But she was hanging around the Sales Department all day today. She's clever, knowing to bring some work with her so it didn't look like she was just loitering."
"Lan Jing Shui follows the company boss and places great importance on sales. She actually managed to catch him."
"I saw her take the opportunity to say something to Lan Jing Shui."
Rate on N.U.
