Sitting in the chair, Du Sheng never stopped smoking. One cigarette after another, until a layer of smoke floated across the ceiling. Anyone who didn’t know better would think the place was on fire.
Half an hour later, Du Sheng walked out of his office.
Gu Wan’er was lying on the desk resting. Even though she’d taken anti-hangover medicine, her head was still buzzing and uncomfortable. She had no idea how Yu Xiaoduo’s meeting had gone.
“Yu Xiaoduo.”
Gu Wan’er turned her head and glanced over, replying weakly, “What is it?”
Du Sheng saw her attitude and figured Yu Xiaoduo probably knew something. “Come to my office for a moment.”
Gu Wan’er was startled, her groggy head clearing up a bit. He’d just gone to a meeting, and now that it was over, he was calling her to his office. What was this about? Had Yu Xiaoduo failed and now he was going to take it out on her?
Curious, Gu Wan’er walked into Du Sheng’s office. The smell of smoke hit her immediately, making her want to throw up. Even though she felt awful, she could tell from the smoke filling the room that Du Sheng had been chain-smoking right after the meeting. He must be troubled, shaken.
What on earth had Yu Xiaoduo done to make him so unsettled?
Du Sheng was also puzzled. Just yesterday, Yu Xiaoduo had been grabbing his cigarettes to smoke, and today she seemed allergic to the smell.
“Sit.”
Gu Wan’er sat down on the sofa nearby. Du Sheng went to pour a glass of water, which made her even more confident in her guess. Her previously gloomy mood suddenly brightened quite a bit.
“What’s this about, Minister Du?” Gu Wan’er showed a faint smile. To Du Sheng, this seemed much more normal.
“Has President Gu given any hints about her next move?”
Gu Wan’er didn’t actually know what Yu Xiaoduo had said, but it was definitely aimed at Zhuang Shu. He’d also mentioned yesterday that he wanted to test Du Sheng’s reaction, and now it seemed the reaction had come.
“What President Gu does depends on how others react,” Gu Wan’er said with a smile, imitating Yu Xiaoduo’s sitting posture.
Du Sheng understood immediately. He took out a pack of Huazi cigarettes and pulled one out. Before he could offer it, Gu Wan’er said, “I have a cold. Not feeling well.”
Du Sheng could only put it away with an awkward laugh. “Help me pass a message to President Gu. Whatever reaction she wants, I’ll give her that reaction.”
Gu Wan’er was still quite shocked inside. What exactly had Yu Xiaoduo done? Had he threatened him? One meeting could produce this kind of result?
“Alright, I’ll pass your words along to President Gu. For now, you stay put. If you get any important news, let me know and I’ll relay it.”
Du Sheng nodded. “Okay, I’ll tell you as soon as I hear anything.”
When she walked out of the office, Gu Wan’er still couldn’t quite believe it. Was Du Sheng faking his surrender? His attitude changed like flipping a page. She’d have to wait and see. Maybe this was all arranged by Gu Xiao.
Just as she sat down, the phone in her pocket rang. It was actually Fu Quan calling.
“Brother Fu.”
“Brother Yu, I’ve got results on what you asked me to look into. Du Sheng’s spending is very high, but most of it is his wife’s spending. If he loses this job, the first thing that’ll probably happen is a divorce at the civil affairs bureau, and he’ll be buried in huge debts himself.”
Gu Wan’er understood instantly. No wonder he’d been so humble just now. He really did need this job badly.
“Thanks for your hard work, Brother Fu. I’ll thank you on Wan’er’s behalf.”
“Don’t mention it. If you need anything, give me a call. I’ll hang up now.”
“Okay.”
After hanging up, Gu Wan’er felt like her headache was gone, her feet didn’t ache anymore, and she could run up seven flights of stairs in one breath.
She was just about to call Yu Xiaoduo to ask how he’d thrown his weight around in today’s meeting, when another call came in. It was Supervisor He.
“Brother Yu, what are you up to?” A flattering voice came through the phone.
“Working. What else would I be doing?” Gu Wan’er said lazily. She didn’t even need to pretend to be Yu Xiaoduo anymore. She could slip into character instantly.
Supervisor He chuckled. “Brother Yu, there’s something important I need to tell you. Meet me at the emergency exit on the west side of the sixth floor.”
“Can’t you just say it over the phone?”
“It’s not convenient. Too many people here, too many ears.”
Gu Wan’er thought it over and decided to go take a look. Using Yu Xiaoduo’s body, her fighting ability had gone up drastically. She might not be able to handle someone like Ye Shishi, but she could deal with a few small-time thugs.
Soon, Gu Wan’er arrived at the emergency exit on the west side of the sixth floor. Sure enough, someone was standing at the corner of the stairwell, but Gu Wan’er noticed this wasn’t Supervisor He.
“Brother Yu, I finally get to see you again.”
Gu Wan’er looked surprised. It was actually Zhuang Shu? “Minister Zhuang, so it was you looking for me.” Her words carried deep sarcasm. Yesterday morning during the regular meeting, he hadn’t been like this at all. He’d been so arrogant.
Now that something had happened, he came looking for Yu Xiaoduo. What a two-faced person.
Zhuang Shu had no choice either. But if he wanted to keep his position, he had to get Yu Xiaoduo to whisper in the right ear. Women usually fall for that kind of thing.
“Brother Yu, regarding what happened yesterday, I formally apologize to you.” He then bowed ninety degrees toward Gu Wan’er, looking very sincere.
But Gu Wan’er wasn’t buying it. “You think a bow is enough to settle this?”
“Brother Yu, when you first joined the department, if I hadn’t mixed up a person, you wouldn’t have gotten into the company, and you wouldn’t have met President Gu. In a way, I was the one who connected you two.”
Gu Wan’er was dumbfounded. You could come up with such a ridiculous excuse? But she couldn’t entirely say he was wrong. Without Yu Xiaoduo, she’d probably still be struggling on the brink of death right now.
“Heh, Minister Zhuang, you don’t really think some weird excuse will make President Gu drop this, do you?”
Zhuang Shu smiled and said in a low voice, “Brother Yu, actually, in today’s meeting, I already saw my future. But as long as President Gu doesn’t move against me, I’m willing to work for her.”
Gu Wan’er’s jaw nearly hit the floor. She felt like she’d missed a whole dramatic show by not being there.
Seeing Yu Xiaoduo’s disbelieving look, Zhuang Shu directly offered his loyalty. “Brother Yu, about hitting you yesterday, it was all Gu Xiao’s orders. And I heard it was actually President Gu’s father who demanded it. We’re just working stiffs. How would we dare not do it?”
“These big shots’ daughters aren’t someone ordinary people can touch. Even if they don’t make a move now, someone else will later. Brother Yu, you need to be careful. That’s all I can say. Beauties in powerful families aren’t easy to get involved with.”
This part Gu Wan’er could confirm. It was indeed Father who arranged to transfer Yu Xiaoduo. Teaching Yu Xiaoduo a lesson also fit Father’s character. If Human Resources could be useful to him, that would be ideal. But one must always guard against others.
“I’ll pass on what you’ve said to President Gu,” Gu Wan’er said with a nod.
“Thank you, Brother Yu. I’m like a clay bodhisattva crossing the river now, barely able to save myself. I can’t protect you.”
Did that guy Yu Xiaoduo need protection? From a certain angle, Comrade Yu Xiaoduo was the one protecting me.
