Chapter 457: A Fresh Start on the Way to Work
by xennovelThe air on the way to work always felt so crisp and fragrant.
Lu Xin was in an exceptionally good mood.
Looking at the filthy, waterlogged streets, the tired and numb crowd, the suffocating traffic, the bicycles and motorcycles weaving through the congestion—where you had run over my foot or brushed against your newly bought pants—there were quarrels that ended in nothing and people munching on youtiao while watching the commotion…
What a vibrant slice of life!
Lu Xin even felt as though he had truly stepped back into real life.
What did that signify?
It meant that he was really getting carried away.
After all, he was part of this everyday life too!
……
He rode his bike down to the building of the Business Company. Lu Xin carefully locked up his little pink electric scooter, then hoisted it by one handle and moved it into the hallway. Glancing around, he felt quite pleased with the electric scooter that the female officer had lent him.
He also owned a motorcycle, but that had been taken to Central City and hadn’t been returned yet.
Comparing the two vehicles, the difference was pretty clear.
The little electric scooter was great—it didn’t burn any fuel.
Twisting the keys in his hand, he strolled upstairs, lightly knocked on the glass door, and entered the office.
“Huh?”
The moment he appeared before his colleagues in the office, all eyes widened in surprise.
It was as if the entire office had been paused—colleagues clutching files while roaming about, those on phone calls, others leaning in with their heads close to chatting with a female colleague, someone sipping water noisily from a thermos in the breakroom, and even one who had draped over his desk eating breakfast—all froze in place, staring at Lu Xin like a perfectly still scene in a corporate setting.
“Hello, everyone…”
Lu Xin greeted them warmly before striding directly toward the Director’s office.
Before leaving, he had arranged for a leave of absence without pay. Now that he was back, he needed to cancel his leave with the Director.
Once his leave was canceled, his salary would resume.
The Director’s office door was ajar. Lu Xin approached and peered inside to find the Director engrossed at his computer.
Smiling, he said, “Good morning, Director…”
The Director, without even looking up, replied irritably, “How come you didn’t knock before coming in?”
Lu Xin paused for a moment and replied, “Your door was open…”
“Just because it’s open doesn’t mean you can…”
The Director continued in an annoyed tone while rising his head, and then suddenly noticed Lu Xin standing at the doorway with a smile.
SWOOSH!
The few hairs atop the Director’s head suddenly stood on end as if electrified; his body rebounded from his chair. In his first instinct, he crossed his arms and stepped back, but then excitement sparkled in his eyes. In a single stride spanning two or three meters, he hurled the chair aside and rushed forward, exclaiming, “Hurry in, sit down, sit down!”
“Oh, okay.”
Lu Xin was momentarily stunned, then knocked gently on the open glass door twice and walked in with a smile.
Glancing to the side, he noticed that on the Director’s computer desktop was a detective-related call.
“Little Lu, you’re finally back…”
The Director greeted him enthusiastically, clasping Lu Xin’s hand with both of his, gesturing him to sit on the nearby sofa, then hastily turned to pour some water.
Feeling a bit embarrassed, Lu Xin said, “Director, there’s no need to hurry—I’m not thirsty…”
“I had taken an extended leave to visit family, and now that I’m back, I’m not sure about my position…”
……
He felt a twinge of apprehension as he spoke.
After all, there had been cases before where after a leave of absence without pay, the position wasn’t there upon return.
He worried that the leave he had arranged might suddenly be nullified.
That would mean, wouldn’t it…
……I’d have to pull out my gun again?
……
“Oh dear, no worries.”
Yet the moment the Director began to speak, Lu Xin’s worries eased. The Director, sweating on his forehead, said excitedly, “Little Lu, you have no idea how much I’ve been looking forward to your return. I’ve already… well, anyway, it’s great that you’re back. The company just isn’t the same without you!”
“Huh?”
Lu Xin was taken aback—so he was that important to the company?
After all, he was somewhat of a supervisor himself.
“Have you wrapped up your matters outside?”
At that moment, the Director had already served him a cup of tea made from his stash of fine leaves, setting it on a small coffee table beside him. With both hands nervously working, he asked with mixed excitement and concern, “So, you’re back to resume your post now, right?”
“Well, you must have been ready to return to work by now, right?”
……
“Of course.”
The Director’s reaction confirmed his importance in the company. Lu Xin felt elated and immediately agreed. However, he quickly remembered that the Special Cleaning Department was still busy and he might be needed there again soon, so he added, “But I’m not sure if I’ll need to be on call later—I might have to take a day or two off. I’ll try not to, though.”
“It’s fine, it’s all good…”
The Director casually agreed, then with a hint of worry asked, “You’re definitely here for the day, right?”
Lu Xin thought the Director’s reaction was a bit odd and nodded, “Of course.”
It was his first day back, so there was no way he would leave early—after all, the Director knew him well.
“That’s good, that’s good.”
Only then did the Director relax, letting out a relieved sigh, “Little Lu, you really saved my life today…”
“That serious?”
Lu Xin was surprised, feeling even more aware of his significance in the company.
After confirming his return with the Director and signing in for attendance, Lu Xin felt a huge weight lift from his heart as he returned to his small office.
His old office, where he had hardly spent a few days before, was still waiting for him. Looking inside, it was as if nothing had been disturbed. He thought, if only he had known this, he wouldn’t have hurried to delete everything on the computer.
Fortunately, there was still a backup in the mail drive.
He sank into his swivel chair and exhaled deeply.
It felt so good to be back to work.
……
……
At the same time, Director Liu’s little secretary had quietly slipped into his office. She quickly closed the door, and both of their faces lit up with a mixture of surprise and excitement as they said, “This is it—we nearly had to call in a detective to bring him back…”
“Quick, go keep an eye on him. Don’t let him run off.”
“I’m on it, I’ll call him now…”
……
……
Lu Xin opened his computer and stared at the familiar screen, a delight akin to the joy of a brief parting and a new reunion filling his heart.
But after the initial thrill, he fell into deep thought—what was he actually doing?
He hadn’t yet been assigned any concrete tasks upon his return.
Maybe, while things were quiet, he could start writing the work report requested by the Special Cleaning Department?
There were still plenty of things he needed to take care of.
Besides the work report, there were also matters he had promised to settle for his colleagues in the Qinggang Information Gathering Team.
Still, taking on another task on his first day back might not be the best idea.
With that in mind, Lu Xin retrieved the mail drive and copied back the Tetris files.
……
……
The entire morning passed by in a state of calm and ease.
Lu Xin had been expecting that the Director or the project manager would soon assign him some concrete work. But after waiting all morning with no one coming by, his mood only grew even more relaxed.
It felt like he’d earned a whole morning off.
However, in the afternoon, just after lunch, that calm and ease was abruptly shattered.
A car with a sharply pointed front pulled up downstairs. Someone leapt out and dashed into the hallway. Seeing the glaring pink electric scooter there, he furrowed his brows and then hurriedly ascended the stairs. Amid the surprised and panicked expressions of all the employees in the office, he caught sight of Director Liu gesturing at him from the entrance.
He exhaled deeply and sprinted to the office next door, loudly calling, “Little Lu…”
He flung open the office door and whispered, “…Bro!”
“Wow…”
Lu Xin jumped in fright, quickly closed his computer screen, and instinctively muttered, “Why didn’t you knock?”
The person who had pushed through the office paused, hurriedly closed the door again, knocked twice, then reentered.
……
“Brother Lu, you’re finally back…”
Vice President Xiao Yuan’s face was filled with surprise and excitement.
“Ah, Vice President Xiao…”
Only then did Lu Xin realize he had accidentally startled the leader again, and he quickly got up to greet him.
“What brings you here?”
……
“I…”
As Vice President Xiao confronted Lu Xin, he suddenly felt uneasy and said, “I heard you’re back, so I came to see for myself.”
“Hmm?”
Lu Xin was a bit surprised, glancing at him.
Vice President Xiao immediately became more uneasy and awkwardly changed the subject, “I heard you went to visit family?”
“Mm.”
Lu Xin nodded, “I made a trip to Central City to visit a relative.”
Vice President Xiao agreed with a nod, “So you have relatives in Central City? Did you manage to find them?”
These days, visiting relatives in another city was a challenge—few had the means to call across cities or send a telegraph. It wasn’t uncommon to find out upon arrival that your kin had passed away or were nowhere to be found.
Lu Xin nodded and smiled, “I found them, and we had a lovely chat.”
“Oh, really.”
Vice President Xiao nodded absentmindedly, as if suddenly at a loss for words.
Seeing that he had something to say, Lu Xin asked directly, “Are you in such a hurry because there’s work for me?”
“Work?”
Vice President Xiao hesitated and then half-heartedly replied, “I wouldn’t dare…”
That response made Lu Xin glance instinctively out the office window, thinking, ‘That’s so awkward—it almost sounds like I’m bullying the boss.’
It wasn’t a comment meant to be overheard by everyone.
“Actually, I was hoping to invite you to a meal…”
Vice President Xiao seemed to search for the right words, his eyes flickering nervously as he spoke.
Lu Xin was taken aback and shot Vice President Xiao a sideways glance, thinking, “What kind of status do you have to invite me to dinner?”