Chapter 592: A Homecoming of Surprises

Perhaps it was because he hadn’t been home in so long, but Lu Xin slept soundly, not even dreaming a single dream.

He wasn’t even sure if anyone had visited.

The next morning, a quality sleep put him in a cheerful mood. Just like every day in years past, he got up at 7:30, washed up, and enjoyed a breakfast of leftover instant noodles and canned goods with his Father and Sister. After changing and feeling refreshed, he went downstairs and picked one car out of three to drive.

Tsk tsk.

He picked one and drove off…

Even though all his cars looked the same, choosing one out of three really felt exhilarating!

It was like selecting a concubine.

Sure, all three of his ‘concubines’ were identical, but who cared?

After all, aren’t they just concubines?

He patted the steering wheel, put on his sunglasses, adjusted the sun visor, and adopted the air of an experienced driver.

Cheerfully off to work, he even made sure to load a box of Heichao City’s stinky tofu and salty water beer into the trunk.

These were local specialties from Heichao City that Yin Mao had made sure to share with his friends, now that Qinggang had opened up their market.

Yesterday, when he returned, Lu Xin had enthusiastically left a box for Chen Jing and her colleagues in the Special Cleaning Department.

This box was especially for his colleagues at the Company.

After the incident in Heichao City, Lu Xin suddenly felt he’d come into his own.

He used to be rather awkward and clueless about dealing with people. No wonder he never fit in at work.

But now was different. At the very least, he knew the importance of connecting with his colleagues.

For example, a trip to Heichao City meant coming back with local specialties.

…

…

After driving his SUV into the parking lot, Lu Xin happily carried the box of stinky tofu upstairs.

“Clatter…”

As he stepped into the Office, the lively chatter of his colleagues instantly fell silent, and every pair of eyes stared at him in surprise.

Soon, though, the atmosphere warmed as his colleagues eagerly greeted Lu Xin.

“Ah, Supervisor Lu, you’re back?”

“Brother Lu, what have you been up to lately?”

Some greeted him warmly, calling him ‘Supervisor Lu’; a male colleague helped him with the box, a female colleague casually passed him an apple, and a few project teammates exchanged knowing glances as they discreetly stuffed money into envelopes…

Lu Xin felt genuinely gratified. Even though he’d been spending less time at the Company lately, his rapport with everyone had only improved.

Perhaps his colleagues were relieved that he hadn’t been nabbed by the Security Hall, fired by the Company, or killed in underworld brawls—instead, his standing at work seemed to be rising, and his relationship with higher-ups was getting better.

“Oh my, you’re finally back…”

Manager Liu, having heard the news, nearly dashed out of the office, his face filled with excitement.

“Supervisor Lu, you don’t know – without you, our Company’s performance is just tanking day by day…”

“…”

Lu Xin was pleasantly surprised. Had his importance in the Company really reached this level?

“You took leave, and CEO Xiao isn’t coming. Without him, many key projects aren’t even for our Company. I’ve been eagerly waiting for you every day. CEO Xiao even told me to call him the moment you returned.”

It was only then that Lu Xin fully understood.

So, this Little CEO Xiao only shows up when he’s running late?

But isn’t it a bit unseemly for a big boss to fuss over a mere supervisor?

“I just wrapped up a minor issue elsewhere and hurried back to take care of work,” he explained a bit sheepishly. Taking the box from a colleague nearby, he handed it to Manager Liu with a smile, “You’ve all worked hard lately. I brought back these local specialties for everyone.”

“You actually brought specialties?”

“Oh come on, food! I’ll have to savor this properly…”

Manager Liu seemed pleasantly surprised that Lu Xin had brought local treats, clearly feeling honored.

Hurriedly, he obliged, instructing everyone to help tear open the box as he shouted to his enthusiastic colleagues, “Don’t forget to leave a few bags for CEO Xiao…”

Watching his colleagues jostle happily, Lu Xin felt deep contentment. He advised, “These are Heichao City specialties, incredibly delicious. They’re usually stewed with meat buds, but since we don’t have any here and the food is cold, I suggest you try stewing it in a pressure cooker and serve it with rice… Just don’t heat it up at the office.”

“Got it, Supervisor Lu…”

“Just so happens my mother-in-law is coming over tonight—she’s in for a treat…”

“Hey? Braised tofu? I love that stuff…”

“…”

Thinking of his colleagues enjoying the local specialties with their families that evening, Lu Xin felt even more gratified.

…No, rather, happy.

…

After warmly explaining how to best enjoy the specialties, Lu Xin returned to his own office.

It looked untouched since he left—clearly, the Company still held him in high regard.

He sat back, relaxed, and turned on his computer.

He first checked the hidden folder and was relieved to see everything was still there.

Now that he was back at the Company, it was time to get serious about work—he had plenty of projects he’d fallen behind on.

While he mulled over this, he began poring over project documents.

Unfortunately, he was repeatedly interrupted.

Outside, employees arrived at his office almost every ten minutes, reporting on project progress and sliding envelopes stuffed with calculated kickbacks and other perks in front of him.

They even discreetly asked, “Many clients are eager to meet our famed mid-level manager. When should we go schmooze?”

Their invitation was hard to decline!

It was the classic three-stage invitation!

One after another, the morning ticked by.

How could anyone focus on work or study with all these interruptions?

Or rather…

Lu Xin reassessed his position and responsibilities, thinking that these were now all part of his work and learning.

…

“I heard Supervisor Lu is back?”

“Vice President Xiao, hello…”

“Supervisor Lu is in his office…”

“…”

Before long, greetings filled the corridor as Vice President Xiao finally arrived.

Lu Xin calmly put an envelope into a drawer, opened up a document, and laid it out before him.

“Little Lu…”

A moment later, a shiny, smooth head appeared through the glass door: “…Bro, what are you busy with?”

Lu Xin glanced up with a smile and replied, “To be precise, I’m embezzling your family’s money…”

He thought to himself and added, “Luckily, it’s not too busy right now.”

“That’s good,”

Vice President Xiao then pushed the glass door open and walked in. Sitting hesitantly on a small plastic stool at the computer desk, he smiled and said, “I’ve been wondering when you’d return. I’ve been anxiously waiting. Today, I had someone call Manager Liu to check on you. Brother Lu, if you’re free tonight after work, how about we grab dinner together?”

“Huh?”

Lu Xin, now slightly cautious, asked, “Have you encountered another case of Special Pollution?”

“Special Pollution?”

Vice President Xiao paused, his expression momentarily tense, “I suppose not?”

Scratching his waist as he tried to recall, he continued, “But recently, I met a woman I really like. Does that count?”

Looking at him, Lu Xin inquired, “How deep does your infatuation run?”

Vice President Xiao was at a loss for words, subconsciously pinching his waist.

“I’ve only been gone for less than a month, and you’ve already worn me out like this?”

Lu Xin was slightly taken aback. That might indeed indicate severe contamination.

Vice President Xiao’s usually cheerful face now showed a trace of panic as he blurted, “I really didn’t expect… how do we assess it?”

After a moment of thought, Lu Xin replied seriously, “Try cursing her in your mind—really let your disgust show.”

Vice President Xiao concentrated for a moment and then said in surprise, “I can’t seem to do it.”

“Oh.”

Lu Xin considered this carefully and said gravely, “Then you’ve definitely been contaminated.”

Startled, Vice President Xiao dropped his car keys to the floor and stammered, “Contaminated?”

Lu Xin deduced, “Based on the symptoms, it’s likely love…”

Shaking his head with a slight smirk, Lu Xin found the moment rather amusing.

He explained that a mental contamination meant one’s thoughts and feelings were warped—behaving as if one adored her while secretly harboring disdain. This trick of testing, though not foolproof, could rule out many hidden possibilities.

Another clear sign for Lu Xin was the improbability of encountering Special Pollution so easily.

After all, Vice President Xiao had encountered it twice already…

“Huh? Oh!”

Vice President Xiao was first in a panic, then slowly realized something was amiss. After a moment of reflection, he exhaled in relief, “You scared me to death.”

Moving closer, he resumed, “So, dinner tonight?”

“It’s not just me—Gao Yan and a few other friends have been urging me. They said that the moment you returned, they’d set up a dinner. I’m being hounded by their demands. I’ve been waiting so long for you to come back to the Company…”

“…”

“What do they expect me to do?”

Lu Xin was momentarily perplexed, not quite catching his meaning.

“They probably have some matters to consult you about…”

Vice President Xiao’s words were vague, his eyes flickering, “I’m not entirely sure of the details.”

“Then forget it. I have to head to the building materials market after work—I really don’t have time.”

Lu Xin could tell that Vice President Xiao wasn’t entirely clear, but after a moment’s thought, he shook his head modestly and said, “Besides, I don’t really enjoy dining with people I barely know. If they really have matters, they can just call the police. No problem.”

It was clear that Vice President Xiao’s friends were not ordinary; why else would they insist on dinner?

Perhaps it had something to do with his side business.

But the Special Cleaning Department has clear rules: one must not reveal their identity to outsiders. Although CEO Xiao’s memory hadn’t been erased, meaning there was no need to overly disguise himself in front of him, that didn’t grant him permission to blabber everywhere…

In such situations, it was better to keep a low profile—after all, principles mattered.

“So…”

Noticing the firmness in Lu Xin’s tone, Vice President Xiao hesitated slightly before asking, “Why are you heading to the building materials market?”

Lu Xin replied frankly, “I’m planning to renovate my house. It’s just too old now.”

“That’s it?”

Relieved, Vice President Xiao said with a smile, “Do we really need you to handle all that? Just leave it to me.”

“Leave it to you?”

Lu Xin found it a bit odd since he hadn’t thought of that possibility.

“Just tell me how you want it done, and I’ll arrange for workers.”

Vice President Xiao laughed, “You’ve done so much for the Company; isn’t it only fair that the Company helps renovate your house?”

“…”

At that, Lu Xin felt a genuine tug in his heart. After a brief pause, he handed over the checklist.

“Just follow the items on this list to arrange for the construction workers.”

He then asked with a smile, “So, where are we eating tonight?”