"Uh... not now. You can cook it for me whenever I want to eat it later." Gao Jianfei said, touching his forehead. "I'll teach you when I have time! Also, don't call me scum anymore."
"You agreed?" Xiaoxiao asked in surprise.
"Okay, I promise you!" Gao Jianfei nodded.
"Thank you, you scumbag!" Xiaoxiao stood up, her face beaming with excitement and joy. "Then I won't bother you anymore. When you have time, you must teach me, please!"
"Okay... then you should go back to your room and rest. It's getting late, and I have to go to work tomorrow." Gao Jianfei felt completely defeated. He'd said he wouldn't call her scum, but she kept calling him that. Speechless...
After Xiaoxiao left, Gao Jianfei lay down on the bed, set his phone alarm, and then closed his eyes to sleep.
The next morning at 6:30, as soon as the alarm rang, Gao Jianfei jumped out of bed and quickly got dressed.
I can't be late today, today is my first official day at work!
Gao Jianfei reminded himself and ran downstairs as fast as he could.
Yan Kui hadn't gotten up yet, but a dim light was seeping into the kitchen. Gao Jianfei ran to the kitchen and saw Xiaoxiao wearing a chef's apron, busy at the stove. Yes, she was cooking noodles.
Hearing the noise, she quickly turned around and said, "You scumbag, you're up? I know you have to go to work and can't be late, so I got up early to prepare breakfast for you. Wait outside, it'll be ready soon."
The little girl was actually very simple and kind, and seemed very hardworking and conscientious. Gao Jianfei was very touched. "Thank you, Xiaoxiao." After saying that, Gao Jianfei left the kitchen.
A few minutes later, Xiaoxiao brought out a steaming bowl of soup noodles.
It was a large bowl piled high with noodles, topped with two poached eggs and some chopped green onions, emitting a rich aroma that made one's mouth water.
"You eat!" Xiaoxiao sat next to Gao Jianfei and watched him eat noodles.
Gao Jianfei didn't stand on ceremony, picked up his chopsticks, grabbed some noodles, and slurped them down. The noodles were chewy and smooth, and the broth was delicious... Seriously, Xiaoxiao's noodle-cooking skills were top-notch!
Gao Jianfei finished the whole bowl of noodles, feeling very full and satisfied. "Xiaoxiao, the noodles you cooked are the best I've ever eaten in my life!"
"Okay, then I'll cook for you every day from now on!" As soon as the words left her mouth, the little girl suddenly realized that her words were ambiguous, so her face, which was rare for her, turned two red clouds. She quickly stood up, her hands very awkward, not knowing where to put them. "You should go to work, you're going to be late."
Gao Jianfei didn't want to tease this seemingly fierce but actually very simple and innocent girl. He smiled and said, "Then I'll be going now. See you tonight. If I'm free tonight, I'll start teaching you to read. Bye-bye!"
After saying that, Gao Jianfei ran outside.
I checked my phone and it was almost 7 o'clock, so I jogged to the minibus station and started waiting for the bus.
Alice Cosmetics Company's working hours start at 9 a.m., but today is the first day of work. Gao Jianfei is from the countryside, and on the one hand, he is afraid of being late, and on the other hand, he wants to try to see how long it takes to get from Yuehua Village to the company, since it involves changing buses once, and the time is hard to judge.
After waiting for 20 minutes, a No. 467 minibus finally arrived at the station. Gao Jianfei took the minibus to the city center and then transferred to another bus. By the time he entered the Alice Cosmetics Company building, it was already 8:30!
There's still half an hour until it's time to start work.
At this time, company employees began to enter the office building one after another.
Gao Jianfei went straight to the planning department office, thinking to himself on the way... It seems that getting up at 6:30 every morning is necessary.
However, Gao Jianfei was clearly a bit early; the planning department office door was tightly closed, and none of his other colleagues had arrived.
Although Gao Jianfei could easily pick the lock and get in, he didn't intend to do so. After all, entering the office by picking the lock without permission was practically the same as being a thief.
Gao Jianfei leaned against the balcony opposite the office, breathing in the fresh morning air, when a thought suddenly popped into his head... "Could it be that I'm just going to stay here and work a regular white-collar job, waiting for Brother Feilong to promote me?"
When Tang Bao first led Gao Jianfei to meet Feilong, Gao Jianfei did indeed want to find a job first, but deep down, that wasn't what he really thought.
He's determined to make a name for himself!
He wants to return home in glory!
He wants to crush the Zeng family!
After a moment of inner turmoil, Gao Jianfei couldn't help but turn on the virtual display screen. As usual, after a day of recovery, the consumed exorcism points had been replenished.
Gao Jianfei has a total of 353 exorcism points!
He swiftly used one exorcism point to fill the screen with level 1 ghosts, then immediately pieced them together! He pieced together 352 level 1 ghosts!
Progress bars began to flash.
Fifteen minutes later, the puzzle was complete! The 352 level 1 ghosts were taken into the ghost den.
Currently, Gao Jianfei's personal status has become...
The Exorcist: Gao Jianfei
Age: 22
Level: 1
Exorcism Point: 0, 705
Experience: 700
Experience required to upgrade to Level 2 Exorcist: 300
"Uh...so that means...I...I'll be able to become a Level 2 Exorcist tomorrow?" When the thing he had been dreaming of suddenly came true, Gao Jianfei was caught off guard!
I feel a little overwhelmed by happiness!
"Tomorrow...tomorrow will be fine!" Gao Jianfei repeated. The joy in his heart was simply indescribable!
Gao Jianfei knew that being a Level 1 exorcist was actually quite frustrating. This was because most of the ghosts in the world were ordinary in life and could only be classified as Level 1 ghosts after death. This meant that whenever Gao Jianfei was a Level 1 ghost, the entire screen was filled with images and information about the deceased, making it very difficult for him to select a Level 1 ghost with special abilities from such a vast amount of data.
Even if you find it, it's actually a rural-level skill that's not very useful.
Furthermore, a Level 1 exorcist can only release ghosts to scare people or glean information about others from them. This is hardly enough to make Gao Jianfei incredibly powerful. On the contrary, given Gao Jianfei's current strength, possessing too much information about others would actually be dangerous!
Therefore, Gao Jianfei has always dreamed of becoming a Level 2 exorcist, only then will this super ghost device truly have value!
Now, all you need to do is get through today, and your dream will come true!
Cool!
Just as Gao Jianfei was secretly enjoying himself, a rhythmic sound of high heels clicking on the ground came from afar.
Gao Jianfei pulled himself out of his own little world and looked in the direction of the sound.
Huang Cuiyun, carrying a handbag on her shoulder, walked gracefully from the corridor toward this office.
Today she wore a lake-green suit, her hair was still tied up in a bun, and she wore light makeup. There was a natural reserve, composure, maturity, and dignity in her eyes and brows.
Her beautiful, slender legs were encased in flesh-colored stockings, and black strappy high-heeled sandals added to her allure.
"Xiao Gao, you're here so early?" Huang Cuiyun walked to the office door, took out two keys from her handbag, and handed one of them to Gao Jianfei. "Here, take this key. It's the key to the planning department office."
Gao Jianfei took the keys from Huang Cuiyun's hand. "Thank you, Manager Huang."
Huang Cuiyun smiled gently, opened the office door, and walked in with Gao Jianfei. As they approached Huang Cuiyun, Gao Jianfei caught a faint scent of jasmine.
Upon entering the office, Gao Jianfei immediately filled a basin with water and began wiping down the desk and air conditioner with a rag. Huang Cuiyun smiled with satisfaction and then went into her own office.
With 10 minutes left before the start of work, Qin Leshi, Zou Yan, Chen Xian, and Zhang Liang entered the office one after another.
People had different attitudes toward Gao Jianfei.
Zou Yan was very welcoming. As soon as she entered the office, she put down her bag and came over to help Gao Jianfei wipe his desk. She even took the initiative to start a conversation with him. Gao Jianfei knew that she was probably grateful because he had helped Zou Yan out of a difficult situation the day before.
Qin Leshi was just as gentle and poised as yesterday, nodding to Gao Jianfei with a smile, displaying great refinement.
Chen Xian remained aloof, merely nodding coldly at Gao Jianfei. However, Gao Jianfei noticed that her eye bags were somewhat dark, indicating she was not in good spirits, and when he got closer, he could smell a faint odor of alcohol.
As for Zhang Liang, the look he gave Gao Jianfei was nothing more than the same old thing... disdain, contempt, disgust, and mockery.
Gao Jianfei did not greet Zhang Liang proactively, completely ignoring him.
From today onward, Gao Jianfei began working under Qin Leshi, assisting her with various tasks. Qin Leshi was gentle and patient, and she taught Gao Jianfei many things. She was approachable, and her demeanor suggested a good education and upbringing. Soon, Gao Jianfei developed a student's fondness for her, like that of a good teacher. Crucially, Qin Leshi behaved with great poise and grace; she showed no disdain or perfunctory attitude towards Gao Jianfei because of his unsophisticated background, which impressed him greatly.
At lunchtime, Qin Leshi took out a meal card and handed it to Gao Jianfei. She had taken some time in the morning to get it for him at the logistics department, and it was loaded with 2,000 yuan.
Gao Jianfei offered to pay her, but Qin Leshi refused with a smile, insisting that he give her the money after he received his salary. Gao Jianfei sincerely said, "Miss Qin, you are truly a good woman! Whoever marries you in the future will be incredibly lucky, having broken over a dozen wooden fish drums and worn out over a dozen Buddhist scriptures in their past life!"
This remark made Qin Leshi burst into laughter, and she laughed for a full minute before stopping.
In the afternoon, Zhang Liang, who had always disliked Gao Jianfei, finally spoke up.
While Huang Cuiyun came out to inspect the work, he stood up, clapped his hands, and said loudly, "Listen up, everyone! I have a suggestion!"
Everyone's attention was drawn to him.
Zhang Liang laughed and said, "Now that Xiao Gao is a member of our planning department, the most important thing between colleagues is tacit understanding and friendliness. If we can communicate with each other in private and become friends, that's good, as it will help with cooperation during daily work."
That makes sense, and everyone couldn't help but nod in agreement.
Zhang Liang continued, "Well, Xiao Gao is a human being, and I think it's necessary for him to treat us old folks to a meal. Hehe, actually, it's a good way to improve relationships among colleagues! When Xiao Yanzi first joined the planning department, didn't she also take the initiative to treat us to a meal? It's not that we have to extort a meal from Xiao Gao, it's a matter of social interaction, a principle of conduct, don't you think, Xiao Gao?" After saying that, he looked directly at Gao Jianfei with a half-smile.
Zhang Liang thought to himself, "You little brat, just you wait! If you agree to treat me today, fine, I'll make you regret it! I'll make you cry when you have to pay the bill! If you refuse, the entire planning department will look down on you!"
Gao Jianfei was taken aback... A treat?
To be honest, Gao Jianfei believed that hosting a dinner was quite necessary. After all, he was human, and there were many things he could learn from Qin Leshi, Zou Yan, and Huang Cuiyun. From a social perspective, hosting a dinner was only natural! It was a matter of courtesy and etiquette.
"Yes, no problem. It's only right that I treat everyone to a meal. Okay! Let's have a simple meal together another day when everyone is free!" Gao Jianfei stood up and said sincerely. "I hope you will all do me the honor and not look down on me, a migrant worker from a small city."
Qin Leshi quickly said, "It's fine to treat him, but let's wait until Gao Jianfei gets his salary. After all, he just arrived in the flower market and needs to spend a lot of money to rent a place."
Qin Leshi is very thoughtful and considerate; she immediately stepped forward to help Gao Jianfei out of the predicament.
“Le Shi, don’t make a mountain out of a molehill! It’s just a meal, why bring up renting a place, right, Xiao Gao? The important thing is sincerity. If you’re not sincere, then forget it.” Zhang Liang looked at Gao Jianfei with a smile. “I think Xiao Gao is a very sincere person and won’t play those empty tricks.”
"No problem. Although I'm poor, I can still afford to treat everyone to a meal. So, let's reschedule for tonight, okay?" Gao Jianfei wasn't a hypocrite; he didn't need Zhang Liang to goad him. He would definitely treat everyone he was supposed to treat.
"Tonight? I have an appointment with a client to discuss a business deal tonight... You guys go ahead, I won't be going this time," Huang Cuiyun said apologetically.
"Tomorrow night then! Let's go with tomorrow night then," Gao Jianfei changed his mind and said.
Qin Leshi immediately added that she was not free the next night.
Finally, the dinner time was set for the evening after tomorrow, as everyone was available.
“Okay, then I’ll take care of this, how about it?” Zhang Liang walked over and patted Gao Jianfei on the shoulder. “Xiao Gao, I’m a local. I usually arrange department gatherings and company dinners. I have good relationships with the managers and bosses of many hotels and restaurants in the flower market. If I arrange it, they will basically give you a discount. Leave it to me!”
Gao Jianfei glanced at Zhang Liang. "Okay, you arrange the meal. I'll pay the bill."
"Zhang Liang, just find a regular restaurant. We don't care about the food; the main thing is for us colleagues to get together," Qin Leshi said with a hint of anxiety.
"Le Shi, you can rest assured, I, Zhang Liang, would never cheat Xiao Gao. It's all about being economical and practical, that's my principle. You can all trust me when I do things!" Zhang Liang said with a smile.
After saying that, Zhang Liang gave Gao Jianfei a strange smile, then chuckled and returned to his desk.
Zhang Liang was secretly gloating. "You brat, you're dead! This time, you're really dead! Me? You think I can make you cry your eyes out? This is what happens when you offend me, Zhang Liang!"
Gao Jianfei also had his own thoughts... "Zhang Liang is obviously trying to mess with me, but I still have 500,000 yuan in cash in this den of thieves. I don't believe that 500,000 yuan can be spent on a single meal! Damn it, they're trying to mess with me, I'll see who's laughing and crying then! Zhang Liang, you make your moves, I, Gao Jianfei, will take them!"
After work in the afternoon, before going home, Gao Jianfei went to a nearby bookstore that specialized in selling pirated books and CDs. He picked out several sets of children's literacy textbooks and exercise books, and then bought notebooks, pencils, erasers, and so on. The bookstore owner even teased Gao Jianfei, "Hey, young man, I didn't realize your child was already learning to read. You look no more than 22 or 23. Young people these days are so open-minded, not even using condoms, causing all this trouble. Sigh, people in our generation were so simple..."