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"Then it's settled. Ban, you take her over," the Factory Director said after finishing his cigarette and arranging Song Pearl's work, sitting up straight to pick up a document.
The office director nodded and left the Director's Office with Song Pearl in silence. He walked ahead with large strides while Song Pearl hurriedly followed behind him.
She was puzzled as to why the office director, who had been so warm and attentive just moments ago, suddenly changed his demeanor, his expression dark like a frozen river.
Song Pearl thought carefully and couldn't recall having offended him in any way; the Factory Director hadn't criticized her either... She had no idea that the office director's change in attitude was due to her unintentional demeanor.
The office director's name was Ban Chengdong. He graduated from a prestigious university in the province and, after working in another city for several years, felt that home was more beautiful than anywhere else. He resigned, returned to his hometown, got married, had children, and secured a position at Hongqing Group.
Although he had an impressive educational background and experience, Hongqing Group's headquarters was not lacking in such talent. Without any connections, he ultimately ended up being assigned to a grassroots factory.
In this role, he was considered a middle-level cadre as an office director, but in reality, he had no subordinates. Serving tea and running errands were all tasks he handled alone.
Today, Song Pearl's performance inadvertently hurt his self-esteem. He felt that Song Pearl clearly looked down on him because of her connections and gave her a poor first impression.
Misunderstood without reason, Song Pearl wanted to ask if she could go home. However, every time she tried to speak, the office director remained cold-faced, so she felt embarrassed to ask again and thought she would wait until later.
The Inspection Station had several studios lined up. The first room was an office where a girl with a ponytail was leaning over her desk looking into a mirror. Upon hearing someone enter, she quickly put away the mirror and cheerfully said, "Oh, the class director is here for an inspection! I'm very dedicated; I haven't slacked off or eaten snacks or slept on the job!"
As she spoke, the girl stood up and invited the class director to sit down.
This girl was only slightly shorter than the class director. She looked sweet and had a charming smile; her eyes sparkled with joy.
"I'm not sitting down. Let me introduce you; this is Inspector Song Pearl sent from headquarters," the class director formally introduced. "This is Inspector Gao Xiaoxia."
"Hello," Gao Xiaoxia said with a beaming smile as she extended her hand. "Welcome! I've heard that an inspector would be coming over; this is fantastic."
"Hello." Song Pearl pressed her lips together and cautiously extended her hand. Standing opposite the tall beauty felt quite intimidating.
"Well, take your time to get familiar with things," the homeroom teacher said, putting her hands in the pockets of her trench coat as she walked out of the Inspection Station.
"Okay, thank you, teacher," Song Pearl replied, awkwardly standing by the door as she watched the teacher leave.
Once the teacher was gone, Gao Xiaoxia walked over, closed the studio door, and returned to her desk, sizing up Song Pearl from head to toe.
"Where are you from?" Gao Xiaoxia initiated small talk.
"Song Family Village," Song Pearl answered, still standing by the workbench next to the door.
The office had two desks and two chairs; Gao Xiaoxia occupied one set while the other desk was cluttered with documents and papers. The chair was pushed far away, topped with a large water bucket.
Gao Xiaoxia didn't let her sit down, and Song Pearl felt too shy to move the water bucket aside to take a seat, so she remained standing.
"Where is Song Family Village? I've never heard of it," Gao Xiaoxia asked while pulling out her mirror to check her appearance.
"It's just a village," Song Pearl replied, which was almost nothing at all.
"How many siblings do you have?"
"Two."
"Do you have an older sister or brother?"
"Having a Younger Brother"
She asked a question, and Song Pearl answered.
Gao Xiaoxia's mind seemed to be filled with countless questions, asking everything as if she were conducting a household registration check at the police station, inquiring about Song Pearl's hometown and relatives.
"How did you end up working here? Did you get in through connections?"
"No, it's because Hongqing Group bought the land in our village."
"Oh, I see." Gao Xiaoxia's eyes flickered, revealing a hint of understanding.
"But how did you become an Inspector? Do you know how to do that?"
"The Factory Director sent me over. I don't know yet; please guide me." Song Pearl stood with her legs feeling a bit sore and shifted her feet from side to side.
"You can sit over there; we will be having lunch soon," Gao Xiaoxia said, pointing to a metal stool on the ground.
"No need, I'm fine standing." Seeing the cold, dark appearance of the stool, Song Pearl declined directly.
After asking too many questions, Gao Xiaoxia felt a bit parched. She stood up to pour herself a glass of water. Just as she was about to drink, she put it down again and glanced at Song Pearl. "Did you bring a cup?"
"No, I didn't bring anything. I just came to report for duty, thinking I could go back today..."
"Factories have their rules. Since you've reported for duty, you're already working; how can you just leave?" Gao Xiaoxia put down her mirror. "Today is quite busy; you should stay and come back tomorrow after asking for leave from the section chief."
"That's fine." Song Pearl was indifferent; Liu Cuiying must have considered that she might not have much freedom after reporting in, which is why she had given her several dozen yuan. So she wasn't in a hurry, after all, it was just to report her safety back home.
"What work should I do now?"
"There’s no work right now; it's time to get off and eat," Gao Xiaoxia squatted down to take a takeout cup from the cabinet and looked up at Song Pearl, "You don’t have meal tickets yet, do you?"
"Yes," Song Pearl nodded.
"Here, use mine first." Gao Xiaoxia took out her wallet and handed a stack of meal tickets to Song Pearl.
"Thank you." Song Pearl counted them; there were twenty yuan in total, and she quickly took out her fifty yuan note and handed it over, "Let me give you the money first."
"I can't change it," Gao Xiaoxia smiled sweetly, revealing two adorable dimples at the corners of her mouth. "Just hold onto it for now; you can pay me back when you get your salary."
"Okay." Song Pearl put away the meal tickets and money.
Although she had been learning how to interact with others for over a decade, she still didn't have much of her own opinion. When she sensed that those around her were friendly towards her, she would unconsciously follow their suggestions.
"Then follow me; let's go together." Gao Xiaoxia reached for the door.
Just as she was about to pull the door, it opened. A young man in work clothes stood at the entrance, holding a stainless steel pot and flashing a big white smile at Gao Xiaoxia.
"Xiao Xia, this is mushroom stewed chicken; my mom specially made it for you." The earnest-looking young man stepped inside and placed the pot on the table.
"And there's this bread," he added, lifting a plastic bag labeled with exquisite pastry designs.
Is it a good match to drink chicken soup with bread?
Song Pearl wrinkled her nose and said something to Gao Xiaoxia, who had a layer of red hue on her face, before quickly walking out.
This kind of situation often happens in university dormitories. At first, she was like a clueless goose, not knowing to avoid it. Later, Wang Ziyan reminded her not to be a third wheel, and that’s when she realized what kind of situation it was.
Thus, she added a rule to her life summary: whenever she sees a man being attentive to a woman, she should quickly walk away and not stay behind as a third wheel.
The scene just now reminded Song Pearl of her university life.
She returned in such a hurry that she didn’t even have time to attend the dorm gathering. Although she wasn’t talkative, she enjoyed listening to others and liked lively environments.
However, during the summer vacation, she still had to go back for her defense to obtain her graduation certificate. At that time, she would be able to see Wang Ziyan again. She wondered if Wang Ziyan had found a job yet.
Thinking about job hunting, Song Pearl suddenly remembered the job she applied for at the Provincial Capital research institute. She was supposed to report there before the New Year, but since she couldn’t go to work now, she should make a phone call.
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