Zhao Qian sat at her workstation, while her colleagues nearby cast curious glances her way.

It was the first time they had seen Director Yang treat a newly-hired colleague so politely.

It went without saying—this beauty must have an extraordinary backing.

In the system, everything revolves around human connections and social tact.

The junior staffers and clerks might not be skilled at much else, but they excel at reading the room.

Soon enough, these colleagues found excuses to approach her for a chat, acting overly familiar.

At that moment, a middle-aged man walked in.

The junior staffers immediately greeted him, "Director Xiao."

Then they all returned to their workstations, diligently focusing on their tasks.

Zhao Qian recognized him as the bureau director and politely said, "Director Xiao."

"Zhao, how's work going? Are you settling in alright?"

Director Xiao asked with a smile.

Zhao Qian froze slightly.

She could clearly sense that Director Xiao was being very cordial toward her.

There was even a hint of special attention in his tone.

Though new to the system, Zhao Qian was no fool—how could she not grasp the meaning behind Director Xiao's behavior?

He had obviously come deliberately and, in front of the others, said kind words to her.

The implication was clear—he was letting the colleagues know that Zhao Qian had someone backing her.

He was warning them to watch themselves and not offend Zhao Qian.

Zhao Qian understood, and so did the other colleagues in the room.

They were inwardly astonished.

First Director Yang, and now even Director Xiao personally came over.

This newly-arrived Zhao Qian—what kind of person was she?

Could she be the daughter of some powerful figure?

Here to gain experience?

At this thought, their minds inevitably began stirring.

At noon, one junior staffer said, "Since we have a new colleague today, how about we go out for lunch?"

"Sounds good."

"I'm fine with it."

"Let's go, there's a new barbecue place across the street—it's supposed to be really good."

"By the way, Zhao, do you eat barbecue?"

"I'm fine with anything."

Zhao Qian felt somewhat unaccustomed to their enthusiastic behavior.

Of course, she understood why they were acting this way.

They went to the barbecue restaurant and, while eating and chatting, quickly became familiar with each other.

Though Zhao Qian still didn't particularly like this sort of interaction, steeped in extreme utilitarianism and ulterior motives.

Still, since she'd be working here in the future, she would need to maintain good relationships with her colleagues.

Thus, she engaged in banter and laughter with the group.

But it was all superficial.

In her heart, she maintained a certain distance from them.

This kind of false camaraderie—anyone who took it seriously was a fool.

"Zhao, I noticed both Director Yang and Director Xiao seem to have been particularly attentive to you."

"Yeah, it's the first time I've seen Director Xiao personally drop by to say hello."

"Zhao, what does your family do?"

They bombarded her with questions, one after another.

Trying to probe Zhao Qian's background.

Zhao Qian smiled and replied, "My family is just ordinary people."

She was telling the truth.

But to her colleagues, those words had an entirely different meaning.

To them, Zhao Qian's remark sounded modest—an attempt to avoid being too ostentatious.

And the more modest she sounded, the wilder their imaginations ran.

Of course.

They wouldn't keep probing, since they'd only just met and it wouldn't be appropriate.

They could ask again after getting closer in the future.

After lunch, they all returned to the Human Resources Bureau.

On her first day at the bureau, Zhao Qian experienced a treatment difficult to put into words.

After work, a male colleague came over and asked, "Zhao, where do you live? I can give you a ride."

"No need, I've got plans to meet a friend."

"Thanks."

"Oh, I see," the male colleague smiled and left.

But inwardly, he began to take an interest in Zhao Qian.

Leaving aside Zhao Qian's mysterious background, her appearance alone made her an absolute knockout.

A few of the young men in the Human Resources Bureau were already smitten with her.

If one of them could win her over, they'd not only be linked to her connections but also land a gorgeous girlfriend.

The perfect win-win.

Zhao Qian was unaware of what these men were thinking.

Of course, even if she knew, she wouldn't take them seriously.

She had arranged to meet Wang Dahai and headed to the restaurant, waiting for a while before he arrived.

Seeing Wang Dahai, Zhao Qian's cheeks flushed slightly.

The previous night had been wild.

Moreover, their relationship wasn't romantic, but purely transactional and cooperative.

In this kind of setup, having been so intimately involved made Zhao Qian feel a bit odd.

"Take a look and see what you want to eat,"

Zhao Qian handed him the menu, speaking softly.

Wang Dahai ordered a few dishes and handed the menu to the server.

As the dishes were served, Zhao Qian ate while saying, "I went to the Human Resources Bureau today to finalize the onboarding paperwork and started working."

Wang Dahai asked, "That Director Yang—he didn't give you a hard time, did he?"

"No."

"It went well."

It seemed Secretary Chen's influence worked well.

This was the power of authority.

Wang Dahai felt a pang of longing.

He didn't know when this humble driver of his would be able to move up.

He was well aware that Secretary Chen was accommodating him now only because of a favor owed.

But favors had limits—they had to be repaid eventually.

If, by then, he was still just a driver, Secretary Chen might at best maintain a polite front.

Their paths would inevitably diverge.

If he wanted to keep the connection, he had to climb higher.

"Director Yang asked me today if I knew Secretary Chen,"

Zhao Qian voiced a question she had been wondering about, "Is Secretary Chen your friend?"

Wang Dahai nodded. He hadn't planned on hiding it.

He hadn't intended to bring it up himself, but since she asked, there was no reason to keep quiet.

He wasn't the type to do favors and stay anonymous.

Zhao Qian made a sound of acknowledgment and said, "Director Yang had initially called me, hinting at 'improper favors' or asking me to prepare two hundred thousand."

"Two hundred thousand?" Wang Dahai paused, "Wasn't it fifty thousand?"

"It was fifty thousand at first, but when he found out I was prepared, he raised it to two hundred thousand."

"He was really trying to push me into compromising."

Wang Dahai immediately understood.

This Director Yang was really trash.

"With Secretary Chen's involvement, Director Yang won't dare treat you like that again."

Wang Dahai said, "If you run into trouble at work, just give me a call."

"Alright."

Zhao Qian lowered her head while eating but felt a warmth inside her.

It had been a long time since she'd felt this kind of concern from someone.

In that moment, she started to have some unusual emotions toward Wang Dahai.

After dinner, the two left the restaurant and headed to the parking lot.

Getting into the car, Wang Dahai drove her to the villa.

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