Our Glamorous Time Chapter 8

Gu Yanzhi suspected spies inside the group.

But when he looked at his boss’s response, he was startled.

The winter sun was clear and mild. Li Zhicheng, wearing light casual clothing, stood in front of his desk, handsome and quiet. The papers originally on his desk, as well as the debris, had been neatly organized into the side shelves. On the desk instead, is a video camera with more than more than 10 little black coloured b.u.t.tons. Li Zhicheng held the strange gadget in his hands, the cold light falling on his long eyebrows which were furrowed in concentration, very focused on debugging.

Gu Yanzhi picks up a camera and looks at it closely: “Don’t tell me, you’re going to put these in the working group?”

Li Zhicheng’s eyes were fixed, slender and flexible fingers continued fiddling with equipment.

“You said that you’ve put all the suspects in the working group.” His voice was like clear water.

This answer was acknowledged.

Gu Yanzhi has always been a bit audacious, he’d also considered if the spies were fast accurate, and not squeamish. However, he wanted to make sure, in case Li Zhicheng may not know much about the relevant legal system, so he directly said: “I just need you to know that this is just a personal arrangement, and may not be necessarily legitimate… Well, you’re and my hands cannot afford to be stained.”

The Li Zhicheng stilled, lifting his eyes to meet his: “Do you think I am an ignorant illiterate?”

Gu Yanzhi thought for a moment and carefully replied: “Not sure yet.” He smiled.

Li Zhicheng tossed a piece of paper in front of him.

Gu Yanzhi glanced down, the boy turned out to be Mr Zhang. The painting would be installed in the Working Group, as well as some of the offices and staff dorm. The location of the installation of cameras had already been marked by him, mostly in meeting rooms, offices, obscure corridor corner. It didn’t technically violate the employees’ privacy, except that the distribution is very intensive. Basically, the members of the Working Group would be under 360 degree surveillance once they left their house.

“Not a stupid method, not a stupid method at all.” Gu Yanzhi changed to praising him, pointing to his instrument,”What’s this?”

Li Zhicheng put the instrument on the table, then shoved his hands in his trouser pockets: “Signal detection instrument.” Gu Yanzhi was still puzzled and looked up at him, before he could open his mouth, Li Zhicheng added “within the scan radius, anyone using cell phones, radios and other equipment, would have their signals detected, and intercept the signal in 0.08 seconds.”

This Gu Yanzhi understood. Because he had already ordered to do so, the members of the Working Group were all handed a specific cell phone. If there are spies secretly pa.s.sed messages these days, they will be caught immediately[1].

All this hi-tech stuff is cool, but …

Gu Yanzhi, after a brief moment of silence, nodded: “Yes, very good. Since you came, our group’s level of security has risen to that of a spy game. ”

This was somewhat jokingly said, but Li Zhicheng bowed his head and fiddled with his baby.

Gu Yanzhi let him go.  As he was walking out of the office, he heard Li Zhicheng mutter in a low voice like he was talking to himself: “……”

At first he didn’t hear, and it took him until he was out of the office to understand and react. That guy was saying: “Soldiers will use any sorts of means.”

——

Lin Qian also observed that there were spies in the working group.

This is the first meeting of the working group. A dozen people sat in the large conference room, waiting for the leader Gu Yanzhi to arrive.

In addition to Lin Qian, many colleagues she had not met were there. They all greeted each other cordially. But whoever she looked at seemed quite normal: the female executives, people from the production management department, technical department, a middle-aged manager…

Gu Yanzhi soon arrived with his secretary, his appearance slightly askew but still quite authoritative. He didn’t mince words and briefly highlighted the present serious situation, and said that he would take personal charge of the whole process of handling the crisis, and then spoke encouraging words, saying that as long as they persevered in the rough times, they would ride the tide of success, where everyone was a winner.

After listening, everyone looked dignified and confident–at least on the surface it seems to be so.

Finally came the a.s.signed tasks.

The Deputy Head of the Department announced on behalf of the division. The responsibilities ranged from being responsible for media relations, to government relations, and being responsible for soft articles…

Lin Qian was the last one, her a.s.signed job being–ch.o.r.es.

——

The first night, the group stayed up all night long, even including Gu Yanzhi. Over and over and over, after vigorous debate and modification, into the dawn sky, an initial crisis response program was drafted.

Gu Yanzhi went against all odds and made Ai Da the first company to apologise, as well as recall all products, while bearing the losses. And his vision was of even greater intensity than Lin Qian’s, as he called for absolute confidentiality in his plans, arranging an unprecedented News Conference, as well as strongly worded public statements… Must be a blockbuster, so that consumers could be won while humbling the c.o.c.ky compet.i.tors, playing everyone by surprise.

Lin Qian was in awe of him.

Under this guiding principle, everyone started working around the clock.

——

At 11 o’clock the next evening, Lin Qian was working late at the Office.

But the rest of the people were not made of iron, so when he had arrived this evening, Gu Yanzhi told everyone to go back to the dorm to rest for the battles they would face tomorrow. However, since Lin Qian was in charge of the brochures to be distributed tomorrow, she had to stay back and complete them until they were bound and ready.

Winter nights in the South were chilling to the bone. The office was big and open, so turning on the heater was not so useful, and so it was the responsibility of the security staff of the building to burn charcoal for heating.

Speaking of security, that former subordinate of Li Zhicheng’s, Lin Qian’s fellow townsperson, often called on her. These days he also helped Lin Qian a lot, delivering meals to order, helping replenish water, finding resources and so on.

Midnight quiet Lin Qian sitting at the hibachi grill with both hands out to warm. The window showed the night sky was inky dark, and all was silent, with only the photocopier, emitting a low hum. But large office was even quieter.

But after a while someone was coming.

He was quite loud, carrying a heavy bag in his hand, coldly pus.h.i.+ng open the door and walking up to her: “How have you not gone back ah?”

Lin Qian smiled at him: “Soon.”

He handed her a bag: four sweet potatoes, are not large in size, but chubby.

“I’d gone back to our hometown so I got them, they’re very sweet. You’re hungry, huh? Toast them! Bury them on the edge of the fire, they’ll soon be done. ”

Lin Qian was pleasantly surprised, she was really hungry, she thanked him profusely. With a loud, good-natured laugh, he turned and walked away.

——

Li Zhicheng just went through the office door, and smelled a rich scent.

Turning around, he saw his loud subordinate squatting in the security room, stuffing his mouth with roasted sweet potatoes.

Li Zhicheng pulled the door walked in and the loud subordinate sprung up, stuffing the remaining sweet potato into his mouth: “Battalion Commander… Oh no, Manager!”

Li Zhicheng nodded, saying no more, and sat down beside him, picked up a sweet potato out of the charcoal.

He was quickly done with one.

Li Zhicheng raised his head to look at Gao Lang. Gao Lang didn’t understand, he stared back at him wide-eyed.

Li Zhicheng: “Are there any more?”

Gao Lang laughed: “The rest I gave to Lin Qian.”

Li Zhicheng looked up at the lights on the second floor: “She didn’t go?”

“Still working overtime.  Such a hardworking young girl. Manager, do you think, we’re pretty stingy. The boss of this company would be pretty exploitative. ”

——

Lin Qian was bored as she waited for the printer, took out a book from the package.

Half way through, the sweet smell of roasted sweet potatoes kept growing in the air.

How good, right? She thought, eyes glued to a book, when a hand appeared, pa.s.sing over a plump sweet potato into her hands, and Lin Qiao belatedly felt how hot it was.

“Ouch!” She dropped sweet potatoes, instantly wrinkling her brow up and flung her hand in the air with all her might.

s.h.i.+t it was hot!

The crispy sweet potato roll, roll, rolled to the feet of a person at the door. And was then picked up by a slender hand.

Lin Qian looked.

He was dressed in black clothing like he was a ninja, the contrasting even further with his pale and clear appearance. Like a slender bamboo tree, he quietly stood there there.

“Li Zhicheng? What are you doing here?”

Li Zhicheng glanced at her, eyes stopping on her hot red finger, then expressionlessly walked to her side and put the sweet potatoes on the table.

“Taking a doc.u.ment to Gu Zong.” He replied.

In fact, he’d reminded himself to read several files, asked Gu Yanzhi and said that the offices should not have anyone in at this hour, and took the keys to come himself.

Lin Qian glanced at the badge hanging around his neck, it really gave him access to the building. Then she nodded and was about to ask him for the specific file content, but as soon as she moved her hand, it hurt again!

“I have to go hold this under some water.” She stood up.

At this point it was close to dawn, and there was a faint wind, from the distant woods came gurgles; the buildings’s lights are mostly turned off, it was pitch black out. The corridor seemed to be a deep black hole.

Lin Qian who was energetically walking out took one look outside and stopped, terrified.

She looked over to the Li Zhicheng.

He stood still, quiet and calm.

“You should go with me.” Lin Qian stood quietly and said.

He looked at her silently.

Lin Qian’s reason, of course, was very good “Although you’ve been sent to get the files, there’s a lot of confidential information, I can’t let you stay here. Come walk with me.”

Li Zhicheng glanced at her, then turned around and walk out of the Office. Lin Qian went out at once.

——

At the end of the corridor was a row of sinks.

Li Zhicheng opened the overhead lamp, warm yellow light shone on the smooth surface of the pond. With his hands in his trouser pockets he stood next to her.

Very satisfied, Lin Qian screwed open the tap, and as the jet of water streamed down, she put the finger out.

“Si——” she hissed.

So freezing.

No heat in the South, the winter water temperature in the pipes is really no different to ice. Lin Qian after putting her finger out for just a moment felt overwhelmed, and retracted her hand, turning off the tap: “It’s too cold, all right, I’ll go back and put on some toothpaste.”

“Continue to rinse.” A deep and powerful voice said resolutely in her ear, “for at least five minutes.”

Lin Qian, slanted her eyes glanced at him in the eye.

Still expressionless and handsome, he stood like a sculpture in the light. Perhaps because of his commanding tone, his brow seems to have become a bit fierce.

OK seriously … …

Lin Qian did not utter a word, looking down at the watch, and put her finger out into the cold water again, toughing it out.

Li Zhicheng eyes, without batting an eyelash, moved from her gently furrowed brows to her burnt fingers. The clear water flashed, over the girl’s fair and slender fingers, the burnt parts as red as if they’d been dyed.

Li Zhicheng took one look, then looked away, into the vast park far away.

Five minutes later.

Lin Qian who had been glancing at her watch constantly, immediately reached out and turned off the tap, not one second more, not one second less.

She looked down at her fingers, then raised them to show him, with a very sweet smile on her face at the same time: “Thank you so much! It was really very useful. ”

He caught a glimpse of her, then looking indifferent, nodded.

Lin Qian said: “You see, totally frozen, do not feel pain.” Saying this she smiled very sweetly, and before he responded, she then turned and went to the Office.

Li Zhicheng on one side stood and watched her as she walked back,  and on one side secretly recalled the sight of her lifting her bent finger. After a moment of silence, the grave and stern appearance at the end nevertheless was suffused with a faint smiling expression. Without haste or sluggishness he entered back in.

——

Back in the Office, prudent Lin Qian still gave a midnight phone call to Gu Yanzhi: “Gu Zong, sorry to interrupt. I’m at the Office, Li Zhicheng Manager is here and wants to take several papers to you to confirm them. ”

Boss Gu Yanzhi sounded not only like he was sleepy, but also a bit puzzled, and Lin Qian felt like he had a smiling expression: “Li Zhicheng … … Manager? Yeah, I asked for it, give it to him. ”

Lin Qian took out a few doc.u.ments, then, standing beside Li Zhicheng, said: “The brochure is printing, wait a few minutes, after all my inventory is done I’ll give you a copy. Please take a seat.”

Li Zhicheng did not utter a word, sat down across from her.

It was still empty inside the room, the two people sat face to face for some time, then Lin Qian said: “We can eat the sweet potatoes.”

Li Zhicheng raised his eyes look in her eye with his deeply coloured eyes. Lin Qian thought that he doesn’t want to eat, just wanted to say that she wanted to eat, then heard his low voice, “Ah.”

Lin Qian had only hurt one finger, if she used both hands she could peel the sweet potato on her own. She managed to hold and peel the sweet potato with much difficulty, and she had barely finished when she looked up to see that Li Zhicheng was already eating his.

Two people sat in front of the hibachi, he was the tall shape, with his big hand holding a sweet potato, and seemed to be chewing thoughtfully. The image he gave was of a tiger holding something in his claw. He seemed to be cool and stern, yet cultured and gentle.

Lin Qian finally thought and moved to make friends with him, but she knew that while curious, it was no good asking him why he left the army and came to the company. So she just like casually asked: “You settled in to the new job?”

He stilled for a moment, then, voice calm, said: “So so.”

Lin Qian nodded, not asking any more questions.

After she quickly ate one, Lin Qian was full. He also stopped eating, so he said: “I’m not eating anymore, I’m full, you take care of the rest.”

The matter of the remaining two sweet potatoes was solved.

After all the doc.u.mentation was completed, Lin Qian let out a yawn, and then brought him the brochures: “Ok, it’s done ”

Use one hand to hold the stack of doc.u.ments he still stood motionless, his eyes upon her.

Lin Qian blinked: “Something the matter?”

“I have burn ointment.” Came the reply, in a cool and slightly indifferent voice.

[1] He uses the idiom瓮中捉鳖 (wèngzhōngzhuōbiē) lit. to catch a turtle in a jar. Meaning, to set oneself an easy target, or to set up a turkey shoot (turkey shoot, in turn, is a situation, typically in a war, in which one side has an overwhelming advantage). His military roots are showing *cough*