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墨書 Inktalez
Since the shocking "Coffee Baptism" incident, I have diligently followed the instructions of the Sun Manager to "avoid at all costs." Wherever Shen Zhi Zhou might appear, I would dodge if I could, and evade if possible. Even the delivery task to C Building was handed off to my colleague Xiao Li, for which I treated him to several cups of milk tea.
Life seemed to return to normal, except for the occasional heartache when I checked my bank balance at the end of the month and the involuntary shudder whenever I heard the name "President Shen" mentioned in my colleagues' gossip.
"Hey, have you heard? The President Shen's office seems to be discussing a collaboration project with us, planning to open a flagship store of ‘Tang Cube’ in their newly built Art Center!"
"Is that true? That sounds like a big deal!"
"Absolutely! But I heard President Shen has very high standards; they've revised the design proposal several times. Our Sun Manager is under a lot of pressure lately."
I listened quietly, praying that this project wouldn't involve someone like me, a low-level employee.
However, what I feared came true. That afternoon, I was squatting in the warehouse counting freshly arrived imported strawberries, carefully checking each one to avoid any bruises that might affect their appearance. The warehouse felt a bit stuffy, and beads of sweat formed on my forehead.
“Lin Xiaoran, come out for a moment!” The voice of Sun Manager rang out from outside.
I responded and brushed off the dust from my hands before stepping outside. To my shock, standing next to Sun Manager was none other than… Shen Zhi Zhou!
I was momentarily stunned. How could he be here? Our little back kitchen warehouse felt completely out of place compared to his upscale office!
Today, Shen Zhi Zhou was dressed casually in a high-quality Black T-shirt and Khaki Pants, but his cold and aloof aura remained unchanged. He glanced over me with a detached expression, his eyes briefly lingering on my sweaty forehead and flushed cheeks—probably from the heat, or perhaps from fear—his brow seemed to raise slightly.
“President Shen,” Sun Manager said with a smile plastered on his face, “this is the person I mentioned to you—the one who maintains the strictest quality control over our ingredients, Lin Xiaoran, especially skilled in developing Fruit Desserts.”
Shen Zhi Zhou’s gaze returned to me, carrying an evaluative quality.
I thought to myself: Is the manager praising me or throwing me under the bus? Why mention "strict"? What if he remembers that cup of coffee I “strictly” spilled?!
I straightened up nervously, trying to appear more professional while forcing out a smile that looked more like a grimace. “S-Sir… President Shen, hello.”
He didn’t respond verbally but merely nodded slightly before addressing Sun Manager: “For the new store's menu development, I need to communicate directly with the person in charge. Especially for the Fruit Series, I want to ensure that quality and creativity align with the positioning of the Art Center.”
Sun Manager immediately understood: “No problem! Xiaoran, starting today, you’ll be responsible for the new store’s Fruit Dessert Series! You need to fully cooperate with President Shen’s requirements!”
I thought: “Wait, what?!”
My eyes widened as I stared at Sun Manager, silently pleading: Manager! Didn’t we agree to avoid him? Why are we charging straight into this?!
Sun Manager gave me an encouraging look as if saying "You got this!" before making an excuse and slipping away, leaving me alone with Shen Zhi Zhou, staring at each other in disbelief.
The air fell into an awkward silence once again. I lowered my head, staring at my toes, feeling his oppressive gaze still fixed on me.
"Look up," he suddenly said.
I jerked my head up as if a switch had been flipped.
"Where are the strawberries?" he asked.
"Ah? Oh... they're inside..." I quickly turned around and pointed to the storage room. "They just arrived, very fresh. I'm checking them."
He strode forward with long strides and actually walked into the small, cramped storage room. I hurried in after him.
The room was filled with various materials, and the light was dim. He seemed indifferent to the surroundings, walking straight to a few boxes of strawberries. He bent down, picked one up, examined it closely, and even sniffed it.
He was so close that I could almost feel his breath brushing against my ear. The space was tight between us, and the air was filled with the sweet scent of strawberries mingled with his unique cold aura.
My heart raced uncontrollably. What was this? A work exchange? Or some twisted fate of "Yin Hun Bu San"?
He set the strawberry down and turned to look at me, his deep-set eyes appearing even darker in the dim light.
"The quality is acceptable," he commented flatly. "Tomorrow at two in the afternoon, bring your preliminary plan and samples to my office."
With that, he turned and left the storage room, leaving me alone to stare blankly at a pile of strawberries.
He... just walked away like that? Didn’t mention coffee again? Didn’t mock me further?
Instead... he directly assigned me a task? And wanted to "communicate directly"?
Oh heavens, was this a reprieve or had he just dug a deeper pit for me? Working with an iceberg, my future looked "bright"!
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