Era of Mist

At 3:55 PM, Shi Tiexin arrived at the Meat Processing Plant right on time.

"Ah, you’re here! Come on in." From a distance, Old Wei was actually smiling and waving at Shi Tiexin. "Don’t rush, don’t rush. It’s just a shift change. A little early or a little late doesn’t matter. Let Xiaoli stay on a bit longer. You come have a drink of water and catch your breath first!"

"Thank you, Director Wei, but the company has its rules. I should go take over the shift first."

Shi Tiexin remained perfectly courteous.

’I have to hide my fangs for now. The closer I get to success, the more cautious I must be. I can’t afford a single misstep. Besides, Old Wei is acting so abnormally today, telling me to slow down and get a drink of water... He’s definitely laid a trap!’

’That wicked old man is rotten to the core. He probably found out Zhong Qinghuan’s schedule in advance, knowing he’d be coming to inspect the post today. Then he’d deliberately make me late so I’d get caught! When Zhong Qinghuan comes down on me, Old Wei definitely won’t be the one to take the fall. I’ll be the one losing money and my job.’

’Right, and there’s also Liu Qigang, who’s always wanted to fire me. This whole thing was probably his idea, looking for a legitimate excuse to kick me out.’

’It’s all a setup!’

’Bastards. You’re all a bunch of bastards. Son of a bitch. Just wait until I make it big—not a single one of you will get away! I’m going to get a little notebook and write all this down. In the future, I’ll use that notebook to settle the score with you, one by one!’

Shi Tiexin sprinted toward Plant No. 2.

"What’s the hurry? Don’t wear yourself out—!" From a distance, Old Wei was still waving from behind.

’Pah! Disgusting. It’s so deliberate. That old bastard definitely has it in for me!’

’But what kind of trap did Liu Qigang dig? What exactly is waiting for me at Plant No. 2? Liu Qigang’s skill in manipulation is profound; I absolutely cannot underestimate him. There might be something completely unexpected...’

CREAK. Shi Tiexin cautiously pulled open the main door, and when he looked up, he really did see something completely unexpected.

"Yo! Brother Shi, you’re here!"

Si Chongtian’s face was beaming like the sun. He bounded over like a cheerful, tail-wagging puppy. "Brother Shi! Brother Shi! I applied for a post transfer. From now on, I’ll be on the same post as you!"

"You?" Shi Tiexin said, surprised. "Did you take Xiaoli’s post?"

"No, no, how could I steal someone’s job?" Si Chongtian gave a thumbs-up, looking as if he were being very considerate. "They just added another position to your shift. Brother Li will still work his shifts as usual. It’s just that I’ll be on duty with you from now on. Our shift is a two-man post now!"

Shi Tiexin was instantly filled with a sense of solemn respect.

’So, in other words, you’re just letting Xiaoli continue to suffer alone while you run over here to screw around with me? And you can say something so full of shit with such a righteous expression. Truly amazing!’

Look at this guy, standing on the guard platform, looking this way and that, touching this and that, curious about everything. Even the smell, which Shi Tiexin himself found unbearable, this kid grabbed a handful of air and sniffed it carefully before his nose.

Watching his nose twitch, he was just like a Little Dog.

’Speaking of which, how could Liu Qigang have agreed to this?’

’But facts speak louder than words, so Liu Qigang must have approved it. Heh, thinking about President Liu’s style, he probably wants me to be a reference point for this Little Dog. He probably wants him to see how miserable I am to motivate him in reverse.’

’Just like the study companions for young masters in the old days.’

’But whatever. Who cares.’

’There have been plenty of study companions, and their quality varies. If I can’t manage to twist this young master into an idiot, that just proves I’m not skilled enough. It doesn’t mean the post of study companion itself is useless.’

’Besides, with this Gou Danzi around—uh, how did Eldest Young Master Si unconsciously become Gou Danzi in my mind? No, no, I have to correct that, or I might blurt it out one day.’

’Mm.’

’I’ll just call him Eldest Young Master!’

Going from a one-man to a two-man post, the job was suddenly completely different. Especially with this Eldest Young Master, who was not only an active person but also a bit of a chatterbox.

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi, what do you think this smell is?"

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi, what can this security scanner detect? What’s the principle behind it?"

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi, is life in the Orphanage tough? Are there any pretty girls there?"

"Brother Shi, Brother Shi, why aren’t you talking? It’s so boring when you’re quiet. Let’s chat!"

HISS... WHOOSH... Shi Tiexin took a deep breath, fighting the urge to facepalm. He stood ramrod straight, perfectly still. His lips barely moved, his mouth just a slightly open slit.

But his voice was quite clear when he spoke.

"You can chat, but I can’t. The moment I start making small talk with you, the camera opposite us will record it, and I’ll be fined and fired." Shi Tiexin lifted his chin slightly, indicating the camera aimed directly at them. "I need this job to pay off my debts. I can’t chat with you."

"Oh, is that so? Then wait a moment." Si Chongtian nodded in understanding, then turned, pushed open the door, and walked out of the workshop. It was impossible to know what he was up to, a complete disregard for work discipline.

Five minutes later, the workshop’s main door opened—that’s right, not the side door employees usually used, but the large cargo door! With a loud RATTLE, several people walked in, carrying a lot of things with them.

"Right, right, put it here, put it here!" Si Chongtian directed them like a foreman supervising a renovation. "Yes, a little gentler, put them all down properly. Good, done, that’s it~~"

The men seemed to be quite skilled in martial arts; they moved with incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, they set down tables, set up chairs, and arranged a sofa. Someone even dismantled the steel railings of the security post, instantly transforming the cramped little space into a comfortable open area.

"Thanks, fellas!" Si Chongtian waved goodbye to the workers, then turned his head to see a wide-eyed Shi Tiexin.

"Brother Shi, I gave Old Zhong a call. Security guards should have human rights, too, right? Since no one is coming in or going out right now, why should we have to suffer through it? Old Zhong was very reasonable and agreed immediately. So you can relax now, we can chat all we want!"

Shi Tiexin was once again filled with a sense of solemn respect.

Then he raised a hand and pointed at the home furnishings that had been installed with extreme efficiency. "This is..."

"Improving working conditions." Si Chongtian gave a thumbs-up and a wide grin, his eyes sparkling. "This, I think, is how you do security!"

And so, after his moment of solemnity, Shi Tiexin couldn’t help but be filled with respect yet again.

’Not even ten minutes had passed, and now they could chat, they could sit, and the place was even redecorated. Liu Qigang was right. The power these young masters, these upper-class people wield... it’s truly beyond my imagination.’

’Speaking of which, is this another form of stumbling upon a benefactor?’

’No, I didn’t stumble upon him. This ’benefactor’ sniffed me out and came wagging his tail all on his own!’