Chapter 21: On the Defensive

Although this morning’s check-in was merely an initial encounter, it made Li Xiuyuan realize the complexity of the county government office; it was completely incomparable to the rural unit where he had worked in his previous life.

Director Pang Zhifeng went without saying—he was the department head, and there were no issues with his attitude. However, Qu Hui, the section chief of the General Affairs Division, clearly had an issue with him. The problem was that Li Xiuyuan had no idea where this grievance came from, yet he had been assigned specifically to the General Affairs Division. To a certain extent, Qu Hui was his direct superior. If a direct superior wanted to make things difficult for a subordinate, even a veteran employee couldn't withstand it, let alone a newcomer. After all, the higher-ranking official always holds the power.

Therefore, the issue with Qu Hui had to be resolved. But since he didn't even know why Qu was targeting him, his first step had to be finding the cause to prescribe the right remedy. Unfortunately, having just arrived, he was completely in the dark.

The colleagues in the General Affairs Division also didn't look like people to be trifled with: the seemingly normal Wang Zhitao, the aloof Li Boyang, the "good old guy" Old Zhu, and the incredibly enthusiastic Huang Wei. Who was a friend and who was a foe? It was hard to say what was on everyone's mind. As for the women, there was the kind-hearted Sister Zhang, the alluring and charming young Mrs. Yang, and the girl who accompanied the leaders on rural research trips, who had started at the same time as Wang Zhitao.

Who were these people really? Whose side were they on? Who was close with whom, and who held grudges? These were all unknowns. Ideally, he would have had the chance to observe and familiarize himself with the situation slowly, but by offending his direct superior, Qu Hui, on the very first day, he had been put in a very passive position. He simply didn't have the luxury of time for slow observation.

As Li Xiuyuan was feeling a headache coming on, Li Boyang suddenly stood up. "Twelve o'clock. Time to head off. Let’s go to the cafeteria."

"Brother Li, the leaders haven't gone yet," Wang Zhitao whispered a reminder. Their office door was open, and if Section Chief Qu passed by on his way to lunch, they would see him. Since Section Chief Qu hadn't moved yet, it was clearly inappropriate to head to lunch more eagerly than the leadership.

"Since when is eating lunch so complicated?" Li Boyang snorted with disdain. Li Xiuyuan had been observing the reactions of everyone in the office when Li Boyang suddenly turned to look at him. "Hey, you—Li Xiuyuan, right? Are you coming to eat?"

In an instant, everyone in the office turned their eyes toward Li Xiuyuan. Some wore half-smiles, waiting to see what the newcomer would choose.

Li Xiuyuan didn't make them wait long. He stood up immediately, his face blooming with a bright and innocent smile. "Sure, Brother Li. I'm still new and unfamiliar with everything. Section Chief Qu also told me to learn more from you. Since one is only as strong as the food one eats, I’ll head to the cafeteria with you to get my bearings."

Li Xiuyuan’s reasoning was perfectly sufficient. Being a newcomer, there was no major issue with him following Li Boyang, even if they left before the leaders; newcomers always had a bit of leeway—even if that privilege was small. But it was there. Of course, if he could have avoided it, Li Xiuyuan wouldn't have chosen this path, but the key was that he had already offended his direct superior, Qu Hui. If he also rejected Li Boyang in the office, he would have offended him as well, making things even harder. In extraordinary times, one must use extraordinary measures. That was why Li Xiuyuan had decisively chosen to side with Li Boyang.

His words were reasonable and well-founded; as a newcomer, no one could find fault with him. Li Boyang’s gaze softened slightly. But it didn't end there; Li Xiuyuan turned to Wang Zhitao. "Brother Wang, come with us. This morning, when you helped me activate my meal card at the cafeteria, you mentioned that they were serving braised pork today—I could smell it! If you go late, you’ll miss out."

Wang Zhitao had originally intended to refuse, but upon hearing the mention of braised pork, he couldn't help but swallow. Young people had fast metabolisms, and after working all morning, he was genuinely hungry. He stood up as well. "Fine, let's go eat."

Li Boyang, Wang Zhitao, and Li Xiuyuan headed to the cafeteria. In the office, Old Zhu began tidying his things at a leisurely pace, preparing to head to the cafeteria as well. Beside him, the charming young Mrs. Yang smiled and sighed, "That new little brother is not simple."

Old Zhu didn't reply, but in his heart, he agreed. Li Xiuyuan looked innocent on the surface, but his words had real substance. How good someone was at speaking and acting didn't require much time to gauge; one could tell just by hearing a sentence or two. The enthusiastic Sister Zhang smiled and said, "Little Yang, don't talk nonsense. He's a good young man. Our General Affairs Division needs fresh blood like this."

Li Xiuyuan was unaware of the conversation in the office, but on the way to the cafeteria, he began probing into Li Boyang’s situation. "Brother Li, Section Chief Qu said you were experienced and capable..."

"Heh." Before Li Xiuyuan could finish, Li Boyang let out a cold laugh. "Section Chief Qu said that?"

"Yes," Li Xiuyuan nodded firmly, pulling Wang Zhitao in. "Brother Wang, you were there too, weren't you? Section Chief Qu definitely said that, right?" Wang Zhitao nodded.

Li Xiuyuan looked at Li Boyang with anticipation. After weighing his options, he had decided to use Li Boyang as a breakthrough, primarily because he sensed that Li Boyang harbored resentment. If he didn't, he wouldn't have been the first to stand up and head to the cafeteria without waiting for the leaders. Generally, a person like that was either a fool or someone who simply didn't care. A fool wouldn't survive in the county government office, so it had to be the latter.

When mentioning the leaders, Li Boyang was indifferent and full of resentment. Li Xiuyuan could guess the situation seven or eight parts out of ten: he had been fed too many empty promises, was full of grievances, had no hope for promotion, and had simply given up. In plain terms, he was venting. Li Xiuyuan had experienced this stage in his previous life and understood this state of mind perfectly. Such a person only needed a spark to be ignited.

However, Li Boyang’s level of restraint exceeded Li Xiuyuan’s expectations. Even after Li Xiuyuan pushed the conversation to this point, Li Boyang remained silent. Li Xiuyuan understood that someone who could survive in the county government office would still have their guard up.

Consequently, on the way to the cafeteria, Li Xiuyuan deliberately brought up topics like which small restaurants in town had the best food. Even after they were served their meals and were chatting while eating, Li Xiuyuan kept steering the conversation toward food. When the timing felt right, he looked at Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang. "Brother Wang, Brother Li, I know a little place in the county that serves excellent dishes. How about we go try it tonight? My treat. I’ve just started working, and I’m sure I’ll be troubling you two brothers quite a bit in the future."

"You’re being too polite, there's no need—"

"Oh, come on, give me this face, you two brothers. Just a meal to show my sincerity. If you refuse, you're looking down on me."