4 Manual

Zhou Zhuofei turned around and saw Xiao Wang chasing after her, still in his shirt.

Probably in his haste, he hadn’t fastened all the buttons, leaving the collar slightly open, revealing his collarbone and a glimpse of his chest. His Adam’s apple bobbed faintly beneath the collar.

Zhou Zhuofei had no choice but to put on an act again, pretending she hadn’t noticed anything, her gaze fixed calmly on his face. “Is there something else?”

“I couldn’t speak to you earlier. Are you looking for me?” Xiao Wang said, then noticed Zhou Zhuofei’s awkward movement. He glanced down at his shirt and calmly began buttoning it up.

His movements were quick and precise. After fastening the buttons, he adjusted his collar, showing no sign of any fluster.

“I came for the reimbursement form,” Zhou Zhuofei said calmly, presenting the document in her hand. “Not exactly to find you specifically, but I thought if you had time, I’d talk to you about the interns.”

Xiao Wang glanced at his watch and apologized, “I’m afraid I won’t have time today. I have to attend an event with Director Ling shortly.”

“That’s fine. We can talk later. You go ahead,” Zhou Zhuofei said quickly.

After working at the company for several years, Zhou Zhuofei had a certain grasp of the “art of conversation.” Though Xiao Wang’s tone was polite, she certainly couldn’t take it at face value.

“About what happened just now…” Xiao Wang hesitated, pondering how to phrase it. Although they got along well, he still felt uneasy about being caught like that, especially by a junior.

Zhou Zhuofei immediately understood the unspoken message—Xiao Wang was worried she might gossip. She made a zipping motion across her lips. “I didn’t see anything.”

Xiao Wang was in a key position, with many eyes on him. It was only natural for him to be cautious. Zhou Zhuofei didn’t want to cause trouble for either of them.

“Thanks for that,” he said.

Already in character, Zhou Zhuofei feigned confusion and asked, “Thanks? Thanks for what?”

A smile curved Xiao Wang’s lips, his eyes bright with warmth.

He had known Zhou Zhuofei for three years and had seen her grow from a rookie into a skilled professional who handled matters with ease. He felt a mix of emotion but mostly pride at her progress.

“Well, I won’t keep you from your work,” Zhou Zhuofei said, sensing their mutual understanding, and left willingly.

Xiao Wang watched her go until her figure vanished behind the wooden door, then turned back and headed toward the conference room where he had just changed.

An hour earlier, he had been told last-minute to attend a gala with Ling Yu that evening.

He was accustomed to such situations and always kept fresh shirts in the office. He had chosen a vacant room to change, but the door lock malfunctioned, leading to Zhou Zhuofei unexpectedly walking in.

Such minor incidents were nothing new in his secretarial career.

After straightening his tie and putting on his jacket, he checked the doorknob again. Although no problem was found, he decided to report the issue and have the administration department arrange for repairs, just to be safe.

Back in the office, Zhou Zhuofei saw Zhan Zilang staring at the computer screen, seemingly focused, but his constant mouse movements suggested boredom.

She remembered when she first joined the company, she had felt the same way—surrounded by busy colleagues while having nothing to do herself, a strong sense of being out of place.

Zhou Zhuofei was about to approach and ask how he was doing.

Peeking over Zhan Zilang’s shoulder, she was stunned to see him playing Minesweeper on expert mode, and it looked like he’d been at it for quite some time.

This was a bit too brazen.

He was so engrossed he didn’t notice her standing there until she cleared her throat.

Startled, Zhan Zilang quickly pressed a few keys, and the Minesweeper window vanished in a flash.

“You…” Zhou Zhuofei opened her mouth to speak but reconsidered. Did she really need to say anything?

If she offended him, he might complain to someone.

But saying nothing went against her nature. If he was underperforming, why was she the one hesitating?

Zhan Zilang waited anxiously, wondering if he was about to be scolded.

“Zhou Jie?” he whispered.

In those few seconds, Zhou Zhuofei’s mind had swung wildly between professionalism and unemployment.

Finally, she took a deep breath and asked, “How far have you read the employee handbook?”

Zhan Zilang looked guilty and evasive. “The first dozen pages or so.”

“Stop reading the beginning for now. Turn to Chapter Nine,” she instructed, then headed toward Ye Ru’s office.

If she could hand over the decision to someone else, she wouldn’t have to agonize over it.

Zhan Zilang immediately opened the handbook and found Chapter Nine titled “Employee Conduct and Discipline.”

Zhou Zhuofei entered Ye Ru’s office, sat down, and got straight to the point, explaining the situation. She ended with a plaintive note, “Ye Jie, how am I supposed to manage this? Can I even handle it?”

Ye Ru smiled. “Is it really that difficult?”

Zhou Zhuofei nodded honestly, “Yes. I’m afraid to intervene because if they complain, I’ll be the one getting the blame tomorrow.”

“Don’t be afraid. You don’t need to be so timid. Once you’re in administration, you have to follow the rules. Just handle it normally.”

“Okay, I understand.” Ye Ru’s reassurance gave Zhou Zhuofei a sense of relief.

“So, what did you do when you saw him playing games?”

“I told him to read Chapter Nine of the employee handbook first.”

Ye Ru paused, then laughed. “That’s a pretty gentle way to criticize. I thought you wouldn’t dare say anything.”

“I really didn’t want to say, but staying silent felt wrong.”

“No worries,” Ye Ru encouraged her. “You did the right thing. Be bolder—if you follow the rules, you’re in the right. There’s nothing to fear.”

Small companies rely on personal connections, but big companies don’t play that game as much.

Not because relationships don’t matter, but because with factions and overlapping powers, everyone has their own network. The rules are the fairest standard.

“If you’re still uneasy, find a chance to confide in Secretary Xiao. He’ll likely mention it to Director Ling.”

“Secretary Xiao…” Hearing the name, Zhou Zhuofei couldn’t help recalling the earlier incident, her thoughts lagging, so she didn’t reply promptly.

“Hmm? What’s wrong with Secretary Xiao?”

“Nothing,” she quickly coughed to cover herself. “I already went to the top floor earlier. We’ll talk later.”

Ye Ru didn’t notice and shifted the conversation to work matters.

When Zhou Zhuofei returned to the office area, she deliberately passed by Zhan Zilang’s desk and saw the employee handbook open on his screen.

She nodded quietly. Whether or not he truly absorbed it, at least his attitude was promising.

With Ye Ru’s words in mind, her mindset had improved since before.

Before clocking out, Zhou Zhuofei accompanied Zhan Zilang to punch out. He asked to exchange contact information.

She gave it to him but warned, “Don’t contact me about work outside office hours.”

“I have a bad habit—I don’t check my phone after work. So make sure to tell me everything at the company. After hours, good luck finding me.”

“Okay, got it.” Zhan Zilang replied cheerfully, then confidently said, “Zhou Jie, you must like gaming, right?”

“Huh? How do you know?”

“I saw your mug with the Elder Scrolls logo. I’m a fan too.”

That cup had been a gift from Du Yu last year, featuring a classic game symbol not easily recognizable unless you were a genuine player.

“I just play casually,” Zhou Zhuofei said lightly, not eager to discuss it further.

She punched out on the time clock and waved goodbye. “I’m off. Bye~”

Trying to get close to her through gaming wouldn’t work that easily!