16

Zhang Xinjie didn't have time to think deeply about the White Rabbit candy. Chen Ning had only been gone a short while when he received a call from the brand department saying that a new batch of team uniforms was ready and they could come and pick them up.

The esports industry experiences significant personnel turnover every year, and Tyranny is no exception. This year, the second team and the selection team together have nearly 20 new members.

However, it was just one girl who was deeply immersed in the moment.

Zhang Xinjie notified the leaders of the second team and the training camp to collect them, while he went to get the team's supplies.

Three summer outfits, two autumn outfits, plus a scarf and wristbands. They weren't particularly heavy, but they still had some weight to them.

When he entered the office carrying a box, the guys in the training room next door all craned their necks to look at him with curiosity.

"What is this?" Shen Ning was also stunned and quickly got up to take it, but Zhang Xinjie avoided her.

Zhang Xinjie placed it on the empty table next to him and said calmly, "Your team uniform has arrived."

"Team uniforms?!"

His surprise was palpable in his calm tone. Without saying a word, he immediately opened the box, took out the red and black clothes, examined them from both sides, and touched the comfortable cotton in his hands, unable to put them down.

She laughed happily, her voice filled with joy: "I finally have a team uniform! Thank you for making the trip, it's so heavy."

"It's nothing, I'll try it on when I get back, and if it doesn't fit, I'll exchange it."

"How about I change into them now? Then we can wear the same team uniform."

"Wait until the water has receded before wearing them."

Chen Ning nodded with a smile, her eyes never leaving her clothes. She put down her short-sleeved shirt, then looked at her skirt and pants, then put on her coat, scarf, and wristbands.

Through the glass window, her friends gave her thumbs up one by one, and some even took out their phones to take pictures, mouthing "I'll send you this," while Chen Ning nodded frantically on the other side of the glass.

From White Rabbit candy to the current team uniform, Zhang Xinjie had never seen Shen Ning so happy, especially since this unrestrained joy was only because of such trivial things.

Even he was somewhat dazed, as if that piece of candy and that outfit were the keys to unlocking happiness.

He couldn't help but ask curiously, "Are you that happy?"

Shen Ning then turned her gaze to him: "Yes."

"Given your upbringing, this outfit and the milk candy should be considered quite ordinary."

"If we're talking about price, then yes, but the meaning is different."

As she spoke, she unfolded the clothes she was holding.

"Actually, whether I have this outfit or not, I can still do my job as usual, it won't make any difference. Similarly, I can live a perfectly good life without that piece of candy, it won't even make a ripple."

“These recognitions and kindnesses are not necessary for me, but price does not equal value. They are precious, and when I cherish them, I feel that I love the world more.”

These words were spoken very softly and calmly, without any dramatic twists or emotional appeals, just like a bird flying normally across the sky.

The bird flew away, but left a mark on the hearts of those who saw it.

In Zhang Xinjie's eyes, this moment of composure brought him an indestructible sense of power in the calm narration. That sense of power was also wrapped in a soft, transparent, inexplicable object, which made that perseverance a little warmer and gentler.

But what exactly is that "mysterious object"?

During his lunch break, he reread Kant's philosophy. After putting the book down and resting with his eyes closed, he gradually realized that the "mysterious object" was her empathy.

A person in a different environment, in a different position, and with different power and wealth strives to have empathy for others and for things.

It allows someone who is high above others to understand the joys and sorrows of ordinary people, and also protects her from the influence of sharp and harsh emotions.

It also made Shen Ning shine; in the darkness, only her figure remained, her entire aura and confident smile becoming increasingly clear before his eyes…

Zhang Xinjie suddenly opened his eyes.

He realized that he had been thinking about a girl while he was half-awake and half-asleep.

The air conditioning was on in the dormitory, but I still felt a bit hot.

Zhang Xinjie immediately got up, washed his face, and then draped a cold towel over his neck for a moment.

After calming down, I put on my glasses, tidied my appearance in front of the mirror, and walked towards the office building as usual to begin the afternoon training.

The speed of their hands did not slow down, the tactical strategy was well-organized, and they tested it again and again. Their notes recorded the time taken, casualties, and effects.

It seems that he was not disturbed by the sudden, romantic thought that came over him at noon.

But he knew that he had looked at Chen Ning three times that afternoon.

One time was during a break after the first round of tactical practice, another was when she went to get water, and the last time was when a male colleague from the technical department brought her some documents.

Shen Ning, who was focused on his own thing on the other side of the glass wall, did not notice his brief, small movements.

But Zhang Xinjie still felt a little guilty for offending her.

After training ended at five o'clock and the debriefing was completed, he returned to his office and saw Shen Ning coming over with documents. He didn't even know that after being in a daze for so long, he was still able to maintain a normal state and talk to Shen Ning.

"Captain, Vice Captain, this is a support request from the sales team. They want to hold a press conference and hope that one of you can attend and support them."

As Han Wenqing took the documents, he asked, "What press conference?"

"It's conceptual; they want to create a new ecosystem model for the esports industry, but there are no application cases yet. They just want to promote it through this press conference."

"Does it sound like you don't quite agree?" Zhang Xinjie asked.

Having learned from the previous planning proposal, Chen Ning replied, "I'll learn from my mistakes. I don't concern myself with the affairs of other departments."

"Just tell us your opinion; how they handle it is their business."

Shen Ning looked at Zhang Xinjie and smiled: "Don't deduct my performance bonus if I say something wrong."

Zhang Xinjie was momentarily stunned by that smile, and was about to say something when Han Wenqing spoke first: "When have you ever had your pay docked for this?"

Shen Ning raised an eyebrow and then shared her opinion: "Looking at the agenda of the press conference, there was nothing substantial. It was all speeches by leaders or guests. Even the introduction of the new model was in the form of a 10-minute speech by a leader. What could they possibly say?"

Pointing to the leaders and guests attending the meeting, she continued to elaborate on her point of view: "They come to the meeting as if their purpose is just to show their support, but since we spent more than 700,000 yuan to hold this meeting, why not add some more valuable content? If we hold a meeting that is all the same, the leaders below will find it boring, the downstream attendees will feel that there is no sense of scene or practicality, and we ourselves will be very tired by mobilizing a lot of manpower and resources. In the end, who is happy?"

Shen Ning paused here, then said, "Only General Manager Wu is happy because he has met so many leaders again."

Han Wenqing scoffed and slammed the proposal on the table: "You really dare to say that."

"I just wanted to chat with you guys, what do you think?"

“You’re right, this kind of meeting is indeed meaningless.” Zhang Xinjie had already recovered from his momentary daze and calmly continued his thoughtful analysis, “We could wait until there’s a successful case study before releasing it, which would make it easier for potential customers to have a feel for it. Or we could add a scenario-based experience to the presentation process, find a starting point, and fundamentally change the perceptions of the leaders and guests.”

After listening to Zhang Xinjie's words, Shen Ning's thinking suddenly became much clearer: "That's right. Instead of letting the leaders just stand around doing nothing, why not overturn their perceptions and make them admire our ideas and products, so they know that we are unique? If they think it's valuable, they will naturally help promote it. Isn't that better than traditional advertising?"

Zhang Xinjie nodded: "Yes, if it can achieve the goal of gaining people's respect in terms of cognition, then spending more money is worthwhile; otherwise, even spending a penny is a waste."

Han Wenqing watched the two discussing animatedly without interrupting. After a few minutes of contemplation, he realized that he had been enjoying his conversation with Zhang Xinjie while leaving the captain out in the cold.

Shen Ning then brought the topic back: "We've gone off on a tangent. Captain, are you and the vice-captain going?"

Han Wenqing said, "I'll go. Xin Jie will focus on tactical adjustments."

"Okay, then I'll reply to sales."

"How's it going? All done?"

Bai Yanfei's voice suddenly came from the doorway. The three of them turned around and found that everyone was waiting in the corridor.

Then Bai Yanfei laughed and continued, "Shall we set off now that it's about time?"

Shen Ning glanced at his watch; it was already past 5:30, and it was almost time for the dinner party.

She said, "I still have some things to finish up here. You guys go ahead and I'll come find you when I'm done. I've already sent the private room information to the group chat. Just give me your phone number when you get there."

"How much longer do you have?" Han Wenqing asked.

"It should be done in half an hour."

Qin Muyun asked, "But that place is a bit far, are you driving?"

"I'm scanning bikes."

"...Will there still be a car when you leave?"

"Why don't we just take a taxi?"

It's a bit unfair for a group of grown men to go out and eat and drink while the women work overtime on their own, and then have to figure out how to get there on their own afterward.

Without hesitation, Zhang Xinjie said, "Then I'll wait for her. I can organize the debriefing records. Captain, you go first. I'll drive Chen Ning along."

Han Wenqing glanced at the two of them, nodded in approval of the plan, gave them a few instructions, and then set off. Han Wenqing went to pick up Xu Xinnuan first, while the others went directly to the restaurant.

With someone waiting, Chen Ning focused even more intently, trying to maximize her work efficiency.

Fortunately, the final tasks were mostly basic communication and coordination, with no need for written documentation.

I checked off each item on the work list one by one, and by the time I finished the last one, it was already past six o'clock. The guys in the group chat were sharing menus and pictures, and in just over half an hour, a third of the dishes had already been served.

Shen Ning slid her chair to the glass, tapped on it a few times to attract Zhang Xinjie's attention in the next office, and then smiled and made an "OK" gesture.

Zhang Xinjie nodded in understanding, closed his notebook, got up and came out to wait, his actions quick and efficient.

Chen Ning was busier, her brain and hands working rapidly as she organized the various materials on the table while constantly thinking about whether she had forgotten anything.

Just as she finished everything and stood up with her bag, Chen Ning suddenly felt dizzy and everything went black before her eyes.

……here we go again.

Shen Ning braced himself on the table with one hand, standing still without closing his eyes or showing any discomfort. He tried his best to appear natural, as if he had simply stood up and forgotten something while thinking.

But it still didn't escape Zhang Xinjie's eyes.

Zhang Xinjie, who was standing at the door, strode over to her and reached out to support Chen Ning's elbow to prevent her from falling.

The touch of her arm gave her a great sense of security while she was immersed in darkness. She waited quietly for the brief yet long four or five seconds until the darkness in front of her gradually faded away, her vision slowly returned to normal, and her head recovered from the dizziness.

She stepped back, freeing herself from Zhang Xinjie's support: "It's nothing, I just got up too fast."

Zhang Xinjie naturally withdrew his arm: "Sit down for a while."

"It's really nothing, look, things are fine now."

“Even if you get up quickly while sitting, you shouldn’t be this dizzy. It’s not like you’re squatting and standing up.” Zhang Xinjie clearly didn’t believe Shen Ning’s explanation. “Has this happened before?”

"...Occasionally."

"Low blood pressure? Neck problems? Or anemia? You should have had a pre-employment medical examination."

Shen Ning didn't really want a small problem to become public knowledge: "It's really nothing serious."

"What exactly happened?"

"...He's just a little anemic."

"Have you gone to the hospital for a checkup? Is it iron-deficiency anemia? Or a blood loss problem?"

"...You know how to treat illnesses?"

"That's common sense."

Chen Ning gave up resisting under Zhang Xinjie's direct gaze, her tone becoming reluctant: "The indicators aren't that low, and I don't feel any other discomfort, so I haven't been to the hospital."

"I'll go see a hematologist tomorrow morning; the hospital is right next door."

"……good."

"If you need to take leave, just let me know and I'll approve it for you."

"..."

"Are you alright? Can I go?"

"You're even more nagging than my parents."

Unable to bear it any longer, Shen Ning reached out and gently pushed Zhang Xinjie's arm toward the door: "Hurry up, the captain is probably here to pick up the people."

Zhang Xinjie passively followed Shen Ning out, swallowing back the words he hadn't finished saying. The push made him tense up.

He suddenly stopped and unconsciously pushed up his glasses, as if hoping to regain his usual composure through these small gestures.

However, this deliberate attempt to correct deviations is not his usual style.

"What happened? Did you leave something behind?"

Faced with Shen Ning's question, Zhang Xinjie showed no sign of distress, simply saying, "It's nothing, let's go," and then calmly left as if he were leaving get off work normally.

As always, he was rational, rigorous, composed, and upright.

But he knew that his mind was in turmoil.

That feeling of awfulness that accumulates throughout the day—unexpected, out of control, unfamiliar…

That's terrible.