Chapter 7 "I consulted a master..."

Ride-hailing apps?

Pei Shuwen sent her a link to a ride-hailing app.

Pei Shuwen also added, "You're welcome."

Thank you so much, thank you and your whole family!!

The dinner was held near Ningcheng University.

It takes forty minutes to drive there, so people without cars can carpool. Lin Chaoyue doesn't have a car either, so Wen Ya helped her find a seat when she was carpooling in the group chat.

Then Lin Chaoyue experienced what it meant to be 'enemies on a narrow road'.

What are you doing in the car?

What brings you here?

"I got on the bus first!"

"Why can't I come!"

Lin Chaoyue, who opened the car door, and Nie Shanshan, who was sitting in the back seat, shouted at almost the same time.

Wen Ya and the other boy looked at each other in disbelief. What a coincidence! They randomly shared seats in the group chat and managed to get Lin Chaoyue and Nie Shanshan together. It seemed like these two were quite destined for each other.

Lin Chaoyue had no desire to have anything to do with this 'shrew,' so she hesitated to get into the car after opening the door.

The driver was getting impatient: "Are we going or not? If we don't leave soon, there will be another traffic jam during rush hour."

"Let's go, it's hard to get a taxi at this time." Wen Ya pulled Lin Chaoyue along as she got into the car, comforting her, "It's okay, I'll sit in the middle."

Lin Chaoyue reluctantly compromised. She figured it would only take a few tens of minutes, and since it was a carpool anyway, she could just listen to music and play on her phone.

Ignoring Nie Shanshan's eye roll, Lin Chaoyue got into the car.

The back seat was fairly spacious, and as the car drove out of the underground parking garage, she leaned against the side and looked out the window.

She hadn't been back to Ningcheng for a long time, and even after returning, she hadn't had a moment's peace. Only now did she have the mood to take a look at the city.

Home is still the most welcoming place. She used to be a regular at that shopping mall in the city center, and she was a VIP at that luxury store in front of it. It's a pity, if only she hadn't become penniless. Lin Chaoyue sighed silently.

Summer days are long and nights are short.

At six o'clock in the evening, it was not yet completely dark in Ningcheng.

The red headlights of the cars stretched out in a continuous line, reflecting the afterglow of the setting sun, and the glass buildings on both sides of the road seemed to be covered with a golden veil.

The driver wasn't going fast, and he deliberately slowed down at the next intersection, so she could see clearly.

But Nie Shanshan is an impatient person.

Seeing the driver's attitude, she said unhappily, "Sir, we're in a hurry, please drive faster."

The driver, however, was quite unhurried at this point. Judging from his accent, he seemed to be a local: "When you should be in a hurry, you're not. I don't dare to drive fast in the city center now. If I accidentally hit some luxury car, my insurance premiums wouldn't even cover the damages."

"Look, another one has passed by."

Lin Chaoyue glanced at it; a fleeting glimpse revealed an Aston Martin, a low-key all-black color scheme, but the silver emblem and elegant design caused the surrounding cars to instinctively slow down. That car looked to be the same model as Pei Shuwen's.

Putting everything else aside, Pei Shuwen has pretty good taste. She's far more sophisticated than Li Cong, that kind of rich kid who only knows how to flaunt his wealth.

It was completely dark when we arrived at the restaurant, but the place we chose was in a shopping district and the surroundings were very bright.

"We're here. There's a Hunan restaurant in the alley; the food is really good." The boy in the front seat knew the way and seemed to be a regular customer.

Nie Shanshan was a bit picky, but after seeing the signboard not far away, she agreed, saying, "This place is alright."

Wen Ya was from another province, so she didn't respond.

Lin Chaoyue is a local, but she attended university in another city in China and isn't very familiar with the business district around Ningbo University.

She looked around after getting out of the car.

The boy in the front seat was named Chen Wei, and he tried to talk to Lin Chaoyue more than once on the bus.

Now we've finally found an opportunity.

Chen Wei: "When it comes to eating, the place we chose is more cost-effective, delicious and cheap. Those other places over there are all flashy but not substantial."

"What?" Lin Chaoyue hadn't paid attention at first, but after Chen Wei said that, she looked in the direction he was pointing.

Across the street was a French restaurant. She remembered there was one on Shengtang Road, and it was quite good; Yao Yao liked it.

She was missing Yao Yao a bit, so she said perfunctorily, "Everyone has their own preferences, and there will always be an audience for a shop wherever it is located."

"Yeah, the target audience is rich people. Just look at all the cars parked outside. Those of us with decent jobs can't afford it."

She wasn't familiar with Chen Wei and didn't speak to him again.

But the car parked across the street looked familiar to her; it seemed to be the Aston Martin she had just seen, with the license plate ending in 36666.

However, I didn't see the car owner on either of the two occasions.

She casually snapped a picture of the French restaurant across the street and sent it to Weng Yao, adding three cute "sticky" emojis and the caption, "I'll treat you to a meal when you come back!"

Yao Yao replied instantly: 【No problem, wait for me to get back! I'm going on stage to perform! [kiss emoji]】

Lin Chaoyue: [Waiting for you! Go for it! [Go for it!]]

Lin Chaoyue thought for a moment, then shamelessly sent Pei Shuwen a close-up picture of the car: "[I ran into a car just like yours. My Mini's taillight is broken and I have to return it next week. Do you want to give me a ride to work soon? [pity].gif [pity].gif]"

Lin Chaoyue's series of actions quickly led Chen Wei, who was watching from the sidelines, to label her as a 'gold digger'.

His expression turned sour.

Unfortunately, there were very few people who could make Lin Chaoyue read her mind, so she didn't pay any attention to them. After seeing Wen Ya pay the fare, she followed her into the restaurant in front.

--

The restaurant was indeed very popular, and it was packed with people.

They booked the largest private room on the second floor, and everyone else had already arrived except for a few of them.

It turns out that the group owner of the "Zhang San, the Outlaw" chat group really is surnamed Zhang, named Zhang Chi. He became a full-time employee after working as an intern at Juntian Liangmu for a year. He is quite familiar with the law firm, and he organized this dinner party.

Zhang Chi is very outgoing. Although he talks a lot, none of his words are offensive, and sometimes they are quite interesting.

He warmly introduced everyone to each other, and then started asking the owner to serve the dishes.

Lin Chaoyue wasn't particularly interested in group meals; she just joined in because everyone else was there. However, she was quite interested in simply eating, and once the dishes were served, she would sit quietly and eat.

But it seemed like this group of people knew what she wanted to hear, and somehow the conversation swirled around Pei Shuwen.

It's still gossip about his love life.

She wouldn't even listen!

If Pei Shuwen really has a lover, it will solve a big problem for her. She has also managed to get a little leverage over him. Otherwise, with Pei Shuwen always holding the initiative, she would be in a rather passive position.

But as Lin Chaoyue listened, she sensed that things were not going quite right.

"...I heard that Attorney Pei's girlfriend is a female college student. Our assistant lawyer met her before. One night, she went to Attorney Pei's house to deliver some documents, and when she came downstairs, she saw Attorney Pei bringing that girl back. It was even the girl who was driving the car..."

"Are you sure it's your girlfriend? Or just a designated driver?"

"Definitely not. That girl went upstairs with Pei Lu and never came down again. It was last Friday. I heard that Pei Lu turned down a very important job, which is unusual. He probably went on a date with his girlfriend."

Everyone was gossiping with great enthusiasm.

Lin Chaoyue was somewhat confused. Last Friday night? Wasn't that her?

"They got out of the same car and they're a couple? Wasn't this case decided too hastily?"

Although she has been unfairly accused a lot lately, she was still a little shocked to hear firsthand how others "spread rumors" about her.

Chen Wei interjected, "If girls don't even know how to avoid suspicion, how can they expect others to say anything nice? Not everyone is as educated and well-mannered as us. There are plenty of people who want to take shortcuts."

Lin Chaoyue was so angry she laughed, and the other girls at the table also looked rather grim.

Even Nie Shanshan sided with Lin Chaoyue: "Chen Wei, if you can't speak properly, then shut up. Nobody thinks you're mute."

Chen Wei was taken aback at first, but he clearly didn't dare to provoke Nie Shanshan, so he laughed it off: "Shanshan, I was just joking. It's my fault. I'll punish myself by drinking a cup to apologize to all the female classmates."

Everyone is a colleague, and even if they think this guy is an idiot, they all try their best to maintain harmony on the surface, even with a touch of hypocrisy.

"It's alright, it's alright."

“What Attorney Chen said makes some sense.”

"However, someone like Pei Lu, who comes from a good family and is capable, probably wouldn't just find a girlfriend casually. Families like theirs definitely value matching social status."

"Yes, last time I was browsing gossip on the forum, I saw someone say that Pei Lu had a girlfriend when he was studying abroad. She was a very typical doll-like woman, but his family didn't approve and they were forced to break up."

"That's nothing. I think the most tragic one is Zhao Lu. I heard he's loved Pei Lu for many years but couldn't have him..."

Lin Chaoyue: "..."

How come she remembers Zhao Lu as a man? What is all this about? A hodgepodge of emotional dramas?

Weren't we all just starting our jobs today? How come we've chatted about so much gossip this afternoon? How much news did she miss while she was asleep?

She looked at Wen Ya with a puzzled expression, but Wen Ya was focused on removing the fish bones from the bowl and didn't participate in the gossip.

Nie Shanshan saw Lin Chaoyue's expression and, as if giving alms to a puppy, raised her chin and pointed to the phone on the table: "I've sent it to you, see for yourself."

The two of them reluctantly added each other on WeChat when they bumped into each other in the car that morning.

Message pop-up.

Sparkling:

Lin Chaoyue clicked on the redirected page and was quickly dazzled by the dazzling array of messages inside.

[Last year, Anson's partners ruthlessly exploited their junior lawyers; this year, they've all jumped ship to Juntian Liangmu and Taihe. Click to see how the top lawyer in the red-circle firm fell from grace!]

[After a six-month gap year spent traveling abroad, the legal profession in Ningcheng has changed dramatically upon my return?]

Does anyone know if Ms. An from the law firm of Osawa has a boyfriend? She's beautiful and professional, and I'd like to pursue her (I'm a girl too)

...

[I've been with Juntian Liangmu for a full year. The work is tiring but very rewarding. Anyone interested in learning more? I'll share anything I know.]

It looks like a forum for the legal profession in Ningcheng. It has everything: gossip, industry discussions, information sharing, and more.

Lin Chaoyue clicked on the latest post she saw. How tired was she? Too tired for her to handle.

But it seems no one in the comments section asked if she was tired; they were all gossiping.

1L: Are you working in the non-litigation department of the financial markets department? I have a friend who works there, and she says it's very tiring, but she also earns a lot.

Original Poster: No, it's in litigation, and the income is decent.

4L: No matter how many bad things you did in your past life, becoming a lawyer in this life is a way of paying off your debts. xxx was right.

OP: o(╥﹏╥)o

8L: OP, are you on Pei Shuwen's team? I want to know if Pei Lu has a girlfriend.

10L: Quoting 8L's "...", +1 to my curiosity.

15L: Quoting 8L "...", +10086 points of curiosity.

Original Poster: Attorney Pei's team mainly focuses on non-litigation matters. I'm in another partner's team, so I'm not very clear about that.

18L: From what I've observed, given Pei Shuwen's workload, he'll probably have a hard time finding a girlfriend. However, opportunities are for those who are prepared. Welcome everyone to join Juntian Liangmu and contribute to liberating us poor souls who are being exploited by Pei Lu.

Lin Chaoyue clicked on the thread's host; the homepage was closed, and the profile picture was two orange cats. She closed it and continued reading.

20L: Could the poster of the 18L post be the HR of Juntian Liangmu? It's no secret that Pei Lu's team's effective working hours can boost the entire Juntian Liangmu. I advise everyone to be cautious and not be fooled by Pei Lu's good looks.

Lin Chaoyue smiled when she saw this, but when she saw the building below, she couldn't smile anymore.

21L: The comment above is right. No more rambling. Here's the link; pictures speak louder than words.

The link redirected directly to another post titled "[Scientific Post: Calculating Pei Shuwen's 366 Days of Work Without a Day (This Year is a Leap Year) Based on Juntian Liangmu's Newly Released Financial Report]".

The document posted at the top is a publicly available financial statement.

Below is a very detailed analysis post.

The content breaks down the time for each project, ultimately analyzing what work Pei Shuwen did throughout the year and how long it took; it also meticulously breaks down the work content and time of other lawyers in Pei Shuwen's team.

Each point is well-reasoned and supported by evidence; it is indeed very 'professional'.

This post was even featured, with thousands of replies. Most of them were expressing their amazement at the "inhuman" workload of this celebrity team, but a few people claimed to be insiders and revealed that the workload was even more intense, so those who wanted to join should be mentally prepared.

Lin Chaoyue slid down from top to bottom, her palms sweating as she watched.

What about someone like her who's completely unprepared and a complete slacker?

If I fail the assessment, will Pei Shuwen just exploit me until I'm completely ruined?

A chill ran down her spine to the top of her head. She hadn't been this cowardly when she first found out she'd been scammed out of 20 million.

To be honest, she really wants to fly back to Ithaca right now. Graduation is nothing to celebrate; she now thinks that extending her studies is what deserves a proper celebration.

Li Cong is really lucky. I heard he consulted a fortune teller who said he was born to enjoy a life of happiness...

Half a minute later, Li Cong received a message from Lin Chaoyue.

[Quick, find that master of yours to do a fortune telling for me too, see if there's any hope for me?]

【？】

I'm traumatized and urgently need a psychologist specializing in Chinese children.

Okay, wait for me.

Lin Chaoyue was so engrossed in playing on her phone that she barely participated in the conversation. She didn't even hear when she was called on until Wen Ya called her name.

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Wen Ya: "Some people weren't here this afternoon. They just heard that you took on the job assigned by Pei Lu and wanted to ask what exactly you did."

Lin Chaoyue leaned forward and sat down. The key that Pei Shuwen's secretary had given her was still in her bag, but she hadn't been to any storage room that afternoon and didn't know what files were there to organize. She honestly replied, "I don't know yet. They just said they were organizing files."

"Oh, that should be alright. Although this kind of work is basic, you can learn a lot, which will greatly help you pass the later assessments." The speaker was Zhang Chi, who clearly had a lot of experience.

Lin Chaoyue didn't care whether she could learn anything; all she wanted to do was get rid of Pei Shuwen.

She didn't really listen to what the HR said in the morning, but she remembered one thing: if she passed the assessment, she could freely choose her team.

Lin Chaoyue asked seriously, "What exactly is the performance evaluation that HR mentioned today?"

"Ah, the assessment content is different every year, but it's actually not difficult; there are no supervising lawyers this year, so everyone can find their own teams to do projects, and passing the final performance review means you've passed the assessment."

Working on projects.

During the second half of the dinner party, Lin Chaoyue's mind was filled with these three words.

Is she even capable?

Midway through, she even opened Pei Shuwen's chat window, trying to appear weak and beg for mercy.

But when I thought of his cold face in private, I deleted all the words I had typed.

Forget it! She'd made up her mind! She was going to exchange her hard work over the next two months for a life of complete idleness! Once she passed the test, no matter how powerful Pei Shuwen was, he couldn't do anything to her!

Overjoyed, she even tapped Pei Shuwen's profile picture twice.

I patted Pei Shuwen on the shoulder.

A line of small print appeared before Lin Chaoyue's eyes.

Lin Chaoyue: ? ? ?

What kind of brain-dead function is this?!

Before she could withdraw.

Pei Shuwen: [?]

Pei Shuwen: [Was your dinner party nearby too? I'm done here, I can take you home.]

Ah, so that was Pei Shuwen's car. She hadn't really noticed Pei Shuwen's license plate number before.

In the past, she would definitely have hitched a ride, but thinking about the gossip circulating at the dinner table today...

Lin Chaoyue: [No need, no need, I'll just take a taxi back.]

Pei Shuwen: [Have you learned how to use ride-hailing apps? I'll take one to work tomorrow too. Don't be late; too many late arrivals will result in failing your performance review.]

That's not how you use the phrase "draw inferences from one instance to another," bro!

And what does it mean to fail the assessment?

Lin Chaoyue was furious.

But Li Cong was frantically sending out messages at that moment.

【I consulted a master, and guess what?】

The master says your marriage palace is activated this year!

[Don't worry if you don't understand, I'll summarize: it means you're about to start dating! And it's someone in the same industry!]

What's going on?! Is life in China really that good? It's making me want to go back home too!

Screw you! Go stay on the blacklist!

Lin Chaoyue decisively blocked Li Cong; men are all the same!

She's a dog if she sends Pei Shuwen another message!