Chapter 176 (Suspected Old Friend) (Comic Plot)...
After Yan Ju entered the main hall, Lin Cai slowly exhaled, feeling the faint sense of oppression from before dissipate.
After Yanju's clothes disappeared from Lin Cai's sight in this scene of the comic, it was followed by a panoramic view from mid-air.
In the courtyard of Chongming Hall, all the members of the Bureau of Foreign Affairs bowed respectfully and saluted. The candidates waiting in neat rows to enter, regardless of race, also held their breath, obediently bowing their heads and remaining silent.
Yan Ju didn't look at anyone. She was surrounded by a dense, almost tangible fire spirit, its flames gleaming brightly in the early morning sunlight. Yan Ju merely passed through the living beings with a cold expression, her figure disappearing behind the palace gates.
My wife is so handsome it's breathtaking!
[I almost knelt down before Director Yan on the spot.]
Wherever she goes, no living being fails to bow down; every step she takes touches the very tip of my heart.
[That old thief is really good at drawing these large-scale scenes with many characters.]
[Damn, I also want to work in the director's office, to be able to work face-to-face with Director Yan every day. Going to work would be so wonderful and something to look forward to (dreaming)]
After Director Yan entered the hall, the staff at the door came to their senses, looked at the candidates next to them, and whispered a reminder: "First group, get ready."
Lin Cai, as an intern in the Household Registration Department, had already completed her internship. However, the new employees recruited by the Bureau of Foreign Affairs in the fall had not yet officially started their jobs, and today's interview with the Director's Secretary was particularly important, as it required verifying household registration information to prevent proxy testing.
Using his position, Yu Junxun asked Zhan Zhou for a day off for Lin Cai, thus bringing Lin Cai back to work.
[As expected of you, Director Yu. As expected of you, Lin Cai.]
Now I only have one question: with Yu Junxun's work ability, how did he get to this position? Could it be that he gave Director Yan a gift? (Just kidding)
[Indeed, given Director Yan's personality, he probably wouldn't tolerate incompetent people within headquarters.]
"Director," Lin Cai asked curiously after the first group of candidates went in, "what kind of tests are there for the selection of the director's secretary?"
Just by looking at the name of the department, you can tell it's the Director's Secretariat, which is directly under the Director's Office.
Yanju's close advisor.
Yu Junxun: "Today's interview is the final one. We've gone through several rounds of screening before. The Information Department is responsible for resume screening, initial interviews, and written tests, while the Execution Department is in charge of the practical selection."
During Yu Junxun's introduction, several small boxes were inserted on the side of the comic, showing scenes from the previous selection process.
The job interview for the Bureau of Extraordinary Administrative Affairs is incredibly difficult...
[The resumes are all filled with Chief Zhan Zhou's resumes, showcasing a variety of high-caliber work and internship experiences. I instantly understand Tiger Cub's reaction when he heard Lin Cai was interning at the General Administration. It seems Lin Cai does indeed have a bit of a protagonist's aura.]
[The thief secretly gave the protagonist a cheat code in a detail that no one else noticed, hahaha!]
"You passed the resume screening, written test, and practical test?!" Lin Cai was also a little shocked. The familiar Q version of the character was on her head, with a serious expression and a big exclamation mark in her mind bubble.
'Will I still be able to get a job at the Bureau of Extraordinary Personnel after graduation...?'
Then Lin Cai became even more curious: "You've already taken the exam, so what's the exam today?"
Yu Junxun: "It's mainly because of Director Guo Yan's face."
“The director’s secretariat reports directly to Director Yan. The job offer letter is different from those of other departments; it’s stamped by the director’s office,” he explained. “So the final interview is conducted by Director Yan, and I’m not entirely sure what the questions will be.”
The interviews, personally conducted by Director Yan, were extremely difficult; no wonder the previous selection processes were so challenging.
[This is probably to prevent a situation where Director Yan asks a casual question and the candidate is completely clueless, hahaha]
I'm even more curious now; I really want to know my wife's selection criteria.
Clearly, Lin Cai's curiosity about this extremely difficult interview had reached its peak.
As the office of the emperor of the previous dynasty, Chongming Hall was naturally divided into a front hall and a rear hall, which were separated by an ingeniously designed screen.
The interview was held in the front hall. Yan Ju sat on a high platform in the front hall, while Lin Cai sneaked in through a small door in the back hall, pressed her ear against the screen separating the front hall, and listened intently.
The Chongming Hall was very quiet, which made Yanju's voice all the more clear.
"...I bought three cups of coffee, and when I got to the door, I found that four of our leaders had come. What should I do in this situation?"
Lin Cai: ...?
Outside the comic, Yan Shi's vision went black.
On this page, a dense barrage of comments popped up.
What?! Three cups of coffee and four leaders?
[Hahaha, I laughed so hard I rolled off my chair!]
I thought this kind of question was just a joke circulating online, but I didn't expect it to be a real interview question, hahaha!
[The Director's Secretary's High-Difficulty Final Interview = A Test of Your Insight]
Is it to check things out beforehand in case of office politics or factional infighting? Hahahaha
Am I the only one wondering why Director Yan would know this kind of mind-testing question?
Startled, Lin Cai lost her balance and leaned her entire weight onto the screen. The screen's supports shifted forward, creating a gap between the two panels that had been tightly joined.
This also allowed Lin Cai to see Yan Ju sitting on the high platform in the front hall through the gap.
The next page of the comic features a very close-up panel.
Director Yan sat at his desk, leaning back in his chair, a document in his hand, but his eyes were slightly unfocused, not paying attention to the candidates below. Sunlight streamed in through the high windows of the hall, casting a soft glow on Director Yan's hair and revealing a rare softening of his usually cold and stern expression.
She seemed to be in a daze.
One of the candidates had already spoken up to answer. Upon hearing the answer, Yan Ju snapped out of his daze. His previous gentleness vanished, and his expression returned to normal, calm and dignified. He lowered his eyes and looked down again.
[I must say, this is the first time the old thief has drawn my wife so gently.]
It doesn't feel like tenderness, it feels more like nostalgia.
Wait, I suddenly have a guess. Was that interview question someone asked Director Yan before, or mentioned in a joke?
[The expression on Director Yan's face is so subtle, the old thief even gave it a close-up shot.]
【!! I smell a knife】
Because the screen was pushed, some staff members in the back hall discovered Lin Cai, who was eavesdropping. Lin Cai waved her hands repeatedly to apologize and ran out of the main hall.
The Summer Palace was unusually deserted.
Lin Cai regretfully pouted, deciding to take advantage of the rare opportunity to visit the Summer Palace, since she knew she couldn't go inside the main hall of Chongming Hall anymore.
[You despicable old thief, I don't want to see you showing off your drawing skills with a one-to-one display of the Summer Palace interior. I want to see Director Yan.]
[I really want to know what Director Yan was thinking! +1. I'm absolutely agonizing over what he was thinking just now.]
[Who could possibly make my wife worry so much?! Who is it?! Ahhhhh, you'd better sleep with one eye open, because I'm going to ambush you tonight!!!]
In the comic, Lin Cai walked around all four palaces of the Summer Palace, panting heavily.
The towering palace cast large shadows under the blazing sun, the golden eaves shimmered in the sunlight, the bluestone bricks were scorching hot, and the air seemed to carry a warm current.
'The Summer Palace is really huge...' The chibi version of Lin Cai lay listlessly on top of the exhausted Lin Cai, her eyes barely open. 'Let's find a place to rest first.'
To be honest, walking around the Summer Palace in the sweltering summer heat, you'd be lucky to walk the whole thing on your last breath.
Lin Cai looked around and found a bench by the roadside. She dragged her heavy steps over and sat down.
This bench is hidden behind a dense thicket of trees, next to a towering ancient tree with lush foliage. Its thick trunk is large enough for three people to encircle, and its dense branches and leaves intertwine, creating a rare cool haven under the scorching summer sun without any wind.
Lin Cai leaned back in her chair, let out a long breath, and enjoyed the rare shade.
Not far away, along the cobblestone path, someone was half-squatting by the roadside watching the cats. Under the blazing sun, the cats seemed to melt, flattened into pancakes.
"They'll wilt if they stay in the sun any longer," Lin Cai sighed.
The next second, she caught a glimpse of a tall and slender figure walking out from around the corner, his steps steady, the chain on his clothes swaying slightly with his movements.
Yan Ju turned the corner and stopped behind the person watching the cat.
Lin Cai: ...
[What a familiar way to bump into someone, Lin Cai. Doesn't it seem strangely familiar?]
[Back to the beginning of the comic, Lin Cai, who doesn't bring cat food every day, "accidentally" meets Yan Lan at the entrance of the community while feeding the cat.]
[Both Yanju and Yanlan are easily spotted by people, is this a common trait among twins? Hahaha]
Because of the distance and the chirping of cicadas in the summer, Lin Cai couldn't hear the conversation between Yan Ju and the strange woman very clearly. But she could clearly see the blazing sun shining through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on Yan Ju's cool-toned uniform.
The woman whispered something, and Yan Ju listened quietly, his expression unchanged. He simply lowered his eyes slightly, his dark pupils unfathomable, revealing no emotional fluctuations.
She didn't respond much, just a few brief words, as if she had foreseen everything and therefore didn't care about anything.
The woman's shoulders trembled slightly, her lips parted, but she ultimately said nothing more.
After a brief silence, Director Yan nodded slightly, marking the end of the conversation, and then turned and left.
She walked steadily, her steps neither hurried nor slow. Her uniform was tailored to fit her perfectly, and the hem swayed slightly with her steps, like a ripple.
The woman watching the cat was still standing there, and Lin Cai's gaze followed Yan Ju, unconsciously holding her breath.
There was no one else on this palace path except Yanju.
The towering palace walls stood silently on both sides, with nothing but emptiness in front and behind. Looking further ahead, the palace path stretched endlessly in the sunlight, its end disappearing into the shadows of the magnificent palaces, seemingly without end.
Yanju walked alone, his figure disappearing into the endless blazing sun.
[A scene so perfect for CG]
[Please, please, don't let this hint at the characters' fates, or I'll really send you razor blades.]
[The lighthearted and cheerful plot involving Yan Ju in this episode is unlike the old thief's usual style; there's a vague sense of foreboding about it.]
The Last Supper, right?
The scene in the next shot on the palace wall transitions exceptionally smoothly.
It was a sea of red flowers.
However, these flowers are not roses, peonies, or other common, brightly colored flowers with layers upon layers of petals. They are single-petaled, swaying gently in the wind, drooping from slender green spikes. The boundless expanse of red, under the sunlight, undulates like a tide, creating a breathtaking scene with varying shades.
In the center of the sea of flowers stands a delicate little building.
The entire building is constructed of bluish-gray bricks and stones, with layers of roof tiles that gleam dimly in the twilight. Occasionally, a few fallen leaves lie quietly on them, trembling slightly in the breeze. Vines twine upwards along the sides of the building, spreading deep green veins along the gray walls.
Lin Cai stood in front of the small building, expressionless, and pushed the door open a crack.
Lin Cai is the only protagonist in all the shonen manga I've read whose appearances always surprise me.
[This is hilarious! The main subject of our camera isn't on the road to solving problems, but on the road to recording the highlights of supporting characters.]
[How dare you! Lin Cai didn't solve the problem. Don't use finishing work and working overtime as the main issue to solve problems (doge)]
So where is this?
Through the gaps, one could see that the interior of the building was completely different from its exterior, displaying a magnificent and opulent appearance.
The heavy carpets woven with brocade and the glass chandeliers hanging from the dome reflected a dazzling brilliance. The guests, dressed in their finest attire, mingled and filled the luxurious hall to the brim.
The clamor of voices poured out from the crack in the door, carrying with it the light of lamps and the aroma of wine, overflowing into the quiet sea of flowers outside.
Amidst the cacophony of voices, a clear, light voice, tinged with a half-smile, rang out casually:
"What a lively banquet! Why weren't my sister and me invited?"
Author's note: I had to choose a topic for my master's thesis today, so I was delayed, sob sob (sincere apologies).
But I will definitely show up!
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