Chapter 55, Part Two: The Fantasy Mansion
"Sister Windy is leaving."
"Off work, off work~"
"I'm leaving too, bye-bye."
Wen Ting looked up from behind the screen and reminded each of the children in her group, "Be careful on the road, pay attention to safety."
"Windy, aren't you leaving yet?" Chaochao asked.
"I'll be busy for a bit."
"My mom's here to pick me up, so I'll head out now."
There was no "King of Scrolls" in the character design group, but whenever someone left later than Wen Ting, she would greet them.
The young people in the team didn't like working overtime, which initially worried Wen Ting. Later, the art director treated her to a meal alone.
She said happily, "Your group is the first to leave work, that's great."
Not all leaders like working overtime, Wen Ting understands.
Besides, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't possibly beat the first eight groups, so Wen Ting simply gave up from the beginning.
She didn't care whether it was early or late, since she had nothing to do back home anyway. She figured she might as well make money at the company—earn the company's money first, and then use the company's equipment to earn extra money.
When money was mentioned, Wen Ting even considered giving up the rental apartment.
Even though it's a shared apartment, it still costs four thousand yuan a month, so it's better to just sleep in the company's staff lounge.
This idea has been around for a long time, but she hesitated because it would damage her professional image and people would talk about her behind her back.
70% of Green Forest's art team have overseas study experience, and the remaining 30% are all top-notch technical experts with substantial bonuses. The art team is the least short of money in the entire company.
Because Wen Ting doesn't own a car or wear designer brands or luxury goods, her colleagues have asked her several times if she doesn't even have a place to live and ends up living at the company... The thought of it makes Wen Ting feel like a hassle.
Is it right for her to spend four thousand yuan a month on marketing herself? Is her reputation worth four thousand yuan?
After finishing up her private deals, Wen Ting supported her waist, turned her neck, and noticed that it was already past 10:30.
I'm too lazy to go back, so I'll stay at the company tonight.
She swiped her card to check into the room, and when she went to the shower area, she ran into Cathy, the leader of Group Seven.
Seeing Wen Ting, Cathy laughed and said, "Fighting alone again?"
She was accompanied by one of her team members, making them a couple.
"You're the same, always shooing everyone else away while you stay until the very end. It's only because your group is full of kids; if it were someone with more life experience, they'd misunderstand you."
Wen Ting smiled and said, "That's why our group only recruits kids."
Cathy shrugged. "It all goes by so fast, you're all grown up in the blink of an eye. Aren't you the same? Five years have passed in the blink of an eye, and you're thirty now."
"Oh, don't say that, it's too scary." Wen Ting touched her cheek and sighed with worry, "In another year, I'll really be thirty. People online say that 35 is the life-or-death line for big companies."
Cathy, 35, twitched at the corner of her mouth as the dart swung back at her.
Her team members tried to smooth things over, saying, "That's how it is at the grassroots level. You two are in management now, so you won't get laid off."
Cathy's expression had just improved a bit when Wen Ting covered her mouth and laughed, "My God, what kind of management is this? A team leader can be called management?"
Cathy's face fell completely.
Wen Ting tilted her head and blinked. "Are you all done washing? Then I'll go in."
The team member awkwardly waved goodbye to her.
Wen Ting closed the shower curtain, and the team members heard their team leader give a low, cold snort.
She didn't want to get involved, but as soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, Cathy started talking, "Being young isn't all that great, you're not young anymore."
"Calm down," the team member finally resignedly comforted her, "She just happened to be in a good position during the expansion. Besides, her position as team leader is not as valuable as other team leaders. Team Nine was just established and consists of newcomers. How can they be compared?"
“But Director Xu just likes her and always takes her out to eat.” Cathy pouted. “In all these years at Green Forest, besides the director who became a team leader at 25, the next youngest is Wen Ting. I think she’ll soon become the youngest art director.”
"No, no, no, it's not that serious." A team member patted her on the back. "Which of the team leaders from Groups One to Five is easy to deal with? In terms of skills, seniority, and connections, Wen Ting is definitely not in the running. Besides the director, who else in the leadership particularly likes her?"
As she spoke, she looked around and lowered her voice, "Director Xu herself isn't very popular with the management, and who knows, she might not be around any day now."
Cathy snorted dismissively, her tone nonchalant, though her expression honestly showed she was much better.
After taking a shower, Wen Ting returned to the lounge. Remembering what happened in the bathroom, she changed her mind about canceling the lease.
Large factories are different from small workshops. In a small workshop, hard work will lead to endless suffering; but in a large factory, if you don't work hard, you'll be kicked out.
The position of team leader has a maximum ten-year shelf life.
To survive, you have to climb the ranks: team leader, chief engineer, art director, deputy director, director—no, director is too far-fetched, let's just go to deputy director, deputy director is enough.
To cultivate relationships with superiors, socialize, participate in online and offline activities to increase visibility, and meet clients, one must maintain a respectable professional image; one cannot actually live at the company.
Wen Ting pulled back the covers and got into bed.
Rumor has it that the company's bedding is not very clean, and the washing machine used to wash sheets and duvet covers is very dirty and hasn't been cleaned for three to five years.
At first, she was disgusted and would spray some alcohol on the bed before sleeping. But after a while, she got used to it and could even climb onto the bed with bare legs.
It was still early, so Wen Ting lay on her pillow and opened her phone. Two people had sent her messages.
One message was from the head of the copywriting team: "Honey, are you off work yet? Come to the 9th floor for a drink."
A message from my mother: "How about that young man? If you like him, I'll put in a word with him."
Wen Ting sat up in bed, clutching her fluffy hair.
The copywriting, planning, and art teams are located on adjacent floors and share the same recreational facilities. I was taking a shower at the company, and the copywriters probably saw me.
Ashley knew she was at the company. Everyone was relatively free at the beginning of the year, and it wasn't too late, so there was no reason for her to refuse.
Wen Ting could only reply, "I'm doing skincare, wait for me a bit, darling."
After replying to this message, she put her bra back on, added a cardigan over her nightgown, and took out her makeup bag to quickly apply eyeliner and lip tint.
Seeing her hair was a bit frizzy after washing, she really didn't want to go through the hassle of perming and applying hair oil, so she braided it into a fishtail braid to cover it up.
She made sure she looked alright, grabbed her phone, and hurried out the door.
Ashley is not only the head of the copywriting team, but also the niece of the planning director, who is the cousin of the vice president of Green Forest Games.
To be precise, the vice president is Ashley's maternal cousin.
Given this relationship, even if she were a transgender person or a futa, Wen Ting would still be obligated to become her friend.
At 11:05, there weren't many people in the Green Forest Bar on the ninth floor. They had just resumed work and the projects weren't busy. Those with families had gone home, and those without families didn't have any pressure to relieve with alcohol. Only two male colleagues were sitting at the bar.
A pretty forearm stretched out from the booth by the window. Ashley waved lazily toward the door, the rose gold bracelets stacked on her wrist reflecting a luxurious glow. "Windy, over here."
Wen Ting took a breath and calmed herself down.
She walked toward the booth and saw Ashley in a black bodycon dress, her Aquaman waves now dyed white.
A glass of sparkling wine had already been placed in front of her. Ashley rested her chin on her hand and gestured to her with a half-smile, "I ordered this for you, to help you sleep."
If it weren't for Wen Ting, who had already fallen asleep upon arrival, she would have exclaimed, "Oh, you're so thoughtful!"
“Your little braids are so cute.” Ashley tilted her head. “You looked like you were when you first joined the company; you didn’t look 29 at all.”
"What are you doing?" Wen Ting held her wine glass and glared at her. "Everyone's bringing up my age today."
"Hmm? Who else?"
Wen Ting replied listlessly, "Cathy."
Ashley asked in surprise, "What does she have to say to you about her age?"
"Alright," Wen Ting smiled, "Let's not talk about me, let's talk about you. What's wrong? Drinking at the company in the middle of the night."
Cathy didn't actually say anything; she just wanted Ashley to know that she and that woman didn't get along.
“I’m fine,” Ashley said, leaning back with her wine glass in her hand. “I just can’t write anything, I’m just annoyed.”
"Is there anything I can help you with?" Wen Ting asked. "Would you like to go for a walk?"
Ashley had barely opened her mouth when Wen Ting's phone vibrated.
New message pops up on lock screen
Mom: Are you still not off work this late?
Mom: Call me back after you get off work.
Ashley saw it, raised her chin, and gestured for her to reply to the message.
Wen Ting sighed and replied briefly after unlocking the app: Not interested.
She smiled apologetically at Ashley and was about to continue the conversation when a voice call came in.
“It’s okay, you can answer it.” Ashley turned her head and looked at the night view outside the window.
Wen Ting stopped hanging up there.
She turned down the volume, and as soon as she pressed answer, an impatient female voice came through: "What, you're not interested anymore? Weren't we chatting quite well when we were at home for the New Year?"
Wen Ting glanced at Ashley, lowered her voice, and replied helplessly, "I was just being polite."
"You don't like this, you don't like that. You're already thirty. People laugh at your dad and me when we go out."
"Please, Mom, I'm begging you. Let's not talk about marriage when we're thirty, but can we at least get engaged?"
"..."
"I know you have your own thoughts. If you could take care of yourself, I wouldn't say anything. But look at the time! You're only just getting off work. Even an ox couldn't handle this kind of work. You're working so hard, have you even made any money? Huh?"
“Your dad and I have a three-story house. You, at your age, are still living with strangers. What if your roommate is a bad person? What will you do as a girl?”
“Ting, your brother’s wedding and your sister’s baby have kept the family busy enough. Can’t you let your dad and me have some peace of mind? You’re thirty now. You have to focus on either your relationship or your career.”
Wen Ting rubbed her temples, glad she had the foresight to turn the volume down.
"I'm going to sleep now, Mom," she said. "I'll talk to you in a couple of days."
"You're going to sleep right after answering my call? You think I'm annoying you?"
"……No."
“Let me tell you, your sister’s due date is next week. When she goes to have her postpartum confinement, you, as the eldest sister, should go and help her.”
"I don't have time."
"This is a good opportunity for you to practice, so you won't be caught off guard when it's your turn."
Wen Ting glanced at Ashley, "They just had a baby, and the mother-in-law is staying there too. Where would I stay if I went there?"
"Isn't there a sofa bed in their living room? If that doesn't work, you and your sister can sleep there, and your brother-in-law can sleep in the living room."
Wen Ting, unable to bear it any longer, exclaimed, "Is this appropriate?!"
"Oh dear, they don't mind that you're unmarried and inexperienced, and you're still complaining. You can't count on your brother to build a house, and you don't care about your own sister's affairs. Are we, the two old folks, really going to have to run back and forth between the two cities? It's not that tiring, their mother-in-law is there too, it's not like they're relying on you alone."
"By the way, if you don't like the young men in your family, why don't you ask your brother-in-law to introduce you to a man from the capital?"
“…” Wen Ting took a deep breath. “Alright, I understand.”
"Be diligent when you go to other people's homes, say some nice things to the mother-in-law, so that people won't laugh at our girl for not knowing how to do things."
"Okay, I understand."
After hanging up the phone, Wen Ting tucked a stray hair behind her ear and asked, "Where were we?"
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "Looks like you're more annoyed than I am now."
Realizing the phone was still too loud, Wen Ting laughed and said, "My sister is easy to talk to. Send some money over and she'll smooth things over for me."
"And what about her mother-in-law?"
Wen Ting smiled and said, "...The same goes, she can also help me smooth things over."
Ashley felt a pang of tenderness at the unwitting tinge in that smile.
She asked with great interest, "Windy, why aren't you married?"
Wen Ting rubbed her phone. "Aren't all the older single people here the same? We're so used to seeing anime characters, how can we find real people attractive?"
“That’s right.” Ashley raised an eyebrow and swirled her glass in her hand. “Cheers.”
Wen Ting smiled and said, "Cheers."
The phone call was nothing special, but it was presented to the free-spirited Ashley without missing a single word, making Wen Ting feel indescribably embarrassed.
She drank until 12:30, then went back to her room, slightly tipsy, and collapsed onto the single bed in the company's lounge.
She hadn't taken her braids out yet. She clung to her senses to check her alarm for tomorrow morning, and then, half-asleep, rubbed off her uncomfortable bra.
The small lamp by the bed cast a quiet, warm light.
As she took off her underwear, Wen Ting vaguely caught a glimpse of that light.
The embarrassment was dispelled by the bedside lamp, and she realized that she was in the heart of the capital, not in a backward village.
She drifted off to sleep under the standardized sleep light.
The small lounge fell silent, with only shallow breathing and the occasional sound of traffic outside the building.
On this ordinary night, as the time passed two in the morning, Wen Ting's phone suddenly lit up beside her pillow.
The screen unlocked automatically, and the phone, which was not in use, popped up a communication interface.
From the very first chat window, the chat history scrolled rapidly, from the latest conversation to the earliest record, so fast that the naked eye couldn't keep up, with only green and white chat bubbles constantly alternating.
Once all the chat history has finished scrolling, the phone's camera suddenly opens, first the rear camera, then the front camera.
A dimly lit ceiling appeared on the screen. The camera zoomed in and out, switching back and forth several times, but could only capture the empty ceiling.
After that, all applications were closed.
The only thing left on the phone's home screen is the chibi-style character in the bottom right corner.
The chaise lounge disappeared, and he stood straight, expressionless.
Snap—
The entire screen went dark.
...
She wasn't too drunk, and when Wen Ting woke up the next morning, she felt fine.
Drinking with women is never uncomfortable; most of the time it ends before they feel unwell, even with Cathy.
After tidying up, Wen Ting untied the fishtail braid that she had been wearing all night. Her hair was now curly and wavy. She loosened it with her fingers to make the curves more natural.
Today is Friday, and there's a summary meeting.
Yun Heli's reputation is very high, and her name will most likely be mentioned at the meeting. Therefore, Wen Ting dressed more formally.
I had two short meetings this morning with the animation effects and planning teams. One of the specialists who was working from home couldn't be reached, so one of the meetings was postponed.
In the afternoon, after checking the group's progress and organizing the materials at four o'clock, Wen Ting took the two children from the group to the art team's large conference room.
She felt a little guilty; she didn't know what day it was today, as three out of the five team members had skipped work.
She didn't know about this during the day. She hadn't paid much attention to what was happening in the office during the morning meeting, and assumed everyone had gone out for lunch. It wasn't until just before the meeting that Chaochao asked her, "Sister Windy, quite a few of us have taken leave today. Are they all sick?"
Wen Ting was taken aback: "What?"
"I haven't seen Dany and the others all day."
Wen Ting's eyes widened: "They didn't come today?"
Chaochao and DD stared at her blankly, the three of them looking at each other with wide eyes.
Wen Ting noticed that no one was at their workstations in the afternoon and assumed they had gone to the rest area to think about creative ideas. She didn't expect them to be so bold as to skip work altogether.
She went through the chat history and OA system, and indeed there was no record of these three people requesting leave. The meeting was about to start, so Wen Ting quickly called to inquire about the situation.
I didn't answer.
None of the three answered her calls.
"Aren't you leaving, Group Nine?" A group leader from Group One, who was passing by outside the door, greeted him with a smile. "Hurry up, Windy, you're crucial for today's meeting."
"Coming!" Wen Ting responded, then turned to Chaochao and DD and gestured for them to be quiet, saying seriously, "Tell them it's the flu, they've both caught it!"
DD asked, puzzled, "They went on strike together? Why?"
Chaochao is clear about her likes and dislikes: "This is too much. They even kept the strike a secret from us. There is no real friendship in the workplace. From now on, I will pretend to play along with them too."
Wen Ting pushed them both out, saying, "Stop playing around, go to the meeting."
She led the two of them to the meeting feeling guilty, only to find that the meeting room, which was always crowded with people, looked much more spacious today.
There aren't many people.
This wasn't her imagination; others noticed it too.
The scene team leader frowned. "What's going on? So many people have taken the day off?"
"That's outrageous. They just stop coming to work if there are fewer projects."
"Those who didn't come seem to be the ones who usually scout out the location."
"Wow, half of the character design group is empty."
"Thank you, Group Nine." The leader of Group Six, sitting next to Wen Ting, grinned and shook hands with her. "With you guys at the bottom, I feel at ease."
Wen Ting was forced to shake hands, looking worried: "That's right, I don't even know what day it is today."
Whatever the reason, as long as it's not just their group, that's fine.
The team members behind the leader of the sixth group whispered to Chaochao, "I have a bold guess."
Chaochao leaned closer and asked, "What?"
"Don't you think the name Midorimori sounds a lot like Arasaka? And among the people who aren't here, there just happens to be one named Johnny—what does that mean?"
"Oh~!!!" Chaochao covered her mouth, suddenly realizing, "We're getting it for free!"
"What?! Free? Detroit: Become Human!"
Wen Ting, who had heard everything clearly, turned around and gave a shushing gesture with her index finger. "Alright, kids, did you see the looks from the chiefs upstairs? If you keep chatting in the conference room, you'll really be getting free stuff."
The two girls, who thought they were speaking very softly, suddenly changed their expressions and immediately lowered their heads, trying to hide.
"Alright, there aren't many people here today, but the meeting still has to go on." The lead artist stood up. "Before we start, I'd like to announce some news."
"The original Director Xu is being sent overseas. A new art director will be arriving today. Please have each group double-check. If everyone is present, I will notify the director to come over."
These words caused a huge uproar.
"Director Xu has been sent abroad? When did this happen?" The chief persona designer frowned. "Why have I never heard of this before?"
"When was the transfer order issued? I haven't received it in the OA system or my email."
"Today? So sudden? We weren't prepared at all."
While the higher-ups were communicating with the art director, Wen Ting below was stunned.
Director Xu has left?
Director Xu does frequently travel overseas to provide guidance, but she once said she didn't want to stay overseas. How did she suddenly agree to this?
Director Xu is gone, what will she do...? The director was her biggest support, what will happen to her if she's no longer here...?
Amidst her chaotic thoughts, Wen Ting noticed someone staring at her.
It's Cathy.
The schadenfreude on his face was impossible to hide.
Wen Ting didn't have time to care what Cathy was thinking; she was busy calculating the remaining chips she had.
She didn't know what kind of person the new director was, but no matter who he was, she wanted to make a good impression.
"Everyone's here, no one else wants to come, right?" The art director confirmed one last time. "Okay, then I'll call the director over."
She sent a message, and the meeting room fell silent.
About three to five minutes later, a tall figure appeared outside the transparent glass wall. There were no footsteps, and the figure appeared somewhat abruptly.
"It's a man!" Chaochao reported to Wenting.
The lead artist got up and opened the door. The moment the new director appeared in the conference room, Wen Ting heard Chaochao behind her exclaim "Wow!"
It's definitely worth it! Wen Ting had never seen a director from a major company this age before; it far exceeded her expectations.
The man who entered was excessively young and exceptionally handsome, so much so that he was like a painting.
Despite his stunning appearance, he dressed unusually conservatively, with his suit collar and cuffs neatly fastened, covering his entire body from head to toe without revealing an inch of skin, and even wearing thin black gloves on his hands.
As he walked to the conference table, his dark, almond-shaped eyes swept across the room, lingering for a moment on one spot.
The goddess helped him pull out his seat.
He sat with his shoulders open and back straight, occupying only a third of the seat, his hands, gloved, naturally clasped in front of his abdomen.
This sitting posture is extremely elegant, but it also reveals an air of arrogance that comes from being superior to others.
Wen Ting squinted, feeling that the new director looked somewhat familiar.
All eyes turned to him, and his first words as he sat down were: "Starting this morning, I hope everyone will follow my rules."
This doesn't seem like a newly appointed director eager to gain the trust of his subordinates; rather, it's like a young master who's always on duty, exuding arrogance from the inside out.
After his arrogant opening remarks, he casually added, "My surname is Gong."
A self-introduction placed at the end of the sentence sounds even more disrespectful and rude.
Wen Ting suddenly realized that she could see a resemblance to Gong Baidie in the man's eyes and brows.
The difference between anime characters and real people is huge, but looking at them, she inexplicably felt that they were about 60% similar.
She couldn't help but secretly open the desktop lover app under the table.
Skipping the splash screen ad, the first words spoken by the beauty lounging on the couch were, as always, tender and submissive: "My lady, you're back."
Wen Ting glanced upwards out of the corner of her eye and compared the two views.
Not at all like it.
She smiled wryly at her own inexplicable association.
Wen Ting patted Gong Baidie's head, then exited the game and sat down.
The moment she put down her phone, she suddenly felt a cold, fierce gaze, as if it were tangible piercing her.
She turned her head and looked back in the direction of his gaze.
In that instant, she met the gaze of the new director at the conference table, their pupils locked.
The young director frowned and looked away.
-----------------------
The author's note: "Everyone follows my rules."
Thinking about it this way, the "rules of the supernatural" genre really has a domineering CEO vibe.
Then, friends, I've started a new pre-order for "The Goddess of Light in the Insect Nest".
The exploration team brought a girl back from the contaminated area.
It's already a miracle that humans could survive in the contaminated area, but the subsequent test results shocked the entire White Pagoda.
That was an S-class guide.
With pollution becoming increasingly severe, there is a serious imbalance in the ratio of sentinels to guides. There are dozens of S-level or higher sentinels registered and on duty, but only two S-level guides.
The newly emerged S-rank guide caused an instant sensation. On the day the new guide was selected into a squad, almost all S-rank and above sentinels stood beneath the White Tower, eagerly awaiting the new guide's attention.
She was a miracle, the bright moon, a pearl that needed to be tightly protected by an oyster shell, yet unexpectedly she was thrown into an insect nest.
That was the most notorious military region, barren and desolate, teeming with damp and disgusting insects.
No matter how powerful or accomplished those sentinels whose spiritual beings were insects, no guide was willing to touch their terrifying and ugly insect-like limbs and tentacles.
The new guide was so delicate that she could never adapt to the crude and bloodthirsty insects.
The White Tower thought so, the rejected sentinels thought so, and the insects thought so too.
They no longer crave the comfort of a guide, nor do they deign to take a frail guide to the battlefield.
"I really don't understand why other districts are so enthusiastic about guides."
After a battle, the sentries, panting and laughing on the blood-soaked battlefield, said, "Did you see what that guide looked like? He was so pale and thin, so frail that he looked like he could be blown away by the wind."
Will she cry when she sees a mutant?
"I hope she stays in the evacuation room; the front line is not a place for her."
"Hey, why aren't you saying anything?" The female captain patted the recruit on the shoulder. "I haven't seen you before. Is this your first time on the field?"
The other sentries also looked over, their gazes focusing on the last sentry.
She was extremely petite, yet her fighting performance was surprisingly beautiful.
They couldn't help but smile and praise her: "Wow, so fierce on your first time on stage!" "This little one is amazing."
The newcomer wearing a protective helmet tilted his head and said, "Wow?"
"Awesome! Of course it's awesome!"
She tilted her head again: "Me?"
"Yeah, you're amazing!"
She was overjoyed and awkwardly took off her helmet.
A pretty, fair face appeared, a slender, blood-stained finger pointing at herself, a wide smile on her face: "Me? Awesome?"
——
The full title of this article is "The Goddess of Light (Butterfly) in the Insect Nest".
The female protagonist is a butterfly fairy, the goddess of light, who transmigrates here and cannot understand the local language, especially in the early stages.
I'm a bit unsure which book to write next. Which one would you all like to see read, the originally planned "Seize" or this new one? If you like it, you can bookmark my column [cat emoji].
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