46. The Last Day
The moment the three words "Living King of Hell" fell clearly to the ground, the air around them froze.
Several colleagues who had not left yet held their breath instantly, wanting to laugh but not daring to, and their expressions were extremely funny.
Chi Jin was originally wrapping her scarf with her head down, but when she heard these "treasonous" drunken words, she was almost scared to death.
She rushed over without caring about her limits, and suddenly stretched out her hand to cover Duan Xingche's still chattering mouth from behind!
"Mmm! Mmmmm!"
All the words that followed Xiaoduan were blocked, leaving only a series of indistinct sobs.
Chi Jin's face flushed crimson. This name came from her mouth! Although Chen Yisheng had known it for a long time, but saying it so openly...Oh my God, she almost wanted to find a crack in the ground to crawl into.
While she was desperately trying to cover her apprentice's mouth, she looked up at Chen Yisheng and forced a smile that was uglier than crying, hastily trying to make amends: "Chen, Editor-in-Chief Chen! He's drunk! He's talking nonsense! Absolutely nonsense! He meant to say...that you're a good leader, and we can learn a lot from you. Although it's tiring, it's very fulfilling! Yes, fulfilling!"
Chen Yisheng lowered his head. In his arms was a drunken, struggling, and outspoken subordinate. In front of him was another panicked subordinate, futilely trying to silence him. The corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly, and a hint of helplessness, yet a sly smile, flashed across his eyes. "Master, your words and deeds are truly effective."
Several editors around couldn't help laughing.
Chi Jin held down Duan Xingche, who was still struggling with "mumbling", and stuffed him into the back seat of Chen Yisheng's car in one go.
Jin Yaojia stepped forward and asked Chen Yisheng, "Editor-in-Chief Chen, would you mind taking me back? I see there's room in the passenger seat."
She was quite proactive. Chi Jin muttered to himself and subconsciously glanced away.
"Chi Jin will sit in the passenger seat." Chen Yisheng said concisely.
She didn't agree. Chi Jin was about to open his mouth to refute, but he keenly sensed Chen Yisheng's resistance to Jin Yaojia, so he swallowed the words back and temporarily opened the passenger door and sat in.
The car drove smoothly into the night. Not long after Chen Yisheng drove out, Chi Jin immediately said, "Editor Chen, if it's convenient for you, just drop me off on the side of the road."
"I didn't mean anything else. It's not safe for you to be alone this late."
"It's quite safe. I live nearby today."
Taozi's best friend came to stay at home, and Chi Jin booked a hotel near the company.
Chen Yisheng's grip on the steering wheel tightened for a moment. Of course, he knew the address of Chi Jin's roommate. And as an adult, he knew the underlying meaning behind a grown woman choosing to stay in a hotel instead of returning home.
"...Are you guys together?"
Chi Jin knew he was referring to Sun Ting, whom she had long since blocked. She wanted to deny it directly, but she felt that explaining too much to him would seem deliberate, and the more she said, the more mistakes she would make.
But if I agree... to be associated with someone like Sun Ting, it would seem like it would lower my own taste.
So she chose to remain silent.
In Chen Yisheng's view, this silence was tantamount to acquiescence.
"Then why didn't he come to pick you up?" There was no emotion in his voice.
"I can clearly distinguish between work and private situations," she answered firmly.
"So now, in my car," he tilted his head slightly, his eyes sweeping over her vaguely, "what kind of occasion is this?"
Chi Jin's breath hitched. She quickly glanced at Chen Yisheng. His tone was flat, and his profile was a little blurry under the moving light of the car. There was nothing unusual about him.
She was silent for nearly a minute before she hesitantly replied, "...work."
He didn't respond again.
He didn't return to the car until he had safely sent Duan Xingche home and watched him stumble into the apartment building. He found Chi Jin had gotten out of the car at some point and was standing in the cold night, folding his arms.
"It's so cold? Why did you come down here?" Chen Yicheng asked knowingly, "Does being around me make you so uncomfortable? Or is Sun Ting coming here to pick you up?"
He had rarely ever expressed his displeasure so bluntly, nor had he ever mentioned the name so directly.
"No. I'll take a taxi to the hotel myself. It's not too late now, it's safe." Chi Jin said coldly, "I'll take a taxi right away. Editor-in-Chief Chen, please go back early."
Chen Yisheng walked around the front of the car and opened the passenger door: "It's really on your way, let me give you a ride."
“Unless you say you want to be a ride-sharing driver and you have to charge me.”
"I don't want to be your driver." He refused, leaning forward slightly, lowering his head to try to catch her evasive gaze, "Chi Jin, just stay with me for a while, okay? As a friend."
"We are not friends."
"Alumni, fellow students, fellow townsmen, senior brothers and sisters, these are not allowed?"
These are relationships that cannot be changed, Chi Jin bit his lip.
"Chi Jin." He gently took her arm, and when she didn't refuse immediately, he quickly and politely let go. "Actually, today is not my birthday. It's tomorrow."
"Then I have even less reason to accompany you."
"Just because it's the last day of my 33rd birthday..." He interrupted her, his tone almost earnest, "I promise, after midnight, everything will be back to normal. We'll still be purely superiors and subordinates, with no further ties. Okay?"
Chi Jin sighed. It was only a twenty-minute drive away anyway. "Okay."
The two got back into the car, and the enclosed space was filled with a silent, sticky ambiguity and awkwardness.
Chen Yisheng's car seemed to be driving even slower than when he came. He tapped the steering wheel with his fingertips, as if he was considering his words, hesitant to speak.
Chi Jin took a deep breath and wanted to find something to say to break the silence.
However, before she could open her mouth, her phone suddenly vibrated sharply and continuously, and the screen lit up with messages popping up frantically in the work group!
She instantly ignored any awkwardness or ambiguity. Her professional instinct made her sit up straight and quickly browse the information. Her expression changed immediately and she slapped Chen Yisheng's arm: "Chen Yisheng! Look!"
Chen Yisheng frowned, quickly pulled the car over to the side of the road, and took the phone that Chi Jin handed over.
The group chat was already in an uproar. Several messages marked "Urgent" were hanging bloodily at the top:
[Something's happened! I just discovered the proofs for tomorrow's November issue! The interview on pages 45-48 is out of place! The text and images in the "Face of the Times" section and the "Face of Entertainment" section are completely misplaced!]
[Hurry and figure out a solution! This is a major incident! The Times Face is featuring Mr. Li, a highly respected figure. This is incredibly disrespectful! The fans and haters of that popular actress are sure to be furious!]
This is an editor's nightmare.
Once the content is released in a mixed format, especially when it involves such a sensitive combination, it will not only be a major work mistake, but also a great disrespect to the interviewees, and will cause a devastating blow to the reputation of "Faces".
In all the years since "Faces" was published, there has never been a major accident.
All the ambiguity and charm evaporated in an instant. Chen Yisheng's face darkened instantly, his eyes sharp as a knife, and he immediately regained his true self as the "living devil" who planned and killed decisively.
"I'll go back to the office and take care of it," he said in a deep voice, without a trace of hesitation. The next second, the car suddenly accelerated and sped away. "I'll take you downstairs to the office. You haven't had enough rest lately, so you can't stay up late anymore."
"I'm with you at this time," Chi Jin answered without hesitation, and then randomly replied in the group: "Editor-in-Chief Chen and I will handle this immediately. Please stand by."
The road was empty late at night, and the car was moving at a rapid pace. Chi Jin clutched the handrail tightly while quickly contacting the relevant responsible persons on his phone: "Editor-in-Chief Chen, I contacted the editors in charge of these two columns and asked them to quickly revise "Face of the Times" and "Face of Entertainment." I asked Guo Xin to contact the printing factory, but they haven't responded yet. They may have gone to bed."
"I'll take care of the printing factory." Chen Yisheng held the steering wheel with one hand while dialing a contact with the other. Half a minute later, "This is Chen Yisheng. Immediately suspend the printing of the first half of November's issue of Face magazine. All printed materials are sealed and stored on site, awaiting further instructions. Our company will bear the losses. Sorry for the inconvenience."
The person on the other end of the line seemed to be still confirming things, and Chen Yisheng's tone suddenly became more serious: "So the losses will be borne by Zhongxin Media. No buts! Immediately! Immediately! Otherwise, according to the regulations, all consequences will be borne by you!"
The powerful aura was suffocating even through the telephone lines.
When they arrived at the office building, the six floors belonging to Zhong Xin were completely destroyed. The two of them smuggled themselves towards the editorial office. Chen Yisheng fumbled for a long time before finding the switch. Chi Jin followed closely behind him, hurriedly urging the two editors who had made mistakes.
"What's the situation now?" Chen Yisheng asked.
"Guo Xin replied that the printing factory had just stopped working, but they had already printed several thousand copies..."
"Not bad." Chen Yisheng stabilized the situation and pointed to her workstation. "Take your computer and come to my office."
"yes."
Chi Jin immediately followed Chen Yisheng who was striding forward.
At this moment, they didn't care about avoiding suspicion and immediately got busy.
Chen Yisheng sent a voice message directly to the group, his tone impatient: "Why can't you even do such a basic job? Now it's..."
"Editor-in-chief." Chi Jin patted him gently, "Can you calm down a little? If the general is so flustered, I'm afraid us soldiers will be even more nervous and more likely to make mistakes."
Chen Yisheng swiped right to cancel the voice chat, then heaved a sigh of relief and continued, "Old Zhao, Xiao Duan, immediately investigate the cause of the version discrepancy and repair the file. Team B, led by Jiang Xuhuan, everyone, immediately re-proofread all the contents of pages 45-48. I want an absolutely correct document within half an hour."
He turned his head to look at Chi Jin and said, "Chi Jin. Have Guo Xin contact the printing factory and calculate the time and cost of re-plate making and printing. I want the fastest solution. You have an important task. Prepare a crisis plan for possible delays, possible leaks of incorrect content, and prepare a statement of circumstances and a template for an apology letter."
"good."
He took off his coat and threw it on the chair, then immediately joined in the intense proofreading work. Chi Jin also immediately joined the battle, while stepping up contact with the layout editor to quickly check the details, while preparing a crisis plan.
From the moment they saw the emergency, all the ambiguity and tension faded into oblivion. They were simply comrades fighting side by side, facing this sudden storm together. The only sounds in the air were the rapid tapping of keyboards, the hushed voices of conversation, and the hum of the printer.
Chi Jin occasionally looked up and could see Chen Yisheng's tense profile and focused eyes. He handled every link calmly, and his strong control and sense of responsibility were fully demonstrated in the crisis.
After nearly two hours of emergency repairs, the corrected file was finally sent to the printing factory again, and everyone in the group breathed a sigh of relief.
Chi Jin and Chen Yisheng were almost exhausted. Their tense nerves finally relaxed, leaving them exhausted.
Chen Yisheng rubbed his aching brow and sat beside her, leaning slightly towards her, nervously listening to her final confirmation with the printing factory. Every slight pause made his breathing subconsciously lighter, until he saw Chi Jin finally nod during the call, and then he slowly unclenched his clenched fists and breathed a long sigh of relief.
The call ended, a busy tone came from the receiver, and the crisis was completely resolved.
They leaned back on the sofa almost simultaneously, then turned their heads to look at each other. Their eyes met in mid-air, a tacit understanding of having survived a catastrophe together, a silence that spoke louder than words.
"Thank you for your hard work." He whispered, his voice a little hoarse.
"Mutual." Chi Jin responded softly, his voice also tired but soft.
She reached out and pushed the cup of water that had been poured for him long ago but had been left unattended on the table towards him: "Hurry up and drink some water, it's getting cold."
Chen Yisheng didn't refuse. His slender fingers took the cup, his fingertips accidentally brushing against hers, causing a barely perceptible shudder. He tilted his head back, his Adam's apple rolling, and drank the cold water in the cup in one gulp.
He was really tired.
At this moment, Chi Jin's computer screen, which had been on all the time, suddenly dimmed, and then a simple screen saver program popped up - a silent digital clock counting down to midnight.
“5… 4… 3… 2… 1…”
The moment the number returned to zero, the screen fell into a deep dark blue.
For some unknown reason, Chi Jin looked at the screen that symbolized a new day and blurted out—
"Happy birthday, Chen Yisheng."
Chen Yisheng suddenly turned his head to look at her, with clear surprise flashing in his eyes. It seemed that he had never expected that she would remember a casual remark he made, let alone that she would say it at this moment.
The surprise quickly faded away, and when their eyes met, it turned into a tender and soft light.
His eyes were fixed on her face, as if she was the only one left in the world.
The dim light from the screen outlined the profile of his face and also illuminated the emotions surging in his eyes.
He was silent for a few seconds, but the brief silence seemed to be stretched infinitely, as if an arrow was on a string, ready to be fired at any moment.
Chen Yisheng leaned forward slightly, closing the already tiny distance between them. His voice was lower and deeper than before, each word clear and filled with a kind of desperate tenderness.
"Chi Jin, I can't help but like you."
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