win-win
The morning sun had not yet completely dispelled the thin mist when Qu Shiyao drifted into the office, yawning.
As soon as she entered, several pairs of eyes subtly swept over her.
She was carrying an insulated bag containing eight-treasure porridge that Yi Yu had precisely fed her.
When she sat down at her workstation and looked up, Lin Weiwei, who had managed to snag the breakfast voucher that day, hadn't arrived yet.
Qu Shiyao wasn't in a hurry. She slowly opened the bag, and the rich, sweet aroma of grains instantly wafted out.
She scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth. The sweetness was just right for her taste buds. Yi Yu's breakfasts were becoming more and more to her liking.
[Host...] The system bubbled softly in her mind's eye, with the worry of an old mother: [Do you remember the real-life example I gave you last time? Don't let a man ruin your way home!]
"Relax, relax, I can tell what's important." Qu Shiyao enjoyed the eight-treasure porridge in her hand, looking at the increase in real fans today. She responded vaguely to the system's words, but her eyes were unusually clear.
She swallowed her porridge and then teased, "But you, System, are you even more nervous about the success or failure of the mission than I am? Will our failure affect your performance evaluation?"
She recalled the system's disastrous record; logically, given how popular it was, it shouldn't be any different from hers.
"I...I..." The system suddenly froze, flickering in and out of consciousness, emitting a series of chaotic buzzing sounds.
It was trying to explain something, but a sudden, sharp pain deep within the core database disrupted all its logical modules.
In this chaotic void, a weak voice emerged, seemingly both extremely distant and intimately close.
...Little 6... Heh... Cough cough... Please help, help us get out of here...
The voice was broken and shattered, revealing a deep despair between the lines.
The system froze abruptly. It wanted to comfort the person and ask who she was... but its voice module was frozen, unable to produce a single sound.
Immediately afterwards, another, more indistinct voice, belonging to itself yet utterly unfamiliar, replied: [A06 received, will certainly... fulfill the request...]
"System?" Qu Shiyao waited a few seconds but didn't hear a reply from the system. She looked into her sea of consciousness in confusion and saw that the system was flashing wildly and its entire form was extremely unstable.
Qu Shiyao's expression changed drastically, and the spoon in her hand fell back into the bowl with a "clatter".
"System!" she shouted sharply, her voice tense to the point that she herself was unaware of.
[Beep—!] A grand, cold electronic sound rang out in Qu Shiyao's sea of consciousness.
[An abnormal operation was detected in the A06 emotion module. Emergency cleanup initiated...]
Qu Shiyao frowned, pondering her conversation with the system. Could it be about being resurrected after completing the mission?
She was quite certain that the system malfunction was not her fault.
[Host! I'm back!] The system's energetic voice rang out. Seeing the host's thoughtful expression, it asked, somewhat puzzled, [What's wrong, host?]
Qu Shiyao stared at the sphere of light that seemed to have remained unaffected: "You still remember what we just did..."
She had barely opened her mouth when she was interrupted by a series of rapid, labored breaths coming from the doorway.
"I bought it! I got it!" Lin Weiwei looked like she had just weathered a storm. Her usually meticulous hairstyle was now damp with sweat, and her makeup was a little messy.
She was still tightly clutching a luxury takeout bag with the "Yunhaizhai" logo in gold foil.
Everyone looked up at Lin Weiwei. Good heavens, she wasn't going to buy breakfast; she must have just come back from blowing up a bunker this morning.
Wang Qian quickly stood up from her workstation, took the takeout from Lin Weiwei, and placed it on the table.
[Wow!] The system's attention was instantly diverted, and it couldn't help but exclaim in amazement: [This Senior Lin's execution ability is truly terrifying! I just sent her a message this morning and she answered it instantly, without even asking about the price or what to buy!]
"To be able to climb from the 8th floor to the 66th floor, you must have taken notes!"
Qu Shiyao's face lit up with genuine surprise and admiration as she stood up and hurried to greet Lin Weiwei. She grasped Lin Weiwei's hand tightly and shook it with heartfelt emotion, saying, "Senior Lin! You've worked so hard!"
As she spoke, her gaze swept over Lin Weiwei's disheveled appearance and the takeout food on the table: "Tell me quickly, how much did you spend? What time did you go to keep watch?"
Lin Weiwei felt a little uncomfortable with Qu Shiyao's enthusiasm. She withdrew her hand in disgust and quickly took out a small mirror from her bag to tidy her appearance.
"1988 yuan, go queue up at 5:30."
"1988?!" Qu Shiyao gasped in surprise, staring at the box of gold in shock. She didn't understand the world of the rich.
Lin Weiwei quickly tidied herself up, closed the small mirror, raised her chin, and resumed her usual haughty demeanor, asking impatiently, "Is it ready? Can we send it over now?"
“Then we have to leave now!” Qu Shiyao readily agreed and started walking out.
Lin Weiwei picked up the takeout, raised her head, and scanned everyone in the office with a look of utter contempt and smugness before following closely behind Qu Shiyao.
"Thump thump—!"
There was a knock on the solid wood door of the CEO's office.
"Come in." Si Cheng's deep, magnetic voice came from inside.
Si Cheng looked up from a pile of documents and saw that Qu Shiyao's hands were empty and she looked relaxed, while Lin Weiwei behind her was holding takeout in both hands.
"President Si," Lin Weiwei said before Qu Shiyao could speak, deftly taking out the layers of exquisite food boxes and arranging them out. Her voice was so gentle it could melt water: "Your Yunhaizhai tea and snacks."
Si Cheng glanced casually at the food box; it contained only his usual favorites.
Seeing that Si Cheng was satisfied, Qu Shiyao seized the opportunity and immediately stepped forward, her voice clear: "Mr. Si, you don't know, this is what our sister Weiwei bought by queuing up early this morning. She didn't even have time to eat. This one cost 1988 yuan. She bought all of these. I don't know if they suit your taste."
"And look at the quality, the thoughtfulness, and thankfully it was Sister Weiwei... In the end, it only cost 1988 yuan..." she said quickly.
Lin Weiwei, standing next to her, blushed slightly from the praise and lowered her eyes in response, revealing a shy expression.
Only the system understood Qu Shiyao's true intentions. It awkwardly covered its face: she really just likes money. Look, the host has reminded it twice already.
Si Cheng's brows twitched from Qu Shiyao's machine-gun-like chatter, and his temples throbbed with pain.
He looked expressionlessly at the chattering woman in front of him, his tone tinged with impatience: "What do you need?"
"The fee!" Qu Shiyao immediately showed an incredulous expression, her eyes fixed on Si Cheng, her face clearly saying: You're not trying to renege on the debt, are you? Oh my god! No way, no way?
Si Cheng was speechless at Qu Shiyao's blatant expression. He took a deep breath, quickly took out his phone and transferred some money. Out of sight, out of mind, he turned around and said, "Okay, it's been transferred. You can leave now."
Qu Shiyao picked up her phone and saw 5,000 yuan. The corners of her mouth curled up slightly, and the doubt on her face was replaced by a fawning smile. Her attitude changed drastically: "Yes, President Si! Enjoy your meal, President Si! We'll take our leave now."
She turned around nimbly and saw Lin Weiwei still standing there, seemingly wanting to say a few more words to Si Cheng. Without saying a word, she put her arm around Lin Weiwei's shoulder and dragged and pushed her out the door together.
As I walked out of the CEO's office, the door closed behind me.
"Okay!" Qu Shiyao returned to her usual lazy self.
She released Lin Weiwei, took out her phone, and quickly typed: "Senior Lin, it's your turn. It's been a pleasure working with you."
Lin Weiwei snapped out of her daze, looked at the transfer on her phone, paused for a moment, and pointed at the screen, asking in confusion, "Isn't it too much?"
"Not much, not much. The rest of the money is your reward for your hard work." Qu Shiyao gave a thumbs up, acknowledging Lin Weiwei's efficiency.
Lin Weiwei didn't say anything more. After all, who would complain about having more money? Besides, she had gone there early in the morning and queued for so long, so she really deserved a tip for her hard work.
And so, with both parties satisfied, the two of them walked toward the assistant's office in a harmonious atmosphere.
Pushing open the office door, it instantly fell silent.
All eyes turned to them, with a hint of curiosity.
Lin Weiwei walked in with her back straight and chin slightly raised, like a peacock spreading its tail feathers. Her gaze swept over everyone, especially Zhang Li, with the pride of a victor and a hint of contempt.
Qu Shiyao walked to the center of the office, cleared her throat, and made a major announcement:
"Ahem! Everyone!" Qu Shiyao stood at the door, speaking like a big sister: "This freebie is over. Next, I will adopt a bidding system. Each person only has one chance to bid, and the highest bidder wins!"
“Of course,” she changed the subject, her face displaying an undeniable air of authority, “for the long-term, stable development of our cause, necessary secrecy is indispensable.”
Qu Shiyao took out several printed confidentiality agreements from her workstation and handed them out one by one, two copies to each person, saying solemnly:
"This can only proceed normally if we all sign a confidentiality agreement. Rest assured, the terms are clear and there will be no deception."
The others picked up the confidentiality agreements, and every clause seemed fine, except that leaking secrets would incur exorbitant penalties.
[Host.] The system beside me looked at the newly printed agreements and asked with a puzzled expression, [Is it really necessary to make these confidentiality agreements so formal...?]
Although it output the text as requested by the host, it really doesn't understand the operation.
"Of course it's necessary." Qu Shiyao answered the system's question while waiting for everyone to flip through the document:
"This is called proactive risk management. Don't you know how terrible office jealousy can be? I'm afraid that someone won't be able to get a spot or will think it's too expensive, and then they'll feel resentful and report me behind my back. That could block my path to making money!"
Qu Shiyao looked at the expressions on everyone's faces—some deep in thought, some decisively, and some frowning as they picked up their pens—and a capitalist's smile, like one that comes with money, appeared on her face.
"You can give me the signed copy. I'll keep the original. Keep the attachments safe, and remember that!"
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