"Another surprise! Lu Zhe, why aren't you happy?"
Xue Xiaodie's words made him feel even more helpless.
Getting money is certainly a good thing, and unexpected wealth is certainly a pleasant surprise. The problem is that taking money from one girl in front of another undoubtedly adds a lot of hidden trouble.
He said, "It was a pleasant surprise, but I felt a little embarrassed."
Xia Xiaobing: "I've already told everyone that there's a bonus for providing constructive suggestions, so this is money you deserve. What's there to be embarrassed about?"
Lu Zhe thought for a moment and asked, "So how much bonus do you plan to give me?"
Xia Xiaobing simply replied, "Ten thousand."
Lu Zhe breathed a silent sigh of relief. Fortunately, compared to the transfer this morning, this bonus was much smaller, so it wouldn't put too much pressure on him.
No one dislikes money, but receiving too much of it in front of Xue Xiaodie, especially a "constructive suggestion bonus" with such vague evaluation criteria, would make him feel uneasy.
Xia Xiaobing suddenly added, "Ten thousand, just like the bonus we got this morning, what do you think?"
Lu Zhe: "This... of course, no problem. Thank you so much, President Xia, really, thank you so much."
These words truly came from the bottom of his heart. The 'bonus' this morning was clearly 52,000, but now it had become 10,000 in Boss Xia's mouth. Saying it this way to Xue Xiaodie made it seem less suspicious.
Xia Xiaobing smiled meaningfully and continued, "The money this morning is a reward for helping the algorithm department improve Xiao Qiu's algorithm. The bonus this afternoon is for promoting Xiao Qiu's suggestions. So don't just thank me, thank Xiao Qiu too."
Lu Zhe: "..."
Not only did Xia Xiaobing help him conceal the amount of money he received that morning, but she also made up an excuse for him, explaining the reason for the money.
Something seemed amiss, which put Lu Zhe on guard.
However, what happened next showed that his vigilance was useless.
Xia Xiaobing said, "Lu Zhe, go back to your work. Xiao Die will stay with me for a while; I'll discuss with you in detail how to draw this character."
Xue Xiaodie smiled and replied, "Understood, President Xia."
Although Lu Zhe was somewhat uneasy, he could only turn around and walk out, leaving the two girls alone.
The door closed again.
Xia Xiaobing's smile gradually faded, and she said very seriously, "Your reaction is wrong."
Xue Xiaodie's smile remained, but she raised an eyebrow slightly, "What's wrong?"
Xia Xiaobing: "I tested you several times just now. In front of Lu Zhe, I told you that he took a sum of money this morning, and you didn't react. Then I told you that it was just a work bonus, and you still didn't react. Put yourself in his shoes. If I were you, hearing your rival offer to give him money so lavishly, even if you wouldn't flip the table on the spot, your expression should at least change. So I want to ask, are you just too good at acting, or are you simply not interested in him anymore?"
Xue Xiaodie's smile became somewhat weak, and her voice grew increasingly ethereal: "I feel so tired... This must be what they call a 'shura field' (a chaotic situation), right?"
Xia Xiaobing, on the contrary, seemed much more relaxed, looking indifferent: "The 'battlefield' in relationships isn't a real battleground. You have food, drink, and a salary now. The only problem is dealing with men. You're already thinking of giving up?"
Xue Xiaodie sighed, "Because I'm mentally exhausted. Really, so mentally exhausted. And it's not that I'm really giving up completely. I'm just letting you guys grab it first, and I'm waiting to be the one left holding the bag. Isn't that better?"
Xia Xiaobing: "Of course I have no objection, as long as you can accept it. So, what will your attitude be from now on? Will you help me or Miss Tang?"
Xue Xiaodie said with a wry smile, "I won't compete with you, why would I help you? Don't torture me like this. From now on, whatever you and Tang Qi do is none of my business, just don't involve me anymore."
Xia Xiaobing stared intently at her, a half-smile playing on her lips: "You've really given up? But I can hardly believe it..."
Xue Xiaodie plopped down on the sofa and waved her hand defiantly: "Believe it or not!"
Xia Xiaobing smiled and said, "In that case, let's discuss work-related matters. Do you remember the request I made to you earlier?"
Xue Xiaodie: "I remember, but it might not be the case in two hours. You'd better send me a written version of the requirements, like an online call for papers, and make it clear and specific so it will be easier for me to handle."
"Alright then."
As Xia Xiaobing spoke, she carefully observed Xue Xiaodie's expression, trying to find even the slightest hint of something amiss on the girl's face. But no matter how she looked at it, there was nothing unnatural about it.
So, is this girl just a great actress, or has she really given up on winning over Lu Zhe?
Xia Xiaobing gave a silent, cold laugh. After a few seconds of silence, she suddenly said, "I'm going to have Lu Zhe work overtime tonight. Do you have a problem with that?"
Xue Xiaodie: "I hope you won't assign me any tasks. I don't want to work overtime."
Xia Xiaobing: "Don't you want to keep him company while he works overtime?"
Xue Xiaodie: "It's no use being there; it's just the two of us working on our computers."
Xia Xiaobing tapped her knuckles on the edge of the table: "Then, could you please inform Miss Tang?"
Xue Xiaodie sighed heavily: "Didn't I say that I don't want to be in a relationship right now? I just want to work and make money! Please let Lu Zhe talk about these messy love triangles and love triangles, or you can talk to Tang Qi yourself."
Xia Xiaobing suddenly stopped tapping her knuckles on the table, a smile spreading across her face: "What if I pay you?"
Xue Xiaodie: "I'm not that shameless. Besides, stop giving money so easily. If this continues, I'll start to worry about whether the company can stay in business."
Xia Xiaobing: "You don't need to worry about that. The most suitable thing for a reborn person to do is not dating, but doing business."
Xue Xiaodie gently curled the corners of her mouth: "It seems you've already made a lot of money."
Xia Xiaobing smiled and waved her hand: "It's alright. Let's call it a day then. You can go back to your workstation first, and I'll send you a detailed requirements document later."
Xue Xiaodie nodded, got up and left.
After they opened up about their relationship, the atmosphere between the two changed slightly; they seemed more natural, like longtime friends. Whether, however, some unspoken thoughts were hidden beneath this friendly facade, no one knew.
The young woman walked out of the CEO's office, returned to her workstation, and glanced at Lu Zhe beside her.
Lu Zhe also noticed her and asked in a low voice, "She didn't give you any trouble, did she?"
"Why would she make things difficult for me?" Xue Xiaodie said with a light smile. "You're the one who's going to be in a difficult position. You're going to have to work overtime again tonight, you know that?"
Lu Zhe: "Huh?"
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