Chapter 19 "But do you want to wear it...?"
Actually, to be precise, it can't really be considered a gift.
The milk tea just happened to fall in front of Pei Shuwen, and she mentioned it casually.
But how did Nie Shanshan know?
Lin Chaoyue was still puzzled.
She peeked out from under the newspaper.
Lin Chaoyue then noticed that the cup of milk tea she had just left downstairs was now in front of Pei Shuwen, with a straw still sticking out of it, and half of the milk tea in the transparent plastic cup was gone.
How could he actually drink it?
Doesn't he dislike drinking black tea? Especially black tea with sugar and boba.
And why does this milk tea look so out of place in front of him?
Lin Chaoyue initially only peeked at the documents, but later she didn't notice when the documents she was holding drooped down.
Everyone else avoided Pei Shuwen's gaze, but she was the only one who openly went up to her, making her very conspicuous.
Pei Shuwen: "It seems that Attorney Lin has some questions he wants to ask?"
If Pei Shuwen hadn't met her gaze, Lin Chaoyue wouldn't have realized that the "Lin Lu" was being called to her.
"Me?" Lin Chaoyue pointed to herself and then shook her head like a rattle-drum: "I'm fine, I have nothing to ask."
Pei Shuwen nodded slightly: "Well, I do have a few questions."
"They're here, they're finally here." Nie Shanshan spoke very softly, but Lin Chaoyue, who was sitting next to her, heard her clearly.
What's coming?
Lin Chaoyue was somewhat bewildered.
soon.
She then heard Pei Shuwen continue, "Today is everyone's first time going out on a project since joining Juntian Liangmu. Before we officially begin, I'd like to have a brief meeting with everyone to discuss things. This will also make the work easier later on."
"The discussion began with me posing a question. Everyone is welcome to share their thoughts."
"Lawyer Lin, please take meeting minutes."
Lin Chaoyue wanted to say that she didn't know how, but Pei Shuwen was clearly forcing her to do it, so he threw the notebook and pen at her.
Pei Shuwen: "The format is fixed; just fill in the content according to the framework above."
Lin Chaoyue wanted to refuse, but Pei Shuwen's words made it impossible.
Lin Chaoyue hesitated for a moment, then decided to give it a try, but when she looked up, she found that everyone seemed to envy her, and their gazes toward the notebook had become very intense.
What's going on?
Lin Chaoyue looked at everyone, and finally looked at Pei Shuwen with a puzzled expression.
Pei Shuwen didn't give her another glance, and his expression inexplicably became much more serious. The conference room returned to its previous deathly silence.
Didn't we say we were going to have a meeting to discuss it?
Lin Chaoyue put down her pen, staring at the blank paper, unsure of what to write.
A while later...
Pei Shuwen spoke again, this time directly calling out a name: "Yuan Liya. Lawyer Yuan."
Yuan Liya, whose name was called, was very nervous and immediately stood up: "Pei Lu."
Pei Shuwen was much calmer, and simply told her to sit down: "You don't need to stand up. Everyone can sit down to answer my questions from now on."
"You must remember both the content of the questions and the answers."
The last sentence was said to Lin Chaoyue.
Lin Chaoyue nodded: "Okay." This job is simple, she can do it.
After Lin Chaoyue finished answering, Pei Shuwen casually asked a question: "How's the preliminary due diligence for each project going lately?"
Yuan Liya's face lit up with joy.
This question is not difficult. For non-litigation projects in law firms, the primary task is usually due diligence. She did similar work during her internship and has been making due diligence her main job recently.
Moreover, there had long been rumors in the institute that Lawyer Pei had very high standards for his subordinates and would often ask them random questions, so she had recently made special preparations for this.
This question happened to be within the scope of her key preparations.
Yuan Liya was very confident: "All projects are progressing. I have already completed the preliminary routine due diligence based on the template provided by the law firm, and I plan to conduct targeted investigations based on the characteristics of different companies later..."
Yuan Liya said a lot.
Lin Chaoyue didn't know if her answer was right or wrong, but she did give a lot of details.
Lin Chaoyue wrote furiously, filling almost the entire page.
Although this job doesn't require much brainpower, writing too much really tires out the hands.
After writing the last character, Lin Chaoyue put down her pen and shook her arm.
Pei Shuwen paused for a moment, and Lin Chaoyue thought the question was over and was about to turn the page.
But then Pei Shuwen asked, "I heard you mention some of the larger projects. Have you considered the smaller ones?"
“Pei Lu… we’re in a bit of a rush, we haven’t had time to look at the others yet.”
"You haven't even looked at the files in the storage room?"
"without……"
These few sentences are easy to remember. Lin Chaoyue even had a moment to look up at them while she was writing them down.
Yuan Liya's face turned pale, and her cousin Nie Shanshan next to her wasn't much better off. She had been holding her head up just a moment ago, but now she had lowered her head again.
But Pei Shuwen, who usually acts like a gentleman, seemed oblivious to everyone's expressions at this moment.
Nie Jingjing was so frustrated she wanted to disappear into the ground, but he still had to ask her a few more questions.
She answered haltingly at first, but later she couldn't answer a single question at all.
Lin Chaoyue only remembered a few questions Pei Shuwen asked this time.
The answer column was almost entirely empty.
Lin Chaoyue thought to herself silently.
Pei Shuwen claims he doesn't have a girlfriend, but he really doesn't know how to cherish women.
She didn't know about others, but these two girls were there for him, and she'd probably be heartbroken for a long time afterward.
But Nie Shanshan was delighted with this.
While everyone was distracted, she secretly glanced at the other side several times in a provocative manner, until Nie Jingjing felt wronged and angry, and tears were about to well up in her eyes.
Pei Shuwen then let her go.
But it's not like they were completely let go.
Pei Shuwen gave the two men the same evaluation very bluntly: "Attorney Yuan and Attorney Nie's work last week was unsatisfactory. Their work this week remains the same: conduct preliminary due diligence on the project. If you have any questions during this period, please ask someone at any time. I hope that your work ability can be improved this week."
"Okay, next one."
Pei Shuwen looked around the room, finally glancing in Lin Chaoyue's direction.
Are you going to ask her a question? If you want to scold her, you can just do it directly. There's no need to make it so complicated.
After all, all my pocket money is with him now.
She estimated that she probably wouldn't even argue back when she was being scolded.
Her nickname "Lin the Coward" wasn't given lightly.
Lin Chaoyue put down her pen, silently preparing herself for a scolding.
But Pei Shuwen's gaze quickly swept past her and looked at the seat next to her.
"Meng Yuzhi".
"Could you tell me what the key points of the due diligence work in our institute are?"
What are the key points of the work? Aren't their recent tasks organizing case files? Meng Yuzhi organized most of the case files in the storage room. Why doesn't she follow the usual routine?
Lin Chaoyue's mouth reacted faster than her brain: "Due investigation isn't our main task lately, Lawyer Pei, are you mistaken?"
Pei Shuwen frowned; it was rare for him to show such emotion in front of Lin Chaoyue.
But Lin Chaoyue selectively ignored it.
She's quick to shrug off on her own affairs, but incredibly persistent when it comes to other people's.
It wasn't that Lin Chaoyue was stubborn.
The main reason was that he genuinely felt Pei Shuwen was forgetful and had mistaken Meng Yuzhi for someone else who was with Yuan Liya and the others.
Lin Chaoyue no longer avoided Pei Shuwen's gaze. The previous avoidance of him was completely gone.
She is very brave.
But everyone else around them was very panicked.
The most panicked among them was Meng Yuzhi.
She didn't care that she and Lin Chaoyue were sitting very close to Pei Shuwen, and she forcefully tugged at Lin Chaoyue twice with her hand under the table.
"Stop talking, Asagi."
Meng Yuzhi's voice was very soft, and Lin Chaoyue couldn't hear it clearly.
She still sticks to her opinion.
The people in the meeting room thought Lin Chaoyue was going to be kicked out, and everyone held their breath, not daring to even breathe loudly.
Lin Chaoyue, however, did not think there was anything wrong with what she did.
Seeing that Pei Shuwen remained silent, he asked again very directly, "Pei Lu, why aren't you saying anything? Am I wrong?"
Pei Shuwen's face was now devoid of any extra expression.
He merely glanced at Lin Chaoyue with a scrutinizing look.
Then he chuckled lightly, unusually compromising on work matters: "Okay, then I'll change the questions to a few, about organizing files; you can add your own later. If you can answer all the questions I ask correctly, I'll give you four A's in this month's performance review."
"real?"
Lin Chaoyue's face lit up with joy. She hadn't really cared much about this kind of assessment, but after hearing Meng Yuzhi mention it a few times in the past few days, she realized how important it was.
If you receive an A in both of the two major assessments within two months, you will most likely be able to choose the department you want to work for next.
Furthermore, monthly performance evaluations are also incorporated into performance-based pay.
A good grade can significantly increase your monthly salary.
Pei Shuwen: "I never break my word."
This time, not only Lin Chaoyue, but everyone else in the conference room also changed their expressions. Getting an A just by answering a few questions? Is there really such a good thing?
Yuan Liya and Nie Jingjing had gone from being extremely disappointed to having their eyes light up.
The others were also silently regretting not joining Pei Shuwen's group.
The usually quiet meeting room was now filled with the rare sound of people discussing things privately.
Pei Shuwen: "Ready? I only have three questions."
Lin Chaoyue had great confidence in both Meng Yuzhi and herself.
"I'm ready, go ahead and ask."
Pei Shuwen quickly posed the first question, which was very simple and even a slacker like Lin Chaoyue could answer it easily.
Because Pei Shuwen's first question was about "points to note when organizing case files".
After organizing nearly half of the files in the storage room, Lin Chaoyue could recite all the steps and precautions by heart.
Moreover, Meng Yuzhi was even more dedicated than herself.
Sure enough, Lin Chaoyue soon heard Meng Yuzhi recite all the precautions word for word.
Pei Shuwen: "Yes, you answered the first question very well."
Lin Chaoyue was getting impatient; she felt that performance-based pay was beckoning to them.
Pei Shuwen: "My second question is also very simple. Our office's case file storage room will collect all the cases we have handled, and the longest time limit for collecting and organizing them is six months."
"That means all the files will be archived within six months."
"My question is, what projects has Juntian Liangmu made significant mistakes in the past six months? Which of these projects is related to Anjiang Group?"
Lin Chaoyue couldn't help but frown upon hearing this question.
This problem is not so simple.
First of all, it's not easy to define a 'major mistake'. What exactly constitutes a major mistake? Is it suspending cooperation midway through, or is it a dispute that arose during the cooperation process? Or is it that the final result was unsatisfactory?
Such a subjective question shouldn't be taken at face value just because Pei Shuwen says so. Is he deliberately making things difficult for them?
She noticed that Meng Yuzhi looked somewhat troubled, and hesitated several times before speaking.
Just when Lin Chaoyue thought that she and Meng Yuzhi were going to be criticized from head to toe by Pei Shuwen today.
Pei Shuwen, however, very 'understandingly' added, "Answering only the last question correctly will also count as passing. This is also the task you will complete next today."
That narrowed the scope down immediately.
This year, Juntian Liangmu and Anjiang Group have only a few projects in cooperation. Even if you guess randomly, there is a very high probability that you will guess correctly.
Moreover, Meng Yuzhi was very meticulous when organizing the case files, and she summarized and organized many similar cases with the same subject.
Others may not know, but Lin Chaoyue saw it all.
Lin Chaoyue looked at Meng Yuzhi with anticipation.
Then Meng Yuzhi's expression became somewhat strange. After hesitating for a long time, she finally gave her answer: "Is it the project where Anjiang Group acquired Jinzaila Equipment Manufacturing Co., Ltd."
“Yes, that’s right,” Pei Shuwen said.
Lin Chaoyue was starting to feel like she had won the lottery.
Then you can just answer one more question.
Lin Chaoyue was optimistic that as long as Pei Shuwen didn't deliberately make things difficult for her, Meng Yuzhi would definitely be able to answer the next question as well.
In contrast, Meng Yuzhi was not so optimistic.
Even the way he looked at Lin Chaoyue gradually became somewhat complicated.
At first, Lin Chaoyue didn't think anything was wrong, but when Pei Shuwen was called away by people from Anjiang Group, Lin Chaoyue realized that Meng Yuzhi's expression was even worse than crying.
"What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"
Meng Yuzhi: "Chaoyue, I might not be able to answer the next question."
"Why? Pei Lu hasn't asked yet, how do you know you can't answer? Besides, Pei Lu said anyone can answer. I have a good memory and can remember all the files I've read, so I can answer too."
"Didn't I look at Kim Jang-il's project?"
"Which one?" Lin Chaoyue was still trying to remember which company 'Jin Zailai' was when Meng Yuzhi's tears were already welling up in her eyes.
"It was the last few documents. On Friday, some people from my hometown came to visit, so I didn't go back to the office. I didn't look at those last few documents carefully."
"What should we do, Asagi?"
She might have some solutions if it were other files she had seen before, but she really hadn't seen this one.
Lin Chaoyue's expression also turned somber. After thinking it over, she comforted him, "Don't worry, what if Attorney Pei doesn't ask about this case later? It's not impossible."
It's too late to rush things now.
We can only hope for the best.
But recently, Lin Chaoyue has basically been far removed from the word 'lucky goddess'.
Pei Shuwen only left for a short while before returning quickly.
Upon returning, he posed one last question.
Pei Shuwen: "Regarding the project I just mentioned, let me explain why it was suspended midway through."
The air fell into a deathly silence.
Pei Shuwen didn't urge him, and just waited for someone to give the answer.
After half a minute, seeing that no one was prepared to answer, he tapped the table in front of Lin Chaoyue.
"Please note down the three questions we just discussed. All of you failed this impromptu assessment. There will be similar discussions next week, and I hope everyone can be well prepared."
"If this is all the work you can do, be prepared to fail the performance review in two months."
This is no 'discussion', it's practically a living devil demanding our lives.
This was the first time Lin Chaoyue had ever felt a little afraid of Pei Shuwen because of work.
He didn't utter a single unnecessary word throughout the entire process, which immediately sent chills down everyone's spines.
...
"You're scared now? No wonder you guys were so bold as to choose Pei Lu. How about it? Are you regretting it now?"
No sooner had Pei Shuwen finished assigning everyone's work and left than Nie Shanshan sidled up to Lin Chaoyue to gossip.
But while Nie Shanshan spoke lightly, Lin Chaoyue knew perfectly well that this wasn't a choice she could make.
She had so many regrets that she didn't even know where to begin.
Lin Chaoyue: "What? Do you have a pill to undo your mistakes that you can sell to me?"
Nie Shanshan scoffed, "If I had a way to undo my mistakes, I'd keep it for myself. That way I wouldn't have to spend all my time with that scumbag. After all, there aren't many opportunities like this to escape."
If Nie Shanshan hadn't mentioned it, Lin Chaoyue would have almost forgotten to ask.
Lin Chaoyue: "By the way, we're practically half Pei Shuwen's people now, so it's only right that we're being used as laborers. Why are you guys here?"
"What else could it be? They were just pulled in as conscripts. I don't know anything else, but I've heard that Anjiang Group's project cooperation is time-sensitive and demanding. We'll have to finish this project in two days at most."
"So rushed?"
"Of course, let's get to work quickly, we're going to be very busy these next few days."
Nie Shanshan whispered in Lin Chaoyue's ear, "Didn't you see the girl you're working with? She's almost on the verge of a breakdown, but she's still working hard. Don't forget to comfort her when you're done."
Nie Shanshan didn't need to say anything about this.
Lin Chaoyue had wanted to say a few words of comfort to Meng Yuzhi, but she only managed a forced smile and said, "It's okay, let's get back to work."
Lin Chaoyue really didn't know what to say, so she could only give up.
She planned to comfort Meng Yuzhi after she had finished some of her work and everyone took a break.
But she didn't get the chance at all, because Meng Yuzhi was called away by the administration of Anjiang Group when she was only halfway through her work.
"Who is Meng Yuzhi?"
"Me." Meng Yuzhi's eyes were no longer so red, but she still looked listless.
"Okay, then come with me for a moment. Jin Zai Lai's boss lady has arrived. You can start the interview now."
"Now? Isn't it an online interview?"
The administrator, who had been nagging the old woman all the way, was now very rude to Meng Yuzhi for being so hesitant: "Yes, now is the time. Everyone is waiting for you. Hurry up."
"I'm sorry, I'm coming right away."
Pei Shuwen broke down the project she worked on at Anjiang Group into many modules.
Each module was divided into quite detailed sections. Lin Chaoyue's assigned task was relatively simple: organizing the due diligence reports written by everyone.
The task assigned to Meng Yuzhi was quite difficult.
It was almost the most difficult one for everyone present.
She was assigned to interview the wife of the owner of Jin Zailai Company.
Actually, it wasn't just her; at first, everyone thought the conversation was just a simple online chat, but now it seems that's not the case.
Lin Chaoyue knew she wasn't feeling well, and before leaving, Meng Yuzhi tugged at her hand: "Can you manage on your own? I don't have much work, do you want me to come with you?"
Meng Yuzhi shook her head: "It's okay, I can do it myself. I've learned how to conduct due diligence interviews before. I'll come back after I finish asking the questions."
Lin Chaoyue let go.
But ever since Meng Yuzhi left, she had been feeling uneasy all afternoon at work.
I waited until it was time to leave work, but Meng Yuzhi still didn't come back.
In the end, even Nie Shanshan felt that something was wrong.
Nie Shanshan: "Lin Chaoyue, why don't you make a call and ask? What kind of due diligence is taking so long? Interviews are just a formality, why does it take so long?"
Lin Chaoyue had called a long time ago, but no one answered for a long time.
Lin Chaoyue simply packed her things and tossed the bag to Nie Shanshan: "Hold these for me, I'm going out to look for someone. If I find them, we can leave work together."
The bag that had been thrown to him was thrown back: "Why are you going out to look for something by yourself? Come and take a look together."
"OK."
Although Lin Chaoyue is usually carefree, she doesn't always fail when it matters.
For example, right now, she directly transformed into a social bull and asked the staff of Anjiang Group which conference room Meng Yuzhi was in.
The meeting room wasn't far away; it was located at the very back of the same floor.
Lin Chaoyue and Nie Shanshan walked past one after the other.
But surprisingly, no one was in the meeting room.
The table and floor were a bit messy, with scraps of paper scattered all over the place.
The cleaning lady is sweeping.
Lin Chaoyue bent down and picked up a piece of scrap paper. The handwriting on it was neat and was written by Meng Yuzhi.
Lin Chaoyue: "Auntie, where's that girl in this room?"
Which one are you referring to? The one who's swearing or the one who's being sweared at?
Lin Chaoyue and Nie Shanshan looked at each other, and finally replied in unison, "The one who got scolded."
"Look, she's crying in that stairwell over there. Such a fragile little girl, she doesn't even talk back when people scold her, how can she stand this kind of treatment?"
The cleaning lady shook her head in disapproval.
Lin Chaoyue didn't listen to what she said at all, and ran into the stairwell...
--
On her way home from get off work, Lin Chaoyue remained preoccupied.
The person seemed to have lost their soul.
She lived on the third floor, and Pei Shuwen lived on the fourth floor, but she still unconsciously pressed the elevator button for the fourth floor when she went up the stairs.
After lingering outside Pei Shuwen's house for a while, Lin Chaoyue finally rang the doorbell.
Pei Shuwen had just returned to Ningcheng from a business trip. Usually, no one would be looking for him at this time. He had just finished taking a shower when he heard the doorbell ring.
When he opened the door, he was only wrapped in a bath towel, and his hair hadn't been dried yet.
Pei Shuwen entered Lin Chaoyue's line of sight in a misty haze.
"What's up?"
Lin Chaoyue caught a glimpse of the water droplets clinging to the man's collarbone out of the corner of her eye, and blushed shamefully. She quickly looked away and said, "Um, well, I have something I want to tell you, something about work."
"Come in."
Pei Shuwen didn't even ask any more questions, just left the door open for her and turned to pour water.
Lin Chaoyue entered the room, but not completely. The door behind her was not closed, and she was just standing at the entrance.
Pei Shuwen: "Aren't you going to close the door?"
"Close it." Lin Chaoyue glanced at Pei Shuwen somewhat embarrassedly, then lowered her head: "But do you want to put on some clothes before we talk?"
After Lin Chaoyue finished speaking, there was no response for a long time.
When she looked up again, Pei Shuwen had already walked up to her without her noticing.
Why are you standing so close?
From this distance, she could see Pei Shuwen's Adam's apple!
This time, she closed her eyes tightly and spoke rapidly: "Pei Shuwen, wait a minute. It's okay if you don't wear clothes. I'll leave right after I finish speaking! Don't do anything reckless!"
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