Chapter 103 Letter of Borrowing
Spring in Beijing always becomes vivid with a few drizzling rains and sudden temperature rises. The April sun has already gained strength, casting clear patches of light on the floor through the bright glass windows of the Translation Department office of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Song Zhiyi sat at her workstation, surrounded by the hushed whispers and clatter of keyboards of her colleagues focused on their work. She had just finished a simultaneous interpreting session at an internal briefing on Middle Eastern water resources and was now organizing the terminology database and key points of the meeting on her screen. The brief moment of tranquility after the intense mental work allowed her to breathe a slight sigh of relief.
The email icon flashed briefly, indicating a new email was arriving.
The sender's address indicates it is the Human Resources Office of the United Nations Secretariat, and the subject is: "Formal Notice: Nomination and Follow-up Arrangements for Secondment".
It's here. Her fingers, gripping the mouse, paused slightly before she clicked steadily.
My heart felt as if it had been gently but firmly pulled by a thread, then returned to its place, beating steadily and powerfully. What's meant to come will come, just as an even more vibrant season is sure to follow spring.
She still vividly remembered the conversation with her superiors a few months ago. The UN Department of Peace Operations needed a special talent: top-notch language skills, in-depth knowledge of regional politics, and ideally, frontline mediation potential, to help untangle a deadlocked peace process in the Middle East. After layers of screening and evaluation, her name was nominated. When her superiors asked about her personal willingness, she answered almost without hesitation. It wasn't impulsive; it was the clear sense of finally reaching the core battlefield after years of preparation.
What followed was a lengthy process: background checks by the United Nations, multiple rounds of professional and demanding video interviews, situational simulation tests, psychological assessments... She prepared as if for a most important diplomatic negotiation, remaining calm, focused, and fully committed, without mentioning it to anyone, including the Huo family.
Now, this email, bearing the UN logo, lies quietly on the screen.
She quickly skimmed the main text. The wording was formal and official, confirming that she had been officially nominated and approved for secondment to the UN Secretariat's Department of Peace Operations as a Senior Coordinator (Language and Political Affairs) for a Middle East peace process negotiation coordination group. The initial secondment period was set at two years, with the possibility of extension. Attachments included the appointment letter, details of her benefits, a reporting guide, and a long list of tasks requiring completion by her original unit and herself, with a one-month deadline for feedback.
Two years. The Middle East. Peace process negotiations and coordination.
Every word carried weight, pointing to the core of her professional ideals and subtly echoing the profound legacy ingrained in her blood. A familiar, calm yet fervent surge welled within her chest. It was not ecstasy, but the solemn echo of a mission knocking at her door.
She took a small sip of her now-cold tea to calm herself, then carefully reviewed the email and attachments, word by word. Once she confirmed everything was correct, she picked up the internal phone and dialed the company's personnel department's short number.
"Director Li, this is Song Zhiyi from the Translation Department. I just received the official secondment letter from the United Nations... Yes, I'll forward the email to you right now. I've reviewed the relevant procedures; it requires supporting documents from the department and the ministry. I'll prepare the materials and submit them as soon as possible... Okay, understood, thank you, Director Li."
After hanging up the phone, she glanced at the bottom right corner of her computer screen: 3:10 PM.
There wasn't much time to dwell on her emotions. She immediately began to organize her work, creating a clear project handover checklist in her document, while simultaneously planning her intensive to-do list for the next month: completing all current urgent tasks, preparing detailed handover documents, navigating all departmental approval processes, handling personal certifications, and conducting a systematic and intensive study of the latest developments in the target region…
Her thinking was clear and her steps were well-defined, just like her habit when facing any major task.
As for the Huo family, as for Huo Yanli… the thought lingered briefly in her mind like a fleeting cloud outside the window. She knew she needed to inform them, given that it involved a two-year overseas assignment, and the timing was subtly close to the natural end of that “five-year agreement.” But this wasn’t something that needed to be discussed or negotiated; it was a crucial step in her career, a direction she had already set. She simply needed to choose an appropriate time, in a formal yet peaceful manner, to inform them of this fait accompli.
She planned to wait until the initial procedures at the ministry had made clear progress and the secondment was basically settled before discussing it further. This would be more prudent and would avoid unnecessary premature fluctuations or... pointless entanglements.
The sunlight outside the window shifted slightly, warmly enveloping her arm. She raised her hand, watching the light dance on her skin, mirroring her current state of mind.
For her, this was not a turning point, but rather the natural next step.
Her battlefield is never in the stable meeting room, but on the edge of the storm, at the forefront of the fierce clash of words and stances.
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