Chapter 80: Keeping Secrets!

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Time always seems to slip by quickly when one is simply muddling through. Just like Wang Zheng, who found himself drifting through an entire day without realizing it, doing little else besides his usual bickering with Bai Bing. Pushing open the office door, he saw the staff still buried in their work. Wang Zheng glanced around, giving special attention to the middle-aged man who had bumped into him earlier. After Wang Zheng shot him a murderous look, the man could barely hold his pen steady.

Feigning nonchalance, Wang Zheng approached a female employee and whispered, “Working overtime?”

“Yes,” she replied with a face full of resentment. Being a white-collar worker isn’t easy. Despite their polished appearance and radiant smiles, they are still wage earners, subject to others’ whims. The term "white-collar" doesn’t mean one can effortlessly collect their salary; even with overtime pay, most would rather spend some time resting or enjoying themselves after a long day.

“Has President Lin left?” Wang Zheng asked again.

“I’m not sure. She hasn’t come out of her office since this afternoon, so she must still be inside,” the woman answered.

Wang Zheng nodded, straightening up and turning his gaze to the door of the general manager’s office. She had been shut in there all day—who knows what she was up to. He sighed deeply, a sigh for Lin Xiaolei. Standing in the work area, he could sense the resentment in the air, as if a horde of little ghosts waving summoning talismans had passed through. Such a working style would inevitably breed discontent, especially among the young female employees who had no burdens. They didn’t need to scheme for their family’s livelihood and could freely choose what to do or discard what they didn’t want.

If Lin Xiaolei kept treating her staff this way, trouble would soon follow.

As Wang Zheng was lost in thought, Bai Bing suddenly tugged at his sleeve and gave him a meaningful glance before heading out of the company. Wang Zheng’s curiosity was piqued. He’d known Bai Bing for some time, but this was the first time she’d acted this way. Watching her walk ahead with that serious expression, Wang Zheng followed, sensing there was something important she wanted to discuss.

“What’s wrong?” Wang Zheng asked once they stepped out of Yong’an Tower, stopping beside Bai Bing who was waiting for him.

“You told me those fifteen female employees were hired through your interviews, right?” Bai Bing suddenly asked, catching Wang Zheng off guard.

“If you’ve got something to say, spit it out. Don’t beat around the bush,” Wang Zheng replied impatiently.

“You... Forget it, I won’t talk to you!” Bai Bing turned and walked away, her temper flaring.

Wang Zheng couldn’t find a reasonable explanation for Bai Bing’s behavior—unless she was ill. When did she learn to play coy? First, she put on a serious face, creating a mysterious atmosphere to pique curiosity, only to leave without revealing anything. This was classic suspense-building, equivalent to playing the mysterious type.

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Wang Zheng watched Bai Bing’s retreating figure and thought, This woman has learned some tricks! Glancing back at Yong’an Tower, he finally headed home. As for Bai Bing’s secret, Wang Zheng was curious but not enough to chase after her. In fact, he deliberately refrained from asking. Why? Because women can’t hold things in; if they don’t speak out, it’ll gnaw at them.

For example: Before hearing a secret, a woman always says, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone.” But soon enough, she’ll share it with someone else in a corner, prefacing it with, “You absolutely mustn’t tell anyone...!”

Wang Zheng wasn’t worried. In this setting, besides himself, Bai Bing had nobody else to confide in. If she didn’t spill the secret, it would eat her up.

Sure enough, when Wang Zheng didn’t try to stop her, Bai Bing’s pace slowed. Wang Zheng grinned to himself, stopped after a few steps, slowly took out a cigarette, slowly lit it, slowly took a puff, and slowly exhaled... His slow-motion act was worthy of a gambler's dramatic entrance.

Feigning depth, Bai Bing tilted her head, glancing backward, expecting Wang Zheng to follow—but he’d stopped by a lamp post, smoking.

With a swift motion, Bai Bing turned, marched over, snatched the cigarette from Wang Zheng’s mouth, and tossed it into a nearby trash can.

“When did your smoking habit get so bad? Would you die if you didn’t smoke?” Bai Bing scolded. “Don’t you know smoking is harmful to your health?”

“I know,” Wang Zheng replied coolly, watching her performance and silently counting to see how long Bai Bing could keep her secret.

“If you know, why do you still smoke?”

“Because I want to die.”

“...!” Passersby were speechless at Wang Zheng’s answer—it was so blunt, leaving no room for retort.

“If you want to die, don’t drag others down with you. Don’t you know secondhand smoke is even more dangerous? You’re polluting the environment—indirectly committing murder.”

Wang Zheng looked innocently at Bai Bing, whose irritation was clearly due to Wang Zheng’s refusal to play along with her agenda, making her seem as though she hated him. Fourteen seconds... fifteen... sixteen... Wang Zheng silently counted, betting Bai Bing would reveal her secret within two minutes. If he lost, he’d eat one less bowl of rice.

Seeing passersby staring, Bai Bing pulled Wang Zheng’s sleeve and continued walking. Thinking Wang Zheng had tacitly admitted his mistake by staying silent, she felt a bit better and said as they walked, “Don’t you feel Lin Xiaolei is acting strange?”

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Stop! Forty-two seconds. Wang Zheng cheered inwardly, though he was a bit disappointed—he’d overestimated Bai Bing, expecting her to hold out for nearly two minutes, but she surrendered in under a minute.

“What did you say?” Wang Zheng asked, caught up in his own mental celebration and missing her words.

“I said, Lin Xiaolei is acting strange!” Bai Bing repeated.

“So all that suspense was just about this?” Wang Zheng laughed. “I didn’t need you to tell me—I already knew!”

“You’re missing my point. I mean her attitude toward her subordinates is off!” Bai Bing explained, finally letting out the secret she’d been holding in, feeling liberated and choosing to keep going. “Have you noticed only her old subordinates go in and out of her office? The fifteen women you interviewed haven’t been given any important tasks. And from my observation today, any old subordinate of Lin Xiaolei can give orders to those fifteen women.”

“You mean... because those fifteen female employees were recruited by me, they’re not trusted and are treated like servants?” Wang Zheng asked.

“Yes. I think Lin Xiaolei sees those fifteen as your people. How else do you explain her cold attitude toward them? It’s like the factional disputes in a TV station—new rulers, new favorites. You should understand that, right?”

Hearing Bai Bing’s words, Wang Zheng fell into deep thought. Recalling his experiences at the TV center today, he realized Bai Bing’s theory had merit. Although Wang Zheng and Lin Xiaolei had jointly conducted the interviews, those women were chosen by him. Lin Xiaolei had always felt uneasy about hiring them, and had mentioned it to Wang Zheng directly. He hadn’t taken it seriously at the time, but now...

After thinking it over, Wang Zheng looked at Bai Bing and asked, “Maybe you’re just being too sensitive?”

“It’s not sensitivity—it’s a woman’s sixth sense. And there’s factual basis for it, understand?” Bai Bing said loudly.

“Hiss...” Wang Zheng sucked in a breath. If that was true, it was a serious problem.

Lin Xiaolei had ideals and ambitions, wanting to elevate Zhongtian—it was admirable. But if she failed to recognize the current situation, Wang Zheng could call her reckless. If she didn’t follow his advice, she was strong-willed or perhaps stubborn. Wang Zheng could accept all that—it didn’t matter much to him. But if, as Bai Bing suspected, Lin Xiaolei was distrustful of the fifteen female employees, then the suspicion wouldn’t stop at them—it would extend to Wang Zheng, who recruited them.

Does she not trust me?

Is it Bai Bing who’s overly sensitive, or has Lin Xiaolei started to change, too?