The Tempting Road to Becoming an Official

Chen Fang offered a slight smile and said, "Section Chief Lin, Chen doesn't really have many hobbies, but sometimes I like to go to the county song and dance troupe to listen to the opera. I remember you're an opera fan too, aren't you, Section Chief Lin?"

It seemed he heard some implicit meaning.

Lin Mang didn't speak anymore.

Continuing, Chen Fang said, "I wonder if Section Chief Lin knows, our county song and dance troupe has an opera class, and in that class, there's a leading actress named He Xiaomei..."

"Okay, stop talking."

Chen Fang wanted to keep nagging.

He was interrupted by Lin Mang.

Chen Fang smiled knowingly.

He asked, "Section Chief Lin, when can I get the materials I asked for?"

Lin Mang looked embarrassed and said, "In an hour, I'll have someone send them over."

"Good, then I'll thank Section Chief Lin in advance. You've worked hard, Section Chief Lin."

Chen Fang patted his shoulder and stood up to leave.

He left behind a disheveled Lin Mang.

What exactly did Chen Fang mean by what he said just now?

This Lin Mang, ah, after graduating from college in his twenties, got married to a girl from the same village whom he had known since childhood.

A year or two later,

Lin Mang passed the civil service exam, cleared the written test and interview, and began working in the county party office.

Due to his rather outstanding talents, he had climbed from a minor position to the head of the official document division.

Lin Mang originally wasn't very sophisticated.

But once he got to the county town, he was dazzled by the glitzy world.

With his career progressing, He Xiaomei from the song and dance troupe took the initiative to throw herself at him.

Time and again, the two maintained a secret "connection," which was also the reason Lin Mang hadn't brought his wife and child over.

This secret, usually no one knew, but how did Chen Fang come to know about it?

Lin Mang felt a chill thinking about it.

He decided to have a clear talk with He Xiaomei about this matter tonight, and if it came to it, breaking up was also an option.

As usual,

Chen Fang was busy until evening.

He had planned to leave work on time.

But unexpectedly, a last-minute meeting came up.

By the time he was off work, it was already past nine in the evening.

Being a secretary is not an easy job.

After a tiring day, Chen Fang returned to his office for a short rest, and when he opened his eyes, it was almost eleven o'clock.

His whole body jolted awake, and he hurriedly packed up to leave.

As he locked the door and was about to depart,

the faint sound of a woman crying sent a shiver down his spine.

How could there be the sound of a woman crying in the dark corridor in the dead of night? Could it be a ghost?

Chen Fang tiptoed in the direction the cries came from, turned a corner, and let out a sigh of relief—the light in the official document office was still on. The crying, it was coming from inside.

Chen Fang collected his emotions.

As he approached the doorway, the crying abruptly stopped.

Clearly, the person inside must have heard his footsteps.

He peeked his head in.

He saw the slightly plump girl from earlier, Ning Yi, still sitting at her desk, with a thick stack of files in front of her.

"Good evening, Secretary Chen."

Ning Yi had also noticed Chen Fang.

Wiping away a tear, she said.

"Haven't left work yet?"

Chen Fang inquired.

Ning Yi glanced desperately at the file folder next to her and said, "Section Chief Lin said I can't leave before all these documents are handled today."

"How much do you have left?"

Chen Fang asked as he walked closer.

Ning Yi sniffled.

And said, "I don't know, I probably won't be able to leave work today."

Chen Fang handed her a tissue and asked, "Are you new here?"

Ning Yi took the tissue, nodded, and responded, "I started a day before you."

Oh, no wonder he felt she was unfamiliar.

He thought for a moment and said, "You're being punished today because of me. Don't do this work anymore. If Lin Mang gives you trouble tomorrow, just tell him it was me who asked you not to do it, okay?"

Ning Yi heard this.

And waved her hands quickly.

She said, "Secretary Chen, I appreciate your kindness, but I must do this work. I'm new here, and I don't want to cause any trouble."

Quite clever, aren't you?

Chen Fang paused for a moment, snatched the pen from her hand, and put it in the pen holder.

He took her hand and said, "Come on, just listen to me."

And just like that.

Ning Yi was dragged out by Chen Fang.

Out onto the main road.

It was clear that Ning Yi was still in a bad mood.

Her face sullen, she seemed very worried.

"How about I treat you to some late-night snacks?"

Chen Fang asked.

Ning Yi pouted and replied, "No thanks, I'm not hungry."

"Then… how about I treat you to a drink?"

"I'm not thirsty."

"Then… shall I take you home?"

"I don't want to go home either."

Ning Yi refused Chen Fang's invitation three times in a row.

Seeing her so unhappy.

Chen Fang leaned in close to her ear and whispered, "Have you ever read an article that says if a woman stays angry for a long time, she will get wrinkles that can't be removed by any cosmetics"

Upon hearing this.

Ning Yi suddenly became anxious.

She asked, "Is that true?"

Chen Fang nodded and said, "Of course it's true. Look at those female leaders, even though they use the best cosmetics, they still look much older. It's because they often have to get angry, so it makes them appear older."

"Then I won't become a leader in the future."

Ning Yi grumbled.

Chen Fang almost laughed at her comment.

Leadership isn't something you can just decide to take on.

Seeing that his coaxing was having an effect.

Chen Fang continued with his sweet talk, "Exactly, you should get angry less. Look at how beautiful you are, with such a great figure, like a princess. How can you bother with the likes of Lin Mang and those common folk?"

Ning Yi looked down at herself.

She lamented, "But they all say I'm fat."

"You're not fat, that's called being plump, slightly chubby. For men, that's the most alluring figure. Others are as skinny as a lamppost, with hardly any flesh on their buttocks, bumping into them is so uncomfortable."

Chen Fang said.

Ning Yi was taken aback.

She asked, "Why would bumping into them be uncomfortable?"

Three black lines appeared on Chen Fang's forehead, somewhat embarrassed, he quickly explained, "I mean, if you bump into them by accident, it's uncomfortable."

Ning Yi nodded as if she understood and said, "Oh, so you mean it wouldn't hurt if someone bumped into me, right?"

"Exactly, bumping into you wouldn't hurt, and it would even feel quite cushiony."

Chen Fang knew she didn't grasp what he meant and could only reluctantly agree.

It was as if Ning Yi suddenly thought of something.

She asked, "Then I have another question, I heard the guys in the office secretly saying I'm the chubby kind with a lot of water. What does having a lot of water mean?"

"Uh…"

Chen Fang was speechless.

Those guys in the office really had nothing better to do, clearly just bullying the newcomer.

After thinking for a moment.

He said, "Isn't there a saying, 'women are made of water'? When they say you have a lot of water, it means you look fresh and dewy, more feminine."

"Oh~ so that's what they meant, here I thought they were saying I'm fat, but they were actually complimenting me."

Chen Fang thought he had seen naive people before.

But he had never met someone as naive as Ning Yi.

She was like a blank slate.

"And a third question."

Ning Yi continued.

Chen Fang's head started to ache.

Why are there still questions?

He sighed heavily and said, "One last question, after that, can I treat you to a late-night meal?"

"Okay."

Ning Yi agreed.

Chen Fang said, "Then go ahead and ask."

Ning Yi thought for a moment and said, "They also said that my body type is a natural 'cannon mount.' What does that mean?"