Before Zhou Zhuofei could respond, Ye Ru waved her off, saying, "Go on, get back to work."
Only after leaving the office did Zhou Zhuofei realize that the dynamic between Ye Ru and her was almost identical to the one she shared with Zhan Zilang.
Truly, like boss, like subordinate.
Though Zhou Zhuofei had never organized such events before, she was no stranger to business dinners. She had mentally bookmarked a few restaurants with decent food and ambiance, and after consulting a few familiar colleagues, she quickly settled the matter.
The next morning, Ye Ru announced the evening gathering in the work group chat.
Reactions among the colleagues were mixed—some were eager to join, while others grumbled about the inconvenience. Still, given how rarely the department organized activities, and with the added justification of welcoming a new colleague, the event was practically a must-attend.
So, despite the complaints, when quitting time rolled around, everyone naturally began carpooling to the venue.
Zhou Zhuofei had a driver’s license but no car of her own, so she usually hitched rides with coworkers, squeezing into whatever seat was available.
She initially planned to drag Zhan Zilang along to ride with Luo Jing, but the latter flashed his car key at her.
"Zhou-jie, why not ride with me?"
Zhou Zhuofei knew nothing about cars, but she recognized the bold logo on the key. Without hesitation, she agreed.
Nearby, Luo Jing gasped at the sight of Zhan Zilang’s key. "Damn, that’s a nice ride."
Zhou Zhuofei waved him over. "Come on, let’s go see it for ourselves."
Luo Jing had originally intended to drive himself, but her enthusiasm swayed him. His car would always be there, but this chance might not come again.
Zhan Zilang was equally generous, warmly inviting Luo Jing. "Luo-ge, let’s go together. I’ll drop you back later."
"Sounds great, thanks!"
"No problem, it’s nothing."
By then, the others had sorted their rides, so the trio headed to the underground garage.
On the way, Luo Jing and Zhan Zilang chatted about cars while Zhou Zhuofei, bored, fiddled with her phone and messaged Du Yu.
Coincidentally, Du Yu was asking to meet up over the weekend to introduce her new boyfriend.
Compared to car talk, Zhou Zhuofei was far more interested in this.
She and Du Yu messaged daily—Zhou Zhuofei would ping her the moment she arrived at work.
Their conversations were sporadic, like digital messages in a bottle, replies dependent on chance. Yet it was a habit she couldn’t shake.
Unfamiliar with the garage layout, Zhou Zhuofei simply trailed behind the two men until they stopped. When she finally looked up, her eyes lit up.
Zhan Zilang’s silver-gray coupe had sleek, futuristic lines. "This car is gorgeous!"
"Of course it is—it’s one of their most iconic models," Luo Jing murmured, eyes glued to the vehicle as he circled it.
Clueless about car models but with a sharp eye for aesthetics, Zhou Zhuofei remarked, "It looks like the one the protagonist drives in Black X. So cool!"
Zhan Zilang grinned. "Exactly! That’s why I bought it. The movie car was inspired by this design."
"If the front were a bit longer, it’d be even closer," Zhou Zhuofei added, gesturing.
"I wanted to modify it, but my friends talked me out of it."
Luo Jing, lost in their exchange, teased, "Well, at least you’ve finally found a coworker who shares your otaku tastes, huh?"
"Hardly," Zhou Zhuofei deadpanned. "There’s a big difference between a rich otaku and a broke one."
"Zhou-jie, you’re at it again!"
Zhan Zilang pressed the key fob, and the car’s streamlined lights flickered to life, cutting through the garage’s dim lighting like a scene straight out of a video game cutscene.
Zhou Zhuofei’s only thought: Being rich must be nice—buying real-life versions of game cars.
Inside, the plush interior didn’t impress her as much.
Seated in the back, she half-listened to Luo Jing and Zhan Zilang’s chatter, chiming in occasionally.
The younger colleagues bantered easily, and with few single employees in the admin department, they’d naturally formed a tight-knit group.
As long as work wasn’t involved, conflicts were nonexistent.
Dinner was lively. Apart from Ye Ru’s obligatory opening remarks, there was none of the tiresome, outdated drinking culture.
Afterward, everyone dispersed.
As Zhou Zhuofei pondered her ride home, Ye Ru suddenly said, "It’s Friday—why not keep the fun going? The others have families to tend to, but you youngsters don’t have those worries."
A married colleague passing by nodded emphatically. "She’s right, Xiao Zhou. Enjoy your youth while you can. Later, you won’t have the energy."
Zhou Zhuofei joked, "Easy fix—just don’t get married."
"I’m serious," Ye Ru said, swatting her arm. "Rare chance for everyone to hang out. You handle the arrangements."
"Will you join us, Ye-jie?"
"Not me—too much at home." Ye Ru turned to another single colleague and repeated her spiel.
Zhou Zhuofei got the message: Ye Ru expected her to organize something.
"Karaoke, then?" The default post-dinner activity.
"Up to you. The task is yours now." With that, Ye Ru left.
Soon, only six of the younger staff remained in the private room.
Zhou Zhuofei took a vote. "Any preferences? If not, I’ll book a KTV room."
"No objections here."
"Your call."
"Fine by me—just don’t make me go home."
Just as consensus seemed reached, Zhan Zilang slowly raised a hand. "Uh, I’ve got an idea."
All eyes turned to him.
"I’ve got reserved drinks at New World. They’ve got a show on Fridays—we could go."
The suggestion was met with instant approval.
"New World? I’ve been—great vibe."
"Wow, I’ve never been to such a fancy place before."
"Then let’s go! What do you think, Zhou Zhuofei?"
Zhou Zhuofei thought it over carefully. Whether it was karaoke or a bar, it didn’t make much difference to her—she’d just be there for the fruit platter anyway.
"Alright, let’s go with your plan. New World it is."
Everyone split up, agreeing to meet later at the bar’s entrance.
As usual, Zhou Zhuofei rode with Luo Jing in Zhan Zilang’s car.
Bars weren’t Zhou Zhuofei’s usual scene. She’d gone a few times with Du Yu during holidays, but she never liked noisy places, so Du Yu eventually stopped inviting her.
Given the choice, she’d much rather spend her nights curled up at home playing video games.
Zhan Zilang navigated effortlessly to New World’s entrance, dropping off Luo Jing and Zhou Zhuofei before heading off to park the car.
The others hadn’t arrived yet. Zhou Zhuofei noticed a job posting by the door and absentmindedly skimmed it. When she saw the salary listed, she couldn’t help but gasp.
"Holy crap! The pay here is insane!"
Luo Jing leaned over to take a look. "That’s normal. Nightshift work isn’t for everyone—flipping your sleep schedule like that takes a toll."
Zhou Zhuofei nodded. It made sense. She already felt her energy wasn’t what it used to be. Back in the day, she could pull all-nighters gaming without a problem, but now, losing even an hour of sleep left her groggy the next morning.
"Money really doesn’t come easy."
"Plus, this place has high standards for their servers’ looks," Luo Jing added, sounding oddly knowledgeable.
