Chapter 4 All Surrendered

  "Alright! That's all for today's meeting!" said the section chief.

  Followed by colleagues who also got up and left.

  "Hey! Aunt Zhang, after work! I'd like to invite you for a cup of coffee!" The department head suddenly said to Aunt Zhang as people were about to leave.

  "Section Chief... what's going on?" Zhang Yi immediately asked nervously, stuttering.

  "There's nothing, I just wanted to invite you for a cup of coffee!" The department head explained.

  "Nothing... just thinking..." Aunt Zhang said, but then stopped herself.

  At this time, Little Li saw that she couldn't say it out loud, so he helped her say it: "Section Chief, is she saying you want to ask her out?"

  Department head burst out laughing "Ha! Ha! ---" as soon as he heard. "How can this be? Zhang Ayi, you are a married woman and your age is so different from mine. How is this possible!" He denied.

  "Oh!" Aunt Zhang nodded after hearing it.

  She followed her colleagues and left the conference room. After they walked out of the conference room, each of them lowered their heads and didn't say a word. At this time, Li Xiaoqian saw this and spoke up. "What are you doing?" she exclaimed loudly.

  "Yes, Aunt Zhang! What are you doing? Didn't you say you would firmly oppose him? How come the first one to surrender is actually you?" Li Xiao asked Aunt Zhang.

  "Wow! Xiao Li, you're really something! You've come up with all sorts of crooked ideas just to please him." Zhang Yi turned around and questioned Xiao Li instead.

  Xiao Li heard this and could only lower his head, no longer speaking.

  "Alright, alright! Don't blame each other anymore! Just listen to my explanation!" Chen Chong said at this time. Everyone listened and immediately looked at him, waiting for his explanation.

  "He looks like a black bandit chief, if we don't surrender to him, I'm afraid he'll really take out his knife and chase us down." Chen Chong said the reason why he surrendered.

  "Is that so? That's how it is!" Zhang Yi said in agreement, trying to get out of the awkward situation.

  Li Xiaoqian looked at Chen Chong after hearing his explanation. "But is this explanation reasonable? We are from the national authorities! What's there to fear about the black society?" she asked doubtfully.

  Everyone listened and thought Li Xiaoxian made sense, so no one spoke again. Li Xiaoxian saw that they didn't speak up, so she said: "After all, you're just afraid of him as the head of department!" She helped them explain.

  "Yes! He's a section chief, and he's also a section chief from the underworld! Who wouldn't be afraid of him?" Chen Chong said in agreement.

  "Alas! ---- I have something even more frightening!" Zhang Yi heard Chen Chong say this, but instead showed an even more worried look and said.

  "Aunt Zhang, are you saying that he asked you out on a date after work?" Little Li asked clearly.

  "Yes!" Zhang Ayi replied dejectedly.

  "Auntie Zhang, what are you afraid of? He's just inviting you to have coffee, isn't he?" Li Xiaoyan asked Auntie Zhang with a tone of skepticism.

  "What's there to be afraid of? Isn't it just that he'll ask Zhang Ayi to join the underworld?" Chen Chong helped Zhang Ayi explain.

  "I think you'd better stop talking nonsense! I think he's not only not a triad member, but also a good leader and cadre who is dedicated to the people and the public!" Li Xiaoxian reminded them.

  "But look at him, does he look like a national cadre? He's just a local ruffian!" Chen Chong insisted.

  "This is called, 'don't judge a person by their appearance'!" Li Xiaoxian explained.

  "Alas! --- Anyway, when it's time to get off work, I wonder what he'll do with me?" Zhang Yi said with a very worried look.

  "Aunt Zhang, what's the big deal? At worst, I'll just follow him and join the triad." Little Li joked.

  "Alright, stop talking nonsense!" Li Xiaoqian hurriedly stopped them as she saw they were still speaking randomly.

  "Alright! Let's disperse!" Chen Chong said, seeing that it was time for them to leave. After she finished speaking, they all dispersed one after another, leaving only Zhang Yi standing there with a very worried look on her face. Zhang Yi stood there for a while before letting out a long sigh and walking away.

  When Zhang got off work, she had a heavy heart and really hoped that the new department head would change his mind and not ask her out again. However, when she walked out of the office building, she saw the new department head already waiting for her there, which made her extremely disappointed.

  "Let's go, Aunt Zhang!" said the new department head as he walked up to her.

  "Where are you going? Where are you going?" Zhang Yi asked nervously and fearfully.

  "Let's go to the nearby café!" The new department head said, walking ahead. Zhang Yi reluctantly followed him.

  They then sat down in a nearby café.

  "Section Chief, is there something going on?" Zhang Yi asked him as soon as they sat down.

  The newly appointed director, who was sitting in a very leisurely manner, looked at Zhang Niang after hearing her ask and said, "Zhang Niang, I have a question to ask you!"

  "Section Chief, what's wrong?" Zhang Yi heard him say this and also showed a calm demeanor.

  "I'm asking you, what is it that allows someone to advance step by step in the official circles, to rise higher and higher, and to win every battle?" The newly appointed director asked his question.

  "Connections!" Zhang Yi replied without hesitation.

  "Hmm!" The new department head nodded after hearing Zhang's words. "Well said!" he praised.

  "Director, you're overpraising me! However, what I said is absolutely true! Without connections, it's impossible to survive in the official circle!" Zhang Yi said with a pleased expression when she heard the new director praising her.

  "Alright! Aunt Zhang, I acknowledge you as a teacher!" The new department head suddenly said.

  "What?" Zhang Yi seemed to have not heard clearly and asked again.

  "Zhang Auntie, I want you as my teacher!" The new headmaster said clearly again.

  "Section Chief, what are you talking about? How can I qualify as your teacher! You should know that I'm just a section staff member, while you're the head of the department! A section staff member being the teacher of the section chief, it's just not right." Zhang Yi said after listening clearly.

  "Director Zhang, you indeed have the qualifications to be my teacher! Let's take the question I just asked you as an example. If it weren't for your response, I wouldn't have realized the importance of 'guānxi' (personal connections). And you are actually the first person with whom I want to establish a guānxi relationship." The new director said reasonably.

  "But---" Zhang Yi still wanted to decline, but was interrupted by the new department head.

  "Alright, Aunt Zhang, don't say any more. Anyway, from now on you'll be my teacher." The new director interrupted Aunt Zhang and said.

  Aunt Zhang saw that the new official was so insistent and could only stop saying anything else.