Chapter 34 - A Simple Script
Bolstered by the inexplicable "heroine’s aura," Que Tang found that despite her lackluster performance during the interview, she still received the call of admission that evening. The voice on the other end informed her, with professional detachment, that she was to report for duty the following morning.
The next day, she arrived at the office wearing a suit even more ill-fitting than the one she had worn for the interview. The jacket hung off her shoulders like a borrowed shroud, and the trousers pooled slightly at her ankles. The HR manager looked at her with a mixture of bewilderment and suspicion, checking her credentials and graduation certificate multiple times to ensure this mousy girl was indeed the high-achieving graduate from the prestigious University A. Finally, with a sigh of resignation, the manager led her up to the executive floor.
"General Manager, the new assistant has arrived," the HR manager said, rapping lightly on the open door of the corner office.
Lan Mi looked up from her desk, a graceful smile playing on her lips. "Thank you, Jason. You may head back. Que... Tang, please come in and close the door behind you."
Once the door clicked shut, Que Tang assumed her role with practiced ease. She shrank her shoulders, looking small and fragile, and shuffled toward the desk with her head bowed, her fingers twisting nervously. "General Manager," she whispered.
"Am I that terrifying? You won't even look at me," Lan Mi remarked, her voice smooth as silk.
"Ah... no, it’s not that..." Que Tang forced herself to meet Lan Mi’s gaze, her eyes wide and feigning a deer-in-the-headlights anxiety.
"Don't be nervous. Sit down; there’s no need to stand on ceremony." Once Que Tang was seated, Lan Mi took a slow sip of her coffee before continuing. "I haven't properly introduced myself. I am the General Manager of this company and your direct superior, Lan Mi." She extended a slender, elegant hand, her expression warm and inviting.
Que Tang stared at the hand for a long moment, as if contemplating the gravity of the gesture, before tentatively reaching out to give it a brief, limp squeeze.
Observing her new assistant’s profound shyness, Lan Mi’s lips curled into a subtle, almost imperceptible smirk. She straightened her posture. "I assume you did some preliminary research on our company before applying?"
Que Tang paused, then murmured, "The parent company focuses on construction, but there are several subsidiaries invested in engineering firms and retail malls."
"Correct." Lan Mi wasn't particularly surprised by the answer. Although Que Tang appeared painfully timid, her academic record was impeccable and verified. They had even called her previous employer, only to find her former supervisor singing her praises.
In Lan Mi’s experience, there were only two reasons a boss would heap such praise on a departing employee: either they genuinely thought the world of her, or they were desperately trying to foist a disaster onto someone else. Either way, it piqued Lan Mi’s interest. She wasn't looking for a social butterfly; she wanted someone dull, obedient, and fiercely loyal—a confidante who appeared so harmless that no one would ever suspect her of being a threat.
"What are your expectations for this role?" Lan Mi asked, her gaze intensifying as if trying to pierce through Que Tang’s drab exterior to find the soul beneath.
"I..." Que Tang started eagerly, then caught herself and looked down again. "I just want to do my job well. Can I... can I leave on time?"
"Your only requirement is to leave on time?" Lan Mi was genuinely taken aback.
"Yes. My last job required overtime until midnight almost every day. That’s why I resigned," Que Tang lied with a straight face, nodding earnestly.
Lan Mi stared into those clear, seemingly innocent eyes and felt a momentary lapse in her composure.
"So, General Manager, can I avoid overtime?" Que Tang asked, her voice full of hope.
"Ahem. As long as your tasks are completed, you may leave on time. Even if you do stay late, you’ll be compensated," Lan Mi replied, clearing her throat to hide her slight embarrassment. "For now, you’ll shadow the secretary to learn the ropes. I should mention she’s getting married and moving abroad in a month, so you must master everything by then. Understood?"
Que Tang nodded submissively. "Understood."
However, once she sat down at the desk and began the handover process, she nearly had a breakdown. She stared at the mountain of English technical reports, realizing that the construction terminology alone would take a month to memorize.
*Little Mushroom, get out here and face me!* she screamed internally.
"Meow~ What is it, Host? Have you already started falling in love with the adorable female supporting character?"
*You told me this was a simple mission! Why am I actually working? Why am I looking at things I don't understand? Don't bully me just because I’m playing a simpleton!* Que Tang fumed, her fingers flying across the keyboard to input data while her mind argued with the system.
"Even in a novel, people have to work, meow~ Many authors skip the details of the professional world, but the characters still have to earn a living!"
*Liar! These characters only ever fall in love! Don't think I haven't read romance novels. Most 'office' stories are just a series of "Office.avi" scenes. The actual work takes up maybe five thousand words in a million-word book. Even the 'workplace struggle' novels are just people framing, stabbing, and sabotaging each other. No one actually works! Who has time for that? I’m drowning here!*
"Host, you’ve spent so much time arguing that you’ve proven you know you should be working. Meow~"
Que Tang was speechless for a moment. *Fine. But is there a 'Heroine Capability Booster'? Something that lets me understand everything at a glance, make perfect decisions with my eyes closed, and churn out analytical reports with one hand?*
"Meow... well... yes!" Little Mushroom hesitated. "But it costs points."
Que Tang’s hope was instantly doused. *How many points?*
"The 'Original Heroine Capability Amplifier' costs two hundred points! Would you like to purchase it, dear customer? Meow~"
*Two hundred? That’s highway robbery! I only get six hundred for the whole mission!*
"Meow~ It’s because it effectively lowers the difficulty. Less struggle means fewer rewards. Do you want it or not? This is a rare, limited-time offer! Buy now or spend the rest of the mission crying in a corner!"
*Buy it!*
"Ding! Two hundred points deducted. Current balance: 16,000 points. Thank you for your patronage, meow~"
Que Tang felt a vein throb in her neck. *Go eat your dried fish and shut up.*
With her abilities enhanced, the work became effortless. She fell into a flow state, almost forgetting her "timid" persona as she processed documents with terrifying efficiency.
"Is Mi in?" A voice, deeper than the average woman's but undeniably feminine, suddenly cut through the quiet office.
Que Tang looked up instinctively and was nearly blinded by the giant, floating golden words above the newcomer's head: **MALE LEAD OF THIS WORLD**.
Before she could process the absurdity, the person sneered. "Tch. This is the new assistant? She actually dared to leave the house dressed like that? The shoulder pads are too wide, the sleeves are too long, and that skirt... it’s a tragedy. It’s past her knees! Only Mi would hire someone with such atrocious taste."
Que Tang, remembering her role, immediately bowed her head in shame.
The secretary hurried over to smooth things over. "Young Master Wanqi, President Lan is inside. You can go straight in."
The "Young Master" let out a disdainful snort and swept past.
Once the door closed, the secretary patted Que Tang’s shoulder. "Don't take it to heart. Young Master Wanqi is always like that. He’s blunt, but he doesn't actually do anything malicious. Just endure it."
The secretary assumed Que Tang was silent because she was hurt. In reality, Que Tang was paralyzed by the sound of the "Young Master’s" voice.
*LITTLE. MUSHROOM!*
"Yes, Host? Little Mushroom is at your service, Catex. Meow~"
*Stop 'catting' me! You pitted me again!* Que Tang roared.
"Meow~ I did no such thing!"
*Then explain why that 'Young Master Wanqi' is labeled as the Male Lead!*
"Because he is, meow~"
*The Male Lead?* Que Tang repeated, her mental voice dripping with venom. *Are you sure? Why does the Male Lead sound like a girl?*
"Meow~ This is a Yuri novel, Host. The 'Male' Lead is the sole heir to the family, so she was raised as a boy from birth. Her parents insist everyone call her 'Young Master,' and she herself believes she is the 'Male' Lead."
*Male Lead my foot! How is this 'Simple Difficulty'? The female supporting character is a smiling tiger, and the Male Lead is a girl in drag! I’m going to have to throw my integrity out the window to finish this!*
"I believe in you, Host! You’ve survived so many missions; this is nothing! Fighting! Meow~" The system abruptly cut the connection.
Que Tang felt that if she ever made it back to the main system, she would have to let Ruan Mianmian "re-educate" this cat properly.
"Que Tang?" the secretary called out again, concerned.
"I’m fine, thank you," Que Tang whispered, shaking her head.
A moment later, the office door opened, and Lan Mi emerged with the "Young Master."
"Mi, your taste is really slipping. Looking at someone like this all day must be exhausting," the "Male Lead" remarked.
"Aotian, stop bothering her. Didn't you say you wanted lunch? Let’s go." Lan Mi brushed the comment aside with practiced ease and led the "Young Master" out.
Que Tang watched their retreating figures—specifically the androgynous silhouette of the "Male Lead"—and felt a deep sense of weariness. *Can I quit this mission?*
"No, meow~"
***
**Glossary**
