Xue Xingzhou returned to the squad. Before he could even say a word, everyone was already crowding around him.

"Xiao Xue, the captain said you’re being transferred? Where to? Is it a promotion?"

"Yeah, why so sudden? Was this what the chief wanted to talk to you about yesterday?"

Xue Xingzhou nodded. "Yes, I’m being transferred. I’m leaving this afternoon. The department wants it kept confidential."

Everyone understood at once and stopped pestering him with questions.

"Congratulations, Xiao Xue. You’re a real talent. I guess a place like this couldn’t hold on to you for long. Getting a new post so soon."

A more perceptive one added, "No wonder the rules for this year’s grand competition changed. So the higher-ups were scouting for talent. You really hit the jackpot, kid."

Xue Xingzhou thought to himself, ’I was doing just fine at the Public Security Bureau. I’m used to it there. I have no idea what it’ll be like at the State Security Bureau. That place is full of geniuses, and I’ll probably be even busier. Our line of work already makes it hard to have a family life; I’m afraid it’s only going to get worse.’

That afternoon, Hu Shaojie arrived, and both Xue Xingzhou and Zhao Gazi were taken away.

Xue Xingzhou’s transfer wasn’t widely publicized; even Xue Yue didn’t find out until some time later.

As soon as Xue Yue had mostly recovered, she went back to work. But when she arrived at the office, she discovered someone was at her desk.

It was a young woman with a stylish perm, dressed fashionably. She was holding a tube of lipstick and applying it while looking into a compact mirror. Xue Yue had never seen her before.

"Excuse me, this is my desk."

The young woman heard her, glanced up lazily at Xue Yue, and then, without moving, went back to what she was doing. "Zhao Li told me to sit here. It’s not like anyone was using it when I arrived."

Xue Yue couldn’t exactly drag the woman out of the chair, so she glanced around the office. Zhao Li and Feng Yujie hadn’t arrived yet. Without another word, she stood off to the side to wait.

A little while later, Zhao Li arrived. She paused for a second when she walked in and saw Xue Yue.

"Sister Zhao, someone is sitting at my desk."

Zhao Li said, a bit annoyed, "Why are you telling me? I’m not the one in charge."

"She said you told her to sit there."

Zhao Li’s eyelid twitched. She walked over to her own desk, sat down, and said nonchalantly, "She’s new to the department. Her name’s Ding Ruzhi. You were gone for so long without a word, how was anyone to know if you were ever coming back? Besides, it’s not like the desk has your name on it."

Xue Yue’s voice was cold. "I was on approved leave, not ’gone without a word.’ I sat there before, and I assumed everyone knew it was my desk. Going by your logic, does that mean I can sit at your desk when you’re not around? After all, it doesn’t have your name on it, either."

Zhao Li glanced at Ding Ruzhi, who was watching them with a detached air, as if enjoying a show. But when Zhao Li remembered who Ding Ruzhi was, her fear of offending Xue Yue vanished.

"Wow, you’re something else. You don’t show up for work, but you won’t let anyone else use the desk? You really think this place is your home, don’t you?"

Xue Yue said, "I’m not saying this is my home, but that is my desk. It was wrong of you to give it to the newcomer."

"What’s all this shouting about so early in the morning? Do you think this is a fish market?" Feng Yujie walked in, giving Xue Yue a look.

"Come with me." With that, she headed into her office.

Xue Yue followed her into the office.

Feng Yujie took off her coat and hung it on a rack. She pulled a file from her bag and set it on the table. Only after she had walked around to her chair and sat down did she finally look at Xue Yue.

"All recovered?"

Xue Yue nodded. "Yes."

Feng Yujie tapped her fingers on the desk. "Little Ding is new, and she arrived while you were on leave, so she took that spot. Since she’s already settled in, just call Facilities and have them send over a new desk and chair. There’s no need to fight over something so trivial." She then handed Xue Yue a folder. "Take this and get it translated."

A sense of injustice welled up in Xue Yue, but she didn’t argue. She simply reached out and took the folder.

After leaving the office, Xue Yue called Facilities to request a desk and chair. The person on the other end told her she’d have to come and get it herself, claiming they were too busy to deliver it.

Xue Yue gritted her teeth. ’Am I too nice?’ she thought. ’Do I seem like an easy target?’

With no desk, Xue Yue had nowhere to work. She had no choice but to head to the Facilities department. It wasn’t even in the same building; it was on the third floor of the one behind theirs. Xue Yue trudged up to the third floor and found the department. When she entered, she saw three or four people sitting around, drinking tea. So much for being too busy.

"I’m here to get a desk and chair."

A man who seemed to be in charge glanced up at her and held out his hand. "Slip."

Xue Yue was confused. "What slip?"

The man said impatiently, "A requisition slip. The one signed by your supervisor. You think we just hand things out to anyone who asks? I don’t know who you are."

Biting her lip in frustration, Xue Yue let out a soft sigh. She had no choice but to make another trip back.

"Sister Feng, the Facilities department needs a signed requisition slip."

Feng Yujie gave Xue Yue a look, took a slip from her drawer, filled it out, and handed it to her.

Xue Yue hurried back to Facilities. By the time she had climbed to the third floor again, her forehead was beaded with sweat, and a dull ache was starting in her abdomen.

She leaned against the wall, trying to catch her breath.

Suddenly, a voice called out, "What are you doing here?"

Xue Yue turned to see Li Mingliang from the Marketing Department. She straightened up and nodded. "Hello, Mr. Li. I came to Facilities to request a desk and chair. I just got a little tired from the stairs and needed to catch my breath."

Li Mingliang frowned. "You just need to make a phone call to get a desk and chair. There’s no need for you to run all the way over here."

Xue Yue said helplessly, "I did call. Facilities said they were too busy."

Li Mingliang was silent for a couple of seconds. "Come with me," he said to Xue Yue.

Xue Yue quickly followed him.

Xue Yue followed Li Mingliang into the Facilities office. The moment the staff saw him enter, they scrambled to their feet.

"Mr. Li, what brings you here? Is there something you need? You shouldn’t have made the trip yourself, a phone call would have been plenty!"

Hearing this, Xue Yue, who was standing behind him, cursed them out in her head. ’Such classic brown-nosers, treating people differently based on who they are.’

Li Mingliang said crossly, "I heard you were all too busy to deliver things to the main building. You look pretty idle to me." Seeing Xue Yue behind him, the men looked guilty and scratched their heads.

"We were—we were a little busy earlier, but we’re free now. We’ll get that delivered right away."

Xue Yue handed over the requisition slip.

The man took it, gave a meaningful look to one of his colleagues, and gestured for them to go move the furniture.

Li Mingliang turned to Xue Yue and said, "Next time you run into a problem you can’t solve, just call Vice Minister Zheng. One word from him will get it sorted out directly and save you all this trouble."

Xue Yue froze for a moment at his words. ’So, this is because of my connection to Uncle Zheng,’ she realized.

When the man from Facilities heard this, his scalp prickled. He shot a glance at Xue Yue, recalling some old rumors. ’Could she be Vice Minister Zheng’s daughter? Did we just mess with the wrong person?’ A wave of anxiety washed over him.