Chapter 1: Disaster Strikes

  At a meeting, Chu Tian Shu was called into the office by Director Tian Ke Ming of the office.

  "Chu Tian Shu, you idiot! Such an important meeting and you still don't know to turn off your phone. What kind of quality are you?" Tian Ke Ming yelled loudly, pointing at Chu Tian Shu's nose, with veins bulging on his bald head.

  At the mobilization meeting of "10,000 cadres entering the countryside" just concluded by the Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Director Guan Haoyu was making a mobilization speech when Chu Tian Shu's phone suddenly rang: "Warm spring breeze blows in my face, peach blossoms bloom..."

  The tense atmosphere was suddenly disrupted by this lively ringtone, and the whole conference room burst into laughter.

  Having made a mistake, it was inevitable that he would be scolded by Tian Keming. The small clerks in the office were already used to it.

  Chu Tian Shu lowered his head even further to avoid the spittle, and explained in a low voice: "Director, when I was notified of the meeting, I was in the toilet answering nature's call. In my hurry, I pulled up my pants and forgot."

  "Forgot? You didn't forget to wipe your butt after taking a dump, did you?" Tian Keming's face was twisted in malice.

  Chu Tian Shu hated that he couldn't bury his head in his crotch, but even so, he could still feel Tian Ke Ming's vicious gaze, like a needle piercing the top of his skull. He suppressed the discomfort in his heart and secretly warned himself: "Endure, endure again, don't act impulsively, let Tian Baldy vent his anger."

  Tian Keming is probably the most vicious, ruthless and least virtuous man Chu Tian Shu has ever met. Everyone privately gave him a nickname "Tian Tu Zi".

  At the age of 45, Tian Keming had a lot of experience in the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, but he was not smooth in his official career. It wasn't until Huang Rishan was promoted to deputy director that he made great efforts to curry favor with him and finally climbed to the important position of office director.

  The state of being depressed and unable to achieve one's goals lasted for over 20 years, Tian Keming finally endured until he had the opportunity to raise his eyebrows and vent his emotions, so he poured out his depression and frustration on the young people under his delegation, doing everything in his power to suppress and humiliate them, especially towards a few marginal figures in the comprehensive department.

  As soon as Tian Tuzi was mentioned, the young people from the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission all changed color.

  Newcomer Liu Chunna brought a bowl of wontons to work and was seen by Tian Keming, who forced her to finish the bowl in the toilet. Now she feels nauseous and vomits whenever she sees wontons.

  Fan Yibing was caught by Tian Keming for making a phone call to his new girlfriend using the office phone, and was criticized in front of everyone at the meeting. Not only that, Fan Yibing was also forced to write a self-criticism and post it on the bulletin board in the lobby, which made him lose face in front of the leaders.

  Chu Tian Shu and Fan Yi Bing, among others, privately cursed Tian Ke Ming, grinding their teeth in hatred, unable to resist scolding him as "that damned baldy Tian". However, when facing him, they would instead rush to flatter him, hoping to gain his favor and seize the opportunity to become the head of the comprehensive department.

  No choice, this is just what government agencies are like.

  Nowadays, the phenomenon of small people getting ahead like Tian Keming is too common. In government agencies, you can grab a handful at once, and it's no longer surprising.

  In official circles, everyone is like a monkey hanging from a tree, wanting to stand out, can only lick the ass of the upper-level monkeys and climb up.

  "Sorry, Director." Chu Tian Shu put on a flattering smile that even he himself found extremely disgusting and carefully admitted his mistake.

  No choice, the crime was in Tian Keming's hands, except for honestly admitting his mistake, there was no room for bargaining. Otherwise, who knows what even more ruthless move Tian Keming would come up with.

  Tian Keming interrupted Chu Tian Shu's apology with a high tone: "I don't want to hear sorry, I don't want you to mix in my office, which department wants you, you can roll now."

  "No, no, no! The director's criticism and education is a concern for me. I know I was wrong. I will deeply reflect on it and never make the same mistake again."

  "Hmph, you want to do it again? No chance. Chu Tian Shu gritted his teeth in endurance, but Tian Ke Ming was not satisfied yet. He glanced at Chu Tian Shu with disdain and sneered: "You look quite decent, how come you don't know what it means to lose face? Young people, if they don't suffer a bit, won't remember the lesson. Just wait for your 'rural placement'."

  Chu Tian Shu was shocked and hastily opened his mouth to plead: "Director, I..."

  "Shut up, aren't you convinced yet?" Tian Keming didn't allow Chu Tian Shu to speak at all, and said viciously: "Let me tell you, if you make a mistake, you have to pay the price."

  The municipal government organized 10,000 cadres to participate in the "Entering Villages and Helping Poverty Alleviation" activity. The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) was assigned a quota, with the location being Nanling County's Shihexiang Township, which is the most remote and impoverished area under the administration of SASAC.

  "Entering the countryside and living in a village" for a whole year is indeed too cruel for Chu Tian Shu, who has yet to fulfill his ambitions.

  Firstly, when the head of the comprehensive department's hopes were thoroughly dashed.

  It is impossible for a leader to leave a position to an unlucky person and still keep it for as long as one year.

  The hierarchy within the organization is strict, and opportunities for advancement are scarce. This is especially true for young people like Chu Tian Shu and Fan Yi Bing who are just starting out - if they miss a step, they will fall behind at every turn.

  What's even more frightening is that the time for demotion is so long, if things don't go well, by the time it happens, even the position and establishment will be occupied by others. The people who are assigned to go there may be stuck in a poor mountainous area, where birds don't even lay eggs, in an extremely harsh environment, unfamiliar with the local situation, talking about prospects and development is like a fool's dream, this lifetime may not even be able to mix up as a deputy township head.

  The situation is so severe that Chu Tian Shu would naturally have a sense of crisis with great difficulties ahead.

  It's all over! I've been targeted by Tian Duczi, and it seems that being a "rural village" loser is inevitable.

  Chu Tian Shu forced a smile on his face and begged: "Director, can't you reconsider?"

  "Don't even think about it, I'm busy and don't have time to waste on you." Tian Keming said bluntly.

  Since it's already irreparable, Chu Tian Shu didn't need to endure anymore. He indignantly said: "Director, killing someone is just a nod of the head, if you want to send me away then send me away, why do you have to spout such nonsense?"

  After finishing speaking, Chu Tian Shu slammed the door and went out. He was so angry that Tian Ke Ming's bald head seemed to be about to emit fire.

  As soon as he went out, Chu Tian Shu greeted the female elders and younger generations of the Tian Ke Ming family thousands of times in his heart.

  Just entering the office, the mobile phone in the pocket rang again.

  The warm spring breeze blows in our faces, peach blossoms bloom one after another...

  Anxious and uneasy, Chu Tian Shu grabbed the phone and roared: "If you have something to say, say it. If you have fart, let it out quickly."

  No need to guess, it must be that damned Wei Shijie calling again.

  As an ordinary staff member of the General Office of Qingyuan Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Chu Tian Shu was a stranger in Qingyuan City. Among the people she knew, apart from her colleagues at the Municipal State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, there was only this classmate and sworn brother left.

  "Lao Chu, you've eaten again, and your temper is so big?" came the chuckling voice of Wei Shijie from the other end of the phone.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I've been promoted, 7pm tonight, Dream Coffee House, let's celebrate together."

  I'm going to hell, you little bastard got promoted, what kind of world is this, can't even recognize people anymore?!

  Chu Tian Shu said irritably: "No time!"

  "I'm treating you, and you're still not full after eating and drinking for free?"

  "A few bucks and you think I'm a prostitute?"

  Wei Shijie laughed and scolded: "I'm your second uncle, I'll hire eight sedan chairs to pick you up, how's that?"

  Chu Tian Shu said stiffly, "I'm not in the mood."

  "Wei Shijie continued to tease: 'Dumped by which girl again? That's even more reason to come out and vent.'"

  "Are you done yet? I'm working, nothing else to do, hang up." Chu Tian Shu didn't wait for Wei Shi Jie to speak again, fiercely pressed the red button, and muttered: "I'm almost killed by you, damn it, I don't have the mood to be happy with you!"

  Chu Tian Shu slammed her phone heavily on the table, bored and clicking the mouse, the crisp sounds seemed especially jarring.

  Three other clerks in the General Affairs Department, Fan Yibing, Liu Chunna and Qian Meihua, looked at Chu Tian Shu's anger soaring to the sky, each of them was speechless, not daring to speak again, but only silently sympathizing with his miserable experience.

  The warm spring breeze blew in her face, peach blossoms blooming everywhere... The phone on the table started singing happily again, Chu Tian Shu raised an eyebrow and continued to listlessly click the mouse.

  Liu Chunna said in a low and timid voice: "Xiao Chu, there's a phone call."

  Chu Tian Shu glared at her fiercely and maliciously.

  Liu Chunna lowered her head, that pitiful look, exactly like a little rabbit that had been frightened.

  After a while, the mobile phone jumped on the table again, and the song "Peach Blossom" sang strongly.

  Chu Tian Shu grabbed him and shouted, "Are you annoying or what?" But as soon as the words left his mouth, his face changed drastically, and he immediately put on a wry smile, explaining in a low voice, "Sorry, sorry, Ouyang Chu Zhang, I thought it was my classmate."

  Fan Yibing and others realized that the person who made this call was not Wei Shijie, who had just been scolded, but Ouyang Meimei, the director of the Organization and Personnel Department of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.

  "Chu Tian Shu, come to my office for a moment." Ouyang Mei Mei threw down a cold and icy instruction before hanging up the phone.

  It's all over, Ouyang Meimei is going to represent the organization in the negotiations.

  Chu Tian Shu's heart suddenly felt a chill, and she stood there stupidly, holding her phone without moving.

  Fan Yibing extinguished his cigarette and reminded him: "Xiao Chu, go quickly, don't keep 'Mei' Director waiting."

  The head of the personnel department, Ouyang Meimei, is thirty-five years old this year. She is a charming and alluring middle-aged woman with a seductive face and a fiery figure.

  According to Qian Meihua, Ouyang Meimei was originally a data officer in the government and had an affair with Tang Yifu, who was then the secretary-general of the municipal government. After Tang Yifu was promoted to deputy mayor and took charge of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission, Guan Haoyu specially transferred Ouyang Meimei to the commission, where she became the head of the personnel department's education section. Later, when Tang Yifu also took on the title of municipal party committee standing member, Guan Haoyu promoted her again to become the director of the personnel department.

  Thanks to Tang Yifu's care, Guan Haoyu was able to take on the role of director of SASAC at the age of 58.

  There have been no secrets in the government since ancient times!

  It's unknown how the news reached Ouyang Meimei, but Qian Meihua, who was originally a director of the personnel department, was transferred to the comprehensive affairs department to do odd jobs.

  Behind their backs, everyone is used to calling Ouyang Meimei "Mei" Director, which can be understood as admiring Ouyang Meimei's beauty, and also can be considered as a nickname for Ouyang Meimei.

  However, there is a clear tone of sarcasm in it.

  "Go if you must!" Chu Tian Shu gritted his teeth and said loudly, "If it's good fortune, then so be it. If it's bad luck, then it can't be avoided." After finishing speaking, he lifted his head high, puffed out his chest, and walked out with a sense of justice and righteousness.