TuxedoTranslations

Chapter 3

Since they had completed the task ahead of schedule, with an hour left until the end of the workday, the Engineering Department couldn’t assign them anything else and sent them back to their department early.

As Zhuang Yanyu was leaving, the supervisor couldn’t resist asking again, “Xiao Zhuang, are you sure you don’t want to join the Engineering Department? You could negotiate for a better salary and benefits, you know. You’re still young—this is the age to work hard, make money, and buy a house.”

Zhuang Yanyu declined once more.

The supervisor watched him leave without hesitation, feeling a sense of regret.

One of his team’s engineers, noticing this, couldn’t help saying, “Honestly, I don’t think it’s that big of a deal. Sure, he rewrote the first part of the EL system, but it was built on our existing framework, so it’s not that hard to accomplish.”

This engineer felt the supervisor was exaggerating—he was sure he could do the same.

After all, with the foundational data in place, it was like a story with the setting and characters already developed; all you had to do was write along those lines. Any skilled engineer could have done it.

The supervisor glanced at him, realizing he was feeling competitive, and replied, “Sure, you could do it—but why didn’t you? Xiao Zhuang found those issues right away. Why don’t you mention that?”

The engineer awkwardly scratched his nose. “Well… we were still collecting data…”

Supervisor: “Alright, alright, I know you’re all talented. Now stop slacking and get back to work.”

The supervisor didn’t think it was a simple task at all. He was confident that, even though his team could upgrade the system, none of them could have produced such a polished version in just two hours.

In his mind, Zhuang Yanyu was truly impressive.

After the supervisor walked away, he directly called HR to request Zhuang Yanyu’s resume.

When he learned that Zhuang wasn’t a graduate from a top university—just a bachelor’s degree holder, not even a master’s—the engineer felt a surprising sense of relief.

No wonder he could only work in the Service Center; it seemed his educational background was the limiting factor.

As the end of the workday neared, everyone’s spirits lifted.

Zhou Quan was enthusiastically recounting their time in the Engineering Department. With his typical dramatic flair, he described how Zhuang Yanyu had showcased his skills and how everyone in the Engineering Department was blown away by his expertise.

“Really? Xiao Zhuang is that skilled?”

“Wow, does that mean he might get a position in the R&D Center? That would mean double the salary!”

“Xiao Zhuang, you have to treat us if you get that offer!”

Everyone was chatting excitedly, and when they turned to look, they saw Zhuang Yanyu spacing out, his gaze distant and unfocused.

Zhou Quan asked, “Xiao Zhuang, what’s up? Are you regretting turning down the offer?”

No response.

“Xiao Zhuang? Xiao Zhuang?”

Finally, Zhuang blinked slowly and looked over at Zhou Quan. “?”

Zhou Quan asked, “What’s wrong? I’ve been calling you with no response.”

Zhuang Yanyu replied, “Oh, I froze for a moment.”

Zhou Quan: “Huh?”

Zhuang Yanyu patted his head as if that would jump-start his stalled brain.

He had just been calculating the probability of running into Wen Chenxi at the company again. The decimals kept extending, and the probability was so low it left his brain lagging.

Indeed, the human brain was no match for a chip.

Zhou Quan looked at him closely and realized he truly didn’t seem to care much about the Engineering Department. Zhou couldn’t quite understand him.

The moment work ended, Zhuang Yanyu immediately got up to leave.

He lingered by the elevator for a while, but when he didn’t see any executives taking the staff elevator, he figured the higher-ups’ elevator was indeed fixed.

Disappointed, he went home.

What he didn’t know was that, at that very moment, his file was lying on Wen Chenxi’s desk.

Wen Chenxi was reviewing Zhuang Yanyu’s profile.

As Lin, his assistant, handed over the file, he’d already memorized all of Zhuang’s information, speaking concisely, “Zhuang Yanyu, in the Technical Service Department, joined two months ago. Last month, due to his strong performance, the department head recommended he complete his probation early and transition to full-time.”

Wen Chenxi’s gaze fell on the small ID photo in the top right corner.

The young man in the photo looked more like a boy, with a very clean, fresh-faced kind of handsomeness. His eyes were dark, making them look especially bright and expressive, filled with an energetic and upright spirit.

In reality, the young man’s features were even more defined and attractive than in the photo.

And his family and social connections were minimal—simple enough to fit in less than a third of a page.

“Joined two months ago.”

“Yes, Mr. Wen.”

Assistant Lin hesitated, then asked, “Mr. Wen, did you request his profile because you suspect…”

Azure Technology was a leading tech company in the country, facing countless competitors. Especially recently, the company had just signed a major contract with the government on a new project involving multiple layers of confidentiality. To prevent any possible infiltration by spies from rival companies or foreign entities, the company had already issued a notice prioritizing stringent background checks over convenience during this period.

Assistant Lin suspected that perhaps Mr. Wen thought Zhuang Yanyu was intentionally trying to get close to him.

Hearing this, Wen Chenxi looked up, casting a scrutinizing glance over his rimless glasses. “Saying that makes me question your professionalism.”

Assistant Lin cleared his throat. “I’m just being cautious.”

Wen Chenxi put away Zhuang Yanyu’s information and said, “There’s no chance of that. Go back to work.”

“Understood.”

But Lin couldn’t help finding it strange. If he didn’t suspect Zhuang Yanyu, why look into his background?

6:30 PM.

Zhuang Yanyu had dinner right on time, following expert recommendations to chew slowly for 20 minutes. Afterward, he spent 5 minutes washing dishes, wiping the stove and pan, then headed downstairs to the community area for a half-hour stroll to aid digestion. He also played three rounds of chess with an elderly man under a tree, and finally sat on a large rock, fanning himself and relaxing with a few other older folks.

Looking around, the area was filled with retired men and women—except for one young, strikingly handsome man among them. It was a scene that should have looked out of place, but Zhuang Yanyu blended in seamlessly, looking relaxed and somehow completely in harmony with the retirees around him.

An elderly woman passing by casually asked, “Hey, I heard you retired? How’s the retired life?”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded pleasantly. “Not bad.”

“Not bad.”

As he spoke, Zhuang Yanyu realized his voice had overlapped almost exactly with a slightly raspy one beside him. Turning, he found himself face-to-face with a new retiree who had just turned 60.

The man said, exasperated, “The lady was asking me. Why’d you answer?”

Zhuang Yanyu quietly looked away. “Oh.”

Couldn’t he have just retired too?

After observing the people around him, Zhuang Yanyu mentally noted their behaviors, completing his task of studying humans for the day, and then went home to sleep.

The next day was the weekend, and Zhuang Yanyu made a trip back to his hometown.

His hometown was on the outskirts of City A—not too rural, as some nearby towns had already been developed with urban villages. However, because his county had mountainous farmland and government restrictions on using farmland for construction, large-scale development was impossible. Many families had started small-scale tourism businesses instead.

When Zhuang Yanyu arrived home, his father was busy preparing a chicken. Seeing him, Mr. Zhuang’s eyes lit up. “Eleven, you’re back! Tired? Go pour yourself some tea and rest.”

After setting his things down and drinking a cup of tea, Zhuang Yanyu joined his father and asked, “Not farming today?”

Mr. Zhuang replied, “I just planted peach trees this morning. Uncle Liu next door runs that little farm tourism spot and is entertaining some city guests today, all big shots with picky tastes! He’s too busy to handle it all, so I’m helping him with the chicken.”

Zhuang Yanyu nodded, then asked, “What else are you planting tomorrow?”

“A lot—cherries, blueberries, kiwis. All of it.”

“Those seedlings are best planted in winter.”

His father, plucking feathers with a simple, honest expression, waved it off. “With greenhouses and temperature-controlled rooms, they’ll grow in any season. Don’t worry.”

Agreeing, Zhuang Yanyu let it go and said, “I’ll help you tomorrow then.”

“No need; let me take my time. You know I get restless if I don’t plant something each day. Go grab some fruit from the kitchen. I grew them myself, no pesticides, nice and fresh!”

“Alright.”

After finishing a dragon fruit, he found his father had finished plucking the chicken and was told to deliver it next door to Uncle Liu.

With the chicken in hand, Zhuang Yanyu walked over. The houses here weren’t old; they were red-brick buildings with a small courtyard in front.

The two homes were about ten meters apart, just a few steps away. At Uncle Liu’s door, he noticed four or five luxury cars parked, each worth millions.

One car seemed especially familiar.

Zhuang Yanyu paused, his eyes widening as if he’d just connected to a signal tower.

He examined each number on the license plate carefully.

There was no mistake—it was Wen Chenxi’s car!

–

Author’s Note:

PS—

Assistant Lin: If you’re not suspicious, why look him up?

Wen Chenxi: I’m interested. Is that a problem?

Assistant Lin: …

Still wondering how to approach his brother, Zhuang Yanyu: Maybe I should just give up!

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