Chapter 5: Indispensable Merit

The girl was dressed casually today—washed denim jeans paired with a simple T-shirt, her hair in a half-bun. Soft, slightly wavy black strands fell naturally against her collarbones, accentuating the pale elegance of her neckline.

What didn’t quite match the look was the subtle confusion on her otherwise clear and fresh face.

Zhou Zhengliang made a guess. Given they hadn’t interacted face-to-face during their last encounter, it was very likely she hadn’t gotten a good look at him. Even now, just a few steps away, she was probably racking her brain trying to figure out who he was.

And sure enough, he wasn’t wrong.

After a few stunned seconds, Gu Yao came back to her senses, quickly masking her expression and speaking politely, “Good afternoon, Secretary Zhou. Director Meng is outside taking a call—I’ll go let him know you’re here.”

Based on his height and facial features, there was no doubt.

This was indeed the owner of this office.

Just as she turned to head for the door, Zhou Zhengliang’s low voice stopped her. “No rush. Sit down first.”

Gu Yao paused slightly, hesitating.

First impressions were crucial, especially between people.

She couldn’t deny it—though more than a month had passed, the oppressive aura of this high-ranking official still lingered. After all, running away at the sight of leadership wasn’t her style.

But she hadn’t exactly behaved innocently at the last system demo. She knew exactly what she’d done.

If that powerful figure had noticed her little stunts back then… well, in this kind of setting, could she really just sit down?

Of course not.

And yet—Rule No. 1 for survival in the workplace: Don’t let a leader’s words fall flat.

Otherwise, it would seem like she didn’t know how to show respect.

So while Gu Yao remained standing, her mind was already working on how to steer the conversation away from this awkwardness.

Steeling herself, she spoke in a polite and composed tone. “Secretary Zhou, I actually have a question.”

Zhou Zhengliang caught her intention, looked up at her, but didn’t press the issue. He let her stay on her feet.

“What’s your question?”

How rare—to see the renowned Secretary Zhou offering someone a way out.

“The calligraphy on the main wall… was it written by Mr. Chen Jinnan?” Though she phrased it as a question, there was a note of certainty in her voice.

She had a sharp eye.

“You attended Jing University?” Zhou Zhengliang asked.

Chen Jinnan was the president of Jing University. If she wasn’t an alumnus, it would be hard for her to recognize his calligraphy.

Gu Yao nodded. “It’s my alma mater. At graduation, I had the honor of receiving a message from President Chen himself.”

That piece of ink work was one of her treasures—she had it stored safely at home in Tang County.

But she had no idea—

Chen Jinnan’s handwriting wasn’t easy to obtain.

Based on what Zhou Zhengliang knew of his uncle, he only gave personal notes to students he hoped would stay on for further research.

But apparently, this girl had other ambitions. She had turned down that chance and chosen to take the civil service exam instead.

Unaware of how time had passed, Meng Changjun finally returned from his call and stepped into the room—only to be met with a curious scene.

On a breezy summer afternoon, in a cool and spacious reception area, the man sat relaxed on the sofa, his voice low and warm as he casually chatted with the girl about calligraphy—nothing at all like his usual stern, professional demeanor.

Apparently, Secretary Zhou was in a good mood today.

With that thought, Meng Changjun knocked three times before entering.

Then he saw Gu Yao standing ramrod straight, her posture perfect—like a schoolkid being punished to stand.

To anyone who didn’t know better, it’d look like she was getting scolded.

Secretary Zhou wasn’t the type to be harsh. So why hadn’t she taken a seat?

Puzzled, Meng Changjun took out the carefully prepared remediation report and placed it in front of Zhou Zhengliang for review.

The latter skimmed a few pages, then pushed it back and got straight to the point. “Let’s talk about the Futian District street and housing renovation issue first.”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Zhou Zhengliang noticed the subtle tension that crossed the girl’s face.

So this was what she feared.

She was afraid of being held accountable.

It made him feel like some blind tyrant who couldn’t tell right from wrong.

At the same time, Meng Changjun found himself caught in a dilemma. As her superior, he naturally didn’t want one of his people dragged into murky waters.

After a brief hesitation, he tested the waters. “The situation is a bit complicated—perhaps it’s best if Xiao Gu steps out for now?”

Gu Yao quietly let out a sigh of relief when she heard Meng Changjun’s suggestion.

What a considerate superior.

But her hope was dashed the very next second.

The senior official not only disregarded Meng Changjun’s proposal, but even gave a faint nod, his voice calm as he motioned to her, “No need to be so tense. Have a seat.”

Her breath caught in her throat.

The arrow was already on the string. Gu Yao summoned all her courage and blurted out, “Since this concerns a significant matter, grassroots staff like me should recuse ourselves. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Bold enough to act, but not bold enough to face the aftermath.

And now, she was stiffly talking rules to him.

After years in public service, Zhou Zhengliang rarely encountered moments that made him curious enough to want to open someone’s head and see what on earth was inside.

Naturally, there were consequences for talking back.

They weren’t far apart—just a coffee table between them. The tension in the air was thick, and Gu Yao could feel, with startling clarity, the invisible force of the man’s gaze locking tighter and tighter around her.

She knew that the moment she chose to act impulsively, she had lost the chance to walk away clean.

This situation—was inevitable.

There was no point in avoiding it now.

Understanding this, Gu Yao eased the tension in her body and lowered her eyes. Under the silent scrutiny of the senior official, she quietly took a seat on the sofa across from him.

Meng Changjun, watching this, broke into a nervous sweat.

The Futian District redevelopment project—neither too big nor too small. Its significance really depended on how Secretary Zhou defined it.

Come to think of it, having her remain as an observer might not be a bad thing after all.

But after how frightened she had just been, she probably wasn’t in the right state to listen calmly anymore.

That concern, however, proved unnecessary.

Gu Yao retrieved paper and pen from her bag, evidently ready to take notes.

But time passed, and the senior official still hadn’t spoken.

She discreetly glanced up, trying to read his expression.

It was… perfectly calm.

Just as her thoughts began to drift, the quiet flipping of pages suddenly ceased. Zhou Zhengliang, who had been reading through the report, closed the file without warning and looked across at her.

And so, Comrade Gu—who hadn’t had time to pull her gaze back—found her eyes caught directly in his.

“…”

Her eyelid twitched. She quickly looked away and buried her head in her notebook, scribbling down a title in a fluster.

Meng Changjun witnessed the whole thing and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

She was still too young—too unpracticed at hiding her emotions. Whatever she was thinking showed plainly on her face, completely transparent to someone like Secretary Zhou, who had seen it all.

Still, one thing was clear.

Since Secretary Zhou hadn’t brought up the incident from the system demonstration, it likely meant she wasn’t implicated.

Perhaps… it really was just a slip of the hand.

It didn’t matter anymore.

What mattered now was whether his remediation report would be enough to satisfy Secretary Zhou.

In the end, the briefing didn’t drag on as long as expected.

To Gu Yao’s surprise, Secretary Zhou didn’t dig deep into the Futian District redevelopment issue. He simply touched on it and moved on, without much discussion.

Only near the end did his gaze sweep over her densely written notebook. Then, in an even tone, he remarked, “You have nice handwriting.”

…??

Stunned.

Caught completely off guard.

The tense work atmosphere seemed to melt away. Gu Yao smiled unconsciously, a soft dimple blooming on her cheek. Her expression came to life, and for the first time, she looked like someone her age.

Zhou Zhengliang shifted his eyes away, the corners of his lips lifting ever so slightly.

The 518 case had been a thorn in his heart for some time. Because of it, he’d rarely shown a pleasant face recently, and many officials had suffered as a result.

But he prided himself on being strict and decisive. Most subordinates simply tiptoed around him—but this girl?

She gave him his first taste of what it was like to scare someone senseless.

If the thorn remained, more people would keep getting spooked.

And the Futian District project—being the breakthrough he needed at a critical moment—owed much to this young woman.

So in a sense, she didn’t deserve to be treated too harshly.