Nie Xiaosu agreed, mainly because she wanted to experience what Chen Feng felt in the political arena.
To love a man, one should understand him in all aspects!
Therefore, under Chen Feng's arrangement, Nie Xiaosu became an intern clerk at the Development and Reform Commission in Mingshan District.
On the first day, Nie Xiaosu's desk was piled high with unfinished documents.
Many of these files were not hers to handle, yet they were placed on her desk.
Nie Xiaosu, having never endured such treatment, immediately went to report to the section chief.
"Xiaosu, this is where you're wrong. You complain about being tired and wronged after handling a few more documents; you have no ambition at all."
The section chief spoke in a pompous tone.
"Section Chief, I have ambition. I have completed all my assigned tasks without compromise."
Nie Xiaosu replied truthfully.
"This is far from enough! To progress, you must do more. Don't overthink it; the reason the senior clerks have you help them with some tasks is mainly to give you more opportunities for training. You should be more optimistic and proactive, rather than complaining."
The section chief continued in his affected tone.
Nie Xiaosu wanted to argue further but suddenly thought of something.
Two senior clerks who were bullying her were relatives of the section chief. Relatives would naturally help relatives, so any further argument would be meaningless.
Looking at the hypocritical and arrogant section chief, Nie Xiaosu really wanted to tell him, "Don't be so arrogant. You are their relative and their backer, but I have a backer too. Chen Feng, the head of the Mingshan District Development and Reform Commission, is my man."
After thinking about it, Nie Xiaosu still didn't say it.
Her purpose in coming to the Mingshan District Development and Reform Commission as a political clerk was to experience the joys and sorrows of the political arena.
This matter was not worth getting emotional about!
Thus, Nie Xiaosu worked overtime without a word, completing tasks that were not hers.
The next day, her desk was once again filled with a large pile of unfinished documents.
Looking at everyone's expressions, they were all accustomed to it.
In their eyes, interns were at the bottom of the political hierarchy; if they weren't bullied, who would be?
Nie Xiaosu remained calm. Doing more work was simply a form of training.
"Nie Xiaosu, don't rest during lunch. Work overtime and process the documents on your desk quickly."
The section chief called Nie Xiaosu into his office.
"Section Chief, I've looked at the documents on my desk, and they don't seem very urgent. They don't all need to be completed today."
Nie Xiaosu offered a slight explanation.
"Nie Xiaosu, here's a piece of advice: if you want to survive in the political arena, remember to respect hierarchy. I am your superior. If I tell you to do something, you just do it. You don't need to teach me how to do my job, okay?"
The section chief stared coldly at Nie Xiaosu.
He scoffed inwardly.
Newcomers to the political arena are indeed too young.
"Understood, Section Chief. I will definitely change in the future."
Nie Xiaosu replied, suppressing her indignation.
At the same time, she began to admire Chen Feng.
He was truly an extraordinary man, having risen from a village leader's driver to the head of the Mingshan District Development and Reform Commission. The political tempering he endured in between would have caused her to collapse long ago.
To be fair, the bullying of newcomers and those at the bottom of the political hierarchy was truly outrageous.
And this was not the most disgusting part.
What was most disgusting was how these middle-level officials in the political arena, who were so unrestrained in bullying newcomers and those at the bottom, would turn into fawning lapdogs when facing their superiors.
Nie Xiaosu endured her anger and listened to ten minutes of the section chief's condescending "kind criticism."
So, at noon, all members of the department returned to their dormitories to rest, leaving her to work overtime alone in the office.
When work resumed in the afternoon, Nie Xiaosu noticed that those who arrived on time were either the janitors of the department, newcomers who had recently joined, or honest clerks with no connections or backers.
Conversely, the clerks with some connections were mostly late, and some didn't show up at all.
Strangely, the attendance records showed them as having clocked in normally.
As for who modified the DingTalk clock-in system, it was unknown.
Nie Xiaosu's worldview was shattered.
No wonder Chen Feng said she wasn't suited for the political arena.
It was indeed true. This was just the tip of the iceberg of the chaos in the political arena, and she was already struggling to cope.
"Nie Xiaosu, hurry back and change your clothes. You need to attend a dinner party tonight, organized by people from Jiangcheng."
Just before the end of work, the section chief called Nie Xiaosu into his office.
"Section Chief, it's after work. I'd like to rest."
Nie Xiaosu said deliberately.
"Hahaha, Nie Xiaosu, are you being naive, or are my ears playing tricks on me? As an intern, do you even have work hours? Let me tell you, if the unit needs you, you must be present. Don't push your luck. Other interns and newcomers to the political arena would jump at this opportunity."
The section chief replied coldly.
"Alright then."
Nie Xiaosu still refrained from getting angry.
"Remember, wear something that is… appropriate."
The section chief added.
"Section Chief, I have no problem representing the unit at a dinner party. However, asking me to wear a… evening gown is something I cannot do."
Nie Xiaosu retorted slightly.
"Nie Xiaosu, don't be ungrateful. Do you think I want to invite you? A leader above wants you because of your looks. Otherwise, even if you begged me, I wouldn't give you this opportunity. In our department, there are so many female employees; if I just asked them to take off their clothes, they would do it without hesitation. Yet, you've entered the political arena and are still playing the saint. What do you think you are?"
The section chief cursed angrily.
Nie Xiaosu desperately wanted to lose her temper and call off her bet with Chen Feng.
However, she thought, should she admit defeat so quickly? That would be too soon.
Thus, Nie Xiaosu suppressed herself once more.
"Section Chief, I'll wear it. Is there anything else? Can I go back and change?"
Nie Xiaosu said, biting her lip.
She was afraid she might not be able to hold back and would directly curse the section chief to death.
"You know, it's better to cooperate. Why be so proud? Let me tell you, if you want to be proud, don't come to the political arena. The political arena is a dirty place, not a place for purity. Hurry up and go. Later, the leader above will send a dedicated driver to pick you up. Remember, make your 'two balloons' look inviting… don't be conservative. Middle-aged powerful men in politics don't like conservative female subordinates."
The section chief instructed.
"Understood."
After speaking, Nie Xiaosu left the unit directly.
Back in her dormitory, Nie Xiaosu struggled with her thoughts for a long time. Finally, she put on a set of… clothes as per the section chief's request.
The reason for enduring such humiliation and hardship was to witness how dirty the political arena truly was.
In half an hour, the leader's special car arrived.
Nie Xiaosu, carrying her handbag, got into the leader's car.
In her handbag, she had two cans of pepper spray.
"Xiao Li, go to the Shangri-La Hotel,"
Wu Tai instructed.
"Old Wu, wasn't there supposed to be a dinner party?"
Nie Xiaosu asked softly.
"There was supposed to be a dinner party, but I'm not feeling well today, so I won't go. Since I have time, I'd like to talk to you properly about work matters."
Wu Tai said, his eyes fixed on Nie Xiaosu's 'balloons.'
Nie Xiaosu almost vomited.
This lecherous middle-aged man was in no way comparable to Chen Feng.
"Old Wu, perhaps not? If someone sees us, they'll gossip. I don't mind; I'm just an intern, but you are a senior leader. If gossip spreads…"
Nie Xiaosu said word by word.
"Xiaosu, you're very thoughtful. Going to a hotel would indeed make us easily discovered and lead to gossip. How about this, let's go to my villa in the suburbs? The security there is very strict, and no one will find out."
Wu Tai said, reaching out to put his arm around Nie Xiaosu's waist.
Nie Xiaosu deliberately gestured to Wu Tai with her eyes, indicating that there was a driver in front and they needed to maintain appearances.
Seeing Nie Xiaosu's gentle resistance, Wu Tai's desire burned even more intensely.
Middle-aged men with power were all like this. They were used to obedient women and found those who didn't cooperate even more alluring…