Chapter 19: Tang Pei’s Help

The lounge in Mozhi City was still regularly tended to by Linglan, spotless and orderly as ever. However, since that day, Mozhi City rarely visited the entertainment complex, except for special circumstances, making it difficult for Ye Linglan to see him. Immersed in her preparations for the assessment three months away, Linglan, though assigned to the leisure and entertainment center, had never been one to neglect her duties. She could recite the most complicated menu in the restaurant by heart—not out of innate talent, but because diligence breeds mastery. There was a stubborn streak in her nature and an ability to endure hardship, perhaps shaped by the circumstances of her childhood. Unlike other children, her early years were different, but what Ye Linglan felt most fortunate about was understanding the principle of “contentment brings happiness” from a young age.

Sometimes she felt that “Night City” was like a grand garden, filled each day with all sorts of people. These guests, of status and position, carried with them an innate sense of superiority, often strutting about with their noses in the air. Ye Linglan was used to such scenes; no matter how difficult the customer, she always greeted them with a smile.

That day, just after finishing her afternoon shift and changing clothes to leave, she faintly heard the supervisor’s sharp rebukes and scolding from across the glass. The office was a scene of frantic chaos, like ants on a hot pan. Perhaps, with the end of the month approaching and the entertainment center required to submit quarterly reports to the group, something had gone awry. Linglan collected herself, stepped forward, and gently pushed open the door. “Supervisor, shall I give it a try?”

The supervisor glanced at her hesitantly.

“I actually noticed some issues last month, but given my position, I didn’t feel it was appropriate to say anything.” Linglan spoke softly, “There are only two days left before the report to the group. Supervisor, if something has gone wrong and I can help, it’s best to fix it as soon as possible—better late than never.”

“You can handle it?”

“I majored in this at university, Supervisor. If there’s any way to remedy the situation, why not let me try?”

***

Night spread like ink, dissolving the world into darkness. In the entertainment center’s office, a row of fluorescent lights made it as bright as day. Ye Linglan frowned slightly, battling at her computer for hours. The supervisor, sitting nearby, was already visibly weary. “It’s already eleven o’clock. How about you go home and rest—pick this up tomorrow?”

Linglan continued her careful review, saying nothing. She stayed up the entire night, never closing her eyes. The printer’s incessant hum pierced the silence of the room. Outside, the sky lightened with the first gray of dawn. Linglan let out a sigh and finally smiled, “It’s done!” She turned around, only to find the supervisor and two other colleagues fast asleep at their desks.

Linglan quietly bound the documents and placed them on the supervisor’s desk. Today was her night shift anyway, so she could go home and rest now. Stepping out of “Night City,” Linglan looked up at the gloomy sky, feeling a stifling sense of impending storm.

She ran, hurrying toward the bus stop. A sudden clap of thunder startled her, and in the next instant, rain poured down as if the heavens had burst open. She hadn’t brought an umbrella and hurriedly used her backpack to shield herself, quickening her pace. Suddenly, she brushed against a black Bentley, followed by the screech of brakes.

Unsteady, Linglan stumbled and fell back onto the wet ground. Through the rain-smeared car window, the wipers struggled back and forth. She scrambled to her feet, drenched to the bone, and as she approached, she recognized the Bentley’s license plate. Her heart skipped a beat—it was Mozhi City’s car.

The driver rushed out with an umbrella, circled around to her side, and asked, “Miss, are you alright?”

Linglan shook her head. The driver turned toward the back seat, as if reporting something, then returned a moment later. “Mr. Mo asks that you get in the car.”

Linglan froze. Peering past the driver’s shoulder, she looked curiously through the dark-tinted window.