After putting down his materials, he went straight to Team Leader Qi's office, entering after knocking with a smile still on his face, saying: "Team Leader Qi, are you busy now? Do you have time to talk?"

Team Leader Qi closed the file in front of him: "Have a seat."

Shen Duoyi sat down across the desk and asked straightforwardly: "That thirty percent of the plan, you didn't do it?"

Team Leader Qi nodded: "To be honest, I thought you would help me complete it."

"I said before I would help you do some, not all of it, because this is our shared work." Shen Duoyi looked at the other person somewhat incredulously, "So when you found I had only helped you with twenty percent, you simply abandoned it, letting me take all the consequences?"

Team Leader Qi didn't respond, equivalent to admitting it.

Shen Duoyi remembered what Qi Shi'an had told him before, that helping others should have limits, couldn't exceed them. He hadn't taken it to heart at the time, now he had received a lesson that struck home.

A peck of help breeds gratitude, a bushel breeds resentment. When you're used to helping with one hundred percent, the day you only help with fifty percent, the other person hates you.

He looked at Team Leader Qi, was silent for a moment, then asked: "Did you and Supervisor Tang coordinate?"

"No." Team Leader Qi wanted to explain a bit, "Actually—"

"Actually he's not necessarily on your side either." Shen Duoyi interrupted, his thoughts completely clear now, "The work was allocated by him, one director and two team leaders, with this kind of thing happening it makes the whole consulting department look bad. Pushing the responsibility to me means only I lose face, minimizing casualties."

Team Leader Qi tried to speak: "Duoyi, I really wronged you today. Let me treat you tonight, let me properly apologize."

Shen Duoyi responded directly: "No need. After causing this mess you still want to be diplomatic and not offend anyone. If I accept with a smile, that would be too hypocritical. We'll still have to work together in the future, but that's all it will be - just work."

He left after speaking, returning to his office to directly begin the remaining thirty percent of the plan. He had always been even-tempered, but his principles and bottom lines were very clear. This incident was a lesson, one he would probably remember well.

Shen Duoyi missed lunch and rest time, working straight until getting off work. He sent the completed plan to both Qi Shi'an and Zhang Yiming's emails before finally taking a breath to rest for a moment.

The colleagues in the cubicles outside had all left. He was really hungry, with no snacks left in his drawer for sustenance. Taking his phone to find something to eat in the company cafeteria, he called Grandpa Shen on the way.

At this time the cafeteria chefs had all gone home, with only some ready-made items preserved in the cold display case. Before Shen Duoyi got close, he first saw Qi Shi'an sitting among the large expanse of empty seats.

Qi Shi'an looked up, his hands still typing on the keyboard, saying: "I heated up some fried noodles and mushroom soup for you, fill your stomach first."

After a troublesome whole day and exhausting afternoon, Shen Duoyi finally found comfort in this thoughtfulness. He sat down across the table after washing his hands, first gulping down half a bowl of soup, asking: "How did you know I would come?"

"Didn't see you eating at lunch, figured you must be hungry now." Qi Shi'an closed his laptop, "The plan took up the whole afternoon, originally scheduled work can only be completed by working overtime, definitely need to eat something. If you didn't come, I was going to deliver it to you."

Shen Duoyi had been armored all day, now immersed in Qi Shi'an's gaze, instantly softened. He picked up his chopsticks to eat the noodles, ate two bites wrapping up a large circle, then extended it to the other side: "Really delicious, you eat too."

Qi Shi'an ate it: "I've read through the plan, it's very well done."

Shen Duoyi lowered his head to continue eating: "Analyze Supervisor Tang's behavior for me, I'm afraid my thinking isn't comprehensive enough."

Qi Shi'an analyzed: "Supervisor Tang's behavior boils down to two reasons. First, all bad leaders have one flaw, which is believing that pacification is more important than investigation. Truth is often not what they value most, they care about how to extinguish the flame within the smallest scope after a problem occurs."

"I know, so throwing it all on me alone, what's the other reason?" Shen Duoyi asked.

Qi Shi'an answered: "As for the other reason, well, our Team Leader Shen is so capable, with transaction amounts far ahead of others, and just completed an important contract signing project during the business trip, plus young and handsome looking, how could people not be jealous?"

Shen Duoyi kicked out under the table, laughing: "Are you annoying on purpose?"

Qi Shi'an suddenly became serious: "Colleagues aren't equal to friends. When you were at the insurance company before, you had a good uncle-nephew relationship with Meng Ping, Meng Lan had good feelings toward you, naturally easy to get along with. But now it's different, cubicles aren't big, people can have many thoughts, after all everyone works to make money, no one is here to make friends."

"I understand, I should have listened to your advice before, if I was a bit more careful I might have avoided today's situation." Shen Duoyi nodded, then took a deep breath, "I've already lost points on the second half year's assessment, but I won't just give up like this. I don't want to stay at the same level as Team Leader Qi anymore, nor do I want to be shut down by one word from Supervisor Tang. So I'll make up the points in other areas, I want to get promoted on my own merit. Please handle official business properly, but privately you can applaud for me."

Qi Shi'an was nearly enchanted by Shen Duoyi's proud and unyielding appearance, responding against the backdrop of the night sky outside: "Then I'll wait for you to hand me a beautiful answer sheet."

A work incident wound up Shen Duoyi's spring. He redid his whole week's work schedule, meeting clients in different sessions each day, then working overtime to do proposals and plan books.

The signed contracts were probably his mockery toward Supervisor Tang and Team Leader Qi.

Qi Shi'an secretly observed for a week. On Friday, he arranged for a cleaning company to come disinfect the building, and no one was allowed to stay for overtime. Just as they finished packing up, Zhang Yiming pushed open the door, holding a financial monthly magazine.

"Have you seen it?"

"Seen what?" Qi Shi'an took it, then flipped to the contents page and saw an analysis article about cross-border financing. The author was "Shen Duoyi", and his company affiliation was noted.

He was stunned for a few seconds, then couldn't help but smile. He thought the soaring personal transaction amounts were all of Shen Duoyi's counterattack, didn't expect there was this item too.

"Company regulations state that publishing papers in formal print or websites will be given research encouragement, this has to count." Zhang Yiming snatched back the magazine, "This is our consulting department's work, I need to post an announcement before leaving."

Qi Shi'an said: "Post it, why not have IT make a scrolling screen and pop-up?"

"You're just showing off." Zhang Yiming cursed with a laugh, and just as he finished speaking there was a knock on the door. The office door wasn't closed, and Shen Duoyi stood at the entrance with his bag. Speak of the devil.

Seeing no outsiders, he walked in and asked: "Are you discussing business?"

Qi Shi'an said: "Discussing your article, coming to get me after work?"

"Mm, can't work overtime today." Shen Duoyi's eyes were bright, "I originally wanted to let you see it before publication, but we agreed to handle official business properly, that would seem like cheating."

Zhang Yiming felt like a third wheel and prepared to leave quickly: "Team Leader Shen, don't tire yourself too much, the deducted points have long been made up, take advantage of your youth for more couple time."

Shen Duoyi said very generously: "Assessment is coming up, everyone is working hard, I also want to try climbing higher."

Zhang Yiming withdrew, and Qi Shi'an packed up to leave work with Shen Duoyi. They stood shoulder to shoulder in the elevator when Shen Duoyi suddenly turned and leaned close, speaking as if sharing a secret: "I'm about dead tired this week."

Qi Shi'an held him: "Then I'll drive you home."

"Then you eat dinner too." Shen Duoyi was in a good mood. No one was left in the building and the monitoring room needed disinfection too, so he shamelessly stuck to the other person, "Haven't you noticed I'm... acting coquettish?"

Qi Shi'an was about to go crazy: "Haven't you noticed I'm already practicing extreme restraint?"

The two teased each other as they went to the parking lot to get the car. Qi Shi'an voluntarily became the driver, while Shen Duoyi sat in the passenger seat checking if their family fund had increased.

"Haven't paid attention for a week, why are the short-term ones so terrible?"

"It'll get worse, short-term is actually hard to control." Qi Shi'an hadn't finished speaking when a suddenly ringing phone interrupted him. He picked it up to look and said: "My mom."

Shen Duoyi's eyes went wide: "Which mom?"

"Birth mom." Qi Shi'an found the other's expression very amusing, so he deliberately put on a serious face as he answered, "Mom, do you need something?"

Kong Yinhong got straight to the point: "Tomorrow I'm off work, are you free? Let's have a meal together."

Qi Shi'an deliberately asked: "Just us two?"

Kong Yinhong answered: "Bring along Duoyi, let's have a good chat."

The car cabin wasn't big, and Shen Duoyi heard everything clearly beside him. His heart raced, feeling both joy and nervousness. After the call ended, Qi Shi'an looked at him amusedly: "Heard it all?"

Shen Duoyi nodded: "Mothers-in-law grow fonder of their sons-in-law the more they see them, I think Auntie will definitely like me!"

Qi Shi'an almost crashed the car: "...Like hell!"