Chapter 24: Newbie Protection Period

It was past ten o'clock when Li Xiuyuan returned home. His parents were already there, waiting for him. As it was their son’s first day on the job, Li Jianguo and his wife were naturally quite concerned about how things had gone.

Li Xiuyuan, a traditional son, played the part well, focusing only on the good news. He told them that the department leaders were very kind and seemed to think highly of him, and he explained that he had returned late because he had gone out to dinner with two of his colleagues.

"That’s expected. Once you start working, socializing is unavoidable. Treating your colleagues to a meal is the right thing to do to build good relationships," Li Jianguo said, then asked, "Do you still have money? If not, I’ll go withdraw some for you tomorrow."

Li Jianguo was well aware that although Li Xiuyuan had earned fifty thousand, he had invested it all in the stock market.

"I'm fine, Dad, I have enough," Li Xiuyuan replied, shaking his head.

"Alright then, just let me know if you run short," Li Jianguo said before urging his son to get some rest.

The next morning, Li Xiuyuan arrived at the office fifteen minutes early after breakfast. After all, he was the newcomer, and he needed to maintain the proper attitude expected of one.

It wasn't that coming in early allowed him to accomplish anything substantial; it was simply to be seen by the leadership. While such gestures were objectively meaningless, they served as a form of "obedience test." If a new employee arrived exactly on the dot, it would be seen as improper.

As time passed, the staff of the General Affairs Division gradually arrived. Li Xiuyuan finally met the female colleague who had joined at the same time as Wang Zhitao, whom he hadn't seen the day before.

She looked like she had only recently graduated from university. She was dressed elegantly, possessed a refined air, and had a crisp, pleasant voice. While not necessarily a stunning beauty, she was certainly attractive by the standards of the civil service.

Wang Zhitao introduced her to Li Xiuyuan as Wu Yiyi. She was lucky; she had been assigned to follow a deputy county magistrate. Although the appointment hadn't been officially finalized, she was already acting as his secretary. During recent field research trips, the deputy magistrate had taken her along, which meant the role was effectively hers.

Wu Yiyi didn't stay in the office long. Before the official start time, she got up and left, though it was unclear whether she was heading to the leadership offices or had other business.

Li Xiuyuan spent his time at his desk reviewing previous work from the General Affairs Division, including research reports, county economic data, drafts of speeches by leaders, and summaries of various conference proceedings.

When he encountered things he didn't understand, he didn't waste time struggling alone; he asked Li Boyang directly. In truth, Li Xiuyuan understood most of it—his decade of experience at the grassroots level in his previous life had been quite formative.

Aside from familiarizing himself with the work, Li Xiuyuan was preoccupied with thoughts of Qu Hui.

When Qu Hui arrived that morning, he had assigned some tasks to others, but he hadn't given Li Xiuyuan a single thing to do. Li Xiuyuan realized that Qu Hui was attempting to isolate him and trap him in a state of idle anxiety. It was a calculated move to break his spirit, yet it was one that gave him no grounds for complaint; it was perfectly justifiable for a newcomer to spend his first few days simply familiarizing himself with the environment.

Of course, Li Xiuyuan knew he was in a "newcomer protection period." Even if Qu Hui harbored ill will, he had to bide his time. However, this period wouldn't last long—at most a month, perhaps as little as twenty days. Qu Hui would definitely make a move, and Li Xiuyuan had to find a solution before that window closed.

As he worked, Li Xiuyuan pondered his options. The advice Li Boyang had given him the previous night was sound: the best approach was to have connections—someone influential to speak on his behalf.

But as his father, Li Jianguo, had noted, he was the first person in three generations of their family to enter the civil service. There were no such connections to be found. If there were, things would be simple.

Without existing connections, he would have to create them. The General Affairs Division was a unique unit; if he could catch the eye of a leader, things might change. Just like Wu Yiyi—if a leader appreciated him and made him a secretary, Qu Hui would never dare to target him again.

Yet, that wasn't very realistic. Putting aside the sheer improbability of such a coincidence, secretaries for leaders were usually fixed positions. Unless a new leader arrived without an entourage, they wouldn't be looking for someone new. And even if those conditions were met, why would they choose a fresh newcomer like him? Wang Zhitao and Li Boyang were waiting in the wings, too. And even if it did fall to him, Qu Hui would surely sabotage him from the shadows.

That path was effectively closed, at least for the time being.

It was like the internet joke: "How do you earn a million?" "By having a hundred million in the bank." It was absurd; if one already had a hundred million, why would they worry about earning a million?

Since that path was blocked, there was another: finding a girlfriend with a solid background. Relying on one’s father-in-law was nothing to be ashamed of; when one had no connections of their own, finding a partner with deep roots was a standard tactic in the civil service. To climb the ladder, one had to seize every opportunity; for those with ambitions in the bureaucracy, marriage was a "second birth."

But where could he find such a person on such short notice? It was equally unrealistic. Li Xiuyuan thought and thought, concluding that he would simply have to find a way to get noticed by a leader. If a leader offered even a single word of praise, Qu Hui would have to tread carefully.

For the busy, time flies, but for Li Xiuyuan, the day was a grueling affair. He watched intently, looking for any opportunity to show his face before a leader. But it was all in vain; the leaders’ movements were unpredictable, and there were no such things as chance encounters.

By the third day, Friday afternoon, the work was lighter than the previous two days, and the atmosphere in the office was slightly more relaxed. Even Wu Yiyi, who was rarely seen, was present in the office.

"Little Wu, why aren't you over at Deputy County Magistrate Gu's office?" Sister Zhang asked, looking at Wu Yiyi. She was the absolute center of attention in the office now, as she was about to become the secretary to the deputy county magistrate.

Being the secretary to a deputy-level official made her an important figure in the General Affairs Division. It wasn't just the others who couldn't afford to offend her; even Qu Hui, the division chief, was incredibly polite to her and never dared to question her whereabouts.