Chapter 4: Striving for the Endless Pulse of Life
Congratulations, host. You have successfully defended your dignity and rights, taught a lesson to the rude and overbearing woman, and gained: 20 points, plus 2 days of life.
Ruan Mianmian carefully put away her money, threw the coffee cup into the trash, wiped the coffee stains from her clothes with a napkin, and finally took a sun-protection jacket from her backpack, zipped it up, and hurried to catch the bus.
She glanced at the time, hoping she would make it—otherwise, that bald Li would surely seize the opportunity to make trouble for her.
Ruan Mianmian boarded the bus, sat down, and looked at the system points report before her eyes.
Her confrontation with the woman had earned her a total of 34 points and about three and a half days of life.
Wonderful. She could live a few days longer.
Since she confronted Li Hao at ten-thirty last night and then slept, she had nearly lost a whole day of life.
She wondered how she never realized life was so precious before!
At a rate of one point to one thousand yuan, she had made thirty-four thousand this morning—more than her monthly salary from hard work.
But she had money and no life to spend it!
Ruan Mianmian decided that from this moment on, whenever she encountered injustice, as long as she couldn’t be defeated, she’d fight back with all her strength.
Preserving her own life was the priority!
At the last minute, Ruan Mianmian clocked in successfully.
“Mianmian, thank goodness you made it on time! I was worried sick, thought you’d be late,” said Xu Weiwei, who was close to her.
“There was a bit of trouble at the subway station. I’ll tell you later. Let me change clothes first.”
She kept a set of clothes at the office for emergencies—sometimes she would be caught in the rain on the way to work or accidentally get her clothes wet in the restroom.
Many female colleagues kept spare outfits in their lockers.
After changing and returning to her desk, Li Hao finally showed up.
As he walked past in the hallway, he glanced at Ruan Mianmian, and his look made her neck feel chilly.
Was he plotting something against her?
She took a deep breath—not afraid!
Xu Weiwei whispered, “Mianmian, Li the Bald’s look just now was scary. You’d better be careful today and not make any mistakes around him.”
“I know, Weiwei. I bought two pieces of cake this morning—did you have breakfast? I’ll give you one.”
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“No need, keep it for yourself for later when you’re hungry. My mom made me breakfast this morning, I ate before coming to work.”
“All right.”
Ruan Mianmian genuinely envied Xu Weiwei, whose parents truly cared for her.
Unlike her own mother, who favored sons over daughters, whose heart only held her brother, who never cared about her, except for her payday each month.
Whenever it was payday, her mother’s call was more punctual than any service hotline.
“Mianmian, since Weiwei doesn’t want it, I’ll have it. I haven’t had breakfast yet—give me the cake,” Lin Xiaofei said, as if it were her right, reaching for the cake Ruan Mianmian had placed on the desk.
Ruan Mianmian snatched the cake away. “Lin Xiaofei, did you ask me? Did I agree to give it to you before you just grabbed it?”
She hated Lin Xiaofei the most—relying on her seniority and being the team leader, she always ordered her around and often took advantage, no different from Fang Yali, equally annoying.
“Ruan Mianmian, you’re so stingy. I eat your stuff as a favor to you. Don’t be ungrateful!”
Lin Xiaofei hadn’t expected the usually meek Ruan Mianmian to embarrass her in front of everyone, her face unable to hide her upset.
She had eaten Ruan Mianmian’s things many times before, and Ruan Mianmian never refused. What was going on today?
That fiery spirit from yesterday when she scolded Supervisor Li hadn’t faded?
Ruan Mianmian rolled her eyes and retorted, “So, according to you, I should thank you for eating my things, because you’re honoring me?”
Lin Xiaofei replied haughtily, “Exactly. Do you think I’m dying to eat your stuff?”
Ruan Mianmian sneered, “Following that logic, I could honor you too—use your money, drive your car, since that’s honoring you too. But I believe respecting other people’s things is basic manners. I’m surprised some people lack even the most basic manners—maybe evolution forgot her, and she’s still living in the savage era, grabbing whatever she wants.”
Lin Xiaofei loved to boss her around, making her do tasks that weren’t hers, always finding excuses for her to bring breakfast.
Bringing breakfast was one thing, but Lin Xiaofei always ate for free, never paying.
If she refused, Lin Xiaofei would deliberately deduct her performance points at the end of the month.
With salary tied to performance, losing points meant losing money.
She’d wanted to scold her for ages.
Today felt so good!
Congratulations, host. You precisely fought back against your colleague Lin Xiaofei, preventing her from taking advantage again. Reward: 30 points, plus 3 days of life.
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Ruan Mianmian whispered a silent “yes!” in her heart.
Wonderful. She’d earned three days of life and thirty points just by starting work—equivalent to thirty thousand yuan.
Adding the 34 points and three and a half days of life from this morning’s confrontation, she’d made sixty-four thousand today and nearly a week of life.
She’d treat herself to a nice meal after work.
After Ruan Mianmian spoke, some colleagues couldn’t help but laugh.
“Cough, cough, cough!” Zhao Mingxuan nearly choked on his bun, coughing so hard he sprayed bits out.
Chen Yue handed him a napkin. “How can you be so careless?”
Zhao Mingxuan wiped his mouth and said, “Chen Yue, don’t you think Ruan Mianmian is no longer soft?”
Chen Yue nodded. “Yes, she stopped being soft yesterday—she’s tough now.”
Previously, Soft Mianmian never dared to speak to Lin Xiaofei like this.
If Lin Xiaofei said east, she wouldn’t dare go west, always afraid Lin Xiaofei would dock her performance points.
Yesterday, she even dared to curse at Li the Bald.
She really wasn’t soft anymore.
Lin Xiaofei’s face was as colorful as a palette, and she pointed at Ruan Mianmian, furious. “Ruan Mianmian, just you wait!”
She stomped back to her desk in her heels, the sound on the floor betraying her anger.
Xu Weiwei looked at Ruan Mianmian in awe. “Mianmian, you’re amazing! How come I never knew your tongue was so sharp?”
“The past is the past, and now is now. I’ll never let her bully or exploit me again.” She would fight for her life with all she had.
Half an hour later, Lin Xiaofei came over with a stack of documents, her face expressionless. “Ruan Mianmian, organize the data in these files into electronic form and send it to me before the end of the day.”
Ruan Mianmian dared offend her, and she wasn’t about to let her off easy!
She was determined to make Ruan Mianmian apologize and beg in front of everyone!
Ruan Mianmian didn’t even spare her a glance, continuing her own work.
“Ruan Mianmian, I’m talking to you! Didn’t you hear me?” Lin Xiaofei’s voice sharpened as she was ignored.
Ruan Mianmian shot her a disdainful look. “Please don’t bark at me. I’ve been afraid of dogs since childhood!”
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