Chapter 141: I Can't Wait Thirty Years - It’s the Cyber Age—Still Playing a Traditional Villain?

Chapter 141: I Can't Wait Thirty Years "?" Seeing the clothes Tang Shuang handed over, a question mark appeared over Xu Shi's head. When did you even prepare clothes? Wow, you've been waiting for this! Even though your place is simple, it's still the director's office, not a clothing factory. Pulling out a set of men's uniforms just like that... it's clear you came prepared. He finally understood—the earlier chatter from her was just a prelude to this real intention. Thus, his answer was straightforward, "No." "Why not?" Tang Shuang's hands, full of anticipation, froze in mid-air. "Why should I wear it?" Xu Shi countered, "I'm not part of your Inspection Bureau." "That's just it; I thought it would be nice for you to try it on..." Tang Shuang replied without changing her expression, "Wearing the clothes doesn't make you a part of the Inspection Bureau. What are you worried about?" "I should wear it just because you say so?" Xu Shi wasn't about to give in easily, "I'm not some dress-up model unless you have a compelling reason." A compelling reason? Is there such a thing? Tang Shuang felt a bit embarrassed. The honest reason was personal—to spice up a lonely night. The Inspection Bureau uniforms are indeed form-fitting, and Xu Shi is a perfect frame for them. Just imagining him in one suggests he'd look fantastic, making her want to see him try it on. But she couldn't say that directly; she'd lose face. Yet, when things had progressed this far, she couldn't just let Xu Shi easily dismiss it. So, they locked eyes, both stubborn, while she thought deeply. "...A reason, huh? Hang on." After a moment of thought, she did remember something, quickly shifted her gaze, and opened her bracelet to search. Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she showed the screen to Xu Shi. "Look, according to the laws of Night Crime City, every adult male must complete at least one hundred and twenty hours of community service under the supervision of the Inspection Bureau. But the records show you haven't." Tang Shuang grinned smugly, "So, not only do you have to wear it, but you also have to wear it for five days." "?!" Hearing this, Xu Shi's eyes widened in shock. She actually found a reason? Honestly, Tang as the director wasn't being unreasonable; such a clause does exist in the law. However, not many people truly follow it, and someone like him, a scion of a consortium, wouldn't pay it any mind... He's never taken it seriously. But ignoring doesn't mean it's irrelevant. Generally, it requires at least notifying the Inspection Bureau to make some adjustments—nothing major—or directly altering the records; it’s usually a harmless matter. Yet, his records weren't just modified by Tang Shuang; they were truly left as "incomplete"... What does this indicate? It indicates that the person responsible for handling these trivial matters on his behalf forgot about it! Ah, that's too much! Su Lin, you can forget about your salary this month! It'll be fully deducted! Xu Shi complained inwardly, frustrated that such a reason left him at a disadvantage in the confrontation with Tang Shuang. "Ah-choo!" Far away at the company, Director Su sneezed. Catching a cold? "However, I know Director Xu has been busy with official duties lately, so the community service can wait, given how long it's been delayed." Tang Shuang's lips curled, evidently pleased with herself for getting one over Xu Shi, which was a rare opportunity. "But the clothes, you must wear. Consider it a show of attitude." "…" Xu Shi ignored her official tone but couldn't be bothered to argue about such trivial matters anymore. Otherwise, they would be stuck in an endless loop. So, he took the clothes and casually draped the jacket over himself, exasperated, "Satisfied?" "What's with that sloppy style of wearing?" Tang Shuang rolled her eyes, stepping forward to straighten his clothes, adjusting the belt for him, and finally placing the cap snugly on his head, "Now that's more like it." Looking at the dressed-up Xu Shi, she nodded satisfyingly. Although it was only half the attire change, the effect was undeniable—no one else in the Inspection Bureau could wear it as he did. He was even more handsome than she imagined. Hmm, tonight I'll... But when she came to her senses, she found Xu Shi examining her with a very peculiar look. "What’s wrong? You really were wearing it incorrectly. Err...” Tang the Director was confused for a moment before catching on. Oh no. She realized their interaction had been too intimate—standing too close. Given her not insignificant height, standing just half a head shorter than Xu Shi, one more step would have them pressed against each other... What was I doing? Her cheeks turned a shade of red. Despite the atmosphere, it felt a bit inappropriate, and she quickly sprang away as if electrified. "Your Inspection Bureau's clothes are troublesome—so many buttons." Xu Shi appeared oblivious, adjusting his attire himself, "Come on, be a dear and help adjust them again." "Come on, how old are you? Can’t even dress yourself?" Tang Shuang immediately caught on that he was teasing, understanding too well that he often played dumb with wit. "The previous proposal to recruit you into the Inspection Bureau, I take it back. If you really joined, you'd be surprisingly inept." She muttered. The more significant reason is she realized that with Xu Shi's personality, even if he followed her as an ordinary person, he'd probably still cause her trouble. Humph. On second thought, she reassured herself. Apparently, according to her colleagues in the Inspection Bureau with siblings, younger brothers or sisters tend to feel restless if they don’t act up around their older siblings at least once a day. "Don't get worked up over impossible things." Xu Shi smiled, deciding to stop teasing her, "But if I really were an ordinary person, it might not be great. After all, many things I do are supported by a strong foundation behind me. Without material resources, clever ideas are useless." Tang Shuang offered no comment. It’s not that one must be in Xu Shi's position to stand out, but his actions that attracted her wouldn't have caught her eye if coming from an unknown nobody. Moreover, even those in high positions often have unpalatable conduct. The most immediate example being the third son of the He family—utterly useless in Tang Shuang's eyes. She couldn’t fathom how Xu Shi was buddies with him… Oh, he wasn’t much better himself in the past? Then never mind. "But since you mentioned poaching talent, I actually had a similar idea." Xu Shi sipped his tea, speaking leisurely, "Director Tang, have you considered taking a position at 'Serpent Ring'? High pay, light work, and great benefits." "That's... not quite right, is it?" Tang Shuang blinked, thinking how his crossed leg seemed like he was her boss... "What's wrong? Hasn't this kind of thing happened before?" Xu Shi countered, "How many under the City Hall aren’t trying to squeeze into the consortiums?" It’s indeed a common occurrence—numerous key figures at City Hall would directly switch over to the embrace of a consortium either after retirement or even while still in office. The consortia welcome them as well; for one, they’re skilled veterans, and secondly, they come with their networks. Hiring them is much more economical than cultivating new talent... Or to say, under the system of Night Crime City, the City Hall is just a stepping stone. Most people’s ultimate goal is to reach the level of a consortium. "That's all post-retirement. I'm not even thirty yet." Tang the Director joked, "But since you say that, when I retire, I’ll definitely move to ‘Serpent Ring’ to be a consultant or something. Don't turn me down then, Director Xu." "I definitely won't want you by then." Xu Shi squinted and shook his head, "You'd retire at least at fifty-five? Close to thirty years. I don't have the patience to wait." "Hey, that's peculiar." Tang Shuang glared at him, "Listening to Director Xu, are you valuing my ability more, or me as a person?" Truth be told, Xu Shi's words were a clear hint—who’d want a past-her-prime Inspection Bureau chief? The preference clearly lies in the young, beautiful, and capable long-legged elder sister. Tang Shuang was aware of her good looks and knew this guy in front of her wasn't shy when it came to affection. Honestly, thinking about it, he’s surrounded by talented and captivating women… "I'm a child, can't I have both?" Xu Shi was upfront, "Can’t I have everything?" He was always candid in this regard, as hiding things seemed pointless. "Anyway, the options are clear; you know which is better." He clasped his hands, speaking earnestly, "I bet if I publicize the offer, your subordinates would line up to come to me." "Perhaps." Tang Shuang sighed. "I can't control what others think, but for me... this is quite fine." "Otherwise, if you did something out of line, who else could restrain you?" "Oh? You can restrain me now?" "That's hard to say." "...Alright, alright." Xu Shi didn't continue the topic. Reeling Tang Shuang into his fold wasn't a spur-of-the-moment idea; he'd thought about it for a long time—whether it was her body or her skills he admired, he figured it would be better to pull her directly under his wing. Asking her to open a back door had seemed adequate before, but in retrospect, it wasn’t nearly enough. Taking advantage of today's opportunity to probe her intentions, it seemed she still wasn't interested. Since that was the case, Xu Shi didn't press further—though they say a forcibly twisted melon isn't sweet, it quenches thirst, but he had no shortage of both sweet and thirst-quenching melons at home, so there was no rush. Her attitude towards him wasn't what it once was, and he had time to gradually win her over. "Alright, if there's nothing else, I'll head out." He stood up, waved, and took off the Inspection Bureau uniform. "Here, returning the clothes to you." "You can keep the clothes." Tang Shuang pointed out, "After all, I can't give clothes you've worn to someone else, can I?" "Why don't you hold onto them for me?" Xu Shi grinned. "Otherwise, people might think I truly joined the Inspection Bureau." "In that case... would you like me to drive you back?" Tang Shuang accepted the clothes and hung them up, then offered. In truth, she didn't want Xu Shi to leave so soon. Couldn’t he stay a bit longer? But he insisted on leaving, and she couldn't find a reason to make him stay... "...Then I'll trouble Director Tang." Xu Shi initially considered calling Su Lin for a ride but, seeing her demeanor, didn't refuse. On the way back, neither of them spoke, maintaining a silence. Because Tang Shuang suddenly realized a problem. Did Xu Shi’s earlier words imply he also had feelings for her? Caught up earlier in discussing who'd poach whom, she hadn’t considered this line of thought, but in hindsight, his intentions were unmistakable. Realizing this, she felt at a loss. She had never thought Xu Shi might feel that way about her, his mention of "why not have it all" being painfully clear with its implications. Then what about her? Tang Shuang forced herself to calm down and began contemplating the issue. Truth be told, she'd never seriously considered their relationship from a "feelings" perspective. To her, Xu Shi always seemed like a side dish. But if that was truly the case, why was he the first one she thought of for a chat or sharing thoughts? Why had she specifically brought the Inspection Bureau uniform for him to wear? It wasn't just about gathering material; there were elements of "I've thought of a good place" and "I've researched a new dish; he needs to try it." Hmm... Director Tang was internally conflicted. Xu Shi, unaware of her thoughts and the many times she had imagined various scenarios, didn’t engage further, immersing himself in other ponderings. This somewhat awkward and bizarre ambiance remained until Tang Shuang's car stopped at the "Serpent Ring" building. "We're here." "Shall I head in?" Xu Shi nodded, and just before opening the car door, he recalled something. "By the way, you should prepare yourself for potential upcoming events." "...Does it have something to do with you?" Tang Shuang was surprised, then inquired further. Or rather, she wanted to ask, "Is it something you're orchestrating from behind the scenes?" "It definitely will be related to me." Xu Shi thought for a moment before answering, "But honestly, I hope it doesn't happen. However, it's wise to prepare." "...Alright." Director Tang was perplexed by his vague warning but agreed nonetheless. Before she could question further, Xu Shi had already exited the car and left. Yet, unbeknownst to her, Xu Shi hadn't even entered the company when someone intercepted him. In a nearby parking space, an out-of-place executive car opened. Xie Qingyan stepped out wearing a sharp suit, accompanied by Ye Shanshan. "What have you been up to, Director Xu? The Inspection Bureau's director personally drove you back?" It was evident she'd been waiting some time, her tone sprinkled with teasing. "...Does Director Xie have urgent business?" Xu Shi paused, then smiled. "Since you're here, why not wait in my office? Sitting in the car looks rather odd." He thought to himself, as if you wouldn’t know by now—the news about He Yuxia must have spread by this time. "No problem; I just arrived myself." Xie Qingyan grinned, "I've got something important to discuss with you." (End of Chapter)