To avoid being late on my first day at work, I arrived over half an hour early. Although I had heard Yueyue and UU talk about the layout of the CES building, I was still a bit bewildered. With my poor sense of direction, I almost couldn't tell east from west, but luckily I can read, and the signs allowed me to barely find my way.
At that moment, I somewhat regretted not letting Mrs. Tu drive me to the employee entrance. I had to hobble along in my three-inch heels. Mainly, I was afraid she might do something outrageous—like attack an overly principled security guard, comment on people's cars and clothes like no one's around, or insist on getting a handsome guy's phone number. Plus, this morning, she ran out without combing her hair or washing her face, likely to be mistaken for a madwoman.
CES building has eighteen floors, with the first fifteen as retail space, featuring brand-name cars, jewelry, clothes, cosmetics, the latest trend-setting electronics, toys, as well as luxurious restaurants, VIP areas, and the like. The company's real stronghold occupies the top three floors.
There are four entrances to the building. The east and west ones are for the general public, while the southern entrance is reserved for VIP members—people of wealth and prestige; even the company's president wouldn't take up a parking spot there, instead, using the northern employee entrance with the rest of the CES staff.
Oddly enough, these four entrances are named after mythical creatures, like the Green Dragon Gate, White Tiger Gate, Vermilion Bird Gate, and Xuanwu Gate, instead of simply calling them East, West, or gate A or B. Employees coming and going daily through the Xuanwu Gate without developing a complex really baffles me, especially in the face of sudden company crises.
Moreover, this side passage is segregated into two long corridors by iron railings taller than a person. High-ranking employees and important company figures stroll down the spacious left side, while ordinary employees squeeze through the narrow right side, with their status clearly marked by these minuscule bars.
I was scrutinized when I entered the employee passage because I didn't arrive in a car labeled with the company's logo, nor did I have an employee ID. However, I had all the necessary documents, and after a thorough check, the security guard let me through. I despised the way he looked at me, as though handling expensive items made one noble; the guards here were more arrogant than anywhere else.
In fact, the so-called employee passage was just an underground parking lot leading to four large elevators. Like a yellow croaker edging its way along, I carefully kept to the side, afraid of obstructing anyone's path. My feet felt like they were about to break, enduring the torture of walking downhill in high heels seemed beyond human endurance.
I had only made it halfway when I suddenly saw a dog crouched on the side of the corridor for senior employees. It looked like it was waiting for something.
One glance told me this was a stray. It was apprehensive, and as soon as it heard the clacking of my heels, it leaped up and hid behind a large pillar. Its fur was a mess, probably buckwheat-colored under all that dirt, with a black face, bigger than a medium-sized dog but smaller than a large one, and it looked well-fed, chubby as a sausage.
As a veterinarian, I naturally love animals. Seeing that I was early and no one was around, I approached the bars and concentrated on reading the dog's mind: "She smells nice; she probably means no harm and won't hit me. I wonder if she has any food."
I smiled, slightly ashamed. At this moment, my LV bag contained the typical items a white-collar woman would carry, unlike my usual large woven bag that I always packed with food for any stray cats or dogs I encountered.
So, I spread my hands to try and communicate my intent to the dog.
It licked its tongue and laid back down, continuing to wait.
I gestured and asked again, using human words and actions but forcefully sending out my thoughts, inquiring why it was waiting there.
Feeling my friendliness, the dog gave me a suspicious stare for a few seconds and then grunted.
I immediately understood its meaning: it was waiting for a female dog. After a one-night stand here, it couldn't forget her and was foolishly hoping for another chance to meet.
Sigh, what a lovestruck dog. Indeed, some humans are worse than pigs and dogs.
And that's my superpower, something I was born with, likely due to some genetic mutation. I am Yu Huxin, an ordinary human female, an overage little sweetie, who can listen to or read the minds of animals. I know what they're thinking, what they want to do, and can even control them with my mind, though this often results in errors, with a success rate of about fifty percent.
That's how I can quickly diagnose an animal's ailment and prescribe the right treatment because I can communicate with them telepathically, which is far more direct and accurate than simply judging from symptoms.
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The dog was quite adorable, I was so pleased that I forgot what I was here for, and just stood there, having a "chat" with it through the iron bars. Just as I was enjoying the conversation, I heard a harsh noise, the kind made by cars driving too fast as they turn or brake. Then, two private cars, one following the other, quickly drove through the entrance reserved for high-level staff.
I'm a country bumpkin with no knowledge of cars, able to only tell the difference between taxis and private vehicles. Obviously, these were private cars, and they were definítely luxury vehicles, worth over a million each – because even though I've never eaten pork, I've seen pigs run, and I could tell by the shape of the cars.
The lead car was black, dignified and imposing, while the one following was yellow, bright and elegant. The cars drove onto the parking spaces marked with red lines as if nobody else was around, parked skillfully and smoothly, and then the engines were shut off.
What kind of high-ranking individuals?
I was gossiping in my mind when a man in his thirties got out of the black car first. He wore a plain dark blue suit which, to someone as unfashionable as me, was indistinguishable between high-end and street stall quality.
He had the kind of tall stature that was also not overly muscular, quite impressive really, but his haircut was lacking, just a simple buzz cut, clean and sharp. His appearance was handsome; with a sharp, square jaw and a determined look that gave him an efficient and alert vibe.
He was definitely a looker, though of course, he was no match for my Xiu Xiu. Seemed like he was probably the bodyguard of some big shot.
I was having a lucky morning, after enduring the obnoxious faces of the security guards, and seeing an adorable dog and a ruggedly handsome man, it felt like some compensation.
But where had the dog gone?
A shiver ran through me as I looked around and saw the dog hiding behind a stone pillar, completely motionless, radiating a strong sense of panic.
I immediately furrowed my brows, knowing that animals have a strong sixth sense. They can instinctively sense whether a person is good or evil or poses a threat. Of course, many domestic dogs have lost this basic ability – wagging their tails when a thief enters the house – but the instincts of a stray dog are still very sensitive.
"Don't come out!" I tried hard to control the dog's movements with my mind.
But the man suddenly sniffed the air, then started coughing violently, and quickly got back into the car. He suddenly gave a loud command, "Security guard, come here, there's an animal, kill it!"
I then realized that several security guards had hurried over after the cars parked, apparently to offer some service. They all had batons attached to their waists and immediately drew them out when they heard the command, looking around cluelessly for the animal.
If the dog continued to hide, it would have been difficult for them to find it. But it was so frightened by the man's murderous intent that it whimpered and darted out from behind the pillar like an arrow!
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Sorry, something came up and I updated late. The next chapter will be delayed as well, but I'll make sure to update before 10 p.m.
Thank you, everyone, please continue to support me with your recommendation tickets.
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