**Chapter 9: Upholding the Duty of a Worker, Swearing to Serve…**
Lin Siyi reached out to turn off the bedside lamp, lay down, and closed her eyes. But after just a few minutes, she remembered that she had thrown her dirty clothes into the washing machine after her shower, intending to wash them. However, she couldn’t recall if she had added detergent. With no other choice, she got up again to check on the small balcony.
As she got closer, Lin Siyi felt that the sound of the washing machine’s drainage was a bit off.
Usually, after washing, the sound of wastewater rushing through the pipes wasn’t as loud as the “whooshing” she heard today. It seemed like it was directly hitting the floor tiles.
Feeling uneasy, Lin Siyi quickly ran to the balcony.
In her haste, she hadn’t turned on the living room lights, so she didn’t notice the large puddle of water and soap bubbles spreading near the boundary between the living room and the small balcony where the washing machine was.
And then, in a rather unfortunate turn of events, Lin Siyi slipped and fell flat on her face with a scream.
Her scream echoed tragically through the luxurious apartment.
Lin Siyi was momentarily stunned by the fall, taking a while to realize what had happened.
Realizing she was still on the floor, she tried to get up slowly. Unfortunately, the tiles covered in bubbles had very low friction, and she ended up having another intimate encounter with the floor.
Feeling utterly defeated, Lin Siyi was heartbroken.
Not far away, the washing machine’s drainage outlet continued to spew water and bubbles.
Clearly, there was a problem with the pipe connection.
Just as Lin Siyi finally managed to get up and was about to cut off the washing machine’s power, someone knocked heavily on her door a few times. When she didn’t respond, the person knocked even harder.
As she hesitated, wondering who would be visiting so late, she heard a familiar voice from outside, “Lin Siyi.”
Yes, at this late hour, who else could it be but her boss living across the hall—Cheng Yixiu?
Lin Siyi quickly responded, “Wait a moment, I’ll be right there…”
In a rush, Lin Siyi didn’t even bother to turn off the washing machine’s power, dragging her possibly injured body to open the door for Cheng Yixiu.
“Boss, why are you here?” Lin Siyi asked, puzzled.
Cheng Yixiu looked her over carefully from head to toe, “Are you okay? I was in the study reviewing some materials when I suddenly heard your scream. I was worried something happened, so I came to check.”
It was fine until he looked, but once he did, Cheng Yixiu didn’t know where to place his gaze.
Lin Siyi had jumped straight out of bed. Being used to living alone, she didn’t wear any undergarments to sleep. After the fall, her limbs were still a bit numb, and she hadn’t realized anything was amiss with her attire.
Cheng Yixiu found himself in a dilemma, unsure whether to remind her and risk embarrassing her or to keep quiet and feel awkward himself.
In the end, he decided to focus his gaze above Lin Siyi’s neck.
“I’m really sorry, my washing machine’s drainage pipe had a problem and leaked. The floor was too slippery, and I accidentally fell. Did I disturb you, boss?”
“Do you feel like you’ve hurt yourself anywhere? Do you need me to take you to the hospital for a check-up?”
“No need, I don’t feel anything for now. But I need to deal with the floor first; I’m worried it might seep downstairs if left too long.”
“Mind if I come in and take a look?”
“Sure, boss, come in. I’ll get you some slippers. Here, these are new. The seller sent the wrong size last time, so they’ve never been worn.”
Cheng Yixiu didn’t mind the large pink women’s slippers Lin Siyi handed him. He quickly put them on and went in to check the situation.
Following behind, Lin Siyi couldn’t help but remind him, “Boss, be careful of the slippery floor.”
Cheng Yixiu turned to her, “Turn on the living room lights. You sit aside, and I’ll check the washing machine.”
His long legs proved advantageous as he carefully stepped over the puddle.
With the lights on, he found the balcony light switch, squatted down to check the drainage pipe connection, and discovered that the washing machine’s drainage pipe clamp had loosened, causing the connection to slip due to water pressure.
After confirming there were no other issues, he tightened the clamp. Cheng Yixiu then found a mop, cloth, and bucket nearby, carefully mopping the water and bubbles twice, and then drying the floor with a cloth. Only after finishing did he return to the living room to explain the problem to Lin Siyi.
Unexpectedly, the person who had confidently refused to go to the hospital earlier was now rubbing her tailbone. Cheng Yixiu approached, “What’s wrong? Is your lower back uncomfortable?”
Lin Siyi, unaware she looked like a monkey with a slipped disc, pressed her lower back and explained, “I can’t seem to exert any strength; I think I did hurt myself.”
Cheng Yixiu checked his watch, “It’s almost midnight. If it’s convenient, change your clothes, and I’ll drive you to the emergency room.” Without waiting for Lin Siyi’s response, he awkwardly headed for the door.
“Boss, wait a moment, I’ll be right out…”
It was only when Lin Siyi was putting on her bra that she realized she had been “exposed” in front of Cheng Yixiu the whole time. No wonder he had looked so awkward when talking to her earlier. Thinking back, she felt utterly embarrassed.
Fortunately, she always believed that if she wasn’t embarrassed, then the embarrassment was someone else’s problem. Her thick skin was unmatched.
When she came out dressed, she saw Cheng Yixiu waiting at the door, as if the earlier embarrassing incident was all in his imagination.
Cheng Yixiu adjusted his tone, “The elevator’s here. Let’s go. Did you bring your ID or citizen card?”
“Don’t worry, boss, it’s all in my bag!” Lin Siyi patted her shoulder bag.
At the hospital, after asking the triage desk for the emergency department’s location, Cheng Yixiu asked Lin Siyi if she needed a wheelchair. Lin Siyi looked at her boss incredulously, “I’m not disabled, am I?”
Cheng Yixiu shrugged, “Suit yourself.”
He then gently supported Lin Siyi to the orthopedic emergency room, only to find the doctor absent. After asking a passing nurse, they were told to wait as the doctor would be back soon.
About five minutes later, the on-duty female doctor arrived.
Cheng Yixiu explained, “Doctor, she slipped on the floor and fell. Her lower back feels weak. Could you check what’s wrong?”
The female doctor asked Lin Siyi, “Turn around and show me where it hurts.”
Lin Siyi pointed to the spot.
The doctor quickly wrote an order, “Get an MRI, CT, and X-ray. Once the reports are out, I’ll review them. It won’t take long in the emergency room, about twenty minutes for the scans. I can see the images directly on my computer, but the report will take a bit longer. Your citizen card balance is about 500 yuan short, so have your boyfriend pay first, then go for the scans.”
Lin Siyi blushed and whispered, “Doctor, he’s not my boyfriend.”
The doctor glanced at Cheng Yixiu again and then said to Lin Siyi, “That’s a bit of a shame.”
Lin Siyi: “…”
Wait, doctor, why do you look so regretful???
Lin Siyi sat in the waiting area while Cheng Yixiu went to pay the fees. She checked her phone and saw it was almost 1 AM, yawning with tears in her eyes.
But thinking about her boss accompanying her to the hospital late at night, her gratitude for him soared.
She silently vowed that as long as her boss didn’t fire her, she would uphold her duty as a worker and swear to serve the capitalist to the death!!!
After paying, Cheng Yixiu went to the vending machine to buy some bread and drinks for them as a midnight snack, knowing that running around at this hour was exhausting.
Returning to the waiting area, he found Lin Siyi hugging her bag, seemingly asleep on the seat.
Cheng Yixiu sighed softly, crouched in front of her, and gently nudged her, “Lin Siyi, wake up. It’s time for your scans.”
Groggily, Lin Siyi opened her eyes, “Boss, did you finish paying?”
“Let’s go.”
“Oh, okay.”
Cheng Yixiu first went to the radiology window to register for the queue, then led Lin Siyi to wait outside the examination room.
At this hour, there was no one for MRI, but a few people were waiting outside the CT room. Lin Siyi decided to do the MRI first, thinking that by the time she finished, the queue for the other two scans would have shortened, saving time.
Standing at the MRI entrance, Cheng Yixiu said, “Give me your bag. Keep your citizen card and queue ticket with you, and hand them to the doctor later. I’ll wait for you outside.”
“Thanks, boss. I’ll head in now.”
After completing all three scans and returning to the orthopedic doctor, it was nearly 2 AM.
The doctor inserted the citizen card into the reader, clicked on the system, and began reviewing the images, “It doesn’t look too serious, just some soft tissue bruising. I’ll prescribe some medication to promote blood circulation and microvascular circulation. Take it three times a day, and avoid strenuous activities for the next month. Rest is best.”
Curious, Lin Siyi asked, “Can I still go to work normally?”
“Don’t sit or stand for too long. Some light activity is necessary, just don’t overdo it. If recovery isn’t ideal after a month, come back for a follow-up.”
Lin Siyi: “Thank you, doctor! I’ll come back if needed.”
Leaving the consultation room, the task of picking up the medication naturally fell to Cheng Yixiu.
Lin Siyi told him she’d wait at the main entrance of the outpatient hall, and Cheng Yixiu nodded, indicating he’d join her after finishing up.
When Cheng Yixiu came out with the medication, Lin Siyi was leaning against a stone pillar at the entrance, arms crossed, “Wait here for a moment. I’ll go get the car.”
“Boss, I’ll go with you. No need for you to come back around.”
Cheng Yixiu firmly insisted, “Didn’t the doctor say you need to rest? Just wait here.”
“Alright! But please hurry, I’ll be waiting.”
Before leaving, Cheng Yixiu took off his shirt jacket and draped it over her, “Wrap up for now. I’ll be back soon.”
Once in the passenger seat, Lin Siyi quickly buckled her seatbelt and suddenly remembered something, “Boss, were you still up so late? Did you see the report I sent to your work email before I went to bed?”
Cheng Yixiu multitasked, keeping an eye on the road while answering her, “I usually sleep around midnight. Unless something unexpected happens, I spend my evenings reading various in-depth industry research reports and tracking the latest announcements from listed companies, aside from my fixed workout time of an hour and a half.”
“What, did you think I had a lot of free time? Haha, that’s not the case.”
“For someone like you, fresh out of school and not yet hardened by society, before entering the industry, did you think managers like us, who frequent high-end office buildings, dressed in suits, articulate, controlling billions in funds, were like the ‘Wolf of Wall Street’? I think you’ve watched too much of that and got brainwashed!”
Lin Siyi: “…” Wait, that’s not what I meant!
Cheng Yixiu adjusted his glasses and glanced at her, “In reality, I travel weekly for in-depth research. My annual flight mileage far exceeds the yearly sales of Xiangpiaopiao milk tea, circling the earth several times, and I could tie a few more bows. Does this shatter your original fantasy?”
“You need to know, money isn’t saved; it’s earned.”
“For us in the financial industry, holidays are just a change of location to continue working. If you want to achieve freedom with Moutai, cars, and houses, it relies solely on your continuous effort and hard work.”
“If making money were easy, why would it be given to you? Think about it; because it’s not easy, it won’t be given to you. If you want to earn it, can you offer more than others? Are you smarter or more diligent than others?”
Lin Siyi: “…”
Wait, isn’t this boss, known for being aloof and unreachable to ordinary investors, talking a bit too much tonight?
She was just casually finding a topic to chat about, and now she’s being lectured like this?
Lin Siyi felt her smile becoming increasingly forced.
Ha~ Boss!
Marx said, “Capitalists exploit by extracting surplus value from workers.”
The reality is, Lin Siyi, dizzy and determined, sat in her boss’s passenger seat, being lectured by her boss on how to live???
Lin Siyi couldn’t help but scream internally, “Old Marx was right!!!”
During Cheng Yixiu’s pause, Lin Siyi appropriately interrupted, “Boss, how much was the medication? I’ll transfer it to you via WeChat right now.”
“It was 825 yuan in total. Round it down to 800. You have my WeChat, just transfer it.”
“No way, you can’t round down medical expenses.” Then, with great generosity, Lin Siyi decided to transfer 1,000 yuan to Cheng Yixiu’s WeChat, “Boss, I transferred 1,000 yuan to you. The extra is for tonight’s transportation and labor fee.” And also as a “hush money,” Lin Siyi couldn’t help but add silently.
Cheng Yixiu: “…”
Just as Lin Siyi thought they could pause the conversation and rest for a moment, Cheng Yixiu cleared his throat and spoke, “Lin Siyi, you need to understand that as your boss, with an annual salary of millions and bonuses in the billions, I’m very expensive, far more than you can imagine.”
Lin Siyi sighed, silently turning her head…
She really didn’t want to say anything now. Please, Mr. Cheng, have mercy on this humble worker!!!
And then she really fell asleep against the car window, only to be woken by Cheng Yixiu when they reached the underground parking lot of their complex.
Lin Siyi rubbed her eyes, “Are we there, boss?”
“Get out. It’s late. Sleep in tomorrow morning, and come to work in the afternoon when you’re feeling better. I’ll tell Cindy you had a minor issue.”
“Thanks, boss!”
“Don’t overthink it. If you don’t recover soon, how can I squeeze every bit of work out of you?”
“Hehe, boss, you’re quite the joker.”
Cheng Yixiu stopped, “Are you hungry? I bought some bread and drinks at the hospital. Want to eat something before sleeping?”
“I want something hot. Cold bread doesn’t appeal to me. I’ll order takeout when I get upstairs. Many places are open 24/7 now, and delivery should be quick at this hour. No need to trouble you, boss. I can handle it.” Lin Siyi gave Cheng Yixiu an OK gesture.
“Take care. Call me if you need anything.”
“Okay, boss. Thanks, boss. Goodnight, or rather, good morning, boss.”
“Boss, you don’t seem as aloof and mysterious as you appear. On the contrary, you’re quite warm-hearted!” As long as you’re not so narcissistic.