Chapter 026: The Brick Carrier Stands Above All

The two of them chatted idly for a while longer before returning to the meeting room. It wasn’t that they were particularly passionate about work—there was simply far too much to do. Finishing two thousand data entries in a single day was practically inhuman!

To avoid tempting fate, Lin Luyu silently amended that thought in her heart: “It’s simply not something I can manage.” Two and a half hours had passed since she received the assignment. She glanced at her progress bar—only five hundred entries completed so far, and the finish line seemed impossibly distant.

But what was the point in dwelling on it? Lin Luyu shook her head to clear away such thoughts and then plunged back into her task.

Her concentration was interrupted again at half past six in the evening. Normally, that would be their official clock-out time. But clearly, today was anything but normal.

From a distance, she could hear Liao Yingying’s high heels clicking as she approached.

“Thank you all for your hard work today, everyone!”

But then Liao Yingying changed her tone and continued, “Could I trouble you to hand your employee badges to the two colleagues next door? I’ve asked them to go downstairs and bring up dinner for you all. If any of you have dietary restrictions, please write them on a sticky note and hand them in as well.”

Once everyone had handed over their badges, it seemed to occur to Liao Yingying that most of the people here were students experiencing their first day in the workplace. Perhaps, not wanting to cast a shadow over these young newcomers—leaving them with only impressions of endless tasks and overtime—Liao Yingying offered some reassurance:

She told them not to worry; overtime would be compensated, and there would be additional transportation allowances. Even their performance bonuses would be increased accordingly.

“Don’t let work get you down,” she said. “We’re in a special period right now. Who could have predicted new industry regulations would be issued just days before the big sale? Once we get through this, things will return to normal.”

Encouraged by her words, everyone felt that working overtime wasn’t so terrible after all. After all, the boss herself said they were racing against time, and things would go back to regular hours once the big sale was over.

But among this group of newcomers, how many remembered clearly that after the annual Double Eleven sale in November, there was another “Thanksgiving Return” promotion in December? And when those two shopping sprees had passed, it would already be nearly New Year’s. Then, with spring and a change of season, another round of promotions would begin.

**

After dinner and a brief rest, everyone turned their attention back to their computer screens. As she grew more familiar with the content, Lin Luyu’s hands moved faster and faster. Another hour passed, and Lin Luyu finally completed her assigned tasks for the day.

She double-checked her document, made sure there were no mistakes, saved it, and emailed it to the head of the Women’s Apparel Group.

“Ling, I’ve finished my part and sent it to your inbox.”

Because she wasn’t familiar with the supervisor, Lin Luyu wasn’t sure how to address her. Using her full name seemed too formal; copying the group members and calling her “Danling” felt too familiar. After some internal debate, she decided to call her “Sister.”

When Chen Danling heard Lin Luyu’s voice, she replied, “Got it, I’ve received your email.” She glanced at the time displayed in the lower right corner of her screen, then turned to Lin Luyu and asked, “It’s getting late—are you heading out alone or with someone?”

Lin Luyu checked the time as well. It was 8:27 p.m.—indeed, not early.

“I’m heading out by myself, but it’s fine!”

After saying her goodbyes to Chen Danling, Lin Luyu gathered her things and made her way out.