Chapter 33: What’s there to be ashamed of? If it’s time to clock out, then clock out!

After arranging the afternoon tea, Shen Yan had completed most of her tasks for the day, leaving only the special work daily report assigned by Zhou Xing.

She couldn’t create the report out of thin air.

She had to wait for each department to send their reports, compile them, and then write the overall report.

But since no department had sent their reports yet, she finished her department’s section and had some free time to slack off at her desk.

As she idly passed the time, something felt off.

She glanced at the clock on her computer screen 4:33 PM.

Time always seemed to fly when slacking off.

However

She opened her internal communication software.

Not a single department report had been sent.

Unwilling to give up, she checked WeChat.

Still nothing.

Shen Yan: ……

It was already 4:30 PM, and not a single department had sent their reports.

What did this mean?

Were they forcing her to work overtime?

She didn’t think the departments were intentionally making things difficult for her or refusing to cooperate.

After all, the one who issued the notification was Zhou Xing.

If anyone had an issue, it would be with him, not her.

She discreetly asked the colleague sitting next to her, Xing Ning, who had just received this task from Manager Qian:

“A-Ning, where’s your department’s daily report?”

Xing Ning looked up from a pile of documents and glanced at the time.

“It’s only 4:30 PM, what’s the rush?”

Shen Yan: “You haven’t started writing it yet?”

Xing Ning: “Nope, still early.”

Shen Yan looked at her in horror.

“…It’s five minutes to the end of the workday! How is this early?! I still need to compile everything!”

Xing Ning looked just as shocked.

“You’re leaving at 5 PM?”

Shen Yan: “Aren’t you?”

Xing Ning shook her head.

“Nope.

But if you’re in a hurry, I can start writing now. Once Manager Qian reviews it, I’ll send it to you right away.”

Shen Yan felt a little guilty.

“Are you busy now?”

Xing Ning: “Yeah, I still have all these documents to review.”

Shen Yan, ashamed: “Then you go ahead.

I’m not in that much of a hurry.”

Xing Ning, relieved: “Okay!”

Shen Yan looked around at the other departments.

Everyone seemed really busy.

She turned to Zhou Xing and whispered, “Assistant Zhou, none of the departments have sent their reports yet.

What should I do?”

“I’ll remind them in the group chat,” Zhou Xing replied.

“But at this point, a reminder might not be very effective.”

Shen Yan whispered, “Because everyone is working overtime?”

Zhou Xing: “Yes, and also, submitting reports too early might make their supervisors think they don’t have enough work.”

Shen Yan: ……

Why was everything so complicated?

And what did “having enough work” even mean?

Did they have to be working nonstop for eight hours straight?

If that were the case, overtime wouldn’t even be necessary.

“I swear! I won’t tell anyone what time each department submits their reports!”

Zhou Xing chuckled at her innocence.

“They have to send the reports to their supervising vice presidents before they reach us.”

Shen Yan: “So, their overtime isn’t even for our sake?”

Zhou Xing gave her a look that said, “What do you think? Who do you think we are?”

“Of course not.”

Shen Yan was curious.

“Do the vice presidents need to sign confidentiality agreements?”

Zhou Xing: “Yes.”

Shen Yan nearly made a big mistake.

“I didn’t get them to sign anything!”

Confidentiality agreements wouldn’t really bind the higher-ups, but Zhou Xing saw how nervous she was and couldn’t resist teasing her.

“Then you should go ask them to sign tomorrow?”

Shen Yan was horrified.

“That wouldn’t be appropriate, right?”

She was just an intern, not even a full-time employee yet.

How could she ask a vice president to sign anything?

Based on what Zhou Xing knew about her, interacting with unfamiliar higher-ups was probably one of her biggest challenges.

Though he wanted to train her, he figured he should take it slow.

Zhou Xing smiled.

“Fine. You print the agreements, and I’ll get them signed tomorrow.”

Shen Yan: “Thank you, Assistant Zhou! You’re amazing!”

Her gratitude was genuine.

Zhou Xing had been about to tell her she’d need to work late to compile the reports.

But when she looked at him with those bright, grateful eyes, he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Finally, he relented.

“Print the confidentiality agreements, and then you can leave for the day.

I’ll have the departments send the reports to me, and I’ll forward them to you on WeChat.

You can compile them at home.”

Shen Yan couldn’t believe her luck.

“Really? Thank you, Assistant Zhou!”

Zhou Xing: “…Yeah.

Just make sure to add some encouraging words at the end of the report.

Boost morale a little.

The board will see these reports later, and if the project doesn’t make waves, at least we can prove we tried our best.”

Shen Yan: “Got it! I’ll make sure it’s inspiring!”

She hadn’t realized Zhou Xing had this kind of mindset about the project.

She was curious about it, but getting off work was a higher priority.

She still had to print confidentiality agreements for the executives.

Still, when the clock struck 5 PM, Shen Yan hesitated.

Everyone in the meeting room was still working.

She saw the marketing department manager bring documents to Yu Xinnian.

At this hour?

Even Yu Xinnian seemed to know better and refused to look at them.

She glanced at the other interns.

They were all focused on their work, not moving an inch.

She felt like she was in a daze.

She checked her phone again.

She wasn’t mistaken it was 5 PM.

Her phone couldn’t be wrong.

Was no one really leaving?

If no one else left, she wouldn’t feel right leaving either.

Oddly enough, it was Zhou Xing who noticed her hesitation.

“You’re not leaving?”

Shen Yan: “Are you?”

Zhou Xing: “Of course not.

I still have work to do.”

Shen Yan was trapped by “after-hours shame.”

“Need any help?”

“No. You should leave.”

Zhou Xing glanced around and seemed to understand why she was hesitating.

“If you feel awkward, just grab your laptop and a pen, then walk out.”

For a moment, Shen Yan almost worshiped him.

She nearly wanted to say, “You’re my god.”

But as a socially anxious person, she couldn’t say that out loud.

Instead, she thanked him again.

“Assistant Zhou, you’re the best!”

Zhou Xing: ……

“Best” now came with adjectives.

Shen Yan followed his advice.

She unplugged her laptop, held it in her arms, and walked out of the meeting room.

Because of the dreadful “leaving work shame,” she even left her bag behind, heading home with just her laptop.

Fortunately, she often forgot to take her keys out of her scooter, and her apartment door had a digital lock.

Not carrying her bag didn’t affect her trip home.

Only when she got outside and onto her scooter did she slap her forehead.

Why was she feeling guilty?

Leaving on time was normal!

That night, Zhou Xing finally sent her the reports—at 9:30 PM.

When she saw the message, she doubted her eyes.

If her eyes weren’t broken, then what was?

Her colleagues’ work ethics?

Shen Yan: Assistant Zhou, you just got them all now?

She subtly asked if he had just been slow in sending them.

She didn’t expect

Zhou Xing: Yes, I just got them.

Shen Yan: At this hour?!

Zhou Xing: At this hour.

Terrifying.

Was this their company’s normal work culture?

Was their department the rare exception that didn’t always work overtime?

She never heard Xing Ning complain about working late.

Honestly, in an environment like this, it was hard not to get caught up in it.

If Zhou Xing hadn’t told her to leave earlier, she probably would’ve stayed to work late too, even though compiling the reports would take less than thirty minutes.

And sure enough

The next day, when it was nearly time to leave, Zhou Xing was out of the office.

That made things worse.

Without his encouragement, Shen Yan’s “leaving work shame” struck again.

She had nothing urgent to do, yet everyone else stayed.

She couldn’t bring herself to be the first one out.

Zhou Xing wasn’t around.

Where was he?

Would he leave without telling her?

Just as she was about to give up, Xing Ning invited her to dinner.

(Shen Yan), utterly defeated: “Fine, let’s go.”