Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel) - Chapter 7

Jiang Zhenmian stood rooted to the spot, waving like a beckoning cat until Gu Zhibai’s silver car disappeared from the parking lot, not even its taillights visible anymore.

Idiot! Such an idiot! A complete and utter idiot! As clumsy as a pig!

How could I be so embarrassing?! Help me!

Sauce on my lips… Sauce! This kind of thing would have been considered a shocking plot twist in a web novel from ten years ago. And it actually happened to me! Is this even appropriate…? Jiang Zhenmian’s mind reeled. The last shred of her composure crumbled, collapsing faster than a poorly stacked tower of blocks.

Well, at least I don’t have to worry about buying a house anymore. I’ve already embarrassed myself into digging a four-story villa with a pool using just my toes.

It was just a few dishes! Were they really that good? Okay, they were delicious, but not enough to make me act like a starving ghost who hadn’t eaten in eight hundred years, just mindlessly devouring everything!

…Now it’s over. My image is completely ruined.

Jiang Zhenmian ranted silently at the elevator like a madwoman, stomping her feet and pounding her thighs. Exhausted from her outburst, she trudged back to campus, each step as heavy as if she were carrying a hundred-pound weight.

Senior year classes were few, and the classrooms were mostly used for on-campus recruitment events. The university encouraged students to pursue internships, offering extra credit for positions related to their majors.

All it took was a report to the academic advisor to skip classes.

The Gu Corporation operated a cosmetics company called Feihuasuo. Initially, Senior Chairman Gu had full control, but as domestic brands declined in popularity and consumers favored foreign luxury brands, the company’s performance deteriorated. It barely stayed afloat thanks to a few well-regarded basic makeup products.

Chairman Gu poured his heart and soul into the company, working tirelessly from dawn till dusk on strategies and research. His high blood pressure worsened, eventually leading to a severe stroke that left him hospitalized and rapidly weakened. Even walking became difficult, and he now relied primarily on a wheelchair.

With his collapse, the company teetered on the brink of collapse. Several shareholders fled, but Gu Zhibai gritted her teeth, mortgaged the family’s real estate, and seized the momentum of the rising Guochao trend. She secured loans to fund innovative designs, launching a series of lipsticks engraved with traditional cultural motifs.

This unprecedented innovation in the cosmetics industry proved a resounding success. As long as the lipstick colors weren’t too outlandish, they were generally well-received. Shades like milk tea, rotten tomato, and plum quickly became bestsellers.

With this wave of innovation, she revitalized the Gu Corporation, injecting a massive influx of capital. Leveraging her keen foresight, she seized the first wave of live-streaming e-commerce, finally resurrecting the company and multiplying its market value several times over.

Feihuasuo’s product quality had always been exceptional, which explained its loyal customer base. Now, like an old tree blossoming anew and withered branches sprouting fresh buds, everyone praised Young CEO Gu’s sharp business acumen and hailed him as a commercial prodigy.

Feihuasuo’s current fame stemmed from its new product lines steeped in traditional culture. Collaborations with the National Museum and regional museums across the country had cemented its position as the leading domestic cosmetics brand.

Jiang Zhenmian had secured the promotional poster for their latest project: the Classic of Mountains and Seas eyeshadow palette series.

In the eyes of artists, inspiration and talent far outweighed mere skill. Skill could be honed through effort, accessible to anyone willing to work hard. But that fleeting spark of inspiration, that momentary flash of insight, was a rare gift, one that only a select few possessed the ingenuity to capture.

An ordinary person, through sheer dedication, might one day achieve a breakthrough, creating a masterpiece that would astound the world. People would praise them, saying it was the result of years of accumulated effort finally bearing fruit, a well-deserved accolade.

For a genius, creating miraculous paintings was as natural as drinking water or eating a meal. The Muse bestowed upon them an endless stream of novel ideas, allowing them to achieve the same heights as others who strained their minds to the limit with a mere flick of the brush.

Jiang Zhenmian didn’t rely solely on imagination for her art; that would have been building castles in the air. Fortunately, her firsthand experience with social hardships provided a solid foundation for her creative extravagance.

Typically, such projects were outsourced. The company would provide the concept, commission renowned artists to create the initial artwork, and then have the Art Department refine the pieces to better align with the company’s desired theme.

Jiang Zhenmian had applied for a position in the Art Department. Lacking professional experience, she benefited from the preferential treatment often given to recent college graduates. During her interview, she brought several finished pieces and sketches, leveraging her greatest asset: her silver tongue. Combining this with the mindset of a Corporate Slave, she effortlessly navigated the HR questions, even managing to embellish her qualifications.

Her sketches were genuinely impressive, particularly her designs, which perfectly aligned with the department manager’s preferences. With a decisive wave of her hand, Manager Zhang approved Jiang Zhenmian’s employment. Her initial task was simple: color the sketches. Within three days, she needed to produce a basic color rendering to demonstrate her capabilities.

The manager’s unspoken message was clear: if Jiang Zhenmian proved her worth and performed well, she might not secure the team leader position for the Classic of Mountains and Seas project, but a deputy team leader role would certainly be within reach.

As expected, solid skills are the true key to job security, Jiang Zhenmian thought, slinging her backpack over her shoulder and carrying her digital tablet as she arrived at the office. The receptionist asked for her name and position, registered her information, and then called out to a woman who had just swiped her employee badge: “Sister Lin! Wait a moment. This is Jiang Zhenmian, the new intern for the Art Department. Could you show her around?”

The woman turned around. She appeared to be in her early thirties, dressed in a simple camel-colored dress and wearing glasses. Her round face radiated warmth. Smiling, she said, “Sure, come with me.”

“What’s your name?”

Jiang Zhenmian replied confidently, “Hello, Sister Lin. I’m Jiang Zhenmian. You can call me Xiao Jiang.”
Sister Lin’s demeanor was gentle, her voice soft and carrying a hint of an unfamiliar accent. “You look quite young,” she remarked. “Don’t worry, though. Despite the size of our company, the people here are actually quite nice. The Art Department isn’t as chaotic as some others.”

“By the way, when you applied, did HR explain your job responsibilities?”

Jiang Zhenmian smiled. “Manager Zhang told me to come and sketch drafts for the Classic of Mountains and Seas.”

Classic of Mountains and Seas?

Sister Lin’s usually calm expression showed a hint of surprise. She said meaningfully, “Yesterday, Sister Zhang mentioned a new intern would be handling this project and asked us to take care of them. I never imagined it would be you. What a coincidence!”

“There’s an empty seat right next to me. Why don’t you sit here? If you have any questions, just ask. I’ve been here a while.”

“That’s wonderful! Thank you, Sister Lin,” Jiang Zhenmian said, a little embarrassed. “I’m just a senior in college with no real experience. I don’t know anything yet.”

Sister Lin simply smiled, saying nothing more. The elevator stopped on the thirteenth floor. Jiang Zhenmian followed Sister Lin around a corner to the Art Department. Only two people were there, sitting at their desks chatting while their computers booted up.

As they entered, the two women greeted them one after another. Sister Lin pointed to them and introduced them. “This is Xiao Bei, and this is Xiao Qi.” Then she smiled. “This is the intern Sister Zhang mentioned yesterday. Her name is Xiao Jiang.”

The two women glanced at Jiang Zhenmian and exchanged a look.

Jiang Zhenmian sensed something was off. She greeted them proactively, like a greenhorn fresh out of college, radiating that unmistakable newbie energy. She obediently sat next to Sister Lin, opened her laptop, and started working.

The less I say, the fewer mistakes I’ll make. The more I talk, the more likely I am to screw up. There was definitely something going on that she, as the newcomer, didn’t know.
Jiang Zhenmian texted Gu Zhibai: I’m at my desk now. First day at work, so nervous!

When Gu Zhibai received the message, she felt an urge to run away.

This is so weird.

She had spent the previous day pondering the “hallucination.” It wasn’t constant; she only heard the voice when Jiang Zhenmian was around. It had to be connected to her.

This woman was definitely hiding something.

Gu Zhibai knew this Jiang Zhenmian was different from the one in her past life, but she couldn’t yet determine if she had also agreed to help Gu Zhiyao and was deliberately getting close to her.

She wouldn’t transfer her hatred for the old Jiang Zhenmian onto this stranger without reason. But if this Jiang Zhenmian turned out to be the same kind of person, she wouldn’t hesitate to act.

Besides, she was a reborn person. She had already died once. What was there left to fear?

With this thought, Gu Zhibai steadied her nerves and resolved to proceed with her original plan: to use herself as bait to test Jiang Zhenmian.

She reached for her phone to reply to the message, but her fingertip froze just above the screen. She summoned her assistant. “Pull up the Art Department’s surveillance footage. I want to see it.”

The assistant, a highly efficient woman, didn’t ask why and swiftly installed the necessary software.

With only five minutes remaining until the 8:00 AM start time, most of the department had already arrived. Gu Zhibai focused her gaze on the monitor. She saw Jiang Zhenmian sitting at her desk, connecting her graphics tablet. After setting it up, Jiang Zhenmian picked up her water cup, stood up, and glanced around, presumably heading for the water dispenser.

The water dispenser was located on the other side of the office, where a small group of colleagues, both men and women, were gathered, some standing and others sitting, chatting. As Jiang Zhenmian passed by, she seemed to be called over. After a moment, one of the men handed her his cup.
The surveillance footage lacked audio, only showing the visuals. Gu Zhibai couldn’t hear their conversation, but she could easily guess its nature: the usual hazing of a newcomer by senior staff.

Fetching water was a trivial task, especially since the dispenser was right next to their workstations. They could have easily reached it by sliding their chairs over.

Jiang Zhenmian took the water cup, filled it, and handed it back. Then a man and a woman also presented their cups to her, making it clear they were ordering her around.

As a newcomer facing this mild form of bullying, the wisest course of action was to endure it. Jiang Zhenmian knew they were doing it deliberately, but she said nothing and filled each cup in turn.

When she returned to her seat, Sister Lin acted as if she knew nothing about what had just happened, maintaining her kind and helpful demeanor. She added Jiang Zhenmian as a friend, invited her to the work group chat, and told her the group admin was Manager Zhang, advising her to add Manager Zhang as a friend as well.

[System: Sister Lin seems pretty nice.]

Jiang Zhenmian offered a polite thank you, but inwardly scoffed. Nice? She’s clearly a seasoned veteran.

“You don’t understand the situation, but I’ve figured it out. The manager mentioned yesterday that I was coming, so everyone here knows. Why would a college intern with no degree be assigned to a new project, especially the most critical workflow? Either I have connections, or I’m just incredibly lucky.”

Jiang Zhenmian took a sip of warm water and opened Photoshop, a hint of mockery in her eyes. “So they were testing me, asking if I knew anyone at the company to see if I had any backing. Once they realized I didn’t, they started ordering me around with these petty tasks.”

Everyone here was secretly sizing her up, watching her get harassed without saying a word, acting as if nothing was happening.

“That Brother Zhuang guy… his eyes weren’t exactly friendly,” Jiang Zhenmian said as she selected colors. “I bet there’s something fishy going on here. I just don’t know what it is yet.”

“Is that so?” the System mused thoughtfully. “I think I’m starting to understand.”

Jiang Zhenmian chuckled. “Just wait. This isn’t over yet.”

Before she could make two strokes, a WeChat notification popped up in the lower right corner, Gu Zhibai’s profile picture.

Jiang Zhenmian clicked it open to find two lines of text: Don’t be nervous. Just be yourself, play to your strengths, and I believe in you.

Play to my strengths, got it. She definitely wants me to tear everyone else a new one… Just kidding! Jiang Zhenmian typed away happily, “Okay! I’ll work hard and won’t let you down, Sister!”

She’s doing just fine, still has the energy to be cheeky.

Gu Zhibai snorted coldly. And I was worried she might clash with her colleagues.

Support Not a Scummy Alpha, But a Sweet Puppy (Transmigration Into A Novel)