Guide to Rising to Power as a Wife in Beijing's Elite Circle

On Tuesday morning, Chen Nuo had just arrived at the office when he sensed that something was wrong.

Lin Xi was already there.

Nine o'clock sharp, precisely on time.

"Team Leader Chen," Lin Xi walked over, holding a document, "I reviewed the feedback from the Central Propaganda Department yesterday. I've encountered similar issues with points three and seven before in the department. Would you like me to help you organize them?"

Chen Nuo was stunned for a moment.

"You...have seen it?"

"I watched it," Lin Xi said. "I watched it while working overtime last night."

Chen Nuo almost lost his composure.

work overtime?

Linxi?

work overtime?

But her face remained expressionless; she simply nodded and said, "Okay, then get it ready and give it to me this afternoon."

Lin Xi nodded, turned around and went back to her workstation to start working.

Before Chen Nuo could process this surreal reality, Cheng Yue walked over.

He took off his headphones, unusually not listening to music.

"Team Leader Chen," he said, "I know someone from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Should I arrange a meeting to discuss it? It might be helpful for our project."

Chen Nuo looked at him.

Cheng Yue.

Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

Get to know people.

What's wrong with this world?

"Okay," she said, "you make the appointment first, and let me know when you've made it."

Cheng Yue nodded, returned to his seat, and actually started making phone calls.

Then, something even more magical happened.

Xu Meng has arrived.

I didn't ask for leave.

Wang He didn't play games.

The computer screen displays a policy document.

Zhao Tingting shut down the shopping website.

She was actually flipping through the project documents that she had tossed into a corner on her first day at the company.

But Chen Nuo knew that they didn't really want to work.

They were just scared.

I was afraid that she would steal all the credit.

I'm afraid I won't be able to explain it when I get home.

They were afraid that their elders would scold them for being useless.

They rushed to perform, just like chickens running frantically.

It's not about changing one's fate.

It's so that we won't be left behind.

As Chen Nuo watched their busy figures, he suddenly remembered the parable.

The fox sat on the mountaintop, watching the chickens run frantically, and leisurely yawned.

She doesn't need to lift a finger.

They'll start running on their own.

She just had to sit there and wait for them to bring the results to her.

But Chen Nuo also knew that this was only the first step.

They are afraid now, so they work.

But if they find that no one actually wants to take all the credit, will they still continue?

will not.

They will return to how they were before.

Taking selfies, listening to music, taking time off work, playing games, and shopping.

Therefore, she couldn't let them find out.

She has to keep them afraid.

They were made to feel that only by performing exceptionally well could they get a share of the pie.

They need to feel that only by working hard can they satisfy their families.

Make them feel that this is their only chance.

The conflict between the chicken and the fox is transformed into competition between chickens.

Let them compete with each other, vie with each other, and trip each other up.

All she had to do was sit on the mountaintop and wait for the fattest chicken to come to her.

Chen Nuo leaned back in his chair, a slight smile playing on his lips.

Xiu-ge isn't here.

But it seems she's starting to learn how to play on her own.

At 5 p.m., Lin Xi delivered the compiled opinions.

"Team Leader Chen, could you please take a look and see if there's anything else that needs to be changed?"

Chen Nuo took it and flipped through it.

Surprisingly, it turned out quite well.

"It's good," she said. "Thank you for your hard work."

A smile appeared on Lin Xi's face, a smile that contained both relief and...smugness?

Chen Nuo saw this and silently made a note of it.

Cheng Yue returned at six o'clock in the evening.

"It's arranged, Thursday afternoon. The people from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology are available. Want to go together?"

Chen Nuo nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you on Thursday afternoon."

Cheng Yue nodded and returned to his seat.

Chen Nuo noticed that he hadn't worn headphones all afternoon.

At 6:30 in the evening, Xu Meng, Wang He, and Zhao Tingting also delivered some items.

Not many, but there are some.

For them, this was already a miracle.

Chen Nuo looked at the materials on the table and had a strange feeling in his heart.

It's not happiness.

It's something more complex.

So this is what power is like.

You don't need to lift a finger, you don't need to beg anyone, and you don't need to get angry.

All you need to do is convince others that you don't include them in your activities.

They will start running on their own.

Run faster than ever before.

In this circle, the most important thing is not how capable you are, but what others feel about you—what you can give them, or what you can't give them.