One person said: The essence of Wuhou Qimen lies not in Qimen, but in Wuhou.

He paused, then held up one finger, his expression more solemn than when taking the oath of joining the Party: "I, Xu Si, will definitely learn from you, leader! I will learn your spirit of dedicating yourself to your work! But leader, you must also promise me that you will take care of your health, okay?"

This series of moves demonstrates a mastery of flattery—first, gifts; then, expressions of concern; next, declarations of loyalty; and finally, a shift to a spiritual level, all executed flawlessly in one smooth motion.

Zhao Fangxu glanced at him, his eyes filled with a helpless smile that said, "I know what kind of person you are." But he still pulled the mint tea closer to himself, accepting it as a gesture.

His tone was calm and gentle, with the tolerance characteristic of a veteran leader: "Xu Si, during work hours, we are superior and subordinate. After work, we are family. If you have any work-related questions, feel free to ask."

That's exactly what Xu Si was waiting for.

He immediately leaned forward half a step, his obsequious smile fading slightly and his expression becoming seven parts more serious. He lowered his voice and said, "Hehe, boss. It's still about what happened in the meeting earlier."

He scratched his head, giving a look that said, "I'm really unsure what to do. You see, what should we do with my employee Zhang Chulan—that kid from the Zhang family? Should we still go ahead with the planned activities in Jiangxi? And regarding the cooperation with the Tianshi Mansion at Longhu Mountain, is there anything we should be aware of?"

He tapped two fingers lightly on the table, his tone tinged with genuine concern: "After all, we have Director Zhuge here! A department-level official, in charge of two departments, and also serving as a first-level inspector in Jiangxi. I'm about to lead a team to work on his territory. What if I say something wrong or do something incorrectly? Wouldn't that cause you trouble? Could you please give me some guidance and show me the right path?"

After listening, Zhao Fangxu remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking.

His voice remained steady, but every word seemed carefully considered: "Xu Si, it's the same old story—do your work as usual, the plan remains unchanged."

He paused, tapping his finger lightly on the table: "However, it is indeed having some impact now. The latest news is that the report from the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain, 'Application Report on Holding Religious Activities (Luotian Grand Ritual) at the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain in Shangqing Town, Guixi City, Yingtan City, Jiangxi Province,' has not yet been approved."

Xu Si was taken aback: "It hasn't been approved yet?"

Zhao Fangxu nodded, looking at Xu Si with a meaningful gaze: "Moreover, the person directly in charge of this matter is Zhuge Ming, the director of the Party Committee's Inspection Office."

Xu Si's expression changed.

He subconsciously leaned back, his brows furrowed, and his mind raced.

He opened his mouth, his voice tinged with confusion and bewilderment: "Huh? Boss, I remember... wasn't this report in your possession? According to procedure, after our company approves it, we'll report it to the relevant government departments. Isn't that how it always goes? Why now..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but his meaning was clear—in the past, applications for such religious activities were considered complete once the company approved them, and the government's reporting was basically just a formality.

Why is it stuck this time?

Zhao Fangxu looked at him, his gaze revealing something that Xu Si couldn't quite decipher.

He didn't answer Xu Si's question directly. Instead, he slowly stood up, dusted off non-existent dust, walked to Xu Si's side, and placed a heavy hand on his shoulder.

The hand wasn't heavy, but Xu Si felt a sudden weight on his shoulder.

"Xu Si."

Zhao Fangxu's voice was low and slow, as if he were reciting a scripture that needed to be pondered repeatedly. "Work is not a one-man show, especially our work. Although Na Du Tong Company deals with affairs of the supernatural world, we work under the leadership of the Party and the government. Every document and every decision must go through layers of approval. This is the normal work procedure. Different people have different roles and responsibilities."

He tightened his grip on Xu Si's shoulder, his tone carrying a hint of seasoned experience: "Sometimes, you have to be very aware. If you're not, you're likely to stumble badly. This is a very complex situation, and you still have a long way to go."

After saying that, he patted Xu Si on the shoulder again. The two pats were neither too light nor too heavy, but they were like two pebbles thrown into Xu Si's heart.

Xu Si was stunned for two seconds.

Then he realized what was going on.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a glint of light flashing in his pupils.

Zhao Fangxu's words, on the surface, were about work processes, but in reality, they revealed a great deal of information—"not a one-man show," "layered approval," and "each performing their own duties"—all of which can be translated into one sentence: the top leader has begun to delegate authority.

Or rather, some of the power was no longer in Zhao Fangxu's hands, but had been assigned to the newly arrived Director Zhuge.

What was Zhao Fangxu's reaction to this? It wasn't dissatisfaction or resistance, but rather, "You need to be more aware," "Don't stumble," and "The water is deep."

This is a signal.

This is a clear signal—the newly arrived regional governor is so powerful that even Zhao Fangxu has to take the initiative to cooperate and delegate power.

Xu Si mentally went through all the information: entering Tsinghua University at age 12, postdoctoral fellow at age 17, recipient of the National Science and Technology Progress Award (Special Prize), model soldier for strengthening the military through science and technology, reaching the level of director-general at age 25, under dual leadership, parachuted in for inspection... plus Zhao Fangxu's current attitude.

Good guy.

He cursed inwardly, but his face returned to its usual carefree grin: "Understood, boss. As for Zhang Chulan, I'll handle it the same way."

"Things will remain the same."

Zhao Fangxu withdrew his hand, his tone returning to its usual calm, "Zhang Chulan is, after all, an employee of our company. Although he doesn't have an administrative rank, his status is special. You need to make sure he's safe and sound; don't worry about anything else."

He suddenly seemed to remember something and turned to look at Xu Si: "Oh right, there's something I forgot to mention in the meeting. You can pass it on to me."

"Please speak, sir."

"Please inform the regional managers to properly manage the temporary workers in their respective areas."

Zhao Fangxu slowed his speech, making each word exceptionally clear: "They are a special group. They have no administrative rank and do not participate in the division of labor within the leadership team, but they are directly responsible to directors at the level of deputy general manager or above—this leads to uncertainty regarding their status. Ask them to tone down their usual behavior and ensure they work normally during this period."

After listening, Xu Si slowly nodded.

His words were perfectly worded, but he understood the meaning completely.

Temporary workers are a "special existence" within the company—a dual-track system combining institutional and market-based approaches, perfectly suited for placing exceptional individuals who cannot follow normal procedures.

But here's the problem: they have no administrative rank, are not subject to conventional constraints, and no one can control them except their direct directors.

Normally it wouldn't be a problem, but now that Director Zhuge has arrived with the power of inspection, if any temporary worker is too arrogant and runs into trouble, it won't just be one person's problem, it will be the whole company that suffers.