Chapter 40: Calling for Reinforcements

Lin Xi threatened Qin Yu, and Qin Yu threatened her right back. Both of them were cut from the same cloth—neither one would back down. In the end, they had no choice but to reach a compromise: Lin Xi returned to the compound and rested for a week.

By the second week, she was walking again, though she had to be careful not to stand for too long.

On her first day back at the company, Lin Xi was buried under a mountain of accumulated work, so busy she barely had time for lunch. That evening, several teams from the R&D department gathered for a large meeting. Lin Xi, exhausted, kept nodding off, barely catching any of the discussion.

At some point, someone said something, and Engineer Chen beside her nudged her arm with his elbow.

“Hm?” Lin Xi, bleary-eyed and still half asleep, mumbled, “What is it?”

Engineer Chen cleared his throat and motioned for her to look ahead.

Following his gaze, Lin Xi’s eyes met those of a team leader from the second division of R&D.

She frowned slightly, unsure what had happened. Chen leaned in, lowering his voice. “That scoundrel’s up to no good—he wants to borrow someone from our team.”

Currently, R&D Division One consisted of two teams, both working together on the Huasheng project, so Lin Xi was the head of Division One. Naturally, any borrowing of personnel had to go through her.

“Borrow someone?” Lin Xi looked at the other team leader, smiling in a way that seemed easygoing. “Is Division Two short-staffed?”

“That’s right, Engineer Lin. You’ve been away, so you might not know—we’ve taken on a major project from higher up, and it’s urgent. Division Three has already reassigned an entire team to help us out.”

That “higher up” was obvious without being named.

In terms of project value, it couldn’t compare to the Huasheng project, but in terms of importance, Huasheng paled in comparison.

“Damn it, is that any way to ask for help?” Chen muttered. “We’ve already got the fewest people in Division One.”

Lin Xi, however, wasn’t angry. “I see. And how many do you need?”

“We wouldn’t dare ask for any of your top people, but if two or three of your assistants could come over to help, that would be great.”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Chen slammed the table in frustration. “Wang Chen, have you no shame? We don’t have a single idle person over here. Are you just trying to push us around?”

“Now, now, let’s not go too far, old Chen. We’re just discussing things with Engineer Lin here. The project is urgent; it’s not like we have a choice. The higher-ups have been waiting too long, and we need to deliver. Besides, it’s just one or two people—no need to get so worked up.”

“That’s easy for you to say. If you’re short-handed, why not put in some overtime yourselves? Why drag others into it?”

“Hey, hey, now—what’s with the attitude?”

The opposing team was full of seasoned veterans; Chen wasn’t going to win this one.

Lin Xi raised a hand, patting Chen on the arm to signal him to sit down. He still wanted to argue, but her hand came down again, and Lin Xi said simply, “Let me handle this.”

Chen hesitated, but sat back down.

Lin Xi crossed her legs, turning slightly in her chair without moving from her spot. Her expression remained calm and composed, betraying no sign of anger.

The meeting room fell silent, all eyes turning to her, waiting for her to speak.

“About borrowing people—that’s easily arranged,” Lin Xi said with a gentle smile, her eyes warm. “We’re all part of the same company. Of course you can borrow staff. You rarely make such requests—so even if you wanted Chen and me ourselves, I’d have to agree.”

The team leader across from her breathed a sigh of relief. “See, I knew Engineer Lin was reasonable.” So the rumors about her being difficult were just that—she seemed easy enough to “take advantage of.”

“But, Engineer Wang, you know we’re shorthanded in Division One. This time, we’ll lend you some people and help you get your project done. But afterward, we’ll need to catch up on our own progress—won’t you need to return the favor?”

“Of course, of course! Once we’re finished, I’ll send two assistants over to help you out!”

Chen hadn’t expected Lin Xi to agree so readily, and with consensus reached, Wang Chen looked triumphantly at him. Chen gritted his teeth, about to explode in protest.

“I’m afraid that won’t do.”

Suddenly, a resolute female voice rang out beside him.

Both Chen and Wang froze.

Wang frowned. “Engineer Lin, are you going back on your word?”

Lin Xi shook her head lightly. “No, I never go back on my word. What I agree to, I see through. The issue is, by the time we need help, your assistants probably won’t be of much use to our team.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, as an exchange, we’ll need you and your colleagues to come over to Division One in person.”

Wang’s face darkened as he tried to dissuade her. “That won’t work. We’ll have other projects, and besides, we can’t really help with the Huasheng project.”

“Oh, I’m not asking you to get involved with the project itself.” Lin Xi arched her brows, tapping her pen at Wang and his team. “You’ll all be coming to serve as assistants in Division One.”

Everyone in the room was stunned.

Chen sat there in shock; he didn’t need to look to know what expression Wang Chen and his team wore. Honestly, even he hadn’t seen that coming.

Today, only the two of them from Division One had come as team leads. If conflict broke out, Lin Xi, being a woman, couldn’t exactly jump in. But he couldn’t win a fight either!

Chen patted his pockets, cursing inwardly—he hadn’t even brought his phone to call for backup.

“This…” Sensing things going awry, Chen tried to smooth things over.

But Wang Chen slapped the table and stood up, cutting him off. “Engineer Lin, don’t go too far. We’re having a proper discussion about borrowing personnel—what’s with your team’s attitude? If you won’t lend us people, just say so. There’s no need to insult us!”

“Engineer Wang, calm down!” the other team leaders said, making a show of trying to restrain him.

Seeing Lin Xi unmoved, Chen squared off with Wang. “Who do you think you’re talking to, Wang Chen? Yelling at a young lady like that? Weren’t you the one who started this? Now you want to play the victim?”

Even as he retorted, he shot Lin Xi a look, signaling her to leave first, then turned to continue the confrontation.

The atmosphere was electric, tension mounting.

Lin Xi could only laugh in exasperation.

“Engineer Chen,” she called again, more firmly. Chen stopped and looked at her, puzzled.

She raised her hand, signaling him to hold his temper, then looked up at the men standing across from her, smiling. “Quite the show you’re putting on, Engineer Wang. What, are you planning to get physical?”

She spread her hands. “Go ahead. I won’t even move from my seat.”

“…”

“Not going to fight?” Lin Xi asked.

Knowing he was being restrained, Wang Chen gritted his teeth. “If you’d just let me go, I…”

Before he could finish, Lin Xi slammed her pen down on the table with a sharp crack. Ink splattered across the table, the scattered documents, and even the wall, forming a long, dramatic streak like a brushstroke.

The room fell instantly silent.