Paper Lover At Old Town Bookstore Chapter 3
byThe Female Lead “Possesses” Me
When I walked into the company with faint dark circles under my eyes, Intern Lin immediately leaned over and poked my arm at my desk. “Brother Qiusheng, didn’t you sleep well last night? Your eyes are all red.”
I rubbed the corners of my eyes and managed a smile. “I had a nightmare and barely closed my eyes.”
As soon as I finished speaking, my phone chimed with a notification—an update alert from the novel app. My heart instantly skipped a beat, and I fumbled to open it. The title of the latest chapter was prominently displayed: Counterattack in Desperation.
While the app was loading, I quickly scrolled down. The book described how Xu Xingruo was not defeated by the betrayal. She stayed up all night organizing evidence of the partner’s fund transfers and even found chat records showing their private collusion with a competitor.
Early this morning, she barged into the Chairman’s office with these materials, demanding a thorough investigation.
Seeing this, the anxiety that had gripped me all night finally subsided, and the tension in my back eased considerably. It turned out she truly was as I imagined—she would never easily admit defeat.
“What are you looking at? You’re smiling so happily.” Sister Li walked past, holding a coffee, and glanced at my phone screen. “Is it that workplace novel you’re following again?”
“Yeah, it just updated. Xu Xingruo is okay now.” I shared instinctively, only realizing how excited my tone was after I spoke, causing my ears to feel warm.
Sister Li smiled knowingly. “No wonder you’ve changed so much recently. Are you being ‘possessed’ by the novel’s female lead?”
Just as I was about to object, Manager Lin’s voice suddenly came from the office doorway. “Qiusheng, come to my office for a moment.”
My heart sank. Manager Lin looked serious, which didn’t seem like good news. Following her into the office, she pointed to the chair opposite her. “Sit down, I have something to discuss with you.”
“Manager Lin, what is it?” As I sat down, my fingers unconsciously gripped the hem of my clothes. Xu Xingruo’s desperate eyes from my dream faintly reappeared.
“The data from the new product’s small-scale promotion is out.” Manager Lin opened her computer and pulled up a report, her brows tightly furrowed. “User feedback is far below expectations, and… some of the collaborating KOLs have reported that there was a critical data error in the product information we provided.”
“Data error?” I looked up sharply, incredulous. “That’s impossible. I double-checked the materials multiple times when I compiled them.”
“But the KOLs have already reported the issue to Brother Zhang in the Marketing Department. He just came to see me and said this is having a very negative impact. If we don’t handle it properly, it could affect subsequent promotional partnerships.”
Manager Lin’s gaze fell on me, carrying a hint of scrutiny. “Qiusheng, think carefully. Did you miss anything? Or… is it possible that you accidentally sent the wrong version when transmitting the materials?”
My mind went blank as I repeatedly recalled the process of compiling the data. I had pulled several all-nighters those days, verifying the data word by word, even adding specific annotations. How could there be a mistake?
“I didn’t send the wrong version, and I didn’t miss any verification.” I bit my lower lip, my voice trembling slightly from nervousness, but I insisted on voicing my thoughts. “Manager Lin, could you let me see the specific issue the KOLs reported? I want to cross-reference it.”
Manager Lin handed me her phone, which showed a screenshot sent by Brother Zhang. The erroneous data pointed out by the KOL was a core performance parameter of the new product, and that value was completely different from the number in the version I compiled.
I suddenly remembered that on the last day of compiling the materials, Intern Lin asked to study the complete data package, so I shared the folder with her and let her view it herself.
At the time, because I was rushing, I didn’t have time to emphasize that she shouldn’t modify the file.
“Manager Lin, I know what happened.” I took a deep breath, forcing myself to calm down, just like Xu Xingruo in the book. “I shared the materials with Intern Lin. She might have accidentally modified the file or sent the wrong version.
I will go check with her now, then recompile the correct data and send it to the KOLs, and apologize and explain the situation.”
Manager Lin looked at me, the scrutiny in her eyes gradually turning into approval. “Good, handle it quickly then. Remember, don’t panic when you encounter a problem. First find the root cause, then figure out the solution.”
Walking out of the office, my palms were sweaty. This was the biggest crisis I had faced since joining the company. If I didn’t handle it well, it would not only affect the new product promotion but also potentially cause the company to question my abilities.
I walked over to Intern Lin’s desk. When she saw me, her eyes darted away. “Brother Qiusheng…”
“Intern Lin, did you modify the product materials I shared with you yesterday, or did you send the wrong version to the KOLs?” I tried to keep my tone level, without any hint of blame.
Intern Lin’s face instantly flushed. She lowered her head and whispered, “I’m sorry, Brother Qiusheng… When I was looking at the data yesterday, I thought one number seemed a bit off, so I changed it myself. I forgot to tell you when I sent it out, and I also forgot to use your original version…”
So that was it. I felt a sense of relief, at least the root cause was found. But at the same time, I felt a bit helpless. The biggest taboo in the workplace is modifying critical data without prior communication.
“It’s okay, but next time you encounter something uncertain, you must ask me first. You can’t just change it yourself.” I patted her shoulder. “Now let’s cross-reference the correct data together, recompile the materials, and then I’ll take you with me to apologize and explain to the KOL.”
Intern Lin looked up, her eyes full of guilt and gratitude. “Thank you, Brother Qiusheng. I will definitely be careful in the future!”
We spent an hour re-verifying all the data and compiling an accurate data package. I took Intern Lin with me and dialed the KOL’s number.
The moment the call connected, I remembered Xu Xingruo barging into the Chairman’s office. I took a deep breath and proactively apologized. “Hello, Teacher Deng, I am Song Qiusheng, responsible for this promotion. I sincerely apologize. There was a data error in the materials we previously sent you. This was our mistake. We are now sending you the correct materials. We are truly sorry for wasting your time.”
The other party’s tone was initially impatient, but after hearing my sincere attitude and detailed explanation of the cause of the error and the subsequent remedial measures, their tone gradually softened. “It’s alright, just be more careful next time. I’ve received the materials and will adjust the promotional content as soon as possible.”
After hanging up, Intern Lin and I both sighed in relief. Intern Lin said sheepishly, “Brother Qiusheng, I owe you today. I wouldn’t have known what to do otherwise.”
“Just be more meticulous in your work in the future.” I smiled, but my heart was filled with emotion. If it weren’t for Xu Xingruo, the old me would have panicked in this situation, either shifting blame or being completely helpless. But now, I had learned to face it calmly and actively solve the problem.
Back at my desk, I opened the novel again. Xu Xingruo had successfully cleared her name. Not only did the company not fire her, but they also put her in charge of the subsequent Project Review.
The book described her standing in the conference room, calmly analyzing the lessons learned from the incident, her eyes bright and resolute.
I looked at the screen, my lips curving into an unconscious smile. It turned out that a good novel really could give people strength. Xu Xingruo was weathering the storm in the book, and I was slowly growing in the real workplace.
We were both learning to be brave and strong in our own worlds.
During lunch, Sister Li leaned over and asked, “Is the problem solved? You look like you’re in a good mood.”
“Yes, it’s solved.” I nodded. “Thanks to Xu Xingruo, she taught me not to panic when facing problems.”
“It seems this female lead has had quite an impact on you,” Sister Li said with a smile. “But you really are becoming more reliable now. You can take on more important tasks in the future.”
My heart felt warm, filled with the relief of solving the problem and the joy of being recognized.
In the afternoon, Manager Lin called me into her office and told me that because the issue was handled promptly and appropriately, Brother Zhang had specifically praised me to the leadership, saying I was composed and responsible in a crisis. “We have an important client liaison task coming up. I want to put you in charge of it. What do you say?”
“Me?” I was surprised, yet excited. This was the first time I would independently handle an important client liaison task.
“Yes, I believe you can do well.” Manager Lin smiled. “This client is a bit demanding, so put in extra effort, and let me know if you have any problems.”
“Okay! I will definitely try my best!” I nodded vigorously, filled with motivation.
After work, I returned to my apartment and immediately opened the novel, eager to know Xu Xingruo’s next story.
At the same time, I opened my private document and wrote down my reflections for the day: “Encountering problems is not scary; escaping them is. As Xu Xingruo said, as long as you face it bravely, there is always a solution. Today, I grew another step.”
After writing, I leaned back in my chair, a satisfied smile on my face. The gentle light of the late night lamp shone on me. I knew that no matter what challenges the future workplace held, as long as Xu Xingruo’s story continued, I would carry this courage and walk forward resolutely.