July 23, 2025.
Wednesday, 6:00 PM.
As usual, Lin Shen headed to the fourth floor of the company building right on time after work.
Today was the last day of his "Check in at the gym for three days" quest. 'He was already secretly looking forward to seeing what the fourth item would be.'
As a result, Lin Shen, who was in a good mood, wore a particularly bright smile when he greeted Qin Yuenan.
"Hi, President Qin!"
"Mm."
This time, Qin Yuenan gave Lin Shen a few extra glances. She noticed that this subordinate, whom she had previously overlooked, had undergone a major transformation recently.
Not only did he exude confidence, but his physique had also clearly improved. He had slimmed down quite a bit.
'Is his diet really that effective?' she wondered.
Qin Yuenan took off her headphones and asked softly.
"Are you trying to lose weight?"
"Yeah."
Lin Shen hadn't expected Qin Yuenan to start a conversation with him. He took off his own headphones, slowed his pace on the treadmill, and made a self-deprecating joke.
"I'm too fat. I've got no choice but to lose some weight."
"You don't look overweight."
Qin Yuenan switched her treadmill to incline mode and lightly dabbed the sweat from her delicate neck with a towel. Her slightly breathless tone became much cooler.
"I'd advise you not to lose weight by starving yourself. That's bad for your health."
"Thank you for your concern, President Qin, but I'm not starving myself."
"Is that so? Suit yourself."
From Qin Yuenan's perspective, the only way Lin Shen could have achieved such a drastic change in his physique was likely through an extreme method like skipping meals.
She had offered a kind reminder, but he didn't seem to appreciate it.
That being the case, Qin Yuenan couldn't be bothered to press the issue and immediately changed the subject.
"How has work been lately?"
'Work?'
Hearing Qin Yuenan ask this, Lin Shen felt his heart drop, like a student who'd been called on by the teacher in class.
He was planning to resign at the end of the month, so he hadn't been very focused on his work. He had been using AI assistance for most of it, just barely managing to get by.
'But, of course, I can't be that honest.'
"It's going very well," Lin Shen said with a sincere expression.
"Especially with the feature development for the Pet Guardian Home online app. Our team developed a community function that allows customers to share pet-raising tips with each other, and it also lets us gather customer feedback in a timely manner to optimize the app."
"Mm."
As the marketing director, Qin Yuenan had heard enough of this kind of corporate-speak.
She was more interested in hearing her subordinate's true thoughts.
"I mean, what are your thoughts on the future of the pet industry?"
Huh?
Lin Shen was genuinely surprised that Qin Yuenan would ask such a profound question. After a moment of careful thought, he began to speak eloquently, showing no signs of stage fright.
'Since I'm going to quit anyway, I might as well just pour out all the ideas I've accumulated over the years.'
"I believe the pet industry has very promising prospects, especially with the rise of the pseudo-bourgeois consumer model, which has led some of the so-called middle class to lean more toward personal consumption."
"The pet industry is a prime example of this. It satisfies the individual's desire for companionship, and the price points for products and services cover a very wide range."
"Therefore, the pet industry has a bright future..."
"..."
Seeing Lin Shen's dead-serious expression, Qin Yuenan was slightly taken aback.
In truth, she had only asked the question on a whim. She wasn't very good at making small talk and often just blurted things out without thinking.
So, Qin Yuenan hadn't expected to get any kind of standard answer from Lin Shen.
However, Lin Shen's analysis of the inner workings of the pet industry hit every key point. Even some of his wildly creative ideas made Qin Yuenan's eyes light up.
For example, the development of smart pet lifestyle products, a buffet-style format for pet cafeterias, and so on.
These brilliant operational suggestions were a real eye-opener for Qin Yuenan, and she couldn't help but see Lin Shen in a new light.
"With so many good suggestions, why didn't you bring them up sooner?"
"To whom?"
Lin Shen shrugged helplessly.
If he were a new hire, he would definitely be showing off his innovative ideas everywhere.
But now, Lin Shen knew very well that once you voice certain ideas, they just become a ladder for someone else's promotion.
If you don't have the opportunity to speak directly with your immediate superior, it's best to just keep your head down.
"To me."
Perhaps sensing that there was something Lin Shen was hesitant to say, Qin Yuenan spoke bluntly.
"If you have any good suggestions, you can come to my office anytime."
"There's no need."
Lin Shen didn't bother beating around the bush anymore.
"I'm planning to resign at the end of the month."
Huh?
Qin Yuenan's expression froze. Her first reaction was that Lin Shen was being bullied, so her brow furrowed as she asked in a cold voice.
"Who's your team leader?"
"It has nothing to do with her."
Lin Shen quickly clarified.
"I'm resigning on my own."
"Why? Are you not satisfied with your salary?"
Qin Yuenan actually thought quite highly of Lin Shen's professional abilities, especially his confident but not arrogant way of speaking.
That alone made him better than those who only knew how to suck up.
At least Lin Shen was someone who got things done!
So, Qin Yuenan wanted to convince him to stay with the company.
"Write up a salary increase request and put it on my desk. As long as it's not an outrageous amount, I'll approve it."
"Thank you for the kind offer, President Qin."
Lin Shen scratched his face, a little embarrassed, and wiped away some sweat with his sleeve.
"I'm not resigning because I'm unhappy with my salary. I'm just tired of the office grind and want to travel around a bit."
"You like the outdoors?"
'The outdoors?' Lin Shen thought to himself. 'That excuse works, I guess. As long as it gets me through this conversation.'
Seeing Lin Shen nod, Qin Yuenan's eyes lit up.
Because she liked the outdoors, too.
Mountain climbing, hiking, camping...
To enjoy these romantic and liberating outdoor activities, one often needed to break free from the shackles of daily life.
And work was one of those shackles.
Qin Yuenan felt she could understand why Lin Shen wanted to quit.
"I see."
Qin Yuenan stopped her treadmill. After taking a drink of water and wiping her sweat, she suddenly held up her phone.
"Give me your personal WeChat."
"Huh? Oh."
Lin Shen hadn't thought the day would come when someone would ask for his WeChat.
DING—!
"Contact me if you need anything."
"Alright!"
After adding her as a friend, Lin Shen watched Qin Yuenan leave. His stereotype of her had changed quite a bit.
'I thought she was a strict, proud, and aloof boss. But it seems she's actually a bit cold on the outside and warm on the inside?'
"Five kilometers completed. Time: 48 minutes, 56 seconds."
'Crap!'
The running data from his watch snapped Lin Shen back to reality.
'I was so busy talking to President Qin that I forgot to pause it! A run that isn't timed is a run wasted!'
[Upgrade Quest: Check in at the gym for three days, no less than one hour each time (Completed)]
[Reward: Sports Health Lv. 4 → Lv. 5]
[Exercise effect increased from 35% → 50%]
[Item: Bone-Enhancing Calcium Tablets (Taking as directed will effectively increase height)]
[Upgrade Quest: Please bring your BMI into the normal range. Current: 80.2kg / 75.6kg]
"Body mass index, huh."
Lin Shen had actually calculated it before. For his height of 178cm, a standard weight was between 60kg and 75kg.
So he was still about five kilograms away from his goal.
"I've still got a long way to go."
Lin Shen couldn't help but sigh softly.