He Kao: "Hey, where are you guys going to work together?"

Huang Si: "Not that kind of work, but kung fu practice! We're training together and making progress!"

He Kao: "Hurry up and go eat, it's almost too late. You haven't even had breakfast." They had been talking in the stairwell for quite a while, and lunchtime was about to pass.

Huang Si: "Doesn't matter, just think of it as losing weight!"

Huang Xiaopang actually talking about losing weight? What's going on?

He Kao had read somewhere that when middle-aged men suddenly get the urge to exercise and lose weight, it could very likely be because they've had a romantic encounter... oh, but Xiaopang is not a middle-aged man and doesn't have a partner, so no worries!

Xiaopang's life took a turn for the better, waking up early with an alarm every day, washing his face thoroughly, even using facial cleanser, and combing his hair neatly. Then he'd head to the local park for morning exercises.

In the past, when He Kao urged him to practice, the guy was never committed, always complaining that it was tiring, and you had to watch him like a hawk.

But some practices can't be supervised, like the internal training of sitting meditation. He Kao couldn't possibly monitor him in his room every night, right? Even if he could, he couldn't tell if Xiaopang was truly in the meditative state.

But after Meng Ya appeared, Huang Xiaopang's self-discipline skyrocketed. Not only did he work hard during their morning exercises together, but even during his midnight meditation, he was extremely focused, even if Meng Ya wasn't there.

Even when they didn't meet, Huang Xiaopang would often hold his phone, exchanging various cultivation insights with her. Meng Ya was so attentive, gentle, and patient, always responding promptly with advice and suggestions.

And as a bonus, Huang Xiaopang achieved the miracle of losing three pounds in a week. Who would believe that?

He Kao watched with a growing sense of irritation. Although he had orchestrated this situation, why was Xiaopang never this serious when he taught him kung fu?

How serious was Xiaopang? He even gave up a foreign trip!

The reason was simple: he had just started interacting with Meng Ya and was eager to improve the relationship, cultivating his spiritual powers was more crucial. As for traveling, it wasn't as appealing as the secret techniques!

Of course, he couldn't say that out loud, so he explained to President E that he'd already been to Sawa Country, and since the department's workload was heavy lately, he'd make some sacrifices and stay behind on duty.

In such team-building activities for the department, not everyone could leave. Some had to stay for day-to-day operations and emergencies, and the standby personnel needed to be at least a team, including key members.

Normally, those who stayed behind were chosen by drawing lots unless work or personal reasons left them no option. The ones who stayed received a team-building subsidy of about five thousand yuan.

Huang Xiaopang volunteering to stay behind was ideal.

For this year's big team-building event, Gao Xue'e ultimately decided on going to Sawa Country again.

Although they'd been there before, that was three years ago, and there were many new colleagues in the department this year who hadn't been. Plus, most of the scenic spots and activities were new this time.

Even though Huang Xiaopang didn't plan on going, Gao Xue'e included him in the headcount when organizing the trip.

Gao Xue'e knew Huang Xiaopang was willing to stay, but suggested that he wait to say anything. He should remain on the list for traveling abroad as usual, with the flight and hotel booked for him.

Her plan was: on the day before or the day of departure, suddenly find an excuse, saying there is an urgent company business that requires a team leader-level core employee to stay behind.

At that point, Huang Xiaopang would step up, showing great regret but selfless dedication to work…

Doing it this way had a better "effect"; it added more weight to future performance evaluations, and if there were any opportunities for position or level adjustments in the company later on, there'd be an extra reason for someone to speak on his behalf.

He Kao couldn't help but admire—lesson learned!

During the time leading up to the trip, Xiaopang focused on his training, losing three pounds, and the rumors about He Kao in the company grew increasingly bizarre.

It all started that night in the café—him and a girl together while she cried… that's all that happened, but the stories spun from it were wildly diverse, becoming more and more far-fetched.

If these rumors were true, He Kao could definitely be named this year's Immorality Champion.

The various versions couldn't all logically be true, indicating most rumors must be false. But to many people, there was likely one true story among them.

This highlights the difference between rational logic and emotional perception.

He Kao couldn't help but think back to the beginning of October, when there were all sorts of rumors back home about him having more and more gold bars in his safety deposit box until it became a whole box of them.

Everyone just kept exaggerating and spreading it without thinking—how heavy would a box full of gold bars actually be?

However, in the company, these stories persisted over such a long time without fading, suggesting someone was deliberately spreading them and fueling the fire from behind the scenes.

Even He Kao himself heard about them. Whether it was a well-meaning heads-up or a malicious taunt, several people had directly asked him what everyone was saying and whether it was true or false.

How did He Kao feel about all this? To be honest, he wasn't very concerned.

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