Lin Xiaofei, a young woman from a small town fresh out of school, passes the civil service exam on her second attempt and lands a job at a neighborhood office in Shangcheng. She never expects her boss to be a hostile master of workplace manipulation, or her coworkers to be experts at setting traps and kicking her while she’s down. Every day at work feels like a survival challenge in the wilderness. Just when she doesn’t know what to do, she meets Luo Bin, a top performer in the civil service. At a crucial moment, Luo Bin comes up with an unusual plan, and Lin Xiaofei decides to take a risky gamble.
A workplace adventure about a young town dweller born in the 1990s: a rookie’s office battle against seasoned operators. Follow the heroine as she struggles to survive in the cracks and grows from a naive newcomer into a mature professional.
This novel leans toward realism. There is romance, but the leads are rational, clear-headed intellectuals who don’t let love blind them. There is conflict, but the characters aren’t fighting for the sake of fighting. Their actions are driven by distinct personalities and interests.
Dedicated to all the ordinary people in the workplace. Simply surviving in a complex world of competing interests is no small feat.
