C6 A Relaxing Working Day!(1)

On the other side, Miaojie found her way to the registration area and arrived at the entrance of the Human Resources Department. She looked around and finally spotted the registration sign on the left side of the door, following it inside.

"Hello, I'm Tong Miaojie, here to join the Arts Department today. Here are my documents and work ID."

"Oh! You're Tong Miaojie, the comic genius!"

Miaojie looked a bit flustered by the compliment. "No, no, I'm not a comic genius."

"Don't be so modest, I really enjoy your work!" the welcoming colleague said warmly.

Miaojie just smiled politely.

"Alright, let Lee Lin show you around the Arts Department. She's been with us for a while."

"Okay, thank you!"

"Come on, I'll give you a quick tour."

"Great!"

Miaojie quickly followed along. Lee Lin warmly introduced Miaojie to the various departments and the employee lounge areas.

"This is the Planning Department. Upstairs, you'll find the Marketing and Printing Departments. Management is usually on the twenty-fifth floor and above, and there's a large conference room on the twenty-seventh floor for executive meetings."

"The fifteenth and sixteenth floors are leisure areas with lots of fun stuff, and each floor has a small break area."

"Wow, leisure areas too, that's awesome!"

"Yeah, since this is the headquarters, everything is well-equipped and nicely set up. Where did you intern before?"

"Oh, I interned at the company in Sage City."

"Sage City, that branch is pretty good too. I have some colleagues over there. But aren't you from around here? Why did you go there for your internship?"

Miaojie thought back to when Xiaofu had rehearsals and performances in Sage City, so she decided to visit her. "Oh, my good friend was there, so I went to see her."

In reality, she had gone there to get away from her ex-boyfriend.

"Next up is the Human Resources Department," Lee Lin said as they got into the elevator and went up two more floors.

"By the way, which floor is the Arts Department on?"

"The Arts Department spans two floors, the twentieth and twenty-first. Our boss is the Arts Editor-in-Chief, Gu Aoxuan. She's known as the 'Dragon Lady,' so be careful since you're new!"

"Got it," Miaojie replied with a smile to Lee Lin.

"Come on, I'll take you to meet the Editor-in-Chief." Lee Lin motioned for her to get on the elevator.

"Okay."

In the elevator, Miaojie asked Lee Lin, "Isn't the Editor-in-Chief a senior position? Why isn't the office above the twenty-fifth floor?"

"It's a tradition in GM's Arts Department. Every Editor-in-Chief has their office at the heart of the department because the Arts Department is the core of GM Comics, just like drawing is the essence of comics. Every piece of work from the Arts Department has to go through the Editor-in-Chief's hands, ensuring the highest standards."

"Oh, so the Editor-in-Chief's role is really important!"

"The Editor-in-Chief is the soul of the Arts Department."

"Ding," the elevator announced as they reached the twenty-first floor.

The elevator doors opened slowly, revealing a black relief of the GM Cartoon Empire logo against a white wall. Exiting the elevator and turning right led to the main hall of the Arts Department. The hall featured semi-circular desks, each providing a spacious area for everyone. Surrounding the hall were individual studios, and the frosted glass room in the center was likely the Editor-in-Chief's office.

"Follow me," Lee Lin said to Miaojie.

She led Miaojie to the door of the central room. Next to the glass door, a crystal nameplate clearly read "Arts Editor-in-Chief." Lee Lin gently knocked twice before entering.

"Editor-in-Chief, this is the new hire, Miaojie."

The Editor-in-Chief's office was simply decorated, mostly with comic posters. Apart from a high-end black sofa and a coffee table, it was primarily a workspace. The crystal nameplate on the desk was clearly engraved with her name: Gu Aoxuan.

Gu Aoxuan looked up and glanced at Miaojie, saying:

"Why don't you start on that? I'll finish this up first."

"Okay." Miaojie walked over to the plush sofa and sat down, flipping through the comic books on the table.

"Well, I'll head back to work now, Editor," Lee Lin said.

"Alright."

"I'm off then." She waved to Miaojie and softly added.

Miaojie waved back at her.

After a while, Aoxuan wrapped up her work for the moment. She moved to the coffee table, lifted the top, revealing a storage compartment. She pulled out two white mugs and two tea bags, then looked at Miaojie and asked, "Do you drink black tea?"

"Oh, anything's fine," Miaojie replied with a shy smile.

Aoxuan placed the tea bags into the mugs, filled them with hot water from the dispenser, and handed one to Miaojie, who stood up and accepted it with both hands.

"I remember we met during your college days," Aoxuan said.

"Yes, I remember too. I first submitted my work to GM Comics, and we met when I signed the contract."

"Right, your work was really captivating back then. Although your drawing skills weren't as polished, your storytelling was very innovative, which is why we decided to work with you long-term. And it turned out to be the right choice."

"Yes, I'm really grateful for your persistence back then. If it weren't for your insistence on signing me, 'Starlight' wouldn't exist today."

"'Starlight' is indeed a bestseller, outperforming many comics released at the same time. The company plans to focus on it, demanding even higher quality work."

"Got it," Miaojie nodded.

"You should know you're different from regular employees. The company usually doesn't hire fresh graduates. Even though you have exceptional talent, every panel needs to meet strict standards under my watch. Do you understand?"

"I understand. I also strive for perfection in my work."

"Good, that's why the company has set up a personal studio for you and will assign some assistants."

"Alright, I got it," she said quietly, taking a sip of her tea.

"Let's go. I'll show you your studio and introduce you to your team," Gu Aoxuan said, standing up.

"Okay," Tong Miaojie replied, following her out of the office.

Standing at the door, Gu Aoxuan paused and said, "Oh, you haven't introduced yourself to everyone yet!" She gestured forward.

Tong Miaojie stepped up and announced loudly, "Hi everyone, I'm the new member of the Arts Department. My name is Tong Miaojie. I look forward to working with you all."

"Oh, I know you! You're the author of 'Starlight,' right? I didn't realize you were so young," one of the more outgoing employees remarked.

"Yes, I drew 'Starlight.'"

"Wow, that's impressive! You're so accomplished at such a young age!"

Gu Aoxuan interrupted the conversation, "Alright, Miaojie will be independently managing a studio and continuing her work on the series. I hope you all get along well."

"Yes, I will. And since I'm new here, I hope you'll be patient with me if I make any mistakes."

"No worries, Miaojie. Feel free to ask us if you have any questions," an experienced employee assured her.

"Okay, thank you," Tong Miaojie replied with a bright smile.

"Alright, everyone, back to work! I'll take you to your studio, it's downstairs."