Chapter Text
Zhu Li sat on an uncomfortable wooden chair outside the main office of Ms. Mu's employment agency. She'd dressed in her best, most professional outfit, but it seemed drab in comparison to the two other girls sitting in the waiting area. One reapplied her lipstick in a tiny mirror, while the other patted her curls.
"Zhu Li!" A woman's voice shook the chairs.
Zhu Li grasped her bag, stood, and marched into the office.
"Please, have a seat." Ms. Mu gestured to the chair across her desk, her hand very dainty for such a large woman. "You've brought your credentials?"
Zhu Li reached into her bag and presented Ms. Mu with the scroll. The woman balanced a tiny set of glasses on her nose. Her mouth formed a thin line as she glanced over the words in front of her.
"You don't have much experience. One tea shop, one department store counter, a few months of transcribing and filing..."
"I learn quickly and I'm very capable. You'll note the few references I do have, are excellent."
Ms. Mu snapped the scroll shut. She narrowed her eyes and looked Zhu Li over. "I don't suppose you can get rid of the glasses," she said, more a statement than a question.
"No, ma'am."
Ms. Mu sighed. "That's a pity. Take away your glasses and cut and style your hair, and a whole world of options would open up to you."
Zhu Li said nothing.
"Hmm. We do have an opening that might work for you, as of today, in fact. But I must warn you - it's a very demanding job. Have you heard of Varrick Global Industries?"
She had heard the name, seen the logo on shipping crates. She nodded.
"You'll be expected to do a little of everything, but your primary function will be as an assistant to the head of the company." Ms. Mu shot Zhu Li a sideways glance. "You don't get sea sick, do you?"
"No ma'am."
"Very well. Let's give it a try, shall we? But first, let's find you something more professional to wear."
~*~
Zhu Li walked stiffly between the rows of warehouses, glancing at their numbers. Her new, catalogue-ordered outfit was certainly sharper than anything she'd owned before and less comfortable as well. Zhu Li didn't mind - to her, it felt like armor. The click of her heels against the pavement reminded her that she had a new purpose - to be the most capable assistant in all of Republic City.
She glanced down at the paper in her hands. The address Ms. Mu had given her was a peculiar one, down by the docks. She was quickly running out of real estate - soon, all that lay before her would be water.
Walking past the final building, she stopped at the edge of the wharf. She glanced right, to the fishing vessels, bobbing at their moorings and stinking of fish. She turned upwind and spotted, one hundred yards up the pier, a gleaming yacht.
Oh. That was what she was looking for.
There was no obvious sign of life on the giant vessel, though the wide gangplank was down. Recognizing the symbol on the side of the boat as Varrick Global Industries, Zhu Li was relatively confident she was in the right place as she walked aboard.
"Hello?" Her voice echoed through the hull.
A stout man wearing coveralls stepped out from behind a stack of wooden crates. "Hello there, Miss. Can I help you?"
Zhu Li was relieved to find at least one other person. "I believe you can - I'm supposed to start working for Varrick Global Industries today."
"Well," the man said, taking off his hat and mopping his brow, "You're in the right place. Accounting or clerical work?"
"I'm Varrick's new assistant."
"Oh." The man looked her up and down. "Well then, you want the top deck. Take those stairs. At the end of the hall, make a right, and head up one more level. Make sure you do not go left - the cat gators are pretty peckish before their breakfast."
"Thank you," Zhu Li said, nodding to the man and heading for the metal stairs.
"And Miss?" the man called to her. She turned back.
"Good luck."
Zhu Li heard the sound of laughter as she took the second set of steps, heading toward the natural light that spilled from a doorway at the end of the catwalk. As she entered the room, the laughter stopped as two people turned and stared at her. A short lady with a graying bob and a good-looking young man with blue eyes and strong eyebrows sat cross-legged at a table, cups of tea in hand. Clearly, it was their conversation that Zhu Li had interrupted. Meanwhile, a third person sat stretched out on a chaise lounge. The girl had gorgeous wavy hair, but her gray eyes remained fixed on her nails, which she was filing. She was the first to speak.
"You must be the latest assistant. Should I bother to learn your name?"
The young man stopped staring for a moment and looked at the girl on the chaise. "Hey - play nice, Yuki."
"I am nice - I'm just realistic. Shen lasted what - seven weeks, maybe eight, before calling it quits?"
The young man got up, walked over, and offered Zhu Li his hand. As she shook it, he introduced himself. "I'm Nuvuk. I'm kind of Varrick's right-hand man."
"Oh. Are you an assistant too?"
Yuki laughed; Nuvuk blushed. "Ha! Not quite - I'm in the product development game. I liaison between Varrick and our prototypes department. If you'd like to see some of the stuff we're working on, I could show you around sometime."
"Thank you. I'd appreciate that, Nuvuk."
He gave her a bashful half-smile. "And you are...?"
"Oh! Sorry. I'm Zhu Li. I'm Varrick's new assistant and I do plan on staying more than eight weeks."
"Don't they all," Yuki muttered.
Nuvuk gestured to the older woman he'd been sitting with. "This is Song, our herbalist and manager of refreshments." Song gave Zhu Li a bow, which she returned. The little lady reached down and poured her a cup of tea. Smiling, Zhu Li took a sip. She nearly choked as it hit her taste buds, but managed to cover it with a tiny cough - the delicate leaves had steeped for far too long.
Yuki suddenly sat up straight. "Hey, the boss is coming, look sharp."
Everyone fell into their places. Zhu Li stepped back against the wall, watching carefully.
The door swung open, and a wiry, mustachioed man stumbled in. Nuvuk immediately stepped forward and took the long, purple cape off his shoulders.
"How was your evening, sir?"
"Wonderful, Nuvuk!" boomed her new boss. He winced at the volume of his own voice. "It's the morning after I'd like to forget. Song, add a little something to my tea. You know - the good stuff."
Song bowed and scurried off. Varrick threw himself dramatically into a grand armchair.
"My head is killing me. Yuki, get over here."
"Sure thing." The aesthetician grabbed her box of acupuncture needles, ran over, and started sticking long pins in Varrick's hands and face. Song scurried back in and handed him a cup. He took a sip and made a face. "Wrong stuff. You know, Song... do I really have to spell it out?"
"Oh! The stuff."
He waved her off, tossing the cup aside. It shattered on the floor. Song hovered for a moment, torn between sweeping up the pieces and brewing a new pot. Zhu Li caught her eye and nodded. With a grateful look on her face, Song ran out of the room. Zhu Li swiftly swept up the bits of china and disposed of them.
"Ouch!" yelped Varrick. "Careful, Yuki ! How many times do I have to tell you - the bridge of my nose is super sensitive!" He pulled a needle out and pinched the offending spot.
Yuki bit her lip. "Sorry, sir."
Varrick shook his head and leaned back into the plush chair. "Sometimes I wonder about your training, Yuki." Eyes still closed, he whipped his head in Zhu Li's direction. "Shen, get me the... the thing!" Varrick winced as he gestured.
Nuvuk cleared his throat. "Shen quit, remember sir?"
But Zhu Li had followed the vague direction of Varrick's wagging fingers. Her eyes landed on the newspaper folded neatly on the desk. She flipped through, folding the paper so that the business section was in front. It was in his hand before he opened his eyes.
He squinted down at the paper, then up at her. "Oh, yeah. Who are you?"
"Zhu Li, sir."
"Zhu Li, huh?" He closed his eyes and leaned back again as Yuki stuck another pin in him. "Welcome to the team, Zhu Li."