294: She said she is your woman.

Facing Tian Ming's inquiry, Liu Zhizhi quickly shook her head and said, "It's all just rumors. I only heard other people talking about it in the cafeteria."

Just then, the food was served. Three dishes and one soup, with both meat and vegetables, looked very good.

Liu Zhizhi quickly said, "Boss, please eat. I won't bother you anymore."

As Liu Zhizhi was about to leave, she was stopped by Tian Ming.

"Stop, if the rumors are about me, then I must hear them."

Liu Zhizhi was in a dilemma. She was just a cafeteria manager, and she didn't dare to speak carelessly about such matters.

Seeing Liu Zhizhi's expression, Tian Ming's face darkened, and he asked, "Tell me, what rumors?"

"Boss, recently, people have been spreading rumors that Zhou Sumei is your woman. In Lianzhou Base, someone saw her coming out of your room with disheveled clothes."

...

This instantly left Tian Ming speechless, and he said unhappily, "What nonsense? My woman? Who the hell is spreading rumors about me?"

"Boss, I also heard it from others. Whether it's true or not, I don't know either," Liu Zhizhi said cautiously.

Tian Ming glanced at Liu Zhizhi and said, "You can go out. I will handle this matter."

Liu Zhizhi nodded slightly, "Then I'll go out. Please enjoy your meal."

After Liu Zhizhi left, only Tian Ming remained in the private room. He picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, but his thoughts had already drifted far away. For these past few days, he had been working hard for the Shelter's development, but he didn't expect that someone would be spreading rumors about him behind his back.

He didn't really care much about these rumors. However, due to his special status in the Shelter, no one would proactively seek Tian Ming to verify such rumors, nor would anyone dare to verify them with him.

If he let it develop, every woman would come to him trying to take advantage, and how could that be tolerated? But such things are difficult to clarify. If Tian Ming were to actively step forward, it would only make it seem more like he had something to hide.

After all, some people only listen to what they want to believe. As the highest-ranking person in the entire Shelter, Tian Ming needed to make a deterrent for this kind of thing, but he couldn't personally appear. Zhou Sumei, that woman, had some tricks. The disheveled clothes were definitely something she deliberately made others see after he sent her out the door.

Her scheming was truly too deep. If he were to personally deny it, that woman might have another trick up her sleeve.

After eating, Tian Ming left the cafeteria and arrived at the Underground City Comprehensive Management Office. The entire office was divided into multiple areas. There were many people, somewhat like a former office building, but the service counter was like a bank counter.

During the trial run of the smart brain, many tasks of the Comprehensive Management Department were moved online, and all management personnel were equipped with tablets and mobile phones. The people in the Management Department primarily performed manual classification and organization tasks. After all, those application processing opinions needed to be summarized, and completed matters needed to be filed and archived.

As soon as Tian Ming entered, a familiar figure appeared before him: Lin Yue.

Lin Yue didn't expect the Boss to suddenly come here. She somewhat flusteredly tidied her clothes and stood up.

"Boss!" Lin Yue greeted him respectfully.

"Hmm, have you had dinner?" Tian Ming didn't know what to say, so he used a classic greeting.

Lin Yue was startled, then smiled and said, "I've eaten, Boss. Why do you have time to come here?"

"I'm just walking around. What, is the Comprehensive Management Office open twenty-four hours now?" Tian Ming asked.

Lin Yue nodded and said, "Yes, the Comprehensive Management Office now operates on a 24-hour duty system to ensure timely handling of various affairs. I'm on night shift this month. Anyway, in the Underground City, if you don't go outside, you can't tell the difference between day and night."

Tian Ming nodded and said, "Help me find someone. I haven't seen him in a long time."

"Who?" Lin Yue asked.

"Gouzi. He's not in the communication channel now. How did he disappear as if he's no longer part of the management personnel?" Tian Ming asked.

A smile appeared on Lin Yue's face, and she said, "Boss, Xiao Qian is about to give birth. It's already her due date. I'll call him right away. Please wait a moment..."

Tian Ming sat aside and said, "Okay, you call him and tell him I miss him." The smile on Tian Ming's face was very gentle. Gouzi was an important and veteran member in the early days of the Shelter.

Many previously important personnel have been marginalized. Just like Lin Yue, Wan Yu, Gouzi, Mr. Yuan, and so on. Although some are still within the management system, they have become less important.

Lin Yue dialed the number and put it directly on speakerphone.

Soon, Gouzi's voice came from the phone: "Sister Lin Yue, why do you have time to call me!"

"How are you, Brother Gouzi? How's sister-in-law?"

"She's doing great. The due date is this week. I'm about to become a father!" Gouzi's words were filled with excitement.

"Oh, by the way, Brother Gouzi, I ran into the Boss."

There was a moment of silence on the phone, then he said, "Isn't he always around? Flying around every day, I've seen him many times." A sigh came from Gouzi on the phone.

"Alas! Boss is still the same Boss as before, but Gouzi is no longer the Gouzi from before. I can't keep up with his pace. Sister Lin Yue, the Boss has forgotten about us old-timers."

Upon hearing this, Tian Ming spoke, "Gouzi, speaking ill of me behind my back is not your style."

"Holy crap, Boss is next to you, why didn't you say anything? You've killed me!" Gouzi on the other end was incoherent, not knowing what to say.

Tian Ming smiled and said, "It's good that I've killed you. I'm in the Comprehensive Management Office, Underground City. Get over here and apologize to me."

"Okay, Boss, I'll be right over." Gouzi hung up the phone directly.

Lin Yue glanced at Tian Ming and slowly said, "Boss, Gouzi certainly had his reasons for stepping down as the Shelter's head steward. It's not that he didn't want to do it, but many people said he was incompetent and only relied on your power. Moreover, being a junior high school graduate was humiliating. He bore a lot of pressure during that time."

"I know, I'm not stupid. I can tell," Tian Ming said.

"Brother Gouzi used to be a hooligan, but you, Boss, had a great influence on him. Now, he's very good to Xiao Qian and is kind to people. The last time a few of us who knew each other had dinner together, Brother Gouzi got very drunk and cried, saying that he didn't have much education, his abilities weren't good enough, and you always had to clean up his mistakes, and that he was always embarrassing you."

Tian Ming remained silent, only nodding slightly.

"Boss!" Gouzi appeared at the entrance of the Comprehensive Management Department, his eyes slightly red.

Tian Ming smiled and said, "What's wrong? Your eyes are watery. I'll pretend I didn't hear what you just said. I won't punish you."

Gouzi wiped his eyes and said, "Boss..."

For a moment, Gouzi was speechless. Logically speaking, he had always thought that once he stepped down, he would have no connection with the Boss anymore, just being an ordinary Shelter member. But now, he felt that Tian Ming treated him like an old friend, and how could this not make him feel flattered?