The night rest stop wasn’t too crowded, with only one tour bus unloading a group of tourists.
People swarmed out of the bus, some lit cigarettes at the side, while others rushed to the restrooms and convenience store.
When Ju Li bought her steamed buns, there were only a few customers around. But as soon as the tour bus stopped and she turned around, a line had already formed behind her.
After paying, she also bought a cup of soy milk. She quickly finished the buns and soy milk, rinsing her mouth with bottled water when her phone suddenly vibrated in her pocket.
A familiar dialogue box popped up, still with a white background and black border, simple and serious in design.
The first line read:
Mission Reward: A humble official position and a heart-opening sweet drink.
The second line: Claimed.
“Huh?” Ju Li blinked. The reward has already been claimed?
A humble official position?
Taking a deep breath, she closed the dialogue box, only to see a glaring red ‘2’ notification on her WeChat app.
She tapped on it, revealing a message from Zhu Jingyi.
Without hesitation, she opened it.
Zhu Jingyi: [Congratulations on becoming a full-time employee. Come back and treat us to a meal.]
Whoa!!!
AHHHH!!!
Ju Li covered her mouth with her hands, screaming internally.
Once she calmed down, she quickly sent a three-message combo:
Ju Li: [Really?]
Ju Li: [That’s amazing!]
Ju Li: [Thank you, Second Senior Brother, for looking out for me!]
Ever since she joined the company, Zhu Jingyi had barely spoken to her directly. She guessed it was to avoid any suspicion of favouritism, or maybe he was just trying to maintain his leadership authority.
And now, he actually messaged her first! Though his tone wasn’t exactly warm, it was still polite.
At least, it wasn’t the condescending tone of a superior addressing a subordinate.
Ju Li looked up at the night sky and the moon, so happy she wanted to dance on the spot.
Her first instinct was to message her younger brother:
Ju Li: [At this great moment, I must inform you!]
Ju Li: [Student Ju Xiaojing, I, your jiejie, have officially been made permanent! First day on the job and I’m already confirmed! Guinness World Record-breaking speed!]
Ju Jing replied in seconds:
Ju Jing: [Is today April Fool’s Day?]
Ju Li: [Get lost! I’m currently on a business trip, but when I come back, I’ll treat you to barbecue! Beef! Thick-cut! So juicy and flavorful, covered in chili and cumin, sizzling and fragrant…]
Ju Jing: [I’m eating right now. You can’t make me drool!]
Ju Jing: [Wait, seriously? Ju Li, don’t mess with me.]
Ju Li: [Is this how you talk to your jiejie? You want a beating, don’t you?]
Ju Li: [Not wasting time with you, I have a God of Wealth to serve!]
Ahead, Zhong Liyan was strolling back to the car, dressed entirely in black, looking somewhat melancholic and mysterious under the night sky.
But in Ju Li’s eyes?
That was nobility! Wealth! Handsome charisma!
As Zhong Liyan reached the car door, the driver, Old Liu, was about to get out and open it for him.
But before he could react, Ju Li had already jogged forward, pulling the car door open first. She stood respectfully to the side, beaming at her boss, her personal God of Wealth.
The driver, Old Liu, froze for a moment, pursed his lips and silently closed his own door.
Zhong Liyan glanced at his young female employee holding the car door open for him. Her face was full of eager admiration and delight, he was sure that if she had a tail, it would be wagging furiously.
So.
She already knew about her promotion?
Without any change in expression, he bent down and got into the car.
Ju Li happily and respectfully closed the door for him before circling to the passenger side and getting in herself.
Even after sitting down, she couldn’t stop smiling.
A joyous occasion lifted the spirits, her anxiety about going on a business trip with the boss on her first day had mostly faded.
After fastening her seatbelt, she rummaged through her bag and soon found an unfamiliar transparent cup.
Inside was a shimmering, star-speckled, pale blue liquid. A subtle, sophisticated floral scent wafted from it.
This must be the ‘Heart-Opening Sweet Drink’ from my mission reward!
She ran her fingers over the cup lovingly, reluctant to let it go. Finally, she carefully placed it back into her bag and hugged it close, as if afraid the contents might spill.
After experiencing the benefits of the ‘Divine Pen of Insight’, she deeply cherished these mysterious rewards.
The car sped down the highway once more.
Ju Li hugged her bag, her smile never fading.
Her crescent-shaped eyes gleamed, pupils warm and bright. Her cheeks, full of youthful collagen, puffed slightly in happiness.
Even as Zhong Liyan closed his eyes for a brief rest, he could see her silly grin through the rearview mirror.
Smart, yes, but still young, unable to hide emotions.
He closed his eyes again, but somehow, her lively, energetic smile remained in his mind.
No wonder people always smile for photos. A smile really does enhance appearance.
The thought lingered and he swore he could almost smell youth itself in the air.
Frowning slightly, he cleared his throat and shifted his legs to find a more comfortable position before continuing his rest.
…
Over half an hour later, they arrived at the film crew’s rented factory space.
Just as Ju Li was about to get out, a new email notification popped up on her phone.
It was from the head of the Human Resources Department.
The first line of the preview read:
[Your full-time employment approval has been processed. Please visit Deputy HR Director Liang Xiaotong’s office to sign your official contract…]
A surge of excitement filled her. She was about to leap out to open the car door for Zhong Liyan,
But before she could, the boss had already opened the door himself and stepped out.
She sighed in regret.
Tsk.
What a shame.
…
As they approached the crew’s rented space, Ju Li had already synchronised the boss’s schedule and basic condition with the relevant personnel on DingTalk (a company office software similar to WeChat, but with process application features).
So, the moment the boss stepped out of the car, someone greeted him with a smile.
The producer was a 35-year-old woman with a round face, fair and plump, giving off a festive vibe.
However, her smile and gaze carried a certain slickness. Ju Li’s evaluation of her was that she was ‘too obviously smart’.
Carrying her laptop bag, Ju Li followed behind Zhong Liyan, watching as the producer engaged in cheerful small talk with the boss, effortlessly stringing together flattering remarks that were almost admirable.
Upon entering the building, Zhong Liyan, stomach still empty, began inspecting the main conference room.
Many of the locations that would be used in the production had been physically scouted, photographed and posted on the walls.
The producer walked alongside the boss, giving introductions as they went.
Next, they moved toward the makeup room, where all the finalised styling photos were displayed on the walls. Several makeup stations were lined up side by side, arranged similarly to a hair salon.
Zhong Liyan took the opportunity to check in with the makeup artists, engaging in a few casual work-related conversations. Despite his attempts to be approachable, the makeup artists’ responses remained stiff, their smiles awkward, they were clearly still quite intimidated by him.
Afterward, the boss went upstairs to inspect the wardrobe department. He diligently questioned the staff responsible for the costumes, asking who each outfit was for and in what scene it would be worn, showing an impressive level of seriousness.
Ju Li, having already skimmed through the script’s summary, character bios and episode breakdowns on the way there, realised that the questions Zhong Liyan was asking were all right on point, had he actually read the entire script for this show?
Where did he even find the time?
The company was massive, with several ongoing film and TV projects in production and even more in pre-production.
Not to mention projects in the gaming department and various other divisions…
Her gaze landed on the back of Boss Zhong’s head. She suspected that his brain structure might be different from that of an average person.
After the producer had led the boss on a full tour, they called over the on-set scriptwriter and the four of them left the crew’s dormitory.
They then headed to a five-star hotel nearby, dinner was arranged there and the boss would also be staying there for the night.
Originally, Ju Li was supposed to follow the production budget and stay in the crew’s dormitory.
But Boss Zhong insisted that, as his secretary, she needed to be near him for convenience, so she managed to tag along and stay at the five-star hotel.
On the way there, Ju Li was absolutely thrilled. Forget five-star hotels, she had never even stayed in a four-star or three-star one before!
And she’d get to have a fancy dinner at the hotel tonight. Just thinking about it made her mouth water with excitement.
On the way to the hotel, Ju Li checked the crew updates to get a better understanding of the White Fan Strategist production team.
Since filming started, all the episodes had been outlined, but only half of the script had been written. As a result, there were two on-set scriptwriters, one head writer and an apprentice.
There were also two planners assisting with the scriptwriting process, organising the script changes and page revisions.
Tonight’s dinner attendees included Boss Zhong, his secretary Ju Li, producer Bai Meng, head writer Xiao Yun, director Zhang Xiaojun, lead actress Liu Feifei and lead actor Chen Haoyu.
Oh. My. God!
Chen Haoyu!
This secretary gig was truly worth it.
She actually got to crash such a high-end dinner.
The hottest male idol, the king of domineering CEO roles, the breathtakingly handsome Chen Haoyu!
Although she kept a calm expression in the car, as a fresh graduate, the thought of dining with a top-tier celebrity was enough to send her into a frenzy, even if she was just a complete nobody at the table.
As excitement bubbled within her, just before arriving at the hotel, her phone vibrated again.
She adjusted her bag, pulled out her phone and saw a familiar notification pop up on the screen,
[Mission: ‘Tears of a Star’ has been triggered.]
Mission Description: Solve the chairman’s problem by ensuring that White Fan Strategist‘s lead actor Chen Haoyu and head writer Xiao Yun get along and complete the filming successfully.
Time Limit: 12 hours.
Mission Reward: A small cash bonus and a brain-boosting milk tablet.
Would bottom-rung secretary Ju Li like to [Accept] or [Decline]?
Mission Hint: … [Click to View]
Ah!
Another mission!
And… it involved Chen Haoyu?!
The mission was called ‘Tears of a Star’?
Wait… Chen Haoyu’s tears?
The thought of that cool, aloof celebrity actually crying made Ju Li’s blood rush with excitement.
This was… way too thrilling…
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