Exhaling deeply with excitement, she clicked on one of the two available buttons in the system: [Newbie Task].
The task was marked as [Completed], and upon clicking it, she discovered that she had received a lucky draw ticket for a roulette wheel.
Wow, this seemed impressive.
Could the prizes be gold bars or cash?
After claiming the ticket, Ju Li exited the task interface and saw the Lucky Spin Wheel at the bottom right corner of the screen. A golden wheel icon was spinning slightly, as if someone was nudging it.
She couldn’t wait any longer and tapped on the wheel.
A new screen popped up, displaying a spin wheel on the left side. The wheel was divided into six sections, each marked with a prize icon: a cake, a pen, a drink, a footprint, a red heart and a grey heart.
What did these even mean?
Curious, she raised a finger and decisively clicked the ‘Spin’ button on the right.
The wheel started spinning rapidly, and Ju Li’s heart raced along with it.
As it gradually slowed, she watched nervously as the pointer passed over each item.
I hope I get something that can make the chairman forget a specific memory.
That way, she wouldn’t have to worry about being blacklisted or even fired.
The pointer finally stopped.
She held her breath, widened her eyes and clenched her fists tightly.
It landed on the pen.
A description popped up on the screen:
[Congratulations! You have obtained the ‘Divine Pen of Insight’. Note: Words will flow effortlessly, and inspiration will strike like a divine gift.]
“…?”
She wasn’t a writer. What use did she have for a pen like this?
Ju Li clicked the claim button. Before she could even wonder whether the pen was a virtual or physical item, she suddenly felt something in her pocket.
Her eyes lit up. She reached inside, and sure enough, she pulled out a pen.
It was entirely black, almost absorbing light rather than reflecting it.
When she ran her fingers over it, she felt a faint, tingling sensation, like a tiny electric shock.
She examined the Divine Pen of Insight for a while. It didn’t seem any different from an ordinary pen, except for the ink cartridge, which emitted a faint chill, making it feel slightly mysterious.
This was definitely no ordinary item.
Setting the pen aside, Ju Li picked up her phone again.
This time, she tapped the other button: [Newbie Gift Pack].
The rewards were [Chairman’s Favour] and [A Mysterious Refreshing Gift], which could be obtained by maintaining eye contact with the chairman for five seconds.
“…Maintaining eye contact for five seconds?”
Wouldn’t that just remind the chairman that she was the disrespectful employee from earlier?
The high-level meeting had ended. Many attendees left looking dejected, having been ruthlessly grilled by Zhong Liyan.
Only Boss Zhong walked away confidently, holding his phone.
At 33, he was considered remarkably young for a chairman of such a large company.
Unlike other elite executives who styled their hair stiff with gel, his short hair lifted slightly as he walked, giving him a refreshing, effortless look.
His sharp, sword-like eyebrows gave him an intense presence, while the deep crease between them, etched by time, made him look even more formidable.
His icy, piercing eyes discouraged anyone from approaching him for small talk.
Producer Qiu Fang quickly rushed out of the meeting room to catch up with him.
“Boss,” she called, struggling to match his pace.
Zhong Liyan merely glanced at her sideways.
That single look, as cold as a frozen lake, almost made Qiu Fang give up. The sheer pressure of his presence was unbearable.
But remembering the difficulties she was facing at work, she gritted her teeth and decided to follow him to his office for a proper discussion.
Zhong Liyan ignored her.
After a five-day business trip, he arrived in Jianghai City on a midnight flight. He had been working non-stop since morning and was exhausted and sleep-deprived, in no mood to talk to anyone.
As he walked through the carpeted corridor of the office area, he noticed two newly added secretary desks near his office door.
His gaze swept over them indifferently.
Temporary assistants didn’t interest him.
But then, he noticed the young woman in a white blouse sitting at one of the desks, sitting perfectly upright, staring at him with serious, wide eyes.
Why isn’t she working? Why is she just staring at me?
The next second, recognition hit him.
He suddenly recalled what had happened that afternoon.
Whenever he came to Jianghai for meetings, he was always accompanied by a group of people, so he had never needed to register his fingerprint for office access.
But today, he had run into a new employee who didn’t recognise him and was ‘rude’ enough to stop him at the entrance.
Wasn’t this that girl?
Ju Li gritted her teeth, mustered her courage and locked eyes with Boss Zhong for five seconds. The moment the time was up, she immediately looked down, pretending to be busy on her computer.
Seeing that she had finally stopped looking at him, Zhong Liyan narrowed his eyes but didn’t say anything. His gaze shifted and happened to land on a coffee cup on her desk, still sealed in its bag. It was the very same coffee he had carried for her at noon.
And right now, he really needed a coffee. Without hesitation, as he passed by her desk, he casually grabbed the cup, not saying a word.
Ju Li gawked in shock. By the time she snapped out of it, Boss Zhong was already walking away, with her coffee in hand.
“…” What did that mean?
Across from her, Zhang Beibei raised an eyebrow questioningly. Ju Li shrugged, equally clueless.
She immediately opened her secretary system.
The “Unclaimed” marker next to [Newbie Gift Pack] had now changed to [Claimed].
So… did “Chairman’s Favour” mean he favoured her coffee?
Ju Li was utterly confused. But Qiu Fang, who had been following behind Zhong Liyan, was even more stunned.
Even after entering the chairman’s office, she couldn’t resist stealing another glance at Ju Li. She looked so ordinary. Plain, even.
So why did Boss Zhong just take her coffee as if it were his own?
Even a personal secretary wouldn’t have that kind of informal relationship with the chairman.
Could there be some personal connection between them?
A new thought crept into Qiu Fang’s mind.
If this new secretary really had some special connection with Boss Zhong, then dealing with her would require extra caution. Maybe even building a relationship with her would be wise.
Just like that, with one small action, Zhong Liyan had set off ripples in the mind of a seasoned workplace strategist.
Seated at his desk, Zhong Liyan took a sip of the coffee. It was a hazelnut latte, exactly his preferred sweetness level.
The warm drink glided over his tongue, invigorating his taste buds and clearing his fatigue.
He sighed in relief, rubbing his temples. As the caffeine pushed away his exhaustion, he felt his mind sharpen.
And then, a strange realisation hit him. Why had he suddenly taken someone else’s coffee?
His gaze shifted toward the young secretary sitting with her back to his office at the doorway.
He had always been a rather easygoing person, often described by his subordinates as temperamental, but…
Zhong Liyan only let his confusion linger for a few seconds before regaining his composure.
Leaning back on the large sofa, he looked leisurely at Qiu Fang. “Your production team has been pulling all-nighters for a week straight?”
Qiu Fang hadn’t expected the boss’s first words to acknowledge the struggles of their production department. Snapping back to reality, she quickly put on a serious yet exhausted expression and nodded vigorously.
“All the colleagues working late with you are still in the office, right?” Zhong Liyan asked again.
Qiu Fang, slightly puzzled, still nodded.
“Six executive producers?” Zhong Liyan questioned once more.
Qiu Fang blinked and nodded again.
Without saying another word, Zhong Liyan lowered his head, tapped a few times on his phone and a moment later, Qiu Fang’s phone vibrated. But since she was sitting right across from the boss, she didn’t dare check it.
Zhong Liyan, however, looked up and said, “I transferred some money to you. Buy everyone coffee, including that secretary over there.”
As he spoke, he gestured toward Ju Li, who was busy at the doorway with some unknown task.
“…Ah, thank you, boss,” Qiu Fang’s eyes flickered as she hurriedly checked her phone. After accepting the boss’s red packet, she quickly opened her team’s group chat and sent some instructions.
When she looked up again to thank him, her suspicions had already deepened; there was definitely something going on between the boss and that little secretary at the door!
After the coffee was delivered, Zhong Liyan completely tossed aside his momentary doubts about his unusual behaviour.
His expression turned cold again as he fixed his gaze on Qiu Fang.
“Alright, what’s the matter?”
A few minutes later, the chairman’s office echoed with Qiu Fang’s sobs. She cried as she poured out all the difficulties and grievances she had endured in her work.
The thirty-something female producer, who had just been the epitome of a sharp, high-heeled-wearing, formidable manager, now abandoned all pretence and cried earnestly.
Zhong Liyan handed her a tissue, his face expressionless, seemingly unmoved.
Only after she had finished venting did he speak coldly:
“There’s no such thing as free money in this world. If you’re in this industry, you have to endure its hardships. If you ever come crying to me again, just quit. This company isn’t a charity and I don’t pay salaries based on tears.”
“…” Qiu Fang froze. This time, her red-rimmed eyes weren’t an act.
Her face burned with embarrassment, turning red and then purple, as she sat there, utterly stunned by the boss’s scolding.
Seeing her complexion shift from pale to green to flushed red, Zhong Liyan finally looked satisfied.
If he were to be manipulated by such cheap sob stories, he might as well quit being the boss.
“Schedule a meeting with the director. I’ll talk to him personally.” His tone suddenly softened.
Qiu Fang had come to complain about the director’s reckless spending. They had argued multiple times and the director had even threatened to have her removed.
Now that the boss was offering to meet with the director over a meal, it meant he was willing to negotiate on her behalf.
Although he didn’t promise to increase the budget, she understood this was his way of giving her a solution; it was already a concession.
Hurriedly, she admitted her mistake, explained her helpless situation and then showered him with gratitude.
Zhong Liyan, looking impatient, waved her off. Not daring to linger, Qiu Fang thanked him once more before taking her leave.
A few minutes later, with her makeup retouched and her heels clicking, Qiu Fang returned, not to see the chairman but for something else.
Holding a bottle of coffee, she walked straight to Ju Li’s desk under the curious eyes of many colleagues. Leaning against the desk, she smiled, “Just graduated?”
Ju Li was in the middle of printing documents for the chairman when she was suddenly approached. She froze for a long moment.
She knew this woman was a powerhouse in the company, an influential producer with a base salary of around 100,000 a month, not including bonuses. They were worlds apart.
“Yes,” Ju Li nodded somewhat awkwardly. She didn’t even know the woman’s name, let alone how to address her.
“I’m Qiu Fang. You can call me Fang jie. Your name is Ju Li? That’s a rare surname.” Qiu Fang’s smile was warm, her demeanour like that of an older sister.
“Yes, writing my name was such a hassle when I was a kid,” Ju Li admitted, finding Qiu Fang unexpectedly approachable despite the difference in rank.
Qiu Fang studied Ju Li carefully. She had quickly regained her composure after the unexpected interaction; this level of calmness wasn’t something all fresh graduates had.
To Qiu Fang, this only confirmed her suspicions.
If Ju Li had a personal connection with the boss… Her smile grew even warmer. “Here, this is from Boss Zhong.”
She placed the coffee on the desk and pushed it toward Ju Li.
“Ah… thank you, Fang jie.” Ju Li stared at the coffee, still a little slow to react.
“Why thank me? You should thank Boss Zhong.” Qiu Fang playfully gestured toward the chairman’s office, where Zhong Liyan was busy working, her face full of amusement.
Then, patting Ju Li on the shoulder, she added with a smile, “When I’m done with my project, I’ll take you out for some good food.”
As if they were already close.
“Okay…” Ju Li agreed blankly, still unsure why this high-ranking producer was suddenly being so nice and even inviting her out.
She didn’t even know her…
Not only was Ju Li confused, but the office gossip lovers had also taken notice, because Qiu Fang, who usually looked down on everyone, was suddenly acting so attentive!
Many couldn’t help but open WeChat and start gossiping:
[Is Producer Qiu familiar with the new secretary?]
[I bet they’re relatives or something. That was way too enthusiastic.]
[Yeah, she even bought her coffee on the first day of work.]
[She looks so plain, but who knew she had such connections?]
[Better be polite to her from now on. Producer Qiu is super petty. If she favours someone, you’d better not offend them.]
[Exactly. Man, I wish I had a high-ranking relative in the company too.]
[Yeah, but we’re not that lucky…]
Meanwhile, the centre of the gossip, Qiu Fang, was oblivious that people had mistaken her for Ju Li’s relative. She was too busy gossiping with Zhu Jingyi.
“Guess what? That new secretary in your department, Ju Li, she’s close with the boss.”
Zhu Jingyi’s eyes widened in shock. “Who?”
Had he misheard?
Ju Li?
Leave a Reply