C4 Meeting

The remaining work was quickly finished. Shu Ann stretched and rolled her stiff neck, just as Zhou Yang emerged from the office.

"Assistant Zhou, are you done for the day?"

Zhou Yang nodded. "You can head out. How are you settling in?"

"It's going well. Doesn't seem too difficult," Shu Ann replied with a shy smile.

Zhou Yang then noticed the girl's expression on the document.

"The boss will be in tomorrow, so it won't be as easy. Be prepared."

Already feeling uneasy, Shu Ann grew a bit more nervous at Zhou Yang's words. "I'll do my best."

Repeating the same few phrases, she really seemed like someone who hadn't faced the real world yet. Zhou Yang shook his head with a smile.

"Don't worry, the boss isn't going to bite. Just do your best, keep your head down, and focus on your work," Zhou Yang advised the newcomer kindly.

Shu Ann nodded gratefully.

"Alright, it's getting late. Tomorrow's your first official day, so don't be late. Make sure to bring the boss a cup of coffee first thing. You can head out now."

"Okay, see you, Assistant."

Zhou Yang waved as he left.

Shu Ann relaxed into her chair, contentedly organizing her files and packing up for the day. She enjoyed such a fulfilling day.

"Hello?" Before Shu Ann could finish packing, her phone rang. She freed one hand to answer it while continuing to tidy up.

"Ann, where are you now?"

It was Mooh Yang. If there was a case, he could just message her. Why call?

"I'm out. What's up?"

There was a pause on the other end, as if Mooh Yang was disappointed she didn't give him a straight answer. Soon, his cheerful voice came through, "Nothing much. It's been a while since I was in the city, and I've lost touch with most people. If you're free, would you like to grab a meal with me?"

Lost touch? As support staff, they wouldn't cut off connections unless something significant happened, even potential ones. Shu Ann wasn't one to dig for details, assuming something must have happened in the city. Besides, having dinner with a friend was always a good idea.

"Which restaurant? I'm heading over now."

Shu Ann quickly gathered her things and pressed the button for the first floor in the elevator.

"I'm at The Feast. Are you far? I can pick you up."

"No need, I'll be there soon. Give me half an hour."

Mooh Yang felt a bit helpless at Shu Ann's refusal. He didn't know where she was and couldn't just go pick her up, so he agreed and ordered a table full of dishes while waiting for her to arrive.

The Feast wasn't far from the office, both located downtown. It was rush hour, and the traffic was terrible, making walking a faster option.

The afternoon sun wasn't as harsh as it was around one or two o'clock. The warm glow felt comforting, lifting her spirits.

When Shu Ann arrived at The Feast, the doorman was the same as last time. He seemed to remember her and didn't look down on her as he had before. Instead, he greeted her eagerly, "Miss, have you reserved a private room? We have some available on the third and fourth floors. Which would you prefer?"

Shu Ann didn't like being surrounded by people, but she understood that she had startled the young doorman last time. He looked barely twenty, which made his job seem all the more unfortunate.

"I've already reserved a room. I'll find my way," Shu Ann said, handing him a tip to send him on his way.

The doorman was thrilled to encounter such a generous and pleasant customer. After offending her previously, he had feared repercussions and had tried to find out more about this platinum cardholder, but all he learned was her name and age. This only confirmed she was someone important.

Meeting her again today, he was surprised by her generosity. He felt lucky to have encountered such a benefactor.

Shu Ann could guess what the doorman was thinking and found it amusing. Her platinum card seemed impressive, but it wasn't her who had the means to get it—it was Mooh Yang. There was no need to worry.

Shu Ann reached the third floor and opened the door to the private room. Inside, a table full of exquisite dishes awaited, making her mouth water. Mooh Yang sat there, swirling a glass of wine, looking every bit the gentleman he was.

"Dining in a place like this, Mr. Mooh, you sure know how to enjoy life," Ann joked.

"No choice, only a place like this suits a beauty," Mooh replied.

Ann chuckled, not taking his words to heart. Ever since she met him, he had always been the playboy type, and she was used to it by now.

"Do you want to take a break after this mission?" Ann asked, accepting the glass of red wine from the waiter.

"This mission isn't over yet," Mooh shook his head.

How could that be? She had successfully tracked down the address, destroyed the documents and their backups. She trusted her abilities; there wouldn't be any loose ends.

Understanding his partner's pride, Mooh interrupted Ann's speculation. "It's the follow-up service. Your skills only cover the surface. The rest of the scheming is up to the logistics team. We might have to stay here a few more days."

Ann understood. Follow-up tasks were always Mooh's responsibility. He never let her deal with the dirty, dark side of things.

Ann was grateful.

"If there's anything I can help with, just let me know."

"Aren't you helping me right now?" Mooh squinted, a smile playing on his lips.

"Hmm? Right now?"

"Having a beauty accompany me for dinner is the biggest help."

Ann laughed, unbothered. "Have you been rejected by girls lately and are now seeking validation from me?"

Mooh took a sip of wine, helpless against this unromantic woman. Thankfully, she was unromantic.

Mooh smiled, a hint of mystery in his expression.

Ann declined Mooh's offer to drive her home and took a cab back by herself.

As she stepped inside, the darkness contrasted sharply with the city lights outside. She flicked on the light with a sigh.

Some things just aren't meant to be yours, so losing them doesn't matter.

After drinking a cup of hot milk, Ann, who wasn't used to staying up late, quickly fell asleep.

Perhaps the emptiness of the house stirred a rare melancholy in her, making her sleep uneasy.

First, she dreamt of being chased relentlessly, so she kept running. Suddenly, she found herself on barren land, surrounded by desolation, unable to see any direction...

When Shu Ann woke up, she felt dizzy, showing early signs of a cold. She casually washed her face with cold water, heated some milk, drank it, and headed out.

Shu Ann's apartment wasn't far from the office, about a ten-minute walk. If she had to squeeze onto a crowded bus like a sardine, she'd go crazy. A morning walk wasn't a bad idea, she thought contentedly.

At the office, she once again faced the curious stares of her colleagues, but Shu Ann had learned to ignore them. The 23rd floor was quiet in the morning. She had left home early to make coffee as Zhou Yang requested yesterday, adding some sugar but no milk, thinking most guys probably wouldn't like it.

She made herself a cup and returned to her desk. From the 23rd floor, people and cars below looked like tiny ants. There was no feeling of superiority; Shu Ann thought she would be just as insignificant down there. If only she could disappear so no one could find her.

She was overthinking. Shu Ann took a sip of her coffee.

"Ding." The elevator door opened, and a man stepped out, immediately noticing the girl daydreaming by the window. He squinted his eyes.

"Intern?" The man's deep voice startled Shu Ann. She hurriedly put down her coffee and saw the man's face.

Lih Jingyan.

"Yes, sir. Special Assistant Zhou asked me to make you coffee. It's in the break room. I'll get it for you."

Not waiting for a response, Shu Ann almost fled from his side, unsure if she'd been recognized. The man continued to squint at her, as if trying to dissect and understand her completely.

Cold sweat nearly broke out on Shu Ann.

Before today, he didn't know he would have a secretary, let alone an intern secretary, and certainly not that the secretary would be this person.

After that afternoon, he began investigating the group, a globally renowned hacker organization. Unlike the typical lone wolf hackers, the guy with the codename "Mr. Black" had brought these individuals together, forming a formidable force.

He couldn't uncover the members' identities, only their undefeated track record and the codename "Assassin."

Now, many people were willing to pay a hefty price to learn about or even silence one of the group's members, "Assassin," who was right on his turf, appearing as harmless and innocent as a rabbit.

"Boss, how much sugar in your coffee?" Ann poked her head out from the break room, her body hidden by the wall, making her look even more like a rabbit.

"Two sugar cubes, no milk."

"Got it, just a moment."

To buy some time, Ann poured the previous coffee down the drain and brewed a fresh cup. Yet, she still felt pressed for time. She hadn't calmed down yet. She decided to take it one step at a time. Taking a deep breath, Ann carried the coffee to Lih Jingyan.

Jingyan took the coffee without expression. "How's the work going?"

Thankfully, it was about work. Both tacitly avoided mentioning her side gig.

"Not bad." Should she have said it was going great? Would that make the boss think she wasn't capable enough?

How could she be so absent-minded and yet handle the computer so flawlessly?

Strangely, Jingyan wasn't angry.

He nodded, took the coffee, and silently returned to his office.

Did she say something wrong? Would she get fired?

The nervous "rabbit" forgot that Jingyan was naturally a reserved and quiet person. It was already rare for him to exchange a few words with an intern like her.

Unable to decipher her boss's thoughts, Ann decided to focus all her energy on her work, which resulted in her achieving high efficiency. Zhou Yang spent the entire morning marveling at how the company had produced a second Lih Jingyan. Unlike him, he worked hard only because he was forced to.

"Have her prepare the materials for tomorrow's meeting and distribute them to all department managers," Jingyan instructed, clearly referring to Ann.

"Is he really trusting her just like that?" The documents he handed to Ann were trivial, yet the CEO's actions showed he had accepted this new secretary he’d just met. Wow, there really are people like that in the world.

Zhou Yang wholeheartedly agreed. First, he trusted his boss's judgment—after all, that's how he got recruited himself. Second, having someone to share the workload that seemed endless was a blessing beyond words.

Zhou Yang adjusted his glasses, maintaining his polite smile, though his eyes seemed to shine with a light of their own.

"Boss, you must have really put the pressure on your assistant!"

"I'll go inform her now," he said, determined to train her well and turn her into an all-around secretary.

After Zhou Yang gently closed the door, Lih Jingyan looked up from his documents, lost in thought.