C5 He Fed the Dog

Shu Ann looked at the documents filled with various issues, feeling like an ancient advisor to an emperor, but without any real power. Countless projects, both useful and pointless, were submitted as plans, some of which were future visions that seemed impossible to achieve.

So boring.

What would she normally be doing at this time? Shu Ann glanced at the sky. The sun was high, its intense rays forcing her to squint, yet she stubbornly kept staring at it, even though she couldn't see anything.

"Shu Ann?" Zhou Yang tapped the desk, startling her like a frightened rabbit.

"Assistant Zhou? What's up? Do you need something?"

Shouldn't I be the one asking you that? You're the one daydreaming instead of working.

Zhou Yang believed he was quite lenient with newcomers, generously overlooking this issue. "There's a meeting tomorrow morning, and some materials need to be processed and distributed. Come with me, and I'll explain. You'll need to learn to do this on your own in the future."

Not having to do the usual intern tasks like fetching coffee felt wonderful, and her boss was willing to guide her. Shu Ann felt that her aversion to crowds had lessened significantly during her time outside.

"Uh, Chairman." Zhou Yang quickly stopped in his tracks, nearly colliding with Lih Jingyan as he exited the room.

Lih Jingyan glanced at Shu Ann, who was following Zhou Yang. "If you have any questions about preparing the documents, feel free to ask me."

With that, he left without waiting for a response.

What a difficult man! Shu Ann thought to herself. He wasn't as unapproachable as he seemed.

"Well, having the Chairman personally offer guidance is a rare opportunity. I didn't get that kind of treatment back in the day. Go on, don't keep him waiting."

Whether it was schadenfreude or genuine happiness for his subordinate, Shu Ann found Zhou Yang's expression a bit odd. Unfortunately, she was good at noticing things but not at reading people.

After knocking and hearing a "come in," Shu Ann opened the door and stepped inside.

She instinctively glanced around the office she was seeing for the first time. It was predominantly black, minimalist to the point of having only the essentials. Without the light streaming in through the window, it could easily resemble a massive tomb. What a monotonous life this person must lead.

"Mr. Lih, the documents for tomorrow's meeting..." Shu Ann began.

Lih Jingyan interrupted her, "Sort through this pile."

He made it sound like she was about to organize a heap of trash! Following his gaze, Shu Ann noticed a neat stack of papers at the other end of the desk, as if they had been placed there specifically for someone to sort.

She glanced at him, thinking he didn't seem like the charitable type; it was probably just a coincidence. Shu Ann pulled out a chair and sat across from Lih Jingyan. The position was a bit awkward, as looking up meant meeting his sharply defined face, which was a challenge to her nerves. If she were one of those infatuated girls, she might have swooned with excitement.

Unfortunately, Shu Ann had always been a realist. She quickly immersed herself in the "trash" pile of documents, not noticing the satisfied look on his face.

The documents seemed more advanced, no longer petty matters but tasks involving secretarial duties like organizing, collecting, and categorizing.

"Good work ethic, willing to learn and diligent," Lih Jingyan thought to himself, satisfied. He noted that she didn't have the irritating infatuation others had, nor did she have any ulterior motives, which also annoyed him. Around her, he felt a sense of calm, like a private space where he could let his guard down.

Lih Jingyan was pleased with his assistant's choice.

With a hacker's precision, Shu Ann quickly sorted the documents into categories and stacked them neatly. When she looked up, she met Lih Jingyan's gaze.

She cleared her throat awkwardly, "Mr. Lih, I've finished organizing."

"Good, it seems the files Zhou Yang gave you were useful," Lih Jingyan remarked, flipping through the papers casually.

"Here's what you need to organize, then copy and distribute. Can you finish it before the end of the day?"

Taking the files handed over by Lih Jingyan, Shu Ann noticed he had no intention of leaving the office. With nothing needing his guidance, she sat back down and continued working on the backup computer.

Not sending the assistant away put Lih Jingyan in a better mood, and his work efficiency improved as a result. If Zhou Yang knew, he'd probably joke about selling the assistant to handle the endless workload—a profitable trade!

The task wasn't difficult. Zhou Yang knew he could assess the situation in under an hour, but now it was almost lunchtime. Could someone with such low efficiency really take over his job?

Zhou Yang frowned and knocked on the chairman's office door. "Sir, it's lunchtime."

Shu Ann glanced at the clock; it was indeed noon, and she realized she was getting hungry.

Lih Jingyan looked at Shu Ann. "Go ahead and have lunch."

As the door opened, Shu Ann quietly followed the chairman, who seemed in good spirits, much to Zhou Yang's relief.

"Sir, what are we having for lunch today?"

Lih Jingyan frowned. "You decide. Don't bother asking me."

If I get it wrong and you don't eat, won't I have to go back and buy more? It would be so much easier if you just said what you wanted. Unfortunately, Zhou Yang didn't have the courage to protest, so he agreed and asked the assistant to join him.

Why does the assistant need to go too? Can't she just wait for lunch?

Lih Jingyan gave Zhou Yang a disapproving look.

Not knowing what he did wrong, Special Assistant Zhou nervously led the assistant downstairs, explaining the chairman's preferences.

The cafeteria was crowded but orderly, with everyone lining up for their meals. Zhou Yang and Shu Ann followed suit.

"Hey, Assistant Zhou, buying lunch again? Just a reminder, being too picky isn't good. Vegetables have essential vitamins..."

Zhou Yang forced a smile. Clearly, he wasn't the picky eater! But he couldn't say that out loud—what could he do with such a demanding boss?

Shu Ann was trying hard not to laugh from the back, feeling sympathetic towards the assistant who seemed quite frustrated. She didn’t expect that she, too, would have to be so "picky" because of the Chairman. Meanwhile, the company forum was buzzing with discussions about how being "picky" was a sign of strong work capability.

Back on the 23rd floor, Shu Ann's cheeks were flushed with laughter, making her look incredibly cute. Lih Jingyan was inexplicably annoyed. What was so exciting about buying lunch? Working with him never made her this happy!

"Chairman, what's so exciting about such a boring task?"

As a result, the entire afternoon was filled with a low-pressure atmosphere, making the 23rd floor even more silent.

After lunch, Shu Ann found an excuse to leave the office. Even though she sensed the Chairman was in a bad mood, she felt a sense of relief. Under such high pressure, she clutched a stack of documents and pressed the elevator button for the 17th floor, ready to meet with the senior executives. She reminded herself not to lose her composure.

The 17th floor housed the marketing department, one of the busiest in the company. No one had the time to gossip about the mysterious secretary; at most, they gave her a quick glance. Shu Ann knocked on the marketing manager's door. The middle-aged man sitting in the center of the room hadn't met the mysterious secretary in person, but he was well-versed in the company's rumors.

In marketing, being articulate and well-informed was key.

"So, this is the new secretary. It's impressive to see someone so young achieve so much."

To improve her work performance, Shu Ann had studied more than a dozen books on "workplace decision-making" online. So now, although she was still a bit inexperienced, she managed to smile and respond to the marketing manager.

"Oh, not at all. I'm new here and have a lot to learn from all of you." Before the manager could say more, Shu Ann quickly interjected, unsure of how to continue the conversation.

"Here are the materials for the meeting at nine tomorrow morning. Please take a look."

The manager took the documents and set them aside, smiling. "Thanks for making the trip, Secretary Shu."

"No trouble at all, it's part of the job. I'll deliver these to the other departments and we can chat more later."

Shu Ann closed the door and let out a sigh of relief. Despite her confident words, she was incredibly nervous, and the smooth outcome filled her with a sense of satisfaction. She realized that her success wasn't limited to the tech field; with effort, she could excel in other areas too. "Keep it up," she silently encouraged herself.

The HR department on the 14th floor was the only department Shu Ann was familiar with, and she could manage a simple conversation with acquaintances. "Not too busy, Manager?" she greeted. The bald manager, recognizing Shu Ann, touched his head and smiled, "But Secretary Shu seems busy. How are you settling in?" Shu Ann nodded, "Pretty well." She handed over the documents and mentioned the 9 o'clock meeting before continuing her rounds on each floor.

Not every manager was as easygoing, so when the finance manager made a sarcastic remark, Shu Ann responded with a proud demeanor, silently challenging him to find a secretary as capable as her. "How's it going? Have you met everyone yet?" Zhou Yang asked, observing Shu Ann's composed expression. Given the personalities of some managers, he doubted she would return unscathed. "It's going okay. I've memorized most of them," she replied, especially recalling the more outspoken ones. "Oh," Zhou Yang noted, impressed by her calm demeanor. "The boss wants to see you."

Shu Ann wondered anxiously if she had done something wrong. As soon as she entered the office, the tense atmosphere hit her, and she mentally labeled the man before her as "unpredictable." "Is there anything you need to explain to me?" His words carried more authority than any gesture. But Shu Ann couldn't think of anything that required an explanation.

In truth, Lih Jingyan was quite pleased with his proud little secretary. Yes, proud—that was the unanimous description from the managers who had called him. She hadn't embarrassed him; she possessed the meticulous humility of a science student and the pride of someone with real ability. Truly the perfect secretary—his perfect secretary. Jingyan just wanted to meet his proud little secretary and had come up with a random excuse.

Unaware of all this, Shu Ann racked her brain but found nothing, so she tried to minimize her presence, hoping the man in front of her would let her off the hook.

Lih Jingyan let out a small huff, shattering Shu Ann's hopeful illusion. "Yes, you didn't embarrass me. You held your own, and for an intern, you did well."

Shu Ann relaxed a bit.

"But," Jingyan continued, causing Shu Ann's heart to leap back into her throat. Jingyan, unhurried, followed up the praise with a dose of reality. "Did you forget that you spent four years studying business administration, not just wasting your time?"

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