On the way home holding Zhong You, Zhong Ruanxing happened to run into the nanny Liu Cai that Zhong Ruanxing's mother had hired, in the elevator.
"Oh Ms. Zhong, what a coincidence! Good morning YouYou!" Liu Cai greeted them with the groceries in her hands.
Previously, the Zhong family had two nannies, one specialized in cooking and the other took care of the elderly and children. They had worked for the Zhongs for two to three years and were very experienced. But coincidentally, both nannies resigned for personal reasons this year after the New Year. So she had to find new help.
Liu Cai was recommended by the previous nanny. Zhong Ruanxing's mother had originally planned to hire two again, but Liu Cai patted her chest and swore she could handle the work of two people alone. She was young and energetic, and very efficient during the trial period, seeming very reliable. Zhong Ruanxing's mother couldn't find a second suitable person for the moment, so she agreed and offered Liu Cai triple the highest market rate salary.
Song JinXing glanced at the shrewdly smiling Liu Cai, then at the time shown on the elevator screen, and said lightly, "It's 9:30 now. If I remember correctly, your work hours start at 8 in the morning."
Liu Cai's expression froze. She didn't expect the usually easy-going Ms. Zhong to suddenly call her out. She stammered, "My son left something important for a meeting at home this morning. I had to rush back to deliver it to him."
Song JinXing looked at her: "Half an hour is enough for many things to happen. If something happened to my mother and sister because you were absent without leave, could you take responsibility?"
Although it was still that beautiful face, it looked so intimidating when not smiling. Her cold eyes seemed to nail Liu Cai in place. Liu Cai's forehead beaded with sweat as she stuttered, "I'm sorry Ms. Zhong, I won't be late again."
Song JinXing gave an "mm" and walked out holding Zhong You, who was still licking his ice cream, as the elevator door opened. Liu Cai secretly wiped the sweat off her brow behind them.
Other than dealing with Zhong You's occasional tantrums, there wasn't much else for Song JinXing to do. But it was different for Zhong Ruanxing.
As soon as she arrived at the company in the morning, she didn't even have time to drink a sip of hot water before entering the conference room. At exactly 8 o'clock, the spacious conference room was filled with people, men and women, young and old. Zhong Ruanxing used up all her brain cells just matching faces to names, not hearing a word of the meeting content.
After the meeting finished, she didn't even have time to admire the general manager's office before people started coming in one after another to report work. The documents needing her signature kept piling higher and higher. Zhong Ruanxing was worried the voice recorder that had been on the whole time would run out of storage.
Finally, lunch break arrived.
Zhong Ruanxing sprawled limply in the office chair.
So being a general manager was this tiring? But she didn't do anything at all!
While collapsed there, the pretty secretary Tong Ling brought in a cup of coffee. "Boss Song, President Chen from ShenFeng wants to invite you to dinner tonight. He said there are new developments in their AI research and wants to discuss it with you."
Zhong Ruanxing took a sip of the coffee and nearly got sent away by the bitter hot Americano that made her doubt life. She forced it down with a stiff face and said, "Reply to him in ten minutes."
Tong Ling acknowledged and left. Zhong Ruanxing took a photo of the documents on her desk and sent it to Song JinXing:
- [Image attachment] Documents to be signed today.
- Have you eaten lunch?
- Not yet, going to be worked to death.
- [Location shared] Go here and wait for me. I've booked us a table.
- OK! Also President Chen from ShenFeng wants you to have dinner with him about AI stuff. Are you going?
- I'm not going.
- Why? Didn't you say they made progress in research? Don't you want to hear about it?
- I personally don't think his project has prospects.
- Okay, how are things on your end?
- Everything's normal.
Zhong Ruanxing opened Tong Ling's WeChat and sent: γPlease help me politely decline President Chen, thanks for the troubleγ
Tong Ling, who was eating in the staff cafeteria, nearly spewed out her soup when she saw the message.
Why was Boss Song saying "please" and "thanks for the trouble" to her? Did he think she was slacking off these past days? Just because she took some time during work to snap up concert tickets for her idol, would Boss Song fire her over this?
Tong Ling anxiously replied: γOkay Boss Song, no trouble at allγ
Fortunately he didn't say more. Tong Ling ate her entire lunch on tenterhooks.
Zhong Ruanxing checked the map. The restaurant Song JinXing sent was near the company, just a five minute walk. So she didn't call for a car and left the office with the documents after tidying up.
That morning, Fu Ling had taken her through the executive-only passages, and she didn't know where that private elevator was. She simply took the regular elevators downstairs.
This office building belonged to the Song Corporation. The entire tower was used as the headquarters office area. Zhong Ruanxing's talent agency ShengYu Entertainment was also nearby, but they had only rented 3 floors, which showed the extravagance of the Song Corporation.
The CEO's office was on the top floor, 39. Zhong Ruanxing entered the elevator holding the documents. The elevator slowly descended, stopping at a middle floor. Outside were a group of young employees on their way to the cafeteria for lunch.
The chatter disappeared instantly when they saw who was inside, and the atmosphere became extremely awkward.
Zhong Ruanxing looked up from her phone and saw the employees frozen at the elevator entrance. She asked puzzledly, "Aren't you coming in?"
She put out a hand to hold the door.
The employees' eyes bulged simultaneously. They filed into the elevator calling "Boss Song!" while trying to shrink as small as possible against the walls, as if there was a man-eating demon behind them.
Seeing the younger ones standing with their backs to her, seemingly shivering in fear, Zhong Ruanxing felt the need to lighten up the atmosphere.
Look at how scared the office workers are. They're just employees making a living, why are they like this?
She asked, "Are you going to eat lunch?"
"Yes, Boss Song."
"Oh right! We're going to the cafeteria."
Zhong Ruanxing curiously said, "Is the food in the cafeteria good?"
She hadn't eaten in a work cafeteria since graduating university. She actually quite liked cafeteria food, with the variety like a buffet.
"Very good, very good."
"Super delicious, we love it."
"We're especially grateful to the company for providing such abundant lunches."
Zhong Ruanxing: ...Feels kind of strange for some reason.
The cafeteria was on the 3rd floor. As the elevator doors opened, the employees yelled "See you later Boss Song" while scurrying out as if chased by dogs. Entering the bustling cafeteria and seeing their colleagues, the few looked as if they had narrowly escaped death, breathing sighs of relief.
One of them said, "My back is drenched in cold sweat. Who understands, my friends?"
Taking trays to get food, the others chimed in: "That scared me too much. Why doesn't Boss Song take his private elevator and squeezes in with us employees instead?"
"Do you think he wanted to catch us off guard and see if we were badmouthing the company?!"
"Terrifying. I can't even appreciate his devilishly handsome face now. One look at him and I think of the 'Song Corporation Bloodbath' from six months ago! His expression back then gave me nightmares for days!"
"I feel you, I feel you. That 'all who oppose me must die' look! But let's be real, this man is fucking charming. Makes you love and fear him at the same time."
"It's a charm us mortals are unworthy of experiencing. Being with him, I'd probably be worried every second about doing something wrong again. One sweep of that icy gaze and I'd kneel down singing surrender on the spot."
They burst into laughter.
At this time, the "demon" Boss Song they spoke of had gotten out of a taxi fully armed in hat, mask, and coat, walking towards the agreed restaurant.
He had barely gone a few steps when someone called out behind him, "Ruanxing? What are you doing here?"
Song JinXing looked back to see a business van parked behind the railing. The window rolled down to reveal a pure and pretty face, warm and enthusiastic: "Are you going to the company? Get in, let's go together."
Song JinXing quickly matched the face to a name.
Duan Mangyun.
Zhong Ruanxing's backstabbing best friend.