"Ding-dong, have you ever thought about whether your current attraction might lead to serious heartbreak later?"

I...I don't know.

Have you ever been in a relationship before?

[No. ]

"As expected, it seems your romantic experience is still somewhat lacking. I've been through this before, so I can see things clearly. Young Master Gu is indeed very interested in you now, but it's just interest. Rich young masters like them have many opportunities to meet people they're interested in. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

I don't know.

“I don’t want to see you get hurt. You’re a very hardworking person, and I can feel that. It hasn’t been easy for you to get to where you are today. There was a similar incident at my club before, where one of our colleagues fell in love with a customer. At first, the customer was very confident that he would make my colleague happy. Not long after, my colleague got pregnant, and then the customer abandoned her. The manager there fired her when he saw that she was pregnant. In the end, she got nothing. I heard that she has now returned to work in the factory and is raising a child with her. She is living a very difficult life.”

This little story was made up by Chen Zhe on the spot. The clients there were all female, so such a thing didn't happen there, but he thought it must be quite common.

[Manager, I won't get pregnant!!]

Xiao Dingdong was terrified of being fired, so she wrote this sentence very quickly.

"Of course I believe you, but in matters of the heart, there are many things beyond our control. I just want to give you a heads-up: Young Master Gu will most likely marry a woman from a similar family background to him in the future. I don't want you to suffer unbearably in the future."

[I...I understand...]

Xiao Dingdong's mood plummeted. She had thought about this problem before, but she had never dared to delve into it deeply.

Chen Zhe knew he had said enough, and continuing would be too deliberate, so his tone became more relaxed.

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. Maybe I'm just overthinking things. Maybe Gu Shao is a very responsible person. Maybe he's different from other rich kids."

Chen Zhe used several "maybes" to deliberately emphasize that the chances of success were slim.

[Manager, thank you for telling me all this. I'll think it through.]

"Hmm, it's good that you've thought it through. Dingdong, I still have high hopes for you. Although our job doesn't have a good reputation, it pays quite well. I hope you can have enough money to live a good life now. As for marrying a rich man, you wouldn't really understand how to do it right now. If possible, set a goal for yourself: become rich first. How about that?"

[Hmm? May I?]

A glimmer of longing suddenly appeared in Xiao Dingdong's eyes.

Every poor person wants to become rich, and Xiao Dingdong is no exception, especially since she really needs money.

"Of course! Let me put it this way, six months ago, I only earned 4,000 yuan a month. I was so poor that I couldn't even afford a meal. I was really down on my luck. At that time, I thought I would never be able to cross the social class and would be poor for the rest of my life. But by chance, I entered Linglong Club and met my benefactor. Since then, everything has changed. Now I don't have to worry about money anymore, and I can even buy a few houses in Donghai City."

But I'm not as good as you, Manager.

Xiao Dingdong was somewhat insecure.

"You silly girl, you are so much better than me. You are younger than me, prettier than me, smarter, and more persistent. You are far superior to me."

Xiao Dingdong, who was originally not very confident, looked somewhat surprised when Chen Zhe actually listed so many of her strengths.

[Manager, am I really as good as you say?]

"Of course! If you weren't good, do you think I would spend so much time talking to you? I only talked to you because I saw your good points. If most people wanted me to talk to them, I wouldn't even talk to them."

Chen Zhe spoke with such sincerity that Xiao Dingdong believed him.

She was just thinking about relationships, but now she's starting to dream about her future self.

“Look at Yuanyuan. She didn’t get along well with her colleagues before, but she’s very capable. I saw those strengths in her, so I trusted her and gave her the position of deputy manager. I treat everyone equally. I will give each of you an equal opportunity. You may not know how powerful our Linglong Club is. Let me put it this way: if you have the opportunity to sit in my position in the future, you can be on equal footing with Young Master Gu. You will never be inferior to him.”

Xiao Dingdong's eyes had become burning hot.

[Manager, don't worry, I will definitely do my best!]

Having successfully motivated Xiao Dingdong, Chen Zhe felt it was about time, and he smiled slightly.

"That's more like it. Being obsessed with emotions is the behavior of the weak. Dingdong, we've been weak for far too long. Actually, emotions aren't that important to us. What's most important to us is an opportunity, a chance to shine. Are you willing to seize this opportunity?"

I do!!!

Xiao Dingdong no longer felt nervous and shy; her eyes were now filled with a passion for striving.

"Okay, can I give you a test?"

[Manager, you said it!! As long as I can do it... no! Even if I can't, I will try my best!]

Chen Zhe was very satisfied with her attitude.

"I must remind you of something: the test I'm giving you concerns your future. I won't interfere with your choice; I just want to see the result."

[Okay, manager, go ahead!]

"Here's the thing, I think Gu Shao is your emotional nightmare right now. You've fallen for him, but he can't give you a stable position or a relationship. The person I've chosen definitely can't be obsessed with emotions. You need to understand that. So, the first test I'm giving you is to choose between Gu Shao and me."

[Huh? Manager, what...what did you say?]

Xiao Dingdong's face turned bright red.

Chen Zhe knew she had misunderstood.

"Dingdong, what I mean is that I want you to follow someone, not romantically. In the business world, there are no permanent friends, only permanent interests. The people I promote must be of one mind with me. For example, if I have a conflict with Young Master Gu in the future, whose side will you take?"

[I……]

Xiao Dingdong hesitated.

"Haha, I know this is a tough choice. If you can't answer it now, I won't force you. I'll give you a few days to think about it. You can tell me when you've figured it out."

Xiao Dingdong nodded.

Before this conversation, if Chen Zhe had told her directly, she would definitely have chosen Gu Jingyan without hesitation, because their relationship was already very ambiguous, and they were just one step away from breaking through that barrier.

However, after this conversation, Xiao Dingdong suddenly realized that she had been somewhat naive before. She was actually very hesitant now. She didn't want to lose this opportunity, and she didn't want to lose the chance to be promoted by Chen Zhe, but at the same time, she couldn't completely give up her feelings for Gu Jingyan.

This was the first time she had ever felt love, and every conversation and interaction with Gu Jingyan made her feel very happy.

Career and love.

Which one is more important?

Xiao Dingdong was somewhat confused.

Chen Zhe didn't emphasize anything further. He had already gone this far, and it was up to Xiao Dingdong to decide what to do.

Chen Zhe wasn't entirely lying just now. It's crucial that the people he promotes are completely loyal to him. Wu Yuanyuan is doing almost that; she's capable and obedient enough.

Hao Li is also an option, but she is a bit older, which is a slight drawback.

For example, Hao Li has a hard time getting in touch with customers like Gu Jingyan, and even if she does, it's difficult to have in-depth communication with them.

But pretty girls like Wu Yuanyuan and Xiao Dingdong can do it.

With proper training, they can be a very strong source of intelligence.

Although Linglong Society now has its own intelligence agency, Chen Zhe wants to have his own. He can't go to Hu Ling for everything. The more trouble he gets, the more inseparable he becomes from Hu Ling.

If you become dependent on her, it will be very difficult to break free from her control later.

...

That evening, when everyone had left work, Xiao Dingdong received a message from Gu Jingyan.

[Are you off work yet? I'm waiting for you downstairs!]

[Huh? What do you want?]

[Let's go grab a late-night snack, I'm in a really good mood today!]

I don't really want to...

Xiao Dingdong didn't really want to go out. After talking with Chen Zhe, she was now unsure how to face Gu Jingyan.

[Don't refuse me! Hurry up and get dressed and come downstairs! I'll only wait ten minutes!]

Gu Jingyan was still somewhat domineering. Xiao Dingdong hesitated for a moment, then got dressed and went downstairs.

Sure enough, a long luxury car was parked downstairs.

Gu Jingyan sat in the back seat and opened the car window.

Looking at Xiao Dingdong with bright eyes, he said, "Come on up! I'll take you out for something delicious tonight!"

Xiao Dingdong hesitated for a moment, then nodded, opened the door, and went upstairs.

...

Gu Jingyan was extremely happy today. He had been holding back his anger for so long, and it felt so good to finally vent it. Just thinking about how pathetic Gu Jingping looked when he knelt down before him made him burst into laughter.

"Hahaha!! Awesome!!! So satisfying! Ding dong, you probably don't know what I went through today, let me tell you..."

Gu Jingyan rattled off a whole bunch of things.

They talked only about how they used their brains to deal with those two villains, completely unaware that Xiao Dingdong's emotions were somewhat confused.

When she heard him speak, Xiao Dingdong was happy for him because she knew that Gu Jingyan had endured a lot, but at the same time she was a little worried. She could clearly feel that Gu Jingyan was different from before. It seemed that the top of his head was shining, and his eyes were full of fervor, like a warrior who was about to rush to the battlefield. His eyes were full of desire for power and revenge, and the relaxed and pleasant atmosphere when they used to chat was gone.

What should I do?

Xiao Dingdong looked out the window at the bustling traffic and dazzling neon lights, and for a moment she was filled with deep worry.

...