"Zhuo Lu? Just come in...tsk, no, it's not her."

Xing Zhicheng realized something was wrong as soon as he spoke.

It's not Zhuo Lu.

The frequency of knocking is incorrect.

I am a light sleeper, and I will wake up instantly if there is any slight noise around me.

Zhuo Lu was aware of this, so when she was at home, unless it was absolutely necessary or she had told him in advance that she was coming to see him, Zhuo Lu would never bother him most of the time.

She is very organized.

The knocking was also very measured, two long knocks followed by one short knock, ensuring that I could hear it without making too much noise and disturbing my rest.

This is the fundamental reason why Xing Zhicheng likes his new secretary so much.

Sensible, emotionally intelligent, and methodical in doing things.

She's beautiful and has a great figure. I often call her over when I have free time. Having such a beautiful woman by my side is refreshing and pleasing to the eye.

Over time, it can prolong life.

Tell me, which boss wouldn't like a secretary like this?

But now, although the knocking sound is also very gentle, it is three short, rapid knocks. Although the sound is not loud, the frequency is very noisy. If I were resting, this would definitely wake me up.

"Who could it be..."

Xing Zhicheng frowned and muttered something. At headquarters, apart from Zhuo Lu who had the authority to contact him directly, no one else, not even the action team leader, would come to him without his orders.

If anything happens, report it first.

You can only come to me after you get approval.

This is Xing Zhicheng's consistent rule.

At this moment, only Team R was at the headquarters. The other two action teams had already gone out to carry out their missions and were not in Jiang City. Team R, which had just experienced a setback, probably wouldn't look for him at this critical juncture.

That……

Who could it be?

Xing Zhicheng narrowed his eyes slightly. At the same time, his phone, which was on the table, vibrated slightly, but then fell silent after vibrating two or three times.

This is Xing Zhicheng's personal habit; when he needs to be alone, he never turns on the volume of his communication devices, always keeping them silent.

Picking up his phone, Xing Zhicheng saw that Zhuo Lu had already sent him the names of the visitors. He rubbed his temples, somewhat speechless.

Yes...

I was taking a shower and my phone was on silent, so I missed it.

So Zhuo Lu had already told him?

"Li Junyang... has he arrived at this time?"

Xing Zhicheng chuckled self-deprecatingly. It seemed his paranoia had gotten a bit worse. At the same time, he had a deeper understanding of Zhuo Lu's thoughtfulness. The best decision he had made since coming to Jiang City was hiring Zhuo Lu as his secretary.

As a secretary, you don't need to do difficult tasks, nor do you need to strategize like a military advisor. That's unrealistic. And even if someone could do that, as a boss, you wouldn't want to see your secretary more capable than yourself. That's human nature.

Compared to those major tasks, handling all the small matters around the boss is equally challenging.

Xing Zhicheng never looked down on Zhuo Lu just because she could only handle small matters around him. He knew that people who could do small things well were just as valuable as strategists who could plan and strategize.

"What's this kid doing here in the middle of the night?"

Xing Zhicheng suppressed his thoughts, turned and walked towards the door, saying calmly, "You're here."

Xing Zhicheng could guess why his adopted son would come looking for him so late. He was also very satisfied with his adopted son.

Approachable, capable, and confident.

Because of his busy schedule, Xing Zhicheng has never married, which is why he is still single at an age when he could be a grandfather in other families.

When people are young, they are never troubled by not having offspring; they are more concerned about the present and whether something interesting will happen in the future.

But as he got older, even if he didn't want to think about it, the genetic instincts hidden in his blood would still make Xing Zhicheng feel a little lonely when the night was quiet.

Taking Li Junyang as his adopted son was not a spur-of-the-moment decision. Xing Zhicheng had long had this idea, but one cannot just take on an adopted son indiscriminately. Otherwise, everyone would use his name as a shield, which would only bring trouble upon himself.

"I made my decision after observing this kid for a while. Now it seems... my choice was right. He deserves great credit for finding the abandoned young master of the Xia family. I just didn't expect him to come out of nowhere."

Xing Zhicheng rubbed his temples, and when he opened his eyes again, the undisguised weariness in the corners of his eyes vanished instantly, replaced by his former composure and calmness. He turned the doorknob and opened the door.

"father."

Xing Zhicheng spotted Li Junyang with a warm smile at a glance. There was no impatience on Li Junyang's face as if he had been waiting for a long time. It was as if Li Junyang's appearance made the wait worthwhile. This made Xing Zhicheng, who had originally wanted to give Li Junyang a warning, immediately give up the idea.

"Come in."

Xing Zhicheng turned around and walked in expressionlessly, taking a bottle of brandy from the liquor cabinet. He preferred to drink this kind of high-proof liquor, especially when discussing business at night.

After having two or three drinks, one's mind becomes clearer, and after the conversation is over, the effects of the alcohol kick in, allowing one to drift off to sleep.

But after thinking about it, Li Junyang was, after all, a young man, and his tastes probably wouldn't be the same as someone older like himself, so he put the brandy back and picked up a bottle of red wine that was more popular among young people.

Xing Zhicheng took out two glasses, poured in red wine, raised one glass and gestured towards Li Junyang, who quickly accepted it with both hands, saying, "Thank you, Dad."

"We're father and son, there's no need to be so formal."

Xing Zhicheng waved his hand, picked up the remaining cup, walked towards the sofa in front of him, and then plopped down on it.

Throughout the entire process, Li Junyang obediently followed behind Xing Zhicheng, always lagging behind by half a step. His respect for Xing Zhicheng was evident on his face, which pleased Xing Zhicheng greatly.

"Speak, what do you want from me?"

Xing Zhicheng took a sip and then frowned slightly. This red wine... was definitely not something someone his age should drink. It was too astringent, like drinking an expired beverage.

Shaking his head, Xing Zhicheng placed the wine glass on the coffee table, no longer intending to touch it.

"It's like this... On the way back, I thought about it and felt that I might have mistaken someone for someone else. Xia Che is not the eldest son of the Xia family. This... This is my fault for not investigating beforehand."