making things difficult
With all company personnel present, the formal meeting began. The large meeting room was filled with over a hundred people, including all the regional managers.
Nanqi returned to the monitoring room, holding the walkie-talkie to remotely control the security guards in various areas, repeatedly urging them not only to do a good job in security, but also to do their best to meet any other requests made by the guests.
They were going to stay here for three days and two nights. The first two days were for meetings, the second night was for a performance, and they would leave early on the third day.
The first day's meeting went quickly, with little substantive content, and ended in an hour. Then the drinking party began, lasting more than four hours. By the time it ended, Nanqi had already worked two extra hours. She packed her things and was about to leave when Li Li called.
"Hello, Mr. Li."
"Don't rush off work yet. Vitoria has requested that our hotel assign its best security personnel to protect President Song closely. For such an important task, you were the first person I thought of."
Upon hearing this, Nanqi was so shocked she almost threw her phone away: "President Li, you must be joking! President Song is a man, how can I, a woman, protect him closely?"
"Who told you to share a room with him? Just sit outside his room, follow him when he comes out, and do whatever he tells you to do."
"There are security guards and receptionists on each floor. Why not just have the security guards at the entrance keep an eye on things?"
"No security guard on duty is as reliable as you. It'll be a bit of a hardship for these two nights, and you can rest during the day."
"..."
Nanqi was silent for a moment, then Li Li said, "We'll include you in the year-end performance evaluation; the bonus this year is even more than last year."
Nanqi hesitated for a few seconds, but finally couldn't resist the temptation: "Alright then."
She carried a chair up to the fifth floor and sat down in front of room 509. Inside was a luxurious presidential suite, while she stood alone outside.
This isn't security; it's more like an ancient maidservant keeping watch at night. At least a maidservant has a bed, but I only have a hard chair.
At 11 p.m., Song Zhao called.
"Baby, are you asleep?" Song Zhao's voice was sweet, making one's heart soften.
"Not yet, I'm working overtime."
"Didn't you say you were on the early shift today? Why aren't you off work yet, it's so late?"
"This is a last-minute assignment; I'll take a day off tomorrow."
"Is it because of that company meeting?"
"Yes, Mr. Li asked me to protect the big boss of that company. I'm sitting outside his room playing on my phone right now."
Which company is it from?
"Don't be surprised when I tell you."
"It's not my dad's, is it?" Song Zhao joked with a smile.
"Forehead……"
Nanqi sighed inwardly; this girl was too clever.
"It really is him?!"
Just by listening to his voice, Nanqi could imagine how excited Song Zhao was.
"Don't get agitated. He probably didn't recognize me. He hasn't spoken to me all day. My presence here tonight is Mr. Li's arrangement; it has nothing to do with him."
"I'll ask the crew for leave right away and fly back immediately!"
"Hey, don't be impulsive! I already told you he didn't do anything to me. If you hadn't come, he would have just thought I was an ordinary security guard. But if you come, our relationship will be exposed. He might just fire me with a single word from him!"
"But I'm worried..."
"I'm not someone to be trifled with. I've worked here for four years. It's my turf. Do you think he'll eat me alive?"
A few helpless sighs came from the other end of the phone from Song Zhao.
Nanqi softened her tone: "If he really intends to make things difficult for me, I'll just take leave and quit. I will never let myself be wronged."
"Okay then, I have to film a night scene later, probably until 3 a.m. If you encounter any problems, be sure to call me, don't try to handle it alone."
"Okay, call me back when you're done with work."
As soon as Nanqi finished speaking, the door behind her suddenly clicked open. She hurriedly stood up, clutching her phone tightly in her hand.
"What...what are your instructions?" Nanqi was so nervous that her tongue was tied in knots.
"Turn up the air conditioner, the room is too hot."
After saying that, Song Hui walked straight to the sofa and sat down.
It's already the end of October, and you're still complaining about the heat? Nanqi thought to herself, but dared not be negligent: "Okay, please wait a moment."
She quickly switched the air conditioner to cooling mode and set the temperature to 26 degrees Celsius: "Okay, it'll be cool in a bit if we close the door."
Nanqi was pushing the door open to leave when Song Hui spoke again, without even lifting his eyelids: "An Americano, with sugar."
Nan Qi paused for a moment, then forced a smile and explained, "President Song, it's too late now, the cafeteria has been closed for a long time, and drinking coffee at this hour will affect your sleep..."
"Bring it here within ten minutes."
Song Hui's voice wasn't loud, but it carried an undeniable sense of pressure, leaving no room for argument.
Nanqi gritted her teeth, her smile almost faltering: "Okay, please wait a moment."
She immediately dialed the number of Ge Hongbo, the night shift security guard, and said urgently, "Listen, I don't care what method you use, buy a cup of sweetened Americano and send it over right now. I need to see you within ten minutes."
"Captain, it's so late, all the shops nearby are closed..."
"Stop talking nonsense, just go when I tell you to!"
"Yes, yes!"
After hanging up the phone, Nanqi paced anxiously back and forth outside her room, while simultaneously searching her phone for nearby coffee shops that were still open. But at this hour, the only shops still open were basically bars.
Clinging to a sliver of hope, she called each bar one by one, asking if they could make her an Americano. She called over a dozen, only to be rejected each time.
Nanqi could only hope that Ge Hongbo would bring good news. Just ten minutes later, Ge Hongbo called.
"Hey, Captain."
"Hongbo, how's it going? Did you manage to get the coffee?"
"No, Captain, all the nearby cafes are closed. We can't find it at all!"
Nanqi closed her eyes, her brows furrowing into a knot: "Go check out the 24-hour convenience store! If that doesn't work, buy some instant coffee and bring a cup up with you!"
"Roger that, Captain!"
In the service industry, there's no clear division of responsibilities. A customer's word is enough to satisfy you, whether you're a security guard or a waiter. The slightest mistake will result in a barrage of complaints.
Five minutes later, Ge Hongbo indeed came up in the elevator in a hurry, carrying a can of Nestlé instant coffee and a paper cup.
"Captain, there's really no other way but to buy this."
Nanqi glanced at the receipt and casually transferred the money to him: "Alright, you can go now."
She poured the instant coffee into a paper cup, then went to the front desk to make it with hot water before tiptoeing to the door of room 509 and knocking.
"Mr. Song, the coffee is here."
The door opened, and Song Hui glanced at the paper cup in her hand, but didn't even take it.
Nanqi quickly explained with a smile, "I'm sorry, Mr. Song, we went to several coffee shops, but they were all closed. We also asked the bars that were open, but they couldn't make Americanos. We had no choice but to buy instant coffee as a last resort. If you're not satisfied, our room service will definitely bring you a freshly brewed cup first thing tomorrow morning."
"I don't want the coffee anymore, just pour it away."
After saying this in a calm tone, Song Hui slammed the door shut.
"..."
Nanqi stood frozen in place, stunned for a long time before she came to her senses. She looked down at the still steaming coffee in her hand, pursed her lips, and simply took a sip herself: "If you won't drink it, I will."
It's already 11:30, I should be asleep by now.
Nanqi relaxed, communicated with the housekeeping department about delivering coffee the next morning, and then started watching dramas on her phone.
The drama "Blazing Pursuit" is indeed thrilling and mind-bending. Song Zhao plays Jiang Ying, a villain who initially kills her enemy's entire family to avenge her family, and later resorts to any means necessary to cover up the truth, almost wiping out the entire main cast. She is a beautiful, strong, and tragic villain.
Nanqi has already watched the entire series twice, and tonight is the third time. Watching Song Zhao's swift "murder" scenes in the show, she felt both cool and exhilarated.
Less than ten minutes later, the door suddenly opened again. Nanqi hurriedly took off her headphones and jumped up: "What can I do for you?"
Song Hui tossed aside a hardcover book, "If you can't sleep, read this to me."
"Mr. Song, our room is very soundproof. I'm afraid you wouldn't be able to hear me if I read it from outside."
"Do you know the landline number by my bedside?" Song Hui's voice turned cold.
Nanqi nodded blankly.
“Read it to me over the phone.”
"Ah... okay."
“I have a voice recorder by my bedside. Even if I fall asleep, I will listen to it word for word tomorrow.”
No sooner had he finished speaking than the door slammed shut again.
Nanqi then belatedly realized that the reason he ignored her in front of everyone during the day was because he was planning to mess with her at night!
The president of a large corporation is secretly picking a fight with a lowly security guard like me. That's incredibly rude of him!
She picked up the book and the words "One Hundred Years of Solitude" on the cover made her eyes widen in shock. She didn't like reading to begin with, and this book was full of words and obscure language. Reading it all night would be torture for her!
After finishing work, Song Zhao called her, but the line was constantly busy. Nan Qi could only send a message on WeChat, lying that she was having a conference call at the hotel. Song Zhao pressed her to tell her if Song Hui had given her any trouble, but Nan Qi laughed it off, saying she just ordered a coffee and it was nothing.
He stayed up until 5 a.m., and Song Hui, dressed in sportswear, walked out looking refreshed. Nan Qi closed the heavy "Nightmare" book, feeling relieved: at least he woke up early.
She cleared her parched throat and forced a smile: "Mr. Song, where are you going?"
"Just taking a stroll."
"Please go ahead."
Nanqi took a sip of water to moisten her throat and forced herself to keep up with Song Hui. Song Hui asked questions as they walked, from the hotel's history to the functions of each floor, and Nanqi answered them clearly and logically while clearing her throat.
Song Hui later went to the gym and started lifting weights early in the morning. For a middle-aged man to be able to wear a suit and tie without a beer belly and have such a great physique must be an extremely disciplined person.
Song Hui suddenly threw a pair of boxing gloves at her and pointed to the boxing ring: "Practice with me for a bit."
Nanqi gasped in shock. She had no idea how to box! She didn't even know the rules! And this was her future father-in-law; she was afraid of hurting him if she hit too hard, and he wouldn't be satisfied if she hit him too softly. She said with a troubled expression, "Mr. Song, I don't know how to box."
As they were talking, Song Hui threw a powerful straight punch straight at Nan Qi's face. Nan Qi was startled and quickly retreated, dodging the punch with a swift sidestep. Before she could even catch her breath, her opponent unleashed a barrage of punches—left hooks, right swings—each punch whistling past Nan Qi's ears. Nan Qi only dodged, protecting her head and body with her arms as she retreated until only the wall and pillar remained behind her.
She kicked the pillar hard, using the momentum to step onto the other side of the wall. Then, using the wall's support, she did a backflip, landing steadily on the ground and creating distance between herself and Song Hui. She then turned and retreated behind the treadmill.
"Mr. Song, your boxing skills are superb. I humbly admit defeat," Nanqi said.
"You dodged pretty quickly," Song Hui said.
Fortunately, it wasn't on the ring, so there was still somewhere to hide. Nanqi couldn't help but rub her numb arms.
"Tomorrow at this time, we'll go up on stage and have a proper fight. You don't have to go easy on me; if you get hurt, it's on me."
"this……"
Nanqi was about to refuse when Song Hui shot her a sharp look. That look was exactly the same as Song Zhao's when he was angry; the fewer words he said, the more frightening he became.
"Yes...yes."
Nanqi mentally screamed: "Damn it, is it not enough that he messed with me at night, he has to beat me up again during the day? He's so fierce, and he won't let me rest at night. If I fight him, I'll be crippled even if I don't die!"
At six o'clock sharp, the room service staff started their shift. Nanqi could no longer hide her weariness. She sent a message to General Manager Li saying she was safe, and then dragged her exhausted body home.
Wearing an eye mask, Nanqi went to bed at seven o'clock and slept until five in the afternoon. When the alarm rang, she groggily opened her eyes and, seeing the person in front of her, could hardly believe it, "Zhao Zhao?"
"Weren't you filming?" Nanqi asked in surprise. "I told you I was fine, why are you back?"
"Do you think I don't understand you, or I don't understand him?" Song Zhao looked at her helplessly.
"Won't the production crew have a problem with you running back?" Nanqi asked worriedly.
"This time it's really not my fault. The male lead got bitten by a small insect and got infected. He had a fever, was vomiting and had diarrhea. The crew sent a car to take him to the hospital. I basically had to work with him on the rest of my scenes. I couldn't act without him, so the director stopped filming for three days."
"And you? Are you feeling unwell? There are so many insects on the mountain, have you been bitten?" Nanqi said, reaching out to check Song Zhao's body.
"Don't worry, I brought deworming medicine and other common medications. That guy got infected because his immune system was too weak due to dieting."
Nanqi breathed a sigh of relief and reached out to hug Song Zhao: "I missed you so much. I don't want to sleep when you're not here."
"Be good, just bear with it a little longer. After I finish filming this drama, Cindy gave me a week off, and I'll spend some quality time with you then."
"It's only been a week," Nanqi complained softly.
"I'll stay busy for the next two years. Once I retire behind the scenes, I won't travel for work anymore," Song Zhao said gently, kissing her forehead.
Nanqi looked at her and smiled happily: "Okay then."
Song Zhao gently rubbed her neck and said softly, "I've booked a room at the Vance Hotel. I'll go to work with you in a bit."
"Huh?" Nanqi was stunned. "You're going to meet your dad?"
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