A wicked smile
The aroma of steamed buns hadn't yet dissipated from the assistant's office when there was a knock on the heavy frosted glass door.
The head housekeeper, Meng Wan, pushed open the door and entered, her gaze sweeping over the wrapping paper that everyone was still holding.
"Have you had breakfast?" Meng Wan's tone was unreadable.
Good morning, Sister Meng!
Qu Shiyao reacted the fastest, immediately transforming into a caring daughter, grabbing the last bun from the bag and enthusiastically handing it over, "Try this? It's a handmade meat bun made by the college student next door! Juicy and generously filled, no cheating!"
Meng Wan was stunned for a moment, then subconsciously took it and took a bite.
The warm gravy filled her mouth, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes. She nodded and said, "Hmm, not bad."
"Sister Meng, is there an urgent job?" Zhuang Rou'er asked cautiously.
When Meng Wan comes in person, it usually means a storm is brewing.
"Hmm." Meng Wan swallowed her steamed bun, her expression turning serious again. "President Si just gave the order. Today at 9:30, in Conference Room 102, a strategic meeting for an important client. President Xu will be attending, and all of our assistants—"
Her gaze swept over the six faces that instantly crumbled. "They also have to be there on standby, ready to cooperate with any work arrangements."
【Host!】The system's red alert rang in Qu Shiyao's mind.
[Today's plot may be released together with yesterday's plot; this chapter update is definitely going to be a major surprise! Under the watchful eyes of everyone! Stay safe! Don't be reckless!]
The system was as worried as an old lady, fearing that the host might do something outrageous at any moment.
"system!"
Qu Shiyao said righteously, "In your heart, am I such an unreliable and inconsiderate person? In broad daylight, under the clear sky, in front of everyone, what could I possibly do? Hmm?"
If there hadn't been people around, she would have loved to beat her chest in protest to prove her innocence.
system:【……】
Translation: You think you can take down a domineering CEO with your bare hands when nobody's watching?!
On the way to the conference room, Gao Huixin let out a lament of a corporate slave: "Heavens! What's wrong with President Si? Are those assistants in the president's office just for show? They can't just keep taking advantage of President Xu! I don't want to go!"
"Let's keep quiet," Li Yue sighed. "They specifically asked us all to go, so they're probably a tough nut to crack and want to shift the blame onto us to share the risk!"
Qu Shiyao tapped the system: "Did the CEO recognize me? Take a look at what happened yesterday!"
[Beep! Confirmation complete!]
The system's tone was somber. [Host, be confident! Last night, Assistant Wen thoroughly investigated your background...cough...and everything! Now, the way the domineering CEO looks at you is utterly amused, like, 'You've finally fallen into my hands!']
Qu Shiyao: "..." This efficiency is truly worthy of being the CEO's special assistant.
The atmosphere in Conference Room 102 was solemn and respectful.
The assistants in the president's office were already sitting upright. When they saw Xu Lixuan's assistant team enter, their eyes held a mixture of sympathy and a hint of anticipation.
Gao Huixin immediately put on her "intelligence queen" persona, crouching down and sneaking to a familiar assistant. The two whispered to each other for half a minute, heads close together.
When Gao Huixin returned, her face looked as if she had swallowed ten pounds of bitter herbs.
"Sister Huixin! What's going on?" Everyone immediately surrounded her, eagerly waiting for her to explain.
Gao Huixin had just opened her mouth—
"Tap, tap, tap..."
The steady, powerful sound of leather shoes approached from afar, as if striking the heart of everyone.
The meeting room fell silent instantly, and everyone stood up as if by reflex.
The door opened, and Si Cheng walked in first.
His face was still pale and sickly today, but he was dressed in a sharp suit and his hair was perfectly styled, forcibly maintaining his usual aloof CEO demeanor.
Xu Lixuan and several directors of core departments followed behind him.
Si Cheng's gaze, like a precision-guided radar, instantly locked onto Qu Shiyao in the crowd.
He paused almost imperceptibly, and a wicked smile slowly curled at the corner of his mouth, carrying three parts indifference, three parts mockery, and four parts interest.
Qu Shiyao got goosebumps all over from that smile and they all revolted.
"System! What kind of grotesque movie is playing in his head right now?!" Qu Shiyao roared in her mind.
[Host...do you really want to hear this?] The system's voice trembled like someone with Parkinson's disease.
He...he said you 'deliberately infiltrated the company, and today you even dressed so...innocently, you were definitely playing hard to get to attract his attention'...he also said, 'This woman is cunning'...
The system has entered a suffocating state. The host is wearing a pure white business suit today. Why is the CEO so inexplicably confident?
Qu Shiyao's professional fake smile deepened instantly, becoming so bright it could be used in a toothpaste commercial: "Seduction? Playing hard to get? Cunning? Very well."
The voice in her mind was icy cold, "There's plenty of time! I'll show him what true 'soul-stealing' really means!"
System: 【！！】 CEO! Run! The host is about to undergo a physical exorcism!!!
The meeting began.
Assistant Wen turned on the projector, and a document marked "Top Secret" appeared—Dingfeng Industry, a top-tier, long-established giant in China, is about to launch a major cooperation plan, and its core team will come to the city next week to publicly select partners.
CAQ Group is determined to win!
"The people from Dingfeng will arrive next week. Time is tight and the competition is fierce."
Si Cheng's voice, hoarse from illness, carried an added air of pressure. He turned to Xu Lixuan, "President Xu, your assistant team is responsible for the entire process of inviting and initially contacting the Dingfeng team. No matter what means they use—"
He deliberately emphasized those four words, his gaze seemingly casually sweeping over Qu Shiyao. "Make sure that the people from Dingfeng step through the doors of CAQ. Any questions?"
Xu Lixuan frowned, but under Si Cheng's unquestionable gaze, he could only say in a deep voice, "No problem, President Si."
Gao Huixin and the others suddenly felt dizzy, their faces turning as if they were all constipated!
Why would you send a group of assistants to handle this level of business negotiations and invitations?
This isn't just passing the buck; it's putting them on the hot seat of the fire! They'll get burned and then have to take the blame!
Ignoring the sudden change in the expressions of those below, Si Cheng gave instructions on several other tasks and then adjourned the meeting.
Before getting up to leave, he looked precisely at Qu Shiyao again, revealing that wicked smile that seemed to say, "Woman, you're really playing with fire."
Qu Shiyao's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched instantly! Her knuckles turned white! Veins bulged!
[Host! Monitoring! Think about your job! Think about your salary! Think about the readers' comments!] The system's scream acted like a powerful sedative, forcibly suppressing the host's urge to put a sack over his head.
Xu Lixuan's face was ashen as he led his group of assistants, who looked like wilted eggplants, back to the small conference room on the eighth floor.
The moment the door closed, the oppressive atmosphere instantly exploded.
"President Xu! This job is impossible!" Li Yue cried, her face contorted with despair. "We don't even know which way the door to Dingfeng opens!"
"Exactly! Isn't this just making us cannon fodder?!" Shi Qingqing wailed.
"Is President Si settling a personal score on official business?" Chen Xu muttered under his breath.
Xu Lixuan rubbed his throbbing temples, about to speak to comfort him, when a voice trembling with sobs rang out from the corner.
"I'm sorry...it's all my fault..."
Qu Shiyao stood up, her eyes slightly red, tears welling up, looking like a fragile white flower battered by wind and rain. "I'm sorry for causing everyone trouble... Actually... President Si's targeting of us... is all because of me..."
All eyes immediately focused on her.
"The day before yesterday... I got splashed with wine at the hotel entrance, and the manager kindly gave me a room to clean it up..."
Qu Shiyao's voice choked with sobs, trembling just the right amount of tremor, "I never expected... President Si... he suddenly barged in... and wanted to... wanted to do something to me... I was so scared... I accidentally... hit him on the back of the head with a wine bottle... and ran away..."
She covered her face, her shoulders shaking slightly, and sobbed uncontrollably, "I...I didn't know he was President Si...I only found out yesterday...I'm so sorry everyone! I'll take responsibility for this job! If I can't do it well, I'll resign immediately!"
System: [...] Oscar! Quickly award the host an Oscar! This skill in distorting the truth, downplaying the seriousness, and turning the tables is amazing!
You shouldn't be revising workplace novels about domineering CEOs! You should be revising novels about domineering CEOs in the entertainment industry!
Silence.
A deathly silence.
The next second, the volcano erupted!
"Shiyao! How can this be your fault!" Li Yue was the first to jump up, filled with righteous indignation. "This was self-defense! Pure self-defense!"
"That's right! How could President Si... how could he do this!" Zhuang Rou'er's face turned red with anger.
"Scum! Beast! A hypocrite!" Chen Xu gritted his teeth.
"Shiyao, don't be afraid! We've got your back! We'll take this on together!" Gao Huixin slammed her hand on the table and stood up.
"Yes! Let's stand together!" The crowd was filled with righteous indignation and instantly formed a united front against the CEO's persecution and to protect Fang Shiyao!
Looking at the scene before him, filled with righteous indignation and high morale, Xu Lixuan's prepared excuse for shifting blame stuck in his throat.
He waved his hand impatiently: "Alright! What's the use of saying all this now! The most important thing is to complete Director Si's task!"
He looked at Qu Shiyao, who was still "sobbing," and asked with a last glimmer of hope, "Qu Shiyao, do you... have a way?"
He then emphasized, "Any means are acceptable!"
Qu Shiyao raised her tear-filled face, "delicately" wiping the corners of her eyes with a tissue. Her voice still had a nasal tone from crying, but her eyes were unusually "firm": "Don't worry, Mr. Xu! I will definitely get Dingfeng's confirmation letter before Friday morning!"
Everyone: "!!!" So fast?! What kind of divine skill is this?!
Facing the surprised and uncertain gazes of the crowd, Qu Shiyao added, her tone innocent yet earnest: "Legal means!"
Looking at her "delicate yet stubborn" appearance, Xu Lixuan, though full of doubts, could only give it a shot: "Okay! I want to see the results Friday morning!"
After the meeting, the system nervously poked Qu Shiyao: [Host...the 'special method' you mentioned...is it...is it legitimate?] It had a bad feeling.
Qu Shiyao didn't answer directly, but instead slowly curved her lips into an extremely "kind" smile.
That evening, Qu Shiyao sharpened a kitchen knife in her apartment for a full hour, occasionally letting out a villainous "hehehe" laugh, which scared the system into shrinking to the side, as quiet as a chicken.
Of course, that's all in the future!
After President Xu left, Gao Huixin and the others all gathered around, looking at Qu Shiyao with worried expressions.
"Shiyao! Are you confident about this?" Li Yue held Qu Shiyao's hand.
"Is there anything we can do?" Wang Xu asked nervously, standing behind Qu Shiyao.
“Even if I’m confident I can complete it, President Si will continue to make things difficult for me afterward.” Shi Qingqing frowned slightly, feeling hopeless about Qu Shiyao’s future career.
Qu Shiyao responded one by one: "I'm confident, no problem! Don't worry! President Si shouldn't fire me for the time being."
She then changed the subject, "Sister Gao, what information did you ask about before the meeting?"
Sure enough, their attention all shifted to Gao Huixin.
Gao Hui said with alarm and suspicion, "This morning, President Si specifically asked Assistant Wen about the workload of President Xu's assistant team. I originally thought she wanted to lay off some of us, but..."
She looked at Qu Shiyao and said worriedly, "I now suspect he's targeting you..."
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