She didn't know if Ouyang Jiani minded, but the man in front of her certainly seemed to, as he quickly got dressed. Just like that, his beautiful muscles disappeared from sight. With the look of someone savoring a fine memory, Lou Shishi turned to her roommate, Ouyang Jiani. "Did you let him stay over last night? What was it like? You're so lucky!"

Close friends have a unique way of communicating. Often, a single glance is enough to read the other's mind.

Ouyang Jiani blushed and walked over, giving her a playful shove. "Alright, let's go out. I have some things I want to ask you."

"Hey! Why are you in such a hurry to rush me out? I just took an extra peek at your dreamboat... Is it really that big of a deal?"

Her voice trailed off as the two of them left the room, Ouyang Jiani thoughtfully closing the door behind them.

「In the next bedroom.」

The two women whispered to each other as they tidied up the room.

"Jia Nai, when did you two get together? You were so secretive about it!" Lou Shishi said as she pulled a duvet from the closet and started putting a fresh cover on it.

"I don't know," replied the usually forthright Ouyang Jiani, now uncharacteristically shy.

Seeing this, Lou Shishi snorted with laughter.

"What are you laughing at?" Ouyang Jiani shot her a look and then went over to help with the duvet cover.

"I'm laughing at how the carefree girl I knew has turned into a shy little thing, now that she has a man."

"Who are you calling a shy little thing? Take that back!" A pillow flew toward Lou Shishi.

Lou Shishi deftly sidestepped it and pressed her advantage. "Hey, Jia Nai, can I ask you something a bit more personal?"

"Hmm...?"

"Tell me, what's it like being with your master? Does it feel... forbidden? Thrilling?"

The moment Lou Shishi asked, Ouyang Jiani's face turned beet red. A best friend truly knows exactly where to strike.

"Well, I've helped you finish up here, so I'm heading out," Ouyang Jiani said, dodging the question and making a hasty retreat, leaving a trail of laughter in her wake.

「On the way to work.」

Inside the Rolls-Royce Phantom, the conversation turned to company matters, and Ouyang Jiani took the rare opportunity to complain to him.

"With the growing popularity of the company's livestreams, product selection has become increasingly troublesome. We don't dare sell products from those small, high-profit brands anymore, fearing that any quality issues could ruin the reputation we've worked so hard to build. The major brands with lower profit margins aren't easy to deal with, either. It's incredibly difficult to negotiate even a small price concession. Master, could you assign me a competent assistant to help me integrate the company's supply chain? I'm in charge of everything myself right now, and it's getting overwhelming."

[DING! Ouyang Jiani feels overburdened. Experience Points +1,000]

[Convert? Yes/No]

Oh? An unexpected bonus.

Sun Dasheng's eyes lit up.

Convert!

[Conversion successful. Experience Points +840]

Delighted to receive the experience points, Sun Dasheng took her hand and said, "You've worked hard."

She playfully threw herself against him. "And those awful social engagements and banquets... I never want to go through that again. You wouldn't want your apprentice being ogled at a banquet, would you?"

Well now, she'd really put him in a corner. It was impossible to refuse. Could he really stand by and watch his woman go out to those business functions? The answer was, of course, no.

Sun Dasheng stroked her hair and smiled. "Okay, I'll agree to all of it."

「Back at the company.」

Sun Dasheng immediately instructed HR to contact a headhunting firm to recruit a Deputy General Manager for XinXin Media. They needed a senior figure in the industry, someone with an extensive network and a solid foundation in procurement chains. Recruiting such talent would obviously require a significant investment. A person like Rebus of Xiaomi, for example, becomes the cornerstone of their company. Even with a high salary and stock options, finding the right candidate would likely take considerable time.

The interview process would be handled by HR and Ouyang Jiani together; he wouldn't involve himself in the later stages.

「Time flew by, and soon it was May.」

The weather was starting to heat up, and the heads of several subsidiaries under the investment company were also sweating profusely. The company's performance for the month was less than stellar. In particular, the three recently acquired subsidiaries—Youmei Apparel, Qingning Cosmetics, and Shanghai City Qingli Automobile—were all spiraling toward bankruptcy.

「In the chairman's office.」

Wang Hai, head of the parent company's investment department, also looked grim. Although he had objected to the investments in those three companies at the time, the chairman had made the final call. Still, Wang Hai felt a degree of shared responsibility.

DING!

[Youmei Apparel Co., Ltd. is mismanaged and insolvent, resulting in de facto bankruptcy. Experience Points +12,000]

[Qingning Cosmetics Co., Ltd. is mismanaged and insolvent, resulting in de facto bankruptcy. Experience Points +10,000]

[Shanghai City Qingli Automobile Service Co., Ltd. is mismanaged and insolvent, resulting in de facto bankruptcy. Experience Points +12,000]

An epic windfall! This single haul is more than enough to satisfy me.

"Director Sun, I bear significant responsibility for this investment failure. Please give me my punishment," Wang Hai's words pulled him back to reality.

"Punishment? What punishment? Have I ever said I was going to punish you?"

Wang Hai looked at him, completely baffled. Was his boss a living saint? How could he not be punished after such a colossal failure? Could it be that the boss knew he had handpicked these projects himself and therefore didn't blame me for their failure? But even so, isn't it standard practice to make a subordinate the scapegoat?

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