Chapter 24: She Is Also a Woman

"It's on the top floor of our building, in the small office right next to the General Manager's." As Lin Ye spoke, he instinctively glanced at the floor-to-ceiling window nearby. Even though it wasn't his first time looking, he still felt a sense of awe.

"You really have made it big, kid! Your salary must have gone up quite a bit, right? Don't even say it—you're paying for afternoon tea today!"

Zhang Wen was grinding his teeth. It was that classic sentiment: one fears their friend will suffer, yet simultaneously fears their friend will drive a Land Rover. Of course, it was all in jest; Zhang Wen was genuinely happy that Lin Ye had reached this position. This selfless wish for his friend’s success lasted for less than three minutes.

"You must be Zhang Wen. Secretary Lin wants you to come to his office." Xiao Li, clicking her heels, had come downstairs to find Zhang Wen at his workstation.

Thinking about how a friend who used to be on his level was now openly showing off in front of him, a raging fire began to burn in Zhang Wen’s heart. Lin Ye could have just sent an email, yet he specifically sent a girl down to fetch him—was this not blatant arrogance?

However, when Zhang Wen saw Xiao Li swipe her card to grant the elevator access to the top floor, his perspective shifted—this was clearly a brotherly gesture! Not only did he arrange for someone to escort him up, but it was such a pretty girl too. Forget it, Lin Ye was truly his benefactor.

"Holy crap! Look at this office setup! The sofa, the executive chair—this is the same grade as my old man's office!" This was the first thing Zhang Wen said upon entering Lin Ye’s office.

"Holy crap! This computer must have cost at least sixty thousand!" That was the second.

"Holy crap! Tell me the truth, kid—did you hook up with some rich woman?" That was the third.

The image of Su Qing flashed through Lin Ye's mind unbidden. Thinking of the title "General Manager Su" attached to that phone number, he felt an inexplicable flutter of panic.

"What are you talking about? I’m a man of principle!" Lin Ye’s tone was incredibly firm.

"Fine, no more pretending. I'm calling my old man the moment I get home tonight! I’m going to make him collaborate with your company on a big project. I just can't stand you showing off at me like this!"

Zhang Wen made himself at home, plopping down into the executive chair. "Hey, you—Little Lin—go pour me a cup of tea. I only drink Dahongpao!"

He didn't get his Dahongpao; instead, he received a lighthearted "triple dose of fatherly love" from Lin Ye.

"What kind of car did the company give you?" After some playful scuffling, Zhang Wen asked, crossing his legs.

Lin Ye suddenly remembered he still needed to check the garage and take the car to a Mercedes-Benz 4S dealership for maintenance. Zhang Wen clapped his hands and said grandly, "Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go. Let's head to the one on Heping Road."

Lin Ye arched an eyebrow. "What’s the matter? Are you close with that shop?"

"Not particularly, it’s just one of the businesses under my old man’s umbrella. Why would I go there for no reason?" The smugness on Zhang Wen’s face was almost tangible. He was radiating the energy of someone who had finished letting the other person show off and was now ready to take his turn.

Unfortunately, he didn't see a hint of surprise on Lin Ye’s face. He forgot that during their drunken night out, he had already spilled a few details about his family background, though he no longer remembered what he had said.

The two arrived at the second basement level, pressing their key fob as they walked to see which car would respond. Lin Ye hadn't felt comfortable asking Zhao Zhi exactly where the car was parked, though even if he had, Zhao Zhi probably wouldn't have known. After wandering for five or six minutes, Lin Ye pressed the unlock button, and the Maybach lit up. The "meteor shower" headlights were so distinctive it would have been hard to miss.

The car had clearly been sitting for a long time; it was covered in a layer of gray dust, and even the simple act of closing the door kicked up a fine mist of particles. Inside, however, it was pristine—it could easily have been a new car. Lin Ye could even smell a faint, lingering fragrance. It seemed the previous secretary had maintained the vehicle meticulously. Well, if even Zhao Zhi knew the General Manager was a stickler for cleanliness, the secretary certainly would have known better.

Luckily, the gas tank was full. They took the car for its maintenance, and since it was nearly noon, they found a small restaurant nearby. Although the 4S dealership provided meals, in Zhang Wen’s words, "You eat the company cafeteria at work, so why would you want to eat the 4S shop cafeteria now that we’re out?"

During lunch, Lin Ye remembered he should download an email app on his phone to avoid missing any messages. It was a sound idea. As soon as he logged in, he saw a notification with a red dot; his schedule for rotating through various departments had been set, and the notice had already been sent to the heads of each department.

Lin Ye stared at his phone, falling into his usual trance. Zhang Wen was used to this and just kept piling food into his bowl—he believed that if you weren't enthusiastic about eating, there was something wrong with your brain. He never pondered other problems while dining.

Lin Ye was different. Whenever he had a spare moment, he couldn't help but think of Su Qing. Not seeing her for a few days didn't make her fade from his memory. On the contrary, it was like fine wine—the longer it was stored, the more fragrant and mellow it became.

Along with Su Qing’s image, the question that had plagued him since morning resurfaced: was the General Manager actually Su Qing? Although he would likely get his answer when he called the number at ten tomorrow morning, the waiting was still agonizing.

By the time Zhang Wen finished eating and began picking his teeth with a toothpick, he said, "Old Lin, how much do you know about the previous secretary?"

Lin Ye instinctively shook his head and gave Zhang Wen a puzzled look.

Zhang Wen grinned, leaned in conspiratorially, and whispered, "I wasn't just doing nothing on the way here, brother. I dug up a piece of news: the General Manager is a woman..."

Lin Ye looked at him with an expression of pity, as if to ask why he thought that was news.

To his surprise, Zhang Wen dropped a bombshell: "And this General Manager of ours, she and the previous secretary seem to have a bit of a..."

He didn't finish the sentence, instead giving Lin Ye a "you know what I mean" look.

Lin Ye rolled his eyes and retorted, "So what? The General Manager is human, too. Like you said, she's a woman. Is it a problem if she wants a boyfriend? No problem at all."

"What if I told you the previous secretary was also a woman?"