All the bookies showed looks of gratitude. These guys had all bet that the boss would come, which would have guaranteed a loss for the bookies.
Now, Wang Fang was betting that he wouldn’t come, essentially handing money to the bookies and helping them minimize their losses.
Wang Fang’s money would eventually be won by the other assistants, who would also feel grateful to her.
"Wang Fang, you’re the best."
"Is this the level of an executive assistant? Totally different from us."
Wang Fang: "Heh."
Shu Qian: [No more bets—we’re closing the pool.]
The betting pool closed, and everyone waited for the results.
While the assistants were settling the bets, Lin Ran walked out of Luo Corporation.
He arranged for two bodyguards to escort the photos back to the estate and hand them over to Uncle Fu, while he headed to Nuanyao Group.
It had been a while since he last saw Wu Zhishang—the last time was when Wu Zhishang visited him at the estate.
The guy was really considerate, not even calling him during this period.
Seemed like Nuanyao Group was doing well.
Ever since getting together with Luo Yao, Lin Ran had voluntarily given up certain things.
For example, he had to let go of some friendships to accommodate Luo Yao’s possessiveness.
The kind of love he shared with Luo Yao suited him, but it might not be for everyone.
Or rather, most people couldn’t handle the intensity of yandere love.
One wrong move, and you could be doomed forever.
When he entered Nuanyao Group, the employees there were just as excited, staring at him like he was some kind of spectacle.
They might as well have said, "Hey, monkey, entertain us humans with a show."
Lin Ran shook his head helplessly.
He wasn’t going to take it personally.
As the man of the top financial conglomerate, he had to maintain his dignity.
What was his status now? Why would he bother with ordinary people?
Doing so would not only be beneath him but also make him look petty—embarrassing his wife in the process.
Honestly, the more people talked about him, the more it proved his status.
Sigh. Guess he still had a long way to go.
If Luo Yao were here, one glare from her would be enough to shut everyone up—no one would dare even breathe wrong.
As he approached the reception area, he unexpectedly saw Shen Jingbing flirting there, though Shen Jingbing hadn’t noticed Lin Ran yet.
"Xiao Xiaole, do you know why socks always go missing in pairs?"
Xiao Xiaole shook her head.
Shen Jingbing: "Because if you lose both, no one notices! Hahahaha!"
Xiao Xiaole: "..." So lame.
"Shen Jingbing, you come to see me every day—are you trying to chase me?"
Shen Jingbing: "No, I’m just figuring out your strengths and weaknesses so I can tailor my approach."
"Have you figured them out yet?"
"Of course. Which do you want to hear first?"
Xiao Xiaole pretended to think. "Let’s start with the strengths. I like eating dates."
Shen Jingbing smirked and leaned closer. "Too many strengths to count. You’re… sweet, kinda pretty, kinda beautiful, kinda kind, kinda cute, kinda impossible for me to stay away from."
Lin Ran: ...Damn, since when was Shen Jingbing this smooth?
Xiao Xiaole was struggling to keep her smile in check but forced a frown. "Eww, gross. So what’s my weakness? I won two million and still didn’t quit my job as a receptionist—how could a stable girl like me have any flaws?"
Shen Jingbing’s grin was practically a Nike swoosh by now.
Xiao Xiaole was clearly hinting that she was a stable, dependable girl.
Realizing this, Shen Jingbing closed the distance between them even more.
"Flaws... well, me."
"Pfft!" Xiao Xiaole finally couldn't hold back her laughter.
"Shen Jingbing, you're not trying to scam me out of twenty million with feelings, are you?"
Shen Jingbing raised both hands. "I swear to heaven, I’ve already achieved financial freedom under my boss’s guidance. Plus, this job pays really well. Stick with me, and I guarantee you three flowers."
"What three flowers?"
"Money to spend, spend it freely..." Shen Jingbing then raised his hands to his chin, grinning, "And this warm little sunflower right here."
"Pfft!" This time, it was Lin Ran who couldn’t hold back. How had he never noticed this disgustingly cheesy side of Shen Jingbing before?
"Boss?" / "Chairman Lin."
Shen Jingbing excitedly approached Lin Ran—this was the man who’d turned his life around.
Xiao Xiaole lowered her head awkwardly. Getting caught slacking off with a company streamer by the chairman himself? Talk about workplace nightmare fuel.
"Boss... I mean, sir, were you looking for me?" Shen Jingbing realized calling him "boss" in the office sounded a bit too gangster.
"Did Liang Jingru give you the courage, but Na Ying forgot to lend you the wisdom? What made you think I was here for you?"
"Heh, a man’s gotta aim high, right? What if you were here for me?"
Lin Ran pointed at Shen Jingbing, then glanced at Xiao Xiaole, who was still staring at the floor.
"You into my boy here?" Lin Ran wasn’t one for beating around the bush.
Shen Jingbing wasn’t shy either, staring straight at Xiao Xiaole, waiting for an answer.
Hate could be hidden, but liking someone? That deserved to be said out loud.
Now that Shen Jingbing had laid his feelings bare, he clearly wanted a response.
When someone confesses, you owe them an answer.
Reject them, say yes, ask for time, even play coy—but silence? That’s just rude.
Xiao Xiaole looked up and flashed Shen Jingbing a cute grin. "You’ll have to confess properly first. And I’ve never dated before—no scamming my heart, got it?"
Done deal. The two were officially a thing now.
Lin Ran gave Shen Jingbing an encouraging pat on the shoulder before walking off.
"I’ll head up first. You two talk."
"Chairman Lin, take care."
As Lin Ran rounded the elevator corner, he suddenly ducked behind the wall to peek.
There was Shen Jingbing, arm braced against the front desk, cornering Xiao Xiaole into his embrace.
"Woman, you’ve successfully caught my attention. So, dinner tonight?"
Lin Ran took one look and left, stepping into the elevator.
These two? Definitely happening.
Shen Jingbing was his right-hand man, no question.
And Xiao Xiaole had a point—a girl who could win twenty million and still show up to work? What kind of schemer does that?
At least it proved her character. Plus, as Nuanyao Group’s receptionist, her looks were undeniable. More than enough for his goofy wingman.
He was rooting for them. Everyone deserved their happy ending.
Back in the CEO’s office, Wu Zhishang was buried in work. Seeing him like this, Lin Ran suddenly felt like a slacker.
Even Old Wu was grinding. Was he the only one coasting through life?
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
grated, and just when he finally managed to get into an elite academy, he discovered that he actually had a system, and the way to earn rewards was extremely ridiculous. So for the sake of rewards, he had no choice but to start acting ridiculous as well. Su Cheng: "It's nothing but system quests after all." But later, what confused Su Cheng was that while he was already quite ridiculous, he never expected those serious characters to gradually become ridiculous too. And the way they looked at him became increasingly strange... (This synopsis doesn't do it justice, please read the full story)
Explosive Plot Song Gua crossed over into another world, bringing along a whole crew of his doppelgangers—all of them mischief-makers. This was a world where everyone could choose a class. Song Gua became a "Bondweaver," capable of borrowing power, while his doppelgangers took on a wide variety of classes, covering just about everything. The number of doppelgangers grew day by day, each one a talented individual with a charming way of speaking. Under Song Gua's brilliant leadership, they would "greet" each other daily and engage in friendly "sparring," pulling off one major scheme after another on Earth. Sometimes they were bandits—stealing bosses, plundering mines, snatching resources. Sometimes they were saviors—descending like divine warriors to face world bosses threatening to massacre cities. Sometimes they even went undercover, infiltrating various major factions to stir up trouble from within, keeping their enemies constantly on edge. To prevent their doppelganger abilities from being exposed, Song Gua made them wear masks with mahjong tile patterns and don Taoist robes in various colors. "Remember, in front of outsiders, call me 'The Dice.'" "Got it! Boss!" "Not 'Boss'—it's 'The Dice.' Think about the vibe, pay attention to the vibe." "Yes! Boss!" "For crying out loud..." From then on, whenever they appeared, they would have their own theme song playing: ~Hey~ paying respects at the mountain stronghold at night~ whose arm is draped over whose shoulder~ gather your courage and follow along...
s the Eldest Princess, renowned for her cold and aloof detachment, became the most docile of lambs, obeying his every command without question. But when the final move was played on the chessboard, as Gu Chenghan seized everything and ascended on the verge of apotheosis, that very Princess suddenly embraced him from behind, her tone carrying a dependence never heard before: "Wait... you haven't yet... commanded me to love you forever." Gu Chenghan froze abruptly. She... hadn't been hypnotized?! ... [The Eldest Princess's Diary] [When my soul was extracted, becoming the sole spectator outside my own shell] [At first, there was overwhelming fury, until I saw] [How he used my sword to effortlessly shatter my inescapable doom] [How he wielded my authority to eradicate fatal conspiracies I had never even detected] [Like a deity, he rescued me from the deep mire I was trapped in] [If not for those annoying vixens, he and I would be a match made in heaven] [I think I am ill, gravely ill] [My deity should belong to me alone] ... "Hypnosis? Oh, it succeeded, my dear Master." "Only this time, it's my turn to hypnotize you."
