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?
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
d intelligence to keep the plot moving, and sometimes even the protagonists are forced into absurdly dumb decisions. Why does the A-list celebrity heroine in urban romance novels ditch the top-tier movie star and become a lovestruck fool for a pockmarked male lead? Why do the leads in historical tragedy novels keep dancing between love and death, only for the blind healer to end up suffering the most? And Gu Wei never expected that after finally landing a villain role to stir up trouble, she’d pick the wrong gender! No choice now—she’ll just have to crush the protagonists as a girl!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
