I agreed to be a kept man, but I'm still being punished by the system.

Outside the meeting room, the rich fragrance of Guo Kaiqi in the air stood in stark contrast to the cool, woody notes of Su Man.

Guo Kaiqi's alluring smile remained unchanged. She simply used her fingertips to gently smooth her chestnut-colored wavy hair, but her gaze had already shifted from Lin Yang to her pale-faced assistant.

"Go wait over there."

Her voice had lost its earlier coquettishness towards Lin Yang, replaced only by impatient coldness.

"Okay, Mr. Guo."

Zhou Qi lowered his head even further, not daring to look at Lin Yang again. He turned and walked towards the area where the assistants were gathered, his back view showing a hint of embarrassment.

Just then, the heavy double wooden doors of the top-floor conference room were pushed open from the inside.

A figure stepped out.

She was a young woman wearing a well-tailored gray business suit. Her long, black hair was neatly styled into a bun at the back of her head, with only a few wisps of hair hanging down beside her ears, adding a touch of softness.

Her features were exquisitely perfect, and together they created a unique beauty that even reminded Lin Yang of a top-tier actress in the entertainment industry known for her classical elegance.

However, she possessed a more professional and capable demeanor than that actress.

She held a folder in her hand, her gaze calmly sweeping over the directors and board members present. Her voice was clear and pleasant, not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears.

"Distinguished directors and executives, the president has arrived. The meeting will begin shortly. Please take your seats."

Su Man turned her head and said in a voice that only Lin Yang could hear, "President's secretary, Tang Yunyun."

After saying that, she ignored Lin Yang and, in her high heels, walked towards the conference room with Lu Qingyi, Lan Xinyu, and the others.

Guo Kaiqi swayed her amazing waist and hips, following behind gracefully. As she brushed past Lin Yang, she seemed to subtly glance at him out of the corner of her eye.

Tang Yunyun stood at the door, smiling as she watched the executives enter. Then, her gaze turned to Lin Yang and Zhou Qi, her assistants.

"Please have your secretaries and assistants rest in the small conference room next door."

Her voice remained formulaic, yet it carried an irresistible politeness.

"The minutes of the meeting to follow will be sent from the President's Office to all Board Offices and Business Units."

Lin Yang's gaze froze for a moment upon seeing Tang Yunyun.

This woman is absolutely stunning.

Almost instinctively, he activated the "soft rice system," and the data stream began to refresh frantically.

Name: Tang Yunyun

[Wealth Rating: Silver Level]

Overall rating: 8.9

[Appearance: 9.5, Figure: 8.4, Charisma: 8.7]

[Tags: Absolutely calm, information hub, shrewd and resourceful, with hidden ambition]

Silver rank.

Lin Yang's mind instantly calmed down.

If your wealth value is insufficient, you cannot be marked as a strategy target.

But that 9.5 appearance rating is still quite impressive even in the entertainment industry.

At only 24 years old, two years older than me, how could I have gotten the position of president's secretary?

This position grants access to the most core secrets and power of the entire Enwei Group.

Her abilities, or rather her background, are definitely not simple.

Lin Yang's mind raced.

This is a promising stock.

Just because she's silver now doesn't mean she won't be in the future. I can wait until she becomes gold or platinum before making my move.

Let's keep it as a backup option for now.

He subtly withdrew his gaze, already labeling Tang Yunyun as someone to be "observed for the long term" in his mind.

The senior executives all entered the conference room, and the heavy wooden door slowly closed, separating the two worlds.

The atmosphere in the corridor instantly relaxed.

The remaining secretaries and assistants walked in twos and threes toward the small conference room that Tang Yunyun had mentioned.

Lin Yang was also about to step forward.

A hand reached out from behind and gently tugged at his arm.

Lin Yang turned around.

It's Zhou Qi.

The humility and apology from before were gone from his face. He didn't speak, but simply gestured with his eyes towards the elevator lobby in the distance, and then walked over there himself.

A hint of doubt arose in Lin Yang's mind.

What's this guy up to?

Since I'm free anyway, I might as well go take a look.

He followed them.

The two walked one after the other through the empty corridor to the elevator lobby. The room was brightly lit, with a gleaming marble floor that reflected the luxurious crystal chandelier overhead.

Zhou Qi didn't stop, but walked straight to a fire door marked "Emergency Exit" and skillfully pushed it open.

A blast of air, a mixture of dust and the smell of cigarettes, hit me.

Behind the door was a cold, concrete stairwell. The motion-activated lights were off, and sunlight streaming through the windows of the stair landing outlined the spiraling staircase.

Zhou Qi went inside, and Lin Yang followed without hesitation.

Zhou Qi took out a pack of soft-pack cigarettes from his pocket, shook one out, and handed it to Lin Yang.

"Want one?"

Lin Yang shook his head.

"I work out and I don't smoke."

Zhou Qi paused for a moment, seemingly surprised, then laughed self-deprecatingly.

He laughed, withdrew his hand, and put the cigarette in his mouth.

"Click".

Zhou Qi took out a lighter, and a flash of orange-red flame gave his pale but handsome face a touch of red.

As the flame drew closer, the tobacco was ignited, and the scarlet light flickered in the concrete space.

He took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, the white smoke blurring the expression on his face.

"How long have you been with President Su?"

Amidst the swirling smoke, Zhou Qi's voice sounded somewhat hoarse.

Lin Yang leaned against the cold wall, his hands in his pockets, looking relaxed.

"It's been about a month."

He answered truthfully.

Zhou Qi was silent for a moment, then took another drag of his cigarette. The scarlet cigarette butt illuminated the heavy dark circles under his eyes.

"President Su..."

He paused, seemingly considering his words.

"...Is there anything strange you're asking?"

A strange request?

Lin Yang's eyebrows twitched almost imperceptibly.

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Did Zhou Qi discover something?

impossible.

He managed to perfectly conceal his relationship with Su Man within the company.

What did he mean by "strange request"?

Is it work-related? Or... something related to your personal life?

Lin Yang's mind involuntarily conjured up images of Su Man's proactive and bold postures in bed, as well as her almost greedy demands on his body.

Is this considered a "strange request"?

For him, that was a benefit.

What does it mean for Zhou Qi?

Lin Yang's mind raced, but his face remained blank.

"No."

He looked at Zhou Qi with just the right amount of doubt in his eyes.

"President Su is just a bit strict about the details of work, but otherwise she's great."

He abruptly changed the subject, asking in return, "What, does Mr. Guo have one?"

Upon hearing the words "General Manager Guo," Zhou Qi's body visibly stiffened.

He didn't answer Lin Yang's question, but instead took a deep drag on the remaining half of his cigarette, the butt bursting with a blinding light.

Then he smiled.

There was no joy in that smile, only a sense of relief that outsiders could not understand.

"Oh."

He threw the cigarette butt on the ground, crushed it out with his toe, and turned to push open the fire door.

"It's nothing."

He left those words behind, opened the fire door without looking back, and walked back to the elevator lobby.

The fire door in the stairwell was slowly closing, and Lin Yang, not wanting to inhale the lingering secondhand smoke, quickly followed it out.

However, Zhou Qi's lonely figure at the end and his inexplicable question lingered in his mind.

"A strange request..."

Lin Yang's gaze unconsciously drifted to Guo Kaiqi's "extremely eager" label.

He suddenly had a premonition that the "strangeness" Zhou Qi mentioned was probably not the same thing he was thinking of.