"If you mess up this collaboration, the penalty will be doubled. You'd better think it through."
Pei Shaoze caught the delight in her voice, and a faint, gentle smile tugged at his own lips.
Su Banxia immediately assured him, "I'll handle this matter properly, rest assured, President Pei!"
Pei Shaoze said indifferently, "Then I hope Secretary Su doesn't screw things up again."
After hanging up, Su Banxia was so excited she could barely sleep. That 20% commission amounted to over 500,000 yuan—a drop in the bucket for her 13 million debt, but something was better than nothing.
With this good news, Su Banxia gradually drifted off to sleep, dreaming of sitting atop a mountain of gold, utterly overjoyed.
Waking up the next day, she recalled the sweet dream and couldn't help but chuckle, shaking her head. She really was a money-grubber through and through!
Getting out of bed and freshening up simply, Su Banxia was surprised to find Fang Shiqing already up early, bustling in the kitchen preparing breakfast.
"What's with the sudden enthusiasm lately?"
Su Banxia clicked her tongue in surprise.
Hearing the voice behind her, Fang Shiqing instinctively covered the breakfast in front of her, a hint of embarrassment flashing across her face. "Why are you up so early today?"
Su Banxia, noticing her nervousness, grew even more suspicious. "Come clean with me—what's going on here?"
"Do you have to be so sharp-eyed?"
Fang Shiqing pouted at Su Banxia's interrogative stance.
"Tsk!"
Su Banxia stroked her smooth chin and raised an eyebrow. "Trying to keep secrets from me? Isn't that a bit wishful thinking?"
Fang Shiqing shot her a glance and muttered under her breath.
"Are you making a love breakfast for Mr. Lin?"
Su Banxia craned her neck to peek at the breakfast in the lunchbox and gasped.
"Haoran and I made it official yesterday."
Fang Shiqing said this with obvious shyness on her face.
Su Banxia was taken aback. "Which one of you brought it up?"
Fang Shiqing's cheeks flushed red. She cleared her throat and said slowly, "He did."
"Give me the full story from yesterday. No wonder I saw you glowing when I got home from work—so something good happened!"
Su Banxia's interest was piqued.
"It was just a simple meal, and he confessed his feelings. What else could there be?"
As she spoke, Fang Shiqing hastily packed the lunchbox, slipped past Su Banxia, and dashed straight out the door.
Watching her flee faster than a rabbit, Su Banxia felt a string of black lines forming over her head.
"Someone confesses, and you just say yes? You've got no standards at all!"
Su Banxia hurriedly added just before the door slammed shut.
With the door clicking closed, Su Banxia turned and glanced at the kitchen, then couldn't help but curse under her breath, "That traitor, putting love before friendship!"
Getting up that early just to prepare breakfast for Lin Haoran, completely forgetting about her best friend!
Su Banxia chopped vegetables in the kitchen with indignation, mentally cursing Fang Shiqing from head to toe.
After tidying up, she headed to work, timing it perfectly.
Pei Shaoze had assigned her to handle negotiations at the Qin Corporation, and Su Banxia was on high alert.
The Qin Corporation was a family business, one of the top in Yanshi.
Pei Shaoze glanced at the nervous woman beside him and raised an eyebrow. "If you're scared, I can hand this project to someone else."
"Who's scared? I've negotiated deals before—don't underestimate me!"
Stung by Pei Shaoze's remark, Su Banxia mustered her courage, picked up the documents in front of her, and marched into the Qin Corporation with a swagger.
But her bravado was doused halfway through.
The receptionist, seeing the unfamiliar Su Banxia, quickly stepped forward to block her path. "Miss, may I ask who you're here to see?"
Su Banxia straightened her back, clutched her documents, and put on a poised, polite smile. "I'm the personal secretary to President Pei of Dingsheng Group. I'm here to discuss a collaboration with President Qin."
Hearing this, the receptionist frowned and gave her a once-over. She'd heard that Pei Shaoze was surrounded by beauties, so she naturally assumed his personal secretary would be a stunner.
But this woman—with her outdated work uniform, a shabby pair of glasses, and a hideous hairstyle—didn't fit the bill at all.
"Miss, without an appointment, we can't let you in. Please don't make our job difficult."
The receptionist said politely.
"No, I really am sent by President Pei. If you don't believe me, I can—"
"Miss, do you know the penalty for disrupting normal office operations?"
Su Banxia froze at the receptionist's ambiguous smile, and before she could react, two security guards grabbed her and tossed her out of the company.
Faintly, she could hear the receptionist's snide laughter.
"These days, scammers' tricks are getting more pathetic. They even dare to impersonate President Pei's secretary. With a face like that, is President Pei blind to keep her around?"
Struggling to steady herself, Su Banxia stomped her feet in fury at the entrance.
"Out already? Secretary Su's efficiency is improving."
Pei Shaoze rolled down the car window and glanced at her with interest.
"President Pei, you haven't left yet?"
Su Banxia turned around and greeted him weakly.
Pei Shaoze snorted, then opened the car door and strode briskly into the Qin Corporation's lobby.
Su Banxia didn't have time to think and quickly followed close behind.
When the receptionist saw Su Banxia come back in, she was about to call for someone to throw her out again, but the chill in Pei Shaoze's eyes made her freeze.
"President Pei..."
"Is this how the mighty Qin Corporation collaborates with Dingsheng?"
Pei Shaoze's voice was icy, as if it could bore a hole through the receptionist.
The receptionist's face paled. "President Pei, I truly didn't know this lady was your personal secretary."
"Without even that much discernment, what right do you have to work the front desk?"
Pei Shaoze didn't bother with further words and headed straight upstairs.
Su Banxia felt immensely proud, strutting behind Pei Shaoze with unimpeded access, like a fox borrowing the tiger's might.