Chapter 11: Starting today, I'll be working in the CEO's office

Jiang Lai went to the breakfast street, wandering from the start to the end, and finally chose a rice noodle shop.

The wood ear mushroom and shredded meat noodles, with two big spoonfuls of chili added.

She loved spicy food, but for Shen Xun she had kept her diet bland for the past four years.

After not eating it for several years, just a bowl of chili‑spiced rice noodles made her feel the heat strongly enough to choke.

But at last her mouth had flavor.

She finished the whole bowl of rice noodles, then slowly headed to the company.

She still clutched a jianbing in her hand, biting into it bit by bit, and as she lowered her head, a running figure accidentally bumped into her.

She was fine.

The girl who bumped her, instead of staying steady, lost her balance and sent the documents in her hand flying everywhere.

Jiang Lai reacted quickly, grabbed her arm, pulled her to her side in an instant, and steadied her waist.

"Are you okay?"

Ke Zhongying blinked her eyes, looking at the woman before her who held a jianbing in one hand and had her arm around her waist in the other—rimless glasses, low ponytail, plain face, delicate features, a slightly aloof expression.

What a perfectly standard icy‑beauty academic type!

At a glance she looked like research material—especially the strength in her wrist, she must have spent plenty of time moving things in the lab.

"No, no problem." She steadied herself, saw a pile of documents on the floor, and hurriedly squatted to pick them up.

Jiang Lai also bent down to pick them up, then suddenly focused on a string of data on the paper.

Ke Zhongying was still there bending over to pick things up, and finally realized the most important pages were missing; she turned and saw them in the hands of the woman who had just rescued her, and immediately took them back.

"Thank you, beautiful older sister! I have something urgent, I'm leaving first!"

After taking two steps she turned back: "Right, what's your name? After I find my brother, I'll treat you to milk tea!"

Seeing the girl's bright smile, she blurted out her real name: "Jiang Lai."

"Okay! Bye!"

Ke Zhongying waved her hand and ran off.

In the distance, Xu Rong watched Ke Zhongying's retreating back while puzzling over Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai wasn't just recommended by Boss Ke's second aunt; she also knew the group's eldest miss?

Boss Ke again specifically summoned her to the CEO's office.

Things were getting even more complicated.

"Xiao Jiang." Xu Rong smiled and walked over, "Come with me this way."

Jiang Lai put away her pen, politely called out "Rong sister," and asked about her shift and what the work entailed.

Xu Rong: "You'll find out later."

Jiang Lai: "Huh?"

Xu Rong gave a light laugh, led her upstairs straight to the CEO's office, and then bumped squarely into Assistant Zhou, who had spent the night investigating Jiang Lai's background.

Assistant Zhou adjusted his glasses, gave a polite smile: "Miss Jiang."

Jiang Lai: "?"

How strange this is.

Only then did Xu Rong feel it was odd—even Assistant Zhou addressed her as Miss Jiang, so was her calling her Xiao Jiang inappropriate?

Assistant Zhou: "Miss Jiang, please wait a moment; Boss Ke is occupied right now."

Inside the office.

Ke Zhongying shoved her research data onto her older brother's desk, fuming: "Old man says my data's wrong—where exactly is it wrong? I've been digging through it half the night, my eyes are strained, I still haven't seen it; you'd better help me find it, or I won't graduate."

Ke Zhongyu pinched the bridge of his nose.

He picked it up, selected one sheet, pointed at it and said: "You didn't circle this yourself, did you?"

"Huh?" Ke Zhongying bent over to look.

"You even marked the problem and the solution." Ke Zhongyu pushed the data back, warning her: "Don't bother me again."

Ke Zhongying stared intently: "This isn't my circle! Hey, so the problem is actually here?"

Ke Zhongyu sneered: "Some ghost circled it."

"I remember now!" Ke Zhongying exclaimed, startled: "The beautiful older sister I bumped into on the first floor just now—she must be her, brother—is she an employee of the Research and Development Center?"

"Who?" Ke Zhongyu gestured for her to move aside, blocking his light.

Ke Zhongying pouted, then enthusiastically said: "Jiang Lai—the beautiful older sister's name is Jiang Lai; isn't she from the Research and Development Center? Her demeanor suggests it."

Upon hearing the name Jiang Lai, Ke Zhongyu's eyes flickered slightly.

He picked up the phone and dialed out.

Assistant Zhou answered the call.

"Has she arrived? Let her in."

"Miss Jiang, Boss Ke wants you to come in." Assistant Zhou opened the door to the CEO's office.

Jiang Lai entered alone.

The door behind her closed.

She glanced back, and suddenly a familiar voice came from beside her ear: "Beautiful older sister?!"

Jiang Lai turned, looked up, and saw by the desk the girl who had just been flustered on the first floor standing there, while a man in a black shirt sat in the chair.

Black shirt, red tie, and on his wrist he wore the same brand of watch she had planned to buy for Shen Xun with her bonus.

His brows and eyes were deep, and the man was gazing at her.

She felt a sense of familiarity again.

But she couldn't recall where from.

Maybe I saw it in some magazine; after all, he's the president of Ke Group, often appearing in the business news.

President Ke.

Beautiful lady! Ke Zhongying ran over, holding the data in her hand, pointing at the circled area, "Did you help me circle this?"

Jiang Lai nodded slightly, "Just call me Jiang Lai."

I know, Sister Jiang Lai, thank you! You helped me a lot! More useful than my brother, Sister Jiang Lai... Jiang Lai??? Ke Zhongying suddenly realized, jerking her head to look at her brother, "This isn't you coming home last night..."

Cough. Ke Zhongyu gave a light cough, Ke Zhongying's eyes shifted, and she didn't speak further.

Jiang Lai felt the brother and sister were strange.

Jiang Lai. Ke Zhongyu stood up, took the data from his sister's hand, slightly lifted his chin, "Do you have research on bio-robots?"

No. Jiang Lai only researches Crystal Core, "I'm just a low-level staff."

Ke Zhongyu didn't expose it either.

You helped my sister; starting today, work in the president's office.

Jiang Lai: "?"

Ke Zhongying: "???"

Does she still have this face?

President Ke, I've resigned. Jiang Lai instinctively glanced at the door, wasn't the resignation matter told to Sister Rong?

I know, during this month before your official resignation, you will work in the president's office.

Ke Zhongyu stared deeply at her, thinking of the data Assistant Zhou had found, her husband Shen Xun and Ji Lao's granddaughter Lin Shutong actually had some involvement.

Lin Shutong suddenly returned to China half a month ago, and also entered the research institute, likely related to some project.

People with some status are all smart; for any project to succeed, they will send their own people into that project.

Moreover, Ji Lao's granddaughter can't keep a secret, occasionally leaking bits of information.

President Shen of Star Universe Technology, Ji Lao's granddaughter, and Professor Wang's student—these three people all have countless ties to a certain project.

He needs to keep people close by.

"This is a promotion and raise." Ke Zhongyu added.

The four words "promotion and raise" touched this morning's memory; what Lin Shutong needs to do is also what she needs to do, so she'll go along with it.

Okay, President Ke.

Have you finished talking? If so, I'll take Sister Jiang Lai for coffee. Ke Zhongying suddenly popped her head out, blocking between them, still smiling, "Brother, do you want to join?"

Hmm. Ke Zhongyu nodded.

Ke Zhongying: "???"

She's just being polite!

The three entered the elevator together, Ke Zhongying stood in the middle, the people on left and right didn't speak, giving a feeling of being squeezed between two icebergs; she shivered a bit, naturally linking arms with Jiang Lai.

Jiang Lai was stunned, but also didn't pull her hand away.

Which floor? Ke Zhongyu suddenly spoke.

Ke Zhongying: "Are you crazy? You don't even know which floor your company's café is on?"

Hearing that voice, Jiang Lai snapped her head up and turned to look.

Ke Zhongyu's lips curled slightly: "Remembered?"