Chapter 122: Heart Like a Frightened Fawn

Time seemed to freeze at that moment.

The auditorium was so silent you could hear a pin drop, the faint chirping of birds outside only deepening the stillness within. Every face was frozen in shock, disbelief, and a touch of absurdity.

Lin Wei stood on stage, still clutching the microphone that had suddenly grown scorching hot. She stared at the man slowly rising from the audience, instantly becoming the absolute center of attention, and felt a surge of blood rush straight to her head—her cheeks, ears, even her neck turned instantly fiery hot!

Brother Qin Feng… is he… is he Boss Qin Feng?!

The legendary figure she had just been gushing about with admiration?!

She had actually… actually sat beside him and chatted with him for so long?! And called him "Brother Qin Feng"?!

Oh my god! Let her vanish right here!

Lin Wei wanted nothing more than to crawl into a crack in the floor, her hands and feet useless, her mind completely frozen, the three words "I'm doomed" flashing wildly across her thoughts.

Below the stage, Qin Feng watched the girl on stage who wanted nothing more than to shrink into a ball, her face flushed crimson as if ready to bleed, then glanced at the still-stunned employees around him, and couldn't help but feel a wry mix of amusement and exasperation.

He had only intended to quietly join the event and experience the atmosphere of ordinary employees, never imagining he'd be "exposed" in such a dramatic way.

He cleared his throat softly.

That soft cough shattered the silence like a spell broken!

"Director Qin!" "Boss!" "Oh my God!"

Shouts, gasps, and the sound of chairs shifting rose in a chorus. Every employee, whether they had known Qin Feng before or not, instinctively straightened their backs, their faces filled with awe and excitement.

The branch general manager was the first to recover, nearly stumbling as he hurried forward to Qin Feng, sweat beading on his forehead, voice trembling: "Director Qin! This… we didn't know you… how did you…"

Qin Feng waved a hand, cutting him off, his face still wearing that gentle smile as his gaze swept the room and finally settled on the girl on stage who was about to faint.

"Don't be nervous," he said calmly, his voice carrying an odd soothing power. "Today, I'm here simply as an ordinary employee, just like all of you. Lin Wei's remarks earlier were excellent—team collaboration truly is vital."

As he spoke, he walked slowly toward the stage.

Every eye followed him, like sunflowers turning toward the sun.

He reached the edge of the stage, extended his hand toward Lin Wei, still frozen in place, her eyes darting away from him, his tone laced with barely perceptible teasing:

"Lin Wei, could you return the microphone to me? I think I need to give a summary too."

Lin Wei jumped like a startled rabbit, snapping back to reality. She fumbled to shove the microphone into Qin Feng's hand—the instant their fingers touched, she felt as if struck by a faint electric current, shuddered violently, snatched her hand back, lowered her head, and bolted offstage like a fugitive, vanishing into the crowd, burying her face so deeply she dared not lift it again.

Qin Feng took the microphone, turned to face the crowd, and stood composed.

"As Lin Wei just shared, today's event has been meaningful," he began his brief summary, his tone calm, his words concise—praising everyone's efforts, pointing out areas for improvement, and ending with a renewed emphasis on team spirit and the company's vision.

His speech was clear, logical, and commanding, swiftly drawing everyone's attention away from the earlier drama and refocusing it on the event itself and the company's future.

With the conclusion of his summary, the training camp officially ended.

Employees began to disperse, but nearly everyone who passed Qin Feng paused to bow respectfully, their eyes brimming with excitement and admiration. Today's boss's approachability and that unexpected "surprise" had undeniably bridged the gap between him and his staff.

Qin Feng smiled in return, but his gaze searched the crowd for that familiar figure.

Soon, he spotted her in a corner of the auditorium—Lin Wei, surrounded by several female colleagues, her face flushed, flustered, stammering out explanations.

"Weiwei! You're amazing! You chatted with the boss for so long!" "You called him 'Brother Qin Feng'?! Oh my god!" "Tell us, what's he like in private?!"

Lin Wei felt like crying, stammering helplessly, her heart pounding wildly and uncontrollably in her chest, as if countless little deer were charging through it in all directions.

Heart pounding like a deer in the chest…

She had only ever read that phrase in books, always thinking it exaggerated. But now, she truly felt it—not because she feared punishment (the boss didn't seem angry), but because of the excruciating embarrassment, the belated shock, and… a faint, secret flutter she dared not examine too closely.

The warm, smiling "neighborly big brother" under the sunlight and the radiant, all-controlling business magnate on stage—two utterly different images kept crossing and overlapping in her mind, leaving her thoughts in chaotic tangles.

At that moment, her peripheral vision caught the source of her turmoil walking toward her!

The colleagues around her noticed too, falling instantly silent and stepping aside, their faces filled with reverence and curiosity.

Qin Feng stepped before Lin Wei, watching how she tried to bury her head in her chest, and found it amusing.

"Lin Wei," he said, his voice still gentle.

Lin Wei stiffened all over, slowly, with great difficulty, lifting her head to meet his deep, smiling eyes—her cheeks instantly blazed red again, her voice a whisper: "B… Boss…"

"You did well today," Qin Feng said, looking at her with encouragement. "Full of energy, and brave enough to speak up. Keep it up."

With that, he said no more, nodded to her and the surrounding colleagues, and turned away, accompanied by Lei Zhan and others.

Only when Qin Feng's figure vanished beyond the auditorium doors did Lin Wei finally exhale, as if drained of all strength—yet her heart beat even faster.

He… he wasn't angry? And he praised me?

A strange, warm tide of relief, shyness, and inexplicable joy surged through her entire body.

"Wow! The boss praised you!" "Weiwei, you're so lucky!"

The envious murmurs of her colleagues echoed in her ears, but Lin Wei felt dazed.

She touched her still-burning cheeks, felt the little deer still galloping wildly in her chest, and in her mind, only one thought remained:

Oh no… this time… it really… seems like something's off.

Meanwhile, Qin Feng, seated in the car returning to the city, recalled the scene just now and couldn't help but smile.

That intern, Lin Wei, was refreshingly simple and amusing.

But this small incident was quickly cast aside from his thoughts.

His gaze turned to the night skyline of Luocheng outside the window, his eyes once again deep and calm.

Team-building was over.

Now, it was time to handle real business.

The Prometheus Foundation… Liu Shiyin… it was time to take the initiative.