"I knew I should've objected when Boss invited a knife to replace a pen.

" Chen Gaonan gritted his teeth, the edge of his nose wrinkling.

Lu Shanshan rolled her eyes and dropped her guard. Her body went slack and she sat down, facing her desk. It was a waste of time to crane her neck at him.

"Do you have that little trust in our boss? Do you think that the Zhengs can do anything to us?

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"You can't just look at the small picture, you have to think outside of the box and think of the worst-case scenarios.

"

"No thanks. I'd rather not get white hairs and wrinkles by the time I'm thirty.

" Lu Shanshan started her PC and plugged in the flash drive.

"Besides, no one in the Zheng family likes Xia Mengxi. They all view her as a Cinderella gold-digger who slept her way into a wedding ring.

" She gave him a side-glance and typed in the password of her computer. He was contemplating over her words with a thoughtful expression on his face. He was no longer a ticking time bomb.

"Sure, Zheng Tianyi might be the CEO of Zheng Corporation for now. Perhaps he could pull some strings and cause a drop in the stock market for Yang Enterprise. Even worse, he might have connections to our major stockholders, investors, and so forth, but you also have to know that no one has the guts to go against the Yangs.

" Lu Shanshan turned her body and crossed her legs so that she was facing him.

"Why else do you think the Yang clan's legacy has been around for generations? Everything that can be capitalized, we have a hand in. Deep-rooted friendships in this country and even some families overseas, no one can truly keep us underwater. There will be anticipated consequences, but none will be long-lasting enough to affect our Boss.

"

Lu Shanshan clasped her hands and waited for Chen Gaonan to absorb the information. Surely, he must've thought of this already, so what was he so worried about?

"There will not be long-lasting monetary issues,

" Chen Gaonan scooted closer to Lu Shanshan. In a low voice that only the two could hear, he whispered,

"But Master Yang will discover this.

"

"So what if he does? The Boss can justify the move as asserting his power over everyone by directly targeting one of the big five. It can also be seen as him protecting the Young Miss.

"

"No, you don't understand.

" Chen Gaonan pinched the spot between his brows and sighed. Did this secretary even look at the complicated report about Zhao Lifei's tainted past and the web of issues connected to her?!

Lu Shanshan rolled her pretty little eyes.

"Well, why don't you tell me then? It's not like I can read your brain.

"

"How about you read the reports I've sent you in regards to the lady boss!

" He hissed at her, keeping his voice at a low volume.

Lu Shanshan's face became more serious.

"I did read it. I just prefer to not judge someone based on their past. She seems like a fine young lady who makes her own money, runs her own empire, and can establish a legacy for her daughters. She makes our boss happy and nurtures him. I don't see anything wrong with her. You're just delusional because you had a bias to Su Meixiu in the beginning.

" She bluntly laid out the facts with her sharp tongue.

"My biases have changed!

"

"Well, it doesn't seem like it.

" Lu Shanshan scoffed, leaning back in her chair. She discreetly looked around and saw Su Meixiu dropping her head.

"What are you looking at?!

" Lu Shanshan was never a silent and passive type. She stood up and pointed at Su Meixiu,

"Don't you know, eavesdropping will result in a grave punishment? Especially eavesdropping on your superiors?

"

Su Meixiu stiffened at the low-blow. Her fingers twitched, her lips pulled into a thin line. Superior? That was only in title, for she had the seniority. All she wanted to do was dutifully serve the Boss and people left and right was creating complications for her.

"I merely glanced your way. Must you blow everything out of proportion?

" Her voice was calm and steady, low and soft.

"We're in an office setting where people are working instead of having conversations. Please keep your voice down.

"

Lu Shanshan took a threatening step closer and Chen Gaonan immediately stood up to intervene.

"That's enough. Both of you.

"

"Don't touch me.

" She snarled at him, shrugging his hand off of her.

"Remember your words.

" She stormed off to the break room, her fingers itching to slap something.

"Unloyal bastard.

" She muttered under her breath.

When she walked by Su Meixiu, she said,

"You better watch yourself. Not everyone is as nice as me.

" She roughly bumped her in the shoulder and marched to grab a cup of coffee.

Su Meixiu's face was flushed pink with anger, her hands shaking. She dug her nails into her palms. Ever since she was demoted to the lowest position on this floor, everyone here has been viewing her as a punching bag.

- - - - -

"That was not nice.

" Chen Gaonan sauntered into the break room.

Lu Shanshan was angrily jamming her finger against the advanced espresso machine.

"That is also not how you make coffee here.

" He sighed, softly brushing her aside to pour the coffee beans into a grinder then cramming it into a small, flat cup. Then he grabbed the mug she was using, placed it under the faucet, inserted the flat cup and a few seconds later, coffee poured out. He began to pour creamer into a tiny, steel jug that would whip the milk.

"Kindness will not help you last in the Underworld.

" Lu Shanshan kept her anger in reign, mainly because he was being polite to her by making the coffee. It had been a couple of weeks since she was here and she pretty much was excelling at the high-paying job. One of her biggest flaws and pet peeves was the damn coffee machine.

"But it will last you on the surface.

" Chen Gaonan tilted the half-filled mug so that he could pour in the milk foam. He made a fancy swirl at the top and set the coffee in front of Lu Shanshan.

"Don't you have a son? How come you're able to remain calm in front of him, but can't learn to keep your emotions in check.

"

"Do you want to start a fight?

" She raised the cup and took a sip, her body relaxing.

"I want to remind you, I am not picking a side, especially not after the wedding ring on the lady boss's finger. But you need to monitor the way Su Meixiu behaves.

"

That's it. Lu Shanshan reached to the pocket of her salmon dress pants.

"If you point a weapon at me, my reflexes will kick faster than you can use it.

" Chen Gaonan warned her while beginning to prepare the coffee for the boss.

"Now, adding on to what I was going to say earlier, Su Meixiu might've made many mistakes in the past, but she was always good at hiding her emotions. Bottling them up and concealing any hatred or anger that would offend the other party.

"

He raised his head to look at her. She was leaning against the counter beside the coffee machine and glancing into the mug. At the least, she was paying attention, even though she was trying hard to pretend she wasn't.

"Su Meixiu hates you. You know that already. But did you see how she was able to control her voice and face until you bumped into her? She's an expert at putting on a mask.

" He added the milk and sugar to his boss' preference.

"That is what makes her very dangerous. Sometimes you won't know what she's thinking, and sometimes you think you might. She's in control of her face and will reveal whatever she wants you to believe. It's like an open book where you have to read in between the lines.

"

Lu Shanshan diligently listened to everything he was telling her. She was easily riddled up at times, but that didn't mean she was stubborn enough to not accept free advice.

"You've been by the boss's side for longer than me. I get it, I really do. You always have his best interest at heart and might not think about the other parts because he's the only one you truly worry over.

" Chen Gaonan raised his head so their eyes were leveled. A composed smile laid his face. With the thin-framed glasses resting on his high-bridged nose and the simple grey suit, he gave off a very defenseless vibe.

Lu Shanshan understood how people would drop their guards around him. He always looked...friendly. He was like the next-door neighbor who kept a distance but would still watch over your house in your absence. He was the type who wouldn't hesitate to give you sugar, but also remind you to be responsible. She couldn't put a finger on him. She could tell, behind that warm smile was a cunning fox that could snap a neck in half.

"You also have to worry about yourself. No one can be perfect in this world, but that doesn't mean you can't fake it until you make it, or in most cases, come near it.

" The coffee for his boss was getting cold now.

"To survive in this dog-eat-dog business world, you need to learn how to keep your emotions in check. The more you hate someone, the more you should smile and remain level-headed. Never let anyone know what you're truly thinking.

" Chen Gaonan gave her one last smile before exiting the break room to speedily deliver the coffee before it truly cooled down.