Ten days later, Assistant Wei gave his first report to the boss about the new secretary’s work performance.

“Lacks systematic professional knowledge, but has strong comprehension and execution skills, picks up things quickly, and works with attention to detail. What’s commendable is that he’s very enthusiastic about work—apparently, he arrives at the company at six in the morning.”

Xiao Zong curiously asked, “What does he do at the company so early?”

“It seems he comes straight to work after his morning run.”

Henghua’s headquarters is located in the city’s CBD, where every inch of land is expensive. It was built as a 200,000-square-meter tech eco-park in the city center, equipped with facilities like a library, gym, employee cafeteria, and even a greenway and garden.

Every day, Gu Yin would shower and change into his work clothes after arriving at the company, and it would still only be 6:30, leaving time for breakfast.

Is he really that honest?

Xiao Zong looked puzzled.

Ye Yumeng hadn’t been bothering him recently, and with each business division sending great year-end reports, Xiao Zong was in a good mood. Even Gu Yin seemed more pleasing to the eye.

Leaning back in his leather chair, he snorted, “That’s what he’s supposed to do.”

A two-month internship with a 20,000 salary—where else in the Federation could he find such a job?

Seeing his boss in a good mood, Wei Mian hurriedly made his request: “Boss, I’d like to take two days off.”

“Time off?” Xiao Zong echoed the words with a slightly rising tone at the end.

It wasn’t that he, as a boss, was stingy and didn’t approve employees’ leave. It was just that hearing “time off” from Wei Mian’s mouth was quite a rare event.

Wei Mian had worked under Xiao Zong for six years and had been promoted to general assistant for four of those years, and this was the first time he had ever asked for leave.

The assistant explained, “My stomach’s been uncomfortable. I want to schedule a gastroscopy. It’s been a few days already, and it’s hard to get an appointment with a specialist. If I take leave earlier, I’ll have enough time.”

Wei Mian had never been a fan of food. Even in his student days, he often replaced meals with energy bars. After entering the workforce, he didn’t see it as a problem either. There were even rumors that he lived off work alone, glowing from the sheer force of his labor.

“I’ve told you to eat on time, but you’ve only taken it seriously now that it’s become a problem.”

The assistant sighed, “I’m not as resilient as I was when I was younger. Sometimes when I come home, it’s so cold and empty, no lights on, and no one to care. It makes even a 300-square-meter bed lose its appeal…”

Xiao Zong laughed and cursed, “Knock it off. Hurry up and go. Who are you hinting at?”

He tapped the stack of documents in front of him with his pen. “This pile of reports is enough to give me a headache for a few days. Just make sure to handle everything before your leave. There are no major meetings coming up, and I can manage the social events myself.”

These were proposals submitted by the Ministry of Science and Technology. Research and development is a bottomless pit before any real implementation, so decisions must be made cautiously.

“Oh, and before you go,” Xiao Zong called after him, “make me another cup of coffee. Your brewing skills have improved lately.”

Wei Mian laughed. “Improved? You know my taste. How can I improve?” He nodded toward the door. “That new secretary is quite eager to please. He probably just doesn’t dare to come in himself.”

Xiao Zong’s and the assistant’s workstations were separated by a layer of frosted glass with soundproofing. With the light shining through, a blurry silhouette from inside could be seen.

Aside from his morning greetings, Gu Yin was so low-key throughout the day that it was like he didn’t exist.

Was he really that intimidating?

Xiao Zong wondered.

Wei Mian worked quickly, even when it came to taking leave. He got approval in the morning and was gone by noon.

Xiao Zong buried in a mountain of complex documents, lost track of time. By the time he realised it, it was already past 1:00 PM.

His empty stomach was starting to bother him.

Normally, his assistant would remind him to eat on time, or just bring something up directly. But since Wei Mian was on leave today, the little secretary sitting outside wasn’t reliable.

Just as Xiao Zong opened his office door, the strong aroma of curry filled the air.

Gu Yin wasn’t at his workstation. The smell was coming from the break room.

This entire floor was the executive office area, and anyone who wanted to meet or get the CEO’s signature needed to make an appointment in advance, so there were very few idle people around. Xiao Zong didn’t have a secretary; it was just him and Wei Mian.

Now there was Gu Yin as well.

Gu Yin was heating up his lunch in the microwave.

With Assistant Wei on leave, all the work fell on Gu Yin’s shoulders. Fortunately, Wei Mian was highly organized, outlining in detail what to do and what to pay attention to.

By the time Gu Yin sorted everything out, it was already past lunch.

The amount of material Gu Yin had reviewed in this one week was more than what he had gone through during his entire time in the army.

Even special forces soldiers had to take theory classes, which included learning about the structure and operation of various weapons, as well as tactical discussions. The material was always difficult, and every exam was a nightmare for everyone.

But ever since Gu Yin learned that Xiao Zong was simultaneously overseeing major projects in finance, manufacturing, technology, and military industries, and that he had more than ten critical tasks going on at the same time, Gu Yin had to admit his admiration for the man’s astonishing memory and logical thinking.

During discussions between Wei Mian and Xiao Zong, Gu Yin occasionally listened in. Though he didn’t understand most of it, he could tell that Xiao Zong had a precise mental blueprint of everything going on.

To keep up with his pace, he had to work hard.

Gu Yin stared at the microwave, lost in thought, when he saw a tall figure reflected in the glass door.

“What are you doing?”

Xiao Zong stood leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest.

He had come out of his office without his suit jacket, his sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing muscular arms. After sitting for a long time, his shirt had creased slightly at the waist, hinting at the firm lines of his abdomen.

That ridiculously handsome face seemed to carry a trace of annoyance.

Was that frustration directed at him, or…?

Gu Yin glanced at the microwave, and a lightbulb went off in his head.

“I’m heating your lunch!” Gu Yin said, his mind suddenly sharp.

Xiao Zong’s almond-shaped eyes narrowed slightly. “Really?”

“Yes.”

Just as the microwave dinged, Gu Yin carefully took out a steaming homemade lunch box.

“It’s your favorite—curry beef.”

The golden curry, with diced beef, potatoes, and carrots, was simmered to perfection, and the sauce was thickened with coconut milk and a hint of regular milk, creating a rich, spicy flavor with a touch of sweetness.

Since Xiao Zong needed a lot of sugar to maintain his concentration, he had a bit of a sweet tooth.

It was the sweetness that had drawn him over.

Wait, how did Gu Yin know?

Did Assistant Wei tell him?

Impossible. Wei Mian survived on photosynthesis, he couldn’t even make a decent cup of coffee, let alone know what Xiao Zong liked to eat.

Xiao family members definitely didn’t.

From the time Xiao Zong could remember, Old Master Xiao had strictly prohibited waste. Whatever the kitchen made, they ate. If they didn’t like it, they went hungry. And there was absolutely no snacking between meals.

That rule was ironclad, and after being disciplined a few times, Xiao Zong knew no one would indulge him, so he stopped being picky at home.

But he still knew what he liked and disliked.

Unconsciously, Xiao Zong had been staring at Gu Yin for a while, watching as the thin line of his lips tightened.

Gu Yin was nervous, not shy.

Unlike other Omegas, who were often bashful, his nervousness stemmed from a sharp, guarded instinct—as if he feared some secret would suddenly be exposed.

Xiao Zong found it amusing. “Have you been secretly badmouthing me?”

Gu Yin froze, staring dumbfounded. “Huh?”

Xiao Zong said nothing more, took the lunch box, and turned to leave.

Gu Yin, rubbing his growling stomach, watched as Xiao Zong disappeared back into his office. Only then did he slowly walk over to Assistant Wei’s desk and pull open a small storage box.

Inside were a few energy bars.

As an Omega, Gu Yin didn’t eat much anyway. One bar should be enough for the entire afternoon.

Meals had to be fresh, and Gu Yin had the habit of waking up at 4:30 in the morning. His mother, worried that he wouldn’t adapt well to life outside the military, had volunteered to help him adjust.

But before Gu Yin could fully settle into this new lifestyle, his mother, after waking up early for several days to make meals was already feeling worn out.

So, Gu Yin had to do it himself.

Cooking tutorials were easy to find online. Other than being inefficient, he hadn’t made any major mistakes yet.

He had intended to try the food himself first—it was, after all his first attempt at cooking.

The energy bar was dry and flavorless. In the army, Gu Yin often ate nutrition paste, which had no aroma or taste either.

Life is full of contrasts, and the rich smell of creamy curry continued to tease Gu Yin’s senses. The more he chewed on the energy bar, the louder his stomach growled.

“Grrrrr—”

After all the morning running and working, one bar wasn’t enough, so he opened another. While snacking, he continued reviewing the notes he had organized.

Sure enough, there was a tip from Wei Mian, 11:45 A.M. Remind the boss to eat lunch.

Gu Yin glanced at the time in the corner of his screen and sighed quietly.

It was already 1:50 PM, but at least he had managed to remedy the situation.

“Aren’t you going to eat?” Xiao Zong’s voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

Gu Yin turned around in shock, seeing him poke his head out from the office, frowning at him.

“I—” Gu Yin stammered, caught off guard like a thief caught red-handed.

“Don’t pick up Wei Mian’s bad habits. You should be learning better things from him, not this.”

Gu Yin: …

Xiao Zong stepped forward, looking down at him.

“There’s a banquet in Fuhua District tonight. Later, make sure you coordinate with Liu Jian from the security department. If you’re unsure about anything, just ask Wei Mian—he’s available 24/7. Oh, and remember to change into formal attire.”

“Yes, boss.”

Gu Yin clutched his energy bar, watching as Xiao Zong’s figure disappeared behind the door again, only to realize his final words.

Was he going to take me to the banquet?

Liu Jian and Liu Ye were cousins. Both worked in Henghua Group’s security coordination department, simply put it meant they were bodyguards.

At business events like banquets, many high-profile business figures would be present. Each company’s security team would arrive at the venue early to conduct a risk assessment.

After Liu Ye got injured, Liu Jian temporarily took over the role of security captain.

Xiao Zong had a meeting at 2:00 PM. Once he left, Gu Yin was the only one left on the entire floor.

He called Liu Jian, who was already at the banquet venue.

“…I know, do you even need to say it?” Liu Jian muttered, cigarette between his lips, voice unclear. “Who do you think you are? Quit yapping.”

After hanging up, Liu Ye stubbed out his cigarette on the table, silently cursing.

“What’s up, Old Liu?” one of the other security guys asked. “Who called?”

“That O-mega,” Liu Ye dragged out the “O” on purpose. “Nagging about this and that, even more annoying than Wei Mian!”

He pulled his feet off the desk and stood up. “Checking the surveillance room network, huh? I’ve been doing this kind of stuff since my army days. Hah! He steps foot on the 266th floor and really thinks he’s something.”

After hanging up, Gu Yin still didn’t feel reassured. He opened up the layout of the banquet venue again.

He hadn’t looked at it long when the elevator on the 266th floor opened—a young Alpha woman in professional attire popped her head in, eyes wide with curiosity.

Gu Yin recognized her as the company’s receptionist.

“Secretary Gu,” she said, holding a bag, “Assistant Wei ordered takeout for you～”

“Assistant Wei?”

“Yes, he said you were too busy to eat and asked me to bring it up for you.”

“But Assistant Wei’s on leave.”

The receptionist shrugged. “I don’t know about that.”

Gu Yin stared at the curry on the takeout bag and suddenly seemed to realize something. A small smile crept across his face.

Xiao Zong is actually a very gentle person.