Chapter 3: The Third Female Lead

“Don’t say any more, Zi Cheng. I know what you’re thinking. Let’s both cool down and think about this for a few days, alright?”

Without giving Mu Zi Cheng a chance to speak, Qin Fan turned and left.

In the plot, Mu Zi Cheng initially wanted to get engaged to Qin Fan. However, with Chen Fei Yang’s arrival, their relationship quickly crumbled. It was a fragile connection, and now Qin Fan’s decisive withdrawal might actually work in his favor – a strategic retreat.

Back in his Rolls Royce, Qin Fan carefully reviewed the plot:

CK Group’s internal conflict:  As the head of the Qin family, which held significant power, Qin Fan faced constant challenges to his authority due to the company’s shrinking business. This new force was led by Chen Dong Shi, Chen Fei Yang’s biological father. Later in the plot, Chen Fei Yang, leveraging this connection, gains the support of this emerging power and takes control of CK Group, effectively putting Qin Fan in a subordinate position.

Mu Zi Cheng and Mu Qing Yan’s identity issue: They are half-sisters, daughters of the same father, Mu Dong Shi, who is also a key figure on the CK Group board. As the plot unfolds, Mu Qing Yan reunites with her father. Her relationship with Chen Fei Yang, coupled with Mu Zi Cheng’s secret help, becomes the second major factor in Chen Fei Yang’s rise.

Chen Dong Shi, Mu Dong Shi, and the Qin family’s own shares – these three entities combined hold over 60% of CK Group’s stock. For Qin Fan, preventing these two events would allow him to complete the world mission and gain 10% of the plot comfort value.

Completing the permanent main mission, without any additional plot comfort value, would grant Qin Fan a temporary world window. However, even a slight amount of plot comfort value would upgrade the temporary world window to a permanent ordinary world window.

An ordinary world window, if the world mission is completed, would grant a plot comfort value that, when combined with the mission reward, would reach the Black Iron standard. The window would then upgrade to Black Iron level, allowing for free access to a world filled with fantasy – an incredibly tempting prospect.

“But compared to the permanent main mission, the world mission can only be ranked second. I can’t take any risks.”

As the car pulled up to the entrance of CK Group, the driver opened the door. Qin Fan, having made his decision, straightened his clothes and stepped out.

He was greeted by two rows of neatly dressed receptionists, all beautiful and wearing identical uniforms. They all bowed their heads, paying their respects to the new head of CK Group.

“Hello, I’m Zhao Heng, the head of the CK office. Your office is ready, please follow me.”

The position of office manager, in the vast CK Group, was a middle-management role. However, it came with extensive authority, essentially making them the overseer. When creating this character, Qin Fan had given Zhao Heng a shrewd, capable, and opportunistic image.

Under Zhao Heng’s gaze,  Qin Fan’s eyes lingered on a particular receptionist for two seconds before he strode forward.

“Hiss…”

A nervous intake of breath could be clearly heard. The beautiful receptionist instantly stiffened, forcing a relaxed smile on her face. She raised her head, trying to appear composed as she looked at Qin Fan.

Without saying much, Qin Fan patted the receptionist’s shoulder, brushing off some loose items. He then turned and walked briskly inside.

Zhao Heng followed behind Qin Fan, glaring fiercely at the receptionist, muttering, “Li Qian, I remember you!”

For Zhao Heng, welcoming Qin Fan was a meticulously planned performance. A dirty uniform might seem like a small matter, but for Zhao Heng, who held a high position, it was enough to make him remember the lowly receptionist.

Just then, Qin Fan, who was ahead, suddenly turned around and said in a low voice, “Manager Zhao, what are you doing?”

“Coming, coming!” Zhao Heng was startled and hurried after him.

Li Qian lightly patted her chest. The sudden shock had truly startled her. Although she had offended Manager Zhao this time, she had come into such close contact with the young heir. Just thinking about it made Li Qian blush, as if her whole body had gone weak, a sense of euphoria coursed through her.

Even now, Li Qian could hear Qin Fan say loudly to Zhao Heng, “Everyone makes mistakes. A small slip-up is nothing to me.  On the other hand, you, and the other managers, should focus your energy on important matters. Leave the superficial work like this to someone else.”

Then, Li Qian saw Zhao Heng nodding and repeatedly saying yes. The manager, who was always arrogant in front of the receptionists, was like a lapdog in front of the young man. For a moment, Li Qian felt a huge disparity. She couldn’t help but think: If I could be by his side, how wonderful that would be.

Li Qian’s gaze followed Qin Fan until he reached the elevator.

Just as Li Qian was staring longingly at his back as he entered the elevator, Qin Fan suddenly turned around, his eyes meeting hers. Li Qian felt a rush of heat to her face, her whole body felt warm. She muttered to herself, “You little vixen, what are you getting all flustered about?”

Because she was too nervous, Li Qian didn’t see that Qin Fan was saying something to Zhao Heng beside him. Then, before the elevator could start, Zhao Heng stepped off.

“Li Qian, Manager Zhao is here.”

Someone lightly patted Li Qian on the back. She jolted, finally snapping out of her endless reverie. Then she saw Zhao Heng’s oily, round face, but this time, it was unusually kind and friendly.

“Receptionist Li, have you met Mr. Qin before?” Zhao Heng asked softly.

“Mr. Qin? No!” Li Qian looked puzzled. Concerned about her thoughts, she boldly asked, “Why are you asking, Manager Zhao?”

“Nothing much,” Zhao Heng said with a smile, “Mr. Qin just joined the company, and his assistant and secretary haven’t been arranged yet. I thought I’d recommend you.”

Li Qian’s heart skipped a beat, but she hesitated, “Me? Would that work?”

The CK Group building was located in the heart of the city’s most bustling commercial district, standing 28 stories tall. The higher your position in the company, the higher the floor you occupied. Qin Fan, as the representative of the Qin family, a board member, and the future chairman of the board, was assigned the position of general manager of the Planning Department as soon as he joined the company. He was allocated an office on the 26th floor, a spacious 100 square meter office. The entire office was even a suite, with separate rooms for rest, entertainment, and meetings, equipped with all kinds of facilities. For Qin Fan, who had never experienced this before, it was a completely new experience.

However, Qin Fan had already adapted to his family’s status, especially having a clear understanding of his strengths and weaknesses.

Compared to the tragic experience of the second male lead later in the plot, Qin Fan had various advantages in the early stages. As a typical rich second-generation, his biggest advantage was the various resources at his disposal. As the author of “World-Class Comfort,” Qin Fan had another huge advantage – he was familiar with the plot. After the initial adaptation period, with the help of two system cheats, Qin Fan had a clear plan for his future actions.

In fact, as soon as he entered CK Group, Qin Fan had already started using these advantages to lay the groundwork for certain future events. Li Qian was the beginning of one such plan. Zhao Heng’s change in attitude towards Li Qian, even encouraging her to apply for Qin Fan’s secretary, was naturally at Qin Fan’s behest.

About half an hour later, Li Qian, having changed out of her receptionist uniform, knocked on Qin Fan’s office door.

“Come in.”

“Mr. Qin, did you need me?” Li Qian walked into the office, her steps light and delicate. She had changed into a proper women’s suit, with a black cotton mini-skirt underneath, revealing her long, slender legs. Of course, the flesh-colored stockings she had deliberately put on seemed to add a touch of sexiness to her. She was about 170 cm tall, and with her high heels, she looked tall, slender, and curvaceous. In Qin Fan’s eyes, she was a typical modern city woman.

“Oh, you’re here. Find a place to sit.”

Qin Fan looked up and glanced at Li Qian, secretly praising her in his heart. As the largest listed company in the city, CK Group’s employees were all top-notch. The receptionists were naturally no exception, their figures and appearances were all first-rate. And among these receptionists, Li Qian was the most beautiful and attractive flower.

The reason Qin Fan was so special towards her was because of the plot. In the plot, Li Qian was the third female lead. She was Mu Qing Yan’s best friend, a typical girly girl, vain and ambitious. So, when she saw Qin Fan for the first time in the company, she fell head over heels for this rich and handsome man. In the early stages of the plot, Li Qian went to great lengths to get Qin Fan’s attention, even creating opportunities for him to get close to Mu Qing Yan. Later in the plot, Li Qian was even used by Qin Fan, who had gone dark, to cause trouble between Mu Qing Yan and Chen Fei Yang. Of course, in the end, Li Qian, the third female lead, was abandoned by Qin Fan, lost her job, and lost her ability to live a normal life, a pitiful character.

For Qin Fan, Li Qian was naturally a valuable “assistant.” Moreover, as the key figure who would influence Li Qian’s life, Qin Fan was determined to change her fate.

“Did Manager Zhao tell you? I need an office secretary. I checked your file earlier and saw that you have experience in this area, so I called you in.”

Qin Fan said smoothly, as the author, he was very familiar with his own “settings.” In this part of the plot, Li Qian was a versatile character who was more of a support role in terms of talent. She could handle the job of a secretary, who had a relatively light workload, and even the job of “assistant,” which was essentially an extension of the general manager, she could do it.

“Thank you, Mr. Qin, for thinking of me. I’ve prepared my resume, please take a look.”

As she spoke, Li Qian handed Qin Fan a document. As she bent over, Qin Fan saw a glimpse of her cleavage, incredibly clear, and without any preparation, Qin Fan felt a rush of blood, almost making a fool of himself.