Jin Yaotiao, anticipating a tough day ahead, arrived at the office earlier than usual, with her father accompanying her in the early morning.

Jin’s father frowned and said, “Having so many inspection departments coming over at once is definitely unusual. But our company’s procedures are flawless.”

Jin Yaotiao patted his shoulder and reassured him, “Don’t worry. Whatever comes, we’ll handle it.”

Her father wasn’t concerned about the inspection itself but rather the underlying implications.

He sighed, “I never thought that after everything with our mentor’s group, we’d end up on opposing sides.”

When the father and daughter arrived at the company, it was still early.

The security guards were already at their posts.

The elderly guards, dressed in uniform, were gathered at the entrance, reading the latest newspaper and chatting animatedly.

“They’re really all here. It’s like they came as a group,” Jin Yaotiao thought.

Grandpa Meng saw them and nodded. “You’re here?”

Jin Yaotiao glanced at the time.

The subway in Shenzhen should have started running by now, but seeing these elderly men arriving so early, she felt a bit worried about their rest. “Grandpa Meng, getting up so early—are you all getting enough rest?”

Grandpa Meng waved her off. “When you’re older, you don’t sleep much anyway. Staying home is boring, so why not beat the rush hour and come here instead?”

Indeed, Shenzhen’s subway was notoriously crowded during rush hour.

Living in the city center wasn’t easy either.

Jin Yaotiao nodded in understanding and reminded them to stay warm before heading inside.

Behind her, the group of elderly men started discussing political news from the newspaper, making insightful comments on international affairs with surprising expertise.

When Jin Yaotiao and her father entered the building, they found Xu Wan at the reception desk, tidying up the registration book.

She looked up and smiled. “You’re here?”

Jin Yaotiao sighed. “Aunt Xu, you’re too diligent. It’s so early!”

Xu Wan replied, “Staying home is boring. I’d rather come to the office. Besides, the water dispenser ran out yesterday. I came early to refill and heat it up so everyone can make tea later.”

Jin Yaotiao was speechless.

Truly, this was the most dedicated receptionist ever.

While they were talking, the company’s main door opened.

Jin Yaotiao turned to see who else had arrived so early, but she froze in surprise. “President Shen?”

Shen Qiming, dressed in formal attire, stepped into the small Mingde branch office with the morning sunlight behind him.

He also paused when he saw her.

Their eyes met. Jin Yaotiao asked, “What are you doing in Shenzhen?”

Shen Qiming looked at her for a moment before responding, “I’m here for a meeting.”

Jin Yaotiao chuckled. “Then what are you doing at Mingde?”

Shen Qiming’s eyelashes fluttered slightly.

Xu Wan quickly interjected, “Yaotiao, there were some documents from Jingmao that I needed. Since I had some work questions for Qiming, I asked him to stop by.”

Jin Yaotiao raised an eyebrow. “Work questions?”

“Ah…” Xu Wan hesitated, realizing it didn’t quite make sense for a receptionist to have pressing work issues.

She glanced at the water dispenser behind her and suddenly remembered. “Oh, the water dispenser! It was just cleaned, and I couldn’t lift the water jug by myself.”

Jin Yaotiao: “…”
Jin’s father: “…”
Shen Qiming: “…”

Jin Yaotiao looked at Shen Qiming, unsure how to react.

Xu Wan, realizing her blunder, regretted her words and stood awkwardly, avoiding her son’s expression.

The silence was unbearable, so she finally spoke again. “Qiming…”

Shen Qiming glanced at her without much expression.

He placed the document bag he had brought onto the reception desk, walked over to the water dispenser, and effortlessly lifted the heavy water jug with one hand.

His movements were swift and elegant, like a scene from a movie.

The jug was replaced in no time.

After finishing, he turned and looked at Jin Yaotiao.

Even Xu Wan was left speechless.

Jin’s father seemed confused.

Jin Yaotiao, after a moment of silence, clapped her hands lightly.

Well done.

—

A few hundred meters away from Mingde Company, several cars pulled up, and more than ten people stepped out.

Leading the group was a middle-aged man in his forties, walking with authority and exuding an air of command.

He glanced at the documents in his hand, then at the building ahead.

He asked the person beside him, “Is this the place?”

A man in his thirties emerged from another car, adjusting his jacket with a smile. “This is it.”

“President Xia,” the older man said, “Why are you going after a small, out-of-town company like this? It’s not easy for them.”

Xia Ren chuckled. “Sorry for the trouble. This is the company’s directive, as well as my cousin’s. I can’t say much more, which is why I’ve asked for your help.”

The older man, seeing Xia Ren’s resolute stance, sighed lightly.

Xia Ren was the cousin of President Shang, a prominent figure in Shenzhen.

With such a connection, he couldn’t refuse.

Still, he felt reluctant. “Honestly, if you wanted to block them, you should’ve done it during their licensing process. Doing it now is tricky.”

Xia Ren’s expression darkened. “To be honest, we did try to block them initially. But somehow, this company managed to pull some strings and got it done.”

The older man frowned. “A small, out-of-town company—how could even President Shang fail to deal with them?”

Xia Ren hesitated. His family suspected that some of the disciples left behind by the Shang family patriarch might have secretly intervened to help Mingde set up the branch smoothly.

Even if they had suspicions, they couldn’t confront them openly to avoid upsetting the balance.

So Xia Ren waved it off dismissively. “It’s not that complicated. Don’t worry about it.”

Still skeptical, the older man watched as Xia Ren confidently strode toward Mingde with his team.

As they approached the company, Xia Ren marched straight ahead, exuding an intimidating aura.

Just as they reached the entrance, a sharp voice called out from the security booth.

“Who are you?”

Xia Ren ignored it, continuing forward without pause. “Let’s go!”

But the elderly voice persisted. “Hold on! You need to register before entering!”

Xia Ren sneered but didn’t stop.

The older man trailing behind glanced toward the security booth and froze.

Inside, an elderly man in a security uniform stared at him intently.

Despite his age, the man had broad shoulders and a commanding presence, his piercing gaze unmistakably familiar.

Where had he seen him before?

The older man wracked his brain.

As realization dawned, his eyes widened, and he stumbled to a halt, almost spinning in place.

“Me-Me-Me-Me-Meng…”

He wiped his palm hard on his pants, straightened his back like a steel rod, and almost felt like saluting or bowing.

The elderly guard in the security booth, Grandpa Meng, coughed to interrupt his stammering and slapped the registration book onto the desk. “Ahem, less chatter, register first. What’s your name? ID number!”

Hey, this old security guard!

Xia Ren’s eyes widened at those words, thinking, Do you even know who you’re stopping here?

He turned his head, ready to scold the guard for his lack of discernment.

But before he could, he saw that the middle-aged man who had come with him had already whipped out his ID and started filling in the registration book obediently.

Xia Ren couldn’t handle this.

He immediately stepped forward to block the middle-aged man’s hand from writing and glared at the old security guard. “Do you even know why we’re here? How dare you make us register? Get your manager out here!”

Before the old man could reply, a massive force pushed against Xia Ren’s arm.

He felt like a leaf caught in the wind, almost floating away.

Before he even landed, the middle-aged man said quickly, “Don’t listen to him, register, register! Everyone, take out your IDs and register quickly!”

Xia Ren: “???”

The group of young subordinates accompanying the middle-aged man looked confused but instinctively followed their leader’s orders.

“Ahem.” Grandpa Meng glanced at the middle-aged man’s ID. “Last name Zheng?”

The middle-aged man stood up straighter and responded with great vigor, “Yes!”

Grandpa Meng quickly shot a glance toward the company building in the courtyard and glared at him. “…Lower your voice, don’t speak nonsense.”

The middle-aged man immediately understood and whispered like a ghost, “…Yes.”

Grandpa Meng glanced at Xia Ren, who was dusting himself off from the ground, then picked up the landline phone. “Should I call the boss?”

Before Xia Ren could respond, the middle-aged man jumped in, “No, no! We’ll find him ourselves. We’ll find him ourselves.”

There was no way he could let this old man call the boss.

Despite his words, Grandpa Meng still dialed. “Hello, Old Liu? Someone’s here to see the boss. Come out and guide them in.”

Moments later, a few elderly security guards about the same age as Grandpa Meng came out of the building. Xia Ren was still fine, but the middle-aged man’s face turned pale the moment he saw them. His mind spun, and he almost fainted.

Grandpa Liu exchanged glances with Grandpa Meng, then sized up the pale-faced visitor and gestured. “Let’s go.”

It took the middle-aged man a moment to snap back to reality.

Afraid to make a fuss after Grandpa Meng’s warning, he silently led his group and followed behind the guards in a daze.

Xia Ren, rubbing the spot where he’d fallen, tagged along in confusion. “…You’re really disciplined, huh? Even with security guards, you—”

Before he could finish, the middle-aged man glanced at the elderly guards walking ahead, who subtly tilted their heads to listen.

Startled, he shoved Xia Ren away again.

Xia Ren flew like a leaf once more. “?”

Staggering to his feet, Xia Ren stared at the middle-aged man’s stiff smile. “President Xia, you don’t need to come with me. Go back and register first.”

Xia Ren: “????”

The middle-aged man had already turned away and hurriedly followed the guards into the office building.

Inside, Grandpa Liu remained professional. “We’ve already notified the boss. Everyone, please wait here. The department staff haven’t arrived yet. The boss said they’re grabbing some documents and will be here shortly.”

The subordinates behind the middle-aged man started to protest, but their leader replied with a booming voice, “Got it!”

Grandpa Liu nodded. “Then we’ll take our leave.”

The middle-aged man responded quickly, “Got it! Got it! Thank you for your trouble!”

Finally, these deities are gone. My back’s about to snap.

Grandpa Liu gave the visitor a strange look before leaving. As he passed the break room, he called out, “They’ve been brought in. Front desk, serve them some tea.”

A pleasant voice replied from the break room, “Got it.”

After confirming the old guards were gone, the middle-aged man cautiously dragged a chair from the lounge and sat down, trembling.

Soon, the scent of tea wafted over.

A tray of disposable cups was placed on the table, likely by the front desk attendant.

The middle-aged man wiped his sweat and thanked her.

She replied calmly, “You’re welcome.”

Her voice was pleasant.

The middle-aged man glanced at her subconsciously, his brow twitching.

She was beautiful and… oddly familiar.

Where had he seen her before?

He wracked his brain.

The front desk attendant remained calm.

After setting down the tea, she returned to the break room.

Her voice, now a bit hesitant, floated out: “…Are we still heading to the park meeting later?”

Another voice, younger and magnetic, replied coolly, “After I finish moving this stuff.”

Oh, just someone moving things.

Wait, why would someone moving things attend a meeting?

The middle-aged man was pondering when a tall figure emerged from the break room, wiping his hands.

The man wore a pristine suit, slightly dusty yet exuding elegance.

His sharp eyes, like icy daggers, swept over the room as he noticed the visitors.

His striking face was unforgettable to anyone familiar with the Shenmao Park management.

A loud scraping noise filled the room as the middle-aged man jumped up, knocking over his chair. His voice trembled uncontrollably: “Sh-Sh-Shen—”

The cold and aloof President Shen nodded slightly at him and strode toward the door.

The front desk attendant followed, asking, “All dirty now, huh?”

President Shen grunted.

She continued, “Take a break in the company cafeteria before heading out. They have braised noodles and triple-flavored bean curd today.”

President Shen: “Hmm.”

The two walked off.

The middle-aged man: “…?????”

When Jin Youtiao and her father came down with the documents, they found the group already waiting in the lounge.

Jin’s father frowned slightly at the sight of so many people, while Jin Youtiao also furrowed her brows.

Stepping forward with the materials, she introduced herself. “Hello, everyone. I’m Jin Youtiao, the head of Mingde’s Deep City branch. Sorry for the delay; I needed time to prepare the documents.”

She braced herself for the group’s complaints, but to her surprise, the middle-aged man in front beamed. “Not at all, not at all! We just got here!”

Jin Youtiao: “?”

Unused to the sudden flood of friendliness, she replied awkwardly, “That’s good. Here are Mingde’s detailed materials. Where would you like to start?”

She handed over the organized documents, but the middle-aged man waved them away, grinning. “President Jin, what are you doing? No need for this.”

Jin Youtiao: “?????”

Wait, why are you here again?