The secondary bedroom of Room 8086 at the Huangchao Hotel.
The waitress helped Su Ran settle Qi Xinxin.
Standing in the living room, Wang Ye whispered, “We helped her vent her anger, but she doesn’t seem very grateful. Do you think she was scared?”
Lu Jingxing stared at Su Ran’s busy back, his tone unreadable, somewhere between a scold and a compliment. “Twenty-three years old, yet she’s still like a seven or eight-year-old, thinking all villains are paper tigers and she’s Superwoman.”
Wang Ye tilted his head to look at him. “Did you know her before? That doesn’t seem right. She didn’t move to Jicheng with her family until she was ten, and you were already abroad by then.”
Lu Jingxing was silent for a moment. “It was just an analogy.”
Su Ran gently closed Qi Xinxin’s door and walked into the living room, where she was greeted by the fresh aroma of food.
Wang Ye tossed a tube of ointment to Lu Jingxing and winked. “You two talk shop. I’m heading out.”
Su Ran had completely calmed down by now and spoke up immediately. “Mr. Lu, regarding the investment plan, can we discuss it further?”
There was no emotion in Lu Jingxing’s eyes. “That is the optimal plan based on our projections. Expand the scale and upgrade the quality. We need to seize the market in one fell swoop while other manufacturers are withdrawing.”
After saying that, he motioned for Su Ran to sit and took hold of her forearm. “It’s inconvenient with only one hand. I’ll help you apply the medicine.”
Su Ran tried to pull her arm away but couldn’t, so she simply gave up. “You’re right, but if we do that, Tianlei will no longer be the Su family’s Tianlei. It will just be one insignificant, marginal factory among Lu Jingxing’s many industries. The meaning is completely different.”
Lu Jingxing neatly rolled up her sleeve and gently applied the ointment with his fingertips. “That is Su Tianlei’s meaning. Investment banks look at profit.”
Su Ran said seriously, “How about this? You invest twenty million, Tianlei increases its capital by five million, and Gaoshan Capital takes a 20% stake with double dividends. You can also provide technical and management consultants to be stationed there.”
Lu Jingxing rubbed her wrist. “You want both the people and the money?”
His grip was a bit firm, and Su Ran couldn’t help but let out a soft “Ssh.”
Lu Jingxing relaxed his strength and glanced up at her. “So you can make a sound. Why did you hold out for so long during the fight without calling for help?”
Su Ran’s mind was entirely on work, so she ignored the suggestive remarks he seemed to drop at every turn. “We can also sign a performance-based betting agreement. If the targets aren’t met within six months, you take a 45% stake with full voting rights.”
Lu Jingxing’s hand stopped. “Smarter than I thought. Fine, but the stakes have to change. If you lose the bet, you have to be my secretary for two years.”
The image of a famous meme immediately flashed through Su Ran’s mind—[Eat shit!].
“Mr. Lu, my major is Food Science and Engineering.”
Lu Jingxing wiped his hands clean and handed a pair of chopsticks to Su Ran. “You also minored in Marketing and spent over two years in management and sales. After you officially took over the marketing department, Tianlei’s sales channels doubled and sales revenue increased by 1.5 times. You are qualified.”
This bastard really had investigated her.
Su Ran wasn’t narcissistic enough to think Lu Jingxing would go to such great lengths for her.
She had calculated things carefully over the past two days. Lu Jingxing was likely just enjoying the novelty, but he was also worried she had approached him on purpose. That was why he wasn’t at ease and had checked her background and even sent someone to watch her.
Otherwise, how could it be such a coincidence? Just as she asked the front desk for the surveillance footage, he sent the video. Shortly after she arrived at her parents’ house, he sent the proposal.
Su Ran flashed a clear, tooth-gritting fake smile. “My father is elderly and needs me to stay at the company to help.”
Lu Jingxing tilted his head slightly. “You just requested that high-level technical and management talent be stationed at Tianlei. With professional managers there, there’s no need to worry.”
Su Ran: “Mr. Lu shouldn’t be lacking capable secretaries.”
“The Chief Secretary is pregnant and will go on maternity leave in eight months. The HR Director suggested opening two recruitment slots.”
Lu Jingxing picked up a piece of fish, chewed it slowly, and then continued, “Don’t worry. A business secretary—a pure relationship between employer and employee.”
Su Ran put down her chopsticks without taking a single bite. “Mr. Lu, may I ask why? Why choose me?”
Lu Jingxing turned slightly. “In what sense?”
Su Ran: “In every sense.”
Lu Jingxing said bluntly, “Professionally, I haven’t done a food project before, but I am very interested in Chinese pastries. And you, although you have a bit of a stubborn temper, possess good ability. I am an investment banker; I value talent.”
“Personally, it’s because you are simple, safe, and we are a good match.”
Su Ran didn’t quite believe his words. He neither lacked talent to discover and cultivate, nor did he lack safe and compatible women.
“Aren’t you afraid I approached you with ulterior motives, playing hard to get just to get benefits from you? After all, those aren’t things you could find by checking my resume.”
Lu Jingxing leaned in slightly, caught the faint scent of alcohol on her. “Some people do have ulterior motives, but not you. You and I are simply in a relationship driven by physical attraction. No other strings attached, both parties willing. When I put in the effort, I’m even more motivated.”
Su Ran was just about to feel touched by his trust, but in less than a second, he became infuriating again.
“Mr. Lu certainly speaks with sincerity. ‘The high mountain is to be looked up to, and the great road is to be followed.’ Truly worthy of your name.”
Lu Jingxing gave an indifferent chuckle. “If there are no issues, I can have someone draft the contract immediately.”
He agreed so decisively that Su Ran suspected this was a tactic he had planned all along.
First, propose something she would never accept, negotiate a bit, and then make her accept his conditions.
Then, pull some strings to make sure the results fell just a bit short of the target.
Most likely, she wouldn’t be able to escape this secretary position.
Unfortunately, she had no retreat. Aside from holding her bottom line, she had no right to be sentimental.
Su Ran took a large gulp of warm water and said after a pause, “I agree to the professional matters. As for the personal matters Mr. Lu mentioned, the answer is still ‘no’.”
“As expected. I’m not in a hurry.” Lu Jingxing pulled out his phone and sent a few messages. “Eat first.”
Lu Jingxing ate very elegantly, making almost no sound.
Su Ran was indeed hungry, so she ate along with him.
The food was exquisite and light in flavor, which suited Su Ran’s habits perfectly. Since she made pastries, she had to keep her sense of taste sharp. Although she liked spicy and heavy flavors, she always exercised self-control.
After the meal, the room service staff came in quietly and efficiently to clear the table and then left.
Lu Jingxing took out a laptop. “Shall we go over the proposal and the agreement together?”
The fact that the new investment proposal and betting agreement were drafted so quickly made Su Ran believe once again that he had come prepared.
The previous proposal had been sent directly to the company, and his subsequent silence was likely intentional. He wanted to make her anxious and let her family pressure her.
Biting her lip, Su Ran sat down beside him, leaving a small gap between them.
The investment plan was very detailed, and Su Ran was quickly absorbed in it. From time to time, she discussed several points with Lu Jingxing and made some minor adjustments.
She had to admit that while Lu Jingxing didn’t know as much about the pastry industry as she did, his understanding and control over the food market were absolute top-tier.
As they talked, their shoulders inadvertently leaned against each other.
Lu Jingxing looked at Su Ran’s jade-white fingers and pale lotus-colored nails resting on the brown mouse as she gently scrolled.
He recalled that night when the drug was surging through her, her eyes watery and unfocused, her small hand teasing a certain part of him as she whispered to herself, “So this is what it feels like.”
Lu Jingxing’s heart skipped a beat, and he shifted his legs slightly further apart.