Chapter 1: First Impressions Are the Worst
Zhao Xinyi glanced at the meeting invite blinking on her laptop screen and sighed. "Company-wide CEO introduction," it read, which in plain English meant, "Try not to get fired."
She smoothed the front of her blouse and adjusted her color-coded planner on the desk. The bright pink tab for "Emergency Survival Tactics" seemed oddly appropriate.
The video call window popped open, and there he was: Zhou Yichen, the new CEO. Sharp suit, colder smile. The kind of guy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else—except right here, glaring at her.
"Good morning," he said, voice flat like he'd just stepped out of a corporate drone factory. "Let's keep this short. I expect efficiency."
Yiyi resisted the urge to raise an eyebrow. Efficiency? In a meeting about introductions? That was rich.
Before she could make a sarcastic mental note, Yichen's eyes flicked toward her screen. "You're Zhao Xinyi?" he asked, tone more like a challenge than a question.
"That's me," she replied, voice steady but bristling with the kind of energy that said, Don't even try me.
He smirked. "I don't have time to babysit amateurs. Let's see if you can keep up."
A flicker of heat rose in Yiyi's chest. "Noted. I don't plan on falling behind."
The rest of the meeting passed in a blur of clipped remarks and veiled insults. When it ended, Yiyi's inbox already held a new task from Yichen: "Prepare a full marketing overhaul by next week. No excuses."
She stared at the message. "This is going to be a long week," she muttered.
And somehow, she already hated the new CEO.