Han Yue watched Zhao Min sign the contract with a satisfaction that had nothing to do with business. She had secured the asset, legally and financially. She had turned the most valuable resource she'd ever encountered—his simple, pure kindness—into her company's property.
Her immediate problem was simple: proving the Luck Conduction was real, and ensuring Zhao Min stayed close.
"Congratulations, Senior Administrative Partner Zhao," she said, her voice dry but carrying an edge of victory. "Your duties start now. You will be attending the final negotiation with Horizon Corp this afternoon."
Zhao Min looked surprised. "Ms. Han, I have zero experience in high-level negotiation."
"I know," she replied. "Your job is not to speak. Your job is to simply exist within a ten-foot radius of my decision-making process. Think of yourself as an incredibly expensive, very handsome security blanket."
She saw his slight frown and added, "And to prove the value of your salary, you will also be reading through the internal company financial reports. Start with the Miller Debt Settlement from three years ago. It's what nearly killed us."
Han Yue needed him to see the abyss she had just climbed out of, increasing his respect for her, which would, in turn, increase his Affection Level and the flow of luck.
The meeting room for the Horizon Corp negotiation was massive and intimidating. The Horizon team was led by Mr. Vance, a ruthless negotiator known for destroying smaller firms.
Han Yue, armed with caffeine and a calm she hadn't felt in years, sat down. She positioned Zhao Min directly behind her chair, placing a small stack of unimportant documents on the table in front of him.
"Mr. Vance, thank you for coming," Han Yue began, her posture straight.
"Cut the pleasantries, Ms. Han," Vance sneered, leaning back. "Your company is worth nothing. You've been circling the drain for months. Horizon is here to offer you a fire sale price—we take your remaining assets, and you avoid bankruptcy court. You get a handshake; we get a bargain."
Han Yue felt the familiar pressure of corporate bullying, but it didn't pierce the armor this time. She glanced back at Zhao Min. He wasn't even watching the negotiation; he was earnestly reading the complex financial reports she had given him. He looked utterly dedicated.
The sight of his sincere focus was enough. The Luck Conduction flowed, hitting a weak point in Mr. Vance's armor.
"Horizon offers ten million dollars for fifty percent of your intellectual property," Vance stated confidently.
Han Yue opened her mouth to counter, but a subtle, bizarre thing happened before she could speak. Mr. Vance suddenly reached for his glass of water, missed, and knocked a heavy metal paperweight directly onto his ankle under the table.
Vance gasped, his face contorted in pain. He cursed under his breath, trying to hide his agony.
In the tiny moment of pain and distraction caused by the minor luck-induced accident, Vance completely lost his train of thought. When he recovered, he spoke a different number—a fatal mistake he would never usually make.
"Fine," Vance hissed, fighting the throbbing in his foot. "Fifteen million, and we'll cap the IP at forty percent. Final offer."
Han Yue's eyes widened, then immediately narrowed in victory. He had increased his offer by 50% without her even negotiating.
She finalized the deal quickly, her tone crisp and unwavering. The Horizon team left the room, their leader hobbling slightly, baffled at the terms he had just agreed to.
Back in her office, Han Yue dismissed her assistant and closed the door. She stared at Zhao Min, who was still absorbed in the financial reports.
"Mr. Zhao," she said, a hint of awe in her voice. "We just secured a fifteen-million-dollar deal that should have bankrupted us."
Zhao Min looked up, genuinely surprised. "That's wonderful, Ms. Han! I knew you could do it."
"No," she countered, walking over and resting her hands on his desk. "I couldn't. I was losing until Vance was... distracted." She paused, then asked the critical question. "What are you reading right now?"
"The Miller Debt," Zhao Min replied. "It's awful. It looks like the company was deliberately saddled with this ten-million-dollar phantom debt three years ago by a single, internal accounting error. It's the reason everything's been failing."
Han Yue's blood ran cold. The debt that had been impossible to solve, the debt that had just been mysteriously paid off the day before yesterday, moments after she hired Zhao Min.
"Look at the date on the settlement," she instructed him, her voice low.
Zhao Min scrolled down. "It's dated today. The day before yesterday, actually. It says the debt was paid in full by an anonymous, decades-old account tied to an obscure investment bank."
Han Yue's analytical mind slammed shut. This wasn't luck; it was a reversal of destiny.
"Mr. Zhao," she said, her voice now dangerously possessive. "You didn't just save my job. You saved my life's work. You are not leaving my side. Ever."
Her gaze was intense, burning with a mix of gratitude, desperation, and growing, undeniable attraction. Zhao Min's sincerity and his surprising grasp of the financial trouble had deepened his emotional hold on her. His Affection Level with Han Yue spiked to +30.
She immediately ordered a new, expensive desk be moved into her office, placing it exactly ten feet from her own.
"From now on, this is your office," she stated. "You are my shadow."
Zhao Min, still seeing her as a dedicated CEO who desperately needed his help, simply nodded. He didn't see the cage she was building around him. He just saw an opportunity to finally be useful.