The Hongqi limousine glided smoothly along Jianghai City's main artery in the deep night, the neon lights outside the windows stretching into ribbons of colored light.
Ghost Uncle glanced at Su Yang through the rearview mirror. Seeing his eyes were closed, he wisely kept silent, merely adjusting the air conditioning half a degree warmer.
Just then, an urgent, jarring ringtone shattered the quiet in the car.
It wasn't Su Yang's encrypted phone for contacting the shadow world. It was the basic, cheap "senior phone" he'd bought after returning to the country just to deal with everyday matters. Its shrill polyphonic ringtone belonged to a different universe entirely from this top-tier luxury vehicle.
Su Yang didn't even lift an eyelid, as if he'd been expecting this call. He fished out the phone and answered.
"Yeah."
A single word, flat and devoid of any emotion.
On the other end was Lin Zhenguo's voice, clearly anxious and tinged with ingratiation. In the background, there seemed to be the sound of something being thrown and a woman's angry shouts.
"Is that... Su Yang? My dear nephew, it's your Uncle Lin!"
Lin Zhenguo's voice now was a world apart from the proud, triumphant man on stage hours earlier—exhausted and awkward.
"What happened at the hotel earlier... Ah, it's your Uncle Lin's fault for not raising his daughter properly! You were wronged! Wanxin has been spoiled since she was a child, too stubborn for her own good. Please, you must not take it to heart!"
In the darkness, the corner of Su Yang's mouth curved slightly.
"You exaggerate, Chairman Lin," he replied mildly. "The engagement is null and void. There's no 'wrong' to speak of."
This lukewarm response made Lin Zhenguo on the other end as anxious as an ant on a hot skillet. He knew all too well how heavy the debt of gratitude owed to the Su family was—it was practically bought with a life. If Su Yang really cut ties just like that, and later came to settle that debt of gratitude, the Lin family could empty their entire coffers and still not repay it!
Not to mention, Su Yang's unnervingly calm demeanor at the banquet and his final words about "sending someone to settle the account" had inexplicably filled him with dread.
This young man was absolutely not as simple as he appeared!!!
"Listen to me, nephew!" Lin Zhenguo spoke urgently. "The engagement... we can discuss it slowly later! The friendship between your father and me cannot be severed just like that! How about this: don't leave. Tomorrow... no, come stay at my house now! Our Lin family owes you, we must make amends!"
Su Yang sneered inwardly.
*Amends? Ha. More like you're afraid that if I leave, that 'debt of gratitude' becomes a sword hanging over the Lin family's head.*
He didn't reply immediately, deliberately letting the silence stretch. The breathing on the other end of the line grew heavy.
Finally, Su Yang spoke slowly. "Chairman Lin, I think you misunderstand. I returned to Jianghai City solely to fulfill the marriage contract. Since Miss Lin is unwilling, I certainly won't force it. I'll be leaving Jianghai tomorrow. I won't trouble you further."
"No, no, no!!!"
Lin Zhenguo panicked completely. Gritting his teeth, as if making a momentous decision, he played his final card.
"Su Yang! Your uncle is begging you! You can't leave! You must stay!!!"
"To express the Lin family's apology, and to give you a chance to understand Wanxin better and clear up any misunderstandings, I've decided! Starting tomorrow, you will work at Lin Corporation! You'll be Wanxin's personal secretary! Your salary and benefits will be at the vice-president level!"
From the other end, there seemed to be a sharper cry and roar from Lin Wanxin, quickly suppressed by Lin Zhenguo.
"It's settled! You must come! This is my arrangement for you, as your elder!"
Lin Zhenguo used a tone that brooked no argument, trying to seize back the initiative. In his view, this was both compensation and a form of "keeping watch"—having Su Yang under his eye was better than having him out there as an uncontrollable creditor.
Leaning back in the seat, listening to Lin Zhenguo's "overbearing CEO"-style arrangement, Su Yang almost laughed out loud.
This was exactly what he wanted.
An identity that would allow him the closest possible contact with Lin Wanxin, to watch the Ice Queen's expressions change.
He just hadn't expected the opportunity to be handed to him like this, without Ghost Uncle needing to arrange a thing. The other side delivered it to his doorstep. Unbelievable.
"Since it's Uncle Lin's arrangement..." Su Yang pretended to think for a moment, his tone carrying a hint of "reluctance," "...then I'll respectfully comply. Tomorrow morning at nine, I will be at the Lin residence."
"Good, good! Excellent!" Lin Zhenguo breathed a huge sigh of relief, thanking him profusely as if he had scored some great bargain.
Hanging up, Su Yang tossed the basic phone aside casually.
Ghost Uncle, driving, had watched everything in the rearview mirror, his face full of admiration.
"My King, you truly... leave nothing to chance. Lin Zhenguo will probably go to his grave without understanding that his presumptuous 'forced arrangement' just happened to fall right into your trap."
Su Yang opened his eyes. They were clear and alert, not a trace of sleepiness in them.
"A panicked old fox will always make the choice we want most."
He smiled faintly, his gaze returning to the window.
"Check if there's a branch of the 'Vulture' assassin organization in Jianghai City. I'm catching a familiar scent."
Ghost Uncle's expression turned serious. He nodded respectfully. "Understood!"
...
The next day, 9:00 AM sharp.
An utterly ordinary taxi stopped outside the gates of the Lin family villa, located in Jianghai City's top-tier suburban enclave for the wealthy.
Su Yang paid and got out.
Today he wore clean casual clothes—still bargain-bin stuff—but on him, they carried an indescribable style, like a male model on a runway.
He looked calmly at the luxurious villa spread over thousands of square meters, complete with its own gardens, swimming pool, and golf course.
*In the past, I've blown up three places like this in a single night.*
The butler was already waiting at the entrance. Seeing Su Yang, he forced a smile uglier than a grimace and respectfully ushered him inside.
The atmosphere in the villa's living room was lethally tense.
Lin Zhenguo sat on the main sofa, dark circles under his eyes, bloodshot—clearly having not slept all night.
Opposite him, Lin Wanxin sat elegantly cross-legged in a sharply tailored white business suit. Her posture was graceful, but her beautiful face was cold enough to freeze one to death.
When she saw Su Yang walk in, the disgust and hatred in her eyes could have turned into blades.
In her view, this man was the very definition of shameless. Humiliated like that last night, he actually had the face to show up today, even accepting her father's absurd arrangement.
*He just wants to cling to the Lin family! He's a parasite trying to live off that bit of gratitude owed to his ancestors!*
"Su Yang, you're here. Please, sit," Lin Zhenguo hurriedly stood up, greeting him warmly.
Su Yang nodded and, without a hint of courtesy, sat on the sofa opposite Lin Wanxin. He leaned back, relaxing as if in his own home.
This "thick-skinned" demeanor made the fire in Lin Wanxin's eyes burn hotter.
"Dad! I'm saying this one last time! I don't agree!!!"
Lin Wanxin finally exploded. She shot to her feet, her limited-edition Prada handbag crumpling in her grip.
She stared death at Su Yang, her voice trembling with anger.
"You want him to be my secretary? My *personal* secretary?!?"
"Do you know what my secretary handles? All of Lin Corporation's core commercial secrets! My entire schedule for the next six months! Private records of my meetings with other company executives! And you want to hand all that to some man of unknown origin, a brute whose highest education level we don't even know?!?"
"Are you trying to bankrupt Lin Corporation??!"
Lin Zhenguo's face flushed with anger at his daughter's shouting. He slammed the table. "How dare you!!! Is that any way to speak to your elder? I trust Su Yang's character! Besides, this is only a temporary arrangement!"
"I don't care!" Lin Wanxin's eyes, like two icy blades, shot directly at Su Yang. "You want to enter Lin Corporation? Fine! Security department, cleaning department—take your pick! But my CEO's office? He is not qualified to set one foot inside!"
She lifted her chin haughtily, addressing Su Yang in a judgmental tone. "Your choice. Be a security guard, or get out of the Lin family right now."
The air in the living room instantly froze solid.
Lin Zhenguo opened his mouth to say something but was silenced by a look from Su Yang.
Su Yang picked up the tea the butler had just served, leisurely blew on it, and took a sip.
He waited until Lin Wanxin was nearly out of patience before setting the cup down and looking up.
He smiled.
A faint smile, yet one filled with a knowing playfulness, as if he saw right through everything.
"CEO Lin, it seems you haven't learned your lesson from last night."
His opening words stunned Lin Wanxin.
Su Yang leaned forward slightly, his calm gaze meeting her fiery one.
"First, regarding my identity. The 'brute' you speak of might just be the most top-tier bodyguard you'll ever find in your lifetime. I hear Lin Corporation recently secured that plot of land in the south district and offended quite a few people in the process. CEO Lin, you come and go to all sorts of places. Having someone like me by your side would at least ensure you don't end up with a sack over your head in some parking lot."
Lin Wanxin's pupils contracted sharply.
*The rival for the south district land sent me anonymous threats. That's top company机密! How does he know?!*
As if not seeing her shock, Su Yang continued.
"Second, regarding commercial secrets. Rest assured, I have no interest in Lin Corporation's contracts worth hundreds of millions or billions."
His tone was matter-of-fact, yet carried an arrogance that was startling.
"The secrets I handled in the past... letting just one slip could trigger a full-scale war in a medium-sized country. Compared to that, your company's commercial secrets, in my eyes, are like children's scribbles. Rather cute, but utterly worthless."
"You!!!" Lin Wanxin's chest heaved with rage. *This man is too arrogant! How dare he?!*
Ignoring her fury, Su Yang delivered his third point.
"Third, and most importantly."
His eyes suddenly turned sharp, like a blade, instantly piercing through all of Lin Wanxin's pride and pretenses.
"CEO Lin, your confidence seems entirely built upon your title and the flattery of those around you. A truly formidable person—their light isn't dimmed by whoever stands beside them. On the contrary, they make anyone standing with them feel honored."
"Your resistance to me isn't because I'm not worthy of you."
"It's because, deep down, you're afraid that you are not worthy of me."
Boom!!!
The final sentence exploded in Lin Wanxin's mind like thunder.
She froze completely, her face instantly deathly pale, drained of all color.
Her prized composure, rationality, and haughtiness were shattered to pieces in that moment.
*This man... how dare he... how dare he say that?!*
*What gives him the right?!*
Yet, deep in her heart, a voice screamed at her—*He's right.*
The reason for her anger, her resistance, was precisely because the unfathomable mystery and calm Su Yang exuded—something she couldn't control or even comprehend—made her feel a threat and sense of defeat she had never experienced before!
Lin Zhenguo was also dumbfounded. He never imagined this seemingly ordinary young man could speak so cuttingly, hitting the nail right on the head!
Having finished, Su Yang no longer looked at her. He stood up and straightened his collar.
"Chairman Lin, the employment contract?" he asked, turning to Lin Zhenguo.
As if waking from a dream, Lin Zhenguo hurriedly pulled the prepared contract from his briefcase.
Su Yang didn't even glance at it. He simply signed his name on the last page. The signature was flowing and bold, carrying a decisive, ruthless edge.
He handed the contract back to Lin Zhenguo, then turned to face Lin Wanxin, who was still frozen in place.
"CEO Lin, from this moment, I am your secretary."
"Are there any appointments this afternoon? Shall I prepare a car in advance?"
His tone was calm, professional, as if those soul-piercing words moments ago had never been spoken.
Lin Wanxin jolted back to awareness. She bit her lip so hard it nearly bled.
She took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the tempest of emotions inside, and regained her icy mask.
"Very well."
She squeezed out two words through gritted teeth, cold flames flickering in her eyes.
"Secretary Su, is it? The CEO's office is on the 38th floor, the top floor. You can't get up without an elevator keycard. HR's onboarding process is terribly cumbersome; it takes at least three hours. My garage has over a dozen cars. None will start without my fingerprint authorization."
"I'm giving you the entire afternoon to solve these problems."
"At 6 PM, if I don't see you and my car together in the company underground garage, you can pack your things and get lost!"
With that, without looking at anyone, she picked up her handbag, strode out on her high heels, and left the villa without a backward glance.
Her retreating figure held a trace of.
In the living room, Lin Zhenguo looked at the situation, his face full of bitterness.
Su Yang, however, offered a faint smile.
"Challenges make things interesting."
He looked in the direction Lin Wanxin had disappeared, thinking to himself.
*The cat-and-mouse game has officially begun~~~*