The big boss was talking to a female worker!

Most people didn’t know Ye Xiaoqiong’s background and found this scene strange.

Ye Xiaoqiong wiped the sweat from her forehead and followed Du Zhaoji out of the workshop.

It was still hot outside.

But compared to the workshop, it felt like heavenly comfort.

Ye Xiaoqiong removed her mask, revealing how much thinner she had become.

Du Zhaoji stood several meters away but could still smell the sweat.

This was not a pleasant scent – the sour odor made Du Zhaoji very uncomfortable, causing him to sneer:

“Are you enjoying your work in the workshop?”

Ye Xiaoqiong had been agitated at first.

This was a silent tug-of-war – whoever lost patience first would be at a disadvantage.

Since the worst situation was already here and things couldn’t get worse, Ye Xiaoqiong suddenly became calm.

“Second Young Master, I’m just following your arrangements. You’re the boss – you can have me work as a secretary or as a factory worker.”

Du Zhaoji looked her up and down.

He felt that after working as a factory worker for a while, Ye Xiaoqiong had grown bolder.

This kind of neither soft nor hard defiance wasn’t something she would have said before.

“You’re working in the factory because your abilities weren’t up to being a secretary. I was planning to promote you to special assistant, but you didn’t want the promotion.”

Ye Xiaoqiong’s lips trembled, but she finally lowered her head:

“Yes, I failed to live up to Second Young Master’s trust.”

Look at this woman – admitting fault with her words but not believing she was wrong in her heart.

If she had truly recognized her mistake, Ye Xiaoqiong should have taken the initiative to yield and admit defeat, rather than waiting for him to call her out of the workshop today.

“I know you’re not convinced. You think you followed my instructions to find that Zhou person, but how did you do it? Half-heartedly! Ye Xiaoqiong, you’re taking my salary!”

Ye Xiaoqiong couldn’t defend herself.

Going to find Xia Xiaolan had already been reluctant.

Knowing Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng were unlikely to agree, she had just waited for Xia Xiaolan’s refusal, considering it enough to report back to Du Zhaoji.

She hadn’t expected Du Zhaoji to see through everything so clearly.

If she had known about Zhou Yi’s existence earlier, would she have made different choices?

Ye Xiaoqiong remained silent.

With her head down and the sour smell of sweat, she didn’t seem feminine at all.

Du Zhaoji thought he had issues too. After Ye Xiaoqiong was sent to the workshop, others served as his secretary. The men weren’t detail-oriented enough, and the women often had other motives. None worked as smoothly as Ye Xiaoqiong had.

“Ye Xiaoqiong, you need to understand your position. At any time, my interests are above everything else. If I lose this competition with my brother, and you’re someone by my side, what good outcome could there be? My interests are your interests. If you don’t stand with me, whatever reason you had for working at Chengrong Group, you’ll end up disappointed!”

Ye Xiaoqiong’s heart trembled.

Why had she come to Hong Kong, why had she entered Chengrong? It was to rise above others!

Only by rising above could she avoid being bullied and take revenge.

“Second Young Master—”

Du Zhaoji threw her a document envelope.

“Go back and look at it yourself. Come find me when you’ve thought it through.”

Du Zhaoji left without further acknowledgment.

Ye Xiaoqiong trudged back to the workshop.

The female workers were all watching her, obviously wondering why the big boss would speak with her.

When the shift finally ended, Ye Xiaoqiong returned to her quarters and, without even showering, opened the envelope Du Zhaoji had given her in the stifling dormitory.

“Zhou Cheng, born 1963, age 23, born in Beijing… Girlfriend Xia Xiaolan, born 1965, age 20, from Southern Yu Province, stepfather Tang Hongen is Pengcheng’s mayor, currently studying architecture at Cornell University in New York… Designer of Pengcheng Electronics Plaza, suspected partner of Chengrong Group’s eldest young master Du Zhaohui…”

The paper fluttered from Ye Xiaoqiong’s hands to the floor.

No wonder Du Zhaoji had spoken those words.

He was mocking her naivety.

When Xia Xiaolan approached her about Zhou Yi’s matter, why hadn’t she mentioned her cooperation with Du Zhaohui?

The two Du young masters could no longer coexist. If Du Zhaoji couldn’t beat Du Zhaohui, Ye Xiaoqiong would be finished too.

And Xia Xiaolan was Du Zhaohui’s partner… In Hong Kong, she had advised Ye Xiaoqiong to stay away from the Du family’s struggles, yet she had gotten involved.

What help could Xia Xiaolan bring Du Zhaohui?

Her stepfather was Pengcheng’s mayor!

If Du Zhaohui won, the consequences would be unbearable for Du Zhaoji – and wouldn’t it be the same for Ye Xiaoqiong?

She covered her face with her hands and laughed softly:

“So heaven had already chosen for me. We were already on opposing sides.”

The information Du Zhaoji provided must be true. In America, despite offering a high price for the production line, they had lost to the Chinese delegation and were ordered by Chairman Du to withdraw from the competition. The Second Young Master must have been very upset.

Chairman Du’s actions had made the entire competition unfair.

Ye Xiaoqiong didn’t sleep all night. The next morning, she made herself presentable and appeared in Du Zhaoji’s office.

Du Zhaoji had a morning meeting with the local government and didn’t return to the factory until noon. He found Ye Xiaoqiong in his office, having already properly categorized his recent files and documents.

This was very characteristic of Ye Xiaoqiong.

Other secretaries would categorize too, but when Du Zhaoji needed to check them, they weren’t convenient.

Ye Xiaoqiong was detail-oriented, perhaps too much so, but this naturally matched the particular Du Zhaoji.

As his secretary, she had not only improved herself but had also cultivated Du Zhaoji’s demanding standards!

“Second Young Master.”

“Have you thought it through?”

Ye Xiaoqiong nodded, “Yes, I want to return to work by the Second Young Master’s side.”

Du Zhaoji sneered: “I thought you would question the authenticity of the information. I’m very angry, not about failing to buy the production line, but about the unfair treatment. I hope one day, no one will be able to force me to back down, I hope to be master of my fate… Ye Xiaoqiong, don’t you want that too?”

After the setback in America, Du Zhaoji couldn’t accept Du Chengrong telling him to withdraw.

Du Chengrong said it was in the group’s interests and offered compensation.

Du Zhaoji directly refused.

He wanted to figure out Mr. Zhou’s identity by himself. Once Ye Xiaoqiong provided the name and occupation, Du Zhaoji could investigate their identity.

Following Zhou Cheng led to Xia Xiaolan.

Following Xia Xiaolan led to the C·W architectural design competition, where coincidentally the winning entry was titled “Electronics Plaza.” One thing led to another, and Du Zhaoji learned who Xia Xiaolan was – his brother had found a shortcut, somehow winning over this mayor’s daughter. No wonder he enjoyed so many conveniences in Pengcheng!

It must have been Xia Xiaolan who leaked the Pengcheng government’s plans, allowing Du Zhaohui to choose the electronic components market as an entry point, perfectly aligning with the Special Zone government’s planning to create such a large-scale project.

“Ye Xiaoqiong, you’re an ambitious woman. No matter how compliant you act, it’s useless – there’s a burning flame in your eyes. You trust others and perfunctorily handle my instructions, but have they trusted you? They’re all Du Zhaohui’s partners. Knowing about the competition between Du Zhaohui and me, and seeing you work by my side, they wouldn’t tell you the truth. They’re fooling you.”

There was mockery in Du Zhaoji’s eyes:

“Do you want to be the fool they’re making fun of?”