Chapter 36: The Boss’s Secretary

Tens of thousands of eyes watched; among them, some perceptive souls had already discerned from Jiang Fan’s actions that…

Chen Anlong stepped out of the office building together with Deputy General Manager Tang from the neighboring office. They saw some employees carrying their meals with an almost brazen disregard for decorum. Just as Chen Anlong was about to go confront the security guards about this, Deputy Tang caught his arm and said, “Let it be. Let’s eat our own lunch. If you concern yourself with every little matter, do you think you’ll ever have time for your real work?”

At the start of the afternoon shift, Jiang Fan prepared to head back to his dormitory. Waiting for phone calls had become his main occupation.

Just as he passed the factory’s office building, Chen Anlong’s secretary approached him and said, “The boss asked me to let you know: for the next few days, you should focus on recuperating. No work will be assigned to you. If you need to leave the factory, just leave an address where you can be reached.”

“Why is that old turtle suddenly so kind? Giving me paid leave, no less,” Jiang Fan muttered to himself.

Though he spoke quietly, the secretary, who was just turning to leave, caught his words. She turned back and said, “You’re brave, saying such things about the boss right in front of me. Aren’t you worried I’ll report you? Let me remind you: to my knowledge, anyone who badmouths the boss behind his back gets fired.”

The first time Jiang Fan met Chen Anlong, he felt no fondness for him. Driven by necessity, he came here, but unlike other workers, he never felt fearful of the boss. Still, he had never insulted Chen Anlong openly; his muttering was merely a private venting of frustration, accidentally overheard.

Seeing the secretary’s smiling admonition, Jiang Fan grew bolder and replied with a cheeky grin, “Fire me if you must. If I can’t stay here, there are plenty of other places for me. Following a boss who likes stirring up trouble—who knows how one’s life might end up lost? Maybe getting fired is the best thing. I’ll let you take credit for your tattling, as your reward for sycophancy.”

“Who’s sycophantic? I’m kindly reminding you. You’re quite ungrateful and unable to distinguish good from bad. Hmph.” With that, the secretary left.

To be a boss’s secretary, she must be exceptionally attractive. Watching her walk away, her slender waist swaying and radiating a natural allure, Jiang Fan felt a spontaneous sense of closeness.

During office hours, Jiang Fan called out to the secretary, who was now ten meters away, “Hey beautiful! When I get paid, I’ll treat you to a meal.”

She stopped in her tracks, turned back, and said, “My surname isn’t ‘Beautiful,’ nor am I a ‘beauty.’ Call me Ah Ping from now on. If you’re serious about treating me, make it tonight. If you’re just bluffing, do us both a favor and keep your sharp tongue to yourself.”

With no friends in the factory, it was rare to meet someone he could chat with. Jiang Fan shamelessly replied, “If even someone like you doesn’t consider herself a beauty, then there’s no beautiful woman in the factory. As for treating you, I don’t have my salary yet, so let’s put it on the tab. I’ll make good on it as soon as I get paid.”

“You’re really thick-skinned, putting dinner on credit. If the boss goes out tonight, I’ll treat you. If he stays, I have to remain in the office until the factory closes.”

Ah Ping also wore a uniform bearing the Da Feng logo, but since she often had to receive visiting clients, her uniform was a tailored suit and blouse.

Jiang Fan took a careful look at Ah Ping’s attire for the first time. Her job was somewhat similar to Hao Meng’s, except for the bottom half: Hao Meng’s uniform was a pencil skirt, while the secretary wore flared trousers matching her suit. Her beauty rivaled Hao Meng’s.

He was not as familiar with Ah Ping as with Hao Meng, so Jiang Fan hesitated and said, “A man shouldn’t let a woman pay for his meal—it’s embarrassing. Maybe next time!”

“Don’t say ‘next time.’ If you’re short on cash, I can lend you some. That’s settled: if the boss goes out tonight, treat me to a late-night snack.” With that, Ah Ping happily returned to the office.

She had taken a new interest in Jiang Fan since witnessing his actions the previous day. In their earlier encounters, Jiang Fan had always appeared stern and indifferent. Now, seeing him joke with her, Ah Ping’s face flushed as she disappeared from his view.

Jiang Fan felt the fifty-odd yuan in his pocket and wondered, “Would you really use money lent by one woman to treat another to supper? Wouldn’t that be shameless?” He shook his head, realizing he couldn’t stoop to such a thing.

Since Chen Anlong had told him to rest and recover, Jiang Fan left Da Feng and walked to the dumpling shop. He saw Ah Zhen’s younger sister, Zhen, and Aunt Qiu fighting over a broom, arguing, “Let me do it.”

“Auntie, I’ll do it. You go sit and rest for a bit.”

When Jiang Fan appeared, Aunt Qiu handed the broom to Ah Zhen’s sister and walked over to him, asking with concern, “How did you get hurt? What happened?”

“It’s nothing. Last night, I got up and slipped in the dark.” Seeing Aunt Qiu’s worried expression, Jiang Fan concealed the truth, not wanting to worry her.

“You’re wearing a sling and still say it’s nothing. Next time, be more careful.”

After admonishing Jiang Fan, Aunt Qiu glanced at Ah Zhen’s sister, who was sweeping outside, and continued, “That little girl is so sensible. She gets up at six every morning and rushes here, always eager to help with everything. Even when asked to rest, she refuses.”

Looking at the girl, only about 155 centimeters tall and particularly thin, Jiang Fan called out sympathetically, “Little sister, take a break. I’ll help you sweep later.”

“Brother, I’m not tired. You sit down for a bit; I’ll finish soon.”

Seeing how well-mannered and obedient Ah Zhen’s younger sister was, Jiang Fan realized he had never asked her name since they met.

After she finished sweeping, Jiang Fan invited her to sit by his side and asked about her name and family.

He learned her name was Huang Guihua, from a remote Tujia village in Western Hunan. She was not yet fifteen, two years younger than her sister Ah Zhen, the second of five sisters, with three younger sisters—the youngest only six years old.

Her father was a knowledgeable man and a sent-down youth; for the love of Huang’s mother, he did not return to the city when his term ended, but stayed in the mountains. Her mother had always been a farmer.

When the youngest sister was born, Huang’s mother had a difficult labor. The father, rushing to get her to the town clinic, fell down a slope and broke his left leg, making the family’s situation even more precarious.

Though the family was poor and couldn’t afford schooling for every child, the father was strict about education, teaching his daughters to read and emphasizing their character.

Ah Zhen’s refusal to eat supper out of concern for her sister had already inspired Jiang Fan’s respect. Now, seeing the young Huang Guihua so sensible and well-behaved, his desire to help her grew even stronger.

Just as he was chatting with Huang Guihua, he spotted a police car stopping on the highway outside the dumpling shop. A striking figure stepped out.

Jiang Fan’s eyes widened in surprise as he stared at the figure, muttering, “Why is she here? Could it really be like a dream—she’s come to settle accounts with me?”

Noticing Jiang Fan’s sudden surprise, Huang Guihua asked, “Brother, what’s wrong?”

Jiang Fan pointed to Wang Wenyu, who had just stepped out and was standing by the roadside, and said, “Nothing. The tigress is here. Go stand at the door. If she tries to come in, you must stop her—don’t let her see me!”

Huang Guihua looked outside and saw Wang Wenyu. She asked in puzzlement, “Who is that pretty sister? Why do you call her a tigress? Brother, do you know her?”