Chapter 9
Transferring from an outsourced position to a permanent one was common, but never this casual.
Although it was always just a matter of a leader’s word, this was ultimately different.
An employee passing by glanced in their direction. Zhou Qin, who had appeared from nowhere, closed the door for them from the outside. The small break room now held three people. Qi Baizi stood in the middle, the three of them forming a triangle.
Gu Yuetong saw Qi Baizi thinking. After the initial shock and fear, she silently moved to stand by her side.
A satisfied smile appeared on Gu Yuetong’s face.
She gave a quick, triumphant arch of her eyebrow at the slightly trembling Gu Hezhu, pulling Qi Baizi behind her in a protective gesture.
Qi Baizi’s breathing quickened. This was a very real Asura Field, a conflict born from a mother and daughter. She felt like a prize, completely out of place. But it was clear that her positioning showed her heart was already leaning towards the one offering benefits—after all, Gu Yuetong had already made her a permanent employee.
She had already gained recognition, whereas Gu Hezhu was an unknown quantity. Even if she accepted Gu Hezhu’s recruitment, there was no guarantee it would last.
After a moment of silence, Gu Hezhu was the first to speak. “You—”
But she was quickly interrupted by Gu Yuetong.
“How could you do something so absurd?” She finished the sentence Gu Hezhu had intended to say for her.
“But in your eyes, I’ve always been an absurd person. Right, Chairman?” Gu Yuetong said. “Otherwise, you wouldn’t be constantly thinking of planting spies around me, not even sparing an outsourced assistant.”
“President Gu, you’ve got some skills.” Faced with the blatant provocation and exposure, Gu Hezhu dropped her benevolent act. Her face was as cold as a frozen pond, and she let out a chilling laugh. “How about I give you this Chairman position as well?”
Gu Yuetong smiled slowly. She wasn’t afraid of Gu Hezhu’s threats; it was just an elegant way of throwing a tantrum.
“Then you can convene a board meeting immediately. I will be sure to attend on time.”
With that, she turned to look at Qi Baizi, who was somewhat dazed, completely clueless as to what Gu Yuetong was thinking.
But Gu Yuetong gave her a slight smile, a reassuring expression.
Qi Baizi still didn’t know what Gu Yuetong was trying to convey. She took the initiative to take the drink from Gu Yuetong’s hand and followed her into the president’s office.
The bottle cap was twisted open and placed in front of Gu Yuetong.
Gu Yuetong was still smiling, a smile that sent a chill down Qi Baizi’s spine.
“President Gu.” Under psychological pressure, Qi Baizi took the initiative to ask, “Is the meeting still on?”
“Thank you for choosing me twice.”
Qi Baizi was taken aback. “President Gu?”
When Gu Yuetong smiled, a dimple appeared on her left cheek. Just one, which made it look very unique. From the side, her sharp, European-style features only conveyed a sense of cold beauty. But face to face, especially when Gu Yuetong’s smile didn’t fade, Qi Baizi clearly noticed a rare, playful charm.
It was a bit of a contrast, though not much.
“President Gu, this is what I should do…”
The next second, Gu Yuetong’s smile vanished. “Tell them the meeting is over early. And call the HR Director over.”
Surprised by the speed of her attitude change, Qi Baizi froze for a second, then nodded. “Yes.”
The HR Director’s name was Han Zhiyu. She had once been arranged by Gu Hezhu to be Gu Yuetong’s personal assistant for four months. Gu Hezhu paid her double the salary, just so she could closely monitor Gu Yuetong and obtain some information.
What kind of information? Qi Baizi was very curious. Han Zhiyu told her, “Don’t ask. You wouldn’t want to know.”
When Qi Baizi found Han Zhiyu, she was secretly eating bread in the break room. Han Zhiyu had stomach problems and would start to dry heave if she didn’t eat on time.
After informing her that the meeting was over, Qi Baizi explained her purpose. Han Zhiyu glanced at the half-eaten bread and insisted on telling Qi Baizi some gossip.
Gu Yuetong had said she wanted to see her, but she hadn’t said she had to go right away. Qi Baizi didn’t rush her; how much time could eating a piece of bread take?
As they talked, the gossip turned to herself. Qi Baizi learned that Han Zhiyu was actually an alumna from her own university, five years her senior.
Qi Baizi asked her how she got into Gu Corporation.
She answered patiently, then asked Qi Baizi, “Do you know why President Gu is looking for me?”
Qi Baizi shook her head, thought for a moment, and then said, “I’ve been made a permanent employee. Could it be…”
“No.” Han Zhiyu cut her off crisply. “You’re just an outsourced employee. Even if you’re made permanent, they’ll just notify the outsourcing company. A small task like that wouldn’t require them to find me.”
“Oh.” Qi Baizi lowered her head. She saw the brown leather shoes on Han Zhiyu’s feet. They were a simple, versatile style, with thick soles and slight creases, looking very comfortable to wear.
But she didn’t ask Han Zhiyu what brand the shoes were. Shoes that looked this comfortable often had a price that wasn’t so comfortable.
Han Zhiyu swallowed the last bite of bread and said, “Actually, I’m quite afraid of her in private.”
“Her” referred to Gu Yuetong.
Han Zhiyu had just told Qi Baizi that she had been Gu Yuetong’s assistant for four months, receiving a double salary for four months. Her conscience couldn’t take it anymore, so she confessed to Gu Yuetong.
Gu Yuetong had said, “I know. I’ve been wary of you all along.”
That had scared Han Zhiyu into a babbling mess.
Gu Yuetong then said, “But I admire your work ability. Go to the Human Resources Department. Try to earn a high salary with your own skills.”
And so, she had worked her way up to her current position.
Gu Yuetong was very discerning. To receive such high praise meant that Han Zhiyu was indeed exceptionally capable. Qi Baizi admired her, but she didn’t understand what she meant.
“Why are you afraid?” Wasn’t it a good thing for talented people to admire each other?
Han Zhiyu took out a tissue to wipe her mouth and said seriously, “Because I almost slept with her.”
As soon as she said this, Qi Baizi froze on the spot. By the time she came to her senses, Han Zhiyu was already in the elevator.
Qi Baizi felt as if she had turned to stone. She wanted to follow her, but she couldn’t move at all.
Just as the elevator doors were about to close, she saw Han Zhiyu raise an eyebrow at her, a meaningful smile on her face. About ten seconds later, after the elevator had already gone up, she recovered and took the stairs, one heavy step at a time.
It had been a chaotic day, and her brain simply couldn’t process all this information.
Standing like a door god at the office entrance, she could vaguely hear a conversation inside, but she couldn’t make out the words clearly. She only caught phrases like “contract” and “as soon as possible.”
And the last sentence, Han Zhiyu was already at the door when she suddenly stopped and asked, “Does Qi Baizi agree?”
She didn’t know what Gu Yuetong said, but Han Zhiyu replied, “Understood.”
When she came out, they looked at each other. Han Zhiyu waved her phone at her, then went downstairs. Qi Baizi tilted her head, not understanding the secret signal.
She hesitated for a moment, then turned to face the door. Just as she raised her hand, Gu Yuetong came out from inside. Seeing her, she smiled again. “Let’s go. Last task for the day. Take me home.”
Qi Baizi had thought Gu Yuetong would live in a remote villa in the Jingzhou suburbs, or even own an entire mountain.
Gu Yuetong fit the profile of a cold president from a cheesy romance novel perfectly, and her inscrutable personality was also very similar. So, in Qi Baizi’s private speculation, this type of person had a common trait: they liked to stay away from the hustle and bustle of the world.
Therefore, their residences would also be in quiet areas.
Unexpectedly, the address Gu Yuetong gave was nearby, an apartment building.
After parking the car and coming up from the underground garage, Qi Baizi stood at the door and respectfully handed over the car keys. “President Gu, have a good evening.”
But Gu Yuetong raised an eyebrow slightly and didn’t reach out to take them.
“Come in and sit for a while?”
Qi Baizi was taken aback for a moment, but she obediently put on shoe covers and entered the living room.
The living room layout was very compact. Just past the entryway was a single sofa. She stood there awkwardly, not knowing where to stand, but Gu Yuetong motioned for her to follow.
Gu Yuetong led Qi Baizi into a windowless room. When she turned on the light, Qi Baizi realized it was originally an art studio.
Scattered paintbrushes lay on the floor, surrounded by various pigments and several dried-up palettes.
However, apart from the dated collection items hanging on the wall, Qi Baizi didn’t see any of Gu Yuetong’s own paintings.
“Have a seat.” Gu Yuetong pulled over a chair.
Qi Baizi obediently sat down and looked around.
Unlike the living room, this place was huge. She ventured a guess that this studio took up at least half of the entire apartment.
Gu Yuetong leaned against the opposite wall with her arms crossed and suddenly spoke. “Qi Baizi, I have something to ask you.”
Qi Baizi came back to her senses and asked curiously, “What is it?”
“If I don’t let you continue working at Gu Corporation, will you hold a grudge against me?”
Qi Baizi thought for a moment and shook her head. “Can I know why?”
Gu Yuetong was silent. She pressed her lips together and stared at the floor, seeming to consider how to begin.
Qi Baizi waited patiently and quietly for her to speak.
A minute later, Gu Yuetong said, “You should have heard about the situation I’m facing at Gu Corporation.”
Qi Baizi nodded. “Is it the Chairman?”
“Not just her,” Gu Yuetong said. “She’s only one of the problems.”
“Then…”
“I want to hire you as my personal assistant. Are you interested?”
Qi Baizi was taken aback. “I’m already your personal assistant…”
Gu Yuetong shook her head; that wasn’t what she meant.
Looking at Qi Baizi’s confused eyes, Gu Yuetong suddenly felt a pang of pity. “Qi Baizi, if you join Gu Corporation, I can’t protect you.”
Qi Baizi didn’t understand. Was it just because she had refused Gu Hezhu?
Han Zhiyu had also ‘betrayed’ Gu Hezhu, but she was able to stay and even work her way up to the position of HR Director. Why couldn’t Qi Baizi? Why couldn’t she even be an assistant?
Gu Yuetong let out a breath, her long, thick eyelashes trembling slightly. She said, “Little Bai, your personality is not suited for the workplace.”
“Gu Corporation is too big, and there are too many monsters and demons in the group. I’m just a puppet, a pawn pushed out by Gu Hezhu to stabilize her position as Chairman. I can stand up to Gu Hezhu for you, and she can’t do anything to me, but the others…”
“If you join Gu Corporation, others who want to mess with me will naturally use you as a target.”
“Because you are my person,” Gu Yuetong said, her tone serious, “my only permanent assistant.”
Qi Baizi understood now: the Martial Emperor’s position was unstable, and the maids around her could easily be used as leverage against her.
But the maids weren’t involved in politics, so what kind of leverage could they use her for?
Qi Baizi was confused, but Gu Yuetong spoke before she could ask. “I want to protect you, by my side.”
Qi Baizi froze.
Gu Yuetong continued, “If you are willing, I will help you terminate your contract with the outsourcing company, but you won’t be joining Gu Corporation. Instead, you’ll sign a separate contract with me, to be my personal assistant.”
“My personal assistant, and mine alone.”