At eleven o'clock at night, Yang Lan awoke. Emerging from the office, she hesitated upon seeing Director Yan seated behind Su Liang, brows furrowed as she reviewed the proposal. She stepped forward and spoke softly.
"Director Yan, I…"
"Su Liang has already informed me. You drank a full bottle of baijiu? Here's four thousand—should be enough."
Without turning her head, Yan Qingqing passed the money across the table. It was cash Liu Jiulong had gone out late at night to withdraw. She knew the dinner cost just over three thousand; the extra few hundred were a token of appreciation for Yang Lan's efforts.
Yang Lan didn't reach out to take it. Yan Qingqing casually tossed the money onto the table, her voice calm and measured.
"With a temperament like yours, you're bound to be taken advantage of anywhere. Soft-spoken and gentle—working in the finance department would only earn you more trouble. Think of the extra money as an early New Year's gift for Beibei from me, her aunt. You and your sister Yang Jia have been working hard under me. Rewards are deserved. Making money isn't easy, and I can't bear to fine you. I have a temper, and sometimes I lose control. I won't apologize—but I do understand you, and I hope you can make room for compromise."
**Compromise.**
Not just understanding—but yielding. Yan Qingqing's choice of word was strikingly apt. She wasn't enforcing her will as a general manager, but rather speaking as someone close in age. Yang Lan inhaled deeply, finally taking the money and preparing to set aside five hundred for Su Liang and Han Qian. Su Liang subtly shook his head. With a soft sigh, Yang Lan turned to fetch a chair—only to find Han Qian sleeping soundly not far off. The corner of her eye twitched. This…
She stepped closer and gently shook his shoulder.
"Han Qian. Han Qian."
"Supervisor Yang, don't bother with him. What would you all like to eat? This late, only delivery is possible. Once everything wraps up tomorrow, no matter success or failure, dinner's on me. If we succeed, Han Qian will be there. If we fail—he's staying in my trunk."
Liu Jiulong dropped his pen at that remark. Yang Lan looked visibly flustered and murmured,
"Director Yan… I'm not hungry…"
"You may not be, but those two men surely are. Deputy Liu, you know the folks in the general office—order four portions."
Liu Jiulong nodded, then asked,
"Director Yan, aren't you eating?"
Yang Lan stepped up and smacked his shoulder.
Can't he see she's mad at Han Qian? Order five portions.
The food was delivered by the night-shift security guard. Yan Qingqing tossed the two complimentary drinks to the young man. As the steaming dishes were opened, Han Qian stirred awake, thick-skinned and dragging a chair over, reaching straight for a meal box. The next second, his hand recoiled—a sharp disposable chopstick had pierced the lid of the container.
Han Qian broke out in a cold sweat. Yan Qingqing glared daggers at him.
"We're working, and you're sleeping? Have the audacity to eat?"
"Director Yan, please calm down. Han Qian, don't just stand there—eat. But no more sleeping afterward," Yang Lan interjected to smooth things over.
Yan Qingqing scoffed but said no more. The meal proceeded in silence. It was the first time they had ever shared a table with Director Yan. Yang Lan hadn't eaten in nearly ten hours and was famished. Su Liang had been running around all night and downed a full meal in minutes. Han Qian gave him half of his own rice, then turned to Yan Qingqing, who had set her box down.
"Director Yan, are you finished?"
"Are you blind?"
"Oh! Then I'll eat it."
Without hesitation, and to the stunned gazes of the other four, Han Qian grabbed Yan Qingqing's box and dumped the untouched half into his own. Yang Lan was speechless, Liu Jiulong's eyes widened, and Su Liang gazed at him in reverent awe.
Even the composed Yan Qingqing looked slightly thrown off.
But Han Qian paid it no mind—he really was starving. Besides, she hadn't touched it. He scooped up some vegetables and wheeled over to Su Liang's computer to glance at the rendering on-screen. With a mouthful of rice, he murmured,
"Looks about right. Matches what I envisioned. Leave this one as is. For the exterior shot, make sure there are no visible windows. The render's just for persuasion—it's not crucial. Hand this over to Brother Liu when it's done. And turn the notes I gave you into a proper document. Also mark down nearby bus stops and the like."
Su Liang nodded. Han Qian continued,
"Sister Yang, I'll need your help. I'll teach you a brief script—you can either memorize it or read it aloud from a printout. It may come in handy at the high-level meeting. Probably tonight, Manager Li from Fenghua Decoration will already start reaching out to potential building materials agents. Most of them are veterans in interior design. One more thing—I'm not clear on the current rental rates for commercial units. I'll rely on you."
"All right."
Yang Lan began her preparations. Su Liang and Liu Jiulong returned to their tasks. Liu glanced over and smiled.
"You seemed unreliable before—but after this meal, I'm starting to see it. Maybe I really underestimated you."
Han Qian chuckled and held out his hand to Yan Qingqing, who—through gritted teeth—fished out two packs of soft Chunghwa cigarettes and passed them to him. The others were again left dumbfounded. Han Qian treated Director Yan like she wasn't even his boss. He tossed the cigarettes to Liu Jiulong and said,
"Trust me."
Yan Qingqing narrowed her eyes at him.
"You're giving everyone work—what about you? Going back to sleep?"
"No more sleep. Can't sleep after waking up. I need time to cool my head. All plans must align with the visuals and spoken presentation. It prevents errors from being caught in the paperwork. Oh, right—Director Yan, quick question. Is Sun Ya from PR really that formidable?"
"She's clever. Groomed a team of charming young men and women. She's made her mark in the company."
"If I slapped her twice, how much trouble would I be in?"
Yang Lan gasped and tried to stop him, but Han Qian raised a hand—he wanted Yan Qingqing's answer.
She frowned slightly and said quietly,
"Public Relations isn't under my jurisdiction. If you slapped her now, Gao Lvxing would probably come after you. But if this proposal is a resounding success—and I don't just mean it passes—then even if you hit her, so be it. I don't like that flirty little minx anyway."
"Compared to you, she's just a fox cub before Daji."
"Han Qian, are you looking for a fight? I don't have the energy to entertain you right now. You better pray your plan works—if you make me lose face, I *will* find a way to destroy you."
Han Qian merely smiled, glanced at the antique clock, and said,
"Four o'clock. Whether we're finished or not—sleep. The meeting's not until ten. I'm speaking for Director Yan."
He had full confidence in himself.
Then he added that he was going to wash his shirt—asked if anyone else needed laundry done. Su Liang took off his shirt and tossed it over.
"Brother Qian, make sure it's spotless. This is my first high-level meeting."