Chapter 2 - Four Years Apart

“Xiaoman, please forgive me this one more time; I definitely won’t be late again.

I’ll head to work at five o’clock tomorrow morning,” he said, patting his chest.

“Hmph!” Lu Xiaoman snorted disdainfully and blocked Ye Fan’s path.

“Do you think I would believe you again?

This time I must report you to Manager Cao for handling!”

“Xiaoman, you can’t do this,” Ye Fan immediately put on a pitiful look and said, “I’m just a worthless ex-soldier with no education or diploma; it’s not easy to find a job.

If you tell Manager Cao, he will definitely fire me.

Please have mercy and let me off just this once.”

Seeing Ye Fan’s pitiful appearance, Lu Xiaoman’s heart softened somewhat.

After thinking it over for a while, her tone softened as she said, “But you can’t be late every day.

Even if you can’t manage to be outstanding at work, you should at least be on time, right?”

“Yes, yes, yes, you’re absolutely right, Xiaoman.

From now on, I’ll definitely be on time, no more being late or leaving early,” Ye Fan said quickly, putting on a smile as he followed her lead.

In his heart, he laughed secretly, thinking that this girl was too naive and too easy to deceive.

He then asked, “So, this time…”

Not in good spirits, Lu Xiaoman waved her hand and said, “I’ll cover for you just this once, but don’t let it happen again!”

“Hehe, thank you, Xiaoman, you’re really kind.

To thank you, can I invite you to dinner tonight?” Ye Fan said with a happy smile.

Lu Xiaoman smiled reluctantly and said, “We can talk about dinner later.

You’ve just started working; you probably even have trouble affording your own meals.”

“Who says!” Ye Fan immediately puffed up his chest, as if he felt insulted and said excitedly, “When I was discharged, the army gave me fifty thousand yuan as discharge pay!”

Lu Xiaoman couldn’t hold back a laugh and giggled, her hand covering her mouth.

Clearly, she had been amused.

She was naturally beautiful, young and vivacious.

As she smiled, it was as if she radiated charm, lighting up the entire corridor.

Ye Fan was momentarily entranced and praised her, “Xiaoman, you’re really beautiful.”

Lu Xiaoman’s pretty face turned slightly red; she quickly suppressed her smile and sternly said, “Nonsense.

Get back to the office to work.”

Just then, a voice as grating as a drake’s quacked, “Xiaoman.”

Ye Fan and Lu Xiaoman turned their heads to see a portly bald middle-aged man with a big beer belly walking toward them.

His gaze lingered on Lu Xiaoman’s fine figure and delicate face, while Ye Fan was completely ignored.

As the bald middle-aged man approached, Lu Xiaoman clasped her hands in front of herself cautiously and greeted, “Hello, Manager He,” showing careful caution.

He Jiaqiang’s sleazy gaze roamed over Lu Xiaoman’s figure before settling on her face, nodded with some satisfaction, “Hmm.”

At that moment, Ye Fan called out lazily, “Hello Deputy Manager He.”

He Jiaqiang’s face darkened immediately, his gaze sharply swept over Ye Fan as he hummed angrily.

Ye Fan was not scared at all and deliberately muttered under his breath, “He’s just a deputy manager, I didn’t call it wrong.

What’s there to be angry about?”

His voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just enough for the three people present to hear.

Frightened, Lu Xiaoman quickly tugged on Ye Fan’s clothes to keep him from speaking out of turn.

He Jiaqiang, seething with rage, pointed a finger at Ye Fan and berated, “Who do you think you are, daring to make up stories about your leaders here!”

Slap!

Ye Fan slapped He Jiaqiang’s finger away and said coldly, “And what are you, a cur?”

A tangible aura of murderous intent suddenly burst forth from his eyes, enveloping He Jiaqiang.

As the former head of China’s Dragon Group, known as Black Dragon, the ‘King of Soldiers,’ how could he tolerate someone pointing at him and scolding him?

For a moment, He Jiaqiang felt frozen to the core, stiff in limbs, his mind blank, as if facing the grim reaper himself.

However, in the next instant, Lu Xiaoman quickly pulled Ye Fan behind her, put on a placating smile, and said to He Jiaqiang, “Manager He, please don’t be angry.

He’s only been working here for three days and isn’t familiar with the rules.

It’s my fault for not coaching him well, so if you want to blame anyone, blame me.”

It turned out that in the first few days of Ye Fan’s employment, it was Lu Xiaoman who had been guiding him through the work processes and company environment.

The murderous aura arrived swiftly and dissipated just as quickly, leaving He Jiaqiang sighing with relief, thinking it had been an illusion.

However, he still felt a bit wary of Ye Fan in his heart.

Taking advantage of that feeling, He Jiaqiang snorted coldly, and with feigned magnanimity, he said, “Let it go this time, but get back to work now!”

Of course, in his mind, he was plotting to find a reason to fire Ye Fan later.

Hmph, how dare he talk back to a leader!

“Thank you for being so magnanimous, Manager He,” Lu Xiaoman said, pulling Ye Fan away quickly.

Ye Fan couldn’t bear to dismiss Lu Xiaoman’s kindness, so he temporarily endured the situation.

Besides, if things really blew up, his identity would have been easily exposed.

He had reached a three-chapter agreement with Li Zhaojun, and one of them was not to reveal their relationship within the company.

Li Zhaojun didn’t want anyone in her company to know that Ye Fan was her “little husband,” and Ye Fan didn’t want anyone to know that Li Zhaojun was his wife.

“Wait!” He Jiaqiang called out.

Lu Xiaoman and Ye Fan stopped in their tracks and turned around.

Looking down from his superior position, He Jiaqiang pointed at Ye Fan and commanded, “You go back to work immediately.

Xiaoman, come to my office.”

“Yes,” Lu Xiaoman responded, her voice trembling slightly as though she was afraid of going to He Jiaqiang’s office.

Then, to Ye Fan she said, “Ye Fan, you go back to work first.

I’ll go to Manager He’s office and then come back.”

Ye Fan didn’t think much of it, he agreed and casually walked back to his office.

Lu Xiaoman, with trepidation, followed He Jiaqiang into his office.

After closing the door, He Jiaqiang sat in his large office chair, arrogantly sticking out his belly as if eight months pregnant, his beady eyes lasciviously scanning Lu Xiaoman’s chest and lovely face.

Lu Xiaoman stood in front of the desk, her posture reserved and tense, her head bowed low, not daring to look at He Jiaqiang.

After a while, having had his fill of ogling, He Jiaqiang said languidly, “Xiaoman, have you thought it over?”

“Sorry, I…

I don’t know what you’re referring to,” Lu Xiaoman said nervously.

“Ha ha,” He Jiaqiang laughed weirdly, “Playing dumb with your brother, huh?”

He was old enough to be Lu Xiaoman’s father, yet he insisted on calling himself her brother in front of her.

He paused, then continued, “Be my mistress, and I guarantee you’ll rise through the ranks in the company.

You know, my uncle is the vice president of the group, very powerful.

Otherwise, don’t blame me for turning my back on you and kicking you out of the company!”

“Emali Group pays well and provides good benefits, not to mention the opportunities for promotion.

Jobs like this are hard to come by.

You must have gone through a lot of competition to get it,” he added, emphasizing the importance of the job to Lu Xiaoman.

“I won’t be your mistress!” Although Lu Xiaoman appeared weak, her tone was clear and firm.

“Humph!” He Jiaqiang snorted displeasedly.

Standing up, he walked around the desk to Lu Xiaoman, leaning over her with an intimidating look as he pressed, “You really won’t do it?!

Understand that my patience has limits.

So many women wish they could be my mistress but can’t, don’t be ungrateful!”

“I won’t do it!” Lu Xiaoman firmly refused again.

He Jiaqiang greedily stared at Lu Xiaoman and said, “Just agree, and I promise to promote you within the year.”

As he said this, he moved closer to Lu Xiaoman with ill intent.

Lu Xiaoman, frightened, quickly stepped back and shouted with a warning tone, “Manager He, please respect yourself.

If you make another move, I will shout!”

He Jiaqiang had no choice but to stop, annoyed, he threw up his hands and shamelessly said, “Since you don’t appreciate my kindness, don’t blame me for being ruthless!”

“You have to persuade those three security guards from the security department to leave within two days.

If you haven’t persuaded those three to leave when it’s reported to the higher-ups two days later, heh, prepare to be fired!” He Jiaqiang declared.

Lu Xiaoman’s face turned pale as she said, “You’re driving me into a corner.”

“Exactly, I am driving you into a corner!” He Jiaqiang said with satisfaction, “Either be my mistress or pack up and get out of Emali Group!”

As it turned out, during a recent security recruitment, the HR department had mistakenly hired three guards from the Sky Wolf Security Company.

Sky Wolf Security Company was an organization masquerading as a security provider but was actually a front for a criminal syndicate, extorting protection fees from malls, internet cafes, hotels, and companies.

The guards from Sky Wolf Security Company were nothing but thugs and layabouts.

The HR department’s blunder of hiring people from Sky Wolf Security Company was a serious dereliction of duty, and they didn’t dare let the group’s upper management find out.

They were fully suppressing the matter, hoping to quietly resolve the crisis by getting rid of the three menaces from Sky Wolf Security Company through departmental efforts.

Asking a young woman who had just graduated from college and had only been working for a year to persuade members of the criminal syndicate away was practically impossible, and might even endanger herself – how cruel and malicious.