Has the Boss Bost His Temper Today? - Chapter 4

The next day.

The alarm clock rang punctually at 7:30 AM. The person on the large bed opened his eyes right on time, a habit etched into him from his days at the military academy.

Duan Shiming whipped off the covers, his expression refreshed and wearing a satisfied smile.

Although he had gone to bed a bit late last night, that wasn’t important. What mattered was that he had successfully annoyed Chu Yanzhou. After returning home, he had fallen into a deep, uninterrupted sleep for the first time in ages.

The chip had always plagued his sleep, preventing him from ever resting through the night. He hadn’t expected to sleep so comfortably after his first day on the job!

It seemed this job was alright after all, at least it helped him sleep!

He scrambled out of bed, hurried to the bathroom, and quickly splashed his face in front of the mirror. After squeezing out some toothpaste, he hummed a tune while brushing his teeth, heading toward the counter to brew some coffee.

At the same time, several voice messages popped up on his phone, all from his team leader, Xin Lei.

“Xiao Duan, remember to wear formal attire today. CEO Chu is very strict about the dress code. I’ve mentioned it before and won’t say it again, so make sure you remember.”

“You need to prepare the itinerary for the biotech seminar in H City on the 12th of next month. You’ll be accompanying CEO Chu. Send the plan to me first, and once I’ve reviewed it, you can send it to him. I’ll send you the VIP account for the hotel where he usually stays, just book it directly. Remember, he only stays in presidential suites.”

“Good luck, Xiao Duan. I hope you pass your probation.”

“Mhm, mhm,” Duan Shiming mumbled with the toothbrush still in his mouth, waiting for the coffee to drip.

He poured the extracted coffee over ice water, rushed back to the bathroom to rinse, and then darted back to the kitchen. He downed the iced Americano in one go and stuffed a piece of yogurt cake into his mouth.

After spending a few minutes styling his hair, he went to the walk-in closet to change into the professional outfit he had picked out the night before.

Finally, he grabbed his backpack, put on his headphones, and headed out with his mountain bike.

At 8:30 AM, the morning rush hour was in full swing. A streak of Klein blue cut through the non-motorized lane like a bright arc, weaving through the traffic like a nimble fish.

A black Maybach, submerged in the sea of cars, slowly lowered its window.

However, that “fish” was already long gone.

At 8:50 AM, the mountain bike’s brakes screeched to a halt as it pulled into a parking spot in front of the company.

Ten minutes remained until 9:00 AM.

Duan Shiming swung his long leg over the bike, glanced at his watch, and let out a sigh of relief. Another successful “extreme operation.”

He hurried into the lobby. With ten minutes left to clock in, he wasn’t exactly cutting it too close.

The lobby was quiet, with only the receptionist on duty. He quickened his pace toward the elevators and pressed the up button.

Just then, an elevator rose from the basement level. With a “ding,” the doors opened to reveal a tall, slender figure dressed in black.

Oh.

The money-snatcher.

Duan Shiming flashed a brilliant smile and waved broadly. “Good morning, CEO Chu.”

“Morning,” Chu Yanzhou replied, noticing the flush on the younger man’s cheeks from the exercise. “Secretary Duan, your cycling speed is quite impressive, just as fast as the speed at which you leave work.”

Duan Shiming nodded cheerfully. “Of course. Don’t clock in late, have limits when slacking off, and never be late for clocking out, otherwise, there’s something wrong with your mindset.” He stepped into the elevator and stood beside Chu Yanzhou. “Did you sleep well last night, CEO Chu?”

The two stood side by side as the doors slowly closed.

Chu Yanzhou’s expression was cold and aloof. “Thanks to you, I maintained my professional spirit as a superior even in my dreams.”

“Indeed, we were just one step away from opening the door to discuss it together,” Duan Shiming remarked, giving Chu Yanzhou a thumbs-up. “It was worth me rushing out eight different itineraries!”

Chu Yanzhou replied, “Any further behavior involving late-night messages or knocking on your leader’s door for approval will result in the forfeiture of your entire annual performance bonus.”

Duan Shiming made a face. “Tch.” He then remembered something else. “By the way, CEO Chu, I have a question.”

“Ask.”

“Don’t you have a private elevator?”

Chu Yanzhou replied, “Yes, why?”

“Then why are you taking the public one? It doesn’t reflect your prestigious status at all!” Duan Shiming thought to himself that he needed to understand his boss’s habits to master his “extreme operations.” If the boss was always in the public elevator, how could he pull off his last-minute arrivals?

Chu Yanzhou said, “To catch people.”

Duan Shiming blinked. “Huh?”

“And I just so happened to catch you.” Chu Yanzhou looked at their reflections on the elevator doors and said unhurriedly, “Didn’t I say you shouldn’t cut it so close to the start time? Deduction.”

Duan Shiming felt a metaphorical stab to the heart. He pointed a finger at Chu Yanzhou’s reflection. “What about you? You’re arriving at the same time!”

Chu Yanzhou smiled. “I am the boss, I make the rules.”

Duan Shiming was speechless.

The elevator reached the 30th floor and opened with a “ding.”

As Chu Yanzhou stepped out, his phone vibrated. He checked the caller ID and answered after a few seconds.

The call was brief, and his responses were concise.

Duan Shiming pressed his back against the wall, preparing to slip away to the secretarial office.

“Secretary Duan.”

Duan Shiming’s left foot was suspended in mid-air. He forced a smile, lowered his foot, and turned to face Chu Yanzhou. “Yes? Any orders, CEO Chu?”

“There is a meeting in Country A the morning after next. You arrange the travel.”

Duan Shiming paused. “What?”

Chu Yanzhou glanced at him. “Give it to me before the end of the morning shift.”

Duan Shiming stared at him. “Isn’t that too rushed?”

Chu Yanzhou replied, “Is it? I was worried it wouldn’t match your speed, I’m just learning from the dedication you showed last night.”

Duan Shiming was silent.

Chu Yanzhou brushed past him, leaving only one sentence: “I’ll be waiting in my office then. See you at noon, Secretary Duan.”

Duan Shiming walked back to the office with a heavy heart.

Sure enough, everyone was already there and fully immersed in their work, making calls, organizing files, and preparing meeting materials.

Duan Shiming thought to himself, “Fine, tomorrow… I’ll be five minutes earlier!”

Back at his desk, he quickly opened the shared files, found the itinerary template, and referenced the previous format. He also asked Xin Lei for the hotel information in Country A.

Xin Lei replied: “Yes, it’s a last-minute meeting. The schedule is tight, so check the flights immediately.”

Duan Shiming began checking flights.

Since it involved traveling between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres, he had to ensure the timing was seamless!

Xin Lei added: “After booking the hotel, you also need to arrange a business dinner for when he returns. I’ll send you the guest list now. There’s a private club CEO Chu likes. If you can book it, make it the first choice. However, it’s quite difficult as it usually requires a month’s notice. Since this is short notice, you might not get it. If not, switch to the second option I gave you.”

As Duan Shiming read the notes, he saw the names of the hotel and the private club. What a coincidence.

They were both owned by his family.

How could he possibly fail to book them? He’d book the most expensive room and the most expensive dishes!

The typing from the back row of the secretarial office was so loud it sounded like a battle was underway.

The other secretaries peered over curiously. Seeing Duan Shiming’s intense focus, they couldn’t help but sigh. A “new ox” is truly hardworking; he even looks happy while working.

At 11:00 AM, the CEO summoned him.

Duan Shiming walked into the office with a light step.

The door closed, and five minutes later.

“Economy class?”

Duan Shiming looked up at Chu Yanzhou’s incredulous expression. “Do you have something against economy class, CEO Chu?”

Chu Yanzhou was silent for a moment before speaking. “A flight tomorrow night at 9:00 PM, lasting 11 hours, and you booked me economy? Didn’t Xin Lei tell you about my travel standards and budget? Don’t you know the company has a liaison with the airline?”

Duan Shiming tapped his tablet. “She did. But because it was so last minute, first class and business class were sold out. This was their recommendation. I managed to get you a window seat in economy.”

Chu Yanzhou asked, “So, should I thank you?”

“No need, you’re too kind,” Duan Shiming smiled brightly. “Mainly, this was the most suitable time based on the overall schedule.”

Chu Yanzhou saw that smile. “How is this the most suitable?”

He strongly suspected this guy had been laughing while making the itinerary.

Duan Shiming sped up his explanation. “After your dinner meeting ends tomorrow at 8:00 PM, you can head straight to the airport. You board at 8:45 PM and land around 2:00 PM local time. The meeting is at 3:00 PM, so you can go straight from the airport to the factory. The timing is perfect.”

Chu Yanzhou was speechless.

Did he not deserve a moment of rest?

“The meeting ends at 5:30 PM. You have dinner with the factory manager at 6:30 PM, then catch the 10:00 PM flight back. By the way, I booked you first class for the return journey, so you can rest then. You land back home at 7:00 AM and can come straight to the office just in time for the morning meeting.”

Chu Yanzhou felt a headache coming on.

Duan Shiming closed his tablet. “When you get to the office, I’ll have an Americano ready for you. You’ll be full of energy for the new day.”

Chu Yanzhou leaned back, his hand on the armrest. “Am I going on a business trip or a guerrilla warfare mission?”

Duan Shiming wagged a finger. “Not at all. Your time is money.”

Chu Yanzhou could tell this guy was doing it on purpose, packing the schedule so tightly there wasn’t even room to breathe.

However, no one else in the office would have arranged an itinerary like this. It required knowing flight situations in a short time, having a clear grasp of the flow, and maximizing every second. And also, a certain lack of regard for the boss’s humanity. It was, in its own way, a talent.

“CEO Chu, is there anything else you’d like to change?” Duan Shiming tilted his head and asked with a smile.

This kind of scheduling was similar to calculating distances before a sniper shot. Easy stuff.

Chu Yanzhou took a sip of his coffee. His gaze moved up to that beautiful, defiant face, eyes sparkling with the success of his little scheme.

Even the scent of his citrus and lime pheromones seemed smug, like a triumphant little puppy.

A low chuckle escaped his throat. “Execute it.”

Fine, if that’s how he wanted to play, Chu Yanzhou knew exactly who to take on the next business trip.

Duan Shiming hugged his tablet and gave a mock bow. “Then I wish you a pleasant journey in advance.”

Hahaha!

Enjoy your “special forces” business trip!

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