Her Majesty The Empress Has Made Her Debut In The Center Position [Ancient to Modern] - Chapter 20

[Rule #1 of the Timely Entertainment Company Employee Handbook: Ji Jing is strictly prohibited from setting foot in the company.]

Although the company now only had four members, including the boss, and its office space had shrunk to a mere fraction of its former size, the finance and legal teams stationed there still clung to this rule like a sacred vow. Before Ji Zhao arrived, they refused to open the door, no matter how Ji Jing threatened or bribed them from outside.

When they saw Ji Zhao emerge from the elevator, they stepped forward to greet her but made no move to open the door—worried that if they let Ji Jing in, they wouldn’t be able to get him out again. After all, as the boss, Ji Zhaozhao held the master fingerprint for the smart lock.

Under their anxious gazes, Ji Zhao scanned the room, her gaze finally settling on a small box by the door.

She approached and pushed the lid upward.

Inside was a display panel with numbers like a phone dial, a small screen at the top, and a palm-shaped indentation below. A realization struck her—could this be the fingerprint lock?

She tentatively placed the pad of her index finger on the indentation. A click sounded, and Ji Zhao realized the door had opened. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ji Jing striding toward them. “Stop him,” she ordered swiftly.

“Stop me?” Ji Jing laughed. “Just you? Are you trying to use the beauty trap? Too bad I’m not into you…”

He made to push aside Yu Cheng, who was blocking his way, but she subtly sidestepped, leaving him grasping at air. He stumbled forward, and before he could react, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder. His knees buckled, and he collapsed to his knees with a thud.

“Don’t injure him,” Ji Zhao’s voice was icy. “I don’t have money to compensate him right now.”

“Yes,” Yu Cheng stepped aside.

Ji Zhao pushed open the door. “Come in.”

The door automatically relocked behind Yu Cheng. The finance and legal teams stared blankly at their boss, then turned their attention to the cold, stunning woman standing behind her. “……”

Did Boss Ji hire… a bodyguard?

When did they become so rich they could afford a bodyguard? And one who’s so beautiful and so capable? She looks incredibly expensive!

The finance team’s mental calculators were clicking away furiously when Ji Zhao snapped, “What are you all staring at?”

The legal team snapped out of their daze. “Ah? N-nothing! Boss Ji, please come in. There are a few clauses in the contract with All Things Entertainment, the organizers of Debut! Girl, that I think are problematic…”

Ji Zhao had only a vague understanding of modern contracts. Her main reason for coming to the company was to steady the team’s morale.

Considering Pei Jia, who was always threatening to pack up and leave whenever they were together, let alone the two lonely employees left behind at the company, Ji Zhao trusted them completely. She listened attentively and made decisions decisively.

After finishing the business discussion, a brief silence fell over the office.

Ji Zhao was looking at the contract. She didn’t fully understand it, but she wanted to. Yu Cheng stood quietly beside her, occasionally glancing around the room before her gaze softened and settled on Ji Zhao.

The finance and legal departments exchanged glances.

Finance: “Should I go ask this beauty for her bank details now? Do we need to set up insurance and benefits?”

Legal: “Do you need me to review and modify the employment contract?”

Finance: “Wait a minute… the more I look at this beauty, the more familiar she seems…”

Legal: “She looks like Yu Wangmeng…”

Ji Zhao flipped to the last page, signed the contract, closed it, and handed it to Legal. Noticing the shifting expressions on their faces, she followed their gazes and met Yu Cheng’s steady gaze.

Yu Cheng stood ramrod straight, her expression unchanged.

Ji Zhao cleared her throat. “Let me introduce you. This is…”

She paused and asked Yu Cheng, “Which company are you from again?”

“Firefly Agency,” Yu Cheng replied.

“Oh, right,” Ji Zhao said. “Yu Cheng from Firefly Agency. We participated in the same talent show auditions. We even performed on the same stage during our first public performance—she was on my team.”

The finance manager chuckled dryly. “So you’re a trainee.”

Then why are you working as a bodyguard?! I knew the company couldn’t afford to hire a proper one!

The legal manager also chuckled. “Long admired, long admired.”

Just as expected of Yu Wangmeng’s daughter! But isn’t it a bit rude to keep her standing like this?

Just as the legal and finance managers were debating whether to offer Yu Cheng a chair, Ji Zhao stood up and said to them, “While I’m away, the company is in your capable hands.”

The legal and finance managers suddenly felt a weight settle on their shoulders.

“But don’t feel too pressured,” Ji Zhao continued. “Hire someone to liaise with the production team as soon as possible to share the workload. Pay them market rate, give them weekends off, no team-building activities, no overtime, and…”

She recalled the perfect company she had daydreamed about with Pei Jia. “Oh, and even if they don’t come in on holidays, they still get triple pay.”

As she walked out, Ji Zhaozhao casually mentioned, “The company is still quite a distance from the recording studio.”

“Boss Ji, are you going back tonight?” the finance manager asked. “It’d be better to just go home and get a good night’s sleep. The residential area is right behind the company—less than five minutes’ walk.”

Ji Zhaozhao loathed commuting time and had bought two adjacent units near the company, connecting them to create a small duplex. During the year-end review, the finance manager had seen the company’s welfare benefits and noted the house’s caramel-toned decor, complemented by dark walnut furniture, giving it a rich, vintage American feel.

Enviously, the finance manager thought to herself, “This is my home. Please move out.”

Of course, she didn’t dare say it aloud.

“Then I’ll head home and sleep,” Ji Zhao said. She realized that Ji Zhaozhao’s memories in her mind needed specific triggers to surface. When the finance manager mentioned the five-minute walk to the residential area, the exact location of the house immediately materialized in her mind. “Yu Cheng and I will walk over. You can all head home after work.”

Finance and Legal escorted Ji Zhao to the door, relieved to find Ji Jing was no longer there. After Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng took the elevator down, Finance complained, “Ji Jing is such a freak… Hey, what are you doing?”

Legal showed her a news article on her phone: “Our Boss Ji has an unusually close relationship with the daughter of the Movie Emperor.”

Finance’s expression turned serious. “Huh… You don’t need the internet to figure that out. She’s his personal bodyguard!”

Legal gazed thoughtfully. “Don’t you think there’s something off about the way she looks at Boss Ji?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s… suspicious.”

“Prosperous, democratic, civilized, harmonious, free, equal…”

Legal: “……”

Not that kind of suspicious!

The residential complex used facial recognition for entry. When Ji Zhao approached the gate, it automatically opened. As a visitor, Yu Cheng had to register. While Yu Cheng was filling out the form, Ji Zhao glanced around the area.

As expected of a residential complex in the city center, it offered a tranquil retreat amidst the bustling surroundings, with well-maintained grounds. Beyond the main gate, a long flight of steps led up to the entrance, flanked by a fountain. Two stone lions stood guard within the fountain, their mouths spewing water with a gentle gurgle. Further inside lay the residential buildings, divided into villa and high-rise zones. When Ji Zhaozhao purchased her unit here, she was short on funds and opted for a high-rise apartment.

“Let’s go, Your Majesty,” Yu Cheng said, materializing silently behind her.

“I’ll have your information recorded next time,” Ji Zhao said. “That way you won’t have to register every time you visit. It’s such a hassle and wastes time.”

Yu Cheng hummed in acknowledgment.

The access card functioned like an imperial token of authority, though within the palace, there was a curfew period during which only tokens personally granted by the Emperor allowed free entry. Ji Zhao had once possessed such a token, though she rarely used it.

Ji Zhaozhao’s apartment was on the seventeenth floor, equipped with a fingerprint-activated smart lock. Ji Zhao effortlessly placed her finger on the sensor.

The security door swung open automatically.

Just as Ji Zhao was about to speak, the lights in the apartment suddenly came on as if triggered by some unseen sensor:

“Hello, Master! Welcome home! Xiao Le at your service! Woof!”

The robotic voice, though mechanical, carried a hint of… playfulness?

In an instant, Yu Cheng moved to stand protectively beside Ji Zhao, demanding coldly, “Who’s there?!”

“Stranger detected. Searching system… No match found.” The playful mechanical voice turned serious for less than ten seconds before reverting to its cheerful tone. “Master, have you fallen in love?”

Ji Zhao: “……”

She whispered to Yu Cheng, “This is an AI—basically a robot. Zhaozhao used to have a Samoyed named Xiao Le. When she was in middle school, Xiao Le passed away. When she was setting up the AI, she added some of Xiao Le’s traits to its personality.”

This explained why Xiao Le had just barked.

“Hello, Master~! I detected you mentioning Xiao Le’s name. How may I assist you? Woof woof woof~!”

“Nothing, stand down.”

“As you wish, Master~! The current room temperature is 24 degrees Celsius. I’ve opened the balcony window for ventilation. Have a pleasant day~!”

Under Ji Zhao and Yu Cheng’s bewildered gaze, the balcony window facing the door slowly swung open. A gentle early summer breeze wafted in, leaving them both dumbfounded—had modern technology advanced this far?

“Xiao Le,” Ji Zhao said.

“Woof~!”

“Record this: Visitor Yu Cheng, ‘Yu’ as in ‘analogy,’ ‘Cheng’ as in ‘clear’.”

“What is her relationship with you, Master?”

“…A friend.”

“Regular friend, good friend, best friend, or girlfriend?”

Ji Zhao frowned slightly. “What kind of nonsense is this? Explain ‘best friend’ and ‘girlfriend’.”

“Right away! I’ve noticed you’ve been standing in the entryway for a while. Freshly disinfected and dried slippers are in the shoe cabinet. Please put them on!” Xiao Le’s voice was cheerful. “A ‘best friend’ is a close sister, and a ‘girlfriend’ is the most intimate and special friend, woof~”

Before Ji Zhao could process this, Yu Cheng spoke up. “Your Majesty, I tremble with fear! How could I possibly be your close sister? I am Your Majesty’s girlfriend!”

Ji Zhao nodded, humming in acknowledgment.

Although Yu Cheng was a General with countless merits, she wasn’t a member of the imperial family. Calling her a “sister” seemed excessive.

Just as Yu Cheng finished speaking, a “ding” echoed through the room, and Xiao Le’s voice chimed again. “Data upload successful. Please face the camera and kiss to verify your lover status, woof~!”

Ji Zhao: “???”

Yu Cheng: “!!!”

Support