The Former Assistant Seduced The Current President - Chapter 5

Inside the meeting room, everyone looked at each other in confusion. Manager Ma hesitated for a moment before rushing to say ingratiatingly, “That employee has already been suspended and sent home to reflect on his actions.”

Shi Ye frowned slightly at the mention, paused for a few seconds, and said, “Let us begin the meeting.”

Manager Ma let out a breath of relief. His judgment had been correct. Fortunately, he had gotten rid of the scapegoat, Yan Xi, in advance; otherwise, President Shi would have surely made trouble for the administration department today.

Throughout the meeting, Shi Ye did not speak much, mainly listening to the reports from various departments. The meeting was long, and he scowled, kept a cold face, and flipped through documents with visible impatience, leaving his subordinates feeling anxious. Before the meeting had even concluded, a second rumor about the new president began to circulate: “President Shi was furious over the plane ticket incident and announced on the spot that he was banishing the former assistant, Yan Xi, from the headquarters.”

With that, Shi Ye’s reputation as an overbearing and tyrannical leader was firmly established.

The atmosphere inside the conference hall was solemn and tense, and it was not much better outside. The entire company was busy, especially the administration department; the stacked documents were taller than Manager Ma. However, no amount of work could stop people from gossiping.

“Has anyone seen the new president?” “Yes, is he really as fierce as they say?”

Magie, a veteran receptionist who had been lucky enough to deliver coffee to the meeting, turned to the expectant crowd and said, “I do not know if he is fierce, but…”

“Do not keep us in suspense, tell us!”

Magie’s vocabulary was limited. She squinted in thought for a long time before offering her evaluation: “Sexy!”

The office area was filled with skepticism, as this word did not align with the rumored image of President Shi at all. Magie propped her chin on her hand, her eyes misty. “In short, if you see him in person, there is only one word that comes to mind…”

“What?” the colleagues asked.

“It starts with an F…” Magie laughed. “Do not worry, there is a welcome banquet tomorrow night. You will all see him, and then you can verify if I was right.”

While the company was in a frenzy, Yan Xi enjoyed a rare moment of peace as the one sent home to reflect. He did not do anything all afternoon; he just slept. It was not that Yan Xi was lazy, but he truly could not get up. Beyond the soreness in his back and hips, his tactile memory was excessively developed.

Yan Xi struggled to remember faces, but his physical memory was incredibly sharp. Every subtle touch and every delicate sensation could be perfectly reproduced. More terrifyingly, his body seemed strangely addicted to the activities of the previous night; the slightest signal could trigger a reboot. The intense stimulation and marrow deep intimacy were etched into his body’s memory, a data backup that could not be erased. He tried to use sleep to escape, but every time he woke up, the tactile memories were re awakened, traveling through his body like an electric current, leaving him feeling both numb and pained.

Unable to sleep and unable to stand, Yan Xi lay on his pillow, staring blankly at the ceiling. Just let it all be destroyed.

A phone ringtone interrupted Yan Xi’s painful struggle. It was Manager Ma. With the new president arriving, there was likely a decision regarding his employment. Preparing for the worst, Yan Xi sat on the edge of the bed and answered, keeping his tone calm. “Good morning, Manager Ma.”

“Do you remember the offline store project the company was preparing recently?”

Unexpectedly, Manager Ma did not mention the plane ticket issue at all, instead asking an unrelated question in an unusually gentle tone.

The offline store? Of course Yan Xi remembered. Building the store had been a whim of the former president, focusing on conceptual product displays. Because it lacked the approval of senior management, progress was difficult. With the new president taking office, it was at risk of being shut down at any moment.

“Is that project being canceled?” Yan Xi asked bluntly.

Manager Ma choked, then scolded, “What nonsense are you talking about!”

Yan Xi remained silent.

“The store is prepared, the positioning and planning are in place, and the initial progress is going smoothly,” Manager Ma lied through his teeth.

Prepared? Yan Xi had seen the full project file as a top assistant and was skeptical. “Did we not only rent a space?”

Manager Ma remained silent.

Sensing the shift in atmosphere, Yan Xi coughed twice. “I am sorry, please continue.”

Manager Ma spoke again, his tone becoming stiff. “However, there is a small error. The recruited store manager has withdrawn at the last minute, and with the opening imminent, the store is short staffed.”

“I see…” Yan Xi vaguely guessed what was coming.

“The company suggests that the administration department send someone over to fill in, start the operations, and wait until we recruit capable staff to get things on the right track before you can be transferred back.”

Manager Ma’s tone was as casual as asking someone to buy a coffee, but the reality was far from simple. The entire company knew this project was a hot potato that no one wanted. Stopping now would mean all initial investments were lost, and no one wanted to take that responsibility. Thus, they had to start it, only to find an excuse for poor operations later to shut it down. Once the new president settled in, he would soon discover this useless project and likely close it, dealing with the relevant personnel in the process.

To put it plainly, Manager Ma was looking for a scapegoat for a failing project. Yan Xi understood this, but he could not refuse. If he refused, he would be fired immediately; if he took on this burden, he could change his sentence from immediate execution to death with a reprieve, barely surviving for a while longer. He had once been a glamorous assistant, and now those people wanted to trample him under their feet. If it were the old him, he would have tossed a resignation letter and walked away, but now, he had reasons he could not leave.

“Alright, I understand,” Yan Xi sighed silently. “When should I go?”

“Officially start tomorrow,” Manager Ma said, not forgetting to offer false hope. “Conceptual physical stores are a new attempt and a new opportunity. Young people have plenty of chances in the future. Work hard, and your efforts will surely be rewarded.”

Yan Xi tossed his phone onto the bed, shielding himself from Manager Ma’s brainwashing spells.

At seven in the morning, Yan Xi brushed his teeth and set down his cup. As he stood up, he gasped in pain. The soreness in his lower back and other parts flared up, a reminder that the aftermath was not over. Yan Xi had no experience and did not know how long these sequelae would last; he could only endure it silently.

When he changed his clothes, the marks reflected in the full length mirror were truly unsightly. Yan Xi buttoned his shirt to the very top. Fortunately, it was autumn, and long sleeves and pants could barely cover them; otherwise, before Manager Ma could speak, he would not have had the face to go to the company.

“Manager Ma is just bullying you because you have no one to rely on now!”

In the office, Lin Wei clenched her fists, standing up for Yan Xi. “That bottom feeding jerk, ugh!”

Yan Xi calmly collected his cup, notebook, and data cable into a paper box. “It was my own mistake. I cannot blame him.”

Lin Wei pouted. “Bullshit! How many times has Little Qian made mistakes? He ruined a training meeting last month; why did he not tell him to reflect?” Little Qian was the vice president’s nephew who walked around the company with his nose in the air.

“It is fine,” Yan Xi consoled Lin Wei. “The worst case scenario is being fired. I will hold on for one more day, one day at a time; maybe there will be a turning point.”

“Forget it. I cannot really help you, I can only vent for you,” Lin Wei lamented her lack of influence. “If you need anything from the company in the future, just tell me. I will find a way.”

Yan Xi smiled. “Thanks, I will remember your kindness.” At this point, Lin Wei was the only one left who would speak up for him.

“Wei Wei, why are you still here?” Magie passed by and tugged at Lin Wei’s shoulder length hair with exaggerated curiosity.

“Where are you going?” Lin Wei turned her head away, avoiding Magie’s hands.

“President Shi’s welcome banquet tonight, did you forget?”

Lin Wei glanced at the bottom right corner of her computer screen. “Is it not at eight o’clock tonight? Did I remember wrong?”

“Please,” Magie rolled her eyes. “Go home, put on makeup, and change into a formal dress. Do you intend to go like that? It is the first time seeing President Shi.”

Lin Wei felt goosebumps and tightened her white suit jacket. “Are you sick? Is this cosplay for a harem pageant?”

Magie became angry and ignored her, turning to poke Yan Xi. “Assistant Yan, are you going later? Do you want to come with us?”

Yan Xi pointed to the box on his desk. “I do not meet the pageant standards, so I will not join the fun.”

Magie was speechless, waved her hand, and walked away.

“Are you really not going?” Lin Wei asked quietly after Magie walked away. “At least it is the first time the new president has officially appeared; it would be good to get to know him.”

“Forget it. It is better to keep a low profile,” Yan Xi shook his head. He had made a mistake and was now transferred out of headquarters; it made no sense for him to force his way in.

At 8:00 p.m., the company held a welcome and induction banquet for Shi Ye at the city’s most luxurious hotel banquet hall. The entire YK company attended in formal attire. Amidst the anticipation of the crowd, Shi Ye finally appeared at the entrance.

He wore a crisp, dark suit; he was tall and long legged, and the ink colored shirt made his features appear even more three dimensional and profound. His brows were stern, his jawline sharp. He should have looked quite intimidating, but his unkempt hair and the way he held his glass casually created a strange, conflicting aura.

Magie said proudly, “How about that? Was my description accurate?”

Compared to the excitement and high spirits of the others, Lin Wei’s reaction was lukewarm. She simply stood across the room and used her phone to secretly take a photo of Shi Ye.

Magie pursed her lips and teased, “Why? Secretly taking photos to use as material for your dreams tonight?”

Lin Wei looked down at her phone. “I am not interested in men.”

“Tsk, keep pretending! Brave women get to enjoy life first.” Magie shook her head, picked up her glass, and squeezed into the center of the crowd. “I am going to toast President Shi.”

Lin Wei walked to the buffet area, leaned against the dessert table, and opened her phone’s email. The tradition at YK company was to use email for communication between colleagues; they were used to it and too lazy to change. Lin Wei found Yan Xi’s avatar in her email list and sent the photo to him.

“To a certain face blind gentleman: remember what the new president looks like so you do not run into him later and make a fool of yourself.”