Chapter 33: The Busty Secretary

Zhuo Nan said nothing. He walked over to the sofa, sat down, took his phone out of his bag, and dialed a number. Once connected, he said into the receiver, "Du Fanhao, I’m at the company entrance. Some woman who looks neither human nor ghost is blocking me and won’t let me in. Handle it." With that, he hung up.

The garish woman nearby had heard every word. She thought to herself that the kid was just putting on a show; if he really had a connection to President Du, he wouldn’t have spent so much time bickering with Xiaoling at the door. Feeling reassured by this thought, her anger flared up again at his earlier insult. Hands on her hips, she stomped over to Zhuo Nan and pointed at him, cursing, "You little brat, who are you calling neither human nor ghost?"

"What if I did say you look like neither human nor ghost?" A crisp female voice came from behind her.

The woman’s rage boiled over. She turned around, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse, but her expression withered like a frosted eggplant the moment she saw it was Sun Yan, the company’s vice president. She stood before Sun Yan with a look of terrified respect, head bowed, and stammered, "President Sun..."

Sun Yan waved her hand, signaling her to be quiet. Watching this, Zhuo Nan thought, "The Du couple’s knack for putting on airs is truly profound. Look at Sun Yan—the very picture of a sharp, powerful businesswoman."

Under the watchful eyes of the garish woman and Xiaoling, Sun Yan walked up to Zhuo Nan and said respectfully, "Brother Nan, Fanhao is in a meeting and can’t get away for the moment, so I had to come down myself."

This scene left both women in shock. The garish woman was now filled with regret; the young man wasn't bluffing—he really did know President Du. Seeing the way Vice President Sun treated him, it was obvious. After all, Vice President Sun was the President’s wife, and her attitude in the company essentially represented his. If she was this respectful, it was clear that President Du would be no different.

The garish woman desperately wanted to make amends for her earlier mistake, but she couldn't find an opening.

Zhuo Nan smiled indifferently. "It’s fine. I was just stopping by, didn't expect to be blocked at the door."

Seeing Zhuo Nan’s smile, Sun Yan knew someone was about to have a bad day. She had seen the garish woman berating him when she arrived. Since Zhuo Nan had brought it up, these two receptionists would have to be fired.

She turned to the two women with a stern face. "Both of you, pack your things. Go to the finance department to settle your wages."

The garish woman hadn't expected to be denied even a chance to explain, while the girl named Xiaoling looked completely aggrieved; from start to finish, she had been polite and hadn't offended this gentleman at all.

"Sun Yan," Zhuo Nan interrupted. "This girl, Xiaoling, is actually quite decent. There’s no need to fire her. As for this one..." Zhuo Nan pointed at the garish woman. Seeing her begging expression, he said, "I’ll give you a chance. If you’re willing, go clean the toilets. If you do a good job, you might be transferred back to reception later. If you aren't willing, head to the finance department to collect your pay. It's your choice."

The woman was stunned. Clean toilets? That was work for the elderly cleaning staff. A woman as beautiful as her couldn't possibly do that. She would rather die than do it, but if she didn't, she’d be fired. While she could find another job, the pay would never be as good. Besides, she had stayed here specifically to land a wealthy husband; if she left without one, what was the point?

Thinking this over, she quickly blurted out, "I’m willing! I’m willing! But... how long do I have to do it?"

Zhuo Nan didn't reply. Instead, Sun Yan spoke with a condescending air, "That depends on your performance. Why are you still standing there? Go report to Director Wang in the logistics department."

Sun Yan clearly held such authority in the company that the woman was terrified. Forgetting even to say goodbye, she scrambled off toward the logistics department.

"What are you still looking at? Thank Brother Nan. If he hadn't spoken up for you, you wouldn't even have the luxury of cleaning toilets." Sun Yan’s words came out like a machine gun. Xiaoling, frightened into a state of trembling confusion, stammered, "Thank you, Brother Nan."

Zhuo Nan smiled and shook his head. Sun Yan chimed in at the perfect moment, "Brother Nan, let's go in. Come sit in the office. If you hadn't come over, Fanhao and I were actually planning to go find you."

Zhuo Nan led the way with Sun Yan following. Xiaoling watched them enter, her mind a blur. Who was this "Brother Nan"? To make Vice President Sun so respectful and to decide her career with a single word—could he be the mysterious Chairman? She dismissed the thought; it was impossible for the Chairman to be that young. Regardless, she decided she would be extra cautious from now on. Whoever came to see the President, she would be polite, polite, and even more polite. That much was certain.

Inside Du Fanhao’s office, Du was still in his meeting. Zhuo Nan imagined him wearing those cheap glasses and putting on airs, and a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Brother Nan, what are you thinking about?" Sun Yan asked curiously.

Zhuo Nan shook his head, indicating it was nothing. Just then, a woman with black-rimmed glasses, a curvaceous figure, and fair skin, dressed in a professional suit, approached them and smiled at Sun Yan. "President Sun, would you like something to drink?"

Sun Yan frowned. Zhuo Nan noticed the subtle reaction. Seeing this woman in Du Fanhao's office, one didn't need to be a genius to guess her status. He was immediately reminded of the secretary in the movie *If You Are the One*—buxom and provocative. If Du was keeping such a beautiful secretary, it was no wonder Sun Yan couldn't give her a pleasant look.

The secretary seemed accustomed to Sun Yan’s expression and just smiled silently. Zhuo Nan interjected, "Bring us two iced black teas."

Sun Yan was taken aback for a moment before she understood Zhuo Nan’s intent, covering her mouth to hide a smile. "Brother Nan is really something," she thought. This secretary was a recent hire, so she didn't know Zhuo Nan. However, seeing him with the Vice President, she assumed he was an important guest. Hearing the request for iced black tea, she was clearly unprepared—they only had coffee, green tea, and plain water. She had never heard of anyone drinking iced black tea in an office.

Unable to fulfill the request, she said apologetically, "President Sun, we don't have any iced black tea. How about green tea?"

Sun Yan waited for Zhuo Nan to set the tone. Zhuo Nan frowned, feigning dissatisfaction. "You don't have it? Why don't you go buy some? If a client asks for something and you just say you don't have it, what will the client think? They might get annoyed with you, and by extension, dissatisfied with the company. If the deal falls through, can you take responsibility for that?"

The secretary was scolded into silence, her face turning pale and then flushed. "Who is this guy? Acting like he’s the boss," she thought.

Sun Yan watched the secretary's reaction, feeling a sense of vindication. Only then did she speak, putting on an act. "Karen, since the guest has a request, we should try our best to accommodate him. How about this: go buy two cups right now. Hurry."

Karen, the secretary, was a hundred percent reluctant. She was the President’s secretary, not a delivery girl. But she resented Sun Yan even more. *You’re just annoyed because I’m working by the President’s side,* she thought. *If you have the guts, keep an eye on your own husband instead of targeting me.* She only dared to think it, however. With no choice, she went off to run the errand.

Once Karen was gone, Sun Yan laughed out loud. "Brother Nan, thank you. I’ve wanted to put her in her place for a long time, but since she’s Fanhao’s secretary, it would look bad if I did it without a reason."

Zhuo Nan waved his hand dismissively. "No worries. By the way, is this woman from abroad?"

"No, why?" Sun Yan asked, confused.

"Then why do you call her by an English name?"

Sun Yan laughed. "We’re an internet company, and we intend to go global in the future, so Fanhao made every employee pick an English name. To put it bluntly, it’s just to show off."

Zhuo Nan chuckled. Sun Yan was refreshingly honest. He liked that; he wasn't some refined intellectual himself, and he’d feel awkward if things were too stuffy. The old friends in Zhuo Nan’s circle all understood his character well and knew how to speak to him in a way he’d accept.

"Sun Yan, this secretary isn't bad-looking. Is that kid Du playing any games?" Zhuo Nan asked with a grin.

Sun Yan pouted dismissively. "He wouldn't dare... It’s just that she’s an eyesore, and it puts me in a bad mood."

"My dear wife, don't be in a bad mood..." Speak of the devil—it was none other than Du. He had traded his glasses for gold-rimmed ones and was dressed in a suit, looking quite the professional. He had caught the tail end of Sun Yan's remark as he walked in, and beads of sweat instantly broke out on his forehead. Ignoring Zhuo Nan, he rushed over to coax his wife.

Zhuo Nan found the scene amusing; the couple were a real pair of characters.

"How can I not be in a bad mood? President Du is so busy with business that he has to bring a secretary along to negotiate, otherwise he wouldn't have any face," Sun Yan teased, goading him.

"Alright, alright. I didn't come here to watch you two bicker," Zhuo Nan said. At his first word, the couple stopped instantly. They both knew that their current success was all thanks to Zhuo Nan; his word was law.

They sat down respectfully, waiting for him to continue. Zhuo Nan said, "Du, how are things going with QQ?"

Speaking of QQ, Du Fanhao couldn't help but admire Zhuo Nan. To have developed such an earth-shattering piece of software while still a teenager was legendary. He replied enthusiastically, "Brother Nan, since the official launch, we’ve surpassed 5 million registered users."

Zhuo Nan chuckled. "You’re this excited over 5 million? If it hits a hundred million, you’ll probably jump off a building."

Du thought, *Brother Nan, isn't that a bit harsh? It hasn't even been a month, and 5 million users is a huge deal. Your appetite is way too big...*

Zhuo Nan shifted gears. "Next step, you must build up the gaming platform. Keep it entirely free at the start, and only charge later. Understand?"

Du nodded intently. "Brother Nan, that’s exactly what I was planning. We can charge once the user base is large enough."

Zhuo Nan smiled. "There’s a trick to charging. Don't make it obvious. We’ll do it behind the scenes. Implement a membership system. The higher the membership level, the more they pay. Of course, we have to give these high-level members unique privileges; otherwise, why would anyone bother paying for membership?"

Du hadn't thought of that. Hearing it, he felt enlightened. People these days cared about face, and the internet was no different. High-level members having tons of privileges—how cool was that? It would even help them get ahead when trying to impress girls. This strategy was brilliant.

He gave a thumbs-up. "Brother Nan, that’s genius. I admire your vision."

Zhuo Nan waved it off. "In any case, handle the business side yourself. Making money is the key. Any idea that makes money is a good one. But I’ll say it again: we don't make money by sacrificing our conscience. Understand?"

The couple nodded repeatedly. Zhuo Nan continued, "I came here today because I need you to do something for me." He was polite, but Du wouldn't be arrogant. He seized the chance to show his loyalty. "Brother Nan, your business is my business. I wouldn't be where I am without you. My wife and I both know that we’ll follow you for the rest of our lives."

Zhuo Nan nodded with a smile. "It’s not a huge deal. I need you to check if there are any hospitals in the country capable of treating severe cases of beta-thalassemia. Also, if you can find someone willing to donate bone marrow, that would be best. Money is no object, but it must be done. Understand?"

Seeing Zhuo Nan make a special trip just for this, the couple knew it must be serious. They understood the rule: don't ask about what you shouldn't know.

Du quickly replied, "Don't worry, Brother Nan. I’ll arrange it immediately."

Just then, Karen, the secretary, ran in breathlessly with two cups of iced black tea. Seeing her, Du’s face darkened. "Karen, where have you been? We have such important guests, and you didn't serve water? What are you doing?"

Karen looked innocent. "President Du, the guest wanted iced black tea, and we didn't have any. President Sun told me to go buy some, and I just got back." She placed the two cups before Zhuo Nan and Sun Yan.

As she leaned over, Zhuo Nan felt a bit dizzy—the cleavage was deep, and the pair of breasts seemed ready to burst right out of her blouse. No wonder Du kept her around; even if he didn't do anything, just looking at her was a treat. With such a "buxom" monster by his side, it was no wonder Sun Yan was unhappy.

Zhuo Nan spoke up. "You can go now."

Karen looked at Du Fanhao. Seeing him nod, she turned and left the office, closing the door behind her.

Zhuo Nan took a sip of the tea, enjoying the cool refreshment. "Look, this is your personal business, and I have no right to interfere. But Du, we’re brothers who came out of the same place. I don't want to see you make a mistake. Sun Yan is a good woman; she stuck by you through your worst times. I think you should transfer this woman out and hire someone more suitable as a secretary. It’ll put Sun Yan’s mind at ease. What do you think?"

Though the tone was consultative, Du knew that when Brother Nan spoke, it had to be done. "Don't worry, Brother Nan. No matter what, I won't leave Sun Yan. I’ll replace the secretary immediately, and I’ll let Sun Yan choose the candidate."

Zhuo Nan nodded and stood up to leave. The couple rose as well. Zhuo Nan smiled, "That’s settled then. Keep an eye on that other matter and notify me as soon as there’s news."

Du nodded repeatedly. "Brother Nan, you can count on me. I’ll give it my all."

Sun Yan added, "Thank you, Brother Nan..."