"Like at last year’s auction, when you were looking further ahead?"

"Pretty much. And to achieve that, you need to understand the market and policies, among other things. Of course, it’s also important to maintain a good relationship with the security team leaders under you, as they are the backbone of the company! They play a bridging role, and from them, you can get real reactions and levels of execution on certain arrangements and regulations. This can be used as a reference. More than that, you need to explore on your own. Of course, as your consultant, I will also help you."

Li Jie nodded, remembering his words, pondering and digesting them for a while.

"And there’s something else I want to tell you."

"What is it?"

"Many things I know are also self-taught. I’ve worked my way through some psychology, philosophy, and even metaphysics books, bit by bit, slowly chewing through them. I also use online searches to find more straightforward explanations of concepts I don’t understand. So there’s absolutely no need for you to feel..." Li Yan pointed at the books on her desk and the open search on her computer, "...embarrassed. Actually, it’s all about finding materials. In the past, people used to go to the library; now it’s more convenient on the computer."

Li Jie knew that he went out of his way to say this to give her more confidence so she wouldn’t get discouraged. "Thank you, I know what to do now. For my father’s hard work, and for you... and your encouragement, I will definitely not give up."

Seeing that her earlier frustration was gone, Li Yan knew she had taken his advice to heart. The actual outcomes would depend on her exploring and trying things out on her own.

He felt relieved, "Just a verbal thank-you, that’s all?"

"Then..." Li Jie was at a loss, "Shall I treat you to a meal? I don’t know as many good places as you do."

Li Yan shook his head with a smile, "I haven’t even mentioned why I’m here today. Let me finish with the important business first!"

"What’s this important business?" Li Jie thought the matters they had just discussed were very important to her.

"I remember we made a promise before the New Year. As long as you could keep Xiaodi satisfied and not raise her suspicions that night, you would listen to any of my arrangements. Do you remember?" Li Yan moved in closer with a grin.

From the moment Li Yan arrived, Li Jie anticipated he would bring this up. But due to the book discussions and the emotional venting, which led to his guidance, she forgot about it. Now hearing him mention it, she realized he hadn’t forgotten this "important business" at all!

"Did... did we?" She wanted to deny it outright, but she hesitated, feeling unsure.

"You didn’t call Xiaodi to verify, did you?"

"..."

"But you also noticed that Xiaodi hasn’t found out, right?"

"..."

"From the way you rushed to the scene when you heard I had something important yesterday, you still like me, don’t you?"

Bombarded by his questions, Li Jie got a bit annoyed and retorted grumpily, "Alright then! What do you want?"

"Fulfill the promise."

Li Jie took a deep breath to calm herself, staring at him. "How do you propose fulfilling the promise? By having me secretly be with you behind Xiaodi’s back?"

"No, it’s for you to be my girlfriend just like Xiaodi!" Li Yan said seriously, "When the time is right, when she’s ready to accept it, I will let her know about us."

"..." Li Jie was speechless, thinking he was being too unrealistic.

She hadn’t attracted the attention of other men and found him to be the most suitable, plus she already belonged to him. Even so, accepting this idea was difficult, and now he was catching on to a verbal slip to leverage this. Would a girl with Xiaodi’s family background agree?

Seeing her skepticism, Li Yan smiled, "Don’t worry, I’ll handle the rest. Even you haven’t hit me, so she definitely will agree eventually."

"Alright, alright, let’s talk about that later. If you have nothing else, I need to start reading again. You’ve already taken up quite a bit of my time. If you stay in my office any longer, others might misunderstand and think we’re... planning some new policy." Li Jie was really worried he might try something intimate, and if the company’s colleagues saw it, she’d lose her authority over them.

"There’s one more piece of important business..."

"What else?" Li Jie frowned, "I said I’d agree with you..."

"It’s not about us; it’s about your dad’s business." Li Yan smiled.

Li Jie’s expression turned sour because he just mentioned the "important business" between the two of them, and now he was talking about her dad’s "important business," making her think it was the same kind of thing. Her mother passed away years ago, and her father hasn’t remarried. Now Li Yan was talking about her father’s "important business"! What a situation...

"Did my dad ask you to talk to me, or is this your idea?" She tried her best to suppress her bad feelings and asked calmly.

"Of course, it’s my idea; it wouldn’t be a surprise if your dad knew! Men, you see, rarely have surprises. At his age, if he doesn’t have surprises now, life will become duller and duller."

Li Jie raised her fist and swung it towards Li Yan!

(A new year, wishing all eligible young people to sort out their life’s important matters!)(To be continued, to know what happens next, please visit www.qidian.com, more Chapters are available, supporting the author, supporting legitimate reading!)