The company employees were already used to him being late. After Bai Le entered his office, he began working through the pile of documents.
But after spending about half an hour reviewing them, he started playing on his phone. Whether it was work or study, his approach was to work hard for half an hour and rest for ten.
His new secretary came in and showed no surprise at the sight.
His father seemed to have noticed the recent change in Bai Le and felt gratified. He planned to formally assign someone to teach him how to handle company affairs, so he transferred over a secretary who had worked for him for many years.
The new secretary was named Ye Xiaosi. He was around twenty-seven or twenty-eight, wore gold-rimmed glasses, and had soft features that gave him a refined, aloof appearance.
This character was completely unfamiliar to Bai Le, because the original novel had never mentioned Bai Huizhang assigning a secretary to the original owner of his body.
Ye Xiaosi was a man of few words and had a steady temperament, but he was rigid in his work and didn't know how to adapt.
"President Bai, there's a meeting at five this afternoon and a trip to Japan tomorrow. The plane tickets and everything else have already been arranged."
Bai Le nodded, tilting his head and rubbing his aching neck. "You can handle those arrangements. Come give my shoulders a massage."
Ye Xiaosi frowned. "That's not one of my responsibilities."
"I pay your salary, so I call the shots."
He corrected him expressionlessly. "Chairman Bai is the one who pays my salary."
Bai Le looked at him, speechless.
A young female special assistant came in and saw the two of them staring at each other. She quietly set down the tea she was carrying and tried to leave.
"Wait a moment." Bai Le had some impression of this assistant. "I remember you really like watching Mary Sue idol dramas, don't you?"
The special assistant gave an embarrassed smile. "...I wouldn't say I really like them. I just watch a little now and then."
Bai Le acknowledged her answer, then jerked his chin toward the door and said imperiously to Ye Xiaosi, "You can go."
Ye Xiaosi wasn't angry. Without another word, he turned and left.
Bai Le continued to the special assistant, "Then imagine this situation. For example—and I'm just saying it's an example—you're a man. You see a guy talking to a girl, so you go over and demand to know whether he knows her, and you're really hostile about it. What do you think would happen next?"
Earlier, Xi Yan had asked him in a particularly cold manner whether he and Ye Feifei knew each other.
"...That's a little convoluted. Let me think. If I were hostile to the guy and put myself in that role, maybe I'd be jealous. Seeing the girl I like getting close to another guy would definitely feel bad."
That's it, now we're getting somewhere. Bai Le was delighted.
"But here's the confusing part: 'you' are also very cold toward the girl. You could even say you seem to hate her. What do you think would happen next? Would they end up together?"
The special assistant was baffled. "...From your description, I feel like 'I' have a mental illness."
Bai Le couldn't help feeling a new respect for her. He thought that someone who had watched countless Mary Sue idol dramas really was different: being able to see through Xi Yan's true nature from just a few words was no small feat.
"Why would 'I' have to like that girl?"
Bai Le was taken aback and didn't know how to explain it to her. "Well, they're the male and female leads in the TV drama, so they'll definitely end up together."
The special assistant said cautiously, "Sorry, President Bai, but I don't really understand that. In all the Mary Sue dramas I've watched, the male lead dotes on the female lead to no end. I haven't seen one like this."
A little disappointed, Bai Le nodded and let her go.
It was exactly six when he arrived at the airport that afternoon. The television in the VIP lounge was playing the theme song of a boy-group survival show.
On the eve of the broadcast, Bai Le had made a generous gesture, buying trending searches to promote his company's three trainees. The show itself had already attracted enormous attention and discussion, and its first episode had racked up a considerable number of views.
Perhaps that meal had paid off. All three trainees had received a decent amount of screen time. Although it wasn't outstanding, it was at least average, and none of them had been subjected to malicious editing.
Still, to be honest, the show would ultimately form a permanent five-member boy group, and it would be good enough if even one of the three managed to debut. The one Bai Le had his eye on was a young man named Pei Shen.
It was already night when they arrived in Japan. After taking the car that had been arranged for them to their hotel, he had Ye Xiaosi check the schedule. They had a meal with the Japanese company's executives at noon the next day.
The Japanese company owned the largest chain of branded shopping malls in Japan, with locations throughout the country. Bai Le had come to negotiate an investment in exchange for an equity stake.
"The Japanese side arranged the meal at a nearby hotel, but they said there would be other business partners there besides us."
Bai Le didn't think much of it. He casually tugged at his tie and drew the curtains.
"I'm going to sleep for a while. Wake me when it's time."
Bai Le yawned, looking too listless to speak. He was clearly dismissing his guest.
Ye Xiaosi frowned, seemingly displeased by his habit of sleeping at the drop of a hat and his listless demeanor. He sighed inwardly.
How on earth did Chairman Bai end up with a son like this?
The next day, by the time the car reached the hotel entrance, Bai Le hadn't even opened his eyes. He got into the car in a daze.
When the private room's door opened, a light beige color scheme greeted them. Several low tables stood in the room, and a few middle-aged men in black suits were already seated. Bai Le recognized the man at their head as the person he had come to negotiate with. His name was typically Japanese too: his surname was Saito.
When he saw Bai Le arrive, he hurriedly stood up, extended his hand, and greeted him in halting, awkward Chinese.
"President Bai, it's a pleasure to meet you. Please take care of me."
Faced with Japanese-style courtesy, Bai Le decided to respond with Chinese-style courtesy. He clasped the man's hand and said warmly, as though they were old friends, "No need to be so polite. Sit down, everyone, sit down."
After the pleasantries, Bai Le looked at the table. Although the Japanese food came in small portions, it was all exquisitely presented, and the sight whetted his appetite. He hadn't had much of an appetite these past few days, so it was rare for him to feel so hungry. Just as he was about to pick up his chopsticks...