177. Spoiled by Favor?

At noon, the Phantom stopped downstairs at Bai Jingyi's house.

"Chairman Zhang." Bai Jingyi bowed slightly outside the half-open car door, symbolically covering her chest. "Then I'll wait for you to come over this afternoon?"

"Yes." Zhang Yang glanced at it and was about to close the door and tell the driver to drive off.

"Wait a moment, Chairman Zhang," Secretary Xiaobai suddenly called out.

"Is there anything else?" Zhang Yang asked curiously, glancing at Bai Jingyi, who seemed a little embarrassed.

"I forgot... there's also... there's also this." Bai Jingyi suddenly mustered her courage, leaned forward, and quickly gave Zhang Yang a light peck on the cheek. "Chairman Zhang... Goodbye, Chairman Zhang!"

Before Zhang Yang could react, Bai Jingyi covered her face and ran away.

"You..." Zhang Yang touched his cheek, which still felt warm and soft, somewhat taken aback. "No, did my assistant take the initiative and force a kiss on me?"

He took out a tissue and wiped away any non-existent traces, glancing at the driver, Xiao Sun.

Throughout the entire process, Xiao Sun kept his eyes fixed straight ahead, like a statue.

"Well... Little Xiao Sun, let's go back."

"Yes, Chairman Zhang." Xiao Sun continued, keeping his eyes straight ahead.

Inside the stairwell, Bai Jingyi leaned against the wall, clutching several shopping bags. She watched the taillights disappear into the distance before covering her burning face and heading back to her apartment.

Stepping out of the elevator, Bai Jingyi saw several of her former roommates in the distance.

"Jingyi, you're finally back."

"My God, so many clothes? Who bought them for you? Could it be that guy from last night..."

The girls chattered excitedly.

Don't be fooled by how they comforted Gao Fei in front of him last night, seemingly standing on his side. But privately, in front of Bai Jingyi, every single one of them wished they were the one in his shoes.

"You... you guys..." Bai Jingyi stammered, looking at her friends who were all asking her questions.

"You haven't eaten, have you?"

"We brought food and drinks."

One by one, the girls raised the bags they were carrying, chattering excitedly as they pulled Bai Jingyi along as they entered the house.

After a while.

"So, these really were all gifts from your boss?"

"This is quite a move... Confess honestly, what's going on between you and that handsome boss..."

Sensing the interrogative tone of the questions, Bai Jingyi naturally denied it outright, saying, "Chairman Zhang said these are just work clothes."

Wearing Gucci work attire?

"Such great treatment, dear sister, could you recommend us to go too...?"

Bai Jingyi's expression was sincere, but she knew exactly what was going on in her mind. "Ladies, Chairman Zhang doesn't have any hiring plans right now. If he did, he definitely wouldn't forget you."

"Very well, if you become rich and powerful, don't forget me."

"Come on, Jingyi, are you tired? Let me massage your back."

In the afternoon, several girlfriends watched from afar as Bai Jingyi got into that Phantom, and they all sighed with relief.

"I never expected that Bai Jingyi's life would take such a fast track."

"Being the personal assistant of a male god boss... just thinking about it is kind of exciting..."

Inside the Phantom, Phantom even more luxurious than first class, Zhang Yang subconsciously patted Bai Xiaomi's thigh, but his mind was wandering to his things.

"Hey, what's with that expression?"

He suddenly saw Bai Jingyi's expression, as if she wanted to cry out but dared not.

"Chairman Zhang, it hurts a little, a little." Bai Jingyi whispered, pointing to her thigh.

Zhang Yang moved his hand away, looked at his originally fair and smooth skin, which now looked a little red, apologized, and then gently rubbed it back on.

"Go to HR tomorrow to get your permanent position confirmed."

"Huh?" Bai Jingyi was taken aback, somewhat surprised. "You're making me a full-time employee so quickly?"

"Well, there's nothing to assess. I'm not expecting much from your abilities anyway, so I won't keep you hanging on," Zhang Yang said casually.

Upon hearing this, Bai Jingyi blushed slightly.

How experienced can a fresh-faced college student be?

She glanced at Zhang Yang's hand, which he seemed reluctant to let go of, and couldn't help but mutter to herself, "Hmph, he says I'm incompetent, but he's so enthusiastic about touching my thigh..."

"You're not secretly criticizing me, are you?" Zhang Yang gave Bai Jingyi a strange look.

"No, no," Bai Jingyi quickly waved her hand and denied it outright. "Thank you, Chairman Zhang, for giving me a permanent position ahead of schedule."

Zhang Yang hummed, covering Bai Jingyi's thigh, feeling a little emotional in his heart.

It's only a minor benefit, but having a nicer vase by your side is definitely worth it.

Taking advantage of my work, I did...

That's incredible.

A sense of unbridled arrogance inexplicably arose in Zhang Yang's heart, but fortunately, he quickly came to his senses and suppressed this wildly growing desire in time.

Having desires is a good thing, but uncontrolled desires are not.

He naturally removed his hand, and his eyes immediately became clearer.

In the afternoon, at a coffee shop, Zhang Yang met the person he was looking for, his target CEO candidate, Zhou Zhaodong.

A meteoric rise, a sudden awakening, and dominance in the financial world...

All these labels converge on this middle-aged man in his forties, yet he exudes a gentle and refined air, a late bloomer of great talent.

"Hello." Zhang Yang approached with Bai Xiaomi and extended his hand.

"Hello, Chairman Zhang." Zhou Zhaodong's voice was gentle as he stood up and shook Zhang Yang's hand.

The two each ordered a coffee and sat down to chat.

The complex and meticulous work had actually been completed before the two even met. Everything that needed to be understood had been understood, and everything that needed to be confirmed had been confirmed. The matter of him joining Cloud Sea Capital was practically settled; all that was left was for Zhang Yang, the BOSS, to make the final decision.

During their casual conversation, Zhang Yang became curious about Zhou Zhaodong's educational background.

His experience of going from a vocational college to Wharton School is nothing short of legendary.

Zhou Zhaodong then gave a brief explanation.

"It was just one very sudden day when I felt I couldn't go on like this, and then, I suddenly had an epiphany. From then on, in the eyes of outsiders, everyone thought I had cheated..." Zhou Zhaodong shook his head and laughed.

"In fact, I just had an epiphany, but I still had to pay the price."

"Cheating?" Zhang Yang blinked, as if he had suddenly thought of something.

When it comes to cheating, he, with his systematic cheating skills, has a lot to say.

From an utterly mediocre employee to a boss who can afford a five million annual salary, can you imagine what it took to achieve this?

In the afternoon, the two drank coffee and chatted very congenially.

Bai Jingyi sat An An to the side, listening without interrupting, perfectly fulfilling her role as a junior assistant.

Around three or four in the afternoon, Zhang Yang finally reached out his hand to Zhou Zhaodong.

Welcome to Yunhai.

"Thank you for your appreciation, Chairman Zhang." Zhou Zhaodong said with utmost sincerity, "I will definitely prove my worth."

A mediocre student with a system hires another student who, despite not failing, achieves an extraordinary life of success – a truly complementary pairing.

Zhang Yang immediately paid attention to the system prompts in his mind:

CEO has been selected.

Loyalty buff has been granted.

"That's it?" Zhang Yang was overjoyed and his expression calmed down.

He's always been self-aware, and he knows that his biggest weakness right now is his lack of ability. But that's okay...

Starting with the CEO, the constant influx of top-tier talent with their own inherent loyalty ensured he had a team he could rely on without worry.

And the so-called hidden worry about the mismatch between ability and wealth no longer exists from this moment on.

"Old Zhou..." Zhang Yang was about to speak.

"Chairman Zhang, I'm going to the restroom." Bai Jingyi, who was standing to the side, suddenly stood up quite consciously.

"Okay, go ahead." Zhang Yang nodded.

Bai Jingyi knows how to avoid suspicion, which is good. Hmm, her insight and awareness have improved.

"Old Zhou, it's like this, the company needs you to find a few candidates for department heads. The specific requirements are as follows..." Facing Zhou Zhaodong, who was already loyal enough, Zhang Yang bluntly stated the requirements.

"Hurry up, but we must be selective and only hire the truly outstanding candidates. Of course, I won't skimp on the compensation either."

"No problem, Chairman Zhang. I actually have some suitable friends around me. How about I introduce them to you?" Zhou Zhaodong asked tentatively.

"You make the final decision; I trust your judgment," Zhang Yang said with a smile.

It's easy to imagine that the harvest day is fast approaching.

Upon completion of this task, the reward will be a random property and enough experience points to level up...

As for the next level, earning 200,000 a day comes with a surprise upgrade gift pack.

It was a series of pleasant surprises.

Around 4 PM, Zhang Yang and Zhou Zhaodong walked out of the coffee shop together.

Not far away, Bai Xiaomi stood with her arms crossed, lingering beside the Rolls-Royce Phantom, waiting for Zhang Yang.

"Old Zhou, see you at the routine meeting tomorrow." Zhang Yang nodded to Zhou Zhaodong and walked straight to his car.

At tomorrow's regular meeting, he will formally announce Zhou Zhaodong's appointment.

In the future, in addition to being the top leader and chairman, Zhou Zhaodong, as CEO, can oversee all matters, big and small, within the company. In a sense, Zhou Zhaodong is also the embodiment of his will within the company.

"Why aren't you getting in the car? What are you doing wandering around outside?" Zhang Yang glanced at Bai Jingyi, who was waiting by the car.

"If you don't get in, how dare I presume to take your place?" Bai Jingyi said softly, then mustered her courage and gently hugged Zhang Yang's arm. "Chairman Zhang, let me help you into the car."

"I'm not old yet," Zhang Yang said, getting into the car with a wry smile.

The car door closed, and since it was still early, Zhang Yang had the driver, Xiao Sun, drive the Phantom back to the company.

Inside the Human Resources office.

After receiving the news that Bai Jingyi would be promoted to a full-fledged employee, the young lady became even more attentive to Bai Jingyi.

"Sister, I can do all of this myself." Bai Jingyi looked at the busy and attentive young lady and felt a little embarrassed.

"No, it's nothing, let me help you." The young woman remained enthusiastic.

"Well... alright then." Seeing that she couldn't refuse, Bai Jingyi had no choice but to agree.

At the company, this newly promoted assistant clearly noticed something different today.

From the receptionist to the staff in each department, everyone seemed to suddenly become exceptionally warm and friendly towards her, which made her feel incredibly flattered.

"Sister Xiaobai, this is delicious! Want to try some?"

"Sister Bai, do you like going to concerts? I have some tickets here..."

For a moment, Bai Jingyi, a complete novice who had just entered the workforce, inevitably became a little complacent.

"Isn't this just being arrogant and abusive because of favor... Hmm, no, no."

Thinking of the handsome boss's emotionless eyes, Bai Jingyi felt a chill run down her spine and instantly sobered up.

Be careful in the workplace!

Inside the chairman's office, Zhang Yang suddenly sneezed.

"Who the hell is talking about me?"

He muttered to himself, thinking that there must be countless people in the world who think of him.

He stood in his office bathed in the golden sunset, admiring the Magic City skyline while looking at the rows of office buildings that were beginning to light up. A strange, indescribable feeling welled up inside him.

The more chaotic things are around me, the calmer and more serene I feel inside.

Bite.

Suddenly, my phone received a message.

"Huh, is that Zhou Xiaoyi?" Zhang Yang looked at the person who sent the message; it was his junior high school classmate whom he had just met.

"Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, the video is finished. Let me show it to you." Zhou Xiaoyi sent a series of messages, explaining a lot.

What ensured Zhang Yang's privacy to the greatest extent possible?

She also subtly praised the superb technique used in her video.

"Wait a minute, let me go check it out." Zhang Yang said, and immediately prepared to go and see what was going on.

The video started playing, and Zhou Xiaoyi's narration began.

[Ten years after graduation, I've turned my classmates into blind boxes. No matter where you are, I want to visit you.]

[Zhang, the most inconspicuous boy in my junior high class.]

[Now···]

To be honest, it's quite awkward to be seen as someone else waiting for you to appear.

However, since the video needed to be uploaded, and considering Zhou Xiaoyi's current popularity, Zhang Yang had no choice but to suppress his embarrassment and continue watching.

[Now I'm going to the place we agreed to meet Xiao Zhang.] This is a simple selfie Zhou Xiaoyi took downstairs in an office building.

I barely remember Zhang from ten years ago. If it weren't for the blind box, we probably wouldn't have crossed paths at all. I'm texting him now, and he'll be downstairs in a bit.

The camera pans, and there he is, his own reflection.

Zhang Yang glanced at his fleeting figure in the image... well, a side profile, a back view, but never a front view.

This Zhou Xiaoyi is indeed quite skilled; without blurring his image or affecting the video's quality, he successfully portrayed the image of a male god.

Yes, even though there was no front view, Zhang Yang himself had to admit that he looked incredibly handsome on camera, even just a glimpse of his back or the back of his head.

He's not bragging.

Keep in mind that at this moment, he was already trying his best to suppress his embarrassment and detach himself from the situation of the person involved to watch the video in front of him.

But it didn't matter; handsome is handsome.

Ten years, three thousand six hundred and fifty days—will they make us different people?

The answer is yes.

[Goodbye, Xiao Zhang. I don't recognize the boy in front of me at all. He's the same quiet, unassuming classmate who used to sit in the corner in junior high.]

Have you seen the male protagonist of the novel? Is he him?

[But the impact he had on me went far beyond that.]