Fang Miaoke spoke with heartfelt gratitude and utter sincerity.
Fang Miaoke truly saw Lin Chao Ci as her benefactor. She had decided to stay by his side and work her heart out for him. Apart from offering her body, she was willing to give him anything.
"All right, as long as your father is okay. Just focus on working here. Don't worry about your diploma. I've already sent someone to handle it. I guarantee you'll get it in two years!"
"If there's anything you don't understand, ask Ms. Li, the woman who brought you here! She's been a secretary for three or four years, so she has plenty of experience..."
Lin Chao Ci nodded, then gave her a few more instructions.
Fang Miaoke listened closely, her attitude thoroughly earnest. If she had paper and a pen on hand, she would have written everything down.
The car soon arrived at the largest shopping plaza in Haikou City.
Even though it was Tuesday, the plaza was still fairly crowded, with plenty of young couples strolling around arm in arm.
Lin Chao Ci took Fang Miaoke into an upscale bespoke clothing shop he frequented.
The shop had three floors. The first sold handmade clothing crafted from premium materials. The prices were so high that ordinary people could never afford them.
The second floor offered bespoke suits and couture gowns, which were just as expensive.
The third floor housed private rooms and workshops, generally used for discussing business or making couture gowns.
Lin Chao Ci was a regular customer who had bought his clothes here before, so the staff recognized him the moment he entered.
A staff member greeted Lin Chao Ci warmly with a broad smile while notifying the owner.
They were taken straight to a private room on the third floor.
The room was elegantly furnished with decorative screens and murals, its distinctly Dragon Nation style understated yet luxurious.
Many things in the room looked unremarkable, like old household objects, but any one of them was worth tens of thousands.
Lin Chao Ci had barely sat down and taken a couple of sips of tea when the shop's owner walked in, beaming.
"Young Master Ci, what brings you here?"
"Mr. Li, help the lady beside me pick out two suitable work outfits, and prepare a few casual outfits for her as well."
"Of course. Manager, take this young lady to have her measurements taken and choose some clothes..."
The two knew each other well enough to skip the pleasantries and get straight to business.
They settled the arrangements in no time.
Fang Miaoke had been bewildered ever since they entered the shop. She had thought buying clothes meant going to an ordinary store and picking out a few pieces that cost a few hundred.
She had never expected anything like this. On the way upstairs, she had seen the prices on the clothes.
Even the cheapest items on the first floor started at several thousand.
The second floor was even more expensive. The cheapest pieces cost tens of thousands each, and most were over a hundred thousand. Not a single one was cheap.
"Boss, the clothes here are too expensive. Maybe we should forget it!"
Feeling nervous and uneasy, Fang Miaoke moved closer to Lin Chao Ci and quietly tried to persuade him beside his ear.
"You're my secretary. If you wear shabby, cheap clothes, I'm the one who'll lose face when you go out!"
"Then just the two work outfits. We can forget the casual clothes. I can wear my own clothes the rest of the time!"
"No. You're my personal secretary. Unless you're sleeping, you'll have to attend to me even after work. If you dress too poorly, it'll spoil my mood..."
Lin Chao Ci firmly rejected Fang Miaoke's objections.
A few outfits hardly cost much anyway.
Money was meant to be spent. Any amount was worth it when he spent it on someone he liked.
Fang Miaoke felt helpless, but she could hardly argue. She could only obediently follow the manager out.
The shop owner had naturally heard everything, but he said nothing and pretended he hadn't. Lin Chao Ci had far too powerful a background. Ordinary people were better off keeping out of his affairs.
"Oh, and send someone to a phone shop to buy the best phone available. Get a SIM card and put some credit on it too..."
It occurred to Lin Chao Ci that Fang Miaoke didn't even have a pager, let alone a phone.
That wouldn't do. He would have no way to contact her when he needed her, so he had someone buy her one while they were at it.
About fifteen minutes later, Fang Miaoke returned, now dressed in a new work outfit.
Fang Miaoke understood her position clearly. She was Lin Chao Ci's secretary. How could a secretary make her boss wait?
As his secretary, she needed to know her place.
So Fang Miaoke had quickly chosen her clothes and returned immediately, without wasting any time.
Now, Fang Miaoke looked utterly transformed, like an ugly duckling turned swan. Her entire bearing had changed.
The clothes made her perfect figure even more alluring.
Her long legs were fair and straight, making it hard for anyone to look away once they caught a glimpse.
Fortunately, Lin Chao Ci had seen her countless times in his previous life and had developed some immunity. After briefly looking her over, he nodded in satisfaction and offered her a rare compliment.
"Not bad. You look the part. Now you actually look like my secretary..."
Fang Miaoke blushed slightly. For some reason, hearing his praise made her feel a little happy.
"Here's your phone. Let's go!"
After paying, Lin Chao Ci handed Fang Miaoke the phone and headed downstairs.
"Ah! This is that new phone just released overseas!"
Fang Miaoke had worked part-time in a phone shop before and recognized it at a glance. It was the shop's prized showpiece, costing eight thousand apiece.
"What are you standing around for? Hurry up and follow me..."
Fang Miaoke stood stunned for a while. Only when Lin Chao Ci called to her did she snap out of it and hurry after him.
"Boss, isn't this phone a bit too expensive? Could you exchange it for a cheaper one? I'm afraid I might lose it..."
Fang Miaoke knew the phone was meant to make contacting her easier, but she felt it was far too expensive. A cheaper one would have been perfectly good.
"My secretary represents me. If you go out carrying one of those phones that cost a thousand or two thousand, I'm the one who'll lose face!"
Lin Chao Ci thought his little secretary was cute, but she did ask a few too many questions.
She made such a fuss over things that only cost a few thousand.
Although Fang Miaoke didn't really understand, she didn't dare ask any more questions. She could only nod timidly and accept the phone.
Afterward, the two went to a restaurant for a meal.
This time, Fang Miaoke had learned her lesson. She asked no more questions and simply followed Lin Chao Ci's lead as they ate!
Even though the meal cost tens of thousands, making Fang Miaoke wince at the expense, she remained obedient and didn't ask any questions.
Fang Miaoke was unsophisticated and looked a little clueless, but she was far from stupid. In fact, she was very clever.
At a time when some rural villages could barely afford food, she had managed to get into the Political Science and Law University from the countryside. Clearly, she was no fool.
She soon realized that she was only a secretary. A secretary should follow instructions and handle things for her boss, not keep asking questions the way she had earlier.
Her boss had no obligation to answer her questions. A different boss with a worse temper would have fired her long ago for questioning him like that.
If she truly didn't understand something and wanted to ask, she shouldn't ask her boss or disturb him.
Fang Miaoke worked hard to settle into her role as secretary, not wanting to disappoint Lin Chao Ci.
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