"Got it. Handle the negotiations according to that benchmark for now. Nothing else—go get on with it," Jiang Cheng said, a little impatiently.
When she heard that, Chen Xueer realized he probably had other fires to put out, so she didn't linger.
While quickly gathering the papers spread across the desk, she said, "All right, I'll go coordinate with the other banks. I'll update you the moment there's any progress."
Jiang Cheng nodded. "Finish up early and we can clock out sooner."
"Clocking out early is a myth lately—everyone's been told to work overtime tonight."
"Skip the overtime. Anything that can wait until tomorrow shouldn't cost you your sleep. No dark circles allowed."
As soon as those words left his mouth, Chen Xueer leaned in close again.
"Don't worry about me—look at yourself, you've got purple bruises under your eyes."
At that, Jiang Cheng fought the reflexive twitch that shot through his muscles.
One hand braced on the desk, the other clenched into a fist over his mouth,
he struck a pose of deep contemplation.
"Can't help it—you know me, I'm unstoppable after dark. With great power comes great… responsibility."
Chen Xueer could now decode ninety percent of his innuendo.
Before leaving, she rolled her eyes at him one last time.
"I'm off."
Her alluring silhouette vanished through the doorway; the office lock clicked shut.
Down under the desk, filthy and flushed, Zhu Yan didn't scramble to the bathroom right away.
She waited until the beep of the keypad outside faded before crawling out.
The space under the desk was roomy enough, but the air was nothing like up top.
The instant she emerged, Zhu Yan sucked in an exaggerated breath.
"I thought I was going to suffocate."
She dabbed her face with a tissue.
With a grunt, Jiang Cheng flipped her over,
telling her to grip the edge of the desk.
"Hold on—aren't you… done?"
Jiang Cheng's mind flashed three giant question marks.
"Did you forget the tale of the three demonesses of New Year's in Kyoto? Need me to retell it?"
"Ahh…"
Two hours later, Jiang Cheng strolled out of the bathroom carrying Zhu Yan, refreshed.
"See? Told you the bathroom's huge."
Zhu Yan had misunderstood.
"What does the bathroom have to do with it? It's plenty big wherever we are."
????
Something felt off.
Before he could dress, Zhu Yan fawned over him, slipping his clothes on herself.
"darling, let me help you."
"Trying to butter me up?"
"Of course. You're my sugar daddy now—half the city's lining up to please you. I'd be stupid not to seize the chance. Frankly, other banks could match the perks if they tried, but for me this deal is more than numbers. If you pick CMB, I can hold my head high in front of my uncle and find legitimate reasons to see you instead of always sneaking around as your 'personal assistant.'"
She knelt to slide his trousers on. Jiang Cheng pinched her cheek.
"If you land this loan, what's the real bump in bonus and promotion?"
Her face lit with anticipation.
She answered frankly,
"For bonuses, corporate deals here pay a cut of the profit. This one alone would cover two years of my salary. Promotion-wise, because of you I've already jumped from grade 7 to 10. Moving up normally takes years of grinding or a blockbuster deal. If I close this, I hit 12 next year and maybe land a seat on the branch approval committee."
"You're grade 10? What level is your uncle?"
After buttoning his fly, cheeks pink, she said, "He's Bank Manager of Shanghai branch—grade 36."
"You're nineteen, right? Fresh out of school and already grade 7—that speed isn't slow at all."
She met his gaze without flinching.
"Nepotism helped. My master's was in financial engineering; my thesis modeled risk for billion-yuan corporate projects—exactly what the bank does. There's a special talent track: research like mine starts you at 7. Undergrads enter at 6, normal master's at 8, but since I was a new grad without real performance they docked me one level, so 7 it was."
She paused, voice matter-of-fact: "Without my uncle I wouldn't even have gotten that foot in the door. For most people, breaking in is hard—CMB's rank system is brutal, especially for junior posts; every rung is policed."
As the old saying goes, these jobs are hereditary.
How else could that famous classroom speech exist:
"My dream is to become a Bank Manager; my grandpa was one, my mom is a deputy Bank Manager, so I want to inherit…" Jiang Cheng didn't answer directly; he patted her bottom. "So, any house you fancy? I'll buy it for you."
Her face lit up in surprise.
"You'll buy me a house?"
He nodded. "Pick the area or complex you like; once you choose, it's yours."
Zhu Yan knew this was his way of keeping things fair—she was well aware of the assets the other women around him held.
Still, she was touched.
After fastening his last button she hugged him tight.
"Thank you, darling."