He Jingyan left the company when the sky was just beginning to lighten. As he passed by the flower trellis, he deliberately took an extra look.
It was indeed identical to the background in Mi's photo.
The landscaping in the neighboring complex was different from here, so the other person must definitely be working in the gaming business.
Previously, when mentioning company gossip, the so-called "friend at Hongni" was clearly Mi himself.
So, they actually worked in the same office building every day?
This seemed a bit too coincidental.
When He Jingyan got home, he didn't rush to rest. His eyes were sore, so he put on blue light blocking glasses and went through their chat history again.
Mi wasn't very noisy, but also not quiet. Most of the time his speech was polite, but he would joke around when he got the chance.
— How's the new boss?
— His body doesn't look as built as yours.
Seeing these two lines of dialogue, He Jingyan let out a derisive laugh.
Quite bold.
Then He Jingyan scrolled down the screen. Mi frequently mentioned his new boss.
— I'm concerned he might "die midway through his great enterprise, leaving it half-finished" like the former emperor.
— It's hard to describe his personality to you. In short, he's very detestable. If he wasn't my boss, I'd probably avoid people like him in daily life.
— But he's a huge! weirdo!
...
He Jingyan scrolled to the most recent messages, where Mi had left several comments.
At noon, Mi grumbled: [I've met with the boss, and all I can say is he didn't let poor me off easy.]
In the evening, Mi was excited: [Survived the ordeal, off work now, time to enjoy the weekend! Sleeping in tomorrow before overtime work /penguin wobble]
And three hours ago, Mi cautiously inquired:
[Jing, are you still busy? I've showered and am about to rest.]
He Jingyan replied now: [Just got home, I'm planning to sleep too.]
He then asked: [How weird is your boss?]
As part of management, he maintained a certain sensitivity to these complaints.
Friction in the workplace is perfectly normal. Colleagues often argue and try to convince each other, with many people bickering at work but still able to go out for drinks together after hours.
One stands firm on their professional perspective, reluctant to easily accept your approach. The other sets aside work roles, feeling they can become friends with you as a person. The adult world is capable of digesting this complexity.
But undeniably, the work environment can also breed some malignant incidents, especially within unequal hierarchical structures.
Even though Hongni advocates for a flat organizational culture, it can't completely eradicate the drawbacks that stem from power.
So, He Jingyan consciously avoided and remained vigilant.
He asked Fang Xiyun: [In Shanghai, are there any leaders with particularly bad reputations?]
Fang Xiyun, woken up in the middle of the night, replied with an irritated voice message.
"Delay, Yan-god, Little Boss He! It's almost 6 AM now. Have you evolved into a species that doesn't need sleep, or has your body regressed to start following old cadre routines?"
After saying that, Fang Xiyun mixed in some personal grudges.
"Can't you have some self-awareness? Ask around the whole group, who could have a worse reputation than you!"
He Jingyan: "..."
·
Ji Mi noticed that Jing had actually replied to him at around 5 AM.
It wasn't finals week now, nor was it the end of a quarter. How could Jing's daily biological clock be so terrifying?
Was he a monster?
As this thought occurred to him, Ji Mi was reminded of He Jingyan...
"Pulled an all-nighter for an overseas meeting on Thursday, stayed up late for an internal meeting on Friday, he should be passed out in bed sleeping like a log now," Ji Mi speculated.
However, pondering his boss's sleeping face seemed a bit inappropriate, so he restrained himself from further imagination.
Regarding the question of how weird his boss truly was, he typed to Jing: [It's hard to explain in a few words.]
Jing, who had already woken up, indicated that he was patient enough to listen: [You can elaborate.]
This message appeared in the chat box for just a few seconds before being pushed up by Ji Mi's rapidly typed essay.
[He can scrutinize images down to three decimal places of precision, works extremely long hours of 18 hours a day, has absolutely no sense of separation between work and life, can still send messages in group chats in the middle of the night, it's hard for everyone under him to catch a breath.]
[Based on my observations, he can drink Americanos like water. I suspect if he were to have his blood drawn, they could extract a lot of coffee beans from his blood bag.]
[Of course, these aren't the main points. He's inherently quite mean, which is hard to describe specifically. You'll have to figure it out yourself.]
However, Jing on the other side couldn't figure it out.
Just looking at the first few lines, he felt that leader was his kindred spirit.
But he firmly believed that he wasn't unlikeable, so he didn't take it personally.
Mi's grumbling seemed quite lively. It was perfectly normal for someone new to the workplace to feel lost and frustrated. As an industry veteran, He Jingyan didn't hesitate to offer some advice.
He Jingyan pretended not to know Mi was at Hongni: [If you're at a big company, people like you described aren't uncommon.]
[I remember most companies now have complaint mechanisms. If this issue is seriously affecting you, you could try to report his problems to higher-ups.]
...Report to higher-ups?
Ji Mi saw these four words and thought that in this business group, there was no one with a higher position than his boss!
He rolled over in his blanket, hesitantly speaking up: [It's not that serious.]
Although He Jingyan was very strict, with a personality unrelated to gentleness, and skilled at being snarky with him, in the workplace, these weren't major issues.
The key was what he could gain from it.
Generous salary and benefits, superior resources and platform, and the leader's ability to guide him to a higher level.
The head office could satisfy all of the above, so Ji Mi was willing to work a bit harder.
At this moment, he was just taking advantage of the anonymity with his online friend, where he didn't need to be sensible, to vent a little about He Jingyan, whom he wouldn't dare to say much about normally.
He conceded first: [I'll just put up with him. The salary increase from changing jobs can be considered compensation for mental damages.]
Then, Ji Mi roughly calculated and realized Jing hadn't slept for many hours.
He asked curiously: [You rested so late, don't you feel unwell?]
Jing replied officially like a game customer service: [Thank you for your concern, I'm in good health.]
After saying this, Jing belatedly frowned.
Although he didn't mean anything by it, clarifying that he was in good health felt somewhat strange...
He retracted that message and said stiffly: [I don't feel unwell.]
Ji Mi witnessed this operation and asked teasingly with curved eyelashes: [Why did you retract it?]
[Afraid I won't believe you?]
[Or afraid I'll fact-check in person?]
Jing seemed like a mature elite, who should be very experienced in romance, but when chatting he appeared as innocent as someone who had never dated.
After a while, Jing replied slowly: [Those eyes you use for fact-checking must see some very nutritious content, huh?]
Ji Mi: "."
He almost rolled his eyes at the screen.
Then he sensed that behind Jing's teasing, there seemed to be some bluster?
Ji Mi caught this subtle hint: [Jing, are you afraid to meet me in person?]
Jing responded quickly this time: [I'm not afraid.]
Jing: [It's just that you might regret meeting me.]
Ji Mi felt strange and asked directly: [Is your face very unattractive? Or did you use a fake photo for your profile picture?]
He thought these two scenarios were the most likely to make him regret meeting in person.
However, Jing denied using a fake photo.
Jing further stated that, at least in his past experiences, no one had ever complained about his looks.
Ji Mi was already brushing his teeth and washing his face. After seeing the other's explanation, he said competitively: [Well, same here.]
Jing followed up: [What do you look like?]
Ji Mi didn't cooperate: [You're not meeting me anyway, so why ask for my photo?]
Jing: [To see if those people you met before were lying.]
Ji Mi couldn't help but let out a soft "tch" sound, deliberately being difficult: [I'm worried you might use the photo for something illegal.]
Jing: [Oh, do you want to see mine then?]
Ji Mi blinked: [Go ahead and send it.]
Jing: [On second thought, never mind.]
Jing: [Worried you might do something not so innocent with it.]
Ji Mi: "..."
Damn it.
Someday, he would find out if Jing was flat or round? Handsome or ugly?
Preferably face to face, to see if Jing could still say such arrogant things...
He really wanted to drag the person out from the other side!
Ji Mi forcefully poked at his screen: [Fine, then don't send it.]
[Otherwise I might actually dream about you after seeing it, and nightmares aren't good for sleep.]
This sentence seemed a bit harsh, so Ji Mi added an emoticon: [QAQ]
Afterwards, he ordered takeout to bring to the office.
"I'm planning to go to the office soon. Are you working overtime? Should I order an extra milk tea?" Ji Mi called Fang Xiyun as he calculated the delivery fee.
Fang Xiyun was groggy with sleep: "I'm still in bed. That dog Delay... Besides roosters, he's the only one who's woken me up at dawn."
After complaining, he said: "Order one for me, thanks. I'll come in later."
An hour later, Ji Mi walked into Hongni carrying milk tea.
The top floor was quiet except for his footsteps. Looking around, he saw all the outer workstations were empty.
Thinking no one was there, he started playing a video with the sound on.
A gaming channel host was discussing leadership changes at Hongni. Ji Mi listened intently as he unwrapped his straw.
"There are rumors that Delay will be CEO-1 of Interactive Entertainment. This makes sense, as he used to work at the core Purple Platform Studio and had achievements there. The group trusts him."
"He went to MIT for university. Yes, we're alumni, though not in the same year. He graduated early to join Hongni."
"Do I keep in touch with him? No, but other classmates are thrilled to add him on WeChat. They probably contact him quite often."
The host laughed at this point: "Those people say they've finally made it into a big shot's friend list. They must feel like they're close to getting into his family register."
The host's witty way of speaking made Ji Mi chuckle quietly.
As he sipped his milk tea and gave the livestream a heart, he noticed the partially open office door swaying slightly while waiting for his computer to boot up.
Ji Mi thought it was just the air conditioning, but a moment later, He Jingyan walked out.
At the same time, Ji Mi hadn't managed to stop the video, which continued playing.
The host said: "Why are you all so curious about Delay? You're like old men in People's Park. I'm starting to wonder if you're planning to set up blind dates with him."
Ji Mi: "..."
He frantically pressed the volume button, but by the time the host said "blind date", the sound was already very low.
If He Jingyan had been even slightly hard of hearing, he wouldn't have made out what nonsense the phone was saying...
Thinking this, Ji Mi looked guiltily at him.
He Jingyan was looking down at him coolly, saying in a frosty tone: "So curious about me?"
Listening to others gossip about one's boss behind his back put Ji Mi at a disadvantage. He could only stammer out a response.
"I just wanted to understand a bit..."
After all, they'd be working together, so the more integrated he was, the better, right?
Unfortunately, he didn't get to voice these thoughts as He Jingyan cut in: "Mm, that's normal."
Ji Mi quickly nodded, thinking He Jingyan understood his desire to be a good assistant.
However, He Jingyan continued: "But for blind dates, it's best to ask the person's wishes first."
"For instance, I have no interest in dating. Wouldn't you be wasting effort going around asking about me?"
Ji Mi: "......"
He closed his eyes briefly, barely controlling himself from glaring at He Jingyan.
Then Ji Mi said: "Alright, don't worry. I just wanted to better assist you with work..."
He sounded like he was making a solemn vow: "I have zero interest in office romance!"
Coincidentally, the computer had finished booting up and automatically logged into OC. Wanting to prove his dedication to the job, Ji Mi showed He Jingyan his chat history with other assistants.
The person on the other end worked for the neighboring e-commerce business group. Ji Mi had proactively asked for advice, and that industry veteran had generously sent over a set of office protocols.
The veteran was very tactful in dealing with people, especially leaders. They were meticulous about everything, making arrangements carefully. They were an extremely capable and reassuring business support.
"He's amazing," Ji Mi always felt admiration. "I heard that when he took time off, his CEO went through withdrawal symptoms."
He Jingyan was also surprised: "Is this his daily work routine?"
"Yes, this is the assessment standard for new hires there. They all use the document he compiled as a reference," Ji Mi explained.
He Jingyan looked at the dense requirements on the screen: "At first glance, I thought it was a nanny sharing tips on caring for infants."
Ji Mi: "."
If he remembered correctly, the head of e-commerce was already 50 years old.
"But they focus more on business affairs, with frequent drinking sessions with suppliers. The atmosphere and structure have always been more traditional, so this is normal," He Jingyan said.
He added with some amusement: "You don't need to learn from this. It's unnecessary here."
Ji Mi said: "The normal handover should involve the previous assistant guiding me for a while, but he ran off overnight, so I can only fumble my way through..."
Mentioning this, he suddenly felt gossipy.
"Is it offensive to ask? Did you really drive him away?" Ji Mi probed indirectly.
He Jingyan's lips curled: "I think the main reason is that his family owns two buildings in Guangzhou, with enough rental keys to fill an entire belt."
After hearing this, Ji Mi pouted slightly in secret.
He wished he hadn't asked. He had just paid rent for that old, small apartment and was still feeling the pinch.
He Jingyan only mentioned that the previous assistant had the fallback of inheriting family property, without going into details about why he resigned.
In such a high-pressure environment, staff turnover was too common. After seeing it enough, one realizes it's not worth digging into. The few secretaries who could endure were the minority.
He changed the subject to explain the differences between various presidential offices to Ji Mi.
"Some executives are completely tied up with administrative affairs and can hardly delve into business operations. They can't even understand discussion meetings without their assistants."
"In such cases, they form very close connections with their assistants. The latter must highly cater to the boss's needs, which saves the boss effort, but I consider this a form of laziness."
He Jingyan said: "At least for gaming, if the boss doesn't understand development, that business unit isn't far from shutting down."
Ji Mi bit his lip. He had a Cupid's bow that gave him a somewhat childish look.
"Is that so? I was worried you wouldn't understand next week's tech exchange meeting, so I prepared three versions of materials..."
"Three versions?" He Jingyan hesitated.
Ji Mi put on a professional air: "I wasn't sure about your level, so I thoughtfully categorized them."
"There's the 'Baby Bus Version', the 'Entering the Jianghu Version', and the 'Golden Legend Version' for you to choose from."
He Jingyan couldn't help asking: "Which version did you match in the development team before?"
Even with an SSP contract, new graduates wouldn't be rated too high. Ji Mi answered: "Probably 'Entering the Jianghu'."
He asked further: "If you're still managing development, do you focus more on game design or programming?"
Game design, programming, and art were the three pillars of game development, and most core executives came from these departments.
He Jingyan said: "I hold the position of Chief Engineer..."
Ji Mi's hand on the mouse paused. Then, right in front of He Jingyan, he silently deleted the 'Baby Bus' and 'Entering the Jianghu' versions.
"I didn't know before," he said, embarrassed.
He Jingyan said: "Understandable. Without a mentor in the same position to guide you, and Shanghai being far from Guangzhou, many people here don't have much contact with me."
"Anyway, I don't rely heavily on assistants. Being too dependent on others is a kind of disability in my view," he said.
"Most of the previous assistant's work was clearing the work backend, implementing my ideas on schedule. I take the lead in setting plans and building frameworks."
Hearing this, Ji Mi understood that He Jingyan was indirectly revealing his standards for promotion. At the very least, he needed to be good at execution.
However, most matters in the executive office were thorny. Even just execution already tested one's abilities significantly.
He Jingyan glanced at the open protocol document, pondering: "It's quite strange when superiors and subordinates get too close."
Ji Mi asked: "Is it?"
There wasn't much hierarchy-induced distance here. The secretaries often joked and laughed with He Jingyan, sometimes evolving into mutual teasing and bickering.
In other places, most people would be extremely respectful to their superiors. Even if not afraid, they would show deference. Who would argue like this?
However, Ji Mi suddenly realized that these relatively close interactions were limited to the workplace.
Outside of work, other executives had dedicated staff to manage their personal lives, but He Jingyan hadn't hired anyone for that role at all.
Thinking of this, Ji Mi heard He Jingyan respond: "Yes, it's hard to imagine that someone could know me inside out, that's simply..."
Ji Mi ambitiously interjected: "Could they simply take over your position?"
He Jingyan hadn't expected Ji Mi to make such an association, and wasn't sure which of them was more career-obsessed.
He finished his sentence somewhat speechlessly: "It would simply be my destined wife."
Ji Mi was incredulous: "Your wife?"
He took a deep breath, then cruelly reminded him, while also seriously analyzing:
"Are you sure such a creature actually exists? Shell has already burned incense for you, has there been any sign after all these days?"
He Jingyan said: "Lately I've been going back and forth between the company and home, how could there be any signs? What's the difference between me and a pet on a schedule?"
This topic was too unfriendly for him, and he seemed to want to change the subject, his gaze drifting towards the milk tea.
Ji Mi said: "This is Fang Xiyun's. Buying just one milk tea doesn't meet the minimum for delivery, so I urgently asked him to join forces."
"Fang Xiyun doesn't come to the office on weekends as often as I do," He Jingyan said diplomatically.
Ji Mi casually made a promise: "Next time we'll invite you."
He Jingyan had heard from Noah that Ji Mi had been here for nearly half a year and had figured out which takeout places nearby were good. Everyone knew when to keep their heads down and follow those in the know.
He opened his WeChat QR code: "Send the group order link here, it's convenient for settling the bill."
Ji Mi inexplicably gained access to the boss's personal contact information.
Afterwards, He Jingyan returned to his office, and Ji Mi eagerly opened his Moments, wanting to snoop on the man's usual activities.
However, his finger tapped too forcefully.
[I patted "Delay"]
Delay: [?]
Delay: [Don't be too eager after making it onto the friends list.]
Ji Mi was caught red-handed and felt quite embarrassed, sincerely typing out a "Sorry."
Before sending, the chat box jumped.
Delay: [This method won't open the household register.]