Chapter 2.1 – The Male Lead’s Bestfriend

The next day, the personnel department notified her through email of the new secretary’s arrival. She was nothing short of excited. Outside President Gu’s office, three L-shaped office tables for the secretaries were set a few meters apart. In the spacious office, it could be quite liberating, as well as lonely. She used to listen to the two secretaries chat about interesting gossip. He Zening could only wonder what kind of person would show up tomorrow.

‘Special assistant Zheng must have participated in the interview. Should I try to pry for information?’ she thought. But as soon as it came, she dismissed it. She had just started working not long ago, it would be better not to pry.

Not long after, the internal phone from the front desk rang. The receptionist informed her that a certain Fu Shao had stepped into the elevator before hanging up. He Zening was left bewildered. ‘Fu Shao? Who is this Fu Shao?’

Ordinarily, anyone who wants to meet with President Gu must first set an appointment. All appointments are naturally compiled and handled by the secretary. It was unheard of where someone had barged in without an appointment, until today. But with the last name ‘Fu’, He Zening guessed that he must play an important role in this story.

Still, she was curious. She immediately went to special assistant Zheng’s office to get information.

Special Assistant Zheng was hunched over a bunch of papers. She approached him carefully. “Special assistant Zheng… the front desk says Fu Shao has arrived. Do you have any idea who he is?” she asked.

“Fu Shao is President Gu’s best friend,” he replied, lifting his head. “Let President Gu know Fu Shao has arrived. There is nothing more you need to know.” Perhaps thinking more, he added, “Fu Shao has a bad temper. Be courteous.”

‘Ahh, that makes sense,’ He Zening thought, nodding at Zheng. “Understood, thank you special assistant Zheng.”

He Zening went back to her office space.  First, she made a call to President Gu, and then sat there trying to digest what she had learned today. This was a typical setting in a novel, where two close friends are at the peak and could do anything they want. This Fu Shao might be the male lead’s sidekick who makes things happen or a possible confidant of the heroine in the future. He Zening was hoping it wasn’t the second one; it was a waste to see friendships broken over another person. Anyway, she was clueless about the plot, but she deliberated that he is probably an important character in the story. Therefore, she must build a good relationship with him!

After a few minutes, footsteps sounded from the hallway through the gap of the door. He Zening immediately perked up, sat straight, and donned a professional smile on her face.

A man dressed in casual wear walked inside. Immediately, his scrunched up brows and serious look caught He Zening’s attention. Besides that, he was a big, tall man, and was quite handsome.

He Zening calmly and politely greeted him. “How are you, Fu Shao?”

He slightly nodded without even looking in her direction, and asked, “Is Gu here?”

She nodded. “Yes, I have already informed President Gu you are here,” she replied.

Without another word, Fu Shao headed towards the door. He skipped knocking and casually pushed the door open. From his actions alone, He Zening confirmed that Fu Shao and Gu Siye did have a close relationship.

Now that the event was done, He Zening did not waste another minute; she started clearing the documents on her desk. Although a secretary’s job does not require much technical knowledge, it is very detail-oriented. She must familiarize herself with a lot of information, such as the company’s rules and regulations, and the organization’s structure. She can’t absorb information in such a short time, so, from time to time, she reads the company’s system documentation.

In novels, the plots usually utilize male secretaries. Female secretaries would usually be written as antagonists to make the female lead jealous, or merely as a sort of aesthetic backdrop. Only when He Zening became a secretary did she realize it wasn’t an easy job as novels portray it to be. Fortunately, President Gu was a workaholic without much activity in his outside life. Therefore, hasn’t been asked to do things outside her workplace.

After a while, the door opened and Fu Shao walked out of the office.

“Fu Shao, stay safe,” she courteously greeted him.

He responded by turning his head and looking at her. Contrary to her expectation, his gaze was sharp like a knife, stabbing through her insides. He Zening was flabbergasted. She only said two words out of formality. ‘What’s this guy’s problem?’

Luckily, he only looked at her once, and after that, he turned his head and walked out the door. He Zening could finally exhale a breath of relief. He wasn’t a simple man, but someone who exuded danger. It was better to give up thoughts of building a good relationship with him.

The internal phone rang. She saw it was President Gu and immediately picked up the phone.

“President Gu,” she said.

“Come in for a minute,” he replied.

“Okay.”

After He Zening hung up the phone, she went straight into his office. Other than his desk, President’s Gu office has a set of sofas, and even a bathroom. But compared to other novels, this was already a kind of low-key set-up. She walked to the front of his desk.