Chapter Twenty-Four: The Unflappable Boss

When Liu Molan appeared downstairs, five minutes had already passed. By then, Qin Yang had parked the car and taken the opportunity to smoke a cigarette.

As she got into the back of the car, Liu Molan sniffed the air, frowned, and said, "You're not allowed to smoke anymore."

"This helps me stay alert. Otherwise, I might lose focus while driving," Qin Yang replied gloomily. "I'm no superman. If I drive for too long without smoking, I get mentally fatigued. It's a matter of principle."

Liu Molan couldn’t find a suitable argument against his excuse, so she simply glanced at the time and said, "If you can get to the airport within forty minutes and ensure you don't receive a ticket from the traffic bureau, I suppose I won’t mind if you smoke in the future."

"Hold on tight," Qin Yang said, a faint smile curling his lips.

The journey from here to the airport normally took about an hour, and it wasn’t clear whether he’d have to speed. Yet Qin Yang had unmatched confidence in his driving skills. His past accident, as a prodigal second-generation, had been due to a malfunction in the car, though he still didn’t know which scoundrel had tampered with it. Having absorbed the souls of several people, he was extremely familiar with the streets and alleys of Haitian City, especially thanks to Gao Jinfeng's knowledge of hidden shortcuts.

The car sped through the streets like a swift serpent. Qin Yang's hands were agile and assured as he kept his eyes on the road. Fortunately, the vehicle was a semi-automatic, which suited his need for acceleration; he had always lacked interest in automatic transmissions. As an amateur top-class racer, manual gearboxes were his preference.

The car went faster and faster, but Liu Molan seemed completely unaffected. She was absorbed in a document, her eyes gleaming with a hint of brilliance. Even when the car swerved sharply, causing her body to sway with inertia, she remained focused. Qin Yang felt a twinge of frustration and stopped watching her, instead overtaking cars with abandon until they finally arrived at the airport. He checked the time and said, "Boss, we're here."

"Thirty-eight minutes and forty-two seconds," Liu Molan replied coolly. "You've passed the first test. This is my work schedule—I hope you won't delay any of my tasks."

She handed him a schedule. Qin Yang looked at the densely packed timetable and felt a headache coming on. What kind of boss was this, who arranged her daily schedule so precisely? As she had already gotten out of the car, he followed, took the folder from her, and asked, "Is this for today?"

"It's for tomorrow," Liu Molan replied. "From now on, you’ll receive my daily schedule in advance. Time is extremely precious to me. I don’t want a driver who wastes my time. During work hours, you must be fully alert. In your personal time, unless it's work-related, I won’t intrude. But you must always be ready for my call. Your phone must be on twenty-four hours a day—I suggest you have a separate work phone. I don’t want your personal calls to interfere with my business."

"Alright," Qin Yang replied, feeling a bit powerless.

"This time, we're picking up the spokesperson for a well-known domestic brand. Mind your words and actions," Liu Molan said.

When the two entered the airport terminal, just as the flight from Yanjing was landing, Liu Molan’s contact was a middle-aged businessman in his forties. He wore a suit, his stomach protruding slightly, and what was most displeasing about him were the fleshy features of his face and the deeply hidden lascivious glint in his eyes.

"Miss Liu," the businessman hurried forward to shake her hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

Liu Molan's handshake lasted only a second. The businessman seemed reluctant to let go, but didn’t dare be excessive in public.

From their conversation, Qin Yang learned that the man’s name was Wang Zhen. He had come to discuss his brand's business in Tianfeng Mall with Liu Molan. Qin Yang wasn’t interested in these matters, so he simply followed behind, holding the folder, looking as serious as a bodyguard.

"And who is this?" Wang Zhen felt uncomfortable seeing this third wheel trailing behind, and asked.

"He's my driver," Liu Molan replied without further explanation. "Mr. Wang, let's not waste any more time."

"Of course, of course," Wang Zhen replied, somewhat confused.

In the car, Wang Zhen tried to make small talk with Liu Molan, often straying from work-related topics, but Liu Molan remained as calm and unyielding as an iceberg, replying only occasionally. Qin Yang didn’t drive fast, and after an hour they arrived at Tianfeng Mall. When the two had gotten out, he leisurely returned to the underground parking lot.

Just as he entered the mall, Tao Caijie hurried over and asked, "How did it go?"

"Pretty well," Qin Yang scratched his head and smiled. "Just a bit too cold, as if someone owed her a fortune."

"You silly boy, Manager Liu has always been like that. We weren’t used to it at first, but you’ll get used to it. You should cherish this opportunity," Tao Caijie said with a laugh. "If you get fired, your sister will be embarrassed."

"Don’t worry," Qin Yang replied with a grin.

Their conversation was close, but both understood their place in each other's hearts—it was a sibling intimacy without any romantic undertones. Yet someone seemed to have a particular dislike for Qin Yang; seeing a man in his thirties approach, Tao Caijie visibly frowned, a hint of disgust in her eyes.

"Who’s that?" Qin Yang glanced at the new arrival.

"Guo Jintao, the bastard who gave me those drugs," Tao Caijie said, gritting her teeth.

Qin Yang's eyes turned cold.

Anyone who would use such drugs to harm others was certainly a scoundrel. His demeanor was clearly that of a narrow-minded, possessive, twisted man.

"Let’s ignore him; he’s the deputy manager here, and definitely not a good person," Tao Caijie said, pulling at Qin Yang to leave.

But Guo Jintao strode quickly over, blocking their path. The lascivious glint in his eyes flickered, then he said, "Caijie, who is this? You’re not allowed to talk to outsiders during work hours—don’t you know that?"

His pretentiousness made Qin Yang want to laugh, but Tao Caijie spoke first, "He’s Manager Liu’s driver—a colleague, not an outsider. Deputy Manager Guo, is there something you need?"

"A newcomer? Hmph. You’d better mind your words and appearance. Look at you—you're affecting the mall’s image," Guo Jintao said disapprovingly.

"I’m just a driver, not serving customers, only the general manager," Qin Yang replied calmly. "Deputy Manager Guo, isn’t your criticism a bit overreaching? If anyone should speak, it should be the general manager, not you."

Guo Jintao’s eyes narrowed sharply. "Daring to talk back to your superior—do you not want this job?"

"The only one who can fire me is the general manager. You don’t have that authority," Qin Yang replied lazily, then left with Tao Caijie, not wasting any more words on the likes of him.