Chapter 126: This Girl Has Exceptional Talent-Villain: I Refuse to Be Cannon Fodder—Is It My Fault the Heroine Thinks I’ve Changed?(Accepted for payment)

Lin Li glanced at Fang Tai and, without a second thought, gave the fellow a swift kick to the backside.

"That’s enough. You handled this matter reasonably well this time."

"Get back to your own business now. There will be plenty of rewards for you later."

After sending Fang Tai away, Lin Li brought Xu Miaoling to his office. While he did have an office at the Qin Group, it was not the president’s suite, but rather a small workspace on the top floor. It served primarily as a place for Lin Li to settle in whenever he needed to be present.

"You should know what I need from the assistant I’ve hired this time, right?"

Xu Miaoling nodded. "Mr. Lin, would you like me to show you my resume?"

Lin Li shook his head. "I have great faith in my own standards for hiring. If I let you in, there’s a reason for it, so I don’t need to doubt too much. What you need to do is very simple: follow my instructions daily and ensure all matters in the various departments are handled properly. Beyond that, ask only what you should ask, and do not ask what you shouldn't. Also, you may come into contact with some highly confidential matters; you are strictly forbidden from disclosing anything that happens within this company to others without my permission. That is the most important rule."

Xu Miaoling nodded earnestly, though she was sneering internally. *You never expected that I’m actually here to spy on you, did you?*

Lin Li hadn't expected Ye Aotian to be so willing to send Xu Miaoling here. He had been fretting over how to deal with the Four Great Families, and this was a stroke of pure luck—it was as if he’d been handed a pillow just as he started to doze off. For Lin Li, the subsequent developments were all under his control. Whether it was the Four Great Families or Ye Aotian, they would all pay the price for their arrogance.

Lin Li asked Su Lan to take Xu Miaoling to get a brief overview of the current state of the Qin Group. Upon seeing Xu Miaoling, Su Lan clearly harbored some mixed emotions. However, she understood that this day had been inevitable; as the de facto manager of the Qin Group, she needed to stay informed of the company's status at all times, and Lin Li could not personally handle every single detail.

While there were some things Su Lan could report to Lin Li, she was, in name, the person in control of the Qin family. If she were to follow Lin Li around like a shadow every day, how would that look to the outside world? Faced with such constraints, Su Lan could only silently accept the arrangement.

"I am the current Chairman of the Qin Group." Su Lan stepped forward and extended her hand. "Hello, my name is Su Lan. It’s a pleasure to meet you."

Lin Li had assumed it would take some time and effort for these two to get along. To his surprise, they acted as if they were old acquaintances. This caught Lin Li off guard; he had already prepared a script for how to make the two women get along, only for them to resolve the matter themselves before he could even start.

Su Lan pulled Xu Miaoling aside and began whispering with her. It had to be said that Su Lan’s capabilities were truly impressive. Although Xu Miaoling was competent, she was essentially a novice when it came to interpersonal relationships. Facing a seasoned veteran like Su Lan, she had no defense and was skillfully managed within a few sentences.

Naturally, their relationship quickly became quite amicable. However, what intrigued Lin Li more was Xu Miaoling’s current state. He knew she had come here to steal the Qin family’s secrets, so logically, she should have despised everyone in the family, as they were the ones opposing her own young master. Yet, strangely, Xu Miaoling showed no hint of dislike toward Su Lan. At one point, Lin Li even caught a flicker of pity in her eyes.

*Hmm? This situation doesn't seem to be developing as expected.*

Ye Aotian’s willingness to let Xu Miaoling come here was already a surprise to Lin Li, but her attitude toward Su Lan felt even more off. Lin Li began to think carefully about what was wrong. Soon, a rough theory formed in his mind. In the original story, Xu Miaoling was a person who hated evil with a passion. She would naturally detest Lin Li, viewing him as a heinous villain. The only reason these plot points hadn't occurred in the original story was that Lin Li had been written out of the narrative early on.

But things were different now. Lin Li had successfully eliminated the major threat of Qin Guosheng and had taken control of the entire Qin family alongside Su Lan. Xu Miaoling, unaware of the full picture, would naturally assume that Lin Li was a scoundrel who was "holding the Emperor hostage to command the lords," and that Su Lan was merely a victim, forced to cooperate under Lin Li’s coercion.

Once this logic clicked into place, the sequence of events became crystal clear. Lin Li couldn't help but sneer. It seemed that Ye Aotian had "praised" him quite a bit to convince Xu Miaoling to take on this mission. It was a credit to Xu Miaoling that she hadn't let her true feelings toward Lin Li slip until now.

Su Lan walked over to Lin Li. "This girl has a good personality and decent talent. With the right training, she could indeed become a very capable assistant."

Lin Li did not reveal Xu Miaoling’s true identity to Su Lan; the fewer people who knew, the easier it was to control the situation. "Then I’ll have to trouble you to mentor her, Sister Lan. I’m rarely at the group headquarters, but I need to be informed of company matters immediately—especially now that public opinion on the outside has completely shifted."

Lin Li trusted that Su Lan wouldn't easily disclose the issues between them, so there was no risk of Xu Miaoling finding out through that channel. Su Lan nodded and agreed; for her, this was also a matter of great importance.

Over the next few days, Lin Li visited the group more frequently to observe how long it would take for Xu Miaoling to grow into her role. Under Su Lan's careful guidance, Xu Miaoling did indeed gradually adapt to her work as an assistant. To celebrate, she offered to treat Lin Li to a nice meal.

Such an offer was clearly suspicious. Under normal circumstances, Lin Li would have refused any other person immediately, but this time, he chose to accept. As he agreed, a strange look crossed Su Lan’s face. Xu Miaoling noticed this, which only served to further solidify her own misguided beliefs.