After an entire night and the following morning, Cheng Yao finally felt like she had found a breakthrough.
China’s laws impose strict entry requirements on foreign investments in the internet sector. Certain internet-related industries, such as online publishing services and online audiovisual program services, are completely off-limits to foreign investors.
TuanTuan Online consists of a literature platform and a video platform, both of which fall under these restricted categories.
Xu Jun had opted for a VIE structure not only because the company didn’t meet the requirements for direct overseas listing, but more importantly, because TuanTuan Online’s core business areas were in sectors where foreign investment was prohibited. This meant Xu Jun couldn’t directly list the company abroad and had to use the VIE structure, which relies on contractual agreements like comprehensive technical service agreements instead of direct foreign shareholding.
The government’s method of enforcing strict control over these restricted industries is through licensing—only domestic companies that obtain the necessary permits can engage in related business activities.
TuanTuan Online’s literature platform had been established long before Xu Jun met Bai Xingmeng. It was already a mature operation and had acquired an internet publishing service license early on. However, the video platform was only launched after Xu Jun and Bai Xingmeng got married. Through her investigation, Cheng Yao discovered that TuanTuan Online did not possess the necessary online audiovisual service license.
Eager to report her findings to Qian Heng, she rushed into his office, only to realize that he wasn’t alone.
She glanced at Qian Heng, then at Wu Jun.
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“Qs yblye, esd’v xkde xl,” Ew Kwd pyke okvb yd wdelapvydekdt pxkzl, bkp nbyaxkdt rlynb czsppsx lulp pzktbvzu aykple. “R’x Ew Kwd—uswa Vyavdla Ckyd’p tsse qaklde, cwpkdlpp ryavdla, yde pswzxyvl. Lsv yd swvpkela.”
Ubldt Zys kdpvkdnvkhlzu zssjle vs Ckyd Tldt, oykvkdt qsa bkp kdpvawnvksdp.
Ckyd Tldt eked’v alprsde vs bla cwv kdpvlye vwadle bkp tygl vsoyae Ew Kwd.
Ew Kwd pktble blzrzlppzu. “Gzaktbv, yzaktbv, R’zz zlyhl.”
***
Ubldt Zys qkdyzzu bye vbl nbydnl vs alrsav bla alplyanb qkdekdtp:
“…Fs, ewl vs vbl qsalktd kdhlpvxldv alpvaknvksdp kd vbl kdvladlv kdewpvau, vblal xwpv cl y obszzu esxlpvkn nsxrydu qwzzu sodle cu MwydMwyd Xdzkdl vbyv bszep vbl sdzkdl ywekshkpwyz plahknl zknldpl. Mbkp zknldple nsxrydu oswze byhl pktdle y nsxralbldpkhl vlnbdknyz plahknl ytallxldv okvb vbl qsalktd-kdhlpvle ldvkvu, ynbklhkdt vbl ARO pvawnvwal qsa shlaplyp zkpvkdt.” Ubldt Zys blze y pvynj sq esnwxldvp, hkpkczu lmnkvle. “Mbl hkels cwpkdlpp kp sdl sq MwydMwyd Xdzkdl’p nsal srlayvksdp yde kp bktbzu qyhsale cu qsalktd kdhlpvsap. Rv’p yzxspv nlavykd vbyv vbkp zknldple nsxrydu kp nawnkyz vs vbl zkpvkdt. Fkdnl vbl hkels cwpkdlpp oyp zywdnble ewakdt vbl xyaakytl, vbl nsxrydu wple vs scvykd vbl zknldpl xwpv byhl yzps clld lpvyczkpble ewakdt vbl xyaakytl—kv byp vs cl sdl sq vblpl qkqvlld nsxrydklp…”
Bdqsavwdyvlzu, clqsal Ubldt Zys nswze nsdvkdwl, Ckyd Tldt kdvlaawrvle bla czwdvzu:
“I have no interest in your analysis process. Just give me the result.” He glanced at her. “Even if you spent three days and nights researching, if you don’t have a concrete result, then the process is meaningless to the client.”
Cheng Yao was momentarily stunned but quickly responded, “I checked the National Radio and Television Administration’s list of licensed internet video providers and confirmed that the key company is TuanTuan Technology Network Co., Ltd., a wholly owned subsidiary of TuanTuan Online. The reported losses of this company are highly questionable—at the very least, its equity value was significantly undervalued during the divorce settlement.”
After speaking, she instinctively looked at Qian Heng.
Her fair skin, the gleam in her eyes, and the slight yet expectant smile on her lips made her look like she was waiting for his praise.
“Hmm.” Qian Heng took the documents. “Bao Rui identified this company last night.”
Cheng Yao’s face showed visible shock, followed by disappointment. The excitement she had just displayed gradually faded away.
It was harsh, but that was the reality of the workplace.
Qian Heng despised nepotism because hiring through connections disrupted the fairness of the system. Every time a connected hire got a position, a truly competitive candidate was turned away.
The only reason he had brought Cheng Yao into his team wasn’t to mentor her but to give her “special treatment”—pushing her into intense workloads so she’d realize the difficulty and quit on her own.
After bringing Cheng Yao into his team, Qian Heng deliberately adopted a hands-off approach, paying little attention to her. However, to his surprise, despite spending her evenings binge-watching dramas, Cheng Yao’s work-related browsing history told a different story.
Qian Heng had asked the firm’s IT department to pull up her browsing records, originally intending to find evidence of her slacking off during work hours. His plan was to use that as a reason to dismiss her during her probation period for lack of dedication. But unexpectedly, all of Cheng Yao’s work-time browsing was genuinely job-related.
Her daily browsing routine was highly structured: at 9 AM, she would start researching family law cases on the China Judgments Online website. At 11 AM, she’d switch to the Legal Express Channel to review the latest case studies. At 1 PM, she would check the Intermediate and District People’s Court websites for updates on public trial schedules and recent judicial decisions. By 4 PM, she’d be engaging in case discussions on major lawyer forums.
However, from 11:30 AM to 1 PM—her lunch break—her browsing became much more eclectic.
Three days ago, she Googled, “How to mend a relationship with your boss” and “What to do if you offend your boss,” even joining a Douban discussion group called “My Boss is Toxic.” The day before yesterday, she searched for “How to become a high-earning lawyer” and “How to reduce my presence in front of my boss,” along with searching “Industry Plague Qian Heng” as a keyword fifteen times. Yesterday, she looked up “Just how toxic is Qian Heng?” and “How to peacefully coexist with a difficult boss.” She also found a viral thread on Tianya titled “Exposing My Nightmare Boss” and left a comment: “Hugging OP, I totally get you.” And today—oh, today—she was even more of a handful. She browsed Zhihu for “How to stop myself from punching my boss” and “When you become successful, who would you most want to take revenge on?”
Since family law cases often involve highly sensitive client information, Junheng had strict confidentiality rules from the moment employees joined. The employment contract clearly stated: “All activities on work computers are not subject to privacy protection, and Junheng has the right to monitor and process such data.” Cheng Yao had seen this clause but hadn’t taken it seriously—probably never imagining that someone would actually be bored enough to scrutinize every employee’s browsing history.
The more Qian Heng read, the more he sneered. The sweeter someone appeared on the surface, the wilder they were inside. Cheng Yao, you’d better pray I don’t catch you slipping.
Yet, the more he monitored, the more frustrating it became—because Cheng Yao was frustratingly clean. Splitting her browsing by work hours and lunch break, she never slacked off during actual work hours. Every day, she sat there doing mindless tasks like printing, copying, and filing for Bao Rui, diligently taking notes on so-called “classic cases” that had no real structure or practical value. She seemed to genuinely believe that just working hard would make her a famous lawyer—when in reality, only actual case experience could build a lawyer’s expertise.
Several times, Qian Heng passed by Cheng Yao’s desk, only to find her still absorbed in typing up notes on her “classic cases.” Her bangs framed her bright profile, and her round eyes were wide with focus—so naïve it was almost ridiculous.
Since Bao Rui couldn’t work on the Bai Xingmeng case, Qian Heng had no choice but to let Cheng Yao take over. But he deliberately wanted her to experience the grueling nature of a lawyer’s work—so she’d get discouraged and quit.
He assigned her the tedious task of retrieving corporate records from various industrial and commercial bureaus, an exhausting and time-consuming job requiring no real skill. Given the cold and rainy weather, transportation was a nightmare. Some suburban bureaus could only be reached by a frustrating mix of buses and subway transfers. It was the kind of grunt work that most young women wouldn’t want to do.
Qian Heng fully expected Cheng Yao to come begging for mercy. Then, he could use that as an excuse to fire her—too delicate, unable to follow work assignments.
Qian Heng hadn’t expected Cheng Yao to obey without a single complaint. Not only did she comply, but she also completed the tasks flawlessly.
One time, perhaps because the rain was too heavy and she couldn’t get a cab, she returned to the firm soaked through while carrying the corporate records. Yet, even in that state, she never once uttered a word of hardship or fatigue.
Passing by the break room, Qian Heng saw her trembling as she dried her wet hair, huddled over a cup of hot tea for warmth. But the tea was evidently too hot to hold for long, and since she craved the warmth, she kept switching hands every few seconds, grimacing from the heat in an amusing struggle between fire and ice.
Most people would look miserable in such a state, but Qian Heng realized that even like this, Cheng Yao still looked quite pretty.
Although she hadn’t found any useful evidence in the corporate records, her relentless dedication to the case left a rare impression on him.
If that stubborn perseverance of hers could be properly guided, then given time, she might be like an uncut jade—one wouldn’t know if she’d turn out to be a priceless gem or just an ordinary rock until she was fully refined.
For the first time, Qian Heng felt a hint of anticipation.
Perhaps because of this, or maybe as a way of repaying her for that dinner, he ultimately made an exception and gave her a small hint. But his principle of cracking down on nepotism still stood.
A girl who looked like this was probably used to being flattered and pampered. If he hit her with a few more blows, she’d surely retreat on her own.
Unfortunately, Cheng Yao never seemed to follow the usual script…
“Boss, I know I’m not as good as Bao Rui right now, but I’ll keep working hard!” Just moments ago, she had looked dejected upon hearing that Bao Rui had already found the lead earlier. Yet in the blink of an eye, she was fired up again, her eyes sparkling with determination. “I know you said that to keep me from becoming complacent, to encourage me to stay grounded and keep improving! I won’t let you down!”
“…”
Qian Heng really wanted to say, No, I just genuinely wanted to discourage you…
“I’ll go back and continue researching more cases then!”
Although a trace of disappointment still lingered in her eyes, her voice remained bright and full of energy.
“Chocolate.”
“Hmm?”
Qian Heng pressed his lips together, not entirely sure why he suddenly mentioned chocolate.
“The chocolate on the table. Take it.”
Cheng Yao looked surprised. But sure enough, her eyes curved into a smile again.
Feeling slightly awkward, Qian Heng quickly added, “It’s too sweet. I don’t like it.”
Cheng Yao didn’t mind. She thanked him cheerfully and left, clearly in high spirits.
As soon as she stepped out, Wu Jun walked in right behind her.
Wu Jun: “Qian Heng, why is my chocolate in Cheng Yao’s hands? Isn’t it bad to take my stuff and give it away like some grand gesture? That chocolate carries all my love for you! How could you trample on my feelings like this?”
Qian Heng’s expression remained cold. “I don’t like eating things that are too sweet. I’ve told you several times.”
“Then according to your usual style, wouldn’t you have just thrown it away?”
“I was giving you some face.”
“Hah! And when I called you in the middle of the night after my breakup, begging for comfort, did you give me any face then? What did you do? You straight-up blocked me!”
Qian Heng pressed his lips together and changed his explanation. “Optimized resource allocation.”
“Then why didn’t you allocate it to someone else?” Wu Jun’s face was full of mock heartbreak. “Partner Qian, as a person, you should be more generous with your blessings!”
Qian Heng set down the document in his hand. “Wu Jun, are you very idle and lonely?”
“Yes.”
“The cleaning lady responsible for our office floor just got divorced. How about you go and enlighten her? Maybe, after some back-and-forth, two lonely but interesting souls will find a perfect match?”
“…”
Author’s Note:
Today, I’m sharing a hilarious fan-made mini-theater by the talented reader Jing Hong Ru Meng!
Q: Why did Partner Qian fall for our dear Cheng Yao? Was it because of her unparalleled beauty?
Partner Qian: “Partly, I guess…”
Cheng Yao: “Exactly! Why are you all so superficial? Clearly, Partner Qian was captivated by my noble soul and outstanding professional skills.”
Partner Qian (maintaining his elegant and aloof demeanor): “Because she can meet all my positional requirements.”
Q: Ahem, let’s keep it harmonious. Other than that, was there anything else? Like her taste, temperament, or resemblance to someone?
Partner Qian: “If I were to choose based purely on my own taste and temperament, I’d probably end up alone for the rest of my life.”
Cheng Yao (gritting her teeth): “Even if we’re married, you can still end up alone. We can sleep in separate beds!”
Partner Qian: “My hourly rate as a lawyer is 10,000. If I were the top escort in a high-end club, my rate would be 100,000 per hour. If we interact amicably for four hours each day, you’re essentially enjoying a 400,000-value service for free. But if we sleep separately, that’s like incurring a 400,000 sunk cost daily. If I end up alone for life, your total loss would be 700 million (considering 8 hours of work per day, 4 hours of quality time, over 40 years of marriage).”
Cheng Yao: “Wow, that’s a lot of money! Let’s just stick together then. Otherwise, I’d have to wash the bed sheets and duvet covers, and that’s another expense.”
Partner Qian: “See? This is the ultimate reason I chose Cheng Yao. Our financial values are perfectly aligned. There’s no other woman for me! You can’t stop loving me—I’m not listening, I’m not listening!”
**And also, Cheng Yao understands the professional dominance I have over her (since I trained her), so she would never divorce me. That means I don’t have to face daily divorce threats from my wife or risk my assets being halved in a divorce settlement.”
Crowd: “…”
Q: Am I the only one worried about Partner Qian’s waist? I mean, working every night for 40 years…
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