As for the employees gossiping in the company chat, Li Qiao honestly didn't care much.
She had just started as an intern and hadn't even been added to the company's work group, so she had no idea what all the fuss was about.
The man hung up the phone and leaned back in his executive chair, his tone casual yet layered with meaning.
"The special assistant's desk should be… special."
Fine.
Li Qiao rubbed her nose with a bent finger and turned to look out the window as if nothing happened. Under her breath, she muttered, "You're the boss. Whatever you say goes."
For a second, a smile flickered in Shang Yu's deep-set eyes. Resting his arm on the desk, his broad chest leaned slightly forward as he spoke in a voice that was both commanding and suggestive,
"Starting tomorrow, no more bright-colored outfits at work. Hmm?"
She clearly didn't realize the effect that sky-blue suit had on everyone.
With her refined features, striking eyes, and long glossy hair tied in a high ponytail, the crisp suit only amplified her allure—elegant, independent, and mesmerizing.
In the entire Yanhuang Group, no one else could pull it off like she did.
No wonder the whole company was in chaos on her very first day.
Li Qiao looked away from the window and blinked.
Ah, so it was the outfit again.
Her eyes shimmered as she smirked lazily. "Alright. I'll listen to the boss."
Not ten minutes later, her desk had been moved into the Chairman's office and placed deliberately to the front-left of his executive desk.
Between them was a lounge area and tea station—neither too close, nor too far. A strange setup, to say the least.
For the rest of the morning, Shang Yu gave her three documents to organize and translate.
All went smoothly.
Just before noon, he got a call, stood up, and left the office.
Li Qiao checked the time, locked her computer screen, picked up her car keys, and headed out as well.
…
Twenty minutes later, a black Mercedes G-Class pulled up in front of the Yashuyuan Apartment complex.
This was one of the most prestigious residential properties in Nanyang—luxury housing and top-tier school district real estate all in one.
The kind of place people fought to get into.
Li Qiao got out of the car and went straight to the 37th floor.
Each elevator only served a single unit per floor—ensuring both privacy and an impeccable living environment.
Unfortunately, she had never actually lived in this apartment.
She had converted it into a private gallery for her personal collection.
With top-tier security systems and a location not far from her villa on Huanan Road, it was the perfect place to store her treasures.
She stepped into the elevator, scanned her fingerprint at the door, and switched on the lights upon entering.
The spacious unit had virtually no living amenities.
Instead, rows and rows of display cabinets filled the space.
Even the temperature and humidity were calibrated to museum standards.
Li Qiao walked leisurely through the apartment until she reached the third row of display cases.
After a quick scan, she slipped on a pair of gloves and carefully retrieved a Leica 0-Series camera—serial number 122.
The vintage leather body carried the weight of history. Though slightly worn, it remained a highly valuable collector's item.
She boxed it up with care, then promptly left Yashuyuan.
…
At the Nanyang Secretariat Office—located in a highly regulated administrative district—Li Qiao arrived with the small case in hand.
Just as she stepped onto the final stair leading to the main entrance, Qiu Huan came out rubbing his hands together with an eager grin.
"Qiao-jie! You're finally here!"
From his tone and demeanor, he looked more like a flattering sycophant than the heir to Mechanical Holdings.
Not even a shred of the composure and maturity one might expect from someone in his position.
Li Qiao cast him a sidelong glance, her voice cool and detached.
"What's Young Master Qiu doing here?"