Chapter Fifty-Six: Chen Shishi Hosts a Banquet

When Qin Feng and the others learned that Yang Jiekai was representing the Security Department in the upcoming sales competition, their first reaction was not to congratulate him on becoming head of security, but to unleash a barrage of criticism.

The harshest rebuke came from Gongsun, notorious for his stinginess and love of money.

"Have you lost your mind? A sales competition? Do you even realize that the department finishing last will be punished?"

Yang Jiekai scratched his head awkwardly. "I just couldn't stand that Zhang Hua kid at the moment, so I acted on impulse, heh... Don't be mad. Besides, we might not end up last—maybe we can scrape by and be second-to-last."

Gongsun was beside himself. "Second-to-last? If the Logistics Department were participating, we could at least fight for that spot, but they're clever enough to stay out of it. If we end up at the bottom, our bonuses will be docked!"

Seeing Gongsun's deep distress, Yang Jiekai felt guilty. It wasn't a huge financial loss, but he regretted acting on his own and causing trouble for Gongsun. "How about I make up the difference if your bonus is deducted?"

"Make up for what? Forget it!" Gongsun sighed, waving his hand. "It's too late now, what's done is done. We’re brothers, after all; how could I let you pay for me? Don’t treat me like that."

"Well said, Gongsun!" Qin Feng chimed in. "Let them deduct the bonus if they want. I actually support Jiekai—seeing Zhang Hua act all smug just rubs me the wrong way. Even if we finish last and lose our bonuses, at least we’ll irritate him."

"Old Stick, what’s your take?" Qin Feng asked.

Old Stick sat silently in a corner, smoking. He rarely commented on such matters. Despite his youth, he carried himself like someone who had weathered many storms, both in temperament and presence—more like an old man than a young one.

After finishing his unfiltered cigarette, Old Stick stubbed it out, brushed off his clothes, and stood. "Since we're in, let's do our best. The outcome depends on us."

"Exactly!" Qin Feng agreed. "Now that we're participating, let's give it our all. Let's gather the security team and discuss our strategy. Maybe we can try some street sales in our downtime—who knows, we might even sell something."

"What are we supposed to sell?" Gongsun remained dejected. "Do you know the main product for this competition? Bras!"

Gongsun’s words silenced everyone, leaving them equally crestfallen.

He was right—if it were any other product, it might be manageable, but bras? They couldn’t just have a group of grown men accosting women on the street asking if they'd like to buy a bra; they'd be called lunatics for sure.

After some idle chatter, they soon forgot about the matter and resumed their leisurely patrols around the building, beginning their day's work.

Yang Jiekai was in fairly high spirits. He had just been promoted, and after only a few days in the company, he'd already landed a department head position. Surely Han Ning would see him in a new light now—he wasn’t so useless after all, at least he was a leader now.

Being in charge felt pretty good. Occasionally, the patrolling bodyguards would greet him with, "Hello, Minister Lin," which Yang Jiekai thoroughly enjoyed. Since returning to China, it was the first time he truly felt like a leader.

But Qin Feng and the others refused to call him Minister Lin no matter what. When they bumped into him on patrol, they’d simply grin and flash a cheeky middle finger.

After a day of boredom, he finally made it to quitting time. As minister, he could no longer leave the office exactly on time; he had to stay a bit longer to tally the day's visitors and summarize the work.

Changing clothes and preparing to leave, Yang Jiekai noticed that the receptionist, Chen Shishi, was still there, standing by the elevator and looking like she wanted to speak to him.

"Shishi, you’re still here?" Yang Jiekai greeted her with a smile. Although Chen Shishi was just a receptionist, she was among the company's most attractive women in both figure and appearance.

The company’s top beauty was officially Lin Sha, but Yang Jiekai thought Chen Shishi was nearly her equal—their styles simply differed. Lin Sha was tall and voluptuous, a classic beauty in line with most men’s tastes, while Chen Shishi had a delicate, refined charm, reminiscent of the gentle maidens of the southern regions, evoking feelings of affection and protectiveness at first glance.

After work, Chen Shishi had changed out of her uniform, wearing a tight T-shirt and a short white skirt. Though she had a demure style, her figure was equally alluring—her long, straight legs in crystal sandals gave her a lady-like elegance.

"Minister Yang, I need to talk to you about something..." Chen Shishi addressed Yang Jiekai cautiously.

Yang Jiekai was surprised. "You were waiting for me?" He laughed. "If you have something to say, go ahead. I’ll help if I can."

Yang Jiekai was naturally good-natured; as long as he wasn’t provoked, he was always ready to lend a hand—especially to a beautiful woman.

"It’s nothing much..." Chen Shishi seemed shy. "I just wanted to thank you."

"Thank me?" Yang Jiekai looked puzzled. "For what?"

She looked up. "Yesterday, you had a conflict with Wu Daode because of me. I heard there was even a fight..."

"Oh, that?" Yang Jiekai waved it off. "Don’t thank me. I never liked that guy anyway. Yesterday had nothing to do with you."

"But it started because of me and caused you trouble, so I wanted to thank you and apologize." Her voice was soft and pleasant, making it easy to listen to.

"Don’t call me 'Minister'—it sounds awkward. Just call me Yang Jiekai. I’m just a security guy," he said with a smile. "Don’t worry about it. If you hadn’t brought it up, I’d have forgotten all about it."

"Alright." Chen Shishi nodded obediently, smiling. "Then I'll call you Brother Yang from now on. Brother Yang, did you get hurt in the fight yesterday?"

Yang Jiekai flexed his arm and laughed. "Of course not. That fat Wu couldn’t touch me. Do I look injured to you?"

Chen Shishi, seeing he was indeed unhurt, smiled. "That’s good. Otherwise, I’d feel guilty. Brother Yang, when you have time, I’d like to treat you to dinner to thank you for yesterday."

"I’m always free—just a big idler!" Yang Jiekai waved his hand. "For example, right now, I’m very free!"

"Alright!" Chen Shishi smiled. "I don’t have anything to do today either. Brother Yang, why don’t you invite Qin Feng and the others, since they helped yesterday too?"

"Um..." Yang Jiekai felt a pang of annoyance. He’d hoped to have dinner alone with his little sister, but now he’d have to bring along those third wheels. He lied, "They should have gone home by now. They’re all busy. Maybe just the two of us..."

"I’ll call them," Chen Shishi interrupted, pulling out a pink, delicate phone. She dialed, chatted for a bit, then hung up and smiled at Yang Jiekai. "Brother Qin Feng said he's free and told me to pick a place. He'll gather the security team and come over soon."

As if he’d ever be busy! Yang Jiekai cursed inwardly. Qin Feng, with his naturally charming eyes and sociable manner, always got along well with the women in the company. Yang Jiekai had never considered that Qin Feng already had Chen Shishi’s phone number.

Despite his frustration, Yang Jiekai didn't show it. He was perfectly open with Chen Shishi, driving her to the place she suggested.

Along the way, Chen Shishi relaxed, chatting with Yang Jiekai about all sorts of things. She showed no surprise at a mere security guard driving a luxury SUV worth hundreds of thousands, as if it were entirely normal.

When they arrived and parked, Yang Jiekai was taken aback.

"We’re eating here tonight?" he asked, pointing to a lavishly decorated five-star restaurant.

Chen Shishi looked puzzled. "Brother Yang, don’t you like the food here? I think it’s pretty good. If you don’t like it, we can go somewhere else."

Yang Jiekai quickly shook his head. "That’s not it. I just meant that the service here must be expensive..."

Chen Shishi blinked, then laughed. "So that’s what you meant. Don’t worry, Brother Yang. It’s my first time treating you all, and I can’t be too casual."

She took Yang Jiekai by the arm and led him to the private room she’d already reserved.

The room was decorated in a classic style, with a lively landscape painting on the wall. The table and chairs were finely carved from top-quality wood, and the whole space carried a strong traditional atmosphere.

Yang Jiekai liked the old-world charm, especially with its hint of southern water-town elegance.

Noticing his fascination with the landscape painting, Chen Shishi asked curiously, "Brother Yang, do you like landscape paintings?"

Yang Jiekai nodded. "I do. When I was abroad, I developed an interest in Chinese painting. Compared to Western styles, I much prefer the grandeur and refined elegance of traditional Chinese art."

Chen Shishi replied, "I love Chinese painting too, especially landscapes. I think Chinese landscape paintings are unique in the world. There are Western masters I admire, but overall, I prefer our own tradition."

Yang Jiekai pointed to the painting on the wall. "The artist is Professor Guan Shanyue, a leading figure of the contemporary Lingnan School. His works are vivid, dynamic, and majestic. Not only did he preserve the traditional style, but he also made bold innovations, perfectly blending them into each piece. He’s truly a master—his technique and lively style are unmatched, and he’s one of my favorite artists."

He spoke from the heart, with no hint of showing off. Yang Jiekai had a deep interest in Chinese culture; during his time abroad, he often engaged with these arts, so his foundation was substantial.

He had no idea how much his casual remarks would shock Chen Shishi.

In China, many people have some knowledge of classical arts, but few can, at a glance, identify a painting’s origin, artist, style, and offer their own insights. Such words require true depth, not idle talk. There are plenty with this background, but for someone Yang Jiekai’s age, it is exceedingly rare.