Chapter Sixty-Six: How Can I Win Your Heart?

The enigmatic Miss Shangguan finally emerged into the limelight. Her full name was Shangguan Shufen, none other than the recruitment officer who brought Yang Jiekai into Silky Group—the crooked, thin, and dark tree from that day.

That afternoon, Yang Jiekai, Qin Feng, and the others reviewed and analyzed the entire process once more, ultimately arriving at a conclusion: this matter was rather precarious.

Setting aside the tree’s peculiar appearance, the key was her identity and capabilities. Silky Group was filled with beautiful women, but not all were mere ornaments; Shangguan Shufen, despite her dark and slender looks, had managed to become the HR supervisor. In a society where appearance is everything, her abilities must be extraordinary.

Furthermore, Gongsun Tiedan was merely a lowly security guard. While his looks were not terrifying, they certainly wouldn't inspire any woman to give him a second glance. The tree may be unattractive, but her status was clear—a dignified HR supervisor. Could she really accept a security guard?

Yet, seeing Gongsun's excitement, no one shared their doubts with him, fearing he might do something drastic.

“The odds are slim, but better than nothing. Since we've decided to help, let's see it through!” Yang Jiekai finally made the call while Gongsun was in the restroom.

Qin Feng, as the chief strategist of this “courtship” operation, began his energetic planning: banners were assigned, flowers bought, and Gongsun was told to spend some of his hard-earned savings on new attire. After all, one couldn’t propose in a security uniform.

Once the plan was set, everyone went their separate ways, agreeing to arrive at the company an hour early the next day to prepare.

“Wife, I have a question for you.”

Yang Jiekai returned home and saw Han Ning sitting on the sofa. He hurriedly asked, still preoccupied with Gongsun’s affair.

“What is it? Speak.” Han Ning replied coolly. After yesterday’s warm candlelit dinner, her attitude had softened somewhat; in the past, she would have pretended not to hear him.

“How can I win your heart?” Yang Jiekai grabbed a drink from the fridge, took a big gulp, and plopped down beside Han Ning.

Han Ning’s expression turned wary, instinctively shifting away.

“Don’t misunderstand! I didn’t mean it like that!” Yang Jiekai set down his drink, realizing Han Ning had misconstrued him, and explained, “I mean, what are the chances for a man who’s not handsome, not rich, not particularly clean, and a bit sleazy, to confess to a woman who may not be beautiful, but excels in every other aspect?”

Han Ning sighed in relief—it wasn't about herself—then replied casually, “Fifty percent.”

“Fifty percent?” Yang Jiekai was puzzled. “But unless for her appearance, that woman is worlds above the man. How could it be fifty percent?”

Han Ning said, “It has nothing to do with those things. Whether a woman likes a man is just a feeling. If she doesn't fancy him, nothing will change her mind; if she does, she’ll like him no matter what. If she likes him, he’ll succeed; if not, he’ll fail.”

Yang Jiekai considered this and muttered, “So you’re basically saying nothing.”

“Liking someone is just a feeling, nothing more.” Han Ning added, not knowing why he was asking such odd questions today, but she didn't dwell on it, and continued reading her business magazine.

“I disagree.” Yang Jiekai challenged her, “Take you, for instance. If two men pursued you—one filthy, smelly, uneducated, and poor; the other handsome, wealthy, and charming—which would you choose?”

“Neither!” Han Ning replied without hesitation.

“Why?” Yang Jiekai was confused.

Han Ning closed her magazine, turned to Yang Jiekai, and said, “Because I don't know either of them, haven't met them, and certainly don’t have any feelings for either. So I wouldn't choose either one!”

“What if both were utterly devoted to you, willing to die for you?” Yang Jiekai pressed.

“That wouldn’t matter!” Han Ning insisted. “Their feelings are theirs; mine are mine!”

“So what kind of man do you like?” It was the first time Yang Jiekai had discussed feelings with Han Ning. He had always assumed women preferred handsome, wealthy men.

Han Ning said nothing, stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, a complex look flickering in her eyes, then silently stood and walked toward the stairs.

Halfway, she paused, turned back, and uttered two words, “A hero.”

It wasn't until Han Ning had gone upstairs that Yang Jiekai finally processed her answer, murmuring to himself, “A hero?”

He chuckled bitterly, the first thing that came to mind were superheroes like Spider-Man and Batman—those who saved the world. That was a hero. As for himself, those words had nothing to do with him.

On the battlefield, if you want to live longer than others, never try to be a hero!

That was what Yang Jiekai’s instructor told him before his first deployment.

What is a hero? On the battlefield, survival is heroism.

The next day, the security team arrived at the company an hour early as planned.

When Yang Jiekai got there, everyone was already busy. Qin Feng stood with hands on hips, barking orders, clearly a seasoned pro—he must have done this many times before.

“General Qin, what should I do?” Yang Jiekai found Qin Feng’s seriousness amusing; he hadn’t realized courtship could be so grand.

“Hold this!” Qin Feng handed him a placard with a big red character on it. Yang Jiekai looked at the half-meter square card, seeing the word “Fen” painted in bold red.

“What’s this for?” Yang Jiekai asked.

“You’ll see soon enough.” Qin Feng replied, still busy, gathering other security team members holding similar placards.

“Line up, let’s rehearse once.” Qin Feng called.

Yang Jiekai didn’t understand, but lined up with the others, holding the placard. After glancing at the others’ cards, he suddenly understood.

Each placard bore a different character; together, they spelled out “Shangguan Shufen, I love you.”

“Wait for my signal. Once I cough, rush out, raise your placards behind Gongsun, and shout these words aloud.” Qin Feng instructed, very seriously.

After a full rehearsal, Yang Jiekai found himself admiring Qin Feng. It seemed Qin Feng’s frequent entanglements with women weren’t just because of his charming eyes; in this area, he truly was a genius.

Besides the placard group, there was a flower group, a mascot group, a petal scattering group, and so on, each step meticulously coordinated. The process even detailed the expressions everyone should wear. According to Qin Feng, facial expressions are the only way to communicate psychologically—when courting, your gaze and expression must be perfect; as long as you connect spiritually, you’re halfway there.

Everything was ready—now they just waited for Shangguan Shufen to appear.

Qin Feng clapped his hands in satisfaction. “Heh, it’s set. The odds have gone up at least twenty percent. If Gongsun can control his expressions and emotions properly, another ten percent boost…”

He paused suddenly. “Wait… Where’s Gongsun?”

Everyone realized they’d been so busy, they hadn’t seen Gongsun all morning.

“Damn! Where’s Gongsun?” Qin Feng was alarmed.

“No idea, I don’t think anyone saw him from the start,” a security member said.

“Shit, at a time like this!” Qin Feng muttered, dialing Gongsun on his phone.

“Weird. What’s he up to? His phone isn’t connecting!” Qin Feng was sweating with anxiety.

“Could Gongsun have gotten into trouble?” someone wondered.

“Shut your crow’s mouth!” Qin Feng snapped, feeling uneasy. It made no sense for Gongsun to be late today; now he’d vanished entirely. The more they thought about it, the stranger it seemed.

Yang Jiekai pondered for a while, also feeling uneasy as a sense of foreboding rose within him.

“Maybe we should wait a bit longer,” a security guard suggested.

“No, we can’t wait!” Yang Jiekai said firmly. “Qin Feng, take a few men and check Gongsun’s place; contact me with any news. The rest stay here and wait!”

Just then, Yang Jiekai’s phone rang—Lin Sha was calling.

“Speak quickly!” Yang Jiekai, anxious, was brusque; probably only he dared speak to Lin Sha that way in the whole company.

Lin Sha didn’t seem to mind, instead replying in an equally urgent tone, “Did Gongsun come to work today?”

When Yang Jiekai heard it was about Gongsun, his expression grew serious. “No, he hasn’t appeared all day, and his phone’s off. Did something happen?”

Lin Sha sighed audibly. “The police just called me—someone named Gongsun from our company is at their station. I called to confirm he’s your security guard…”

“The police? What happened to Gongsun?” Yang Jiekai asked, worried.

“I don’t know, just that we need to go over. You’re the head of security, so come too. Oh, go directly to the city hospital—the police said they’re all at the hospital now…”

When Yang Jiekai heard the word “hospital,” he hung up and dashed to the parking garage. “Qin Feng, old man, come with me! The rest, carry on as usual!”