Whether it was Wang Qiqi's words that startled Anne, or if she was plotting something else, she had certainly quieted down recently.

Wang Qiqi didn't particularly care about someone's change in demeanor, but her level of vigilance towards Anne had definitely increased. The quietest dogs are often the fiercest. Wang Qiqi had been watching her secretly. Just now, as Wang Qiqi had already turned the corner, intending to enter her office, she suddenly remembered something she needed to tell Anne. She spun around abruptly and caught Anne looking at her with venomous eyes, a sight that sent a chill down Wang Qiqi’s spine, confirming her suspicion that Anne definitely had a backup plan.

Anne hadn't expected Wang Qiqi to turn around so suddenly; it gave her quite a fright. She instantly plastered a professional smile on her face. "Angel, is something the matter?" she thought, cursing internally for why Wang Qiqi hadn't said anything earlier. Why did she have to scare people like that? Didn't she know such sudden actions could be fatal?

What else was there to instruct? Wang Qiqi had already startled her, nearly forgetting what she had intended to say. "I need to take a leave of absence starting today. You handle the reimbursement forms for me. Once they’re done, make sure to give them to Alice."

A leave of absence? Anne hadn't expected Angel to ask for time off. "How long will you be gone? I need to arrange the workload." Good heavens, she hadn't even been working for a full week and was already asking for leave. Even a shareholder shouldn't act like this, but perhaps this was an opportunity for her? Anne grew happier the more she thought about it.

Wang Qiqi noticed the smile on Anne’s face and knew she wasn't planning anything good. Because of this, Wang Qiqi decided she needed to speak thoroughly with Fatty before she left, ensuring he remembered to keep a close watch on Han Tao. There was a possibility Anne might cause some incident while she was gone. "At least half a month. Don't worry, I know you can handle my work." Wang Qiqi certainly wouldn't be polite to Anne; in her view, if someone couldn't manage the tasks, she might as well resign.

Half a month... My God, Anne almost wanted to shout Hallelujah; the heavens truly loved her. She had been searching for an opportunity these past few days, never expecting one to arrive so quickly. "I will get it done." Regardless, she had to agree for now, otherwise, what if Anne managed to convince JOHN to hire another assistant?

Fatty was stuffing food into his mouth while furiously inputting data on his computer. He was completely stunned when a certain figure appeared in his office. "Wow, what a rare visitor." Didn't Qiqi usually eat lunch with Han Tao? Why was she here today? This struck Fatty as very strange. "Does your Han Tao have any objections?" Wasn't Han Tao always saying lunchtime was their office dating time? Why no date today? Or had Han Tao done something to upset Qiqi?

Wang Qiqi expected Fatty to tease her when he saw her. "Is this place off-limits to me? Should I step out?" Wang Qiqi said she would leave, but she still took some food and sat down. "I'm leaving in a couple of days. I've handed things over to Anne."

Fatty knew about Wang Qiqi’s upcoming departure. Since she had already taken care of her business, he was puzzled why she felt the need to specifically tell him; shouldn't this information be shared with JOHN?

"What I mean is, keep an eye on Anne." Wang Qiqi knew these things weren't strictly necessary to tell Fatty.

Keep an eye on her? "Hasn't she been quite well-behaved lately?" Fatty had noticed Anne being quite docile and obedient recently, thinking she must have been intimidated by Qiqi last time. After all, Qiqi was a shareholder, and firing someone wasn't that hard, plus Han Tao had made it clear he had no interest in her. Shouldn't she behave?

"Well-behaved, my foot." Wang Qiqi swore, recounting the morning's events. "That woman is excellent at pretending to be honest. Even you thought she had improved. If I hadn't suddenly turned back, I wouldn't have noticed a thing." See, even Fatty, who constantly watched her, thought she had changed for the better. Never mind Han Tao; it would be too easy for Anne to strike when the time came. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi felt a wave of retroactive fear.

Fatty hadn't expected Anne to be faking it. "Thank goodness you noticed; otherwise, I really wouldn't have paid attention. Don't worry, I'll stay right by Han Tao's side. If she really makes a move, it will only be when I'm not around." Fatty knew Han Tao didn't have a favorable impression of Anne, but he worried someone might resort to underhanded tactics. "The company's progress is quite good recently. The internal testing ran pretty well last time. Although the small-scale test results showed minor issues, overall it was good. By September, there will definitely be steady growth, and more people will be paying attention to the company then." At that point, their net worths would increase slightly, and as the company absorbed new investment, personnel would have to expand. Anne would then become completely relegated to a receptionist role. If she wasn't looking for a backup plan now, it wouldn't fit her personality. If Han Tao were to do something to her, who knew what she would demand?

"Exactly, you need to watch her constantly." Wang Qiqi gasped upon hearing Fatty's analysis. "Now you know the mission is heavy, right?" No matter how much Wang Qiqi distrusted her, her return to China was settled. "I really should have found an excuse to kick her out in the first place."

Although Wang Qiqi had previously suggested letting JOHN fire Anne, she worried that doing so might stir up trouble for the company, and besides, Anne’s subsequent behavior had been decent. "If she messes up this time, we'll see how she manages in the company." If Anne dared to act out, Wang Qiqi would directly confront her at the office. Since Anne could commit the first offense, Wang Qiqi would certainly deliver the fifteenth; just to see if Anne would have the nerve to stay in the office.

Fatty looked at Wang Qiqi's fierce expression and silently prayed for Anne, hoping this girl wouldn't do anything rash that might cause a huge uproar, or else she wouldn't have a career left.

"Remember that," Wang Qiqi stared intensely at Fatty.

Seeing Wang Qiqi's fierce glare, Fatty hurried to nod repeatedly. "I'll keep an eye on Anne. When it's time to clock out, I'll take the work home. You know Han Tao; once he gets home, he hates going out." Fatty remembered Han Tao wasn't like this before; he used to be somewhat outgoing. How had spending so long in the US made him so introverted? However, this was actually better, making it easier for Fatty to watch over him.

"Isn't that great? Why go out?" Wang Qiqi was quite pleased with Han Tao's homebody tendencies. Compared to others, Wang Qiqi herself was something of a homebody. Although, according to Shi Man, their life was too quiet, like an old married couple. "Staying home is good. Going out is unpredictable." It was only because Han Tao was busy with work now, and few of his acquaintances enjoyed going out—even Feng Xuanxiang only went to nightclubs for celebrations—that Wang Qiqi felt comfortable with Han Tao being close to him.

"Got it, got it," Fatty conceded, acting as if he hadn't said anything. Han Tao was spoiled rotten by Wang Qiqi. In the eyes of Fatty and the others, this was a negative trait, but Qiqi firmly believed it was a good thing. "Remember to bring me some good food." Although they often cooked Chinese food at home, Fatty felt some dishes didn't taste the same as they did back in China.

Fatty's requests were truly modest. "You know some things can't be brought to the US at all. I really miss Dachang Mian (Large Intestine Noodles)." Braised large intestine was one of Qiqi’s favorites, but such a dish would never be sold overseas. Wang Qiqi expressed that once she returned to China, she intended to eat her fill of it.

"You're lucky; you get to eat it soon," Fatty said with envy. Although he also wanted to go back, he used to think plane tickets were expensive, making a trip home cost a fortune. Now, money wasn't the issue; time was.

"You can too," Wang Qiqi thought; wasn't it summer vacation? What was stopping Fatty from going back? "It's just that you won't be able to stay long; you might have to return right after you arrive in China."

Fatty knew perfectly well that returning wouldn't be a problem if he wanted to, but the duration would be limited. "Forget it. A trip back still costs a lot of money—gifts for this person, gifts for that person. If the gifts aren't generous enough, people aren't satisfied. They all assume I'm rolling in cash in the US." Fatty felt disheartened just thinking about it. His father was so kind to those relatives, yet how did they treat his family? Fatty felt a chill thinking about it. Thank goodness he listened to Qiqi and bought a commercial property in Beijing; otherwise, who knew what the situation would be like? "I'm starting a business in the US now, and people still whisper behind my back. But if I go back, they immediately surround my family demanding gifts. I'll pass." Even if money were abundant, Fatty wouldn't want to waste it, especially since money was quite tight right now. "Maybe next year. Next summer vacation, when I graduate, I'll have my parents come for my graduation ceremony, and I'll take them around to see things. Of course, I need to buy a house before then."

Wang Qiqi knew a bit about Fatty's family situation; their issues weren't much better than Han Tao's troublesome relatives. "You'll be staying in the US anyway; just have your parents come over," she suggested. Whatever those relatives said about Fatty back home would be their problem. "Alright, I'm done eating. I'm going to Han Tao's place to nap for a bit." Working in an IT company had its perks; the working hours were quite flexible. Right now, the money wasn't substantial, there was a lot of work, and few holidays. In a few more years, once everything was on track, there would definitely be less work, more money, and more vacation time. Thinking of this, Wang Qiqi suddenly wondered if she should just stay employed, even if the salary was low. She was an original member, after all, wasn't she?

With that thought, Wang Qiqi decided that after returning from China, she would discuss her long-term employment plan with JOHN. Previously, Wang Qiqi worried she wouldn't be able to tolerate the structured work environment, but lately, she felt she had adapted quite well. Besides, being stuck at home all the time could make a person soft, couldn't it? Well, she would have to discuss it with Han Tao as well. RS