America: I came here to study, not to show mercy.

After an unknown amount of time, the two parted reluctantly, looking at each other, unsure of what to say.

Li Xiaoen glanced to the side and saw that Al Thani, who had been standing to the side, had already left. He guessed that the other party had just made the invitation, and then watched helplessly as Catherine kissed him. It must have been a big blow to him.

"Hmm... that annoying guy is finally gone."

Taking a deep breath, Catherine pursed her red lips, released Li Xiaon, and started fixing her hair. She glanced at him with amusement, "You did a great job as a shield. What kind of reward do you want?"

"I wouldn't dare accept any reward. I just hope you'll treat me, your boss, with more respect in the future."

Li Xiaoen's thoughts were complicated, and he sighed helplessly, "He was just an unrelated passerby. We left after discussing the cooperation. Was it really necessary to go to such lengths?"

Catherine was taken aback by his words, her expression darkened slightly, and her relaxed brows furrowed, which made Sean Lee raise an eyebrow.

"Tell me, what conditions did that guy promise you?"

Rolling her eyes, Catherine crossed her arms and looked out at the Doha view through the floor-to-ceiling windows.

"It's nothing much, just the purpose we planned to come here in advance."

Li Xiaoen briefly summarized Al Thani's words.

"That guy, is he that bored?"

Catherine's expression turned strange, and she carefully spoke, "Actually, if having a meal with him can achieve our purpose for this trip, then we might as well agree to it."

As she spoke, a wicked smile crept across Catherine's face. "Then, you'll be sitting right next to him. I wonder how interesting his expression will be..."

"..."

Yes, this is something Catherine, who can kiss him in front of him, would do.

Li Xiaoen was both amused and exasperated. He shook his head and sighed, "Perhaps we can try to understand their intentions from a different perspective?"

"How to say?"

Catherine turned her head and looked over.

"You come from one of the giants in the American media industry. Perhaps it's worth the expense and the roundabout way they went to get involved with the Hearst family?"

"Are you saying that Al Thani's actions are backed by the Qatari Adil family?"

Catherine was not surprised by what she heard and tentatively spoke up.

"It's probably not support, but it's at least tacitly approving of what the other party is doing."

Li Xiaoen replied leisurely, "Even our cooperation with BanYan might not necessarily be without this connection."

"what happened?"

Catherine's voice lightened as she teased, "Feeling more stressed now?"

"I can say it like this, what do you think?"

Li Xiaoen shrugged, "I'm starting to think that BanYan is relying too much on your connections with the girls..."

It seems he really has become a gigolo. Li Xiaoen shook his head, took out his phone and glanced at the time. "Let's go back to the conference room."

"It's inconvenient to keep checking the time on my phone, so I need to find some time to buy a watch."

Chatting casually, the two walked together toward the conference room, their high heels clicking in the air.

……

"Mr. Li, we were having a good chat just now, why do you suddenly want to cancel the cooperation?"

As soon as the two groups met, Sean Lee immediately proposed canceling the cooperation. This surprised not only Benhamid and his group, but even Catherine beside him. Benhamid, realizing what was happening, hurriedly asked anxiously.

"I believe that your company has not shown the most basic respect for BanYan's technology."

Li Xiaoen said calmly, and Catherine immediately pulled his arm.

"Sean, the deal is almost finalized. What are you going to do now?"

Catherine lowered her voice and quickly stopped him. Only now did she realize what the young man had said about the company relying too much on the help of the girls. "If the cooperation is canceled, not only will all of BanYan's achievements over this period be wasted, but the market will also re-evaluate our company's R&D capabilities..."

"This is a bad start. In the early stages, we can improve rapidly with your help, but in the future, BanYan's true rise will inevitably be constrained by this. I will never allow this to happen."

Li Xiaoen looked at Catherine, "BanYan has its own R&D capabilities and can withstand the test of the market. Catherine, you have been in charge of the company's business all this time, don't you have any confidence?"

At this moment, the young man's previous carefree and playful attitude towards life had completely disappeared, replaced by an unquestionable toughness and an arrogant confidence that left Catherine stunned once again.

"As for why, I think you should know."

Finally, Li Xiaoen turned around and looked at Benhamid again, speaking in Arabic, "Perhaps we will have an opportunity to cooperate in the future."

After saying that, Li Xiaoen beckoned to the several engineers standing beside him who were already at a loss for what to do, and asked them to clean up all the programs that had been merged into the company's system.

"Etc., etc……"

Benhamid quickly intervened, trying his best to calm Li and Xiao En down. With a somber expression, he repeatedly emphasized, "Please wait a moment. We will definitely give Mr. Li and Miss Hearst a satisfactory answer!"

……

It wasn't until a faint glow of the setting sun lingered on the horizon that Li Xiaoen and his companion emerged from the Adil Group building. Gazing at the endless desert stretching to the horizon, they exchanged a glance and both let out a long sigh.

"Weren't you very determined to cancel the cooperation?"

Catherine rolled her eyes and chuckled, teasing, "The collaboration has been maintained, so why do you still look so nervous?"

After making things clear and open, Al Thani immediately came to apologize, and things developed in a direction that satisfied both parties—the cooperation continued, which was what Li Xiaoen had mentioned before, BanYan's in-depth cooperation with the two game companies, and it also needed the signature of their chairman who was far away in Las Vegas on a ferry trip.

"Since they are willing to explain and clarify their assurances, it means they are indeed here to provide technical support to BanYan. Why wouldn't they make money if they can?"

Li Xiaoen didn't seem embarrassed at all, and shrugged. "This means that even if they want to take it back later, we don't need to worry at all, right?"

"Alright, you have free time for the rest of the time. What do you want to do?"

Given the previous unpleasantness, Sean Lee declined the other party's invitation to lead a tour together. The afternoon until the next morning was their free time—they had to take a private plane to the Las Vegas ferry early the next morning to get someone to sign some documents, and then return to the United States on the way.

"Of course, we'll go to the Doha area to see the unique attractions and try some local delicacies."

Catherine said with a smile, taking her phone out of her bag, "While you were talking to them, I was bored and searched for some guides online."

“Mshlaib Museum, Waqif Old Market, Qatar Cultural Village, Panda House…” Looking at her phone, Catherine listed the places on her fingers, her face beaming with a bright smile. At this moment, she seemed to have shed her mature and elegant side, suddenly displaying the liveliness and agility of a young girl—a demeanor quite different from the OL uniform skirt she was wearing, yet it inexplicably made Sean Lee momentarily lose his composure.

"sure."

Li Xiaoen smiled and nodded, then tilted his head back and took a deep breath. "Then let's meet in the hotel suite tonight."

"..."

Snapped.

Upon hearing this, Catherine hesitated for a moment before throwing her bag at the young man.

"Hey……"

Li Xiaoen exclaimed in alarm, "There's a computer in your bag! You're deliberately damaging company property. Be careful, or I'll dock your pay!"

"Humph……"

With a snort, Catherine gave Li Xiaon an annoyed look and threw her bag into his arms. "If only you were mute."

Li Xiaoen: “???”

I think I've heard Suffer and a few other girls mention this before.

After only a moment of hesitation, Catherine had already walked ahead. Sean Lee helplessly followed, "Hey, Catherine, is it appropriate for a secretary like you to make your boss carry your bag?"

"We're off work, boss."

Catherine turned around and looked at the young man who was catching up with her, while backing away. "Now, we are colleagues on a trip. As a man, are you willing to let a girl carry such a heavy bag?"

As she spoke, Catherine deliberately feigned an innocent and naive expression, blinking her clear, large eyes.

"I have always stated that I am an absolute supporter of gender equality!"

Li Xiaoen solemnly emphasized this.

"So, I'll trouble you to carry these things for this trip."

Surprisingly, Catherine didn't object. She smiled and nodded repeatedly, then reached out and took Li Xiaon's arm as he approached. Turning back to the path ahead, she said, "Let's go, let's go see the giant pandas Jingjing and Sihai first..."

Seeing this, Li Xiaoen felt uneasy and frowned slightly.

"You agreed so easily, you're not planning to renege on the deal later, are you...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Catherine pulled him away. He finally realized that some electronic devices, such as computers and mobile phones, were designed for extremely thin and light applications.

Li Xiaoen wasn't someone who planned trips in advance. He had always preferred to decide on his travel destination on the spot when he arrived at a place, but if he encountered anything interesting on the way, he would stop there without any burden.

Now, with Catherine's research and guidance, people simply follow her lead, becoming mere tools for making payments, visiting attractions, and taking photos.

"You're a top student from Princeton, and you're so good at starting a business, how come you can take such terrible photos?"

Walking back from a building that resembled Lazy Sheep's hairstyle, Catherine glanced down at the photo on Li Xiaon's phone and nudged the young man in the stomach with her elbow in annoyance.

"It's already a great favor that I took your picture, don't be ungrateful."

Li Xiaoen looked at her helplessly. Having traveled to so many places, Catherine's stamina seemed bottomless, and she always maintained her vitality, which puzzled him.

"You're a man, your muscles aren't just for show, are they? You're already tired?"

Taking a sip of water from Li Xiaoen's bag, Catherine glanced at the young man and teased, "Your current state is dangerous. If you're not careful and miss a workout, you'll immediately revert to your old self."

This was repeating what he had teased her about last night. Li Xiaoen's face darkened as he listened. He silently grabbed Catherine's hand and, while she was still stunned, hung the bag back on her shoulder.

"oops……"

Quickly regaining her senses, Catherine grabbed Lee Shawn's withdrawn hands with both of them, saying, "You're a man, tall and strong, there's no reason why you can't bear this weight."

"Your secretary has been carrying this bag the whole time. Now that she has a chance to play, can't you be a little considerate and help her out?"

As she said this, Catherine even gave her a pitiful look.

"..."

“Catherine, I think you’ve chosen the wrong profession. You should be an actor.”

After silently watching Catherine for a while, Sean Lee finally let out a sigh and muttered a helpless complaint.

Just moments ago, this woman was complaining to him about how he shouldn't be taking pictures.

"Okay, okay?"

With a beaming smile, Catherine slowly slung her bag back over Sean's shoulder, then immediately let go, turning and fleeing as if to create some distance between them. "Sean, let's go, let's take a boat and have dinner on the boat, and see the Doha skyline at night..."

……

Having agreed on the primary purpose of the trip, Li Xiaoen and his companion had dinner on the ship, during which they drank some wine. They waited until the evening breeze gradually brought some coolness before leaving and walking back to the hotel along the shore.

A gentle evening breeze carried a cool breeze. Slightly tipsy, Li Xiaoen turned his head to look at the shimmering water, feeling quite emotional.

It was only today, during negotiations with Al Thani, that the company showed its strength for the first time, catching not only Catherine off guard but also himself somewhat uneasy.

He knew that as the company grew and expanded, it would pursue increasingly clear standards and systems, requiring corresponding processes to gradually transform from a small workshop into a finely operating machine. He also needed to become more and more like the person he was at the Adil Building today.

He had thought about it, but he didn't expect it to happen so quickly.

"Sean, can you hold this for me..."

It was Catherine who broke his reverie. When Li Xiaoen came back to his senses, Catherine had already stuffed her high heels into his hand. Looking up, he saw her barefoot and already dancing in front of him.

The evening breeze ruffled her golden hair that fell across her forehead. She tiptoed, raised her hands to her sides, and with her bare feet, she took elegant and light steps, then suddenly twirled around. This scene, set against her white shirt and black pencil skirt, presented a unique kind of beauty.

This is another new side of Catherine that Li Xiaoen has seen. She is decisive and thorough in her work, and judging from her dance moves, she must have a solid foundation in dance.

“Hey, Sean…”

The evening breeze behind her made her hair sway wildly across her forehead. Catherine skipped over to Sean Lee and teased him with a grin, "Am I so beautiful that you're mesmerized?"

"Yes."

Coming to his senses, Li Xiaoen took a deep breath, smiled and nodded, then reached out and took Catherine's hand, guiding her to turn around. (End of Chapter)