Courtyard House: Initial Donation of 50 Million

Lou Xiao'e started working at the Hongxing Factory and became the technical secretary to Chief Engineer Wang Huanbo. This news spread like wildfire within a small circle.

The first place to be in an uproar was naturally No. 95 Nanluoguxiang.

Xu Damao learned the news from his mother, Xu's mother. Xu's mother worked as a maid for the Lou family and was well-informed. When Xu Damao heard that "Lou Xiao'e went to the Red Star Factory" and "became Wang Huanbo's secretary," he was completely stunned, and then a surge of anger rushed to his head!

"Why?!" Xu Damao jumped up and down in his house, his face flushed red. "How dare Lou Xiao'e, a capitalist's daughter, get into the Hongxing Factory? And become Engineer Wang's secretary? What technical skills does she know?! Lou Bancheng must have pulled strings! Engineer Wang... how could Engineer Wang agree to this?!"

Xu Fugui, his face grim, puffed on his pipe, remaining silent for a long while. This news had completely surprised him. He had thought the Lou family would hesitate between Xu Damao and their "higher goal," but Lou Zhenhua had acted so quickly, directly placing his daughter next to Wang Huanbo! This move was both ruthless and precise! Being in a privileged position gave them an advantage!

"What's the panic!" Xu Fugui scolded his son, "Look at your pathetic self! What's wrong with Lou Xiao'e becoming a secretary? A secretary's job is just serving tea and water and organizing documents! Would someone like Engineer Wang even look at her? You better stay calm! What's meant to be yours will be yours! Just behave yourself at the factory these days and don't cause any trouble!"

Despite saying that, Xu Fugui was still quite worried. Wang Huanbo was young and promising, with a noble status, and Lou Xiao'e was beautiful and educated. They spent so much time together... What if they really developed feelings for each other? Then all of Xu's plans would be in vain! He instructed his mother to keep a close eye on things at the Lou family's house and gather information.

Sha Zhu overheard this from the chatter of his canteen colleagues and grinned broadly, "Hey! Lou the capitalist's daughter went to be Huanbo's secretary? Interesting! Wasn't that bastard Xu Damao always eyeing her? Now he's dumbfounded, isn't he? Serves him right!" He was just enjoying the show and was happy to see Xu Damao get his comeuppance.

Yan Bugui, holding his notebook, began to calculate again: "Lou Xiao'e entered the Hongxing Factory and became Wang Gong's secretary... The relationship between the Lou family and Wang Gong seems to be extraordinary! We need to think carefully about the ins and outs here." He was thinking about how he could use this matter to establish some connection with Wang Huanbo or the Lou family and gain some advantage.

Upon hearing this, Yi Zhonghai (though he was already dead, he was still in the courtyard) glanced at Wang Huanbo's west wing with a complex expression, his heart filled with mixed feelings. He was now completely hopeless, and could only watch helplessly as Wang Huanbo rose through the ranks, with even capitalists like Lou Bancheng fawning over him. A deep sense of powerlessness and jealousy gnawed at his heart.

Meanwhile, Wang Huanbo, the other party at the center of the storm, completely ignored the rumors circulating outside. His work was extremely demanding; improvements to the new car model, mass production of the engine, testing of new materials, and some secret special projects occupied most of his energy. Lou Xiao'e, as his secretary, was diligent and quick to learn, quickly handling many trivial matters for him, allowing him to focus more on tackling technical challenges, which pleased him greatly. As for anything else, he simply had neither the time nor the inclination to think about it.

Lou Xiao'e, on the other hand, was completely immersed in the challenges and fulfillment of her new job. She cherished this hard-won opportunity and eagerly learned everything. No matter how trivial the tasks Wang Huanbo assigned her, she strived for perfection. She quickly discovered that Wang Huanbo was an extremely serious worker and a perfectionist when it came to technology. The blueprints he reviewed and the documents he approved often involved cutting-edge technology. To better assist him, Lou Xiao'e also studied professional books after get off work. When she encountered something she didn't understand, she would either consult Zheng Yunfeng or muster the courage to ask Wang Huanbo directly.

Wang Huanbo treated her very well, answering all her questions patiently and explaining things thoroughly, but he never said a word outside of work. His gaze towards her was clear and calm, just like he would look at any hardworking colleague. This purely professional relationship made Lou Xiao'e feel relaxed and at ease. Unlike in the courtyard house or the Lou Mansion, she didn't have to constantly guess what others were thinking or worry about whether her words and actions were appropriate. Here, ability was the only passport.

However, as they spent more and more time together, Wang Huanbo's focus, wisdom, composure, and the powerful confidence he inadvertently exuded attracted Lou Xiao'e like a magnet. Seeing him stay up all night solving a technical problem, seeing his childlike smile after a successful experiment, seeing him handle immense pressure with ease… all of this drew Lou Xiao'e closer and closer to him.

It was a complex emotion, a mixture of admiration, gratitude, and a vague sense of affection. It was completely different from the dislike she felt for Xu Damao and the helplessness she felt for Sha Zhu in "Dream." This feeling was pure, without any ulterior motives; she was simply attracted by the charm of this outstanding man.

Sometimes, she would secretly gaze at Wang Huanbo's back as he worked at his desk, lost in thought, thinking: If I could always work like this, by his side, watching him create one miracle after another, even if it was just helping him with some trivial matters, wouldn't that be a very happy thing? As soon as this thought popped into her head, her cheeks would feel slightly hot.

She knew her father had high expectations for her and Wang Huanbo. But she also knew that someone like Wang Huanbo couldn't be "arranged" by anyone. All she could do was work hard, make herself more valuable, and be worthy of standing by his side. As for the future, she dared not hope for anything; she only wanted to cherish every day.

The technical center of Hongxing Factory became Lou Xiao'e's safe haven and the starting point for a new life. Here, she was no longer the helpless "capitalist's daughter," but a worker who earned respect through her own abilities. The feelings quietly growing in her heart, like tender sprouts breaking through the soil in spring, though small, were full of vitality and hope. This time, her destiny seemed to truly begin to turn in a bright direction. And all these changes stemmed from the man named Wang Huanbo.