My cousin-in-law helped me achieve my ambitions.

Lin Shumei paused for a moment, then smiled.

There was no sternness in that smile; instead, it carried a hint of doting affection.

She put down her pen, leaned back in her chair, and softened her tone: "Your sister doesn't mean to blame you."

Su Ming looked up at her.

Lin Shumei continued, "But you also know that there are rules in a factory. If you make a mistake, I'll just pretend, but I'll still scold you if necessary. Otherwise, the people below will be dissatisfied."

Su Ming understood.

This is telling him that the scolding he just received was just for show.

He nodded and said sincerely, "Thank you, Manager Lin."

Lin Shumei smiled, picked up the pen and twirled it in her hand, then sighed softly.

"Xiao Su," she said, "you're still on probation, and look, people are already complaining about you. This is really putting me in a difficult position."

These words startled Su Ming once again.

What does that mean?

Does this mean I'm going to have to leave myself?

He thought of the IC incident, the 200,000+ dollar deficit, and Tian Jing's words, "If Lin Shumei were willing to plead for you..."

If I get fired at this point, then I'm really finished.

He looked at Lin Shumei's ambiguous smile and felt a chill run down his spine.

Seeing his nervous look, Lin Shumei suddenly stood up, walked around the desk, and stood in front of him.

She raised her hand and placed it on his shoulder, saying earnestly, "Actually, I know you're a promising talent, worth nurturing. To be honest, I'd really like to promote you and have you take Wu Yumin's place."

She paused, her tone becoming serious: "But I haven't seen any ambition in you yet."

Su Ming lowered his head and gritted his teeth.

"Manager, I'm sorry," he said. "What happened today was my fault. I promise I'll work hard from now on and never slack off again."

Lin Shumei waved her hand.

"You still don't understand what I mean," she said. "That's not what I want."

Su Ming looked up at her, puzzled.

Lin Shumei smiled, a smile that held a deeper meaning.

"What I want is obedience. Loyalty. And also..." She paused, leaning closer, "...someone who understands me."

With that, she turned and walked to the window, lowering the blinds.

The office lighting suddenly became soft and ambiguous.

She turned to look at Su Ming and winked at him: "Go, lock the door from the inside."

Su Ming was stunned.

"what?"

He felt uneasy, thinking to himself: Is this woman going to have an affair with him in the office...?

Lin Shumei glanced at him, her tone teasing: "So soon you're becoming disobedient?"

Su Ming stood there, his mind racing.

He recalled the pressure of those two hundred thousand chips, and Tian Jing's words, "If Lin Shumei were willing to plead for you..."

Finally, he gritted his teeth, turned around, walked to the door, and locked it from the inside.

With a "click," the door locked.

Su Ming turned around and saw that Lin Shumei was already sitting on the sofa. She was facing away from the window, her legs crossed elegantly, one hand resting on the armrest of the sofa, looking at him with a charming expression.

"Su Ming!" She patted the seat next to her. "Come and sit down."

Su Ming walked over and sat down next to her, but didn't dare to get too close.

Lin Shumei moved closer to him, their legs touching. She looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

"My legs are a little sore," she said. "Could you give me a massage?"

Su Ming's heart skipped a beat.

He looked at the legs encased in black stockings, long and straight, gleaming alluringly in the dim light.

"Why don't you say something?" Lin Shumei smiled and gently nudged him.

He took a deep breath and nodded.

"Okay... alright."

He squatted down and gently placed his hands on her calves.

Through the thin stockings, he could feel the warmth of her skin, soft and supple. His hands began to gently knead, from her ankle upwards, little by little, careful not to use too much force or go too fast.

Lin Shumei sighed comfortably and closed her eyes.

Su Ming kept his head down, focusing intently on the massage, but his eyes couldn't help but dart upwards—towards those legs, those curves, and what was hidden beneath the skirt…

He felt his blood surging and a surge of impulse welling up inside him.

The office was quiet, with only the air conditioner blowing cold air. The wind was cool and slightly irritating, but it couldn't dispel the ambiguous atmosphere that permeated the air.

Lin Shumei suddenly opened her eyes and looked down at him.

Her hand landed on his thigh and patted it gently.

Su Ming shuddered, as if he had been electrocuted, and his whole body tensed up.

Lin Shumei giggled.

"Have you never been with a woman before?" she asked, her tone teasing.

Su Ming blushed and muttered softly, "No..."

Lin Shumei smiled even more happily.

She reached out and gently pinched his thigh. Su Ming instinctively squeezed, and his thigh muscles instantly tensed, becoming as hard as stone.

A hint of satisfaction flashed in Lin Shumei's eyes.

"Not bad," she praised. "Your legs are taut and strong when you stand."

Su Ming lowered his head, not daring to look at her or say anything.

Lin Shumei stared at him for a while, then stood up and straightened her skirt.

"Come with me on this business trip this afternoon," she said, her tone regaining its usual efficiency. "We'll leave right after lunch. You don't need to eat in the cafeteria; I'll take you out to eat."

"Ah..." Su Ming looked up at her, his heart pounding with anxiety.

Lin Shumei patted his shoulder: "It's settled then."

Su Ming nodded: "Okay!"

He stood up, ready to leave.

"Wait a minute," Lin Shumei called out to him.

She turned around, walked behind the desk, opened a drawer, took out a metal box, and handed it to him.

"Here, this is for you."

Su Ming looked down and saw a box of Crown Cookies, packaged in a tin box, beautifully packaged, and obviously not cheap.

"Oh...this isn't a good idea!"

"It's okay, it was a gift from the supplier. I don't like sweets, I'd be unattractive if I got fat." Lin Shumei smiled and stuffed the box into Su Ming's hands. "You're different, you're strong and muscular, it's fine for you to eat a little sweets now and then."

"Okay, thank you, manager!" Su Ming was a little flattered. He took the package, thanked the manager, and then turned and left the office.

Back in the receiving area, he immediately saw Xu Baoqian standing at the door, chatting with several warehouse staff.

When Xu Baoqian saw him coming, a smug smile immediately appeared on his face.

"Oh, you're back?" he said sarcastically. "Got scolded, huh?"

As soon as he finished speaking, his gaze fell on the iron box in Su Ming's hand, and the smile on his face instantly froze.

"What is this?" he asked.

Su Ming looked down at the cookies in his hand, then at Xu Baoqian's pale face, and suddenly laughed.

"Oh, just a little reward!" he said casually, "a pair of cookies the manager gave me as a reward."

He held up the box and shook it, smiling innocently, "Thanks, Brother Xu. If you hadn't complained about me, I probably wouldn't have had this luck. A supplier just happened to send her a box of cookies, and she said she didn't like sweets, so I got to have them."

Xu Baoqian's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

Several warehouse workers nearby were suppressing their laughter, while Xu Baoqian's face was ashen, looking worse than if he were crying! Damn it, all that beating was for nothing! Complaining about this kid not only didn't cost him anything, but he even got a box of Qiqu biscuits from Lin Shumei. He was furious!

Su Ming ignored him and went straight to Tian Jing's workstation in the receiving area.

Tian Jing was organizing the documents when she looked up and saw him, and then she saw the iron box in his hand, and she was also surprised.

"Hey, why did you bring back a box of cookies?"

"Someone just happened to give it to the manager! She doesn't like sweets, so she gave it to me." Su Ming smiled and handed it to Tian Jing: "Here you go! It's for you!"