Mo Du (默读) - Silent Reading

Humbert Humbert XVIII

The assistant’s expression looked like she had something to say but held back. Fei Du only glanced at her and knew what she wanted to say. Very understandingly, he said, “If there are documents that need my signature, leave them on my desk. If any of them are urgent, I’ll come back to the office in the evening.”

“There are also some letters from business partners that may need your personal attention,” the assistant added quickly. “What time would it be suitable for me to come pick you up in the evening?”

“No time would be suitable.” Fei Du, opening the car door, laughed at her words. “I’ll call a car for myself. If I delay your date with your boyfriend after work, you may not like me anymore. What will I do then?”

The assistant very generously said, “That boyfriend of mine, he has no money and no looks. I don’t know why I keep him around for myself. Just give the order and I’ll kick him to the curb at once.”

“Take pity on the poor man kneeling at your feet. Also, your makeup is so lovely today. How can you only show it to me and the computer? It’s a reckless waste of the bounty of nature.” Without consulting anyone, Fei Du got out of the car. Before leaving, he put a hand on the car door and leaned down to exhort her. “This car can be a little tricky. Drive slower on the way back. Send me a message when you get back to the office.”

At his words, the assistant subconsciously checked her makeup in the rearview mirror, found that her lip color had faded, and, when Fei Du had left, hastily went over it with her lipstick a few times. Then she couldn’t resist raising her head to look at Fei Du.

Fei Du’s back often had a distinctive swagger. Seen from behind, his arm, hoisted up because of its cast, hardly looked any different from his usual posture holding a glass of champagne; looking like he was attending a dinner party, he made his leisurely, carefree way to the City Bureau.

The assistant was surnamed Miao. Unlike the “palace steward” secretaries specially assigned to trifles, she’d had a solemn education at an elite school and was an excellent worker. Because she’d once run afoul of a nasty individual, her hopes in the workplace had been soured; Fei Du had given her a hand.

Young President Fei was a famous “ladies’ man”, casually teasing any young lady he met, seeming familiar with everyone; but in fact only those under his personal direction knew what he did every day.

Fei Du always worked by the book. He rarely rejected the senior management team’s proposals, understanding very well the sense of letting experts handle business that required expert knowledge; while in some other matters, the qualities of a son of wealth were unusually apparent. Perhaps because he had been spoiled by growing up amidst luxury, he couldn’t work up any greed in his bones; he gave up whatever immaterial benefits he could, making his relations with the small shareholders very harmonious. He was more than up to the task of socializing. He was a successor who caused no trouble to anyone… except that Assistant Miao had seen with her own eyes how he’d snatched up control over the conglomerate back then.

But the strange thing was, as far as Assistant Miao could see, their “son of the house” didn’t have the disposition of a pioneering leader; he had no wild ambitions of stepping on Asia-Pacific and dominating the whole globe. As long as he had money when he wanted to spend money, he seemed to have no other views.

The strong momentum at the start of his succession seemed to have been just for the sake of making his presence felt and showing others not to try to fool him. After becoming thoroughly acquainted with all the conglomerate’s workings, he hadn’t put his hand in too much; this last half year he’d been especially scarce, disappearing more and more often without anyone knowing what he was doing, seeming intent on being a hands-off leader.