The next day.
Claire Dubois got up early.
After washing up and eating breakfast, just as she was about to leave, Grandpa Bai, who was sitting at the dining table drinking millet porridge, called out, "Xiaoying, wait a moment."
Claire wondered, "Grandpa, what is it?"
Grandpa Bai said kindly, "You forgot to wait for Xiaofan."
Claire: "..."
Grandpa, who is your son's actual child, me or him?
He's only been here a few days.
And you're telling me to wait for him?
What is this, waiting for a classmate?
Of course, annoyed as she was, Claire wouldn't throw a tantrum over such a small matter.
She nodded patiently. "Okay."
Soon, Ye Fan, who was nearby, had also finished eating.
Seeing him stand up, Claire didn't linger for a second. She got up and left.
Outside the manor.
Grandpa Bai's butler had already brought the car around.
It was a Maybach.
A special custom version, with bulletproof glass and chassis, every feature built to presidential specifications.
The price tag was in the tens of millions!
For a family like theirs, this price wasn't considered particularly high.
"Young Miss." The butler was a middle-aged man, around fifty-five years old.
Claire nodded in acknowledgment. "Uncle Fu, no need to pick me up tonight."
Butler Fu was taken aback. "Is something wrong?"
He was usually responsible for driving her, and Claire rarely said she wasn't coming back.
Claire explained, "The company has some urgent matters tonight. I'll finish up and stay at my place in Yujing Garden for the night."
It was all an excuse.
The main reason was that Claire didn't want to be around Ye Fan!
This guy was clearly going to be a long-term resident.
If she came back here every day...
Hmm.
Claire possessed a natural allure to men, yet she also felt an inexplicable resistance towards them.
Especially sharing a roof with a strange man!
That feeling was extremely unpleasant.
Hearing this, Butler Fu paused, then cast a thoughtful glance at Ye Fan, who happened to be coming out behind her.
Understood.
"Very well, Young Miss."
Claire sat in the back seat.
Just as Ye Fan was about to open the rear door, Butler Fu's voice came.
"Mr. Ye, the Young Miss prefers not to share a seat row with gentlemen. If you wouldn't mind..."
Ye Fan's eyes flickered, then he smiled. "No problem."
He opened the front passenger door and got in.
The Maybach set off.
Tianying Technology Co., Ltd.
Entering the company, as Lucas passed through the employee work area, greetings filled his ears.
"Good morning, Mr. Lucas."
"Morning, Mr. Lucas."
The company atmosphere was bustling. Thanks to the performance-based reward system Lucas had implemented—the better the work, the higher the salary and bonus—most people didn't dare slack off.
After all, who didn't want to earn more?
Upon reaching his office, Lucas called out, "Have Secretary Li come to my office later."
"Right away, Mr. Lucas."
Lucas had some free time during the day, so he planned to come to the office and make some arrangements.
His company was a tech firm. While its market value wasn't astronomical, it was doing quite well compared to average companies.
Besides, he couldn't just let the graphene technology he obtained last night gather dust, could he?
Although developing something like this required finding partners...
But...
When it came to the mass-production technology for graphene, Lucas had no intention of sharing the pie with anyone.
This was his golden ticket.
As for batteries, that was just a side business.
The key to his fortune was the ability to mass-produce graphene.
Given current technological applications, mass-producing graphene alone could skyrocket his net worth to hundreds of billions, even trillions!
Of course, this required careful planning.
Like procuring components and assembling them himself.
Knock knock knock.
Just as Lucas sat down to review the company's operations, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a figure entered.
"Mr. Lucas, you asked for me?" a woman's voice inquired.
Lucas looked up and saw the woman standing before him.
She had cold brown, flaxen, slightly wavy long hair cascading over her shoulders. About 1.64 meters tall, with excellent proportions and an exquisitely delicate, oval face. A small beauty mark graced the corner of her left eye.
Her phoenix eyes were bright, yet held a trace of innate allure.
Her lips, slightly pressed together, were utterly captivating.
Temptation!
An absolutely stunning beauty in professional attire!
Moreover, she seemed to carry a faint, pleasant fragrance—part perfume, part her own natural scent.
Lucas couldn't help but subtly inhale twice.
Quite nice.
Looking at her, the relevant character from the original plot flashed in Lucas's mind.
Li Yufei.
His secretary.
Also, the very person who would later contribute to the bankruptcy of Tianying Technology.
All because she would become infatuated with the protagonist.
Great.
Of course, even knowing she was a future contributor to his downfall, Lucas remained unperturbed. This woman simply suffered from a lack of security.
To put it nicely.
To put it bluntly, she had a bit of a persecution complex regarding men.
She always assumed Lucas intended to do something to her.
For heaven's sake, he hadn't done anything yet!
Why did she assume he would?!
Then again, this was also because the original Lucas had been notoriously harsh on her, frequently using her as an emotional punching bag.
So, her reaction was somewhat understandable.
"Yufei, you're here. Have a seat." Lucas looked up with a smile.
Seeing Lucas in such a good mood, Li Yufei was momentarily stunned.
But she didn't dare sit. In the past, when Mr. Lucas summoned her to his office, he'd often insist she remain standing.
Li Yufei hurriedly said, "Mr. Lucas, it's fine. Did I make a mistake somewhere?"
A headache.
Mr. Lucas was too good at creating trouble. She was just a little secretary.
Couldn't he stop targeting her?
Lucas was taken aback, then chuckled and shook his head. "I told you to sit, so sit down!"
Hearing the slightly stern tone, Li Yufei immediately sat down.
She sat up straight, perfectly obedient.
Looking at the intensely serious woman before him, Lucas couldn't help but say, "Relax. I'm not planning to sell you off and have you count the money for me."
Li Yufei: ???
What?
He still wants to sell me and then have me count the money for him?
What the—!
Li Yufei felt utterly wronged right then and there.
The long-term pressure, combined with being scolded just a few days prior, made her eyes instantly well up.
Her voice choked with emotion. "Mr. Lucas, what do you want from me?"
"Mr. Lucas, you're too terrifying. I want to resign!"
Lucas: ???
I've barely said two words. What are you getting all upset about?