Ivy felt her legs trembling as she stepped out of Lu Cheng's office. The air outside his door felt heavier, like a weight pressing down on her chest. She'd survived the encounter, but barely. Her heart was still racing from the tension in the room, the way his eyes had locked onto hers, cold and calculating behind that mask. She had never felt so exposed, like a specimen under a microscope.
Lin Wei was waiting for her in the hallway, his arms crossed over his chest. His sharp gaze was unreadable, but his presence added to the pressure already coiling in Ivy's stomach.
"Follow me," Lin Wei said, his voice clipped and emotionless.
She did as she was told, her thoughts spinning. What had she gotten herself into? The rumors about Lu Cheng were worse than she'd imagined. He wasn't just strict, there was something unsettling about him, something that set her nerves on edge.
As they walked down the long corridor, Ivy noticed how empty the floor felt. It was pristine, almost sterile, and eerily quiet. She couldn't hear any conversations, no phones ringing, just the soft echo of their footsteps.
They reached the assistant's office, a large space where the CEO's team worked. Lin Wei motioned to an empty desk near the back.
"That's your workspace," he said.
"You'll receive assignments from me, Zhao Jun, and Cheng Rui. We handle everything for Mr. Lu Cheng, and I suggest you follow our instructions precisely."
Ivy nodded, her mouth dry. She wanted to say something, ask questions about her role, but the look on Lin Wei's face told her now wasn't the time for pleasantries.
Zhao Jun entered the room, his face as expressionless as ever.
"You'll start with organizing the files for Mr. Lu Cheng's upcoming meetings. We don't tolerate mistakes, Ivy. Pay attention to every detail."
Ivy swallowed hard and nodded again, sitting down at the desk. Her fingers hovered over the keyboard, unsure of where to begin. The tension in the room was suffocating. Every movement, every breath felt like it was being watched and judged.
As Ivy began sorting through the digital documents, her mind raced. The pressure from Lu Cheng's warning still lingered, "You do not want to fail me."
The way he had said it, like it wasn't just about her job but something much deeper, something darker. She couldn't shake the feeling that failure wasn't just an option, it was a death sentence.
The minutes ticked by slowly. Lin Wei and Zhao Jun worked quietly at their own desks, barely acknowledging her presence. The silence was maddening, amplifying her anxiety with every passing second. She had to prove herself, to show that she could handle the responsibility. But Lu Cheng's looming presence made it nearly impossible to focus.
Then, the door creaked open. Ivy glanced up to see Cheng Rui, the third assistant, stride into the room. He was tall, with sharp features and a demeanor that screamed efficiency. He walked straight to Ivy, his eyes narrowed as if he was already displeased.
"I need you to pull up the minutes from last week's board meeting. Now," Cheng Rui demanded, his tone cool.
Ivy fumbled with the mouse, trying to navigate through the endless folders. Her hands were shaking, her mind going blank as the pressure mounted.
"Hurry up," Cheng Rui said calmly.
"I-I'm trying," Ivy stammered, her pulse quickening. She clicked through the files, trying to remember where they were stored. But her panic made everything blurry.
Lin Wei looked over, his expression a mixture of disappointment and irritation.
"You should have already memorized the file structure, Ivy. This isn't acceptable."
Ivy's stomach dropped. She clicked on another folder, finally finding the minutes, but the damage was already done. Cheng Rui grabbed the file from her, his face amused but looking annoyed.
"Don't let this happen again," he said cooly before walking out.
Ivy sat frozen at her desk, feeling like a failure. The atmosphere in the room grew even more tense. Lin Wei didn't say anything, but the disapproval was clear in the way he carried himself, the way he barely glanced in her direction.
The rest of the day dragged on, each task feeling like a mountain she had to climb. Every interaction with the assistants felt like another test, another opportunity to fail. Ivy's nerves were shot by the time the day was over. But she couldn't afford to give up, not now. Not when she'd just started.
As she packed up her things, she caught sight of Zhao Jun watching her from across the room. His gaze was cold, unreadable, but there was something in his eyes, something that made Ivy's skin prickle. It wasn't just disapproval. There was something more, something unsettling that she couldn't quite place.
"You're not going to last long here if you keep making mistakes," Zhao Jun said, his voice low and dangerous.
Ivy felt her breath hitch.
"I-I'll do better. I won't mess up again."
Zhao Jun smirked, a dark glint in his eyes. "You'd better. Because Lu Cheng doesn't tolerate incompetence. And neither do we."
Ivy nodded, her heart pounding in her chest as Zhao Jun turned and left the room. She sank into her chair, the weight of the day pressing down on her like a ton of bricks. The tension, the constant pressure, it was suffocating. And this was only her first day.
As she walked out of the office and into the night, Ivy couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. The shadows seemed to stretch longer, the darkness feeling heavier than usual. Was it just her imagination, or was there something more sinister lurking beneath the surface of this company?
One thing was clear, this job wasn't just demanding. It was dangerous. And Lu Cheng was at the center of it all, a masked figure who held everyone's fate in his hands.
Ivy's only hope was to survive. But how long could she last under the weight of such pressure, with eyes watching her every move, waiting for her to slip?