Chapter 1: The Secretary
"Miss Han!"
The sharp voice yanks Daphne out of her thoughts like a slap to the face.
She blinks and looks around.
She's… sitting at a desk?
A very modern, sleek, corporate desk. A computer, notebooks, and expensive stationery are neatly placed in front of her.
But the real issue?
The scowling man in front of her.
He looks to be in his 30s, exuding wealth, power, and irritation in equal measure.
Handsome, in an "I will destroy your entire career if you so much as breathe wrong" kind of way. Tall, cold, sharp features, tailored suit worth more than most people's yearly salary.
The kind of man Daphne wouldn't give a second glance to—except he's currently glaring at her like she personally offended his ancestors.
'What the fuck is up with this guy?' she thinks.
And then—
A sudden rush of memories floods her brain.
Pain lances through her skull, like a USB drive of unwanted information being forcefully plugged in.
New Identity: Han Li , Secretary to the Villain
She is an insignificant secretary.
To the Villain.
Of a cliché harem novel.
The memories unfold like a poorly written plot summary:
Main Character: Jiang Wei (the Film Emperor), an illegitimate son who stuns everyone with his godly acting skills and golden finger plot armor.
Villain: Qin Zhen, his ruthless CEO half-brother, who owns the biggest entertainment company in the industry, Zhen Entertainment.
Plot: Jiang Wei rises from nothing, humiliates his villainous brother, wins over dozens of women, and becomes Film Emperor, defeating Qin Zhen before living happily ever after in a harem of actresses, executives, and heiresses.
Barf.
Daphne exhales through her nose.
Time to Play Along… For Now
Daphne straightens up, putting on a professional smile.
"CEO Qin, may I be of service?" she says smoothly, slipping into character.
Qin Zhen's scowl deepens.
"You were zoning out. On company time," he snaps.
Daphne tilts her head.
> 'Buddy, I was literally just thrown into this world five minutes ago, cut me some slack.'
But fine. If he wants efficiency, she'll give him efficiency.
"My apologies, sir. What would you like me to do?"
Qin Zhen still looks vaguely annoyed, but at least he stops glaring like she committed tax fraud.
> System 404: [Host has successfully assumed her role.]
Daphne: 'Oh, shut up.'
Jiang Wei hasn't hit his big break yet, and Qin Zhen still has full control of the industry.
Which means she has time to ruin everything.
Qin Zhen leans back, studying her.
"Prepare the contract for the investment deal with Shenghua Films," he finally says.
Daphne nods, clicking her pen.
"On it."
For now, she'll act obedient, assimilating into this world.
*
Daphne barely makes it through the day without throwing something.
Or someone.
She expected being a low-ranked secretary would be annoying, but this? This was hell.
Corporate hell.
The kind of hell where people drink coffee like it's a life-saving elixir, where power suits and fake smiles are part of the dress code, and where men with oversized egos bark orders as if they invented capitalism.
She takes a deep breath as she steps out of the building, her heels clicking against the pavement.
She forces herself to keep walking calmly, professionally, maintaining the flawless image of Han Li, insignificant corporate drone.
But inside?
Inside, she's screaming.
> 'Even I didn't treat my secretaries this badly. What the hell is this world's work-life balance?'
She misses her old life.
Not the explosion part. Not the dying part.
But she misses—
"Him."
That bastard.Her best friend. And secretary. They were cut from the same cloth—both snarky, ruthless, shamelessly successful, and with libidos that could rival Greek gods.
They'd climbed the corporate world together, burned bridges together, built empires together.And his body count rivaled hers, that's saying something since she was in the panties of literally every woman in the city.
Daphne huffs a breath, shaking off the thought.
He was gone.
Just like her past life.
And she had work to do.
Following the memories she inherited, Daphne heads toward her new residence.
A small, barely furnished apartment in a decent but not particularly glamorous part of the city.
Han Li, as expected of a side character, had no mansion, no luxurious lifestyle, no high-powered connections.
Just a cramped one-bedroom, questionable takeout boxes on the counter, and a landlord that was probably skimming money off the rent.
> System 404: [Host has arrived at designated residence.]
Daphne: "No shit, Sherlock."
She steps inside, shutting the door behind her.
And the second she does—
Her entire demeanor shifts.
From Prim Secretary to Ruthless CEO
Gone is the poised, soft-spoken, obedient secretary. In her place is Daphne Han—the real Daphne Han.
Arrogant. Sharp-eyed. Smirking like she owns the place.
System 404, who has been observing silently, is stunned by the transformation.
Daphne grins to herself, stretching as she kicks off the suffocating high heels she's been trapped in all day.
Then, with zero grace, she rips off the tight pencil skirt, tossing it onto the couch like a discarded contract.
> Daphne: "Fucking finally. I can breathe again."
She unbuttons the stiff white blouse, pulling it off and throwing it somewhere into the void
of the room.
Next, she grabs her hair, pulling it out of the restrictive ponytail and shaking it loose, running her fingers through it with a sigh of relief.
That's better.