novelraw Chapter 755: Smile Holdings
Chapter 755: Smile Holdings
Eastern U.S. time, 6:50 a.m.
The Plaza, The T.J. Suite.
Outside the window, Central Park lay shrouded in bluish-gray morning mist, like a painting not yet fully awake.
The master bedroom door opened silently.
Secretary Jin stepped out.
She wasn't wearing one of those sharp, imposing professional suits;
instead she wore an off-white knit sweater paired with wide-legged trousers in matching tones.
Soft, simple, and utterly sophisticated.
She first glanced toward the guest bedroom across the hall, pausing for a moment before that tightly shut door, a faint, almost imperceptible smile tugging at her mouth.
Then came the low, steady mechanical hum from the living room.
Her eyes brightened slightly as she followed the sound.At the island counter of the open kitchen.
Tang Song stood with his back to her, a straight, commanding silhouette.
He was operating the coffee machine with elegant, practiced movements.
Sensing the motion behind him, he turned his head.
“Good morning, Secretary Jin.”
His voice was low and magnetic, extraordinarily enticing.
Secretary Jin stopped a few steps away, arms folded, lifting an eyebrow: “Good morning, President Tang. But I think you should change your wording.”
Tang Song raised his eyebrows and obligingly shifted tone to formal and deferential: “Apologies, I misspoke. Good morning, Director Jin.”
Only then did she give a shallow smile.
For a moment the whole suite seemed to brighten.
Leaning lightly against the island counter, Secretary Jin continued the topics they hadn't finished last night with him.
She wasn't in heels, and her tone carried that lazy, relaxed feel unique to early morning.
Yet her wording remained precise, professional, and logically airtight, unaffected by the setting.
Outside, New York morning light was rising slowly, filtering through partly drawn curtains and falling warmly and softly on them.
Tang Song’s gaze inevitably lingered on her small gestures.
The curve when she pursed her lips, the calm in a slight eyebrow lift, the grace when she shifted posture...
No matter how he looked, it was beautiful.
That itch in his chest made it impossible to focus on the coffee’s temperature.
He handed her the latte with perfectly frothed milk: “Try it, how does it taste?”
“Thank you.”
Secretary Jin took the steaming latte casually, leaned elegantly on the counter’s edge, and sipped.
The rich coffee aroma spread across her palate.
“Hm... the aroma is very full, but it’s a little bitter.”
Her critical tone hid an unmistakable joy.
Tang Song gave a soft laugh.
Of course he knew—like Liu Qingning, Secretary Jin was a die-hard sweets person, naturally averse to bitterness.
“Really?” He feigned surprise and leaned in slightly, raising an eyebrow. “But I distinctly remember adding two helpings of sugar for you. Director Jin, are your tastes a little picky today?”
Secretary Jin lifted the cup, half-smiling: “Why don’t you try it yourself?”
“All right.”
Tang Song looked at her but did not lower his head to drink from the cup.
Instead he kissed the coffee-tinged corner of her lips.
It was a kiss warmed by morning light, with a cashmere scent and the bittersweet of coffee.
Gentle, yet focused enough to make the skin tingle.
As if he wanted to draw every ounce of her mood and strength from her lips.
After a moment, Tang Song stepped back a little and lightly wiped her mouth with his thumb.
In a mock-serious tone he commented, “Hm, Director Jin was right, it’s a touch bitter. Looks like it needs a little more sweetness.”
Secretary Jin glanced at him;
her ears flushed slightly but she said nothing, lowering her head to continue sipping coffee.
The smile in her eyes deepened quietly.
Before long, the apartment’s butler rolled in a breakfast cart.
Silver lids were lifted, releasing delicate aromas.
Truffle scrambled eggs, thinly sliced smoked salmon, croissants, low-sugar yogurt with blueberries...
The two of them sat at the round table by the floor-to-ceiling window, eating and talking.
Below them Central Park still lay in morning mist, and Manhattan’s clustered skyscrapers rose in the distance.
“…At nine o’clock the management team will have a preparatory meeting. I’ll give a fifteen-minute annual report first. President Tang, do you want to prepare a statement of the shareholders’ position? After all, this is your first time attending in that capacity.”
Tang Song cut a small piece of croissant with elegance, dipped it in jam, and naturally brought it to her lips: “No need.”
“So confident?” Secretary Jin tilted her head slightly.
“Of course. With you here, I don’t worry about anything.”
“…emm.”
7:30 a.m.
Ding-dong —
A doorbell sounded.
Shangguan Qiuyas entered carrying two dust covers.
She wore a well-trained black uniform, professional and neat.
“Good morning, President Tang.”
“Director Jin, these are the outfits you’ll wear today.”
She couldn’t help but glance up at Director Jin sitting on the living room sofa.
Her complexion was flushed, her eyes soft;
that usually rational face bore an inexplicable relaxed expression.
Shangguan Qiuyas was filled with emotion.
It had been ages since she’d seen Director Jin look this gentle.
Truly beautiful.
This also meant Director Jin had been very happy and very satisfied last night.
President Tang really is Director Jin’s best medicine.
If he kept her company often, Shangguan’s job as a personal assistant would become so much easier!
“I’ll go change.” Secretary Jin stood and nodded at Tang Song, then went with Shangguan Qiuyas into the master bedroom’s dressing room.
After they disappeared, Tang Song rose, took the stairs up to the 19th floor, and carefully changed into the Outfit - Mist Gentleman in the cloakroom.
Secretary Jin’s level was too high;
after spending time with her, he always found himself leaking emotion, influenced by her.
Today’s shareholders’ meeting would bring almost every core executive of Smile Holdings together;
the scene would be enormous.
To better perform the role-interaction task, he needed to activate this small auxiliary to maintain absolute composure and presence.
He went downstairs.
Secretary Jin had not yet emerged.
Clearly she needed time to arm herself, to be precise and perfect.
It was her usual style.
Tang Song sat alone on the sofa, scrolling through morning news on his phone.
The smokescreen released at yesterday’s cocktail event had stirred a massive wave through the financial world.
Mainstream media were mostly discussing the Tang Jin asset restructuring—after all, this touched global interests on many fronts.
And in tech sections, reports naming the new global CEO of Xuanji Optical World were taking prominent spots,
mostly titled as the new global CEO of Xuanji Optical World.
Frankly, on Wall Street, a private equity firm the size of Rongliu Capital wasn’t all that eye-catching.
Rather, the star project Xuanji Optical World drew more attention.
After a while.
Ding-dong —
The doorbell rang again.
Tang Song put away his phone and opened the door.
Sure enough, his two female assistants had arrived.
"Morning, BOSS."
"Morning, Luna, Shirley."
After brief greetings they entered.
Both had clearly been carefully prepared.
Shen Yuyan wore a perfectly tailored dark gray suit, her hair neatly pinned, commuter makeup applied with precision.
Her eyes bright and steady, she radiated a refreshed vigor.
Lin Muxue wore a designer white suit dress;
her makeup was heavier than usual, looking stunning yet slightly cautious.
Even after Secretary Jin’s “beauty baptism,” seeing two curvaceous, long-legged female assistants made Tang Song even more elated.
This is emotional value.
Shen Yuyan pursed her lips and kept stealing glances at Tang Song.
After returning to the hotel last night she had tossed and turned in the big bed until two melatonin tablets finally let her sleep.
Tang Song’s deepest secret had been exposed, shattering and reassembling her worldview.
She still felt a little dizzy.
She finally understood why Lin Muxue, normally flamboyant, became so obedient in New York.
And why Su Yu had been so generous to come to Yancheng to win them over.
Because in front of Director Jin, they all felt so insignificant.
But she quickly adjusted her mindset.
Standing beside Tang Song, she began methodically reporting today’s agenda.
Lin Muxue helped Tang Song tidy up things and added schedule details, then stood resolutely to the other side.
These two assistants, usually at each other’s throats, were unexpectedly coordinated and harmonious right now.
This was probably the most united they’d been since they met.
Because the Empress Muxue had no other thoughts right now.
Not just because her period had come, but because today she would meet “Golden Misfortune.”
She didn’t know what Director Jin intended to do to her.
Every time she thought about it, she felt a sudden urge to pee and a chill down her spine.
More crucially, much of her current work had inadvertently taken over parts of Director Jin’s previous responsibilities.
And Director Jin had specially called Shen Yuyan over—clearly there was intent.
She touched the faintly glowing Luna’s Moonlight Watch on her wrist and felt a little steadier.
Just then—
Da, da, da—
A measured, unhurried rhythm of high heel footsteps echoed from deep within the master bedroom corridor.
The sound wasn’t loud, but each step seemed to land on a spot of the heart, possessing a unique cadence.
Shen Yuyan and Lin Muxue both lifted their heads instinctively.
Their pupils contracted almost simultaneously.
A familiar and suffocating figure appeared at the end of the corridor.
She wore a dark women’s suit.
The stiff fabric and sharp lines perfectly outlined her golden-proportion figure and slender waist.
She wasn’t wearing glasses;
her clear, spirited eyes were unusually bright.
Although a gentle smile played at her lips, her exquisitely beautiful face radiated an indescribable nobility and authority.
It made people afraid to look directly at her.
Her presence filled the air the moment she appeared.
“Di... Director Jin!”
“Director Jin!”
Both of them immediately tensed, voices trembling with uncontrollable panic and even a quaver.
Judging by where she appeared, she had stayed in this suite last night—
in other words, she had lived here with Tang Song!
At this moment,
this unprepared “morning encounter” in such an intimate setting sent both their hearts to their throats.
Secretary Jin walked with composed steps, drawing closer slowly.
Her gaze drifted lightly over the two of them, unhidden yet graceful,
as if she were evaluating them from head to toe, inside out.
Shen Yuyan’s hands pressed automatically against her trouser seams;
her palms were cold with sweat.
This was her ultimate idol, the image she had fantasized about late into countless nights—Ms. Smile.
Even after all the psychological preparation, facing her in person still made her legs go weak.
Too powerful.
In her presence there was no thought of resistance or competition, only instinctive submission.
Lin Muxue was even more breathless, instinctively shrinking toward Tang Song as if she wanted to hide in the floor,
Oh no, this look... it’s clearly aimed at Little Xue!
She hoped she wouldn’t be examined on the spot or have her KPIs grilled.
Would she be publicly questioned? Shot down by glaring looks? Called out for being too dumb?
A huge fear of being stained by red hair and ruined in old age gripped the Empress Muxue, tightening her bladder.
Fortunately, Luna’s Moonlight Watch was in effect, helping her stay composed and dry.
“All right, time’s about right.”
Tang Song glanced at his watch, stood, and broke the tense pressure.
“Mm.” Secretary Jin nodded.
Suddenly she smiled, then walked directly up to Tang Song.
They were very close.
She reached out;
her slender fingertips lightly brushed his collar, straightening the already immaculate tie.
Finally, her palm patted the lapel of his suit, smoothing a nonexistent wrinkle.
The gesture was intimate and natural, radiating the unquestioned air of a hostess.
“Let’s go,” she said softly.
............
A fleet of black luxury cars, like a silent, dignified dragon, slowly departed The Plaza and merged into Manhattan’s morning traffic.
They stopped finally in the core of Hudson Yards.
Car doors opened.
Tang Song stepped out, not in a hurry, standing at the curb and tilting his head slightly, letting his gaze follow the skyscraper’s straight ascent into the sky.
30 Hudson Yards.
It soared 395 meters and had the Western Hemisphere’s highest outdoor observation deck, The Edge.
Overlooking the surging rivers and the city’s bustle below, it symbolized ambition, height, and absolute control.
It was Manhattan’s newest emblem of commercial power.
One of the global nerve centers of asset flows.
And Smile Holdings’ power core in North America.
Footsteps gathered.
Secretary Jin stepped out of another car, steady and erect.
Her dark professional suit shimmered with a low-key yet dazzling texture in the morning light.
She merged perfectly with the austere lines of the building.
No need for words.
They entered the building side by side.
Behind them Shangguan Qiuyas, Sarah, Shen Yuyan, Lin Muxue, and assistants and aides from various departments maintained precise spacing.
The procession flowed silently, but with an immediately perceptible order and hierarchy.
They passed through the soaring glass lobby.
The sound of leather soles and high heels striking marble combined into a singular cadence, echoing through the vast space,
causing many passing investors, lawyers, and bank executives to pause.
A private elevator door closed and activated.
It climbed at several meters per second.
The pushing sensation and subtle ear pressure built.
Numbers flipped, carrying them upward toward the clouds.
Ding—
86th floor.
The elevator doors slid open slowly.
Before them was a backdrop wall sculpted from a single slab of Italian Carrara white marble.
Pure and flawless.
No excessive decoration, only a row of clean, confident silver letters:
[Smile Holdings]
At this moment dozens of people stood before the wall.
Representatives from three overseas asset management firms, executives from Kate Trust, Smile Holdings’ core headquarters management, the global asset deployment executive team, and heads from branches worldwide...
They had all arrived early.
Seeing Secretary Jin and Tang Song emerge from the elevator, everyone straightened.
“Director Jin!”
“Good morning, Mr. Tang!”
“Welcome back to Hudson Yards.”
“Pleasure to have you here.”
Greetings in different accents rose in turn.
Respect perfectly measured.
Laced with near-open reverence.
All the light of attention fell upon the pair.
Tang Song’s expression remained calm, but his heart quickened quietly in his chest.
This was his first time truly stepping into Smile Holdings.
To the outside world it was a ruthless capital giant, a trillion-yuan symbol that moved markets.
But for him its meaning went far beyond business.
This was the first company he and Secretary Jin founded.
Back in the summer of 2016, after college entrance exams, in a slightly hot cafe filled with cicada calls,
it was his first actual move in the real world.
Its name was “Smile,” which was also her name.
This company was the true origin point on their business map.
It had witnessed them walking step by step to where they were now.
Today it had grown into a trillion-level behemoth spanning finance, energy, and technology across seven core sectors.
It was their burning youth and the testament of what they had achieved together.
They stopped before the heavy double doors leading to the conference center.
Secretary Jin suddenly halted.
Tang Song seemed to sense it and stopped too.
They glanced sideways at each other.
She said nothing, merely looking at him quietly.
Those eyes that were usually so calm and rational had shed all their sharpness and were filled with gentle starlight.
She pursed her red lips slightly, curving them into a faint, exquisite arc.
[Secretary Jin smile count: 4/10]
In that exchanged look, Tang Song understood all her unspoken words.
Welcome to our world.