17: This man is no ordinary person.

A look of struggle appeared on Lin Chao's face, as if he were undergoing an intense internal conflict.

He grit his teeth, as if he had made a monumental decision.

"CEO Lan, actually... I've met CEO Zheng once before."

Lan Yanran's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly.

She listened as Lin Chao continued in a tone full of disgust.

"Just looking at his facial features, he doesn't seem like a good person!"

"Triangular Eyes, Thin Lips—the very image of a treacherous villain!"

"Furthermore, his philtrum is shallow and he has 'Peach Blossom Eyes.' At a glance, he's a lecherous man with a crooked mind who's obsessed with wine and women!"

For the first time, a look of genuine surprise appeared on Lan Yanran's face.

She looked at Lin Chao with some disbelief.

"You... know how to read faces?"

Lin Chao immediately waved his hands, looking terrified and humble.

"No, no, no, how could I?"

"I only know a bit of the basics. Usually, I'm not accurate with everyone I see."

His expression showed a few more hints of disgust: "But! But CEO Zheng's features were just too prominent! Too typical!"

"That's why I... I saw it at a single glance."

After speaking, he immediately tried to remedy the situation, his face full of regret.

"CEO Lan, please don't take what I said seriously!"

"I just spoke without thinking!"

"I know my words couldn't possibly affect your professional judgment of a person."

"Besides, even if... even if CEO Zheng's character really isn't great, that doesn't mean you can't cooperate with him. Business is business, and character is character. I was being narrow-minded..."

He spoke incoherently, looking terrified that his words might affect Lantu Group's multi-hundred-million-yuan project.

Looking at him like this, the surprise in Lan Yanran's eyes gradually turned into a smile she couldn't suppress.

She suddenly burst out laughing with a "puchi."

That smile was like an iceberg melting or a snow lotus blooming, brightening the entire room.

Lin Chao was instantly dazed.

Lan Yanran looked at him and shook her head in amusement.

"Do you always have to consider so much before you speak?"

Hearing Lan Yanran's amused question, Lin Chao scratched his head sheepishly.

He put on the full appearance of an honest man.

"CEO Lan, I've made a fool of myself before you."

"For those of us in sales, the most important skill is actually being able to read people's expressions."

He lowered his head slightly and spoke sincerely: "And one must know what to say to which person."

"To tell you the truth, the reason I could become a Gold Medal Salesperson is actually inseparable from my basic knowledge of Face Reading."

Lin Chao looked up, meeting Lan Yanran's interested gaze.

"Sometimes, by looking at a person's face, I can roughly tell if they'll have the patience to listen to my sales pitch."

"Even if the deal doesn't go through in the end, at least I can judge in advance so I don't get kicked out with harsh words."

At this point, he returned to his previous struggling state of wanting to speak but hesitating.

"But... I also know that most people don't like it when a relative stranger meddles too much in their affairs."

"Moreover, your cooperation with CEO Zheng, CEO Lan, is surely a major project beneficial to Lantu Group."

"By being so reckless and talkative, the easiest thing I could cause is your dissatisfaction and resentment, CEO Lan."

The amusement in Lan Yanran's eyes grew even stronger.

This Lin Chao certainly had a meticulous mind.

She leaned forward slightly and followed up curiously.

"Then why did you eventually decide to say it?"

A hint of embarrassed shyness instantly surfaced on Lin Chao's face.

His gaze flickered, as if he were summoning a great deal of courage.

"Because... because I felt I should tell you, CEO Lan."

"I don't understand those big matters like project cooperation, and I can't intervene."

"But at the very least, I hope you can see Zheng Guangzhi for who he is during the cooperation, CEO Lan."

His voice wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally firm.

That sincerity clearly reached the depths of Lan Yanran's heart through the air.

Lan Yanran looked at him quietly, a ripple she had never felt before appearing in the lake of her heart.

It felt warm.

She nodded, and her voice softened significantly.

"Indeed, Zheng Guangzhi's personal character is not enough to dictate the cooperation between our two groups."

"However, I will remember your words."

As she spoke, she stood up, regaining her capable and distant demeanor as a female CEO.

"Alright, it's getting late. I should go prepare."

"This massage counts as overtime; I will pay you an additional overtime fee."

Lin Chao understood perfectly; she was showing him the door.

He immediately stood up tactfully.

"Alright, CEO Lan, then I'll take my leave."

Lan Yanran gave an "en" and turned toward the lounge door.

Lin Chao followed behind her.

Just as the two of them walked out of the lounge's hidden door one after the other—

"Dong dong!"

The office door was suddenly knocked.

Immediately after, the voice of the secretary, Zhong Xiao, came through the door panel with a hint of urgency.

"CEO Lan, CEO Zheng from Hongzhi Group has arrived."

"He is... currently at the office door."

Lin Chao's brain buzzed, and his heart instantly leaped into his throat!

Zheng Guangzhi!

Why was he here already!

Lin Chao's heart sank, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on his back.

He had met Zheng Guangzhi once before!

If Zheng Guangzhi saw him here, walking out of CEO Lan's private lounge... what would he think?

What would he say in front of Lan Yanran?

That treacherous villain would definitely use the situation to sow discord!

In a flash, Lin Chao reacted immediately.

He suddenly grabbed Lan Yanran, who was about to head for the main door, and asked urgently in a low voice.

"CEO Lan, how is the soundproofing... in this lounge?"

Lan Yanran was taken aback by his sudden movement, not knowing why he was so nervous.

But she answered instinctively: "Very good. It's professional-grade soundproofing."

Lin Chao breathed a sigh of relief and immediately said.

"Then... can I go back inside and hide for a bit?"

"I'll come out after you've finished talking with CEO Zheng."

Lan Yanran's delicate brows furrowed slightly, her eyes full of surprise.

"Why?"

Lin Chao quickly organized his words, showing a very sincere and worried expression on his face.

"Think about it, CEO Lan. If an outsider sees you alone in your office with a young man who isn't a company employee..."

He intentionally didn't finish his sentence, but the meaning was self-evident.

"I'm afraid it wouldn't be good for your reputation."

Hearing this reason, Lan Yanran's gaze changed instantly.

She looked at Lin Chao, and deep within those sharp eyes, that warm feeling surged up again, even more intense than before.

She hadn't expected that in such a tense moment, the first thing he considered would actually be her reputation.

This man was not simple.

In Lan Yanran's heart, her evaluation of Lin Chao rose another level.

Making a prompt decision, she nodded gently.

"We won't stay here for long; we'll head to the conference room immediately."

"Stay here for half an hour, then you can come out and leave on your own."