AGN -Chapter 189 Assistant Chen

Qin Huai made a new friend on the plane.

A personal assistant to a domineering CEO.

How should one put it—

First-class cabins really do have all kinds of strange people.

This time, Qin Huai didn’t watch instructional videos during the flight. Instead, he used his phone to record the issues he encountered while making San Ding Bao, along with detailed analysis.

He listed several specific problems, planning to ask Huang Shengli and Zheng Da for guidance once he returned to Huang Ji.

Because he was thinking and writing at the same time, Qin Huai couldn’t help but mutter aloud as he wrote.

He had this habit since school. At first, he used it to memorize English vocabulary—writing with his hand while reciting aloud. Later, when solving problems, he would silently articulate his thought process with his lips, and when writing essays, he would mutter while writing.

In short, the more focused he was, the more likely he was to speak out loud.

While analyzing problems on the plane, Qin Huai couldn’t hold back and muttered aloud. His neighbor heard him.

From Qin Huai’s long string of murmurs, the assistant keenly picked out keywords like San Ding Bao, meat filling, time, force, dough, etc. From this, he concluded that Qin Huai was likely a professional pastry chef or someone in a related field, and naturally struck up a conversation.

People who serve as CEO assistants usually have excellent communication skills. This one was especially outstanding—Qin Huai even felt that Assistant Chen’s eloquence was on par with Gong Liang’s.

His voice was gentle, his logic clear, his diction precise, and his tone courteous. His approach to conversation felt natural rather than intrusive, making the interaction pleasant and comfortable.

In the brief duration of the flight, Qin Huai and Assistant Chen formed a modest friendship, added each other on WeChat, and even went together to the high-speed rail station.

Assistant Chen’s destination was the same as Qin Huai’s—Gusu. According to him, he had come to Gusu specifically to buy pastries for his boss’s wife.

His boss had a child later in life the previous year and was now experiencing a period of both career growth and family happiness. However, the boss’s wife had been in a poor emotional state after childbirth, which worried him greatly.

A couple of days ago, she suddenly expressed a desire to eat Suzhou-style pastries. Coincidentally, Assistant Chen had just finished a client engagement in Shan City and was heading to Gusu for a business trip. So his boss asked him to buy some local specialty pastries while he was there.

They had to be authentic specialties.

Although Assistant Chen was highly capable, he was not from Gusu and only had a superficial understanding of Suzhou-style pastries.

As experienced travelers know, the biggest pitfall when eating in unfamiliar places is stepping on landmines. Online recommendations and review platforms are often unreliable. Assistant Chen, though he had already done some research online, still had doubts.

Coincidentally, he overheard Qin Huai muttering about San Ding Bao on the plane. He assumed Qin Huai was a professional and took the initiative to strike up a conversation, hoping to get expert recommendations.

“If you want high-quality, authentic Suzhou-style pastries without risks, you should go to Zhiwei Ju in Hangzhou,” Qin Huai recommended seriously. “Especially since you’re buying for your boss’s wife—Zhiwei Ju has a strong reputation, excellent quality control, and specialized premium pastry gift boxes. It’s very suitable for your situation.”

Assistant Chen: ?

“I’m not saying Gusu doesn’t have good pastry chefs. It does—for example, Zheng Siyuan… there’s a well-known pastry shop at the entrance of a residential area. But it’s currently under renovation and closed. The pastry chef there is now working at Huang Ji, and they only sell two types of pastries daily, which is very limited and doesn’t meet your needs.”

“For other pastry shops or even high-end restaurants, their pastry chefs are generally not as strong as those at Zhiwei Ju. Although Zhiwei Ju is in Hangzhou, it’s one of the most renowned establishments in the industry for pastry, with many chefs skilled in Suzhou-style desserts.”

“As long as you’re willing to spend the money and make an advance reservation through the proper channels, I believe it won’t be difficult to get a suitable gift box for your boss’s wife.”

Hearing this, Assistant Chen nodded in understanding. “I see. Thank you, Chef Qin. It’s really different getting advice from professionals like you. I’m glad I met you on the plane today, otherwise I would probably have been wandering around Gusu like a headless fly for the next couple of days.”

Qin Huai waved as the ticket gates began checking in. “Just a small matter.”

“Assistant Chen, my train is boarding. I’ll head off first. If you have any questions, feel free to message me on WeChat. I also have some industry contacts, so recommending restaurants won’t be a problem. Bye.”

“Bye.” Assistant Chen smiled and waved.

After boarding the train and sitting down, Qin Huai suddenly realized that he had chatted with Assistant Chen the entire time without even asking his name.

This wasn’t his fault—the assistant was simply too skilled in conversation. Young yet experienced, trusted by his boss, constantly traveling, knowledgeable about a wide range of topics.

From the start, Assistant Chen had the initiative in the conversation. Qin Huai, despite being quite adept at bluffing, was not as skilled in social maneuvering as a professional like him. He had chatted happily the whole way without overthinking, only realizing later that Assistant Chen had been subtly gathering information. He even felt that Assistant Chen was overly cautious.

If he wanted to ask about good pastry restaurants, he could have just asked directly on the plane. Strangers seated together still share a kind of fate. Qin Huai was not someone poor at socializing—he would have answered without hesitation.

To go through such an elaborate process just to ask indirectly—Qin Huai could only say that assistants truly handle things with meticulous care.

On the high-speed train, Qin Huai messaged Huang Jia, informing him that he would arrive in Gusu soon and would be able to report to work the next day as scheduled. He planned to drop off his luggage and head to Huang Ji later.

Huang Jia told him not to rush and to rest at home before coming the next day.

Forty minutes later, Qin Huai opened the door to the rented apartment. Seeing the familiar smart furniture, spotless living room, cleaned fruit on the coffee table, and neatly arranged snacks, he felt an unexpected sense of coming home.

The only regret was that there were no cheese sticks in the fridge.

Qin Huai promptly ordered takeout.

While waiting, he sat on the sofa browsing Moments.

The first post he saw was from Gong Liang. Apparently, some restaurant in Beijing had caught his interest. He was happily eating his way through Beijing with his wife and child, checking in at various places and posting daily. He was still there and likely would stay for another week.

Qin Huai silently liked the post.

The second post was from Assistant Chen—a standard work-related repost promoting a product.

Glancing at it, Qin Huai saw it was “Haowei Sauce,” a simple name he had never heard of. He liked the post as well.

The third post was from Ou Yang. He rarely posted Moments, usually only sharing links about public welfare or civic campaigns. This time, however, the post was somewhat cryptic:

“This time, I will take back everything I’ve lost.”

Qin Huai didn’t quite understand it, but still liked it.

Scrolling further, there wasn’t much of interest. A university classmate was complaining about how hard work was and how iced Americano tasted worse than life itself.

Like.

A neighborhood post about collecting likes for free tissues.

Like.

Grandma Qin posted a photo of the free-range chickens in the yard.

Like.

Qin Xiuli posted her disappointing son’s miserable exam scores.

…He decided not to like that one.

Qin Huai liked posts rapidly like approving documents. By the time he reached Dong Shi’s post about clocking out from work the previous night, his cheese stick delivery had arrived.

He ate two sticks, put the rest in the fridge, tidied up, and headed out to Huang Ji.

Just as he stepped outside, he ran into a familiar customer from Huang Ji in the neighborhood.

“Chef Xiao Qin, you’re back from Shan City!” the customer greeted enthusiastically. “How was Shan City? Was it fun?”

Judging by the tone, one might think Qin Huai had been on vacation.

“Pretty good. My break is over, and I’ll resume work tomorrow. From tomorrow onward, I’ll only be making San Ding Bao, not Five Ding Bao anymore. If you like them, come buy them at noon.”

“Of course! We like whatever Chef Xiao Qin makes—Five Ding or Three Ding, it’s all the same.”

By the time Qin Huai reached the entrance of Huang Ji, another 20 minutes had passed.

His neighbors were simply too enthusiastic.

Just as he was about to step inside, someone called out to him.

“Chef Qin, what a coincidence! We just parted ways and meet again here. I actually came to Huang Ji to find you, didn’t expect to run into you at the door.”

Qin Huai turned around and saw Assistant Chen.

“Looking for me?” Qin Huai asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Assistant Chen replied with a smile. “Our boss asked me to come to Gusu to find you. He sent me the message right after you boarded the high-speed train. I thought it was quite a coincidence and even worried I might have mistaken someone who just looked like you, so I came to Huang Ji to confirm—didn’t expect to meet you right at the entrance.”

Qin Huai gestured for him to go inside instead of talking at the door. After entering, he informed the staff and led Assistant Chen to a window-side corner seat.

“Are you Qin Huai, the Chef Qin from ‘Qinhuai near the riverside at night’?” Assistant Chen confirmed first.

Qin Huai nodded.

“You run a community canteen in Shan City called Yunzhong Canteen.”

Qin Huai nodded again.

“That settles it,” Assistant Chen said with a smile. “Do you remember what I mentioned on the plane about our boss having a child last year? Because his wife wasn’t in a good state, they didn’t hold a big celebration for the child’s first birthday. Now, our boss plans to host a grand birthday banquet next year.”

“The birthday is March 19 next year. Our boss heard about your craftsmanship from a friend and would like to invite you to A City to be in charge of the pastries for the banquet.”

Qin Huai was stunned.

His first reaction was to search his memory for who Assistant Chen’s boss’s friend might be.

Xu Tuqiang?

Grandma Ding?

Old Man Qian?

Wang Genqiang?

Or Gong Liang?

No… who exactly was Assistant Chen’s boss?

“Sorry, this is a bit sudden. May I ask who your boss is?” Qin Huai asked.

“Our boss’s surname is Han, Han Guishan. You can look him up online—his company is called Haowei, which mainly produces soy sauce.”

Qin Huai was still confused. “And your boss’s friend…?”

“One of his friends is a food connoisseur who is very knowledgeable about eating. You may not know him. He happened to visit Shan City today to taste your craftsmanship, but you had already left for Gusu.”

“Our boss learned from that friend that you had come to Gusu today and were exchanging at Huang Ji, so he asked me to contact you and see if you’re interested.”

Qin Huai was not opposed to taking on paid side jobs like this. For a well-funded listed company boss to send an assistant across provinces to invite him to handle pastries for a birthday banquet was already a recognition of his skills.

As long as the price was right, he had no objections.

“Wait… has your boss eaten my pastries before?” Qin Huai asked.

Assistant Chen shook his head. “Probably not.”

“For a March event, I should be fine—but does your boss really intend to decide without a tasting?”

“Didn’t his friend also not taste them?” Qin Huai replied.

Trusting a recommendation that much?

Assistant Chen said, “As long as you’re willing, that’s enough for now. We can discuss the details later. As for tasting, once this is finalized, our boss will either invite you over or come himself for a tasting.”

“We’ve already added each other on WeChat, so I’ll follow up with you there.”

“Oh, and thank you very much for your recommendation earlier. I contacted Zhiwei Ju, and they indeed accept custom Suzhou-style pastry gift boxes with a minimum reservation of five days in advance.”

“I won’t disturb you further. I’ll take my leave.”

With that, Assistant Chen stood up and left quickly.

From his pace, it was clear he still had a lot of work to do that day.

Qin Huai: …

So efficient?

In just over an hour, Assistant Chen completed two major tasks assigned by his boss. Meanwhile, Qin Huai had only managed to go home and order takeout.

Professional assistants really are different.

However…

Assistant Chen, you still haven’t told me your name.

Just as Qin Huai was thinking this, a system notification suddenly sounded in his mind:

“Ding. Congratulations on discovering the side quest: [Assistant Chen’s Wish]. Please view the quest panel for details.”

Qin Huai: ?

He looked around—no one was there—then casually tapped in midair.

Side Quest:

1. [Assistant Chen’s Wish]: As a professional CEO assistant, Chen Gong aspires to surpass all peers and become the ultimate all-purpose assistant in everyone’s eyes—someone whose boss’s needs are his own, and whose boss’s wishes are his own. Please help Chen Gong fulfill his boss’s wish by ensuring the pastries at Han Youxin’s birthday banquet allow the boss to shine.

Quest Rewards: [A segment of Chen Gong’s dream], [Chen Gong’s approval], +2000 popularity traffic

Qin Huai: ?

What an abstract quest.

Who is Han Youxin?

Chen Gong’s boss’s son—the one born last year?

This web of relationships is way too complex.

Where do you even recruit assistants like this—so capable and loyal?

Also, why is a CEO assistant’s wish to make his boss shine at his son’s birthday banquet through pastries?

From the boss, to the assistant, to the boss’s son—none of them seem particularly normal.

Still full of questions, Qin Huai opened the illustrated index.

As expected, another entry had been unlocked.

Name: Chen Gong
Species: Unknown
Status: In the process of awakening
Dreams: 0/?
Recipes: None
Gifts: None

As expected, Chen Gong’s state was similar to Gong Liang’s—an intermediate-stage spirit creature with a high probability of successfully overcoming tribulation without external intervention.

However…

Chen Gong was a bit more… abstract than Gong Liang.

At this moment, Qin Huai finally understood why Chen Huihong and Luo Jun had said that spirit creatures in intermediate lives often have somewhat abnormal mental states.

Indeed, not quite normal.

After thinking for a moment, Qin Huai sent a WeChat message to Chen Gong:

Qin Huai: Assistant Chen, I think about it and feel that waiting for your boss to finalize things might waste time. Are you free tomorrow? Do you have any favorite pastries? How about you come by tomorrow and try some—I’ll make a few for you to taste first.

Meanwhile, Chen Gong, who was reporting his progress to his boss via message, confirming that he had successfully met Qin Huai and discussed the banquet arrangements: …

Chef Qin is… this enthusiastic?

Chen Gong actually felt a bit uneasy from Qin Huai’s warm attitude.

He hadn’t lied—just changed the order of events.

He first received the banquet assignment, then went to Yunzhong Canteen that morning and learned Qin Huai was heading to Gusu. He quickly booked a flight and ended up on the same plane, even sitting next to him.

To avoid leaving a bad first impression, he arranged things so that their “chance encounter” would truly feel like a coincidence.

After thinking it over, Chen Gong replied:

Chen: If that’s possible, thank you very much, Chef Qin [smile][smile][smile]