A Pillar of the State

Feng Lianchen is an executive assistant at Tan Jewelry Group. Cool-headed and perceptive, he was personally promoted by the old chairman, Tan Ru, who regarded him as a trusted right-hand man. Everyone knows the Tan family has two sons, both eager to inherit the family business. They scheme against each other, though their positions are different: The eldest, Tan Shizhang, is arrogant, brooding, and vindictive. He has some talent, but isn't up to the task of leading the company. The second son, Tan Haoyang, is clearly favored by the old man. Tan Ru even assigned Feng Lianchen to protect and support him. Feng Lianchen sides with Tan Haoyang. After Tan Ru's death and the will is settled, the second son, as expected, has every advantage and comes out ahead of his elder brother. After the funeral, Feng Lianchen pauses around a corner and spots two figures hiding on the other side. Tan Haoyang's young lover has his arms around his neck, whining, “That stone-faced lackey of yours acts so superior and gives me the cold shoulder. He's no longer useful. When are you going to kick him to the curb?” Tan Haoyang affectionately pinches his lover's nose. “Can't wait to take his place yourself?” Feng Lianchen says nothing. He goes home, deletes the messages where Tan Haoyang passionately professed his love, throws out every item of clothing and personal belonging Tan Haoyang left behind, and gets rid of every trace of their relationship. Once the hare is dead, the hound is cooked. With Tan Haoyang firmly in power, he turns against his former allies, to no one's surprise at the company. Feng Lianchen is the first target. But instead of receiving a dismissal notice, he gets a transfer and demotion: Effective immediately, he is relieved of his duties as executive assistant and reassigned as Tan Shizhang's personal assistant. Tan Haoyang kills two birds with one stone. The move both sends a warning to the loser and pressures him to leave of his own accord. Feng Lianchen leans against the doorway to Tan Shizhang's office and listens to the second son inside, playing with words and trying to stir up trouble. Inside, Tan Shizhang has been listening for a while, too. He smiles faintly. “So Executive Assistant Feng is mine to use however I please.” Tan Haoyang is riding high, with no idea that when he looks back on this day much later, all he'll feel is regret. The actual seme is the eldest son. A calculating, ambitious schemer × an elegant beauty who knows how to control the room Reader's guide: 1. The blurb is made up; the story isn't angsty. It has scum getting what they deserve √, playing dumb while hiding one's true strength √, mutual hostility on the surface √, and an adult romance at its core. 2. People have been complaining about the title for ages. I really couldn't think of anything else. If I had to give it a proper title, it'd be The Right-Hand Man, with the alternate title Everyone's Got Two Faces. Weibo: @Huangtong Zuolun [The extra chapters will be released for free as a bonus, but the story must first be marked complete, and the bonus chapter feature only becomes available after settlement.] [To keep readers from accidentally buying the extras more than once, I'll temporarily post them in the author's notes after the final chapter.] Completed stories → The Reborn Life of a Rich Family's Adopted Son, The Mind-Reading Game, My Nemesis Always Wants to Marry Me Coming soon → The Life of a Rich Family's Butler (a beloved-by-all lead and a battleground of love) Offering Roses to a Cold Beauty (pursuing an aloof beauty) Assistant Shen's Step-by-Step Guide to Business Warfare (real business warfare means pulling the power plug) Theme: Hard work and success go hand in hand in the workplace.