Chapter 152: I Am a House Wolf

"Work is exhausting every day, but the moment I see my marriage certificate with my wife, I find the strength to keep going." Gu Shiyan unfolded the small red booklet, his chin lifted slightly. In his smiling eyes, one could easily discern an irrepressible sense of showing off.

"Oh my god, this is..." Anna was stunned. Her first thought wasn't how dramatic the situation was, but rather, *I basically stood up for the boss's wife, so does that mean I won't get fired?*

Special Assistant Song stood by, sighing. Everything they had insisted on keeping secret until now had just been revealed—so what was the point of all that?

*There goes my year-end bonus...*

"Even... even if she is Mrs. Gu, she shouldn't just be allowed to wander into the company..."

Before Tina could finish her rebuttal, Gu Shiyan chuckled softly and slowly tucked the marriage certificate away. "She isn't here to wander. I invited her. She is a graduate student majoring in physics at A-Country's United University, working under Professor Colwin. I invited her here to discuss the secondary testing plan for the Harbor Project; we intend to bring Professor Colwin on board. Do you have any further questions?"

Tina shook her head. "What secondary testing plan? I have no idea—"

"Tina, you are fired. The secondary testing plan has not yet been initiated, and we have no obligation to disclose further details to you. If you have no other questions, please leave our company. As your former superior, I am quite concerned about the possibility of you leaking our confidential information."

Returning the strike with speed, precision, and ruthlessness—that is how it’s done. The necessary explanations had been given; even if the media reported it, they wouldn't be able to find fault with Gu Shiyan. Eventually, security guards arrived to escort Tina away.

Once the external situation was handled, Gu Shiyan pulled Luo Xing into his office. With Tina gone, no one dared to challenge the "confidentiality" issue anymore; after all, she was the genuine boss's wife.

"I thought the wife Gu Junior was secretly married to would be some daughter of a prominent family in the capital. Why would Old Master Gu approve of a woman with no status and no background like her?"

"It seems useless. The previous arranged marriage between the Wen and Gu families was supposed to bring benefits to both sides. What could she possibly bring to the table?"

Anna, who had just been told she could stay as long as her internship performance met the requirements, was feeling relieved when she overheard the gossip nearby. She spoke up weakly, "Is it written in the law that rich people must marry someone who brings benefits to their family?"

"You're new to society; what do you know?"

Anna organized her documents. "I may not know much, but back then, everyone favored the Wen-Gu union. Later, the Wen family went bankrupt, not only failing to benefit the Gu family but causing them significant losses. Everything has pros and cons. While she may not have a prestigious background, at least she won't be like the eldest daughter of the Wen family, who emptied the coffers and ran away when her family went bankrupt, even shifting the blame onto Gu Junior. Back when he was still a student, wasn't he hospitalized because the Wen family's debt collectors teamed up against him?"

The group fell silent. That incident had made the news and was quite serious. Essentially, the Wen family's eldest daughter had sold off properties, pocketed the money, and fled abroad. When the creditors couldn't find her, they targeted Gu Shiyan, her former fiancé. No matter how you looked at it, the Wen family had wronged the Gu family, and Wen Nuan had wronged Gu Shiyan.

"Sigh, I'm envious. I also graduated from A-Country's United University. We had similar starting points, yet she’s already a wealthy socialite, and I can't even afford an apartment inside the Third Ring Road. People like me, who follow the rules, will never compare to those with 'tactics.'"

The others nearby didn't dare respond; this was a blatant insinuation that Mrs. Gu had used schemes to marry into the family. Just as Anna was about to retort, a voice beat her to it.

"The Gu family still has a younger master. Why don't you resign and try your luck with him? See if you can become a wealthy wife too?"

Special Assistant Song’s voice appeared quietly by their ears. He wore a smile, and his tone was jocular, yet it scared the speaker so badly that she buried her head, not daring to move. She whispered, "Assistant Song, I was just joking, just joking..."

"Yes, it is quite funny. See, I'm laughing too." Special Assistant Song handed her a file. "I'm joking as well. I need this in ten minutes."

The person immediately scrambled to work.

Once Gu Shiyan pulled Luo Xing inside and locked the door behind them, he stared at her calmly.

Luo Xing laughed awkwardly. "You didn't really have to make up some secondary testing plan just to explain, did you?" How were they going to follow through with that later?

"The secondary testing plan was already in the works. I just wanted to wait until things were more stable before starting—probably next year."

"But you've already announced it..." Luo Xing quietly took his hand.

"Then we'll just move it up. Miss Luo, you'll have to help me."

"How can I help you?"

"Help me persuade Professor Colwin to bring his graduate team to collaborate with me."

Gu Shiyan wasn't lying. When the idea of the secondary testing plan first crossed his mind, Professor Colwin was the first person he thought of. He was simply pushing the boat along with the current.

"So..." Luo Xing arched an eyebrow. "You mean, you want me to convince Professor Colwin to work for you, and then I become your employee too?"

Gu Shiyan leaned down to meet her eyes. "You are core research personnel; you are qualified to stand on equal footing with me. How could you be classified as just an employee?"

"That sounds reasonable enough." Luo Xing pinched his cheek. "I usually see the professor like a mouse seeing a cat. I can only do my best..."

"Alright, now that this is settled, let's talk properly. We agreed to keep it hidden, but you just blurted it out. Do you have any idea how dangerous that is? Once exposed, you'll face a lot of trouble. Many people will intentionally dig for information and stalk your tracks just for the clicks and traffic. You could be walking down the street, and someone might suddenly shove a camera in your face. By then..."

Luo Xing covered his mouth. "Stop, stop it. You're making it sound so terrifying; I'll be scared to death by you before those people even get to me."

"I have a solution." Gu Shiyan straightened up and narrowed his eyes.

"You look like a wild wolf radiating danger right now," Luo Xing remarked quietly.

"What wild wolf? I am your domestic wolf."

"..." Luo Xing didn't want to hear his smooth talk. She asked, "What's your plan? Let's hear it."

"I intend to move up the secondary testing plan and then publicly announce the core team members."

Luo Xing was stunned. "Then... then doesn't that mean I have to return to the country early?"

Gu Shiyan walked past Luo Xing, retrieved a document from the desk, and handed it to her. "This is the transfer application your father submitted to me. He wants to join the trade coordination project in A-Country. I’ve already talked to him, and he insists on going."