Edward James Harrington was only 20 years old, yet he had already earned a first-class honors degree in PPE (Philosophy, Politics, and Economics) from Oxford University. He was a true child prodigy, entering Oxford at 17 with outstanding grades and graduating with excellence in just three years.
At 16, he had begun participating in corporate decision-making. Despite his young age, his style was remarkably seasoned, and every project he touched turned out exceptionally well.
This time, he was tasked with independently managing Crown & Cipher. C&C was a longstanding British luxury five-star hotel, newly renovated and completed in early February 2025. This put enormous performance pressure on Ned—the group demanded that within six months, he achieve results on par with last year, and by year-end, secure a net growth of over 60%. It was already late March, and time was running out.
Meanwhile, as his newly appointed assistant, Sophie—a rookie fresh to the workplace—plunged headfirst into the chaos of work and the exclusion and exploitation from colleagues, carrying her visions for the future and eagerness for the professional world.
She was truly reluctant to become Ned's assistant, not only because of two less-than-pleasant encounters, but also due to the deep-seated inferiority and fear of the unknown workplace environment within her. Coming from Manchester to London, she harbored a trace of self-doubt deep down, knowing full well that her background clashed with this glamorous position, yet she was unwilling to give up this hard-won opportunity.
"Sophie, this is the seat the chairman arranged for you—the as-sis-tant's spe-cial seat." After lunch, following Ned back to the office, she immediately felt the strange glances from her colleagues. The veteran employees were full of disdain and exclusion toward this parachuted assistant.
"Another one who got in through connections—looks like she's not even of age!"
"Another inexperienced little rookie; we're in for it again…"
"Don't go soft—little rookies need plenty of toughening up…"
"…"
The colleagues were chatting animatedly in the group chat, occasionally casting furtive glances at Sophie and pointing at her behind her back. Sitting at her desk, Sophie felt as though thousands of eyes were scrutinizing her. In just one afternoon, she had been saddled with a pile of miscellaneous and chaotic tasks.
The colleagues assigned her all sorts of tedious and meaningless chores, as if she weren't Ned's assistant but everyone's. From organizing mountains of accumulated files, to brewing instant coffee for colleagues, to handling the tricky documents no one wanted to touch…
A month passed, and Sophie had become like a robot at everyone's beck and call, endlessly busy.
Worse still, some colleagues deliberately handed her tasks that were easy to take the fall for. Several times, minor projects under the department slipped up on details, causing the company certain losses. Yet the real project leads shoved all the blame onto Sophie, accusing her of failing to relay critical information in time, which led to the mishaps. Facing these groundless accusations, Sophie felt immense grievance and anger. She tried to explain to her colleagues, only to be met with even colder stares and sarcastic remarks.
"You're just young—that's why you messed up. Admit your mistake, don't do it again, and stop throwing a tantrum. Tch~~"
"Sophie, if there's anything you don't understand in the future, come ask us seniors in time. Don't just barrel ahead on your own."
"Alright, alright, that's how young people are—thinking they're so smart, looking down on us old-timers."
"Oh man, what a waste of effort. Because of your mistake, my bonus this month is gone. Bad luck!"
"…"
And Ned, as Sophie's direct superior, saw all of this but never once lent a hand, even though she was his dedicated assistant. He always treated her with a cold and distant attitude. In his view, the workplace was a brutal battlefield where only those who fought through their own efforts could survive. Sophie had indeed landed this prestigious job through her father's connections. For a girl her age, with no work experience and not even a higher education degree, she could only do scattered part-time jobs for meager pay. Now…
If she couldn't overcome even this much difficulty, she didn't deserve to stay in his company.
Two months after Sophie joined, one morning a sunny, handsome young man bounced into the office. His hair was dyed a vibrant blue, and he wore a loose Korean-style hazy-blue T-shirt layered with a plaid shirt, paired with high-top canvas shoes. He hopped his way straight into Ned's office.
"Wow, this guy is way too hot—he's literally my dream guy."
"Oh my God, I'm in love again." Ned's secretary, Hebe, whispered while clutching her cheeks after delivering coffee to the general manager's office.
The office instantly filled with a chorus of "shhh" sounds.
Sophie glanced up at the young man who had already entered the GM's office. She racked her brain, trying to place the familiar figure. Oh—it was the other guy from the convenience store who bought mineral water that day. Look at him; he was way sunnier than the GM.
"Ned, it's a deal—tennis this weekend, okay? Don't ditch me again!" Archibald's voice rang out as the GM's office door opened.
"Mhm, I won't forget." Ned's steady voice followed.
Sophie was hugging a thick stack of files on her way back from the copy room. "The convenience-store girl?" Archibald leaped in front of her. "Aren't you the cashier from the convenience store? How are you working here? Did I miss something?" He peered closely at the badge on her chest: General Manager's Assistant, Sophie Davies.
"Ahem—General Manager's Assistant? What the heck?" Archibald blocked her path, refusing to let her pass.
Sophie's face flushed crimson. She stood rooted to the spot, arms full of heavy files. "Sir, I've been working at C&C for two months." She gave Archibald a quiet glance, then sidestepped him with her files and headed to her desk.
Archibald trailed after her to her workstation. "Sir? Come on, we're both young—call me Archibald. I've got an important date today, so I'm off. Next time I'll come hang out with you! Bye-bye!" With that, he moonwalked out of the office, light-hearted and cheerful.
"Wow—you actually know the future little prince of politics, Sophie?!"
"How do you two know each other? I want to meet him too—he's so hot—"
"You know what? I secretly snapped a photo of him just now—360-degree perfection, ohhh—"
…
The colleagues were in an absolute uproar; the office turned into a chaotic mess. Sophie's head spun from all their questions.
"Ahem—ahem." A cough came from the GM's office. Instantly, the colleagues scattered like startled birds, returning to their desks. In a flash, the entire world fell silent.