When Hailey Tang arrived at the top floor, she headed straight for Ethan Yu's office without hesitation.
A newly hired secretary quickly stepped in to block her. "Excuse me, may I ask who you are? This area isn't open to visitors."
Hailey casually lifted the insulated lunch bag in her hand. "I'm his wife. Just here to drop off lunch."
"You're the CEO's wife?" the secretary blinked, stunned.
Another secretary who recognized her rushed over. "Madam, what brings you here? The CEO's not in at the moment. Would you like me to call him?"
"No need," Hailey replied calmly. "I'll just wait inside."
"Of course, please come in." The secretary respectfully led her into the office and even poured her a glass of water.
Ethan's office was just as grand and sleek as she remembered—polished surfaces, designer furniture, and even a mini indoor golf area.
Hailey placed the lunch box on the coffee table, then wandered over to the putting green out of boredom.
Her golf skills were, frankly, awful. Every shot went wide of the hole. Just when she thought she'd gotten the hang of it, the ball veered off again—this time rolling right across the room.
The door swung open. Ethan Yu stepped in with his assistant Ji Chuan, just as the rogue ball stopped at his feet.
He paused, glanced down, then looked up—his brows tightening as soon as he spotted her. "Why are you here?"
Hailey calmly set the putter back in its holder. "Your mom asked me to bring you lunch. So hurry up and eat so I can leave."
Ethan's eyes swept to the table where the food sat. His voice was cool and detached. "Just leave it there. You can go."
"No can do," Hailey said, walking over and opening the lunch containers. The scent of the homemade food instantly filled the air. "She said I had to watch you eat. Also, there's a portion for me, so I'm eating too."
She scooped two bowls of rice and immediately dug in. "You eat or don't. Your call. I'm starving."
Ethan hadn't eaten breakfast, and the morning had been packed with meetings. He had to admit, the smell was tempting. His mother's cooking was always excellent, and these were all his favorites.
Without another word, he walked over, sat down, picked up his bowl, and signaled Ji Chuan. "Keep going."
"Yes, sir."
Ji Chuan resumed his report as Ethan ate. Hailey rolled her eyes. Was this guy incapable of taking a break during meals? Did he think everyone lived and breathed work like he did?
Eventually, Ji Chuan wrapped up his report and placed a document on the table. "Sir, this is the full list of entrants for this year's design competition—107 in total."
Ethan flipped through it quickly and nodded. "Looks like everyone's highly motivated this year."
Ji Chuan smiled. "Yes. The prize money is no joke—at least half a million for the top award—so the enthusiasm is off the charts."
Hailey peeked at the list over his shoulder and instantly spotted a familiar name—Lin Xin'er.
Of course she was competing. With her talent, she'd probably take home a prize again. At least 500,000 yuan, just like last time.
Hailey couldn't help asking, "What's the prize for first place?"
Ji Chuan answered promptly, "The top award is 5 million yuan."
Hailey nearly choked. "Five million?! That much?!"
She stared at the list again. So last year, Lin Xin'er walked away with 5 million?
"Yes," Ji Chuan nodded. "This year, the CEO raised the stakes. The competition has strategic importance to the company."
"How much was the top prize last year?" she asked again, eyes still wide.
"Last year, the grand prize was one million. The minimum prize was one hundred thousand."