CHAPTER 10-RULES OF MO TING

Anna's POV

I stepped through the glass doors of Mo Ting Global Holdings at 8:15 a.m., appointment letter saved on my phone and a single notebook in my bag. The lobby moved with purpose. People in tailored clothes crossed the marble floor without looking at one another.

I approached the reception desk. A young woman looked up, expression polite but distant.

“Name?”

“Anna Li. First day. Eco-City Project.”

She typed, then frowned at the screen. “There’s no temporary pass listed under that name.”

My fingers tightened around the strap of my bag until the leather creased. “HR sent the letter yesterday. It says I report to Mr. Andreas Mo Ting.”

The receptionist’s eyes flicked up at the name. Her posture changed at once. “One moment.” She picked up the phone and spoke in a low voice.

While I waited, another employee, a man in a dark suit, stopped at the desk beside me and dropped a thick folder too hard on the counter.

“I need the updated contracts for the West Wing meeting. Now.”

The receptionist covered the mouthpiece. “Sir, I’m assisting a new—”

“I don’t care who you’re assisting. The meeting starts in twelve minutes.”

The air between them immediately tightened. I shifted my weight, ready to step aside, when a calm voice cut through from behind me.

“Is there a problem?”

Mr. Kim stood there, tablet in hand, expression unreadable. The man in the suit straightened immediately.

“No problem, Mr. Kim. Just needed the files.”

“Then wait your turn.” Mr. Kim’s tone stayed even. The man took his folder and walked away without another word. The receptionist exhaled quietly and ended her call. She handed me a temporary pass with both hands, eyes lowered.

Mr. Kim turned to me. “Ms. Li. Welcome to Mo Ting Global. Follow me.”

I walked beside him toward the elevators. My pulse had climbed during the brief exchange. I kept my face still and my shoulders level.

Inside the elevator he spoke without looking at me. “First days here are simple. Learn the rules quickly. Follow them. The company runs on precision. Mr. Mo Ting does not repeat instructions, and he does not accept excuses. Deadlines are fixed. Quality is non-negotiable. If something is wrong, fix it before it reaches his desk.”

I nodded once. “Understood.”

The elevator opened on the 58th floor. The open workspace stretched wide, rows of desks, large screens, quiet conversation that dropped even lower when Mr. Kim appeared. Several heads turned, then quickly returned to their screens. Shoulders tensed. One woman closed a file with unnecessary care. A junior architect who had been speaking near the printer fell silent mid-sentence and stepped back.

Mr. Kim led me to a clean desk near the project cluster. A laptop, a key card, and a slim handbook waited on the surface.

“This is your station. The handbook covers protocol, reporting lines, and meeting standards. Read it today. Your first project briefing is at ten. Until then, familiarize yourself with the Eco-City files already loaded on the system. If you have questions, ask me once. Not twice.”

He paused. “One rule matters more than the others. Never disappoint the CEO. If you do, you will know immediately.”

I met his eyes. “I won’t.”

He gave a short nod and left.

I sat. The chair was firm. I opened the handbook. Every page carried the same undercurrent: accuracy, speed, no second chances. Meeting notes were to be submitted within one hour. Design revisions required documented reasons. Personal devices stayed on silent and out of sight during work hours. I turned the pages slowly, absorbing each line, my free hand resting flat on the desk to keep it steady.

Around me the floor moved in controlled silence. When someone mentioned Mr. Mo Ting’s name in passing, voices lowered. One junior architect dropped a pen, muttered a quiet apology to no one, and picked it up with both hands. Another checked the clock twice in under a minute, then returned to typing with renewed speed. A senior designer walked past my desk, glanced at the handbook in my hands, and offered a thin, brief smile that did not reach her eyes.

I opened the Eco-City files and forced my attention onto the data. The design problems from the assessment returned in sharper detail. I made notes in the margins of my notebook, handwriting steady even while my knee pressed hard against the underside of the desk. Every few minutes I glanced at the time. 9:10. 9:25. 9:37.

At 9:40 a soft chime sounded on the internal system. A message appeared on my screen.

Ms. Anna Li – Report to the CEO’s office immediately.

My hand stilled on the mouse. Around me no one looked up, yet the quiet seemed to deepen. I closed the file, stood, and smoothed the front of my blazer once. My fingers left faint creases in the fabric before I forced them to relax at my sides.

I walked toward the glass corridor that led to the corner office, the same door I had walked through for the interview. Each step felt measured. The weight of every eye that carefully did not watch me settled across my shoulders. I kept my chin level and my breathing even.

There are many rules, but one matters most: never disappoint the CEO.

I stopped in front of the door and raised my hand to knock.