After Becoming the Boss's Secretary she Went on a Killing Spree Through the Whole Company - Reviews

I need to talk about the architectural drawings because this book is layering symbolism like it's trying to win an award. Lin Xiran is caught between two identities — the invisible secretary everyone underestimates, and the talented designer she's been hiding. The moment she starts drawing at her desk isn't just a cute reveal, it's her subconscious trying to build an exit strategy. Architecture is literally about designing structures, about creating spaces where people can live — and she's been trying to design a way out of her own trapped life since she was a child. The fact that Special Assistant Wang discovers her drawing blueprints is deeply symbolic too. He's literally standing behind her, watching her create something real while everyone else in the office has only ever seen her as background furniture. The people gathering around her desk like she's putting on a magic trick — they're witnessing the moment her hidden self becomes visible. And Gu Yanting's file on her? It's essentially a blueprint of her life — every detail documented, analyzed, mapped out. He's been studying her the way she studies architectural designs. Two people who see the world in structures and plans, both hiding something, both building something they're afraid to show. The instant coffee she chooses over freshly ground is another small but telling detail — she's been making do with less her whole life, taking the quick path because that's all she's ever had. But she's about to get a raise to 20,000 and a chance to breathe. Maybe she's finally designing a life she actually wants to live in.

I need to talk about Yun Xiaoxiao because this girl is genuinely one of the best friends a protagonist could ask for and I don't say that lightly. From the moment she appears, she's not just a side character giving exposition — she's actively protecting Lin Xiran. When they bump into the CEO, who does she immediately grab Lin Xiran and drag her to safety? Yun Xiaoxiao. She remembers that someone was fired for deliberately falling on Gu Yanting before and she's NOT taking any chances. That's not just plot convenience, that's a friend who genuinely cares. And then in the clothing store, when Lin Shiyue starts scrapping with her over a dress, Yun Xiaoxiao doesn't back down. She gets scratched and still stands her ground. She's the one who suggests calling the police. She's the one who gets angry at Lin Shiyue's viciousness. She's loyal, she's brave, and she's funny as hell. Then there's Lin Xiran herself — or at least, the version of her we're seeing now. The original owner was apparently dull and speechless, but this new consciousness? Sharp tongue, quick thinking, and she doesn't take crap from anyone. When her stepmother tries to twist the narrative about extorting money, Lin Xiran fires back: "Could it be that Auntie often does this kind of thing?" Oof. She turned the accusation around so smoothly. The relationship between Lin Xiran and her stepsister is particularly chilling because it's built on so much history we're only beginning to understand. Lin Shiyue already knows about the 3 million yuan and immediately assumes Lin Xiran became a mistress. That tells us everything about how this family views her — as a parasite, not a person. And Gu Yanting... the man who scared everyone in that restaurant with just his presence. He wanted to help when she fell, but she ran away. His friends are already predicting he'll be "slapped in the face" by love someday. I'm here for it.

Okay so let me just say—this opening hit different. The earthquake-to-transmigration trope is nothing new, but the way it's executed here is surprisingly clean. She wakes up mid-meeting, which is honestly the most chaotic possible moment to drop a new soul into someone's body. No gradual adjustment period, no "wait, where am I" monologue. She's just there, forced to pretend she knows what's going on while copying notes from the girl next to her. That scene alone is gold for establishing both the stakes and the comedy. What I appreciate is how the plot doesn't waste time. Chapter 1 establishes the transmigration, the workplace hierarchy, the bullying dynamic, AND her first act of defiance—all in one sitting. By the end of that chapter she's already shoved Wang Na to the ground. Most novels would spend three chapters on the bullying buildup before the protagonist fights back. This one? Done. Next page. The structure is also smart because it gives us the CEO as a looming presence without fully revealing him. We only see half his face in the conference room, and even in his office, he's mostly cold and dismissive. That's classic slow-burn setup. The plot is clearly laying groundwork for a romance arc while simultaneously establishing her independence storyline. Two threads, one narrative engine. My only question so far: where's the original owner's death being explained? The text hints at it but doesn't confirm anything. That's a mystery I'm curious to see resolved—or maybe it doesn't matter and the story is just using transmigration as a clean slate device. Either way, the pacing feels tight and I'm invested enough to keep reading.

Okay the workplace drama is heating up and I am SO ready for it. Wang Na and Li Jing — these two are the textbook office snakes. The moment Lin Xiran starts packing her things, their faces literally light up with schadenfreude. They assume she's been fired, and they go out of their way to make a show of asking her what's wrong, deliberately raising their voices so the ENTIRE OFFICE has to hear the gossip. This is peak petty energy and I am living for it. But here's the thing that makes the stakes so interesting — Lin Xiran doesn't know yet that her life is about to change. She's sitting there thinking she might get fired, while the reader knows she's actually about to get a promotion AND a 150% salary increase. That dramatic irony is making me squirm with anticipation. The external conflict is clear: these two women are actively hostile toward her, and they're not shy about it. But the internal conflict is what really gets me — Lin Xiran has spent her whole life protecting herself, hiding her talent, surviving. Every time someone tries to pull her down, she's already braced for impact. The question is: what happens when she finally has the power and confidence to stop defending herself and start fighting back? And lurking in the background is Gu Yanting, who has already decided she's his to protect. The moment Wang Na and Li Jing realize they've been messing with the CEO's new favorite secretary? That's going to be satisfying beyond words.

I need to talk about this line because it made me laugh out loud: "Didn't your mom teach you to brush your teeth before going out? The stench when you opened your mouth anyone would think you just ate shit." That is WANG NA'S DESCENT INTO HELL and I am here for it. But seriously, the dialogue in these first chapters is genuinely sharp. The author understands that comedy comes from timing and specificity, not just generic snark. Lin Xiran's comebacks aren't just mean—they're creative. "A good dog doesn't block the road" is the kind of line that sticks in your head. And the contrast between her internal voice and external dialogue is where the real voice shines. Internally she's doing full panic mode—"Think, think, think!"—while externally she's delivering cold, calculated insults. That gap between what she's feeling and what she's saying creates this delicious tension. She's not naturally confident; she's faking it until she makes it. That's way more interesting than a protagonist who's always cool under pressure. The CEO's dialogue is sparse but effective. Every line he speaks is short, clipped, and impatient. "Just put it on the desk." "If there's nothing else, please leave." He doesn't waste words, and that tells us everything we need to know about his character without any exposition. The author trusts the dialogue to do the heavy lifting. Li Lin's lines are lighter, more casual, and they serve as a nice pressure release after the Wang Na confrontation. The office gossip about Wang Na's cousin being a project manager feels natural—the kind of thing people actually say. It's not info-dumping; it's organic world-building through casual conversation.

There's something deeply symbolic about the entire dress confrontation scene that I can't stop thinking about. A dress. That's what sets off the explosion between Lin Xiran's new life and her old family. Not a life-or-death situation, not a grand betrayal — a piece of clothing. But think about what that dress represents. It's something desired, something that could transform appearance, something that costs money. Lin Shiyue wants it because she wants to look powerful and mature, dressing up like an adult in makeup that doesn't suit her age. Meanwhile Lin Xiran tries it on and the shopping guide and everyone else are stunned — she was MADE for that dress. The universe itself seems to be saying: this is who you are now. The name "Lin Xiran" itself is interesting. She's sharing a surname with people who have treated her like garbage her entire life, and yet she's the one who actually has substance. The stepsister is literally named Shiyue (something like "real moon" or possibly a play on words) while Xiran means something like "calm like water" — and isn't that exactly what she's becoming? Still, grounded, but with depth underneath. Money is another recurring symbol. Three million yuan walked away from Lin Xiran. Now she's asking for 100,000 in compensation and her stepmother calls it extortion. The family has wealth but no morality. Lin Xiran has nothing but dignity. The author keeps putting these two value systems in direct collision and the sparks are electric. And the clothing store setting itself — a place of transformation, of trying on different versions of yourself. Lin Xiran walks out of the fitting room and everyone stops. She's literally becoming someone new, and the old world is reacting to it.

Let me be real for a second—the stakes in this story are lower than most workplace dramas, and that's actually kind of refreshing. Lin Xiran isn't fighting for her life, her family's honor, or some grand revenge. She's fighting for basic dignity in a job that pays her six thousand yuan a month. The worst that happens if she loses? She gets fired. And honestly, with her university background and the skills she's clearly got, she could probably find another job. That's not nothing—six thousand yuan is her entire world right now—but it's also not life-or-death. This low-stakes framing is what makes the Wang Na conflict so satisfying to watch. Because the stakes are small, the author can focus on the emotional texture of the conflict rather than escalating it into melodrama. When Wang Na tries to slap her and Lin Xiran catches her wrist, that's not a fight for survival—that's a woman drawing a line. The tension comes from whether Lin Xiran can maintain this new boundary, not from whether she'll survive the encounter. But here's where the stakes subtly ramp up: the CEO notices. Gu Yanting sees her zone out in the meeting, sees her confront Wang Na, sees her in his office. He's already considering replacing her. That's a different kind of threat—not physical or financial, but professional. If he decides she's unstable or insubordinate, one phone call and she's out. The power imbalance between them is enormous, and the story is quietly building that into the background tension. I'm not convinced yet that the romance arc will raise the stakes meaningfully, but so far the conflict is honest about what's actually at risk. That's rare.

Okay so let me just say this — the author is playing 4D chess with the plot and I am HERE for it. On the surface, this reads like a standard workplace romance setup: girl bumps into CEO, awkward moment, mystery unfolds. But then you layer in the stepmother/stepsister confrontation, the 3 million yuan backstory, the career crossroads Lin Xiran is facing... it's not just one plotline, it's three converging story arcs and they're all feeding each other. The restaurant scene is a masterclass in dramatic irony. We know Gu Yanting is sitting right behind them. We see his reaction — that flash of amazement, the hand he puts back in his pocket when she almost falls. Meanwhile Lin Xiran has NO IDEA who he is, and Yun Xiaoxiao is dragging her out like her life depends on it. The tension between what the reader knows and what the protagonist knows? Chef's kiss. And then BAM — stepsister appears in a clothing store over a dress. Of all things. A dress. The most mundane trigger for the most explosive family confrontation. It's almost comedic how petty it is, which makes it feel real. Real rich kids are petty like this. The plot also does something interesting with information: Lin Xiran remembers her previous life but not how she ended up in the secretarial department instead of design. That gap in memory is a hook. What else doesn't she remember? Who arranged this? The author is planting seeds everywhere and I'm just sitting here waiting for the payoff. One question though — is Gu Yanting going to find out she works for him? Because the timing of her bumping into him before she even knows her own workplace dynamics feels almost fated. Or is that just me projecting? Either way, I need to know what happens next.

"The silence almost made her breathe lightly, suffocating her chest." That line. That ONE line. I had to stop and re-read it because it captured SO MUCH with so few words. Lin Xiran is standing in an elevator literally inches from the man who has been watching her, researching her, and she can barely breathe. The physical proximity is creating this emotional pressure that's almost painful to read about. What makes this scene hit so hard is that Gu Yanting doesn't say a single word to comfort her or make it easier. He just... exists. And his existence is enough to completely overwhelm her. Meanwhile, she's thinking about Yun Xiaoxiao's words — whatever those were, they're clearly weighing on her — and she's trying to survive five minutes in a metal box with the most intimidating man in the building. The contrast between how terrifying he is to her and how deeply invested he clearly is in knowing everything about her is what makes this romantic tension so delicious. He's the big bad wolf and she's Little Red Riding Hood, except neither of them actually understand the real dynamic between them yet. Also can we talk about how she literally runs away from Teacher Ai Yi's office and then immediately gets trapped in an elevator with the CEO? The universe has a sense of humor.

"Your broken phone and that little injury aren't worth 100,000 yuan. Giving you 2,000 yuan is already too much." Let me just sit with that line for a second. That's not just a disagreement about money — that's a fundamental clash of worlds. Lin Xiran is asking for compensation that reflects the actual damage done: a destroyed phone, a scratched arm that could get infected, the emotional toll of being confronted by people who see her as less than human. Her stepmother hears an extortion attempt. The stakes here are so much bigger than a clothing store argument. Every interaction Lin Xiran has with her family is a battle for recognition. If she backs down now, what does that say about every other confrontation she'll face? The 3 million yuan her father gave her isn't just money — it's the only validation she's ever gotten from him, and her family is treating it like she stole it. What makes this scene so tense is that the reader knows exactly how this could escalate. We've already been told someone was fired for falling on the CEO. We know this stepmother is capable of physical aggression (she SMASHED the phone). We know the stepsister has a track record of viciousness. And yet Lin Xiran stands there and names a price. She doesn't flinch. She says "call the police" like she's not the one who's been wronged her entire life. The internal conflict is just as sharp. Lin Xiran has memories of a previous life — did she face this kind of treatment there? Is she handling it differently now? The fact that she's calculating compensation instead of just walking away shows growth. She's learned to fight back smart, not just fight back hard. And underneath all of this — the CEO is still out there somewhere, and he saw her. He saw her walk out of that fitting room. The next collision is inevitable and I am not ready for it.

The glasses. Let's talk about the glasses, because this author is doing something really deliberate with that image. Lin Xiran's oversized black-rimmed glasses aren't just a fashion choice—they're armor. The text literally says she used them to cover half her face, that her thick bangs nearly covered her eyes, and that she wasn't even nearsighted. The glasses were decoration, a prop she wore to disappear. Combined with the ill-fitting suit two sizes too big and the old Beijing cloth shoes, the original owner had constructed a complete visual fortress designed to make her invisible. And then—she takes them off. "She pushed her fringe back, revealing a delicate, oval-shaped face. High nose bridge, big eyes, and cherry lips she was an absolute beauty." This is the visual metaphor for the entire story right here. The transformation isn't just about looking better; it's about stopping the performance of being small. The original owner hid her figure on purpose—"she was so insecure about herself"—and the new Lin Xiran immediately recognizes that this self-erasure was a choice, not an inevitability. There's also the money scene that hits harder than it should. Nine hundred ninety-nine point eight yuan. Three bank cards totaling six thousand six hundred fifty-four point eight yuan. The original owner wasn't just bullied at work—she was financially exploited too. Wang Na took her credit, her bonuses, her labor. The poverty isn't accidental; it's the material consequence of being a pushover. So the theme here is clear: invisibility has a cost. The story is about what happens when someone stops performing meekness and starts claiming space. That's why the shackle-breaking moment feels so earned—it's not just psychological, it's economic and social too.

Okay so let me just talk about Gu Yanting for a second because THIS MAN. He literally spends HALF AN HOUR reading Lin Xiran's entire life file — childhood photos, personal history, everything. And not just skimming it either, the text says he spent more than half an hour on it. That's not curiosity, that's obsession, and I am NOT here to judge. But here's what actually got me — when he finds out she was abandoned by her parents and raised by grandparents, his whole demeanor shifts. He stops being the cold CEO and starts being... something else. And then his very first instinct is to protect her. When Zhang Che tries to poach her with a 20,000 salary offer, Gu Yanting's immediate reaction is basically 'get out, don't touch my people, especially her.' That's not just possessive CEO energy, that's someone who has already decided she's under his protection without her even knowing it. And the elevator scene? Classic. She's standing so close to him she's afraid to breathe, and he just watches her like he's studying a puzzle he's trying to solve. He knows more about her than she knows about herself at this point, and that power dynamic is SO interesting to me. The whole dynamic between them is built on secrets — she's hiding her design talent, he's hiding how much he's researched her. They're both performing versions of themselves around each other. I can't wait to see what happens when those masks start slipping.