"Care to have a chat?"
Seeing Xu Yitian's composed, almost smug demeanor, Ye Shuang gave a faint smile. "Mr. Xu, my department doesn't have any overlap with yours, does it? What is it you'd like to discuss?"
"No, no, I'm sure you'll be interested, Director Ye." Xu Yitian took a sip from his teacup, his eyes suddenly darting towards Bai Yuyou as if hinting at something. His air of being in complete control even gave Ye Shuang the impression of a successful businessman wielding one of those 8848 phones that supposedly self-destruct if you move ten meters away from it.
"Is that so?" Ye Shuang pondered gravely for one second before saying, "But I don't have time right now."
"Oh, of course, if you're still working, we can find another time to talk." Xu Yitian wasn't in a hurry at this moment either; he felt the other party was likely more anxious.
"No, it's mainly because I'm about to get off work."
With that, Ye Shuang led the two girls away, leaving Xu Yitian's expression frozen.
Get off work...?
You don't have time because you're getting off work?!
Shouldn't getting off work mean you do have time?
Xu Yitian couldn't quite comprehend Ye Shuang's behavior pattern. But seeing the other party had already left with the girls, there was nothing more for him to say.
"Xiao San, go look into that girl. That uniform... she's a student at Yinshan Academy, right?" Xu Yitian thought for a moment before instructing his assistant beside him.
"Understood, Mr. Xu."
"Now that I've discovered your little secret, don't think you'll have it so easy." Xu Yitian tapped his fingers on the table, his eyes full of amusement.
Someone's going to have trouble sleeping tonight.
...
Ye Shuang led the two girls all the way to his office and had his assistant fetch some water.
"Alright, out with it. What brings you two to the company?" Ye Shuang sat down in his chair and asked Bai Yuyou and Tang Keke—had these two come straight over as soon as class ended?
"Well..." Tang Keke fidgeted a bit guiltily.
Bai Yuyou wasn't good at lying, so she answered Ye Shuang's question honestly. "We were worried about Ye Shuang, so we came to see."
"Worried?" Ye Shuang was taken aback. Worried about what?
He was just going to work, not off to war.
"Yuyou said you looked worried and frowning when you made a call after work, so she thought you might have been bullied." Tang Keke scratched her head.
Bullied?
The assistant pouring water nearby flinched.
Who in the world would dare bully this guy? Nowadays, several department heads in the company would rather duck out of sight than run into Director Ye, afraid of being stopped and questioned. Every time Director Ye encountered a department head, it seemed to trigger another major reform in the company.
"Worried and frowning?" Ye Shuang thought for a moment after hearing this, then suddenly remembered that a while back, he had indeed received a call. He was about to take a shower when a subordinate called about some trivial matter, and he had merely frowned slightly.
He hadn't expected that to be misinterpreted by Bai Yuyou, leading to the two of them rushing over like this.
"Next time, just ask me directly. What's the point of suddenly showing up like this?" Ye Shuang smiled.
"You're not angry, Brother?"
"You came because you were concerned about me. Why would I be angry?" After saying this, Ye Shuang glanced at the time. "Alright, time for us to head home... and maybe stop to buy some groceries on the way."
"Hooray!"
After Ye Shuang left with the girls, his assistant, Kou Kou, looked at the two water cups in her hands, then silently took a sip from one herself.
"..."
Whatever. The boss is off work, might as well call it a day myself.
She realized she was enjoying this too—being able to leave when the boss did. And if any colleagues asked, she could even say Director Ye didn't approve of meaningless overtime. Although many people were quite afraid of Director Ye, she rather liked having a boss like this.
Except for that time he scolded her for calling in the evening.
Meanwhile, Ye Shuang brought the two girls to the parking lot. Since he had driven the Toyota to work today, the little sports car obviously couldn't fit three people.
"Oh right, there's also this one." Ye Shuang remembered the car keys Chen Qin had given him not long ago.
"Mercedes..." Ye Shuang looked around, then took out his phone to call Chen Qin.
"Qin, where's that car?"
"Oh, next to my car?"
"..."
Soon after, Ye Shuang spotted a blue-and-silver Maybach GLS600 parked right next to his little sports car.
"This car must cost several million, right?" Ye Shuang hadn't expected Chen Qin to let him use this vehicle. But considering it was probably registered under the company, he felt comfortable driving it.
"Keke, you sit in the back."
"Okay, okay." Tang Keke opened the rear door and saw the running board extend automatically. She climbed in, curious. "Brother, when did you buy this car? It looks really expensive."
"It's a company car. Do you like it?" Ye Shuang smiled.
"It's nice. I rarely see white interiors like this."
"Good. From now on, this is our grocery-getter."
After all, fuel costs could be reimbursed by the company. Save where you can, spend where you should.
Once they drove out, Ye Shuang didn't forget to ask the two girls about their studies that day. Bai Yuyou was no concern; Tang Keke was the more important one.
However, the girls were more interested in company matters, with Bai Yuyou still curious about how high-ranking a Vice President actually was.
"You mean Vice President?" Ye Shuang gave a brief explanation. "Aside from some major shareholders, in terms of position, you could say I'm just a step below Chen Qin, who's the Executive Chairman. And among the Vice Presidents, I'm a bit special because I'm Uncle Chen's person."
"In short, apart from Chen Qin, no one can bully me. Got it?"
"Oh..." Both Tang Keke and Bai Yuyou looked a little embarrassed.
There happened to be a large fresh produce supermarket nearby. After parking, Ye Shuang led Bai Yuyou and the others inside.
Perhaps because she hardly got to see Ye Shuang during the day, Bai Yuyou reached out and wrapped her arms around his, almost clinging to his side.
"You're holding on too tight, Yuyou." His arm effectively immobilized by the soft-control skill of a slime, Ye Shuang couldn't help but comment.
"I missed Ye Shuang," Bai Yuyou said softly.
Noticing the girl's eyes fixed on him, Ye Shuang's heart instantly softened. All he could do was pinch her cheek lightly and say, "Let's go. We'll buy lots of your favorites tonight, and maybe browse a clothing store too."
"I can take a day off tomorrow to work as the school doctor. We can have lunch together during the break as well." Ye Shuang thought for a moment and added.
Honestly, being the school doctor was much more relaxing.
Come to think of it, it had been a while since he'd seen that An Shiyu. Probably without him around, they wouldn't necessarily be holed up in the infirmary either.
"Okay." Hearing that Ye Shuang would be at school tomorrow, Bai Yuyou seemed very happy and hugged his arm even tighter.
"Ye Shuang..."
"Hmm?"
"I want kisses too."
"Not happening."
...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
young master of the Shen family—a figure of immense power and wealth beyond measure—and awakened the "Destined Ultimate Villain System"! His starting scenario? Running into his icy fiancée who shows up with a mountain-descending divine doctor to break off their engagement. The divine doctor arrogantly taunts: "What does your Shen family have besides a bit of stinking money? You're not even worthy of tying Qingxue's shoelaces!" Shen Fei just smiled. He completely defied the usual script: "Fine, I agree to break off the engagement. Also, notify the finance department to withdraw all investments from the Su family." Minutes later, with its capital chain severed, the Su Group teetered on the brink of bankruptcy! The once aloof and proud ice queen CEO was thrown into utter panic. That very night, she went to Shen Fei's villa, casting aside all dignity to beg and plead desperately... From then on, in this world teeming with Sons of Destiny, Shen Fei embarked on a path of extreme dimensional suppression! A mountain-descending divine doctor? Peerless medical skills? Shen Fei: "Reporting you for practicing medicine without a license! I'll gladly take your ancient medicinal cauldron and twin sister assassins." The Crooked-Smiling Dragon King? Commanding a hundred thousand soldiers with a single order? Shen Fei: "Illegal assembly and suspected treason! Let a fleet of attack helicopters sanitize the area and teach you what the state apparatus really means!" A reborn tycoon? Knows all the golden opportunities of the next decade? Shen Fei: "A trillion in capital to reverse and pump the stock market, making you blow your margin and jump on the very first day of your rebirth!" What Chosen Ones? What bearers of Heavenly Fortune? In Shen Fei's eyes, they're all just chives (i.e., suckers/marks) waiting to be harvested! Shen Fei: "Sorry, but as the Destined Ultimate Villain, I don't play by the rules of honor. I only play the game of dimensional suppression."
u Chenyuan transmigrated into a female-oriented novel about a real and fake heiress, becoming the CEO elder brother of both. Unfortunately, the entire Lu family—including himself, the CEO—were mere cannon fodder in the story. Determined to save himself, Lu Chenyuan took action. The spoiled, attention-seeking fake heiress? Thrown into the harsh realities of the working class to learn humility. The love-struck real heiress? Pushed toward academic excellence, so lofty goals would blind her to trivial romances. As for the betrayed, vengeful arranged marriage wife… the plot hadn’t even begun yet. There was still time—if he couldn’t handle her, he could at least avoid her. "CEO Lu, are you avoiding me?" Mo Qingli fixed her gaze on Lu Chenyuan. For the first time, the shrewd and calculating Lu Chenyuan felt a flicker of unease.
