Whisper in the Ear

Through the rearview mirror, Lin Xuan watched the black car tailing him closely.

His fingers tapped lightly on the steering wheel as his eyes narrowed slightly. He was curious to see what those two were up to.

Lin Xuan wasn’t in a hurry to confront his pursuers.

If they had ill intentions, they’d wait until they had him cornered.

He’d set a trap later to find out who had sent them.

Leading Shao Xingfan into the company, Lin Xuan was immediately spotted by Lei Hui.

“Boss!” Lei Hui’s eyes lit up as he hurried over. “You’re here! Perfect timing—I need to talk to you.”

The way Lei Hui looked at Lin Xuan was like a cat eyeing a mouse.

Without wasting a second, he dragged Lin Xuan into his office.

Pushing him into the office chair, Lei Hui plopped a thick stack of documents in front of him.

“Boss, take a look at these—see if there’s anything that needs fixing. And this game has some technical issues. Mind checking?” Lei Hui grinned.

Ever since witnessing Lin Xuan’s capabilities, Lei Hui made sure every critical matter passed through his hands.

Lei Hui sighed inwardly.

He had never met a boss like this—someone so talented yet so reluctant to show up at the office.

Now he understood why Lin Xuan had given him an 8% stake in the company.

It was all so he could be a hands-off CEO.

Sure, Lin Xuan laid out the big-picture strategy, and the company had grown rapidly in less than a year. But if Lin Xuan just showed up more often—heck, even three times a week—the company would be soaring to unimaginable heights.

Rubbing his temples, Lin Xuan resigned himself to reading through the files.

“General Manager Lei,” Shao Xingfan frowned. “How did so many documents pile up? Doesn’t your boss ever come to the office?”

The moment the topic was brought up, Lei Hui couldn’t hold back his grievances.

“Since the company was founded, the number of times Boss has stepped foot here can be counted on two hands. If he’s got something to say, he just shoots us an email and expects us to handle it.”

Dogtail Grass (a nickname) had also wandered into the office.

Hearing Lei Hui’s words, he nodded vigorously in agreement.

Exactly! That’s absolutely right!

Their boss had grown lazier by the day. Back when he first started writing novels, he’d churn out over a million words in just a few days.

Now? Every book was updated with a rigid four thousand words per day, no exceptions.

And he always ended chapters on a cliffhanger, leaving readers itching for more.

Dogtail Grass sometimes fantasized about locking Lin Xuan in a dark room, cracking a whip to force him to write.

“Fewer than ten visits?” Shao Xingfan sneered. “No surprise. He’s just a freeloader, riding on his girlfriend’s coattails to keep this company afloat.”

Shao Xingfan assumed Tianmu Group had flourished solely because of Su Hua.

As for Lin Xuan’s feat in solving that computer challenge during the competition—well, Shao Xingfan had been buried in software development at the time, completely oblivious to Lin Xuan’s technical prowess.

“No, no, no!” Lei Hui shook his head. “Even though Boss rarely shows up, he’s mapped out detailed development plans for every project.”

“As long as we follow his blueprint, the company runs smoothly. Sure, it’d be better if he came more often, but it’s not strictly necessary.”

That was precisely why Lin Xuan could comfortably play the absentee CEO.

Shao Xingfan froze.

Why was Lei Hui singing such high praises?

His expression didn’t suggest he was lying.

Impossible. Lin Xuan was just a gold-digger—how could he be this capable?

Lei Hui continued, “Boss is the most brilliant person I’ve ever met. I just don’t know what keeps him so busy that he barely manages the company.”

Handing over complete control to an outsider like him—did Lin Xuan even care?

Listening to Lei Hui’s complaints, Shao Xingfan smirked inwardly.

What was he busy with?

Probably scheming new ways to charm and flatter President Su.

After all, as long as he clung to her, Lin Xuan could have anything he wanted.

Lin Xuan speed-read through the documents, skimming ten lines at a glance.

Where revisions were needed, he jotted down concise notes.

Half an hour later, he closed the last file.

“Uncle Lei, anything else?” Lin Xuan asked.

“No, that’s everything!”

Lei Hui scooped up the thick stack of papers like treasure, carefully flipping through them.

Shao Xingfan frowned.

That many documents, all densely packed with text—finished in just thirty minutes?

With annotations?

Impossible. Even President Su couldn’t work that fast.

Was Lin Xuan just scribbling nonsense?

Curious, Shao Xingfan picked up a file and scanned it.

The solutions noted in the margins left him stunned—they were flawless.

How had Lin Xuan devised such perfect fixes in such a short time?

“Impressed?” Lei Hui chuckled at Shao Xingfan’s shocked expression. “I was the same at first. You get used to it.”

“With skills like this, and yet he spends his days slacking off.” Lei Hui sighed deeply.

Lin Xuan slid one hand into his pocket. “I’ve got a girlfriend to spend time with. Can’t waste too much effort on this.”

Lei Hui shot him a resentful look.

Their boss was hopeless.

A girlfriend? She could dump him any day. Money was far more reliable.

“Let me introduce you,” Lin Xuan said. “This is Shao Xingfan. From now on, he’ll be involved in game development.”

“Got it,” Lei Hui nodded.

Lin Xuan turned to Shao Xingfan. “This is Lei Hui, the company’s General Manager.”

“I know,” Shao Xingfan replied flatly.

Lin Xuan raised an eyebrow. “I know you’ve got a problem with me. Like I said before—keep it to yourself. Otherwise, I might just whisper a few words in my girlfriend’s ear.”

“Tell me, Xingfan—do you think Hua’er would side with me… or you?”

Shao Xingfan: “…”

Was that even a question?

This fox of a man had President Su wrapped around his finger. Forget punishing a subordinate—if Lin Xuan asked for Su Corporation itself, President Su would probably hand it over without blinking.

“Work hard, Shao. Help develop the game. Don’t stir up trouble.”

Lin Xuan patted his shoulder cheerfully before strolling out of the office.

Shao Xingfan: “…”

This was beyond humiliating.

Lin Xuan, you’d better pray President Su never dumps you.

Once outside, Lin Xuan motioned to the nearby bodyguards. “Follow me.”

“Yes, Young Master Lin.”

The two guards trailed him into a private room.

These were just his visible security. More lurked in the shadows, ready to swarm at a moment’s notice.

“You said someone was following me?” Lin Xuan asked.

“Yes, a black car,” one guard confirmed. “Young Master Lin, shall we take care of them?”

"No, I'll go meet them myself," Lin Xuan said.

"Understood," the bodyguard nodded.

Lin Xuan added, "The rest of you, no need to follow me."

The bodyguard frowned. "Young Master Lin, we’re duty-bound to protect you at all times. The master’s orders were clear—not a single step away. If anything were to happen to you, the master would never forgive us. Please, consider our position."

"Relax, I won’t drag you into trouble," Lin Xuan replied.

With his current skills, if it weren’t for Su Hua’s worry, he wouldn’t even have these bodyguards trailing him in the first place.

"But, Young Master Lin—" The bodyguard still hesitated.

Lin Xuan had no patience for further debate. In a flash, he moved behind them and struck each with a swift chop to the neck, knocking them unconscious.

Then he called Lei Hui. "Bring me two thick ropes."