Appearance and Ability

"He already has a girlfriend..." The girl murmured dejectedly as she put away her phone.

Of course. A high-quality man like him wouldn’t stay single for long.

Wang Dahe, who was also interning at Skyline Group, watched the scene unfold and gritted his teeth in envy.

Damn it!

Wherever Xuan went, women would inevitably fall for him.

Why couldn’t he, Wang Dahe, meet even one woman who genuinely liked him?

Luo Yuan sidled up to him. "Wang Dahe, what are you staring at?"

Wang Dahe grumbled, "Luo Yuan, tell me—what exactly does Lin Xuan have that attracts so many women? Even Boss Su, a goddess among women, fell for him!"

Luo Yuan raised an eyebrow and answered simply, "Looks. Talent."

Wang Dahe: "..."

He really had no rebuttal.

Damn it, Xuan had a face so perfect even a man like him couldn’t help but feel jealous.

As for talent?

In just over a year, Lin Xuan had turned Skyline Group into a thriving empire. Meanwhile, Wang Dahe was just a small-time employee there.

Comparing yourself to others really was a surefire way to feel miserable.

Luo Yuan patted Wang Dahe’s shoulder. "As your bro, I’ll give you some friendly advice—don’t measure yourself against Lin Xuan. That guy’s a freak. The more you compare yourself to him, the more worthless you’ll feel."

Wang Dahe: "..."

He had to admit, Luo Yuan made a damn good point.

Luo Yuan added, "Come on, let’s go find Lin Xuan. That guy hasn’t shown up at school or the company for a while. Wonder what he’s been up to."

"You go ahead. I’ll pass." Wang Dahe grabbed his files and walked off.

Luo Yuan chased after him, puzzled. "Wang Dahe, weren’t you always complaining about wanting to confront Lin Xuan? Now that he’s here, why are you avoiding him?"

Wang Dahe paused, then gave him a deadpan look. "The contrast in looks is too stark. With all the female employees gawking, I’d rather not embarrass myself."

Luo Yuan touched his own face.

He considered himself decently handsome, but next to a monster like Lin Xuan, he was nothing.

If he went over now, the women would instantly see the difference and stop thinking he was attractive.

Yeah… maybe he’d hold off on seeing Lin Xuan too.

---

Inside the general manager’s office, Lei Hui sipped coffee while reviewing the data for "Sheep Crossing."

A satisfied smile spread across his face.

Excellent. Absolutely excellent.

Lin Xuan walked in.

The moment Lei Hui spotted him, his eyes lit up.

"Boss!" He stood up respectfully.

Lin Xuan nodded and took a seat at Lei Hui’s desk. "Bring me all the documents that need my review."

He had resigned himself to his fate.

Since he couldn’t escape the paperwork, he might as well get it over with.

"Yes, Boss!"

Lei Hui cheerfully pulled out a thick stack of files.

Lin Xuan flipped through them swiftly, his pen scribbling notes and corrections without pause.

In no time, he was done.

The moment he set his pen down, Foxtail and Shao Xingfan swooped in like vultures catching a scent.

Lin Xuan massaged his temples as he studied the two smirking faces before him.

He really had brought trouble upon himself.

Especially this Shao Xingfan—he needed to send him back to Su Corporation one of these days.

Foxtail: "Boss, it’s been a month since your last novel. Your readers are starving. When’s the next one coming?"

Lin Xuan shot him a glance. "Not happening."

Foxtail blinked. "Why not?"

Lin Xuan: "Palm Novel’s already thriving. We don’t need my writing to pull in readers anymore. Plus, my existing works are enough to keep the company stocked with film adaptations for the next decade."

He had money. He’d achieved his goals. Why bother writing?

Foxtail: "...Boss, your monthly royalties alone are in the millions. Are you really just going to give that up?"

Lin Xuan’s novels were numerous, wildly popular, and piracy-free, so his earnings were astronomical.

What’s more, the editorial team had set up a special arrangement—Lin Xuan kept 100% of his novel profits after taxes, with no cuts taken by the company.

"Boss, we’re talking millions here. Won’t you reconsider? You’re so fast—just an hour or two a day, and you’d rake in over ten million a month. Isn’t that worth it?" Foxtail continued his persuasion.

If Lin Xuan stopped writing, Foxtail would have nothing left to read!

Today, he was determined to make the boss start a new book.

Lin Xuan gave him a flat look. "Do I look like I need money?"

Foxtail choked.

Well… no. With a company this massive, "Wolf Warrior" alone had earned over two billion, not to mention the other hit animations, dramas, and movies...

And then there was Boss Su, his girlfriend—the richest woman in the world.

Compared to all that, his novel income really was just pocket change.

Come to think of it…

Leap Publishing must be kicking themselves for losing such a cash cow—and driving away so many readers in the process.

Shao Xingfan, who also followed Lin Xuan’s novels, felt a pang of disappointment at the news.

But his computer problems took priority.

"Young Master Lin," he grinned, "I’ve compiled a bunch of tricky coding problems. Mind helping me solve them?"

Lin Xuan sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Fine."

"Great! I’ll send them over."

Shao Xingfan transferred the files to the computer. Lin Xuan glanced at the screen—over a dozen complex issues.

He shot Shao Xingfan a look. "This many?"

Shao Xingfan scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, Young Master Lin, you haven’t been around much lately. I had no one to ask, so I just kept saving them up… and here we are."

With a coding genius like Lin Xuan around, he’d grown bolder in tackling difficult problems—knowing there was always someone to bail him out.

Lin Xuan exhaled deeply.

Back when Shao Xingfan had despised him, Hua had transferred the guy to Skyline Group as his subordinate. At the time, Lin Xuan had found it satisfying.

Now? He’d just created a headache for himself.

Lin Xuan skimmed the problems, then began typing at lightning speed.

Even without much thought, his fingers flew across the keyboard. Still, it took him over an hour to solve them all.

Despite having witnessed Lin Xuan’s skills before, Shao Xingfan was once again left gaping.

Unbelievable. Just… unbelievable.

He was a renowned figure in international programming circles, yet he couldn’t hold a candle to Lin Xuan.

Problems that stumped him for weeks? Lin Xuan cracked them in minutes.

Special thanks to Su Shen from Qushan, ls Yunxiang, and other dear readers for your gifts!