Chapter 27: The Nastiness of Corporate Warfare

Chapter 27: The Nastiness of Corporate Warfare

Back at the company, Secretary Fan returned to being the cold and efficient CEO's secretary he always was.

Jing Yi had been a bit spooked at the Shen Group and, upon returning, felt sleepy. He settled into his own little cubicle, seeing the documents on the table and beginning to feel dizzy. He sighed continuously while resting his head on the corner of the desk.

Li Wenzhao took off his coat and handed it to Fan Ming, then looked at the young butler. "You're so young, yet already slacking off on the job."

Jing Yi, lacking energy, lay on the desk with his eyelashes half-closed. "At my age, it's the perfect time to slack off."

Li Wenzhao sat down and opened his computer tirelessly. "I don't feel exhausted at all."

Although he had been working for a few more years, there wasn't a generation gap between him and the young butler.

Jing Yi grumbled. "That's why you're destined to be just a boss. We, the overworked, need to slack off and take it easy."

Li Wenzhao: "..." Tsk.

Seeing the young butler dozing off at the desk, Li Wenzhao lightly tapped the table. "Is the handling of the local specialties we brought back yesterday done?"

Jing Yi: "I handed it over to Secretary Fan for the initial processing."

Li Wenzhao: "?"

Jing Yi pointed at himself. "I'll do the second processing."

Li Wenzhao sneered. "It seems Secretary Fan deserves a raise."

Jing Yi shot up from the desk. "Why the pay disparity?"

Li Wenzhao said calmly, "He gets paid for two roles."

Jing Yi was confused. "?"

"Where's the double position?"

Li Wenzhao raised his eyebrows. "From CEO's secretary to butler's assistant, it's a demotion of ten levels. Secretary Fan has been wronged."

Fan Ming smiled obligingly, not refusing the proposal of a raise.

After finishing, Li Wenzhao glanced at his watch. It was time for the meeting. Ignoring the young butler's pitiful gaze, he got up and left.

Jing Yi stared at the man's back with a deep, wistful gaze: "Oh dark gods of doom!"

Spurred on by Secretary Fan's dual-role pay raise, Jing Yi managed to pull himself together and finished the work.

A mere specialty was no problem.

Like most college students, they’re both lazy and hardworking.

After burying his head for a long time, Jing Yi's stomach growled with hunger, but when he checked the time, it was only 11 o'clock.

He decided to grab some snacks from the pantry and eat a proper meal at lunchtime.

The employee benefits at Li Corporation were quite good. The pantry spanned 50 square meters, supplying various drinks and cakes all day, along with a professional-grade coffee machine that looked expensive. There was even an ice cream machine in the corner.

Like Grandma Jing entering the Grand View Garden, he wanted to try everything in sight.

"Assistant Jing."

"Hello, Assistant Jing."

Passing employees nodded in friendly greeting. Everyone in the Li Corporation knew that a formidable figure had arrived by the CEO's side. All documents required his approval before they could be processed.

It was rumored that the sharp-eyed Assistant Jing held the lifeline of all projects within Li Corporation. Even Secretary Fan had to run errands for him. Yet, unexpectedly, he looked so harmless and particularly refined and good-looking?

"Hello," Jing Yi replied with a friendly smile.

Then he strode straight toward the ice cream machine in the corner.

As soon as he arrived, the employees in the pantry found it hard to slack off on paid time and quickly left in groups.

Jing Yi stood in front of the ice cream machine for a few seconds before turning toward the door. "Um... do you guys know how to use this?"

"Who puts an ice cream machine that's all in English? If you don't want people to eat it, then don't install it."

Jing Yi grumbled.

The girl who had just reached the door turned back and turned on the machine for Jing Yi. "This is the power button, here you can adjust the amount, and then you can use the cone to catch the ice cream."

After getting his ice cream, Jing Yi thanked her and then raided the snacks on the shelf by the wall, taking one of each kind, filling his arms until he could barely hold them all.

As he left, he was met with astonished stares.

Jing Yi swallowed and calmly stated, "Mr. Li is hungry."

As soon as he finished speaking, he caught a familiar figure out of the corner of his eye.

Jing Yi looked up and met Li Wenzhao's gaze directly.

Silence stretched between them.

Although Li Wenzhao didn't say anything, the tremor in his eyes betrayed his conflicted emotions.

Jing Yi: "..."

His fingers trembled, and two packs of snacks fell from his arms.

"..."

It took Li Wenzhao a moment to find his voice again. "What kind of hungry beast are you?"

Jing Yi: "..."

The "hungry beast" clutched the snacks close and quickly made his escape.

When Li Wenzhao returned to the office, he caught the young butler stuffing food into his mouth, his cheeks bulging, eyebrows furrowed, chewing forcefully as if he was taking out his frustration on the food.

Li Wenzhao: "It's almost lunch time. If you eat so many snacks now, how will you eat lunch later?"

"I don't know," Jing Yi replied, chewing. "I just wanted to vent my hunger!"

·

After finishing the snacks, Jing Yi was too full for lunch. He spent his lunch break in the office, resting and putting on some weight by staying put.

Around one in the afternoon, Secretary Fan suddenly got busy, directing the workers to clean out the office next to Li Wenzhao's.

Jing Yi quietly went out to take a look. The next room was a small space originally used for storing miscellaneous items. It was cramped and irregular, but fortunately, it had a good orientation.

Facing the sea with spring blossoms blooming.

"Secretary Fan, is this my office?" Jing Yi asked in a surprised tone.

Fan Ming was stunned. "Butler Jing already has a good desk. This room is for the Third Young Master."

Jing Yi then gave him a deep stare. "Do you really think that position is good, Secretary Fan?"

What's the difference between that spot and sitting next to the teacher's platform in school? He couldn't even slack off openly.

"Getting to work alongside and be supervised by Mr. Li," Secretary Fan said with a high tone, "this is certainly a good opportunity, one that many employees wish for but can't get."

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes. "Would you like this 'privilege'?"

Secretary Fan firmly said, "No."

Jing Yi: "..."

As expected.

However, he was quite surprised that Li Ting was moving to the headquarters office. He couldn't run away, yet Li Ting was voluntarily heading to the front of the class.

Tsk.

A top student's mind works differently, huh?

In the afternoon, Jing Yi did a simple classification of the documents and handed them over to Secretary Fan for follow-up, completing the task of bringing back specialties from Shengshi.

Playing Minesweeper on his computer, the office door suddenly opened. "Butler Jing, good afternoon. Are you surprised to see me?"

Li Ting pushed the door open, revealing a big white smile.

Jing Yi said, "Not really, Third Young Master. I saw Secretary Fan setting up your office."

Li Ting pouted. "Tsk, no fun. There's no surprise."

Jing Yi looked at him.

"It was supposed to be surprising, but not joyful."

"You're not money or a prize. Why would seeing you surprise me?"

Li Ting narrowed his eyes. "Haven't seen you in a while, Butler Jing. Looks like my brother's been spoiling you."

Jing Yi subtly retorted, "Mainly because the eldest young master is approachable."

Li Ting: "..."

The young butler was hinting that he was domineering.

Today, coming back, he found the young butler even more entertaining.

"Butler Jing." Li Ting leaned on the corners of the desk, slowly tilting his upper body forward. "Don't stay with my brother. Be my secretary instead. I'll pay you $80,000 a month, tax-free."

Jing Yi just stared, speechless.

"I do love money, but why does Third Young Master Li sound like he’s trying to kidnap me for ransom? Forget it, it's safer to be by the eldest young master's side."

"No need, Third Young Master. I’m good right here."

Li Ting clicked his tongue and leaned closer. "Are you sure? How much is Eldest Young Master paying you to be this loyal?"

Jing Yi retreated with a frightened look in his eyes.

"What are you two doing?" came Li Wenzhao's voice.

Jing Yi breathed a sigh of relief and darted to Li Wenzhao's side. "Eldest Young Master, he's trying to poach me. Luckily, I stayed loyal and refused to budge!"

"You turned down a salary of 80 grand? Man, I must really be one of the top ten best employees in Shoucheng (ouch, my wallet hurts!)"

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Ting: "..."

Li Ting smiled with an unsettling curiosity, his eyes darkening. "Jing Butler, are you telling on me right in front of my face?"

Jing Yi shrank back.

Oh crap. He’d forgotten.

Backstory: Li Ting isn’t exactly Mr. Congeniality. He’s cunning, and the protagonist calls him a ‘smiling tiger’—all smiles on the outside, plotting revenge on the inside.

"Third," Li Wenzhao warned.

Li Ting paused, the deepness in his eyes retracting, returning to his usual joking demeanor. "Kidding! That was boring. I’m out, bro. Just holla if you need me."

After Li Ting closed the door behind him, Li Wenzhao turned to the person next to him, whose face had turned pale. "You're afraid of Third?"

Jing Yi gripped the chair. "No, no, no."

Li Wenzhao sighed. "Third never knows when to stop. I’ll have a word with him."

"It's okay," said Jing Yi.

Sure, Third Young Master can be a bit of a jerk and loves playing pranks, but he hasn’t broken any laws or done anything illegal.

"For a second there, I thought he looked like a Tibetan Mastiff—snarling one second, then wagging his tail for a treat the next."

Li Wenzhao's expression froze. "Don’t let him hear you say that."

Jing Yi nodded. "I know."

"You don’t talk bad about someone to their face. I understand the rules."

The afternoon flew by, and soon it was Jing Yi’s favorite time of day—quitting time.

Right at 5 p.m., Jing Yi sprang to life, counting down the seconds as he packed up, a total 180 from his workday demeanor.

Bliss.

But today wasn't going to be as smooth. As soon as Jing Yi shut down his computer, Li Ting pushed the door open and entered. "Big brother, I'm heading back to my place tonight. There's no food in my fridge. Want to come with me to buy some?"

Li Wenzhao showed no expression. "Let the supermarket deliver it."

Li Ting replied, "Where's the fun in that? Shopping is about the experience of browsing and choosing."

His eyes then shifted to Jing Yi. "Since Jing Butler is here too, he can help me push the cart and carry the bags."

Jing Yi: "……"

"Jing Butler," Li Ting said with a smile. "Your eyes are full of darkness. Are you dissatisfied with the task I've assigned you?"

The teasing caught him off guard.

Jing Yi shook his head. "No."

Li Ting stared at him. "Really……?"

"Third," Li Wenzhao warned in a low voice.

Li Ting looked up at his older brother. The man's expression was deep, full of warning. Li Ting shrugged. "Alright, alright, no more fooling around. Let's go, or else the fresh ingredients will be gone."

Jing Yi couldn't quite understand why a top-tier CEO in novels would be so obsessed with grocery shopping, enjoying the process of browsing and choosing. But recalling the original storyline, where Li Ting enjoyed cooking, it started to make sense.

A chef wouldn't mind the grocery store.

·

The trio went downstairs together and drove to the largest fresh supermarket in the city center.

Li Ting seemed to have quite the shopping addiction. He grabbed whatever he saw, not caring about the price or quantity. With a casual grab, he tossed items into the cart.

Before long, both carts were overflowing.

Jing Yi and Li Wenzhao each pushed one.

"Big Young Master," Jing Yi looked at the items in the cart. "Does Third Young Master have an icehouse at home?"

"I don't know," Li Wenzhao frowned. "I've never shopped for groceries with him before."

I didn't expect him to be this way.

Jing Yi seemed to catch the unspoken message in Li Wenzhao's tone. "……"

As they pushed the carts through the aisles, Jing Yi looked around. Everything was ridiculously expensive, with prices starting in the thousands. With the little money Jing Yi had, he couldn't afford to be reckless here. He just looked around to get some experience and satisfy his curiosity.

When they passed by the fresh vegetable section, Jing Yi suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

He quickly stopped and tapped Li Wenzhao on the shoulder twice. "Big Young Master, look! It's Shen Shubai!"

In the distance, Shen Shubai, looking troubled, was entangled with a beautiful woman. The girl, seemingly angry, had her face turned away as Shen Shubai patiently coaxed her.

The girl, sniffling, said, "You don't care about me at all. You even lost the Ultraman toy you bought for my brother. Let's break up, Shen Shubai."

Jing Yi: "……"

Who knew that casually picking up an Ultraman toy would lead to this drama.

Shen Shubai's expression changed drastically. "What do you mean?"

The girl replied sharply, "I'm talking about breaking up!"

"Mr. Shen." Secretary Zou, holding a bag, cautiously interjected, "Madam she..."

"Who gave you permission to call her madam?" Shen Shubai said coldly. "Didn't you hear her say 'break up'? From now on, she's Miss Qin!"

Secretary Zou: "..."

"Shen Shubai, I finally see what you're really like!" The girl turned to leave but accidentally bumped into a shelf, crying out in pain. "Ouch..."

In a flash, Shen Shubai scooped her up. "What are you doing? You're hurt. Secretary Zou, have the family doctor ready at home. If she's not healed, I'll bury all of you with her!"

Secretary Zou said calmly, "Mr. Shen, Miss Qin only has a minor injury. It’s not life-threatening..."

"Who gave you permission to call her Miss Qin?" Shen Shubai said with a cold face. "She's my woman, call her Mrs. Shen."

Secretary Zou: "..."

When people are speechless, they really just want to dial 911.

From a distance, Jing Yi watched the whole scene unfold.

"..."

Awkward, shocked, toes curling in embarrassment.

"Oh my god, these two are nuts. What century-old CEO clichés are these!"

"I'm so anxious my toes are practically digging into the ground like they're trying to excavate the Forbidden City."

"I never thought an Ultraman could cause such a huge scene. When the truth about the God of Wealth is exposed, won't things at the Shen Group get even crazier?"

"I really want to see the scene live… just to see how far they'll take this madness."

"Eldest young master," Jing Yi struggled to say, "do people here always express their love so… dramatically?"

Reading novels, it never felt this awkward.

Li Wenzhao glanced at him, "Not everyone acts this way."

Jing Yi, standing from a god's perspective, couldn't help but laugh skeptically.

"When you're with the villainous official couple, you're even more over-the-top than Shen Shubai."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

In the distance, Shen Shubai and Qin Ningning (the female lead) made up, holding hands as they continued their leisurely stroll, brimming with affection.

Secretary Zou followed behind, looking completely defeated.

Jing Yi looked at Secretary Zou and thought that being the right-hand man to a CEO wasn't easy. You not only face the risk of getting dragged down with them, but you also have to endure the physical antics of the drama king and queen.

Still, Secretary Fan had it good. With a $20,000 raise, dual roles with double pay, and a workaholic boss, it's practically the dream job.

Shen Shubai and Qin Ningning disappeared between the shelves.

Jing Yi snapped back to attention, noticing that Li Ting had already walked quite far. As he pushed the cart to catch up, Li Wenzhao suddenly said, "Didn't you say you knew how to pick fruit?"

Jing Yi was stunned for a moment before realizing, "Eldest young master, you really want to eat good fruit?"

"..." Li Wenzhao pressed his lips together. "Go pick some."

Jing Yi: "Oh."

If that's what he wanted, so be it.

For the bonus, he'd be generous this time.

As soon as he reached the fruit section, Jing Yi was taken aback. Oh great, the lovey-dovey couple was there too.

The couple stood in front of a fruit shelf, whispering to each other as if no one else was around, while Secretary Zou didn't know where to look.

Jing Yi: "..."

Do they have to be so lovey-dovey in public? Is the bed at home not big enough, or is there not enough space in the car?

Shen Shubai had his back to him, showing the female lead how to properly pick ripe and sweet kiwis, which earned him an admiring look from Qin Ningning.

Secretary Zou spotted Jing Yi and was momentarily surprised but said nothing.

Jing Yi wasn't really good at picking fruits. When he went to the supermarket, if he happened to know someone, he'd pick from the familiar person's selection. If not, he'd just pick the large and heavy ones himself.

It was a 50-50 shot at success.

Jing Yi looked at the plump, large fruits Shen Shubai had picked, then at the dry, skinny ones in his own hand. After a brief pause, he quietly moved closer.

Secretary Zou: ?

He stared at Jing Yi with a strange expression.

Watching as a pair of sneaky hands reached for the fruits Shen Shubai had just picked.

Secretary Zou: "..."

Standing behind Shen Shubai, Jing Yi quietly opened a plastic bag. For every box Shen Shubai picked, Jing Yi took one, putting back what he couldn’t carry and swapping them with some less appealing fruits.

When Qin Ningning said, "That's enough," Jing Yi turned around and ran off with the plastic bag.

Secretary Zou: "???"

What a devious supermarket strategy!

Li Wenzhao watched as Jing Yi sneaked away and returned, not knowing how to comment. "Is this your idea of knowing how to pick?"

Picking from someone else's selection?

Jing Yi: "Yeah, that's how I always do it."

Li Wenzhao: "Never gotten caught?"

Jing Yi said seriously, "I only steal from friends."

Li Wenzhao sneered, "You're actually proud of it."

Jing Yi modestly replied, "It's manageable. Luckily, my friends usually leave me an out."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Your friends are all surprisingly good-natured.

·

The two finally found Li Ting at the checkout counter. He was pushing a shopping cart and sitting there, looking bored as he waited. "Why did it take you two so long? I've been waiting for ages."

Li Wenzhao pushed both carts over. "Go ahead and check out yourselves."

"Wait..." Jing Yi ran over quickly and took out a few boxes of fruit from the shopping cart. "Here you go, Third Young Master, that stack is for you."

Li Ting: “……”

Suddenly, an argument erupted at the next checkout counter.

"Ouch... this is so sour!" Qin Ningning's features scrunched up. "Shen Shubai, are you playing a trick on me?!"

"How could that be."

"I don't care, I'm breaking up with you right now!"

"Starting today, stop calling her 'Madam' and call her Miss Qin!"

"……”

"……”

"……”

Li Ting glanced at the items Jing Yi was holding and raised an amused eyebrow. "Jing Butler, did you have something to do with this?"

Jing Yi didn't deny it.

Li Ting became interested. "Why? Are you also annoyed by Shen Shubai?"

"True corporate warfare," Jing Yi said gravely, "begins in the most unsuspecting places."

Li Wenzhao: "Huh?"