Chapter 61: Little Patron, Don’t Be Mad

Chapter 61: Little Patron, Don't Be Mad

The next day, at Li Corporation.

With the year-end tasks piling up, Jing Yi felt like he was entering a den of demons every time he stepped into the office, greeted by the palpable resentment of overworked staff.

But today was different.

The young office workers were unusually energized, chattering about the latest hot news.

"A Lamborghini?! Really?!"

"Absolutely! A cousin of mine works at Shen Group and was notified early this morning to pick up the car."

"What about the Tomson Riviera apartments?"

"Apparently, Mr. Shen came through on that too, but most employees can't afford to live there. A year's salary wouldn't even cover the maintenance fees, so they opted for other prizes, which were still pretty good."

"Wow... Mr. Shen is really going all out!"

"No kidding. I wonder when I'll ever get such a windfall."

"Don't get your hopes up. Not everyone is as benevolent as Mr. Shen."

"Shh... quiet down, Mr. Li is here."

"..."

Jing Yi: "...?"

Huh? Has Shen Shubai's main character energy reached Li Corporation's headquarters?

He glanced at Li Wenzhao beside him and whispered, "Eldest young master, what's the plan? Your reputation is taking a hit."

Li Wenzhao walked straight to the elevator, pressed the button, and casually replied, "What do you think, Jing Butler?"

As the elevator doors opened, Jing Yi followed Li Wenzhao inside. "How about we follow suit and hold a big lottery too?"

"After all, we have plenty of money."

"Being a generous benefactor during the New Year is quite auspicious."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

"No," he said flatly, his gaze steady. "I never follow in others' footsteps."

Jing Yi: "..."

At this point, is it really necessary to be so particular?

After a moment of silence, Li Wenzhao said, "I'll have Secretary Fan draft a new proposal to ensure everyone has a good New Year."

Jing Yi pursed his lips and nodded. "Mhm."

Hehe.

Li Wenzhao glanced sideways. "What are you laughing at?"

Jing Yi giggled and raised two pale thumbs. "I must be getting old. I never thought I'd see the day the landlord opens the granary to hand out food, haha."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

The eccentric young butler is at it again.

As the elevator doors opened, Jing Yi spotted Fan Ming emerging from the secretary's office and greeted him with a smile, "Secretary... Fan?"

Fan Ming, clutching a stack of documents, turned and walked away.

Jing Yi: "?"

Why are you running? It's like you've seen a ghost.

Li Wenzhao glanced at the oblivious young butler, "Have you forgotten what you bumped into last night?"

Huh?

Oh.

Last night at the night market, he accidentally saw two secretaries kissing.

That should be awkward.

But this is still the company, and keeping one's job is the priority. Fan Ming, after running a few steps, abruptly stopped, composed himself, and walked back to Li Wenzhao, "President Li, these are the documents needed for today..."

His gaze flicked to Jing Yi, who looked wide-eyed and surprised beside him, causing the first hiccup in his illustrious secretary career.

"..."

Li Wenzhao understandingly took the documents and was about to speak when a series of phone notifications chimed in his ear.

Jing Yi turned his head.

Wait a minute.

Why a series?

Ding-ding-dong-dong, like a collective death knell for the workday?

Li Wenzhao's phone also chimed. He swiped open the screen to see—

"Dear team members of Li Corporation, in gratitude for everyone's hard work throughout the year, the company has decided to distribute a holiday bonus to all on-duty staff (including security, cleaning, and kitchen staff), each receiving 1 million (one million), to be distributed within a week. We hope everyone can have a happy and prosperous New Year."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Fan Ming: "..."

Jing Yi blinked, as if hearing the entire building erupt with the excited cheers of employees, like a wild, jubilant carnival.

But this work message came out of the blue.

He was just strategizing with Li Wenzhao on how to completely overshadow Shen Shubai in reputation.

Moreover, yesterday he had just planted a little surprise in Shen Shubai's lottery box, and today Li Corporation sent out a mass message.

If this wasn't Shen Shubai's handiwork, he wouldn't believe it.

"Boss," Jing Yi looked at his phone and whispered to Li Wenzhao, "Shen Shubai has upstaged you."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Fan Ming: "..."

Their Jing Butler, is that really where the focus is? Shouldn't we be urgently recalling the message to mitigate the losses now?

"What do you think we should do?" Li Wenzhao asked.

Jing Yi pondered for a moment: "Ride the wave?"

Li Wenzhao: "...You mean to say, go with the tide?"

Jing Yi nodded his chin: "Yes, yes, adjusting the sails as the wind changes works too."

Li Wenzhao: "..." Forget it, at least the general direction is correct.

It's already impressive that the meaning isn't completely off track.

Li Wenzhao pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, then turned to the stunned Fan Ming: "No need to recall it, consider it a holiday gift to everyone, have a happy new year."

Fan Ming: "..."

He looked at Jing Yi in disbelief, who now seemed no different from an ancient seductive courtesan in his eyes.

In ancient times, there was Bao Si playing with the beacon fires to amuse the lords; now, there's a seductive butler who, with a few words, has given away half of the Li Corporation's fortune.

A real femme fatale!

Seeing no response from the person in front of him, Li Wenzhao frowned: "Fan Ming?"

Fan Ming snapped back to reality, "...Ah?"

Li Wenzhao: "Go take care of it."

Fan Ming was too shocked to contain himself: "What, are we just giving up now?"

There are at least a hundred or two hundred people in Li Wenzhao's headquarters alone, and it's still unclear whether this work email has reached the subsidiary companies. If it has... then the Li Corporation isn't far from bankruptcy.

Are we really just giving up now?

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Jing Yi peeked over in surprise: "Wow, talking back to the boss right to his face, Secretary Fan, are you trying to get fired?"

Gradually coming to his senses and realizing what he had just said, Fan Ming: "..."

Li Wenzhao frowned in frustration.

After spending so much time with the young butler, his secretary has also started to pick up some bad habits.

"Go take care of it, put it under Jing Yi's account."

Jing Yi: "?"

"Why me?"

Li Wenzhao: "Didn't you bring back the specialty?"

Oh, that's true.

Jing Yi thought for a moment, then looked up, his eyes sparkling: "So, does that mean I'm your sugar daddy now?"

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Crazy butler, where has your mind wandered off to again.

But he’s not wrong—compared to the compensation Jing Yi brought back, ten Li Corporations wouldn’t even come close.

Li Wenzhao: "How do you want to sponsor me?"

Jing Yi’s eyes darted around, a blush creeping onto his face: "Haven’t figured it out yet. I’ll let you know when I do."

Li Wenzhao said lightly: "Alright, I’ll wait for President Jing’s instructions."

Jing Yi was laughing inwardly—he was sponsoring the top tycoon and the biggest villain in a novel! Which time-travel or rebirth novel could top this kind of drama?

Hmph hmph hmph.

The two of them were so engrossed in their little act, completely ignoring everyone else, while Fan Ming stood there, practically frozen.

"Wait, are you two seriously sending this?"

Jing Yi heard the inner voice and giggled: "Go ahead, send it, Secretary Fan. I’ve got it covered."

Fan Ming: "..."

Live long enough, and you’ll see it all.

·

The collective email sent out internally by Li Corporation quickly caught everyone’s attention. The head of the technical department rushed to the top-floor office to apologize and found out that Shen Shubai had hired a top hacker to attack their system, and this email was forged.

The head expected to be punished for poor oversight, but from Li Wenzhao’s tone, he sensed they might just let it slide.

"?"

"Mr. Li, are you... sure?" he cautiously confirmed, "It’s still not too late to withdraw it now."

"No need." Li Wenzhao lightly raised his eyes, thinking of the wealth in the bank that couldn’t be spent in ten lifetimes, he was somewhat troubled for once: "There’s way too much money to spend. Let everyone pitch in and help out."

The head: "..."

I swear, I’d love to take on you rich folks.

The news spread, and all employees of Li Corporation celebrated the New Year early, the cheers almost lifting the ceiling.

But Li Wenzhao’s decision was too sudden and caught the attention of many shareholders. An hour later, an emergency board meeting was convened.

Even the three younger brothers of the Li family got the news and immediately called to inquire.

Li Xu: "Butler Jing, is big brother there? I’ve made an appointment with Doctor Yin to see him."

Li Ting: "Has my brother gone mad?"

Li Mingzhi: "100 per person... how much money is that going to cost? Does my big brother want to sell the company and run away?"

Jing Yi sighed, not knowing how to explain, simply left it all aside.

Better let Li Wenzhao explain it himself.

Their sugar daddy doesn’t bother with the little details of his pampered pet’s life.

·

·

Shen Group, top-floor office.

Shen Shubai stood before the massive floor-to-ceiling window, overlooking his empire, now in turmoil. "Were all the emails sent out?"

"Yes," replied the hacker beside him.

Shen Shubai laughed heartily, "Good. I want to see how Li Wenzhao plans to fill this hole. If he sends it, he goes bankrupt; if he doesn't, the employees will be dissatisfied... He should taste the bitterness I've endured."

Hacker: "But this is the only time. Li Corporation has strengthened their defenses; I can't break in anymore."

"That's enough," Shen Shubai said. "Today marks the end for Li Wenzhao."

He was thrilled, basking in the satisfaction of getting even, and gradually started to lose his cool. He pulled out a bottle of Rémy Martin from the wine cabinet, opened it, poured a glass, and clinked it leisurely with the hacker. "To fate, to the New Year, and to the downfall of Li Corporation..."

The hacker chuckled lightly, "Mr. Shen, congratulations in advance on becoming the top enterprise in the city."

Shen Shubai felt even more at ease, raising his glass toward the window. "Li Wenzhao... farewell."

Hahahahaha.

Bang—

The office door was slammed open. "Mr. Shen, something terrible has happened!"

The hacker turned his head, "Speak slowly, what's the rush?"

The assistant took a deep breath, his eyes wide with excitement, "Li Corporation, Li Wenzhao, they..."

Hacker: "Bankrupt?"

The assistant shook his head, "No..."

Hacker: "Did the employees riot?"

The assistant was sweating profusely, "No..."

"Just spit it out already, who are you trying to drive crazy with the suspense?" The hacker was furious.

The assistant swallowed hard and said, "Li Corporation is celebrating the New Year ahead of schedule. The executives have announced they will keep their promise and distribute benefits to the employees!"

"Pfft..." Shen Shubai spat out his fine wine. "What did you just say?"

In his shock, his voice cracked, high-pitched and shrill.

The assistant trembled, "It's true. It's already trending on social media."

Shen Shubai: "..."

His fingers trembled slightly as he held the wine glass, disbelief etched across his face. "Impossible. Where did he get so much money?"

The assistant said, "There are rumors from Li Corporation that Li Wenzhao might be... financially supported by someone."

Shen Shubai's voice distorted, "...What???"

·

Li Wenzhao felt utterly exhausted after the meeting.

The shareholders were too difficult to deal with, bickering endlessly. However, the main focus of the meeting wasn't to stop him from distributing bonuses, but rather several shareholders openly suspected that he had embezzled a significant amount of dividends over the years.

Otherwise, where did he get the money to fill this hole?

Businessmen value profit, and judging others by their own standards, they thought Li Wenzhao was either crazy or greedy.

The board meeting lasted three hours.

Li Wenzhao remained silent throughout, watching as the major shareholders audited the accounts.

I'm so tired; maybe teasing the young butler will lift my spirits.

However, when Li Wenzhao dragged his weary body back to his office, he only saw his three younger brothers and the family doctor, Yin Liancheng, who was hastily called in, all staring at him.

The young butler stood in the corner, not daring to utter a word.

Li Wenzhao felt even more exhausted: "Why are you all here?"

Li Ting pushed Doctor Yin in front of their eldest brother, "Doctor Yin, take his pulse. I suspect his brain has been hollowed out by some unknown creature."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Yin Liancheng: "..."

Help me out here, how am I supposed to diagnose this?

Jing Yi shrank in the corner, silent, but that didn't mean he wasn't mentally complaining. Seeing Li Wenzhao's exhausted face, he felt a bit heartbroken: "I think it's better to tell the truth, explain how you've been making a fortune lately. The Li family is no longer what it used to be."

The three Li brothers were momentarily stunned.

It had been a while since they heard this inner voice, and the familiar tone excited them—with the help of Jing Yi, let's see how their eldest brother tries to explain himself this time!

"Big brother." Li Mingzhi paused for a moment, taking a different approach: "Did you go and fake an accident?"

Is the master of schemes living under our roof?

Li Wenzhao: "..."

He silently gazed at his younger brothers standing before him. If he wasn't mistaken, they had heard the inner voice again, hadn't they?

So soon?

Is it a bug or a rule? This mysterious broadcast really has no pattern.

"Ah... what pattern?"

Jing Yi's suspicious voice came through.

Li Wenzhao immediately composed himself and said to the people in front of him, "I'm neither crazy, sick, nor greedy. The company is doing well and won't go bankrupt in the short term. What else do you want to ask?"

The brothers bombarded him with questions.

"Where did the money come from?"

"What kind of windfall did you hit?"

"Big brother... have you really been kept by someone as a sugar baby?"

"Hehehehe..."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Gossip can really ruin someone.

He casually joked with the young butler, so how did it spiral into this?

"Big brother." Li Mingzhi looked downcast, "How could you get caught up in a scandal too? Are you still my most aloof big brother? The business world has changed you; you're not the same anymore."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Ting: "Big brother, selling your body isn’t shameful, but selling your soul is just tragic."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Xu: "Big brother, it’s never too late to change your ways."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Wenzhao had a headache and was upset, "Are you done? All of you, get out."

The three brothers stared at him like wronged martyrs, their gazes eerie.

Li Wenzhao: "I made a killing on futures I managed overseas. I was planning to give everyone bonuses for the Shen Group’s annual lottery. What’s wrong with that?"

The three brothers suddenly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I knew it..."

"Big brother is not that kind of person."

"Then where did the sugar baby rumor come from?"

Six pairs of eyes snapped back, locked onto him.

Li Wenzhao smiled faintly: "It’s just gossip—why bother explaining? If you're too idle, I happen to have a few projects here..."

"Big bro’s the best!"

"I have something to do, I'm leaving."

"Hello? Director? The shoot is starting, I'm coming."

"..."

Yin Liancheng looked at the three fleeing figures, nodded awkwardly, and left with his medical kit.

Sigh, rich families are always full of crazies.

In the office, Jing Yi was still pursing his lips and smiling. Li Wenzhao couldn't bear it anymore and went over to grab him: "Is it that funny?"

Of course it's funny, it's rare to see Li Wenzhao in a dilemma.

It’s way more fun watching someone else make a fool of themselves.

"Not helping me explain, but instead adding fuel to the fire?"

Jing Yi pouted in dissatisfaction, "I didn't make a single sound."

He forgot that the young butler didn't know Li Ting and Li Xu were also beneficiaries of the inner voice. Li Wenzhao imposed a crime: "Just standing by and watching is a crime in itself."

Jing Yi: "..."

He suspected that Li Wenzhao just wanted an excuse to retaliate against him.

He even had evidence.

Jing Yi gave a weak glare, "How do you talk to your boss? Watch it, or I'll dock your pay."

Li Wenzhao was almost amused, addicted to role-playing, the young butler didn't want to take off the mask yet.

He lowered his head slightly, shedding his fatigue and cold demeanor, and before the young butler could react, he gently kissed the corner of his mouth.

Jing Yi was completely stunned: "..."

"Little boss," Li Wenzhao's thumb gently rubbed over his soft lip corner, "Don't be angry."

Jing Yi: "..."

Damn! The villain is really good at this!

Jing Yi was completely stunned.

"Still angry?" Li Wenzhao asked.

Jing Yi shook his head.

Li Wenzhao smiled faintly, "Do you still need me to pour tea and apologize?"

Jing Yi: "..."

This isn't an apology; it's just an excuse to kiss him.

Jing Yi pursed his lips, lowered his eyes, "No, no need."

Li Wenzhao's finger pressed against his chin, not letting him lower his head smoothly, his knuckle seemed to brush against his Adam's apple, Jing Yi felt dizzy, thinking it must be an illusion.

"When I kissed you just now, your Adam's apple moved so fast," Li Wenzhao glanced at his chest, "What were you thinking?"

"Beep————"

The long-dormant violation alert suddenly reappeared, indicating that Li Wenzhao was also walking further on the edge.

Jing Yi: "..."

Ahhh, dead mouth, refute quickly!

Li Wenzhao chuckled, his voice pleasant, the previous fatigue seemed feigned, he whispered, "Can I kiss you again?"

Jing Yi blushed slightly, "What about me?"

Li Wenzhao whispered, "A bit addicted."

"..."

Before he could say anything, the man in front of him leaned down and kissed him again.

"..."

"Mr. Li, the funding procedures are ready and require your signature... uh." Fan Ming froze at the door.

Jing Yi looked up, as if he saw in Fan Ming a reflection of himself from last night's scene.

"..."

Jing Yi chose to ignore him.

·

·

In the following days, Li Corporation was immersed in celebration and high morale. All employees truly treated the company as their own home, working their tails off.

The annual workload was completed at an astonishing speed, but even on the day before the holiday, the company was still buzzing with activity.

Jing Yi was curious and occasionally peeked over, wondering where all this work was coming from.

After looking around, he concluded—the bonus was just too tempting. The employees were excited and suddenly became very dedicated, as if they had endless energy, working hard even when there was no work, making Li Corporation unusually busy before the holiday.

Jing Yi tutted as he walked back, turning his head and locking eyes with Fan Ming.

"..."

"..."

The two stood there, awkwardly silent for a few minutes.

"Secretary Fan," Jing Yi finally spoke first, "Let's just let bygones be bygones, okay? Let the past embarrassments drift away with the wind."

Without Secretary Fan around, he couldn't even slack off properly, always feeling like something was missing.

"..." Fan Ming nodded awkwardly, "Alright, Jing Butler."

Seeing Fan Ming holding some property brochures, Jing Yi leaned over curiously, "Are you going to buy a house?"

Fan Ming didn't hide it, showing the brochures to Jing Yi, "Yes, my salary is limited. I thought it would take a while to save for a down payment, but with this bonus, I can settle in the capital."

"Wow," Jing Yi clapped enthusiastically, "Secretary Fan, you're amazing."

This praise was heartfelt. Fan Ming, through his own efforts, had established himself in the capital and bought a house—this was the aspiration of every modern worker! Truly commendable!

Fan Ming humbly replied, "Not at all, not as good as Jing Butler marrying well."

"..."

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes, "Are we starting to attack each other now?"

Fan Ming shivered, "Of course not."

Jing Yi: "I'm sure you started it... with your mouth."

Fan Ming immediately lowered his head, "I can apologize."

Jing Yi: Hmph.

He dove into the brochures. From his god-like perspective, the developers seemed fine, and some of the apartment layouts were quite appealing to him.

Jing Yi, after looking around, felt tempted and asked, "Can I join you?"

Fan Ming, though surprised, agreed, "Of course, these are my top picks. If you like any, Jing Butler, I can help you with the process."

Jing Yi: "Sounds good to me."

·

Jing Yi followed Fan Ming around. The properties were located in the second and third rings of the capital city, featuring trendy apartments, as well as simple duplexes and flats.

Fan Ming had his eye on a two-bedroom apartment.

Jing Yi, while looking around, fell in love with a three-story standalone apartment—small, exquisite, and resembling a mini villa with a decent-sized front yard, just three blocks from Li Corporation. It seemed like the perfect place to keep someone special.

Why not keep Li Wenzhao there?

The more Jing Yi thought about it, the more tempted he felt.

Once in his territory, Li Wenzhao would be at his mercy, right? How could a little bird dare to defy its owner? If Li Wenzhao displeased Jing Yi, he could just send him to sleep downstairs... Jing Yi could hardly wait.

The Jing family's legacy was waiting for him to revive!

"Jing Butler, do you like this one?" Fan Ming approached at some point.

"Yes, yes," Jing Yi nodded eagerly, his tone giving away his excitement, "Fan Secretary, how do I go about buying this?"

Fan Ming: "?"

A property worth millions, decided so hastily?

"Don't you need to consult Mr. Li?"

Jing Yi frowned and shook his head, "Fan Secretary, buying a house is my secret. You mustn't betray me."

Fan Ming was momentarily speechless but quickly nodded, "Alright."

Jing Yi stared at him, "Swear it."

Fan Ming: "I swear."

Jing Yi thought for a moment, then pursed his lips, "Swear by Secretary Zou's future and intelligence."

"..."

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing, "I knew it—you're more of a gossip than I am."

Only after Fan Ming's repeated assurances did Jing Yi feel at ease and smoothly signed the contract.

When he received the purchase contract, Jing Yi looked incredulous, "I own a house now?"

Fan Ming, also holding a contract, smiled, "Yes, Jing Butler, you own a house now."

Although he was on a mortgage, lacking the boldness of Jing Butler's full payment, he was already quite satisfied.

Jing Yi happily flipped through the contract several times, almost unable to put it down. In just a few months of crossing over, he could now afford a three-story villa in the city center, second ring, high-end community!

It was simply unbelievable.

He began to feel a bit grateful to Hei Wuchang and Bai Wuchang.

The mistake of mistakenly reincarnating the wrong soul, I hope it happens again in the next life, guaranteeing him prosperity and wealth for all his lifetimes.

"Deal, it's a secret," said Jing Yi.

Fan Ming nodded, "Of course."

Jing Yi then took out his bank card and swiped it smoothly and decisively—

·

At the same time, in the office of Li Corporation.

In the middle of a meeting, Li Wenzhao's phone buzzed softly, and he instinctively looked down—

"Dear VVVVIP Customer, you have currently spent a total of 5xx million yuan (approximately $xx million), at Binjiang Garden Phase 1, Building 1, XX Real Estate. Please confirm if this was your purchase to prevent fraud..."

Li Wenzhao: "...???"