Chapter 6

Chapter 6

1

The preceding month of upheaval had plunged the Pei Group into an unprecedented state of activity.

Too many projects needed launching, too many reports required reviewing, and too many personnel changes needed handling.

Even though that month of chaos had passed, new faces still frequently appeared within the group. Someone laughing and chatting with you today might disappear tomorrow.

This created an atmosphere of tension and oppression throughout the entire group.

However, it also propelled the traditionally rigid and outdated Pei Group into a brand-new battle mode. Like those young but icy faces, it was filled with sharp aggression.

Pei Chang was in a foul mood today.

A teenager claiming to be his little brother had stopped him at the entrance of the group.

Pei Chang coolly lifted his eyelids, and the assistant beside him immediately whispered, "He’s a minor. The offense he committed only warrants fifteen days of detention."

"I’m also a son of the Pei family. I deserve a share of the family’s assets. I don’t want much—just tens of millions in annual dividends, a house, and, no, also millions in monthly pocket money!"

The red-haired teenager blurted out shamelessly.

But perhaps Pei Chang’s gaze was too icy; the teenager flinched and stared at Pei Chang, saying, "N-no house is fine, but the dividends must be given."

Under Pei Chang’s gaze, the teenager’s voice grew quieter and quieter. "No dividends... no dividends are fine either, just the monthly pocket money..."

His voice faded into nothing.

Pei Chang let out a derisive snort, gave a dismissive look over the other, and said sharply, "Get him out of here."

"Wait! At least you should pay my tuition!"

Pei Chang halted and looked at the other with the disdain one reserves for trash.

"Why should I?"

"I’m your brother. I’m Pei... mmm..."

The voice behind him was cut off entirely, and the entrance of the Pei Group returned to its usual cold, luxurious appearance.

But perhaps this one unresolved loose end left Pei Chang in a bad mood. The morning meeting was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, aside from the sound of Pei Chang flipping through documents.

The general manager, who had been put in his place at the banquet last time, kept wiping the cold sweat from his forehead.

It wasn’t just him—many others didn’t even dare to swallow nervously. In the vast meeting room, not a single person dared to lift their head.

The moment the documents were closed, everyone’s hearts skipped a beat as if an axe had fallen on their necks.

"Submit the list for workforce reduction in three days. Start selecting from among yourselves."

With a sharp thud, the documents were slammed down on the table. Pei Chang rose, and walked out without looking back.

Finally, someone couldn’t take it anymore and stood up, wanting to cuss him out, but upon seeing everyone else keeping their heads down in silence, they sat back down in embarrassment.

—

The news spread quickly.

In less than an hour, the entire company was buzzing with rumors about optimizing all the executives.

Pei Chang paused at the corner near the coffee corner, listening to the hushed discussions inside.

The assistant beside him frowned and moved to step forward, but Pei Chang raised a hand to stop him.

"How many batches of people have been let go in just over a month?"

"Who knows? I can’t even eat in peace these days, afraid the chopping block’s next for me."

"He even dared to take down his own father. What are we to him?"

"Thinking about it now, this Young Master Pei is quite ruthless."

"Shh! Don’t call him Young Master Pei. It’s CEO Pei now."

"Why?"

The voices inside instantly grew much quieter, as if afraid of being overheard.

"Wealthy families are full of drama. There’s a lot beneath the surface."

"Tell us quickly!"

"I’ve been with the group for a long time. It used to be that Chairman Pei was in charge. But Chairman Pei is getting older and had to find a successor. After much thought, the only option was Mr. Pei. But everyone knows Mr. Pei is a lost cause. What could be done? The group couldn’t just be given to just anyone."

"So later, CEO Pei came into the picture. But Chairman Pei, for whatever reason, treated CEO Pei worse than a secretary who fetches tea. He was bossed around daily."

"Ahem... everyone must have heard the old rumors, right? They said CEO Pei was like a dog chained to Chairman Pei’s side..."

The assistant glanced at Pei Chang’s expression but saw only an impassive profile. Just as he withdrew his gaze, he caught a reflection in the glass opposite—Pei Chang’s deep, piercing eyes.

They were like icy, bottomless black holes, filled with a chilling intensity that could skin a person alive.

His heart clenched, and he quickly averted his eyes. The voices inside showed no sign of stopping, and cold sweat soaked through his shirt.

"Come to think of it, CEO Pei is quite pitiful. His parents never cared for him, treated as a tool by Chairman Pei, and without a single friend all these years."

"Pitiful, yes, but also ruthless. The moment he gained real power, he dealt with Mr. Pei first. I heard he didn’t even attend his own biological mother’s funeral. Some even say Chairman Pei’s failing health is his fault..."

"Special Assistant Sun." Pei Chang’s cold voice cut in sharply, and instant dead silence fell inside.

"Yes," the assistant replied hoarsely.

"Fire all of them. If there are any objections, hold them liable as per their contracts."

Pei Chang walked off without looking back.

A thud sounded from inside, as if someone had collapsed to the ground in terror.

Special Assistant Sun took a deep breath, lifted his head, and said, "Understood."

The assistant glanced expressionlessly at the pale-faced individuals slumped over on the floor, then followed right behind Pei Chang.

From the day Pei Chang took control, he had been making it clear through his actions:

He was the master of the Pei Group.

He would accept no defiance or disobedience from anyone.

That evening, when he returned to the villa, Pei Chang went straight up to the attic.

He acted as if he were back in his own bedroom, shrugged off his coat, kicked off his leather shoes, and sat on the floor without a care.

7008 muttered softly to itself that he should shower first, not to leave clothes and shoes lying around, and to bundle up since it was getting cold.

But its muttering was too quiet to be heard by anyone, as it didn’t dare say this to Pei Chang and could only think it to itself, comforting itself that it was at least somewhat fulfilling its duty.

Pei Chang sat on the floor in his expensive dress pants, resting with his eyes shut.

But the blanket strewn across the floor, the pillow knocked sideways, and the dark, shabby attic wasn't the kind of place where Pei Chang should be.

Only when he leaned his head back against the operating table with his head tilted did he suddenly seem to belong there.

"Good boy," Pei Chang said with his eyes closed. "Speak."

No one knew if the monster could actually talk.

It had only ever bared its teeth and issued threatening growls.

This time was no exception—only a raspy, guttural noise came out.

Pei Chang chuckled and said, "That's obedient."

He opened his eyes and looked at the monster sitting beside him. Long black hair covered its nude form, so dense it obscured the face beneath, revealing only sharp fangs that seemed to twitch with anticipation.

To 7008, "he" (the monster) was dangerous at this moment.

But the next second, Pei Chang leaned over and laid his head in the monster’s lap.

7008 gaped, then silently snapped its mouth shut.

The monster froze too, slowly looked down at Pei Chang, who was sleeping soundly in its lap.

It gazed fixedly at Pei Chang’s face, its sinister, black eyes showing a confused, bewildered emotion for the first time.

After a long while, it tentatively reached out a hand and gently touched Pei Chang’s nose.

The finger, with its sharp nail capable of piercing a person’s neck, quickly retracted after lightly touching Pei Chang.

Then it tilted its head, watching the quiet Pei Chang without blinking.

7008 clutched its chest, shouting inwardly with all its might.

So damn cute!

At this moment, Pei Chang lacked his usual coldness, icy aura, and twisted demeanor. His peaceful face resembled a quiet porcelain doll.

The monster reached out again, wanting to poke Pei Chang’s cheek, but the moment it extended its hand, Pei Chang suddenly grabbed it.

Its eyes widened, and it instantly bared its teeth, transforming from harmless to full of aggression.

"Quiet," Pei Chang said with his eyes closed.

One moment telling it to talk, the next telling it to be quiet—so hard to please.

7008 quickly switched sides, stretching out its little hand to virtually pat the monster’s head.

The monster sat on the floor, continuously baring its sharp teeth at Pei Chang.

But its finger was held tightly in Pei Chang’s hand. The warmth of his palm felt like a furnace that could melt a person, making the monster stiffen as if its lifeline had been seized.

It was hungry, thirsty, and desperately wanted to bite through Pei Chang’s throat and drink his blood.

But no matter how much it imagined, it ultimately remained seated, looking up at the ceiling and doing nothing.

It had been here for too long—so long that it no longer knew the changing seasons or the passage of time. Day after day in endless darkness made it forget whether it was dead or alive, and even its memories had grown hazy.

The monster wasn’t truly a monster.

It was human.

But it had forgotten how to be human.

In this moment, the warmth of a human made it regain a tiny bit of human feeling.

But only a tiny bit.

The monster lowered its head to look at Pei Chang’s face, its eyes cold and obscure, hiding its emotions.

After a moment, it slowly reached out its hand, virtually touching Pei Chang’s throat, concealed by his collar.