Chapter 19

Chapter 19

"Shen Muyun, this contract is critical—it pertains to the development project in the city's northern district. The meeting is about to commence. Is this truly your final answer?"

Shen Muyun knew he had blundered, falling right into a trap. It was baffling—did the entire world harbor such animosity towards him? Yet, he blamed himself for not verifying, for trusting others so easily. No matter how he looked at it, the fault was his own.

"Well..."

Before Shen Muyun could finish, Secretary Chen, standing nearby, presented another document. "Mr. Shen, these are the files you requested earlier. The second-quarter financial report has been sent to your email. Also, this is the contract with the Zhou Corporation; they've expressed hope that Shen Corporation might still offer them an opportunity."

Without even glancing up, Shen Liuyun tossed the document to the floor. "Secretary Chen, you've been with me for a considerable time. Take the Zhou contract back. I know you have personal connections with them, but let's put this aside for now. There might be future opportunities, but absolutely not at this moment."

Secretary Chen bent down to retrieve the contract, shooting a dismissive glance at Shen Muyun and rolling his eyes. "Mr. Shen, I will convey your message precisely as you've stated, rest assured."

Shen Muyun felt a surge of irritation under Secretary Chen's gaze. How could he possibly let this go? What would become of his standing?

He stepped forward, grabbing Secretary Chen by the collar and pulling him close. "Chen, was this intentional?"

Secretary Chen patted Shen Muyun's hand, shaking his head innocently. "Young Mr. Shen, what exactly did I do on purpose?"

"You, Secretary Chen, you told me this document was fine. That's why I confidently printed it out."

"Young Mr. Shen, you're mistaken. You didn't verify it thoroughly; how can you blame me?"

With Shen Liuyun present, Shen Muyun couldn't afford to lose his temper. He reluctantly released Secretary Chen's collar, patting his shoulder instead. "Secretary Chen, I'll remember this. Don't forget, we'll be seeing each other often. Good luck to you."

Shen Muyun punched the adjacent wall, leaving a noticeable dent.

Secretary Chen smirked smugly, then leaned in to whisper tauntingly in Shen Muyun's ear, "Young Mr. Shen, you're still too green for company matters. Competition—do you understand?"

Shen Muyun was on the verge of losing control when Shen Liuyun's voice cut through the tension.

"Enough, Muyun. Go review those pages again. There must be a backup; just make the corrections. Review the pages I mentioned—delaying the meeting slightly is acceptable. And Secretary Chen, please return to your duties. You're not needed here."

Shen Liuyun rubbed his temples, frustrated by the newly delivered documents. A glance at the time confirmed they were running critically late.

*Smack!* A sharp sound echoed in the hallway.

"Chen, consider this a small gift. Hope you appreciate it."

A red mark instantly appeared on Secretary Chen's face. He raised his hand to retaliate, but Shen Muyun seized his arm, producing a *crack* sound.

"What do you think you are, Secretary Chen? You should know—when I dislike someone, I don't hold back. A true gentleman uses his hands, not his words. No point in wasting breath."

"Shen Muyun, have you lost your mind? Do you have any proof? When have I ever framed you? Now—" Secretary Chen pointed at the security camera overhead. "That footage clearly shows you assaulting me. Shen Muyun, face it—you're useless. What are you even doing in this company?"

Shen Muyun looked up, even catching a glimpse of his own reflection in the camera's view.

*Creak.*

"Muyun, why are you and Secretary Chen still here? Shouldn't you be addressing the contract issues?"

Secretary Chen smiled at Shen Liuyun, then effortlessly freed himself from Shen Muyun's grasp.

Furious, Shen Muyun seethed at being set up. On his very first day, he'd already stirred up such a major incident.

He brushed past Secretary Chen, deliberately bumping his shoulder. Secretary Chen shot him a quick glance but made no move to yield.

"A good dog doesn't block the path. It seems Secretary Chen is naturally suited for that role."

"You—!"

Before Secretary Chen could respond, Shen Muyun strode into the office. How were they supposed to work together now? The thought troubled him, but only briefly. The contract was the priority. The backup...

Shen Muyun distinctly remembered saving the contract in a hidden partition. But wait—why was the file missing?

He quickly inserted the USB drive into the computer, only to find most of its files deleted. His heart pounded. They had set him up, and he hadn't even realized it. No wonder he'd seen Zhou Shiqing earlier; this was likely Zhou's doing, using Secretary Chen as a proxy.

Frowning, Shen Muyun grabbed Secretary Chen's shirt as he entered the office. "Secretary Chen, I believe you understand the importance of this document. Is helping an outsider truly worth it?"

Secretary Chen smiled, patting Shen Muyun's hand. "Young Mr. Shen, I don't understand what you're implying. The document is important, but the problem originated with you. How can you blame me?"

Shen Muyun stared at the invalidated contract in his hand. Drafting a new one from scratch now would be impossible—there wasn't enough time. Scanning and reformatting would also take too long. Was there any shortcut?

Secretary Chen worked for a while before leaving the office with some documents. Growing anxious, Shen Muyun had a sudden idea.

"System, system, come out here."

The system reluctantly materialized before Shen Muyun, blinking, with potato chip crumbs clinging to its mouth. Wasn't it supposed to be a program? How could it eat?

"What were you doing?"

"Respected Host, I was merely sampling human snacks. They were utterly delicious—I'd love to have more later. But aren't you currently at work? What brings you to me? Have you encountered a thorny problem? As your system, I am here to alleviate your worries. I am your capable assistant."

Shen Muyun pointed at the blank folder on the computer screen. "Can you recover deleted files?"

The system continued to emit crunching noises—electronic potato chips? How peculiar.

"Well, um... Host, this is a computer issue. I'm not equipped for that. Although my operating mechanisms are similar to a computer's, data recovery is a task for engineers. I'm just a humble, somewhat useless system."

Shen Muyun slammed his hand on the desk in frustration, sending the papers scattering to the floor.

The system, having never witnessed Shen Muyun's anger, bounced nervously. "System murder! System murder! Is there no humanity? Is there no justice?"

Shen Muyun checked his watch—time was ticking away. If the system couldn't help, what about scanning? But there were errors that needed reprinting. What to do? What could he possibly do?

"Murder you? I hardly have the time or inclination. Besides, you're a system, not a person. How would I even kill you? Unplug your power? I don't even know where your power source is. So stop your incessant chattering and shut your little mouth."

The system reluctantly displayed a zipped-mouth emoji on its screen.

Shen Muyun sat at his desk, reviewing the contract, pen in hand, meticulously marking the errors. There had to be a way; there was still time.

He glanced towards the door and spotted Lu Huainan's shadow. Had he already arrived?

Shen Muyun, like an eager spectator, tiptoed out of the office. Wait—why was he sneaking around? The cameras were off, weren't they? He straightened up and looked around outside the office.

"Are you looking for me?"

Shen Muyun jumped—it truly was Lu Huainan.

"Oh, what a coincidence! I didn't expect to run into you on my first day at the company."

"Brother Yun, why are you sneaking around? I'm here at Shen Corporation to sign the contract—you know, the one for the northern land. There's also an addendum to the equestrian club contract from the other day. Not sure what's up with Liuyun, but he postponed the meeting."

Shen Muyun's lip twitched. He tossed the contract onto a nearby table. "Perhaps something truly important came up. I just saw Secretary Chen enter the office."

"Is that so? Brother Yun, how's your first day at the company treating you?"

"This Lu Huainan truly knows how to strike right at the soul with every word," Shen Muyun thought. "What else could it be? My brother assigned me some make-work position, and then I had to print a few documents. That's all there is to it."

Lu Huainan glanced at the contract on the table, faintly discerning the serpent emblem on the cover—the Lu family crest. There was no doubt about it: Shen Liuyun postponing the meeting had to be related to the contract.

"Huainan, I heard you like black coffee. Our break room just got some freshly ground beans today, personally selected by my brother. Would you like to try some?"

Lu Huainan smiled at Shen Muyun. "Hmm, Liuyun's choice should be quite good. So, Brother Yun, will you be joining the meeting later?"

Shen Muyun shook his head, then quickly nodded. "Yes, if I have time. I'm still familiarizing myself with company matters."

"I see. Well, I'll head to the break room first. You go ahead with your work."

Shen Muyun breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Hopefully, no flaws were spotted. He glanced at the overturned contract. Already owing Lu Huainan a favor, and now this mess with the contract—it was truly unbelievable. No wonder the system called him the "chosen one"—meaning a catastrophic start and getting pushed around the whole game.