"You... come back in five minutes. Just get out for now."
Li Xue turned her head away, not daring to meet Mu Lin's gaze.
"Okay."
Mu Lin turned and walked out the door without another word. He only went back in a full ten minutes later.
Li Xue had put on her undergarments and changed into a more conservative, full-length nightgown. She crossed her arms and glared coldly at Mu Lin, unaware that the motion only served to accentuate her full chest, making it look ready to burst from her clothes.
Li Xue ground her molars, on the verge of a complete meltdown.
'From now on, there's going to be an annoying adult man in my own bedroom every night. This could go on for a whole year... I can't take it!'
At that thought, she tilted her slender neck back and pointed with her foot to a blanket on the floor, a good three meters from the bed. "From now on, you sleep on the floor."
Mu Lin struggled to control his gaze. 'Does she not see me as a normal man, or is this *exactly* how she treats a normal man?'
"Alright."
Mu Lin turned, nodded, and went into the bathroom to clean up. When he came out, the lights were already off. He simply lay down on the blanket, his back to the bed.
'Even sleeping on the floor, this is way better than back in the village.'
The next day, after breakfast, Mu Lin went with Li Yinhe and Li Xue to the Li Corporation.
Li Yinhe and Li Xue maintained a tacit understanding at the breakfast table, ensuring Elder Li noticed nothing amiss. Not that he would have cared; even if he sensed their disapproval, he would have paid it no mind.
A chauffeur drove them. Mu Lin sat in the front passenger seat, while the father and daughter, Li Yinhe and Li Xue, sat in the back.
Li Yinhe spoke in a gentle tone. "Mu Lin, as per Elder Li's request, I've arranged a very good position for you at the company. The monthly salary is two hundred thousand. However, a large company like ours has its own rules and regulations. If your performance is poor and you consistently make mistakes, we will have no choice but to deduct your pay accordingly."
"Of course, you're from a small village, so you can't possibly imagine the complexities of a corporation. So, even if you accomplish nothing, just focus on not making mistakes and not causing any trouble for the company. That will be enough."
From the passenger seat, Mu Lin nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."
In the back seat, Li Xue couldn't help but roll her eyes.
In the underground garage of the corporate tower, Li Xue completely ignored Mu Lin and got out of the car. She didn't need to hide her disdain for him in front of her father.
"Good morning, Chairman Li!"
"Good morning, President Li!"
The security guards in the lobby shouted, full of vigor.
The Chairman, Li Yinhe.
The General Manager, Li Xue.
The pair gave a slight nod and walked directly into a private elevator, with Mu Lin trailing close behind.
When they reached the office floor, Mu Lin gazed around in wonder. He had never seen a place so grand. His last trip to the commercial district had only taken him to Elder Zhao's Medicine Hall and the phone store across the street.
'When Li Xue saw him, she wanted to hide her face in her handbag. Thank God no one at the company knows about our relationship. Bringing this country bumpkin around is so humiliating.'
"You can go report to the Special Projects Department."
When they reached the twenty-ninth floor, Li Yinhe gestured for Mu Lin to exit.
"Alright."
Mu Lin replied matter-of-factly.
The father and daughter pressed a higher floor number and continued their ascent.
"So, what's the plan for Mu Lin?" Although Li Yinhe had complete faith in his daughter, he still felt the need to ask.
"I've already told Chen Xi to 'take good care' of him," Li Xue said breezily.
"Chen Xi..." Li Yinhe hesitated. "That kid doesn't know when to quit. Have someone make sure he doesn't go too far. If this blows up, it'll be hard to explain things to your grandfather."
Li Xue was unconcerned. "Dad, don't you trust me? The worst that'll happen is Mu Lin gets a few bruises here and there—nothing on his face. And even if he runs crying to Grandpa, we'll just say he started it with Chen Xi. Grandpa knows what a short fuse Chen Xi has."
Mu Lin found the department manager. The manager gave him a quick once-over, tossed a nameplate at him, and went back to his work without another glance.
"Go find your team leader and report in."
Mu Lin caught the nameplate. It read:
Li Group
Special Projects Department, Deputy Manager
Mu Lin
"Thank you, Manager."
The manager just grunted in response.
After Mu Lin left, the manager finally looked up and shook his head. 'I wonder how he managed to piss off Chairman Li. So skinny... getting thrown into the Crown Prince Group. Those guys are going to tear him apart.'
'Well, not my problem. I'm just following orders.'
Mu Lin asked someone for directions and followed the path they indicated.
The moment he opened the door, a cloud of smoke billowed out. The office itself was a filthy, chaotic mess. A few disreputable-looking young men and women were perched unceremoniously on desks, chatting and playing games.
Mu Lin felt a headache coming on. 'This is the Special Projects Department?'
Just then, a young man with an eye-catching mohawk glanced at him, exhaled a plume of smoke, and drawled, "You need somethin'?"
"I'm Mu Lin, the new deputy team leader. Which one of you is Chen Xi, the team leader?"
"That's me."
"Alright, stop fuckin' around, everyone! New guy's here, didn't you see him?"
The man with the mohawk was the first to put down his phone. He then kicked a couple of the others.
"Alright, alright, we got it."
The others put down their phones and locked the screens. Led by Chen Xi, the group swaggered over to Mu Lin. Chen Xi looked him up and down, then let out a mocking laugh and patted his chest.
"You barely look like you've hit puberty. What makes you think you can just waltz into my Special Department?"
Mu Lin just watched Chen Xi coolly, saying nothing.
"Get him, boys!"
Chen Xi flicked his cigarette butt to the ground, his eyes suddenly turning vicious. The young men and women behind him pulled out hidden stun batons and charged without a word.
Mu Lin's headache intensified. 'Are these people insane? I've never met them before. We have no history, no grudge. What the hell is this?'
SWOOSH.
Mu Lin sidestepped, dodging a spiked baton swung at his head. He then lunged forward, throwing a vicious left hook that connected squarely with one of the young men's right cheek.
'When someone messes with you, you go for the face.'
The young man's face contorted as a spray of spittle flew from his mouth, splattering a nearby accomplice. His eyes bulged as if they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"Son of a bitch! This kid's a tough one! Everyone, get him!"
Chen Xi froze for a second. 'Sister Xiaoxue told me this hick couldn't fight.'
The whole group swarmed him.
THUD!
Something slammed onto the floor.
BANG! CRASH!
The sound of shattering glass filled the air.
A cacophony of bangs and crashes erupted from the Special Projects Department office, making it sound as lively as a wild party.
Other employees in the company tactfully gave the office a wide berth. 'Some poor bastard must've gotten transferred to the Special Department again,' they thought.
'What a shame.'
「Three minutes later.」
The Special Projects Department office finally returned to its usual state of "peace."
Employees from other departments glanced at the now-closed door, shook their heads, and went back to their work.
Inside the now-silent Special Projects Department office.
"You're Chen Xi, right? What's your story?"
"Boss! Big Bro! My name's Chen Xi! My old man is Chen Quan, one of the company's shareholders..." Chen Xi, his mohawk now drooping with mousse, squatted obediently in the corner, holding his own ears.
Blood trickled from his nose, and he kept sniffling it back up, too afraid to wipe it away. His face was a mess of black and blue.
The others were also squatting in a row beside him, meekly holding their own ears like chastised children. Their faces were so swollen it was hard to tell who was who.
It was a pathetic sight. Truly pathetic.
Mu Lin, completely unharmed, sat perched on a desk, looking for all the world like a big shot. He spun one of their batons deftly in his right hand, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.
He pointed to another person. "Your turn."
"I... I'm Sun Lele. My grandpa's also a shareholder."
"Next."
Mu Lin pointed to the third person, a girl who looked like a punk.
"I'm Zhou Yu. My... my dad is one of the shareholders."
Not including Mu Lin, there were seven people in the special group.
He went down the line. 'Damn,' he thought. 'Every single one of them is here because of connections. It's either their grandpa or their dad is a shareholder.'
This was a regular "Crown Prince Group."
'So this "Special Projects Department" is just a place to dump the idle rich kids?'