When Xia Zeyu woke up, Fu Dongyan had already departed. Having zero desire to eat breakfast at this household, he simply washed up and prepared to step out the door.
Before he could cross the threshold, however, his father intercepted him.
“Shen Congjin is coming over for dinner at the house tonight. Make sure you get back early,” his father commanded.
Xia Zeyu shot him a sidelong glance and countered with a question: “Are you siding with Fu Dongyan or Shen Congjin?”
“What?”
“President Fu is currently showing interest in me, isn’t he? You still want me to keep stringing Shen Congjin along? That doesn’t strike me as a very smart strategy.”
“Hooking up with Fu Dongyan would be ideal, but you two don’t even have a firm footing yet, do you? Therefore, we can’t afford to let go of Shen Congjin’s side quite yet.”
Turning to look at him, Xia Zeyu felt a wave of helpless exasperation: “In your eyes, am I nothing more than a tool to be bartered off in exchange for money? Why must I bear the bitter consequences of the poor business management by you and Xia Zexing? I used to like Shen Congjin, but I never once endorsed or accepted your methods.”
“Because you are a part of the Xia family. No matter what, we raised you to adulthood. Since there are no daughters in the family, sending you off in a marital alliance is the most fitting arrangement.”
Xia Zeyu rolled his eyes, then turned on his heel and strode away.
The feudal mindset of three thousand years ago was genuinely unbearable.
While the original owner did wish to marry Shen Congjin, he simultaneously loathed his father’s and brother’s machinations. What he craved was pure, unadulterated affection not a bond shackled together by mutual interests and leverage.
How should he describe the original owner… While labeled a malicious supporting character, he was remarkably foolish.
Comparing him to the malicious supporting characters in his original world every single one of whom aimed straight for Xia Zeyu’s life, desperately seeking to hack him into hundreds of pieces to feed to mutants the original owner practically looked like an utter saint.
Although Xia Zeyu hadn’t slept a wink all night, he strode into the conference room radiating boundless energy and spirit.
The agenda for the meeting was straightforward, focusing primarily on coordinating Chi Wei’s upcoming endorsement schedule.
A group of employees found themselves baffled; after all, Chi Wei was an actress nobody had ever even heard of. Why sign her on so abruptly?
Yet Xia Zeyu held the position of second-in-command in the company; even if they harbored objections, nobody dared openly challenge him.
Consequently, once the meeting concluded, they filed out wearing expressions of ashen despair, practically stamping “Haha, our company is completely doomed” across their faces.
Sensing the lack of enthusiasm among the staff, Xia Zeyu picked up the microphone and adopted a tone as casual as possible. “Has our department gone without a team dinner for a while? Everyone’s present today, right? How about we knock off two hours early this afternoon, and I treat you all to barbecue? Attendance isn’t mandatory purely voluntary. Drop a ‘1’ in the group chat if you’d like to come so I can tally the headcount for ordering.”
“R-Really?”
“Why would I lie to you? I’m new here myself and have been wanting to grab a few drinks with everyone.”
Only after hearing those words did genuine smiles surface on their faces. Clocking out early and feasting on a hearty meal sounded infinitely better than company team-building sessions that devoured their precious off-work hours.
“Thank you, Director Xia!”
“Anyone driving, make sure not to drink. Sort out your own transportation meeting adjourned.”
As soon as Xia Zeyu stepped out of the conference room, the staff broke out into an animated flurry of whispers and chatter.
“Actually, this Director Xia has a pretty decent temper. He’s not hard to communicate with at all where did those arrogant rumors even come from?”
“Could it be that once his lovesick brain got cleared out, he finally turned normal?”
“Hard to say. Signing that female celebrity still feels like a baffling move.”
“Hey, let’s just roll the dice and gamble on it. Who knows, maybe he actually possesses genuine foresight? Anyway, our company has pulled off plenty of bizarre stunts before; one more won’t hurt.”
“You’re just completely bewitched by that face of his!”
“Considering other departments are actively slashing headcount while our department is pulling in perks this good, I’m sticking with him no matter what!”
In truth, Xia Zeyu simply had a personal craving for barbecue. Ordering alone always drew strange stares from restaurant staff, but rolling in with a massive contingent meant ordering mountains of food was entirely justified.
Just as he was enthusiastically tapping away at the mini-program to build his food order, a call from Shen Congjin successfully torpedoed half his good mood.
“President Shen, what is it this time?” Xia Zeyu demanded with palpable impatience.
“What method did you use to buy off Chi Wei?” Shen Congjin blasted him with an aggressive interrogation. “You really are still determined to make things difficult for Tang Tang, aren’t you even poaching the senior actress who used to help him out!”
“Don’t phrase it so maliciously. What do you mean by buying her off?” Xia Zeyu chuckled coldly. “I signed her simply because I felt her appearance and aura were a flawless fit for Xia Jewelry. Since the Xia enterprise is strapped for cash, we can only afford to sign minor talents like her. We are entering into a standard, professional partnership; as for what kind of relationship she shared with Tang Tang in the past, I’ve never heard a single word about it.”
“Xia Zeyu, do you actually know something? Why, why is it that every single time you—”
Shen Congjin cut himself off mid-sentence.
“What about me?” Xia Zeyu pressed.
“I’ll be signing Chi Wei myself.”
“Be my guest. Frankly, I don’t mind telling you: signing her cost me five million, and our contract sets the buyout penalty at seven million. If you want to scoop her away, you’ll need to demonstrate your superiority and sincerity by shelling out at least fifteen million. That extra few million serves as human favor capital whether you’re willing to pay it, and whether she’s willing to agree, is entirely up in the air.”
“Why on earth did you inflate her market price to such an absurd degree?” Shen Congjin panicked. “A problem that could have been resolved for tens of thousands, and you drove it up to five million are you out of your mind?!”
“Because she is worth every penny. The returns she’ll generate for me will far exceed five million.”
Without waiting for a reply, Xia Zeyu hung up the phone, blocked his number, and calmly resumed ordering his barbecue.
Shen Congjin wasn’t hurting for fifteen million; he owned cars that cost far more than that sum. However, forcing him to drop that kind of cash on a low-tier actress like Chi Wei at this stage was something he wouldn’t willingly do. Even taking a step back supposing he did decide to throw that money around to snatch Chi Wei away Chi Wei herself would refuse. Her established personality parameters strictly prohibited her from engaging in such disloyal, backstabbing behavior.
Much like Xia Zeyu in his original world, battling mutants for three consecutive days and nights without a single intact patch of skin, yet accepting nothing more than his predetermined compensation, refusing to take an extra fraction of a cent from the civilians. Even when they eagerly offered more, and even when those supplies could have sustained Xia Zeyu’s caloric intake for months, he never touched them.
He had also realized over these past few days that when characters fail to realize they exist within the pages of a novel, they remain perpetually shackled to their original narrative settings.
Aside from himself, the only other person who had successfully broken free from the original plotline thus far was Fu Dongyan.
Once the barbecue platters hit the table, it was straight to grilling and eating with zero wasted breath.
Unlike conventional executives who insisted on delivering lengthy pre-meal speeches, Xia Zeyu was genuinely here purely to consume food.
Pork belly slices grilled until slightly golden and crispy, dipped lightly into savory sauce and popped whole into the mouth that was absolute culinary perfection.
As the rich aroma of roasted meat flooded his senses, Xia Zeyu felt his soul ascending to a state of pure bliss.
Just as Xia Zeyu reached out with his chopsticks to grab a second piece of meat, a female employee sidled up beside him and asked in a hushed voice, “Director Xia, mind if we gossip a bit?”
“Shoot.” Being in a fantastic mood, Xia Zeyu adopted a rare, breezy tone.
“You and President Shen…”
“Let’s not mention toxic trash while eating; it ruins my appetite.”
“Oh, right, my apologies. But didn’t you originally plan to enter a marital alliance with him? We’ve all been dreading that once you married, the Xia enterprise would get swallowed whole by the Shen Corporation. If Shen Congjin sent people over to take over management, seasoned veterans like us would find ourselves in a rather awkward position.”
“That’s never going to happen. I’ve broken off the engagement. From now on, I’m striking out on my own. If you still trust me, give me a bit of time I won’t let you down.”
“We trust you, of course we trust you.”
Though the words tumbled out smoothly, skepticism lingered in her eyes. After all, the original owner’s reputation had always been abysmal, and Xia Zeyu hadn’t yet put up any dazzling business achievements to sway them unaware that the multi-million-yuan financial black hole had been plugged by Xia Zeyu swinging bare knuckles in underground fighting rings.
Sometimes timing works out with ironic cruelty; the moment you discuss someone, they materialize. No sooner had they wrapped up their conversation regarding Shen Congjin than two figures stepped through the front entrance.
Sporting a rare casual outfit, Shen Congjin walked in with Tang Tang hooked affectionately through his arm, wearing an expression radiating the sweet bliss of romance.
Xia Zeyu sipped his beer while eyeing the pair, his eyes narrowing slightly.
It appeared that a few verbal jabs weren’t yet enough to drive a permanent wedge between Tang Tang and Shen Congjin; he needed to make Tang Tang realize the fundamental unfairness of this world—that despite being a protagonist himself, his reality compared to Shen Congjin’s was like heaven and earth.
Though a Chinese proverb states, “It is better to demolish ten temples than wreck a single marriage,” dismantling the enemy’s internal front had always proven an exceptionally effective strategy for Xia Zeyu. He hadn’t climbed to the rank of Supreme God of War commander solely through high-tier supernatural abilities, but by pairing them with a ruthlessly calculating mind.
“Shen-ge, we used to come here all the time back in our college days. Ever since returning to China, I’ve been dying to revisit this place with you.”
Tang Tang’s voice carried a soft, mellifluous cadence the involuntary, spoiled coo native to romantic infatuation.
Had he been blessed with a few more centimeters of height, however, he would have caught the flicker of undisguised disdain flashing across Shen Congjin’s face as he surveyed the surroundings.
Naturally. The chefs employed in the Shen household were top-tier culinary masters commanding exorbitant salaries; accustomed to exotic delicacies and fine dining since youth, how could someone of his background genuinely stomach a gritty barbecue joint? Visiting during college days had likely been driven by a temporary craving for novelty; now? It was utterly beneath him.
Perhaps Xia Zeyu’s stare was a bit too direct, as Shen Congjin eventually caught sight of him. The exact second their eyes locked, a jolt of startled perplexity crossed Shen Congjin’s face.
Xia Zeyu remained entirely unruffled, raising a hand in a casual, friendly wave.
Noticing Shen Congjin freeze, Tang Tang followed his line of sight and caught sight of Xia Zeyu, causing his smile to stiffen instantly.
How wounding. Both of them act as though they just spotted a literal ghost.
Weren’t Shen Congjin and Tang Tang supposed to head over to the Xia estate for dinner tonight? What on earth were they doing here instead?
Had the original owner walked this exact plot path, he probably would have spent the entire afternoon sweating over a stove preparing an extravagant banquet at home, foolishly waiting around for Shen Congjin to show up. Only after hours of waiting would a phone call reveal that Shen Congjin had ditched him to take Tang Tang out instead, a betrayal that likely would have driven his already fragile mental state to collapse in a shattered heap of dinnerware.
Fortunately, Xia Zeyu had beaten Shen Congjin to the punch by ditching him first. Not a single dish suffered collateral damage tonight; regardless of how abundant resources were in this world, wasting food was a sin.
After exchanging a quiet murmur with Tang Tang, Shen Congjin strode directly toward their table.
“What are you doing here?” Shen Congjin opened with a hostile demand.
“President Shen, even outside of working hours, basic manners suggest a modicum of civility,” Xia Zeyu sighed. “Besides, all twenty of my department members are sitting right here. Strolling over to kick up a fuss makes me look rather bad.”
Only then did Shen Congjin notice that Xia Zeyu was surrounded by a sea of white-collared employees, several of whom still wore Xia Jewelry employee lanyards around their necks.
“You’re holding a team dinner here?” Shen Congjin’s tone remained belligerent. “What a massive coincidence running into you guys in a place like this?”
Xia Zeyu pulled out his phone, pulled up a promotional page, and turned the screen around to face Shen Congjin.
“Group-buying deal at 468 yuan for an ultra-massive feast, with unlimited refills of rice, lemon tea, and soft-serve ice cream. Since our department has a high ratio of female staff, grabbing two sets is more than enough to feed all twenty of us.”
Shen Congjin looked momentarily at a loss for words. “…Since when did you become so tight-fisted and thrifty?”
The old Xia Zeyu was infamous for dropping three to four hundred thousand yuan in a single night at elite nightclubs, ordering premium vintages solely to display them as table decorations without drinking a drop.
“Sigh, you’re well aware that our company is struggling right now; I have to pinch pennies wherever possible,” Xia Zeyu shrugged offhand.
Tang Tang chimed in abruptly from the side: “Zeyu, are you really doing this by pure coincidence? Did you somehow track our movements—”
“Hold it right there,” Xia Zeyu cut him off. “I readily admit that I used to act a bit unhinged in the past, but those days are over. Compared to romance, I have far more important pursuits to chase.”
It was hardly surprising that Tang Tang suspected foul play, given that the original owner had previously hired private investigators to tail him and even ambushed him in an alley to toss a burlap sack over his head and beat him up.
“What on earth could you possibly have to pursue?” Shen Congjin sneered.
“Wealth, power, status, and prestige,” Xia Zeyu curved his lips into a lazy, narrow smile. “I never cared about those things before because I’d never experienced them. But ever since I stepped into the fighting ring, earned my first pot of gold, and tasted the intoxicating rush of audience cheers and adoration, I realized that commanding universal reverence feels utterly exhilarating. President Shen, surely you must understand that feeling intimately, don’t you?”
Shen Congjin fell silent. The sharp rise and fall of his chest betrayed a sudden spike in his respiration.
Draining the final drop of beer from his glass, Xia Zeyu offered a serene, detached smile. “President Shen, I want to be the protagonist, too.”
It was as though a bolt of lightning had struck him; Shen Congjin’s entire body stiffened violently. The second he recovered his wits, he clamped a vice grip around Tang Tang’s arm and yanked him around. “Tang Tang, let’s find somewhere else to eat. Looking at him ruins my appetite.”
“Oh, right… okay…”
Dragged along forcefully by Shen Congjin, Tang Tang took a few steps away before glancing back over his shoulder at Xia Zeyu, his eyes swimming with a complicated mix of emotions.
Xia Zeyu simply flashed him a polite, parting smile.
Once the pair vanished completely from sight, Xia Zeyu turned back to wave his employees onward. “Alright everyone, back to eating.”
Shen Congjin’s reaction just moments ago carried a peculiar undercurrent as though hearing the word “protagonist” served as a direct trigger capable of making him flip out, much like how he reacted when squaring off against Fu Dongyan at the networking gala.
This world was rapidly escalating into a delightfully fascinating game.