TMCOC CH 9

Chapter 9: You’re Challenging Me, Aren’t You? (I)

Wei Gaochen was in a rare terrible mood.

Anna was the first to notice. Her boss — who normally carried a gentle smile capable of bankrupting a company and then buying it at a bargain — was wearing that same smile today, but in a way that meant danger.

In truth, this wasn’t very different from what Wei Gaochen usually did. But normally, he would wait longer before making a move. This time, he had no patience at all.

President Wei, who loved pushing prices to their absolute limit, was flipping through the documents Anna handed him with visible irritation.

A work-only phone sat on his desk, completely dead for days. The system hadn’t appeared lately, and since he was already in a bad mood, Wei Gaochen didn’t bother checking on it.

The last mission had been completed, and the system had rewarded him with money he probably wouldn’t be able to spend in his entire lifetime — so many zeroes that his private account looked fake.

But President Wei was still unhappy.

His butt hurt. His body hurt too.

He’d rested for several days, but the bone-deep exhaustion still lingered. The day he left the Du Corporation building half-paralyzed, Wei Gaochen genuinely thought he might die there.

Was it good? …Yes. It was good.

He had to admit: the protagonist really did have the talent of a human pile driver.

Du Linghe must have been touching a man for the first time. Wei Gaochen could swear on every cent in his bank account that, based on the plot and everything he knew, Du Linghe was absolutely not someone who liked men.

And yet this same man had turned his mind to mush, made him cry while saying “no,” only to get dragged into unconsciousness by the end.

Was passing out the first time normal!?

He wasn’t some frail heroine from a romance novel!

Irritated, Wei Gaochen aggressively threw the document in his hand. Anna calmly picked it back up and returned it to his desk.

“Regarding the complaint from the supplier connected to the Orzhou development plan we took from Du Corporation,” Anna reported, “as you predicted, none of their safety inspections passed. They’ve already been sued for breach of contract. They’re causing a fuss now and asking for a 5% rate reduction to offset the cost of switching suppliers.”

Wei Gaochen skimmed the report and scoffed.

“They’re incompetent and loud. I’m not giving them the chance to negotiate.” He looked nothing like a corporation president — more like a delinquent pretending to be one. “Let the noobs fight each other. Send out the bid we won last quarter tomorrow. Break even and give it away.”

“President Wei doesn’t want to hold onto it?”

Wei Gaochen rolled his eyes elegantly.

“Du Corporation already abandoned them. They’re useless to me now. Anyway, that gathering we talked about last time — if it hasn’t been rejected yet, tell them I’m going.”

“You mean the banquet organized by the top five conglomerates?”

“That one. I’ll attend. Also finish organizing the bid proposals I sorted earlier.”

Anna nodded steadily. “Understood. I’ll handle it. Also, President Wei, our annual private gala is being prepared as usual — just updating you.”

“Mm. And remember, aside from Du Linghe who is permanently blacklisted, feel free to invite other people from Du Corporation.” Wei Gaochen thought for a moment. “Give them more slots this year. Let those restless old geezers come leech off our resources. You handle the list.”

Faced with the endless piles of documents waiting for her, Anna inhaled deeply. She knew she could do it.

As though reading her mind, just as Anna was preparing herself to return to work, Wei Gaochen said without looking up:

“Bonus is triple this season. Do well.”

Anna nodded calmly. “Understood. I’ll handle this thoroughly.”

Her eyes changed—like a female leopard ready to hunt. She radiated blazing enthusiasm, and even her footsteps leaving the president’s office carried excitement.

She was President Wei’s most loyal servant. Capitalism’s faithful guard dog.

Meanwhile, Wei Gaochen sank back into his own thoughts. After everything ended that day, his mind had been a blur. Du Linghe had tidied his clothes a little, then personally carried him out of the Du Corporation.

In that moment, Wei Gaochen truly felt like he was nothing more than a breathing corpse.

Thankfully, the private elevator in his office led straight to the parking garage. Otherwise, he would never have allowed Du Linghe to carry him out into the open.

In the end, Wei Gaochen insisted on returning to his own home. Du Linghe had no choice but to send him back to his small villa.

“Damn pile driver…”^[1] Wei Gaochen grumbled.

After returning home, he had taken a trembling shower and then passed out for an entire day.

He woke only because he developed a mild fever. His lower back was unbearably swollen and sore from lack of proper care. He felt so terrible he didn’t even have the strength to curse.

It wasn’t until today that he finally recovered about eighty percent, enough to return to the company and deal with the mountain of work.

Although being half-ruined by Du Linghe during their sex left him bedridden… he had to admit he enjoyed it. He decided to treat it as an unexpected one-night fling. After all, the protagonist’s physique was very much to his liking.

Consider it a congratulations for losing his virginity, he thought flatly as he plugged in the dead system phone.

The moment it powered on, a message popped up.

Wei Gaochen’s eyes widened slightly.

The banquet hosted by the top five conglomerates was essentially just a luxurious playground for the upper class to show off their wealth.

Normally, Wei Gaochen declined such invitations.

In recent years, although the Wei Corporation had risen into the ranks of the top five, they were usually just the financiers—like an ATM—allowing their company’s name to appear while he himself never attended.

After all, among these long-established corporations, his company was still the newbie—the upstart with shallow foundations. To the others, he was simply a rich parvenu, unworthy of comparison to groups with generations of accumulated wealth.

Wei Gaochen didn’t care much. In past years he was too busy to attend anyway. The only thing he regretted was never seeing Du Linghe wearing the brand-new suit tailored specifically for these banquets—never seeing how he stood out like a shining star among middle-aged, overweight CEOs.

The world of face-obsessed people was simple, after all.

But this time, Wei Gaochen had a different purpose. Even though sleeping with Du Linghe made everything unbelievably awkward, he had his mission to think about… yes, his almighty mission system.

He had planned to attend anyway. Now he had no choice. All for the rewards and plot progression!

After putting on the custom suit Anna prepared, Wei Gaochen looked at himself in the mirror and gave himself a confidence pep talk.

At the entrance of the glamorous venue, luxury cars of all types lined up.

CEOs, chaebols, and socialites stepped out one by one. The air was thick with extravagance and excess—this was a world built on piles of money. Appearance wasn’t everything; the true measure of status was the power you held.

Wei Gaochen boredly watched a couple of socialites struggle to exit their cars because of impractical dresses. They looked embarrassed and frantic.

Yawning, he adjusted the hair he had slicked back specially for tonight, giving him a fresher, more spirited look while still maintaining his usual refined elegance.

He hadn’t been picky with cars—just rented any luxury vehicle that fit his “newly rich” persona.

He was satisfied with his choice.

After the socialites finally managed to get out, his own car rolled slowly toward the entrance.

A staff member opened his door. A red carpet stretched outside, and reporters crowded both sides. The moment they saw him, the noise skyrocketed. The rapid shutter sounds and flashing lights made him wrinkle his brows in discomfort.

He was good at yelling bids at auctions, but scenes like this always left him faintly uneasy.

Still, he had played the role of a mature villain CEO for years. After stepping out of the car, he first bowed his head to adjust his sleeve. When he lifted his head, a gentle, harmless smile appeared.

No one would guess this was the same man who crushed companies into bankruptcy for fun.

“President Wei, regarding Du Corporation’s recent suppression, what are your future plans?”

“President Wei! What’s the reason for your attendance today?”

“President Wei—!”

With a polite smile, he waved off the barrage of questions, pretending not to hear anything.

Just as he was about to step forward—

A hand landed on his shoulder.

The surrounding reporters froze for one second.

Then, like someone injected them with pure adrenaline, the noise exploded even louder—this time shifting from business questions to full-blown gossip frenzy.

“President Wei, is it true that there’s something ambiguous going on between you and President Du?”

“President Wei! How would you describe your recent relationship development with President Du? Can you comment on it?”

“President Wei—!”

No, he and Du Linghe had absolutely nothing between them! Shut up!

Wei Gaichen was screaming internally, but none of it showed on his face. He slowed his breathing. The faint traces of that man’s scent lingered in his nose—something he just couldn’t forget—making his body stiffen slightly. Then, very slowly, he lifted his head.

What entered his sight was the protagonist’s sharply defined side profile.

(To be continued…)