Handing the kitten over to his assistant, Xue Bao Tian pushed open the meeting room door. Directors in formal suits were seated along both sides of the long table, his father occupying the central seat, while his brother-in-law Wei Hua was still droning on, his speech just reaching the “future outlook” part.
Dust- and dirt-stained leather shoes stepped onto the polished floor. Moving at an unhurried pace, Xue Bao Tian crossed almost the entire meeting room before sitting down in the empty seat to his father’s right. He lazily raised a hand, signaling his brother-in-law to continue.
The kiss marks on his neck were obvious, and Xue Bao Tian carried the decadent air of someone who had indulged in alcohol and pleasure. From the main seat, Xue Kun glanced at the others’ reactions and muttered under his breath, “Where the hell did you go fooling around this time?”
Xue Bao Tian tugged at his collar, placating his father. “Didn’t delay anything important, did I?” Then he turned to Wei Hua. “Vice President Wei, finished? If so, my turn.”
He took the proposal from his assistant and casually asked, “Where’s the cat?”
His voice wasn’t quiet, making the assistant slightly awkward. Lowering his voice, the assistant replied, “It’s in your office.”
“Give it some water. Turn on the air conditioning.”
Flipping open the document, Xue Bao Tian spoke in a cool tone tinged with hoarseness from a hangover. “I assume everyone here has reviewed the proposal I submitted to the board. I propose adding a ‘medicine-food homology’ section for traditional Chinese medicinal decoction pieces within Ruixiang’s chain pharmacies…”
An hour later, the spacious meeting room was left with only Xue Bao Tian. The small, ugly tabby cat curled up on the chair beside him, sleeping, its belly rising and falling rhythmically.
The door opened. Wei Hua, wearing gold-rimmed glasses, walked in. Handsome and well-dressed, he carried the air of an elite professional.
Holding a document, he walked slowly to stand across from Xue Bao Tian, placing both hands on the table. The slight curve of his lips could just be called contempt. “Xue Bao Tian, savoring the taste of failure alone? No matter how well you wrote that proposal, what’s the use? No one supported it.”
Flipping open the document in his hands, Wei Hua clicked his tongue. “This is really thorough, and the supporting data is extensive. It’s feasible and has real prospects. So why didn’t it pass?”
Xue Bao Tian propped his legs up on the table, raised his middle finger to his lips, and spoke in a light, lazy tone: “Shh, my cat’s afraid of dogs. Keep your voice down.”
Only then did Wei Hua notice the dirty little tabby cat. His pupils shrank slightly, and he sneered. “Looks like Young Master Xue can only win some verbal victories now.”
Xue Bao Tian nodded along easily. “Winning something is still better than winning nothing.”
Suppressing his temper, Wei Hua pulled out a chair and sat down, placing the document on the table. “What do you think would happen if this proposal were submitted to the board under my name?”
Xue Bao Tian stroked the cat’s head. “Unanimous approval?”
Wei Hua tapped the table twice with his fingers—his habitual gesture when he was pleased or smug. “That’s the difference between you and me. You have no education, no culture, and no character. You act erratically and unreliably. So what if you have a good eye for opportunities? Who would trust someone like you?”
Xue Bao Tian was silent for a moment. Then he pointed the cigarette between his fingers at Wei Hua from afar, a bright smile spreading across his face. “I actually feel sorry for the mosquitoes in your house—they could stay on your face all night and still wouldn’t complete their KPI.” He brought the cigarette to his lips, took a deep drag, exhaled the smoke, and lifted his brow. “No one passed my proposal—wasn’t that because you went around treating each director to coffee? The moment I submitted my plan, you got busy. You did plenty of groundwork early on, and it worked pretty well. If you hadn’t come here to show off, it would’ve been perfect.”
He always knows exactly where to hit—never misses, never softens.
Wei Hua had once reflected on why he always got provoked by Xue Bao Tian in just a few sentences and ended up losing the upper hand. Only now did he realize—it was because Xue Bao Tian always struck at his deepest sore spots, hitting the mark every time, without mercy.
The look behind his lenses burned with anger. Wei Hua’s expression suddenly darkened. “If it weren’t for me, your Xue family would’ve been swallowed clean by those old foxes, no matter how many shares you held. You think you’d have any say? Dream on!”
The hostility in his voice startled the kitten awake. The timid tabby let out a soft meow and retreated into the corner of the chair.
Xue Bao Tian stood up, picked it up, and gently soothed it before turning a cold gaze on the man across from him. “Wei Hua, do you know why I haven’t ripped off your mask and exposed you? First, you did help my dad stabilize his position in Ruixiang a few years ago. Second, you’ve treated my sister fairly well. Without those two reasons, for the little tricks you’ve been pulling behind the scenes, I would’ve killed you already.”
He paused, fingers smoothing the kitten’s fur.
You’re only still standing because you’re useful—for now.
Holding the cat, he walked toward the door and left a calm but final warning. “However we fight, we fight on equal footing.” His hand rested on the doorknob as he paused and turned back to look at Wei Hua. “But the premise is—you stay loyal to my dad and faithful to my sister. Otherwise, when it comes to those shady tricks, you’re not even close to my level.”
The door opened and shut. The faint meowing gradually faded into silence.
That night, Xue Bao Tian felt frustrated. He gathered a drinking party, but the noisy crowd only made his headache worse, leaving him even more restless and irritable.
Someone came over with a flattering smile to toast him. Xue Bao Tian rubbed his temples.
That damn cheap liquor… still messing with my head.
Clinking glasses with someone, he only took a small sip. With a woman in his arms, he took out his phone and sent Zhang Chi a message: Has anyone contacted you?
After waiting a long time without a reply, Xue Bao Tian cursed under his breath, letting out a quiet scoff. “Getting cocky, huh?”
Ignoring me now? He’s got some nerve.
After fooling around with his fair-weather friends for half the night, Xue Bao Tian sat in his car, his stomach churning. He stuffed some cash into the designated driver’s hand and slurred, “Go on, I need to recover a bit.”
After drinking half a bottle of water, he felt slightly better. The air inside the car was stuffy, so he rolled down the window. Cold wind rushed in, carrying the soft rustling of paper. Looking up, he saw the proposal on the center console. He flipped through it and let out a disappointed sigh.
All that effort… wasted.
His phone in his pocket vibrated twice. Xue Bao Tian glanced at the time on the dashboard, assuming it was his father’s usual daily scolding.
But when he unlocked the screen, the first thing that popped up was Zhang Chi’s chat. The reply had come forty minutes earlier: A lot.
Damn, that’s it? Couldn’t even say more?
Xue Bao Tian shifted into a more comfortable position and dialed Zhang Chi’s number. Bored, he was looking to entertain himself.
The call was picked up quickly. A deep male voice mixed with distant ambient noise came through.
“Out?” Xue Bao Tian glanced at the time again. “Quite the nightlife you’ve got.”
“On the bus.”
“Where to?” Xue Bao Tian asked casually.
“A bar.” Zhang Chi’s voice was steady and matter-of-fact. “Someone from that app asked me to meet at a bar.”
Xue Bao Tian practically jumped up from the passenger seat, ignoring his dizziness as excitement surged through him. “Really? Zhang, now that’s more like it—you’re finally acting like a man. When you meet them, be generous—buy them some good drinks. Settle it tonight! Got money? If not, I’ll transfer you some.”
The sound of a bus stop announcement came through the phone, followed by a burst of noise. Xue Bao Tian pressed the phone tighter to his ear before catching Zhang Chi’s low voice:
“Two Hundred, I don’t have experience. Come help me take a look.”
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Futile Devices Scans 
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