The spacious, immaculate office was decorated in warm white tones. A camel-colored carpet patterned with geometric checks covered the floor, while a substantial wood-grain desk held a computer, notebooks, documents, and an irregularly shaped crystal-and-chrome ornament.
A sofa and coffee table stood to the left of the entrance. To the right, a potted monstera sat before the floor-to-ceiling windows. The morning sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, bathing the monstera’s leaves in a soft glow, while the shadows beneath its branches swayed gently across the carpet.
The heavy wooden door shut out the bustle of Monday morning beyond the office.
In the quiet room, the clicking of the keyboard alternated between slow and rapid, following no discernible rhythm, like a piano piece whose tempo had fallen into disarray.
It cast an inexplicable trace of gloom over what should have been a tranquil and peaceful atmosphere.
Qi Mu sat behind the desk with a frown. Beside his hand was a cup of coffee that had already gone cold without him taking a single sip. He stared intently at the computer screen, line after line of text reflected in the lenses of his glasses.
Jiang Zong Chao, male, Han ethnicity, born August 1975, native of City A, formerly served as…
Wife: Li Yue Ting…
Eldest son: Jiang Shao. Second son: Jiang Qin…
Qi Mu stared fixedly at those names. Just ten hours ago, they had been entirely unfamiliar to him. Now, however, they felt extraordinarily familiar—so familiar that he even knew these people’s futures.
If last night had merely been a dream, how could it have felt so real?
And how could all these people just happen to exist?
Qi Mu pressed his thin lips together tightly. His gaze settled on the two characters forming the name Jiang Shao, and he began searching again. Compared with Jiang Zong Chao, however, there was pitifully little information available on Jiang Shao. His date of birth, university, personal history… There was nothing. Qi Mu could not even find a single photograph of him.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound at the door pulled Qi Mu back to his senses. Habitually, he lifted a finger to push his glasses up and said, “Come in.”
Zhan Xiao Hui entered carrying a stack of documents. “President Qi, these are the files for the new employees hired over the past month.”
Qi Mu nodded. “Leave them here.”
Zhan Xiao Hui placed the files on the desk. Before turning away, she secretly glanced at Qi Mu, feeling somewhat puzzled.
Why would President Qi suddenly want to look over something so minor? Moreover, President Qi was normally calm and gentle. She had never seen him look this serious and grave before. Could something have happened to the company?
Zhan Xiao Hui loved this heavenly nine-to-five job, with its generous benefits, abundant vacation days, complete lack of overtime, and a boss who was easy on the eyes. After leaving the office, she could not help silently praying that both the boss and the company would remain safe and sound!
Where else could she possibly find such a wonderful company and such a handsome boss who never emotionally manipulated his employees?
Qi Mu did not notice the worried expression on his employee’s face. He picked up the files and began flipping through them gravely. Suddenly, his movements stopped. The discovery was so difficult to believe that his fingers tightened around one corner of the résumé, leaving a deep crease in the paper.
There really was someone named Jiang Shao among the new employees!
Qi Mu took a deep breath and barely managed to calm himself before examining the résumé with great care.
There was not much information on it, but it was clearly more detailed than anything he had found online. The more Qi Mu read, the more solemn his expression became. Jiang Shao’s age, hometown, and other details were identical to what he had seen in the book from his dream.
Yet the résumé concealed his origins in one of the capital’s most powerful families. If the contents of the dream were real, this was clearly a falsified résumé. Almost all meaningful information had been erased, making him appear perfectly ordinary.
But Qi Mu knew that Jiang Shao was anything but ordinary.
In his dream, Jiang Shao was the protagonist of a novel.
As a ruthless Long Aotian-style protagonist, Jiang Shao was the eldest young master of an elite family from the capital. Yet he concealed his identity to work at a small company, showing off, slapping people in the face, and playing the pig to eat the tiger. Everyone who offended him suffered a terrible death.
Elio’s Notes: Long Aotian (龙傲天) – A Chinese web-novel term for an unrealistically overpowered male protagonist who is talented, wealthy, influential, and nearly impossible to defeat.
It was truly a brainless wish-fulfillment novel.
Qi Mu had merely gone to sleep, only to be forced to read such a book. When he woke, he had felt dazed and speechless.
In the story, besides being born into an elite family, Jiang Shao was also the secret controller of a major technology corporation. He was practically a walking cheat code. It was one thing for someone like that to conceal his identity and pretend to be an ordinary employee, but why did he also have to be so arrogant and contemptuous of everyone around him? Anyone who dared look down on or offend him had to be destroyed?
Was this not basically entrapment?
Qi Mu could not derive the slightest satisfaction from such a poorly constructed and illogical novel, whose characters showed off merely for the sake of showing off. On the contrary… he was extremely displeased, because he himself was apparently a character in the book.
During the early stage of the male lead’s cheat-enabled wish-fulfillment life, Qi Mu was a completely insignificant minor boss—the owner of the company where the protagonist worked. After attempting to coerce the protagonist into a sexual relationship, his company went bankrupt and his entire family was ruined.
Although every woman in the story secretly adored the male lead and formed part of his harem, any man who dared covet him was required to die an especially horrible death.
Even more incomprehensible to Qi Mu than this brainless “the weather has turned cold, so bankrupt the Wang family” plot was why he would ever try to take advantage of an employee.
How could he possibly do such a thing?
Besides, he did not even like men!
Qi Mu had assumed it was merely a nightmare. He had probably been under too much pressure at work lately, causing him to have such an absurd and bizarre dream.
Since he had been unable to fall asleep again after waking, Qi Mu had arrived at the company early.
Yet unlike ordinary dreams, which became vague after one woke, this dream remained so clear that even the smallest details felt real. It was like a passage memorized over and over in school, engraved deeply into his mind… Almost as though possessed, Qi Mu had asked his assistant to bring him the new employees’ files.
According to the book’s plot, Jiang Shao should already have joined his company by this point. If none of the new employees had that name, Qi Mu could set the entire episode aside and tell himself it had only been a dream.
Then he could continue living his orderly, uneventful life.
But unexpectedly—
There truly was such a person.
The résumé contained very little useful information. It was simple, clean, and ordinary, revealing nothing unusual. Only in the one-inch identification photograph was there a young man whose strikingly handsome face would leave a lasting impression at a single glance—a face belonging unmistakably to a protagonist.
Qi Mu removed his glasses and tiredly pinched the bridge of his nose. He told himself that this still proved nothing…
Perhaps it was only a coincidence.
Perhaps they merely had the same name.
Perhaps…
Yet he could not suppress the unease deep in his heart. Even though he knew how absurd and ridiculous all this was, he could not stop himself from thinking about it.
Qi Mu remembered his fate in the book.
His fictional self had behaved as though possessed by a lustful ghost, taking an immediate interest in the male lead and blindly reaching out his claws toward him. Naturally, he had not succeeded—but the consequences of offending the protagonist soon became apparent.
At that time, a batch of electrical components produced by the company happened to have quality defects, causing an accident involving household appliances manufactured by a client company. With Jiang Shao secretly fueling the situation, the incident rapidly escalated into a major public controversy. The company’s major clients recalled all affected products, terminated their partnerships, and sent legal notices demanding astronomical compensation.
The company quickly fell into crisis. To make matters worse, the regulatory authorities simultaneously sealed the company’s factory inventory on the grounds of safety risks, froze its bank accounts, and dispatched an investigative team.
Almost overnight, the company was pushed to the verge of bankruptcy. Its liabilities exceeded its assets, and it was acquired by Shunxun Technology, the company secretly controlled by Jiang Shao.
Driven into a corner under Jiang Shao’s pressure, Qi Mu ultimately jumped from a building and died.
Qi Mu closed his eyes.
To someone like Jiang Shao, Qi Corporation might be nothing more than an insignificant little company that could be acquired at will…
Even Qi Mu himself was merely cannon fodder who could be casually trampled beneath his feet.
But to Qi Mu, the company represented his father’s lifetime of hard work. His father had always insisted on treating others with honesty and pursuing excellence. The company had developed steadily over the years and had become one of the leading businesses in the electrical-component industry, with several factories and thousands of employees.
This company affected the lives of countless people. Qi Mu had taken over only two years ago. He could not allow something like that to happen under his leadership.
The company had always exercised strict control over its production process, with proper quality inspections and other procedures in place. Logically speaking, an accident like that should have been impossible.
But…
Remembering everything from the dream…
Qi Mu opened a folder on his computer and retrieved a document. The most recent batch of components was scheduled for delivery in ten days.
According to the progression of events in his dream, this was precisely the batch that had developed problems.
Qi Mu’s expression darkened.
Even if there was only the slightest possibility, he would not gamble his future fate on wishful thinking.
…
After delivering the documents, Zhan Xiao Hui stopped by the break room to pick up a dessert. She sat at her desk, took out her phone, and opened a WeChat group called Happy at Work, Happier Slacking Off.
Xiao Xiao the Foodie Fish: The boss didn’t look too good today. Does anyone know what happened?
Professional Slacker: Huh? Haven’t heard anything. Still-asleep.jpg
Money Is All I Want: Our performance growth has been so good in the second half of the year. What could the boss possibly be unhappy about?
Little Lin: Then this year’s bonus should be pretty generous, right? I want to travel abroad during the New Year. Starry-eyes.jpg
Xiao Xiao the Foodie Fish: …
Zhan Xiao Hui thought that perhaps she had been overthinking things. Even if the boss was in a bad mood, it did not necessarily have anything to do with the company. She had heard that Old President Qi had always worried about President Qi’s marriage prospects and had recently been urging him to go on blind dates. Perhaps President Qi was simply upset about that?
Reassured, she was just about to enjoy her morning tea when she saw Qi Mu push open his door and step outside.
“Xiao Zhan, tell the heads of every department to meet this morning…” Qi Mu raised his wrist and checked his watch before saying heavily, “At eleven o’clock in the conference room.”
Zhan Xiao Hui was astonished. “Today?”
There was less than half an hour until eleven. As Qi Mu’s assistant, she knew that no such meeting had previously been scheduled. Why was he suddenly summoning every department head?
Qi Mu nodded. “Yes. Notify them now.”
With that, he turned and returned to his office.
Zhan Xiao Hui stared at his retreating back, her internal alarm radar beeping incessantly. It really did seem as though something terrible was about to happen!
Half an hour later.
In the conference room, Qi Mu announced that the company would further strengthen its quality-management procedures and ordered a new inspection of the latest batch of electrical components.
This sudden demand naturally drew strong opposition. The batch had already undergone sample inspections in accordance with national standards. Conducting an additional specialized inspection of every individual component at such short notice was undoubtedly redundant.
However, Qi Mu, who had always been modest and mild-tempered in the past, was exceptionally forceful this time. Left with no alternative, everyone could only agree.
The inspections would take several days.
Over the following days, Qi Mu continued his work as usual while considering how he should respond if the batch truly had problems.
Although the incident in the dream had indeed been the company’s responsibility, matters would never have escalated so badly without Jiang Shao fueling and manipulating the situation behind the scenes. As long as the company contained the incident promptly and actively provided compensation, it could have weathered the crisis rather than falling into bankruptcy.
More importantly, now that Qi Mu knew about it in advance, he could stop the delivery of that batch entirely. The later events would then never occur, and Jiang Shao would have nothing to exploit…
Naturally, Qi Mu still hoped that he was merely worrying unnecessarily.
He laughed at himself for taking a dream so seriously, yet still tossed and turned sleeplessly at night.
Waiting for a result was often agonizing.
Qi Mu remembered when he had first joined the company. His father had sent him alone to negotiate an important contract for the first time. He had prepared extremely thoroughly beforehand, and the negotiations themselves had gone relatively smoothly. However, the other company’s president had not agreed on the spot, merely saying that he needed time to consider it and would give Qi Mu an answer three days later.
Those brief three days had felt longer than anything Qi Mu had ever experienced.
For a long time afterward, Qi Mu had never again lost sleep while waiting for a result.
He had become increasingly steady, composed, and restrained. He maintained excellent relationships with clients and kept the company operating in perfect order. Once Qi Xiang Ming saw that his son had established a firm foothold within the company, he confidently handed it over to him and began enjoying a leisurely retirement.
Nine o’clock on Thursday morning.
As usual, Qi Mu entered the company precisely on time. The moment he reached his office, he saw the vice president and the head of the Production Department waiting outside.
Qi Mu’s heart sank slightly, but he calmly invited them inside.
“Are the results out?” Qi Mu asked.
The vice president had opposed the repeat inspection. He now looked somewhat embarrassed, and his voice involuntarily lowered. “There really is a slight problem with this batch of relays. The silicone grease used in them does not meet standards. With prolonged use, it could potentially cause the chips to burn out. But… the probability of that happening is not high…”
Qi Mu said, “So?”
The vice president coughed lightly. “I believe we can still deliver them on schedule. The chance of an accident is very low…”
Qi Mu interrupted him with a grave expression. “Have you considered how severely an accident would damage the company’s reputation? Delivering components that we know are defective constitutes a major safety violation.”
The vice president smiled awkwardly. “I understand your concerns, President Qi, but many manufacturers on the market produce components that are even worse than ours. This is truly only a minor problem. It would never have been discovered without a specialized inspection… Besides, if we cannot deliver on schedule, we will be in breach of contract and will have to pay damages. That could undermine our clients’ trust in us!”
Qi Mu watched him calmly with his dark eyes, and the vice president’s voice gradually faded.
Qi Mu slowly asked, “Which do you think is more likely to cost us their trust: concealing the truth and knowingly delivering defective components, or promptly correcting our mistake?”
The vice president looked troubled. “But the contractual damages, combined with the losses from destroying this entire batch, will be enormous… As long as we don’t say anything, who would ever know?”
He felt somewhat helpless in the face of Qi Mu’s obstinacy. This was simply how the market worked. Everyone was trying to make money. Who would pay such an enormous price over such a minor possibility? The numbers simply did not make sense!
Even if something did go wrong, they could always recall the products afterward.
“Uncle Chen, you’ve worked at the company for more than ten years. You’re one of my father’s long-standing employees.” Qi Mu looked at him earnestly. “I remember that my father often said honesty must always come first, whether in how one conducts oneself or handles business. If our clients and consumers lose their trust in us, that will have the most serious consequences of all.
“Do not forget that credibility is the foundation of this company.”
The vice president was left speechless.
Qi Mu continued in a slow but unwavering voice, “Delivery of this batch must be halted immediately. I will personally explain the delay and apologize to our clients. You need to produce a replacement batch as quickly as possible. This time, make certain the same problem does not happen again.”
Faced with Qi Mu’s unquestionable decision, the vice president could say nothing more. He and the head of the Production Department stood. “Rest assured, President Qi. We’ll handle it immediately.”
Qi Mu nodded, enunciating each word distinctly. “One more thing… Conduct a thorough investigation into why substandard silicone grease was used.”
The vice president and the Production Department head exchanged glances. Both felt as though a storm was approaching. Some matters could be overlooked as long as no one examined them too closely, but if Qi Mu insisted on pursuing the investigation to the very end, someone might soon find themselves unable to clean up the consequences.
The two men opened the door and left.
Qi Mu maintained his perfectly upright posture as he stared at the closed door. Several minutes passed before he collapsed weakly against the back of his chair. Lowering his head, he opened his hand and discovered that his tightly clenched palm was covered in cold sweat.
He had not been nearly as calm as he had appeared.
When he learned that there truly was a problem with the batch of components—and that even the cause was identical to what he had seen in his dream—the anxiety that had accumulated over the past several days could no longer be contained. It poured out like floodwaters breaching a dam, submerging him from head to toe.
The final trace of hope vanished completely.
It was all real.
The tightly closed doors and windows made the room feel suffocating. Qi Mu frowned and hooked a finger beneath his tie, tugging it loose.
He told himself to remain calm.
He had now discovered the problem in advance. This was already the best possible outcome—a blessing amid misfortune. Although the immediate losses could not be avoided, as long as he corrected the problem in time, every difficulty ahead would only be temporary. He would not allow himself or the company… to fall into such an irreversible situation.
What he needed to do now was reassure the clients as quickly as possible and catch the procurement manager who had accepted kickbacks.
Qi Mu’s expression turned cold.
He could not relax yet. There was still a great deal to be done.
The day soon passed.
The hazy light of dusk descended.
Knock, knock, knock.
Before leaving work, Zhan Xiao Hui knocked on Qi Mu’s office door.
She had vaguely heard about the trouble at the company. After all, something this serious could not possibly remain hidden. It had spread throughout the company in a single day. No wonder President Qi had seemed so troubled lately.
A competent assistant needed to know how to read the room and avoid disturbing her superior when he was already overwhelmed.
But necessary work still had to be done.
Zhan Xiao Hui carefully asked, “President Qi, according to your original schedule, you are supposed to attend the new-employee training completion ceremony tomorrow morning. Would you still like to attend as planned?”
She studied the man before her. The stern-faced man froze, as though he had only just remembered the matter.
Zhan Xiao Hui thought that the boss clearly had no attention to spare for something so minor. Immediately interpreting his expression, she said, “If you would like to cancel, I’ll notify the Human Resources Department now and ask the vice president in charge to attend on your behalf…”
Before she could finish speaking, however, the man raised his head and looked at her. His expression was grave as he enunciated each word.
“No. I’ll attend personally.”
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