Qi Mu’s thumb idly stroked his cuff link. A small, translucent sapphire was set into it, and faint traces of coolness seeped through his skin from the gemstone’s icy facets. Sitting calmly in the front row, he listened as the host onstage announced, “Now, let us invite President Qi Mu to say a few words.”
Qi Mu rose and walked onto the stage with unhurried steps. His gaze swept discreetly across the audience, and he immediately spotted the young man sitting in a corner.
Although the young man wore the uniform issued by the company, his careless bearing made him seem distinctly out of place among the neatly dressed new employees sitting upright around him.
He sat near the back beside the aisle, his navy jacket hanging half open to reveal a white T-shirt underneath. One hand rested casually on the armrest as he leaned back with lazy abandon, while his long legs, seemingly with nowhere to go, stretched diagonally into the aisle.
Unlike the attentive new employees around him, the young man’s head drooped indifferently. His fallen fringe concealed his eyes, leaving only the faint outline of a straight nose and the sharp curve of his jaw visible.
Before that dream, Qi Mu might not have noticed Jiang Shao at all.
But now that he knew Jiang Shao’s identity, he could not help paying him a little more attention. Seeing how comfortably the man lounged as though he were in his own living room, Qi Mu could only think: Was this what one should expect from a Long Aotian protagonist?
After all, the esteemed young master was only here to experience ordinary life, show off, and slap people in the face. He had not actually come to earn a living like everyone else. Naturally, he was different.
Qi Mu composed himself and withdrew his gaze before beginning in a calm, measured voice, “First of all, on behalf of the company’s entire management team and all our employees, I would like to warmly welcome everyone here…”
…
Jiang Shao lazily crossed his long legs and lowered his eyes to toy with his fingers. It was all the same formulaic nonsense. He had no interest in such formalities, nor did he enjoy listening to hypocritical old men drone on endlessly. He had attended merely to go through the motions.
Unexpectedly, however, this man’s voice was exceptionally pleasant. It flowed past his ears like deep, tranquil water, then brushed gently across his skin like a soothing breeze through the forest.
Even though the speech itself was dry and tedious, the voice made him listen almost without realizing it. Jiang Shao instinctively raised his head and looked toward the front.
Contrary to what he had imagined, the person standing onstage was a young man.
Back then, he had merely told Lu Jin Wen to find him any company. Lu Jin Wen had chosen the company and submitted the résumé for him. Since Jiang Shao did not intend to remain here for long, he had never bothered learning anything about the business, much less what kind of person its owner was.
Only today did he learn the man’s name and finally see what he looked like.
The man wore a perfectly tailored bespoke suit, immaculate and free of even the slightest crease. Every button of his shirt was fastened neatly to the collar, while a silver-gray tie encircled his long, fair neck. A pair of gold-rimmed glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, concealing delicate brows and eyes behind the lenses. His dark pupils resembled a night sky shrouded in mist.
His features were clearly refined and gentle, yet the restraint and meticulous precision of his clothing lent him an inexplicably abstinent air. Jiang Shao’s gaze settled upon the man’s pale, thin lips as they opened and closed. After a moment, it slowly drifted downward, lingering briefly on the neck wrapped tightly within his collar before finally falling on the right hand lightly holding the microphone.
It was a beautiful hand, slender and clearly jointed. Every so often, the blue gemstone cuff link at his wrist caught the light, making the small patch of fair skin beneath it appear even more translucent and jade-like.
From head to toe, the man seemed exquisite down to every strand of hair, without a single flaw to be found.
Jiang Shao thought that the man certainly possessed an attractive appearance.
But that did not mean he would develop a favorable impression of Qi Mu. On the contrary, Jiang Shao had encountered far too many sanctimonious businessmen. No matter how respectable and impeccably dressed they appeared on the surface, they were nothing but hypocrites driven by profit. And the man before him…
Aside from being exceptionally good-looking, he was no different from the rest.
He looked exactly like a refined scoundrel who excelled at disguising his true nature and delighted in finding fault with everything.
Jiang Shao indifferently withdrew his gaze and half closed his eyes, no longer looking toward the front.
“From today onward, all of you are officially members of this company. I hope you will grow alongside the company here while also achieving your own dreams as soon as possible.” After delivering his closing remarks, Qi Mu stepped down from the stage.
He likewise did not look at Jiang Shao again.
In the dream, Jiang Shao had been vigilant and suspicious. Qi Mu had no desire to attract his attention. He had only come today to observe him.
Jiang Shao was much as Qi Mu had imagined. Not only did he possess the unmistakably handsome appearance of a protagonist, but even his mannerisms were equally protagonist-like. Yet even after so many days, Qi Mu still could not understand why Jiang Shao had concealed his identity to work at his company.
There was nothing special about his company. Although it was relatively well known locally, it should not have been worthy of Jiang Shao’s notice, much less contain anything worth plotting for. Could it be that the esteemed young master had simply grown tired of his privileged life and wanted to experience the existence of an ordinary salaried worker?
And Qi Mu was merely the unlucky victim selected at random?
Qi Mu could not understand Jiang Shao’s behavior. At that moment, only one thought occupied his mind: fire Jiang Shao and send him as far away from the company as possible.
But the thought lasted only an instant before Qi Mu rejected it.
He had not forgotten how vindictive Jiang Shao was. Among the people who offended him in the dream, even those who merely said something that displeased him had paid a considerable price. If Qi Mu dismissed him without cause, he would undoubtedly offend Jiang Shao and would probably be unable to escape the fate of having his entire company bankrupted on a whim.
Yet Qi Mu could not rest easy while allowing this formidable ancestor to remain. Although he had learned of the crisis in advance and prevented the defective components from reaching the market, as long as Jiang Shao stayed at the company, there was no guarantee that some other problem would not arise.
Moreover, although Qi Mu knew Jiang Shao’s true identity, no one else did. The company’s employees were all ordinary people. If someone accidentally offended Jiang Shao and brought disaster upon themselves, that was not something Qi Mu wished to see either. The safety of his employees was also his responsibility.
Troubled, Qi Mu pressed his fingers against his brow and pondered for a long time. After returning to his office, he summoned the head of Human Resources.
Qi Mu took out Jiang Shao’s résumé and said directly, “Transfer him to the President’s Office.”
The head of Human Resources looked at the résumé in surprise. He remembered Jiang Shao, since the young man was exceptionally handsome. However, if he recalled correctly, Jiang Shao had applied to the Administration Department. Why did President Qi want to transfer a new employee to the President’s Office?
Could Jiang Shao be a relative of President Qi’s?
Qi Mu clearly had no intention of explaining further, and naturally, the head of Human Resources did not ask. He nodded. “All right.”
The office fell silent once more.
Qi Mu bent a finger and tapped lightly against the desk, his eyes lowered. Since he could not dismiss Jiang Shao outright, he could only keep the man under his own supervision for the time being. That way, Qi Mu could at least keep an eye on matters should anything happen and wait for a suitable opportunity to send Jiang Shao away. Besides…
He did not believe Jiang Shao truly intended to work seriously. If he placed Jiang Shao in the President’s Office and assigned him more work, perhaps the esteemed young master would grow tired of it within a few days. The best outcome would be for Jiang Shao to leave of his own accord.
…
After attending the new-employee training completion ceremony yesterday and arranging Jiang Shao’s transfer to the President’s Office, Qi Mu temporarily set the matter aside. After all, he had many other things demanding his attention. Besides considering how to reassure the clients, he also had to rush production of the replacement batch… He was utterly overwhelmed and had no time to revolve his life around Jiang Shao.
After yesterday afternoon’s meeting, Qi Mu had worked overtime alone until very late before returning home.
The following day, Qi Mu arrived at the company a little after ten.
By that hour, the ordinary employees had generally already gone upstairs, leaving the elevator empty. Qi Mu stepped inside and pressed the button for his floor. Just as the doors slowly began to close, a long leg abruptly thrust between them, and the elevator doors, which had not yet shut completely, slowly slid open again.
Qi Mu raised his head and found himself looking into a cold, strikingly aggressive face.
It was Jiang Shao.
The young man wore a black T-shirt today. With one hand in his pocket, he took a long stride into the elevator and stared openly at Qi Mu, a trace of scrutiny in his dark eyes.
The elevator was not particularly spacious. Standing face-to-face like this, Qi Mu realized just how tall Jiang Shao was. The man looked down at him with a careless posture, yet when those cold, sharp eyes fixed upon him, they gave off an inexplicable sense of pressure, like a keen blade hidden beneath an irreverent exterior and poised to be drawn.
Under that gaze, Qi Mu’s back stiffened slightly. He could not help wondering whether Jiang Shao had noticed something suspicious about his transfer to the President’s Office.
But it was merely an ordinary reassignment. Qi Mu had done nothing else to him, so Jiang Shao had no reason to act against him because of it.
Qi Mu quickly regained his composure, though the situation remained undeniably awkward. As company president, he was not expected to be familiar with a newly hired employee, and there was no reason for him to initiate a greeting. Doing so would only make him appear deliberately guilty… Yet Jiang Shao neither spoke nor greeted him, merely staring fixedly at him.
Qi Mu pressed his thin lips together slightly.
The floor numbers continued changing until the elevator reached the seventeenth floor.
At last, the young man beside him curled his lips. His lazy, amused voice broke the stagnant silence. “President Qi.”
Qi Mu imperceptibly relaxed. He gave a reserved nod, calmly walked past Jiang Shao, and stepped out of the elevator.
He did not notice the gaze Jiang Shao directed at his retreating back.
Yesterday, Jiang Shao had abruptly received notice that he had been transferred to the President’s Office. That had not been part of his plans.
Could Qi Mu know something?
But Jiang Shao had deliberately chosen City C, far from the capital. Logically, Qi Mu could not possibly recognize him. His behavior just now had also seemed normal…
Jiang Shao narrowed his eyes slightly. His expression returned to one of casual indifference as he walked toward the offices.
The President’s Office was situated directly opposite Qi Mu’s private office. Aside from Zhan Xiao Hui, several other people worked there. When they saw the newcomer arrive, they all smiled warmly and greeted Jiang Shao.
Jiang Shao casually nodded in response. His eyelids and lips were thin, and coupled with the excessively sharp contours of his face, there was no denying he was strikingly handsome. Yet the moment he sat down, he gave off an unapproachable air. Everyone wisely refrained from bothering him and returned to their own work.
Zhan Xiao Hui shook her head and withdrew her gaze. Although the new colleague was also exceptionally pleasing to the eye and possessed a kind of handsomeness entirely different from President Qi’s, he looked far too difficult to get along with. President Qi was still much gentler and more approachable!
…
Qi Mu poured himself a cup of coffee. Remembering what had happened in the elevator, a trace of frustration passed through him. He had clearly resolved to treat Jiang Shao normally—to neither provoke nor offend nor ingratiate himself with him, and to safely send this formidable figure away. Yet when Jiang Shao stared at him just now, Qi Mu had actually felt nervous for a moment.
But Qi Mu was the boss, was he not?
He smiled helplessly at himself.
Forget it. That formidable ancestor simply could not be offended.
After thinking for a moment, Qi Mu called Zhan Xiao Hui into his office.
Zhan Xiao Hui arrived quickly. “President Qi, what can I do for you?”
Qi Mu looked at her. “Take good care of the new colleague.”
Zhan Xiao Hui froze. President Qi had actually asked her to look after a new employee? Good heavens, had the sun risen in the west?
Could the new colleague really be President Qi’s relative? No wonder he was also so handsome… No, that was not it. No wonder he looked so arrogant and untouchable. So he was a nepotism hire!
There was nothing unusual about a company having employees hired through personal connections. What surprised Zhan Xiao Hui was that President Qi had always kept his personal and professional affairs separate. He never gave special treatment to people with connections and treated everyone equally. Jiang Shao was the first person he had ever personally asked her to look after!
This could not be an ordinary relative.
As an experienced professional, Zhan Xiao Hui immediately understood. “All right. I understand!”
One glance at Zhan Xiao Hui’s expression was enough for Qi Mu to know that she had misunderstood, but he had no intention of correcting her. In fact, he had done this deliberately. Once Zhan Xiao Hui spread this “inside information,” everyone would know that Jiang Shao’s identity was unusual and would naturally treat him more politely. That way, no one would easily offend Jiang Shao and bring disaster upon themselves.
Qi Mu nodded and added indifferently, “Also, have him prepare the analytical research report we recently requested. Tell him to submit it to me before next Monday.”
Zhan Xiao Hui froze again, unable to understand President Qi’s intentions.
The research report was an important recent assignment, and the workload was considerable. Jiang Shao had only arrived on his first day, yet President Qi was assigning it to him and demanding it before next Monday? That seemed rather deliberately difficult. Jiang Shao would undoubtedly have to work overtime…
Such an arrangement was clearly unlike Qi Mu. Zhan Xiao Hui remembered that when she first joined the company, she had only handled miscellaneous tasks. A senior colleague had guided her for more than a month before she properly settled into the role. Overall, the work had been relatively easy. Even when she made mistakes, President Qi had never criticized her harshly. He had merely reminded her gently to be more careful next time.
President Qi had always treated employees with warmth and kindness. He was a wonderful boss who would never deliberately make things difficult for anyone, much less a newcomer on his first day.
Only moments ago, President Qi had unexpectedly asked her to take special care of Jiang Shao. Now he was deliberately assigning Jiang Shao an unreasonable amount of work.
Was Jiang Shao a relative or an enemy?
Dazed, Zhan Xiao Hui murmured an acknowledgment and turned to leave. Just as she reached the door, she heard the man’s clear, gentle voice behind her.
“One more thing… If Jiang Shao asks, tell him that I assigned it.”
Zhan Xiao Hui’s already muddled thoughts became even more confused.
That sounded incredibly strange, almost as though he were saying… If Jiang Shao blames you, just shift the responsibility onto me.
Pah, pah, pah! What kind of bizarre interpretation was that? So what if Jiang Shao was a nepotism hire? He was not the emperor. President Qi had merely assigned him a little more work. Although it was unlike his usual style, it was hardly excessive. Was there really any need to give such a specific instruction?
Zhan Xiao Hui left with her head full of question marks. She gathered the relevant materials and carried the thick stack to Jiang Shao’s desk.
With a heavy thud, the waist-high pile landed on the desk, sending a faint cloud of dust into the air. Zhan Xiao Hui looked down and met the cold-faced handsome man’s eyes. His gaze made her stiffen instinctively, but she quickly straightened her back and raised her chin.
She was his senior colleague!
During those few minutes, she believed she had finally figured out the logic behind everything.
First of all, Jiang Shao was definitely a relative of President Qi’s—and not an ordinary one. Although President Qi’s assignment appeared to be making things difficult for him, in reality, he was entrusting Jiang Shao with an important responsibility!
With that careless and irreverent manner, Jiang Shao looked exactly like a spoiled rich heir. Jade required polishing before it could become a useful vessel. President Qi had clearly gone to great lengths for his sake and was trying to cultivate him into one of the company’s pillars!
Did that not make everything perfectly reasonable?
Zhan Xiao Hui looked at Jiang Shao earnestly. Adopting the dignified air of a senior colleague, she spoke with heartfelt gravity.
“Jiang Shao, President Qi clearly thinks very highly of you. You must work hard and make sure you don’t disappoint him!”
Futile Devices Scans 
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