The reception staff in the town initially didn’t believe that Advisor Chao was the most trusted assistant of President Su, given how young Chao Musheng looked. But now, seeing the two standing shoulder to shoulder, speaking closely, they finally accepted the rumors passed down by the county officials.
Noticing how nervous the receptionists were around Su Chenzhu, and hearing their plan to book separate rooms for all accompanying staff, Chao Musheng said, "The county’s budget is tight, and the project will officially begin soon. President Su can rest in my room. We’ll handle the accommodations ourselves from here on."
"That’s hardly appropriate…" The receptionists were visibly flustered.
"It’s fine. President Su isn’t one to stand on ceremony." Chao Musheng placed a hand on Su Chenzhu’s arm. "There’s still a lot of preparation before the project starts. Everyone should focus on their tasks—no need to worry about us."
This… this…
The receptionists didn’t dare argue. Normally, when outside investors visited, they were always surrounded by an entourage. For someone as important as President Su to set foot in their humble Hanyue County, they had been so anxious they couldn’t sleep the night before, terrified of displeasing him and risking the withdrawal of all investments.
"Advisor Chao’s arrangement is suitable," Su Chenzhu spoke up. "There’s no need for so many people to accompany me."
The receptionists immediately understood—Advisor Chao’s words truly carried President Su’s authority. The senior receptionist exchanged a glance with the town staff, and reluctantly, they withdrew from the hotel.
"I never expected the legendary President Su to be so approachable," the town receptionist remarked in the car. "No wonder they say the more accomplished someone is, the less they flaunt their status. It’s really true."
"Someone of his stature has no reason to bother with us," the senior receptionist replied, gulping strong tea from his thermos. "When we met him at the airport yesterday, stepping off his private jet—his presence was overwhelming. I could barely look him in the eye!"
"Really?" The town receptionist found it hard to believe. Just moments ago, President Su had stepped out of the car with such warmth and ease.
"Would I lie about something like that?" the senior receptionist retorted. "Perhaps it’s because Advisor Chao, his right-hand man, was present that President Su seemed more at ease. What’s Advisor Chao like? Easy to get along with?"
The town receptionist immediately gave a thumbs-up. "Advisor Chao is top-notch!"
"Good-tempered, no airs, never makes things difficult for others." He couldn’t stop praising Chao Musheng. "Don’t let his youth fool you—he’s incredibly capable. Earlier, while we were waiting downstairs for President Su’s arrival, the hotel’s system malfunctioned. Advisor Chao fixed it in seconds."
All they saw was his fingers flying over the keyboard before the issue was resolved.
"That’s excellent," the senior receptionist said. "Advisor Chao will be in Hanyue for nearly a month. Make sure Factory Manager Chen is instructed to treat him well. The livelihoods of many here depend on him now."
"Don’t worry. The leadership has already emphasized that these experts from the capital are talents cultivated by the state—we can’t afford any mishaps." The town receptionist sighed. "I heard Advisor Chao is only twenty. Hard to believe he’s achieved so much already."
Such was the gap between geniuses and ordinary people.
"Come in and sit," Chao Musheng opened the door. "The accommodations here are modest, but make yourselves comfortable."
Secretary Liu and Assistant Yang took the chairs by the window.
Assistant Yang felt the seat beneath him grow uncomfortably warm. There were only two chairs in the room, and now both were occupied—where was the boss supposed to sit?
More importantly, the boss was still standing. Was it really appropriate for them to sit first?
"Why are you still standing?" Chao Musheng filled two paper cups with water and turned to see Su Chenzhu lingering. Handing the cups to Secretary Liu, he tugged Su Chenzhu to sit beside him on the bed. "Rest for a bit. Have you eaten breakfast?"
"We have," Assistant Yang accepted the cup from Secretary Liu and thanked Chao Musheng.
Advisor Chao was still too young to grasp workplace etiquette—who served the assistants first and left the boss for last?
"You’re welcome." Chao Musheng rinsed a mug from the table, refilled it, and handed it to Su Chenzhu.
The mug was adorned with a cute little character puckering up for a kiss.
Su Chenzhu stared at the design for three seconds before taking a sip.
"I forgot to mention," Chao Musheng grinned. "I used this mug this morning, but I’ve washed it since. Do you mind, President Su?"
This was Chao Chao’s personal cup?
Su Chenzhu’s throat burned. He took another large gulp, meeting Chao Musheng’s amused gaze before gripping the mug tighter. "Not at all."
If Chao Chao was willing to share something so intimate, how could he possibly object?
"Good." Chao Musheng pulled a file from the drawer and sat beside Su Chenzhu, their shoulders touching. "This is Hanyue Processing Plant’s financial reports from the past two years. I’ve reviewed the internal accounts—they match the data submitted to headquarters. The books are clean, efficiency is high, and Factory Manager Chen runs the place well. She’s highly respected by the workers."
Assistant Yang was puzzled. A small plant’s accounts hardly required the boss’s personal attention. Wasn’t Advisor Chao’s behavior akin to a favored courtier whispering sweet nothings to the emperor?
"Hanyue and neighboring counties specialize in sweet potatoes, corn, and other crops?" Su Chenzhu flipped through the file, noting an agricultural yield chart.
"Correct," Chao Musheng nodded.
"Consider expanding the plant’s scale to create more local jobs." Su Chenzhu closed the folder. "Have the manager submit a proposal."
"Understood. Thank you, President Su." Mission accomplished, Chao Musheng tossed the file aside and picked up a fruit plate, selecting the largest grape and holding it to Su Chenzhu’s lips. "These are locally grown. They might not look perfect, but they’re sweet. Try one?"
Su Chenzhu leaned down, his lips brushing Chao Musheng’s fingertip. His eyelid flickered as he swallowed the grape whole. "Sweet."
So the mighty President Su ate grapes without peeling them. Chao Musheng’s finger grazed Su Chenzhu’s lips as he burst into laughter.
Su Chenzhu glanced up, unsure what amused Chao Chao so much—but seeing his joy, the corners of his own lips lifted in a faint smile.
Assistant Yang shifted uncomfortably in his seat. So this was why Advisor Chao had presented the report—to secure benefits for the local plant. Such obvious maneuvering—could the boss really not see through it?
He glanced at Secretary Liu, who sipped water with the reverence of tasting ambrosia, utterly unfazed by Advisor Chao’s antics.
"Wait, is this right?"
The sound of knocking echoed through the room, and Assistant Yang, who had been sitting on pins and needles, immediately stood up to answer the door. Outside stood one of the boss's bodyguards, holding a familiar pale yellow suitcase.
"Boss, Mr. Chao." The bodyguard was well acquainted with Chao Musheng. He stepped inside, placed the pale yellow suitcase in front of Chao Musheng, and then quietly exited the room.
"What's this?" Chao Musheng set down his plate and looked curiously at the suitcase before him.
"I heard Hanyue County has harsh conditions, so I brought you some snacks." Su Chenzhu tightened his grip on his water glass. "I forgot that even though Hanyue isn’t economically developed, they still have delivery services."
"How could delivery compare to you bringing them personally?" Chao Musheng's face lit up with a bright smile. "Can I open it now?"
Assistant Yang stared blankly at the pale yellow suitcase Chao Musheng had picked up. So this was the precious item the boss had been carrying around all this time—just a box of snacks for Assistant Chao?!
It was just a box of snacks—why was the boss treating it like some kind of treasure?
Assistant Yang was utterly confused. Ever since arriving in Hanyue, he felt like he’d been completely out of the loop.
"Xiao Yang, I just remembered there are a few documents that need to be reviewed again." Secretary Liu, noticing Assistant Yang’s lingering gaze on the pale yellow suitcase, set down his water glass. "Come with me to the car to go over them."
Review documents?
Assistant Yang frowned. "But I thought—"
He distinctly remembered the documents had already been checked multiple times, even stamped with the company seal. What else was there to review?
Secretary Liu simply dragged him out of the room. After shutting the door behind them, he said firmly, "No, you don’t remember."
"Secretary Liu, isn’t it a bit rude to leave without saying anything to the boss?" Assistant Yang felt that ever since arriving in town, Secretary Liu had been acting strangely—almost as if he wasn’t treating the boss with the usual respect.
"No need. The boss doesn’t like us interrupting right now." Secretary Liu left no room for argument. "Let’s go. The bodyguards will handle things here. You don’t need to worry about it."
They could do anything—just not stay here and play third wheel.
After Secretary Liu and Assistant Yang left, the room suddenly felt more spacious.
Chao Musheng opened the pale yellow suitcase to find it packed with all his favorite snacks, along with a small fan, sun protection items, and other essentials—everything had been thoughtfully prepared.
"I wasn’t sure about the exact conditions in Hanyue, so if you need anything else, I can have an assistant send it over." Su Chenzhu drained his glass of water but hesitated to set it down.
"Did you forget I’m also your assistant?" Chao Musheng pulled out two orange-flavored lollipops from the box, unwrapped one, and held it to Su Chenzhu’s lips. "Say 'ah'~"
Su Chenzhu instinctively opened his mouth, and the sweet citrus flavor instantly filled his senses.
"Is it sweet?"
He nodded.
"I think so too." Chao Musheng grinned at him before sitting cross-legged on the bed and slowly unwrapping the other lollipop.
The room fell silent, save for the crisp rustling of the wrapper.
"Mr. Su, why did you come to Hanyue?" Finally freeing the candy from its packaging, Chao Musheng popped it into his mouth and spoke in a leisurely tone.
"I invested a lot in Hanyue’s development project." Su Chenzhu lowered his gaze to the empty glass in his hand. "They’ve invited me many times. It wasn’t easy to refuse."
His expression was calm, his posture as poised and elegant as ever.
But he forgot—those in power rarely need to explain themselves.
Chao Musheng studied the beautiful eyes behind Su Chenzhu’s glasses, his previously casual smile turning earnest. "I see. But I’m really happy to see you here in Hanyue."
Su Chenzhu’s eyes brightened. He glanced at Chao Musheng, then quickly averted his gaze. "I... I’m happy too."
"Did you not sleep well last night?" Chao Musheng reached out and gently removed Su Chenzhu’s glasses. "Rest on my bed for a while. I’ll wake you when it’s time."
Chao’s bed...
Chao’s blankets...
"Don’t worry, I’ll stay right here with you." Chao Musheng pulled back the covers, motioning for Su Chenzhu to lie down.
Su Chenzhu knew he shouldn’t—but his limbs seemed to move on their own. Before he realized it, he was already nestled under the covers, surrounded by the faint, familiar scent that belonged solely to Chao.
"Sleep." Chao Musheng gently covered Su Chenzhu’s eyes with his hand, his voice soft. "Even a big boss needs proper rest. If you get sick from exhaustion, as your employee, I’d feel terrible."
The face beneath his palm was burning hot, flushed like the sun. Long lashes trembled, tickling Chao Musheng’s hand. He smiled silently—even with such boldness, Mr. Su still indulged him.
This kind of blatant favoritism and special treatment... Maybe only Mr. Su himself thought he was hiding it well.
But...
Chao Musheng lifted his hand, gazing at the now-still lashes. He loved this privilege.
---
When Xiaojuan stepped into the abandoned factory with a large bag of food, the players were sitting on the floor, gnawing on raw sweet potatoes. Skinned rat carcasses hung from the windowsill.
At the sight of the feast in Xiaojuan’s hands, the five players’ eyes gleamed with hunger. Without waiting for an invitation, they scrambled up and grabbed the bag, devouring the food ravenously.
Watching their desperate state, Xiaojuan glanced toward the door, where they had laid out the sweet potato peels they couldn’t bear to throw away.
She couldn’t bring herself to tell them—even the stray dogs outside ate better than this.
"Ahh—hot!" Peng hissed as he bit into a steaming meat bun. Despite its size—as big as a grown man’s fist—he finished it in three or four bites. "Sis Juan, you’re our savior!"
After bringing them so much food, he didn’t just want to call her "sis"—he wanted to kowtow to her.
"No need for that." Xiaojuan hinted, "Actually, conditions outside aren’t that bad. Food isn’t really scarce."
Not only was it not scarce, but the breakfast shop owner had even thrown in a few cups of soy milk when he saw how much she was buying.
The group wolfed down the food like a whirlwind, only stopping when every last bite was gone. Rubbing their full stomachs, one sighed, "Who knows when we’ll eat this well again."
Xiaojuan pulled a few sets of clothes from her bag. "Change into these first, and put on the masks before going out."
"This dungeon doesn’t let players exchange points for supplies. You went through so much trouble to get these clothes—how can we take them?" Huaba ran her fingers over the fabric—it was good quality.
"People outside are saying there are a few crazy thieves around." Xiaojuan couldn’t bring herself to repeat exactly how they were being described. "These clothes were cheap. I didn’t spend much. If you don’t change, you’ll stand out too much."
Three T-shirts for 100 yuan—she could afford that.
But were survival dungeon clothes really this easy to come by?
Huaba remembered Peng mentioning last night that Xiaojuan had left with a powerful NPC. Had the NPC given her all this?
She glanced worriedly at Xiaojuan, but seeing her unharmed—no bruises, her face clean and fair—she relaxed.
After everyone changed their clothes, Xiaojuan led the group out of the abandoned factory building. This area might have once been an industrial zone—aside from the factory they had stayed in, there were a few dilapidated old buildings a few hundred meters away, and the surrounding wasteland still bore traces of past construction.
"Where are we going now?" Little Rou stared at the distant ruins. "It looks like there are NPCs moving around over there."
"Let’s ignore them for now," Xiaojuan said. "I’ll take you out of here first."
At the very least, she needed them to understand that this place wasn’t the so-called "desolate city" the system claimed it to be.
The Main God and the system weren’t omnipotent.
She led the five of them straight toward the direction of the town, but before long, she noticed they had stopped. "What’s wrong?"
"We can’t go any further," Little Rou said, pressing against an invisible barrier. "We’re blocked by the dungeon’s boundary."
"Huh?" Peng ran his hands along the barrier in confusion. Just yesterday, he had been able to follow Xiaojuan to the river—why couldn’t he leave now?
"None of you can get through?" Xiaojuan walked back to them, feeling no resistance at all.
"Even I can’t pass," Peng said, leaning against the barrier before giving up entirely. "Xiaojuan, you’re our only hope now!"
Why had Peng been able to leave with her last night?
Xiaojuan crossed her arms, her brow furrowing slightly. There had to be a crucial clue she was missing.
Last night, she had assumed this was the desolate city, so she had taken Peng to explore the surroundings—that was how she had met Brother Chao by the river…
Brother Chao. Their meeting.
Was this world deliberately guiding her to him?
If Peng hadn’t been able to leave last night, she would have ventured out alone, more cautiously, and likely wouldn’t have gone far enough to meet Brother Chao.
She understood now.
Whether these people could leave or not depended on Brother Chao.
Perhaps in the original dungeon, the players’ movement range had been restricted to this area. Even though the dungeon had landed in the wrong place, the system had still enforced the original settings.
A dungeon filled with deadly threats, yet the system only gave players this tiny space to move—was it trying to make sure they died efficiently?
That damned Main God either wanted her dead or wanted to humiliate her.
She really wanted to chop Him into mincemeat—the finest kind.
"I’ll figure something out for you," Xiaojuan said, looking beyond the barrier. "There’s still a way for you to leave."
"It’s fine if we can’t go out," Da Chang said lazily, sitting down on the ground. "As long as you can leave, just bring us some food to keep us alive. You’re out there alone with no backup—if something happens to you, we won’t even have a chance to save you."
"Right, staying here isn’t so bad. We can just rely on you," Huaba chimed in. "Don’t risk yourself trying to find a way out for us. We don’t want to end up eating rat meat in this old factory every day."
"Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing." Xiaojuan watched as the sun climbed higher. "It’s getting hotter out here. You guys head back first—I still have things to take care of."
"Xiaojuan, wait." Peng stopped her, his expression uneasy. "That NPC who took you away yesterday… he didn’t do anything inappropriate, did he?"
"No," Xiaojuan shook her head. "He’s a good person. If you want to survive in this dungeon, he’s your only hope."
A good person?
After Xiaojuan left, Huaba turned to Peng. "Just how good is he?"
"Very good-looking," Peng answered with complete seriousness.
Huaba rolled her eyes. "You’re insane."
Players risking their lives in dungeons didn’t care about an NPC’s appearance.
Meanwhile, in one of the ruined buildings not far away, several pairs of eyes watched them intently.
"Boss, I’ve been keeping an eye on them for two days. They’ve just been wandering around. This morning, I even saw them catching rats—definitely not undercover cops. Cops don’t eat rat meat."
"Lazy drifters, then?"
"Yesterday, I heard someone say they robbed an old man of his sweet potatoes."
"Bunch of young, good-for-nothing bums. Disgusting. I hate people like that."
"Boss, should we…?"
"Not yet. Let’s observe them for a couple more days. If these freeloaders aren’t trouble, we’ll tie them up."
Little Rou frowned, glancing toward the distant ruins. "Those NPCs are spying on us again."
"Strong?" Huaba flexed her wrist.
"Pathetic," Little Rou said. "I could knock out five of them with one punch."
"Then ignore them for now," Da Chang said. "The situation’s unclear, and we can’t stray too far. If those NPCs have reinforcements, it’ll just bring us unnecessary trouble."
"Fine." Huaba and Little Rou reined in their auras. "As long as they don’t provoke us, we’ll let them live."
"Mr. Su… Mr. Su."
Su Chenzhu felt a tickle on his nose. He opened his eyes to find Chao Musheng leaning over him, their faces so close he could feel the other man’s breath.
"Your shirt is wrinkled. I had Secretary Liu bring a new one—go change in the bathroom." Chao Musheng casually withdrew the hand that had been pinching Su Chenzhu’s nose, his expression unreadable.
"Alright." Su Chenzhu sat up, the blanket slipping to his waist. A chill brushed his chest, and he looked down to find his shirt unbuttoned, exposing most of his torso.
"So Mr. Su has an eight-pack." Chao Musheng’s gaze swept over his chest and abdomen before he stood, turning his back with impeccable restraint.
Su Chenzhu hastily pulled his shirt together and hurried into the bathroom. Catching his reflection in the mirror, he realized his face was burning red.
He stared at himself, then slowly loosened his grip on the collar, even tugging the fabric open slightly. After taking a deep breath, he stepped out again.
"Chao Chao." Su Chenzhu approached Chao Musheng, bending slightly to meet his eyes. "You forgot to give me the shirt."
The moment Chao Musheng handed it over, the last button on Su Chenzhu’s shirt gave way, fully revealing his chest and abs.
The air grew thick and scorching.
Chao Musheng placed the shirt in Su Chenzhu’s arms, his knuckles accidentally brushing against the exposed skin—just an accident!
The lines were smooth—neither grotesquely muscular nor painfully thin. Perfect.
Unable to resist, Chao Musheng stole another glance before noticing Su Chenzhu’s crimson ears. He averted his gaze. "Mr. Su… your abs are very well-defined."
"Thank you." Su Chenzhu straightened, retreating to the bathroom. Once inside, he pressed a hand to his throbbing eyes, but his lips curved upward uncontrollably.
Chao Chao had complimented him. That meant he liked what he saw.
Outside the room, Assistant Yang and Secretary Liu waited. Assistant Yang checked his watch repeatedly—how long did it take to deliver a shirt?
Secretary Liu glanced at him. Clearly, he was the only one suited to be the boss’s right-hand man. The others in the executive office still needed to sharpen their instincts.
Assistant Yang observed the inscrutable expression on Secretary Liu's face. He wasn’t sure if it was just his imagination, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that Secretary Liu carried an air of superiority over everyone else at that moment.
When Su Chenzhu appeared before them, he remained as composed, elegant, and aloof as they were all accustomed to seeing him.
"Assistant Chao," Assistant Yang said, noticing that Chao Musheng had also changed into a professional suit. "Aren’t you leaving with the support team?"
"Later, Mr. Su will be cutting the ribbon on stage. As his assistant, of course, I should stay by his side." Chao Musheng walked over to Su Chenzhu, this time not lingering half a step behind him.
"Professor Zhang has plenty of students accompanying him. It won’t matter if I’m not there." Chao Musheng turned his head to look at Su Chenzhu, who met his gaze with eyes shimmering with unspoken emotion.
"Besides..."
Under the weight of that gaze, Chao Musheng couldn’t suppress the smile that crept into his expression. "I’d much rather stay with Mr. Su."
