Chao Musheng sent photos of his breakfast and last night’s moon to his grandparents. Turning his head, he noticed only one plate remained in front of Secretary Liu, so he quickly rearranged the dishes back to their original positions. "Secretary Liu, my apologies."
"It’s fine." Secretary Liu glanced at their boss, thinking to himself that the plates had been moved by the boss anyway—it wasn’t Chao Musheng’s fault.
After breakfast, Secretary Liu and Chao Musheng returned to the 15th-floor suite to organize meeting materials. Unable to suppress his curiosity, Secretary Liu asked, "Xiao Chao, what was that about your grandparents this morning?"
"They’re my grandparents," Chao Musheng explained, recounting the video call from last night. "Maybe the boss was worried they’d be anxious about me at home, so he reminded me to send photos."
Truthfully, he wanted to tell Mr. Su that his grandparents didn’t fret over every meal he ate—but since Mr. Su meant well, he didn’t want to dampen his kindness.
Secretary Liu suddenly understood. Of course—if the boss had grandparents, he would’ve known about them.
"The meeting starts in ten minutes." Chao Musheng picked up his laptop. "Secretary Liu, anything else we should pay attention to during the meeting?"
Secretary Liu studied the young man in his crisp suit. He was like a tender bamboo shoot—even in formal attire, he didn’t look like some overworked corporate drone, but rather a young master from a wealthy family slumming it for experience.
"Once we’re in the meeting room, you’ll realize it’s not about what we need to be cautious of—it’s about what others need to watch out for in front of us." Secretary Liu couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy at Chao Musheng’s youthful vigor. Reaching out, he tugged playfully at the younger man’s tie. "Ah, how did you turn out like this?"
Talent and looks alone were already a winning hand, yet he had both.
Chao Musheng grinned. "All thanks to my parents’ hard work."
"Secretary Liu?" Su Chenzhu emerged from his room, freshly changed. His hands paused mid-adjustment as he took in the scene—Secretary Liu holding Chao Musheng’s tie, the two of them laughing, one standing, the other seated.
"Boss." Secretary Liu immediately released the tie and presented Su Chenzhu with his freshly pressed suit jacket.
Su Chenzhu shrugged into the jacket and walked over to Chao Musheng.
"Mr. Su?" Chao Musheng started to rise, but Su Chenzhu bent down instead, reaching out to straighten his tie.
The silver chain dangling from his glasses swayed slightly, brushing against Chao Musheng’s chest now and then, leaving a faint, ticklish sensation where it touched.
"There." Su Chenzhu smoothed the tie and adjusted his collar, then fastened a diamond tie pin in place. Straightening up, he remarked, "This pin suits you."
"The diamond is dazzling, but Xiao Chao’s good looks make it shine even brighter," Secretary Liu praised. "The boss has excellent taste."
"Mr. Su…" Chao Musheng touched the pin, his gaze lingering on the swaying chain.
"The meeting is about to begin." Su Chenzhu’s lips curved slightly. "Let’s go."
Outside, several black-suited bodyguards stood waiting. The moment the door opened, they fell into two orderly lines, trailing behind Chao Musheng and Secretary Liu.
The plush carpet muffled their footsteps as they walked. Chao Musheng followed Su Chenzhu, observing the way others in the hallway stepped aside to let them pass. Once again, he felt the palpable weight of power and status.
"Brother Wu," Little Qi whispered as the entourage passed. "Who was that just now? Even the other guests on the 15th floor had to wait for him. And that young master walking with him—wasn’t he the kind stranger we met in the hallway last night?"
"Not a young master," Brother Wu noted, eyeing the laptop in the young man’s hand. "He’s probably the big shot’s right-hand man."
"Someone that young?" Little Qi glanced at the other guests in the corridor, who were hurrying along—neither daring to get too close nor fall too far behind. "That big shot must be really powerful. Does he have an exclamation mark above his head?"
Brother Wu shook his head.
"None?!" Little Qi was stunned. How could someone who intimidated the 15th-floor guests not have one?
"My skill suddenly stopped working the moment they appeared," Brother Wu murmured, staring down the hallway. Only after the group disappeared did the symbols above others’ heads gradually reappear.
He pulled out his phone, the lockscreen showing a photo of himself with the moon from last night on the deck.
The bright moon hung high, its silvery light bathing him as well.
"Brother Hu, that pretty boy sure cleans up nicely today," Thin Man remarked, crouched on the deck scrubbing the floor. From a distance, he watched as the usually haughty elites now smiled and fawned over the young man. "Seems like he’s got quite the standing among them. Won’t be easy for you to deal with him."
Brother Hu snorted dismissively. "What’s there to fear? Once he’s alone, I’ll show him what’s what."
Thin Man chuckled. "Brother Hu’s got guts. Later, let’s find a chance to contact Young Master Song and let him see your skills."
How did someone this dumb even survive previous rounds?
Brother Hu grinned, eyeing Chao Musheng in the crowd. "Sounds good."
Even before the meeting began, attendees noticed Chairman Song had arrived alone—without his grandson.
Rumors about the grandson offending Mr. Su’s assistant yesterday must’ve been true. Otherwise, why would Chairman Song exclude his heir from such an important occasion?
As for that assistant, Chao—everyone’s eyes lit up at the sight of him.
"Good-looking" was too plain. "Handsome" felt too cliché. If forced to describe him, he was like water in the desert, fire in the snow, a lone boat on a lake—impossible to miss, impossible not to adore.
Yet a few in the crowd paled, not daring to approach. Instead, they shrank into the background.
Yesterday, they’d mistaken the young man for some entertainment company’s rising star and let their appreciation for beauty get the better of them, saying things they shouldn’t have.
The more they thought about it, the more they feared a grim fate. Regret gnawed at them—if they could turn back time, they’d slap their past selves for their indiscretions.
Others, assuming Chao Musheng’s youth made him naive, tried fishing for information during small talk. Yet within minutes, they found themselves charmed into laughter, only realizing later they’d learned nothing.
Glancing at that youthful face, they marveled—What a sharp young man. No wonder Mr. Su values him.
The meeting room was arranged in concentric circles, with only nine seats at the innermost table. Before Su Chenzhu took his place, the other eight stood chatting.
Chao Musheng noticed how the room quieted the moment Su Chenzhu sat down. He took his seat behind him—a chair clearly designed for high-level assistants, equipped with all the tools a professional needed.
Chao Musheng turned on his computer and placed it on the desk, putting on his interpreter headphones. Unbeknownst to him, Chairman Song had been staring at his back for a full three minutes.
Seated at the third-tier table, Chairman Song felt complicated emotions toward his grandson sitting behind the first-tier table. He was displeased with how Chao Musheng had caused such an awkward scene the night before, yet he couldn’t help but feel proud of his capabilities.
Watching him deftly handle emergencies during the meeting, navigating smoothly among a room full of seasoned foxes, and earning the trust and favor of Su Chenzhu, Chairman Song couldn’t help but think—if the Song family business were handed over to him, perhaps it would flourish even more.
"Old Song," a fellow executive remarked during the break, half-teasing, half-serious, "You kept staring at Mr. Chao during the meeting. Be careful not to provoke Mr. Su’s displeasure—you might end up burning yourself."
Earlier, when Su Chenzhu left the conference room, he had deliberately glanced back at Chairman Song.
For businessmen like them, who usually couldn’t even secure a seat at the second-tier table, catching Su Chenzhu’s attention was unheard of.
"He’s my grandson," Chairman Song replied. "A grandfather looking at his own grandson—surely Mr. Su can understand that."
"Chairman Song’s paternal affection is truly moving," a rival executive said with a smile. "But I’ve never heard before that you had a grandson surnamed Chao. Rumor has it you’re planning to step back and let your grandson take over. Why isn’t he here today?"
After last night’s incident, the younger generation had already reported back to their families. By now, everyone knew that Su Chenzhu’s assistant was Chairman Song’s grandson—who refused to acknowledge the Song family.
But since they were all respectable people, no one would openly mock the Songs over it.
Unfortunately, this particular rival was a long-standing enemy of the Song family. The chance to see them humiliated would have made him laugh in his sleep. The fact that he hadn’t broadcasted it with a megaphone was already a testament to his decency.
Chairman Song glanced at his rival’s barely concealed glee, said nothing, and turned to leave the conference room with his cane in hand.
"Honestly, you’re too much," another executive chided the rival. "Old Song hasn’t been in the best health these past two years. Aren’t you afraid of pushing him too far?"
"I was just asking about his grandson out of concern," the rival grinned. "If I were him, seeing the grandson he cast aside turn out so exceptional, I’d regret it so much I couldn’t sleep at night."
His voice was loud enough for Chairman Song to hear clearly as he reached the door. Gritting his teeth, Chairman Song tightened his grip on his cane and strode out.
Just outside, he saw Su Chenzhu returning from the break room with a plate of cake, which he handed to Chao Musheng.
Chairman Song blinked hard. He wasn’t mistaken—Su Chenzhu was the one serving his grandson, not the other way around.
At high-level meetings like this, the refreshments in the break room were usually left untouched. But when everyone saw Su Chenzhu actually taking food, they hesitated for a moment before following suit, picking up plates just to be polite.
Whether they ate or not didn’t matter—what mattered was showing the right attitude.
"At your age, you get hungry quickly," Su Chenzhu said, leading Chao Musheng to a small table by the window. "Eat."
The cake was piled high with fresh fruit—so much that the fruit nearly outweighed the cake itself. Chao Musheng suspected Su Chenzhu had deliberately picked the slice with the most fruit for him.
He was at an age where he got hungry fast, but he couldn’t imagine the refined and elegant Su Chenzhu sifting through pastries to find the best one.
"You’re in luck," an experienced server said to the newcomers, Xiaojuan and Xiao Liu. "At this level of conference, the pastry chefs are world-class masters. Too bad the big shots never eat any—once everything’s cleared, it all goes to us."
She pushed open the conference room doors, only to freeze at the sight of every VIP holding a plate of cake or dessert.
Xiaojuan and Xiao Liu exchanged glances as they watched the executives mingling with their food. They turned to the senior server—so much for their lucky break.
The senior server: "..."
Had the VIPs collectively developed an appetite today?
Not only had they taken plenty of cakes and pastries, but even the usually ignored beverage station had been raided.
Clang! A glass shattered at the drink table—a server had accidentally knocked one over.
The clumsiness was typical of an untrained player, but Xiaojuan spotted the purple identifier above the person’s head—this was a native of the world.
This guy didn’t look like a proper server at all.
