Powerful figures always have a few capable subordinates around them, and for Lu Shangchen, Bi Wenrui definitely counts as one. Though he is round and chubby, with a seemingly honest and harmless appearance, always smiling, no one dares to underestimate him.
Everyone who has dealt with Bi Wenrui knows he is not someone to be trifled with, not just because of his brother’s political background, but also because Bi Wenrui has the support of Lu Shangchen. And he himself is indeed a man of skill.
Over the years, Bi Wenrui has focused on developing connections, casting a wide net, and staying well-informed. Although he appears shrewd to outsiders and is as slippery as an eel in the business world, he remains extremely loyal to Lu Shangchen.
This loyalty stems from an incident years ago when he was young and was almost bankrupted by rivals. It was Lu Shangchen who sought out the then-living Lu patriarch to give him a hand. Lu Shangchen helped him, recognizing his abilities. Bi Wenrui knew this, but Lu’s straightforwardness put him at ease.
Having followed Lu Shangchen for nearly a decade, Bi Wenrui was thoroughly impressed by his sharpness and tactics in the business world. Lu Shangchen trusted him, and seeing that Bi Wenrui’s brother was capable and principled, he strongly supported his political career, raising the Bi brothers’ status.
Bi Wenrui felt deeply grateful to Lu Shangchen, willingly calling this man, a few years younger than himself, “boss.”
When Lu Shangchen suddenly disappeared, no one was more anxious than Bi Wenrui. Although he received a message saying Lu was ill and needed to recuperate at home, he couldn’t get through on the phone. Not seeing him for months, Bi Wenrui couldn’t help but sense something was wrong.
He visited Lu Shangchen’s place but found no one there, and the Lu family mansion turned him away. He even tried to get information from others, but no one knew the whereabouts of his boss.
Later, when Lu Anguo took over, acting as if he wanted to monopolize the Lu Corporation, Bi Wenrui became even more worried.
These days, he had been tripping up Lu Anguo with Lu Shangchen’s subordinates while searching for Lu Shangchen. After such a long time without finding him, he almost suspected his boss had been harmed. Then, out of the blue, Lu Shangchen called.
Bi Wenrui was so excited he almost trembled, calling out “boss” as soon as he picked up, hearing a low “hmm” in response before being asked about the current state of the Lu Corporation.
Hearing Lu Shangchen’s question, Bi Wenrui quickly spilled everything about recent events at Lu Corporation.
Among the information, Lu Anguo naturally featured prominently, but Bi Wenrui didn’t leave out Lu Qingyan either. Despite Lu Anguo attracting attention, Lu Qingyan wasn’t content to stay quiet and secretly tried to win over Lu Shangchen’s loyal subordinates.
A woman acting coquettishly at the drinking table, feigning boldness, offering tempting conditions, even predicting that several struggling companies would turn around within two months, showing off her business acumen.
Lu Qingyan’s grand talk was mostly met with skepticism, especially from those truly loyal to Lu Shangchen who didn’t take her seriously.
Bi Wenrui attended initially hoping to gather some information about his boss but left uninterested. However, to his surprise, Lu Qingyan’s predictions came true after a month.
It wasn’t due to the companies’ strong reform measures but because the government issued supportive policies for the relevant industry, benefiting these companies. With government support, how could they not thrive?
Bi Wenrui thought Lu Qingyan might not be as simple as she seemed. How did she know something even he didn’t? So, he specifically mentioned this to Lu Shangchen during his report, piquing his interest.
Lu Shangchen had always known Lu Qingyan was restless. She managed to return to the Lu family by flattering Lu Anguo, but fundamentally, she was as greedy and selfish as him, making them a suitable pair of father and daughter.
Lu Shangchen had seen Lu Qingyan a few times; she was somewhat perceptive but shallow and incompetent. But based on what Bi Wenrui said, could she have found a powerful backer?
Could his car accident be related to this woman? “Boss, where are you now? Are you coming back to the Lu Corporation?”
Bi Wenrui’s tone was excited, thinking that once his boss returned, those two would no longer be able to act arrogantly. But to his surprise, Lu Shangchen said he needed more time and instructed Bi Wenrui not to tell anyone about their call and to act as if it never happened. He would contact him if necessary.
After hanging up, Lu Shangchen felt much more at ease. Although he had been away for a while, his capable subordinates and his meticulous management of the Lu Corporation made it difficult for Lu Anguo to truly seize the assets.
Once he returned, Lu Anguo would be nothing more than a jumping clown. He could take this opportunity to root out those lurking and plotting in the shadows.
Of course, this was also an excuse. The main reason Lu Shangchen didn’t want to return immediately was because he didn’t want to leave Bai Su’s side.
Despite it being late, he found his mind exceptionally clear, even sharper than usual. His emotional state had also improved significantly, seemingly since his trip to the snow village with Bai Su. This must be the good fortune brought by his beloved!
Thinking of Bai Su, Lu Shangchen closed his eyes and finally fell asleep.
At dawn, Bai Su woke up earlier than Lu Shangchen. He had slept exceptionally well and felt more relaxed.
As he groomed himself in the bathroom, Bai Su recalled the events of the previous day, surprised at how naturally he behaved when encountering Zong Wenbo. Unlike in his previous life where he only had loyal subordinates around him, this time, the original host had many genuine relatives who truly understood him, making Bai Su worry about being found out.
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
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Could it be that by agreeing to become an agent for the Dimension Management Bureau, he had received some sort of acting skills package?
“Xiao Wu, don’t you think my ability to adapt to identities in small worlds is a bit too strong?” Bai Su asked 555.
555 immediately nodded: “Of course, host, you are very outstanding. We select hosts from highly intelligent individuals. Your mental strength in the interstellar dimension is extremely prominent, and your adaptability is rated at an S-level.”
Hearing this, Bai Su didn’t ask further, suppressing his doubts again.
After grooming himself, Bai Su headed to Lu Shangchen’s room, but just as he was about to knock, the door opened from the inside. His raised hand landed on Lu Shangchen’s chest.
Both were momentarily stunned. Bai Su suddenly recalled a joke he had seen before. Seeing no one around, he lightly knocked twice on Lu Shangchen’s chest, smiling as he softly said, “Is anyone there? I’m coming in!”
Realizing what Bai Su was doing, Lu Shangchen felt warmth in his heart and grabbed his hand: “Since you’ve come in, don’t ever leave.”
Bai Su beamed brightly. Of course, he wouldn’t leave; one person’s heart could house only him. If he left, what if someone else tried to take his place?
They went to the dining room together, where Zong Wenbo had already eaten and left for work. However, he had instructed the kitchen in advance, and breakfast was especially sumptuous.
Having breakfast, Zhongbo took the initiative to ask Bai Su, “Young Master, do you want to visit the company today? If you go, Master Wenbo will be very happy.”
Bai Su nodded in response to Zhongbo’s suggestion, not refusing.
Previously, the original host had listened to his friends’ advice and wanted Zong Wenbo to invest in a project. But Zong Wenbo felt it didn’t quite align with their company’s projects and lacked preliminary research, so he didn’t agree.
As a result, the project developed well, and the original host got into a big fight with Zong Wenbo, and hadn’t been to the company for a long time.
But Bai Su wouldn’t throw a tantrum like his older brother over such matters; if it failed, it would just be another story.
In this timeline, the female lead, Che Lingxuan, had already joined Zong Wenbo’s company. Bai Su was quite interested in going to see what was going on. He just wasn’t sure if he would run into Lu Qingyan if he took his man with him.
Thinking of this, Bai Su hesitated a bit, but seeing Lu Shangchen steadfastly following behind him, he didn’t refuse. After all, it wouldn’t be so coincidental to run into Lu Qingyan as soon as they went. So Bai Su rested for the morning and decided to set off after lunch.
However, he didn’t expect that things in this world could be so coincidental.
But the timing of this coincidence was quite good. As their car approached the building, Bai Su happened to see Lu Qingyan. She was walking towards the company’s entrance and went inside, apparently not noticing them.
So after parking the car, Bai Su didn’t immediately get out. Instead, he stayed in the car for a while before turning to Lu Shangchen beside him and said, “Can you wait for me in the car for a while? I’ll go upstairs for a quick look and come back down.”
Lu Shangchen nodded in response to Bai Su’s suggestion. He had just seen Lu Qingyan as well and temporarily didn’t want to confront her. Bai Su’s proposal was indeed perfect.
Leaning over to plant a light kiss on his lover’s cheek, Bai Su opened the car door and headed towards the office building.
From top to bottom, everyone in Zong Wenbo’s company naturally recognized the young master, knowing his close relationship with the boss. However, hardly anyone knew the true relationship between Bai Su and Zong Wenbo.
The original host had always rejected relying on Zong Wenbo and didn’t want others to think he was riding on his brother’s coattails. So, in the company, they didn’t publicly disclose their relationship. They even arrived separately for work. Usually, Zong Wenbo arrived first, and Bai Su followed in another car a while later.
When waiting for the elevator, Bai Su coincidentally ran into Lu Qingyan coming out of it. Lu Qingyan paused for a moment upon seeing Bai Su and immediately put on a sweet smile.
If it were the original host who saw Lu Qingyan smiling at him, he would surely feel flattered. But now, with Bai Su…
Bai Su knew this person would try to use him, so he returned the smile to her. After exchanging a few polite words with hidden intentions, Lu Qingyan hurriedly left.
The office area on the third floor wasn’t large. Upon entering the office, Bai Su saw the female lead, Che Lingxuan, who had a ponytail, a clear complexion, and a cheerful appearance. He suddenly understood why Zong Wenbo preferred Che Lingxuan over Lu Qingyan. Compared to Lu Qingyan, Che Lingxuan seemed more comfortable and pleasant.
Picking up some documents, Che Lingxuan turned her head and also noticed Bai Su. Knowing that he had not been to the company for a long time due to a disagreement with Zong Wenbo, she politely smiled at Bai Su and said, “Young Master Bai is here. Mr. Zong will be very happy if he knows you’ve come.”
Seeing the female lead tactfully speaking well of his older brother, Bai Su’s impression of her improved. He nodded and said, “I know. You’ve been working hard during this time. My brother is lucky to have you supporting him.”
This was the first time Che Lingxuan had heard Bai Su praise her, feeling somewhat surprised. After all, he usually greeted her with a distant attitude. She didn’t know where she had offended the young master, but she felt that he didn’t seem to like her much.
While the female lead was clueless, Bai Su knew the reason.
Che Lingxuan came from an ordinary background but worked hard and had a keen business sense. As such a talented individual, the original host actually felt a bit insecure around her.
Now, with Bai Su, he naturally wouldn’t feel any insecurity.
Thinking about what 555 had just told him about Lu Qingyan having taken something yesterday, Bai Su calmly walked over to Che Lingxuan and then suddenly bent down as if picking up something.
Standing up and spreading his hand, he said, “Ah, isn’t this the cover of a USB drive? Is it yours?”
Che Lingxuan shook her head upon seeing the black cover. Bai Su glanced at Che Lingxuan’s computer and then back at the cover in his hand, puzzled, “If it’s not yours, how did it end up here? Could it be that someone copied something from you, accidentally leaving this cover behind?”
Bai Su smiled casually, seemingly indifferent. But Che Lingxuan suddenly turned pale, immediately opening her laptop to carefully check. Bai Su indeed discovered traces of copying on a plan that had been invalidated before.
Zong Wenbo came out of his office and saw Che Lingxuan and Bai Su standing together. Seeing Bai Su, he felt pleased. He walked over, about to say something, but then saw Che Lingxuan frowning and saying to him, “Mr. Zong, someone tampered with my computer. Someone tried to steal the plan you had me work on before.”
“What’s going on?”
Zong Wenbo immediately thought of corporate espionage and hurriedly asked, “Do you know who did it?”
Che Lingxuan shook her head. Zong Wenbo knew the seriousness of the matter and apologized to Bai Su, saying, “Bai Su, I have something urgent to attend to now. Can you wait here by yourself for a while? If you’re impatient, you can go back first.”
Bai Su obediently nodded, and the male lead eagerly pulled Che Lingxuan to check the surveillance footage.
After reviewing the footage, they discovered that Che Lingxuan’s computer had indeed been tampered with yesterday afternoon by a longtime employee of the company. Moreover, the surveillance footage showed that Lu Qingyan, who had come today, seemed to have some interaction with that employee. Che Lingxuan thought of Lu Qingyan’s unusual friendliness today, her indirect inquiries about the plan, and reported the matter to Zong Wenbo.
Zong Wenbo frowned. He didn’t want to suspect his student. Lu Qingyan might have a somewhat stubborn personality, but after all these years of knowing each other from school, there was still some sentiment between them.
Moreover, when he first started his business, Lu Qingyan was the most supportive. Even though she didn’t help much and often caused some trouble, Zong Wenbo never imagined that Lu Qingyan would steal company confidential documents.
Che Lingxuan glanced at Zong Wenbo, probably guessing his thoughts.
She didn’t directly criticize Lu Qingyan, but said rationally, “Fortunately, the plan that was copied was already invalidated, and I’ve encrypted the real plan. But having a mole in the company is something we need to take seriously. Whether there’s a misunderstanding or not, we might need to confront the person involved to know the truth.”
Zong Wenbo nodded at the words, knowing that it wasn’t the time to let emotions take over. However, if Lu Qingyan was involved, he believed there must be others behind her. So, he discussed with Che Lingxuan about setting a trap to catch the bigger fish.
“Speaking of which, I owe it to Young Master Bai for discovering someone tampered with my computer today. If he hadn’t noticed a USB cap on the ground and asked if it was mine, it’s likely this matter would have passed unnoticed.”
Zong Wenbo’s expression softened considerably when he heard that Bai Su was involved. He felt pleased that his little brother had inadvertently helped him.
As for the mentioned individual, they leisurely left the office, concealing their achievements. Bai Su casually snapped the black USB cap back onto his own keychain, slipped it into his pocket.
Since the female lead was intelligent, with his reminder, they probably knew how to handle the situation.
However, Bai Su didn’t expect to encounter Lu Qingyan again when leaving the office building, and it was obvious she was waiting for him.
Lu Qingyan waited here as a stroke of luck, hoping to encounter Bai Su alone.
Previously, she had bribed someone to obtain the plan Che Lingxuan had made. She knew this plan was crucial for the company. Later, Zong Wenbo won a bidding project based on this plan, which propelled the entire company forward.
But now, she didn’t want to hand this opportunity over to Zong Wenbo. At least, she couldn’t tolerate Che Lingxuan shining even more because of this incident, getting closer to Zong Wenbo.
Yesterday, when she finally got her hands on the plan, Lu Qingyan was thrilled. But when she flipped through the invalid watermarked pages at the end, it felt like a bucket of cold water poured on her excitement. She was furious and couldn’t help but come personally today to see if there was any other way to obtain the documents.
She deliberately approached Che Lingxuan while suppressing her annoyance, but that woman remained as cunning as ever, keeping her secrets tightly guarded. Fortunately, luck was on her side, and she unexpectedly encountered Bai Su, this fool!
In the previous life, this guy had been secretly in love with her, wanting to pursue her. But how could Lu Qingyan, herself, ever consider someone so incompetent? However, Zong Wenbo had full trust in this person.
Though Lu Qingyan didn’t know why, she felt she could make good use of this.
After seeing Bai Su, Lu Qingyan immediately walked up to him with a smile and said, “You’re finally out. I’ve been waiting for you.”
Seeing the surprise on Lu Qingyan’s face, Bai Su hurriedly forced a stiff smile, trying hard to maintain his image.
In Lu Qingyan’s eyes, this meant that the other party was pleasantly surprised to see her and was too nervous to manage their expression properly.
Lu Qingyan smugly ran her fingers through her hair, trying hard to exude some kind of feminine charm in front of Bai Su. Unbeknownst to her, her attempts at flirting and batting her eyelashes were rather off-putting to Bai Su.
Nevertheless, Bai Su softened his tone and asked, “Qingyan, what are you doing here? Are you waiting for me?”
“Of course, I’ve already said so, haven’t I?” Lu Qingyan replied, her tone filled with ambiguity, making Bai Su uncomfortable.
After some back-and-forth, Lu Qingyan finally got to the point.
“Bai Su, I heard there’s an important bidding project in a few days, and Wenbo ge entrusted Che Lingxuan with the plan. I’m also very interested. I really want to take a look at that plan, learn from it, but they won’t let me see it.”
Bai Su immediately frowned at her words. “Why won’t they let you see it? You’re also a member of this company, considered one of the veterans here. What important thing are they hiding?”
“I’m not sure about the specifics. I’m just a little sad they don’t trust me. But I really want to take a look. Bai Su, can you help me?”
The young man hesitated for a moment, then nodded. “Sure, I’ll go talk to them and ask them to show it to you.”
Lu Qingyan felt Bai Su was rather dense but continued to coax him, “That might not be good. Bai Su, Wenbo ge trusts you the most. You can freely enter his office. I suspect the document must be on Wenbo ge’s computer. Could you secretly copy it for me to take a look?”
Bai Su inwardly sneered but feigned a hesitant expression on the surface. “Huh? Wouldn’t that be stealing company documents? Isn’t that inappropriate?”
“What’s wrong with that? I just want to take a look, learn from it. Bai Su, you must understand my feelings, right?”
Lu Qingyan reached out to grab Bai Su’s arm, trying to cozy up to him.
Bai Su quickly backed away, wishing to keep a considerable distance from Lu Qingyan and pretending to be shy, nodded and said, “I understand. Since you just want to take a look and learn, it’s no big deal. I’ll help you. I’ll send it to your email once I get it in a couple of days.”
“Thank you so much, Bai-gege! But please don’t tell anyone. Since they said they don’t want me to see it, if I look again, they might get mad.”
Seeing Bai Su nod, Lu Qingyan smiled coquettishly. Internally, she scorned him, thinking this fool was easy to deceive. After achieving her goal, she didn’t intend to linger any longer. After saying a few ambiguous words, she left.
Once she confirmed Lu Qingyan was far away, Bai Su rubbed his arm, feeling a layer of goosebumps. Turning around, he saw that Lu Shangchen, who should have been in the car, was now standing behind him with a cold expression.
___________
Author’s note:
Lu Shangchen: What did that woman call you? Bai-gege? Hehe…
Bai Su: QAQ, Shangchen-ge, I’m sorry!
Girl, use your brain more
Thank you for your translation 💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖💖
Nah fam she never had one to begin with
Thanks for the translation 🥰
You better call him hubby in bed tonight to appease him, bai su 🙈