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Fu Ming Ye parked his car in the company's reserved spot. As soon as he stepped out, a group of bodyguards in suits and sunglasses approached him with a grand air, creating quite the spectacle.
Seeing the car Fu Ming Ye had driven that day, a chill crept into everyone's heart.
The bodyguards bowed respectfully, "Good morning, President Fu."
With a stoic expression, Fu Ming Ye strode into the office building, further ingraining his ice-cold CEO persona in everyone's mind.
The Evil God had never cared for humans; he only had eyes for Qi Bai Cha.
Meanwhile, inside the office building, a group of employees pressed their faces against the window glass, eagerly observing the situation below.
It was the time when the CEO usually arrived at work. They needed to gauge his mood to know whether they could have a pleasant day ahead.
"How is it? How is it?" Employees unable to see were jumping to catch a glimpse. "Is President Fu in a good mood today?"
"Seems not so good," a newly hired female employee said uncertainly. "His face is so stern; it's terrifying."
"Get to the point!" said others, impatient.
When was Fu ever not stern? He was practically the living incarnation of the King of Hell in the company.
Another seasoned employee quickly highlighted the crucial detail, "President Fu drove his Porsche today!"
Everyone gasped, their faces turning ashen.
President Fu was irritable today.
When President Fu is irritable, everyone is doomed.
"It's over, it's over. I dare not enter the CEO's office today! Xiao Zhang, can you help me submit this proposal to President Fu? You can even say you wrote it; I don't care!"
"So you're asking me to take the credit for you? More like taking the fall for you!"
Employees with some tenure in the company have honed a set of guidelines to gauge the CEO's mood. Although Mr. Fu always wears a poker face, barely showing any emotion—even his occasional smiles seem icy cold as if he were contemplating murder—his mood is actually not that difficult to discern.
Because he switches cars!
When Mr. Fu drives a Rolls-Royce, it signifies that he is in a placid mood, and typically nothing eventful happens all day.
If he's behind the wheel of a Lamborghini or Ferrari, it indicates he's in high spirits. The office atmosphere would be jubilant that day because a cheerful Mr. Fu is inclined to offer promotions, raises, and increase year-end bonuses.
This usually happens when Fu Ming Ye has engaged in "morning exercises" with his darling wife and arrives at the office in good spirits.
But if he's driving a Porsche or Maserati, it means he's irritated or angry. Disturbing him would not be advisable. An executive once entered his office on such a day for a trivial reason and found himself reassigned to a mining operation in Africa the next day. Ordinary employees might even risk getting fired...
Last time Fu Ming Ye was in a gloomy mood, it was because Qi Bai Cha forgot to give him a morning kiss.
And if he's driving a black Mercedes... well, then it's game over. Mr. Fu would be in a deeply melancholic and introspective state, avoiding all interactions, as though perpetually ready to attend a funeral.
Fu Ming Ye rarely drives the Mercedes. The only time he did was after witnessing a funeral procession on the road. It made him ponder the fragility of human life and what it would mean to lose Qi Bai Cha. Realizing the vast gap between the lifespans of gods and humans, he spent a tearful night and still felt morose the next day, bewildering Qi Bai Cha.
"What are you all huddled here for!" A stern-looking woman in professional attire shouted. "Mr. Fu is arriving; get back to your desks and work!"
Startled, the employees quickly dispersed. "Yes, Linda!"
With a stern face, Linda walked away in her high heels.
A young male assistant, carrying a stack of files, followed cautiously. "Linda, is Mr. Fu really that intimidating?"
Linda shot the newbie a glance. "It's your first day, and Mr. Fu is in a bad mood. Just don't spill your coffee later." Even she found Mr. Fu's formidable presence hard to bear, let alone this greenhorn.
Wei Song Nan smiled, "I'll be sure to perform well." He paused, adding somewhat smugly, "I make excellent coffee."
It appeared to be an unnecessary addition.
Linda frowned, "I should have mentioned, Mr. Fu only drinks white tea."
Driven by his affection, Fu Ming Ye only had a taste for things associated with 'Bai Cha' (white tea).
Wei Song Nan paused, awkwardly admitting, "I don't know how to brew tea…"
"Learn it in three days," Linda said, walking forward without turning her head. "There are plenty of people outside who would kill for this job."
In other words, you're replaceable.
Wei Song Nan clenched his teeth, "…Understood."
"Old hag, acting so high and mighty now. Wait until I become Mrs. CEO; I'll have you packing," he thought resentfully.
Linda said nothing more and proceeded to welcome the arriving CEO.
Linda serves as Fu Mingye's secretary and right-hand woman, a powerhouse focused solely on her career and highly proficient at her job. She also assists Fu Mingye in managing the company.
While Linda is decisive and efficient in her actions, she's not unapproachable. She offers guidance to newcomers in the corporate world, earning the admiration of her colleagues.
Fu Mingye has little interest in the minutiae of running the company. He acquired Fu Corporation merely as a means to amass the resources needed to pursue Cha Cha and give her the best life possible. He'd rather spend his time with Cha Cha than deal with these worldly trivialities.
The reason he goes to work every day is not to waste time on administrative duties, but to work in solitude on prayers and the quest for a method to grant humans eternal life. These are things he can't reveal to Cha Cha until he succeeds.
He descended from the divine realm for a brief mortal sojourn, initially planning to return after a quick look. However, he chose to stay for the sake of one person, and everything he's done is for that individual.
Fu Mingye is feeling vexed today because that dream has triggered him once again.
He needs to find a way to grant Cha Cha eternal life as soon as possible.
Receptionist: "Good morning, President Fu."
Company Staff: "Good morning, President Fu."
"Good morning, President Fu."
"..."
Fu Mingye walks into the office building, steps into the executive elevator, and ascends to his suite on the sixteenth floor. Along the way, various employees greet him with nods, exhaling a sigh of relief only when he's moved past without so much as glancing in their direction.
"President Fu," Linda greets him as soon as he reaches the sixteenth floor.
Fu Mingye strides past her without a word, heading straight to his own executive office.
Wei Songnan is utterly stunned the moment he lays eyes on Fu Mingye.
He is a quick transmigrator, whose task is to capture the hearts of designated characters in each world. Once he's maxed out their affection, he can commit suicide and move to the next world.
Initially, he was discontented when he learned that the target in this world was merely a 32-year-old widowed corporate CEO. Although not bad-looking and indeed exceptional among men, the man hardly compares to the high-quality men Wei Songnan has pursued in other worlds.
Yet, upon his arrival in this world and looking up Fu Mingye's information on Baidu, Wei Songnan finds himself completely smitten.
Who is this breathtakingly handsome man? Why does he look so different from the photos provided by the system? And he's only 27?
Having traversed multiple worlds and seen countless impressive men, Wei Songnan finds Fu Mingye to eclipse them all.
In all of Huaguo, there are no wealthy magnates as young and good-looking as Fu Mingye, and no young, good-looking men as incredibly rich. He's truly the ultimate catch.
He hurriedly queries the system, which hesitates and can't provide a clear answer, ultimately saying that there was a bug in the transfer of information and corrections have been made.
This revelation fuels Wei Songnan's enthusiasm. He has a clear objective for joining Fu Corporation: to win over Fu Mingye.
Unfortunately, there was a deviation in the information. Fu Mingye in this world has not lost a spouse. He had a globally sensational wedding with his same-sex partner a year ago, although they've kept the identity of the partner out of the public eye for protection.
The system is internally puzzled. It remembers that Fu Mingye's spouse was a woman; fundamentally, a sham-marriage gay man. How could it have changed to a same-sex relationship?
There is something fundamentally wrong with this world. The system can't find the reason, so it remains silent, watching its host's oddly misplaced confidence.
What did it matter if he was married? Wei Songnan thought confidently. It's not like he hasn't seduced married men before.
There's never been a man he couldn't win over. Capturing the hearts of high-quality men, toying with them at his whim, and watching them suffer inconsolably at his own death—these are the things that most gratify Wei Songnan's vanity.
These malevolent thoughts clearly resonated in the ears of Fu Mingye, who was up ahead.
An otherworldly soul was coveting him.
At a glance, Fu Mingye saw through the fact that this mortal was from another world and even carried a high-tech item called a "capture system." The man was likely using this device to travel between worlds.
But he was unconcerned.
To a god, mortals are mere ants. Even the most advanced technology is primitive in the eyes of a deity. He may be a god in this world, but that doesn't mean he's unaware of the existence of other realms. Powerful gods could even tear through the fabric of spacetime to enter different dimensions.
Yet, no god would bother with such unrewarding endeavors. Interfering in another world would result in being ostracized by that world's consciousness and making enemies of its indigenous gods. No god enjoys the intrusion of a deity from another realm.
—And it's definitely not because this particular evil god isn't yet strong enough to rip through spacetime!
If he were that powerful, he could override even the laws of nature, freeing himself from the limitation that "mortals cannot live forever" in this world.
Restricted by natural laws, gods can't exploit spacetime loopholes, or they would face divine punishment—hibernation for tens of thousands of years. Gods are even responsible for repairing these loopholes, banishing otherworldly souls, and maintaining the stability of the world. These are the duties of the gods at large.
But this evil god couldn't be bothered. He lacks a strong sense of justice, and he's indifferent to the chaos caused by these otherworldly visitors, so long as it doesn't affect him or Cha Cha.
He halted his steps and looked back at Linda: "Is he the new assistant?"
Wei Songnan's heart leapt for joy. Had Fu Mingye noticed him already?
His charm was indeed irresistible.
Suppressing his excitement, Wei Songnan stepped forward and said, "President Fu, my name is Wei—"
"Get another one," Fu Mingye interrupted flatly. "I don't like this one." He then turned and entered his office.
Wei Songnan stood frozen, his face flushing red, then turning white with embarrassment.
Linda was equally puzzled. Although President Fu could be harsh on his subordinates when in a bad mood, he was always fair and never targeted anyone without reason.
It was just bad luck for the newcomer to catch President Fu in such a state.
"You should leave," said Linda, sympathizing but unable to help.
Tears welled up in Wei Songnan's eyes. "Linda, could you please plead with President Fu to give me another chance—"
Linda hesitated.
"If there isn't a new assistant in the next ten minutes," Fu Mingye's calm voice emanated from within the office, "I won't mind changing secretaries either."
Linda spoke decisively, "Please leave immediately, or I'll call security."
Wei Songnan: "..."
As soon as Qi Bai Cha entered the classroom, the students clamored, "Teacher Qi, Zhuang Jingyi is absent today!"
"Zhuang Jingyi is fine," Qi Bai Cha reassured his students. "She took the day off."
"What exactly happened?" the students asked curiously.
"She was harassed by some thugs, but fortunately, nothing happened. The matter has been resolved, so please refrain from asking her about it when she returns," Qi Bai Cha briefly explained. "Now, let's begin the lesson."
Teachers clock in for work at 8:30 and start the first class at 8:40. Prior to that, students have already gone through breakfast, morning reading, and calisthenics.
Sometimes Qi Bai Cha feels that today's children have it tough—waking up early, burning the midnight oil, tirelessly scribbling notes, burdened with mountains of homework. But then he recalls historical tales of people studying by carving into walls or by the light of fireflies and feels that things have always been this way.
In the past, education was a luxury for the poor, available only to the children of the elite. As time progressed, commoners devoted themselves to a decade of grueling study to pass exams and earn official titles. Women were long excluded from formal education, but that changed during the Republic era with the advent of private schools for girls. Now, men and women study together in the same classrooms. The beauty of these changing times can only be truly appreciated through personal experience.
He is fortunate to have witnessed this world grow.
"Turn to page 42 of your textbook. Today, we're discussing..." Qi Bai Cha paused.
Old friends, indeed.
Two and a half millennia ago, the world was under the Great Li Dynasty. The Snow God traversed the human realm, made a few good friends, enjoyed casual chess games, and reveled in wine and poetry. Back then, they were youthful and audacious—a dandy, a brash warrior, and a martial arts novice—all making grand claims. One aspired to serve as an official, one wanted to protect the country on the battlefield, and one aimed to wander the world as a chivalrous swordsman.
When asked about his own ambitions, the Snow God offered a gentle smile, saying softly, "I have no aspirations in life but to be as idle as a drifting cloud or a solitary crane—to brew tea with melting snow."
But despite this easy life, a soul from another world managed to infiltrate the emperor's harem, killed the emperor, and stole his royal aura, aiming to nourish her own power with the destiny of an entire dynasty.
The emperor's fate was not yet sealed; his death altered the course of history and the destiny of the world. If the intruder succeeded, the world would fast-track its own collapse and eventual destruction.
Gods are the guardians of the world, and such a scenario could not be allowed to happen.
The Snow God detected this foreign soul and mercilessly exterminated it. But the emperor was already dead and history altered. Left with no other options, the Snow God disguised himself as the emperor, governed the dynasty for over a decade, and managed to steer history back on course.
...And indeed he did. In fact, due to his wise rule, the Great Li Dynasty became even more prosperous.
His three friends also realized their ambitions: one rose to the ranks of top officials, one became a young general, and the other roamed freely, living a life of adventure. But both the top official and the general were unaware that the man on the throne was their old friend.
Due to the increasing prosperity of the Great Li Dynasty, the destiny of the subsequent Yunyue Dynasty weakened. To compensate, the Snow God served in the Yunyue Dynasty once as a Prime Minister and once as a general to balance the destinies of both dynasties. After that, he resolved never to get involved in political centers of power—it was simply too exhausting.
This unit focuses on the Great Li Dynasty, and naturally, Qi Bai Cha encountered many familiar names. With a slight smile, he acknowledged his old friends across two and a half millennia.
"I know, I know! Today we're discussing two prominent figures of the Great Li Dynasty, Prime Minister Li Heran and General Wu Dingchuan," said a well-read student. "Li Heran was born into an official's family and was diligent and erudite from a young age, fond of poetry and prose. He was strict with himself, his wastebasket always filled with discarded calligraphy practice..."
"That's incorrect," Qi Bai Cha shook his head. "In his younger days, he was a reckless playboy who frequented brothels and was fond of cosmetics. His father even had to drag him out of a brothel and administer corporal punishment. The next day, nursing his wounds, he still went out to bet on cricket fights."
"Uh... that's not what the book says," said the stunned student.
Qi Bai Cha asked, "What else does the book say?"
The student answered, "It also states that General Wu Dingchuan was a versatile military talent, well-versed in military strategy from a young age and undefeated in a hundred battles."
"You're quite mistaken," Qi Bai Cha said, closing the textbook and speaking eloquently. "Wu Dingchuan came from humble beginnings and was illiterate. He climbed the ranks through real combat and hard-fought victories. He even made a few humorous blunders when he later tried to acquire an education..."
He recounted these everyday events from his memory as amusing stories for the students, who listened with rapt attention.
The students particularly enjoyed Qi Bai Cha's history classes, not only because of his mellifluous voice and good looks, but also because they could hear many stories unavailable elsewhere.
As Qi Bai Cha looked at the students earnestly paying attention, he slightly lowered his gaze.
He was the only one left who still remembered those people and those events.
Sharing these stories allowed him to spread the knowledge, ensuring that he wasn't the only one who knew of these past times.
The lively lesson ended all too quickly, leaving the students wanting more. Some even chased after him, asking, "Teacher Qi, how do you know so much? Where can we find these intriguing stories?"
Qi Bai Cha smiled gently, pointing to his head, "Right here."
Returning to his office after the morning class, Qi Bai Cha had no more lessons for the day, only grading the history assignments from yesterday.
After grading a few assignments, he took out his phone to check the day's news. He paused when he failed to unlock the phone using Fu Mingye's birthday as the password, then quickly realized it was Fu Mingye's phone.
Fu Mingye's phone password was also the birthdate found on Qi Bai Cha's identification. Both were aware of this, yet neither had a habit of going through the other's phone.
Qi Bai Cha and Fu Mingye had matching couple's phones—same model, same set of phone cases. In the rush of the morning, they'd mistakenly swapped phones.
Qi Bai Cha's phone didn't matter much since he had few contacts. But Fu Mingye managed a massive company, and his phone would undoubtedly contain important data and contacts of business partners.
He needed to return it promptly.
Acting alone, Qi Bai Cha had no concerns. He teleported directly to the vicinity of Fu Corporation's office building.
Wei Songnan was still loitering around the ground floor of the company building, irritably running his hands through his hair.
"System, what's Fu Mingye's current favorability rating for me?"
The system responded, "Zero."
"Zero?!" Wei Songnan exclaimed in disbelief. "Are you kidding me? I have the Love-at-First-Sight Aura equipped; the target should have gained an automatic +10 favorability rating the first time he saw me. Is there another bug?"
The system replied, "But, host, the target didn't actually look at you."
Wei Songnan: "..."
Falling flat before he even began, he couldn't swallow this defeat.
"No, I have to find another way to approach him."
The conversation between Wei Songnan and the system happened entirely in his mind; Qi Bai Cha didn't hear it. But he immediately identified Wei Songnan as a soul from another world with just one glance.
Before a god, humans truly have nowhere to hide.
Outsiders can disrupt the established order of the native world; at the very least, they may change the fate of one or two individuals. In extreme cases, as with the traveler encountered by Qi Bai Cha, they may even covet the destiny of the entire world.
As a deity of this realm, it is his duty to maintain the world's order.
When faced with outsiders who have trespassed through spacetime rifts, Qi Bai Cha takes action depending on the situation. Those who have been peaceful are sent back to their original worlds. Those who have already died in their native realms are made to forget their otherworldly memories, assimilating them into the local population. As for those who have wrought great havoc or intentionally possessed living beings, their souls are annihilated.
Of course, there is another scenario: those who have been approved by the official Time-Space Management Bureau to traverse realms. This bureau was established because some worlds have lost their guardian deities, leaving them vulnerable. In these cases, out of inter-dimensional humanitarian concern, individuals from other worlds come to rescue the imperiled one.
However, this world evidently does not yet need to be saved; after all, he, the Snow God, is still very much alive.
Qi Bai Cha approached Wei Song Nan and greeted him politely, "Hello, sir."
A sudden chill swept over Wei Song Nan, making him shiver involuntarily.
He looked up to see a striking yet icy young man who smiled and asked, "Do you have a work permit from the Time-Space Management Bureau?"
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