Chapter 2: The Ice Queen's Power Play
The next morning, 8:50 AM. Chen Mo stood outside the Qingcheng International tower, craning his neck to take in the glass facade that seemed to pierce the clouds.
"Damn. Never set foot in a place this fancy in my life." He tugged at the cheap suit—the only presentable one he owned—and stepped inside.
The receptionist smiled professionally, but her eyes did a quick scan that screamed judgment. "Sir, do you have an appointment?"
"I'm here to see Li Bingyan." He tried to sound casual.
Her expression shifted immediately—surprise mixed with skepticism. "Your name, sir? I'll need to verify."
"Chen Mo."
She made a quick call, murmured something, and when she looked back at him, her attitude had done a complete 180. "Mr. Chen, Ms. Li is expecting you. Please use the private elevator to the top floor."
Private elevator? Chen Mo kept his face neutral but his mind was racing. This woman really ran a tight ship. The elevator was all mirrors, reflecting his slightly nervous face back at him. The system's smug voice echoed in his head:
[Host, hold your ground! You've got the system now. You're not some broke loser anymore. Remember: fair exchange, no simping!]
"Yeah, yeah. I got it." He steadied his breathing as the elevator chimed and the doors slid open.
The top-floor office was massive. Minimalist design, cold tones, sleek lines. It matched its owner perfectly.
Li Bingyan sat behind an enormous desk, dressed in a sharp black pantsuit. Gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. She didn't look up from the file she was reading, her expression unreadable. Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows, outlining her perfect profile and the long legs crossed beneath the desk, wrapped in sheer black stockings.
Chen Mo's pulse spiked. The woman was breathtaking in a way photos couldn't capture.
"Ms. Li." He stepped forward, keeping his voice steady.
She didn't lift her gaze. Just tapped a document on the desk with her pen. "Five minutes. Read it. Then tell me the biggest problem."
Chen Mo picked up the file. A marketing proposal for a new product launch. Thick stack. A normal person couldn't even flip through it in five minutes, let alone find flaws.
[Ding! Temporary mission triggered: Identify proposal vulnerabilities. Temporary skill granted—[Business Insight (Basic)], duration 10 minutes.]
A cool rush flooded his mind. Suddenly, the dense text snapped into focus. Numbers, data, assumptions—they all arranged themselves into a clear structure in his head. His eyes moved fast, scanning like a machine.
Four minutes and thirty seconds later, he set the file down.
Li Bingyan finally looked up. Her gaze was sharp, clinical. "Finished? Problems?"
Chen Mo took a breath and pointed to a section. "Section three. Budget allocation. Online channels get 70% of the spend, but your target demographic skews older. They're overestimating digital reach by at least 30%. That chunk of the budget is dead money."
He flipped to another page. "And here—the due diligence on your partner is incomplete. 'Starlight Media' was flagged for data fraud last month. Using them as your core channel is a major risk."
Li Bingyan's eyes flickered—just a fraction—behind those glasses. She didn't comment. Instead, she pressed the intercom. "Send up Director Wang. Marketing."
A few minutes later, a middle-aged man in a slightly-too-tight suit hurried in, looking nervous. "Ms. Li? You wanted to see me?"
Li Bingyan slid the proposal toward him. Her voice was flat. "Director Wang. Mr. Chen here has pointed out two issues. Explain them."
Sweat broke out on Wang's forehead. He stammered through some excuses, but when Chen Mo's name came up alongside the Starlight Media issue, his face went pale.
Li Bingyan's expression didn't change. "Redo it. My desk tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
Wang practically ran out the door.
The office fell silent. Li Bingyan turned her full attention to Chen Mo. Her eyes lingered a moment longer than before. "Sharp. Looks like the agreement wasn't a mistake."
Chen Mo felt the relief wash through him. He opened his mouth to respond with something modest—
[Ding! Temporary mission complete! Performance rating: Good. Host, demand your compensation. Uphold the principle of fair exchange!]
Chen Mo swallowed his polite reply. Straightened his spine. Looked the Ice Queen in the eye.
"Ms. Li. I pointed out the problems. According to the agreement, what's this 'work' worth?"
Something flickered across her face—surprise, maybe. She didn't answer right away. Instead, she pulled out a form, filled it out quickly, and slid it across the desk.
[Debt Reduction Certificate: Amount—¥50,000. Reason—Initial Consultation. Creditor Signature—Li Bingyan.]
Fifty thousand!
It was nothing against a hundred million. But it was something. Proof that this insane arrangement was real. Proof that he could fight his way out of this hole.
"This is just the beginning." Li Bingyan rose from her chair and walked to the window, her back to him. Her silhouette was elegant, untouchable. "I need someone outside the company to look into something. Do it right, and you get a million knocked off."
Chen Mo stared at the certificate in his hand, then at the cold beauty by the window. His blood was heating up.
"Look into what?"
She turned. Sunlight glinted off her glasses. Her lips curved into something that might have been the ghost of a smile.
"There's a rat in my company. I want you to find it."