Chapter 54: “Who’s to Say I Can’t Fall in Love with You at First Sight…”
Having received the approval of his wife—or rather, Feng Xun—Jian Tang was incredibly pleased.
Of course, he had also taken into account the fact that the other party was carrying a baby, so in this version of the plan, he didn’t intend to “move out immediately.” For now, the two would maintain the status of “roommates living under the same roof,” and they would adjust the plan later based on the changes in the other party’s body.
Besides, pursuing someone didn’t contradict taking care of a pregnancy. Jian Tang had heard that “running away with a baby” literature was extremely popular among humans, where the kid always came first, and dating and marriage were sorted out later to make up for it. The seniors had already set a perfect example; he just needed to follow it.
Reviewing this “remedial romance plan” in his head once more, it seemed completely flawless and perfect. Smiling, Jian Tang extended his hand to Feng Xun.
Feng Xun: “?”
Thinking the youth wanted to say “pleasure doing business with you,” he reached out as well and shook his hand.
Jian Tang: “…”
Jian Tang: “Not that! I’m telling you to take off your ring and give it back to me.”
Feng Xun’s expression stiffened. “Why?”
“Because right now is the primary stage of my pursuit,” Jian Tang said. “I haven’t successfully won you over yet, so how can I let you wear a wedding ring? This is a process that can only happen after the engagement.”
What?
When Little Tang gave him the ring back then, he had actually given it under the name of a wedding ring??
…Now he wanted to take it off even less.
But the youth had already removed his own ring and was beckoning to Feng Xun, gesturing for him to take his off quickly as well.
“…………”
Under the urging of the other’s gaze, Feng Xun reluctantly slid off the ring, watching helplessly as Jian Tang placed both rings back into the jewelry box and threw them into the very bottom of a drawer to gather dust.
He felt like he had taken a massive loss.
It felt no different from losing a wife entirely.
Jian Tang hadn’t just given him a ring; he had also given him a brooch. Toward the latter, he was quite lenient: “You can keep the brooch. That’s a gift between friends.”
Feng Xun instantly found a loophole. “Can you give me another ordinary ring? Not the wedding kind.”
“No can do,” Jian Tang said. “I’m a pursuer. If I give you a ring, wouldn’t my wild ambitions be obvious to everyone? That’s progressing way too fast.”
Feng Xun immediately countered, “Then I’ll give you one.”
“No, no, no.” Jian Tang shook his head in refusal. “Since when does the person being pursued give gifts to the pursuer? That turns heaven and earth upside down, completely breaking the rules.”
“…”
At this moment, Feng Xun finally began to sense a hint of trouble.
“A ring won’t do, but surely a different gift is fine?”
“No.”
“Just a gift between friends—even that won’t do?”
“I said earlier, our relationship right now is in the primary stage of having just met,” Jian Tang said. “Think back to what the situation was like when we first met. Did you have even a shred of a desire to give me a gift back then?”
There was no desire to give a gift, only a desire to drive a knife through him. The moment they met, Feng Xun had drawn a blade, scaring him so badly he had bolted immediately.
Feng Xun: “…”
Damn it. Dead memories were starting to attack his present self.
No, dead dark history was actively sniping his future happiness!
“I’m sorry.” Feng Xun apologized with deep remorse. “I was… I was too rough back then.”
And he had been a total idiot, actually wanting to return the product that very day. He had no idea what kind of fit he was throwing back then, but fortunately, the system’s customer service had ignored him.
He’d make sure to go back and leave a five-star review for that customer service later.
“So, I can’t do anything right now, and can only wait for you to pursue me?” Feng Xun summarized their current state.
“Yep, yep.”
“Who’s to say I can’t fall in love with you at first sight?”
Jian Tang blanked for two seconds.
His database of materials didn’t contain a single strategy to counter this scenario.
“T-that shouldn’t be allowed, right?” Jian Tang hesitated a little. “I heard people say that the essence of love at first sight is just being driven by lust. Are you a person driven by lust, Feng Xun?”
Who could possibly admit to that!
And Feng Xun truly wasn’t, otherwise he wouldn’t have thought about returning the product on day one. “…Fine. I’m not.”
Jian Tang was relieved. “Then let’s take it slow, according to the proper steps.”
Feng Xun didn’t want to take it slow at all.
But Jian Tang resolutely demanded the implementation of the guideline to “progress steadily and let feelings grow over time,” strictly executing the standardized workflow from dating to marriage. Aside from obediently cooperating, Feng Xun had no other choice.
After they finished breakfast, it was still quite early before work hours. Striking while the iron was hot, Jian Tang thoroughly tidied up the things in the apartment once more.
The cushions and ornaments in the living room containing couple elements, as well as the framed photo stand issued by the system, were all tucked away into the cabinets. The matching couple-style toothbrushes, cups, towels, and bath towels in the bathroom were also completely replaced.
Even Jian Tang’s phone wallpaper was stripped of the original “handsome photo of my wife” and replaced with a fresh, simple landscape image.
“You shouldn’t have changed the wallpaper.” Feng Xun believed he had caught the other party’s flaw and argued righteously.
“You’re pursuing me, which means you like me. Since you like me, keeping my photo as your wallpaper because you want to see the face of your beloved at all times is only human nature.”
“Yes, that’s exactly right.” Jian Tang agreed. “But today is only the first day of our acquaintance. We haven’t reached the point of using each other’s photos as wallpapers yet. On the first day I met you, I was scared to death. Looking at your face would only give me nightmares.”
Feng Xun: “…”
Feng Xun: “And you still want to pursue me?” This setup was fundamentally unsustainable.
Jian Tang: “You can just think of it as me awakening a masochistic gene on the second day—the more I fear you, the more I love you.”
Feng Xun: “…”
Fine then.
Jian Tang didn’t just change his own wallpaper; he also took the opportunity to check Feng Xun’s phone. Thus, he saw that the man’s desktop wallpaper was actually a photo of him trying on a dress on the day they visited “Pretty Fifi’s Gown Boutique.”
Jian Tang gave the man a surprised look.
Thinking the youth was condemning him for taking a stealth photo, Feng Xun was just about to make an excuse when he heard the boy speak.
“You like seeing me wear clothes in this style?”
He had thought only the Demon race favored this kind of taste.
Feng Xun gave a perfect-score answer: “I like seeing you in whatever you wear.”
“Oh, I see.” Jian Tang mumbled to himself, “This gown is hanging right in my wardrobe. If you like seeing it, I can actually wear it often at home.”
“!”
Feng Xun: “Why don’t we do it right now…”
“Not right now.” Jian Tang shook his head. “It’s far too early for that. It won’t quite do during the dating phase either; we have to wait until the ‘cohabitation stage.’ Hmm, we’ll have to wait at least another year.”
Feng Xun: “…………”
A devastating loss.
After tidying up the apartment, it was about time. The two changed their clothes and left for work together.
Originally, Jian Tang intended to walk to the new company, but Feng Xun said that giving someone a ride because they were heading the same way didn’t violate the setup of “meeting for the first time.” Jian Tang thought about it: there was a free car ride available, so it would be foolish not to take it. Thus, he happily hopped into the car.
“It’s your first day reporting to the new company. Are you nervous?” Feng Xun asked him.
“A little,” Jian Tang said. “I don’t know what kind of person the new boss will be this time.”
After the “clash” during the written exam and the descriptions from the Realm Lords in the chat, Jian Tang felt that the task taker was an insidious, cunning, and ruthless character. Although he had luckily passed the interview, he didn’t know how long this good luck would last.
“What kind of person do you hope your new boss will be?” Feng Xun asked, probing subtly.
Jian Tang thought for a moment. “Someone who only hands out money but never assigns work. It’s best if they never even show their face, just acting as a quiet, zero-presence payroll machine.”
Hahaha, he was certainly dreaming a beautiful dream.
The corners of Feng Xun’s mouth curved up. “Maybe he really is.”
Jian Tang felt that Feng Xun dared to dream even bigger than he did, making him a truly bold man. “Hahaha, you’re right! One must always have dreams—what if they actually come true? Hahaha…”
Because it wasn’t far from home, the car quickly arrived downstairs at the company building, and Jian Tang got out first.
“Thanks for giving me a lift!” Jian Tang waved to Feng Xun through the window, his smile bright. “Goodbye! I hope you have a great day.”
Just the day before, he could still get a morning kiss before work, but now there were only polite blessings.
Feng Xun smiled helplessly and waved back at the youth.
“I also wish you a smooth day at work. Have a great day.”
Jian Tang watched the silver SUV drive off in the direction of the A University campus. Only when it was out of sight did he retract his gaze, turning around to walk into the office building.
—
The company rule stated that work began at 9:00 AM, and though it was just past 8:30 AM, the people inside had already all arrived.
A total of 50 people had come for the recruitment interview yesterday, and the number ultimately selected and retained was 26.
At that time, the system had immediately dispatched employment contracts on-site. Of course, ordinary people didn’t know the system was operating behind the scenes; they only assumed someone was remotely controlling the printer that had suddenly started up in the room.
The printer had produced 26 contracts, and everyone received a copy, with Jian Tang getting the one belonging to him.
The contract clearly stated that his position was a sales role, with a total of three job responsibilities:
1. Complete the sales task objectives specified by the company.
2. Receive customer orders.
3. Follow up on the execution status of orders.
They were thoroughly standard and conventional responsibilities, looking completely fine.
However, no matter how much Jian Tang flipped through the contract, he couldn’t find the specific figure for the “sales task objective.” He only saw that his specified monthly salary was a base pay of 20,000, with performance bonuses based on a commission of sales volume, and a year-end bonus calculated separately.
Jian Tang had no concept of human wage levels, but seeing the pleasantly surprised looks on his other colleagues’ faces as they reviewed their contracts, he figured everyone’s benefits were quite good. This CEO Feng was quite generous in this regard, far better than his old Octopus Boss.
Thus, Jian Tang signed his name, becoming an official employee of the [Three Giants and Slaughtering Like Crazy Export Trading Company].
Having signed the contract yesterday, he reported to the company today, and his workstation had already been assigned.
Jian Tang searched for a long time in the open workstation area but couldn’t see his nameplate. Later, it was only with the help of an older sister from the administrative department that he discovered his workstation wasn’t in the public open area, but rather that he enjoyed a private office all to himself.
It was also at this moment that Jian Tang learned the entire sales department actually consisted of him as the sole employee.
Jian Tang thought about it and realized it was actually very logical: that CEO Feng’s only big client was simply the three Realm Lords. He didn’t need to expand the market or develop new clients at all; he just needed to supply goods with guaranteed quality and quantity according to the Realm Lords’ orders.
But a company with “export trading” as its core business having no sales department would definitely arouse the suspicion of normal people. Therefore, the other party had symbolically established a sales position. The true purpose of his role was actually to provide cover for that task taker, proving to outsiders that this was a normally operating foreign trade company.
Heh, pretending to be normal, right? He was highly familiar with this.
Jian Tang inspected his small office. It had excellent lighting and was fully equipped. He especially liked the matching large floor-to-ceiling window; standing in front of the clean, bright glass pane, he could look down at the endless stream of people on the street below, and look up to gaze at the distant A University campus. The view was superb.
Although his true identity was an undercover agent, at this moment, Jian Tang genuinely fell in love with this new job—
There was no filthy instance garbage, no infinitely repeating assembly line operations, and none of the cramped, dark, and gloomy conditions of underground factories. Here, there was bright sunshine spilling over his body, and opening the small window allowed him to feel the breeze brushing past his face and smell the fresh air…
He really loved this place so much!
After enjoying the pleasure brought by his new working environment for a while, as the time gradually ticked toward nine o’clock, Jian Tang wiped away his smile and sat seriously before his desk.
The boss hadn’t shown his face yesterday, so he ought to come over today, right?
He hoped that when they met for the first time, he could pass smoothly without having his undercover identity exposed by the other party.
Not only was Jian Tang a bit nervous, but the other new employees of the company were equally anxious.
Someone turned on the computer at their workstation and found that the company’s internal OA software was already installed on it, allowing for automatic login with a simple click.
On the company personnel list, everyone’s profile pictures were lit up. Ranked first was “CEO Feng,” followed by “Vice CEO Fila,” “Vice CEO Hiramis,” and “Vice CEO Agne.” The identity tag behind these three wrote “Shareholder.”
So, the company’s leadership team consisted of one big boss and three minor bosses?
They hadn’t seen a single one, not even knowing what the people looked like.
But everyone felt that this situation was only temporary: it was one thing not to show up during recruitment, but today was the first day of starting work, so the leadership would have to show their faces, give a speech, and “say a few brief words,” right?
The entire staff was fully prepared and deeply respectful, waiting from nine o’clock to ten o’clock, from ten o’clock to eleven o’clock, and from eleven o’clock until it was time to eat lunch.
During this period, the four bosses seemed to have vanished into thin air, with not even a single hair of theirs to be seen.
What was going on???
For the entire morning, aside from an internal announcement automatically pushed by the OA system—[Welcome to the new employees. Congratulations to everyone on joining this vibrant team and loving big family]—the staff received absolutely no instructions whatsoever.
The only collective activity was at eleven o’clock, when the sister from the administrative department organized everyone to order food together, stating that the company’s meal allowance had no upper limit, so they could order whatever they wanted to eat, no matter how expensive.
Amid a wave of cheers, everyone forgot the anxiety and irritability of waiting, joyfully eating a massive feast.
Jian Tang especially felt like a mouse that had fallen into a rice granary. After interacting with his colleagues, he discovered that there were actually so many human delicacies he hadn’t tried yet.
Since the company was fully covering and reimbursing it, then eat!
Chomp chomp chomp, devouring wildly!
After eating and drinking his fill, Jian Tang returned to his small room, lay down on the folding recliner provided by the company, and comfortably took a midday nap.
Upon waking up in the afternoon, the entire company was filled with a lazy, comfortable atmosphere.
Everyone had already lost their battle-ready state from the morning, all proficiently starting to slack off—a great life of eating and drinking without needing to work certainly wouldn’t happen every day, so while things hadn’t gotten busy yet, enjoying half a day was half a day.
Jian Tang, however, still firmly remembered his true responsibility. Taking advantage of the gap when he went to the pantry to fetch water, he inspected the company’s entire environment.
The CEO’s office was actually very close to his private office cubicle, right diagonally across. Every time Jian Tang passed by, he could see the situation inside through the glass window on the door.
It was decorated very well—low-key luxury, large but not empty—but there was simply no one there.
Jian Tang was determined to carry out actual deeds for the Realm Lords, but since the principal party didn’t show up, he had no cards to play either, so he consequently joined the slacking-off army as well.
He scrolled through the Monster Forum for a while, his finger tapping away on the screen, before finally tapping into his contacts list.
The remark for [Wife] had already been changed by him. Right now, that familiar number was labeled with the name [Feng Xun].
Jian Tang opened the chat box and sent a message.
[Are you busy?]
Ding—
The phone placed on the windowsill rang briefly.
Having just stepped away from the dissection table, Feng Xun stripped off his bloody rubber gloves. After washing and disinfecting his hands, he walked to the window and picked up his phone.
My Sweet Candy: [Are you busy?]
Although Jian Tang had requested him to change his wallpaper, he hadn’t flipped through his contacts list, so he didn’t know that the remark name Feng Xun had given him was [My Sweet Candy].
Since the principal party hadn’t discovered it, Feng Xun naturally wouldn’t go and change it—all other progress had regressed back to the starting line, so he had to salvage something, right?
Keeping his adorable wife’s adorable nickname was his final piece of stubbornness.
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