Chapter 14, the Number One Leader
Shen Beidao unscrewed the cap of the juice bottle and handed it to Lin Yi: "Hmm, you guessed right."
He leaned slightly closer to Lin Yi's ear and said, "Just now, seeing you go in alone with that elite gentleman for so long, I felt a little disappointed."
"...That was a normal onboarding process for me."
Lin Yi was taken aback by his sudden "accusation" and didn't know how to explain. The jealousy that had been churning in his heart had dissipated considerably, and he didn't know where to begin with the questions he had prepared.
"Does a regular employee need to be personally greeted by a director and have such a long private conversation?" Shen Beidao raised an eyebrow, his tone inquisitive. "It sounds like he values you a lot."
Lin Yi was embarrassed to directly say that the company was his father's business. He had just shown Shen Beidao that he got the job through his own abilities, and if he were to reveal that he was a relative, where would he put his face?
He hesitated for a moment, then, recalling what had just happened, said, "I also saw you chatting so intently with that receptionist! What were you talking about?" He spoke with an air of self-righteousness.
Shen Beidao's smile deepened, and instead of answering, he asked, "Are you jealous?"
"No, that's not it." Lin Yi subconsciously looked down at his face, his ears turning slightly red, but then he thought about it again and realized that he was the rightful "official girlfriend," so he declared with a touch of domineering: "I'm just jealous, so what? You're my boyfriend, and I'm not flirting with anyone else, so why can't I be jealous?"
"Okay, I understand."
"You...you knew that too?!" Lin Yi was a little flustered.
Looking at his stubborn yet adorable appearance, Shen Beidao's heart softened completely. He smiled and gently pulled the man into his arms, while handing him his phone and unlocking the screen: "Look at it as you like."
Lin Yi didn't stand on ceremony, took the phone and opened WeChat.
The very first two chat records were found:
Hey there! Our company is hiring live-streaming e-commerce hosts! You look great, feel free to send me your resume if you're interested!
[Resume link: Boss Zhipin]
Shen Beidao's reply was concise and clear: "OK, thank you."
"Live streamer? You?" Lin Yi looked up at Shen Beidao with some disbelief.
“Hmm.” Shen Beidao explained seriously, “Your company’s HR said I have a good image and that I could give it a try. I think this is an opportunity, and I can’t just refuse outright.”
He spoke as if deep in thought, as if he were seriously considering the development of this career.
"Live stream...?"
Lin Yi scratched his head thoughtfully.
The gossip he'd read on the forums flashed through his mind: many handsome male streamers easily attract the attention of "top male fan" or "rich female fan," and then...
no!
If Shen Beidao really wants to do a live stream, then I...
I must become the strongest "top player"!
Fortunately, I had saved up some pocket money and received living expenses from Xie Chun.
Shen Beidao watched his little rabbit with unpredictable expressions, sometimes frowning, sometimes secretly clenching his fist, completely unaware that the other party had already planned a "path of protection" for his live streaming career.
Shen Beidao: "What? You don't like me doing this? Then I'll refuse later."
"No, no, I don't dislike it!" Lin Yi quickly waved his hand. "These are all opportunities, don't rush to refuse, what if you need it later..."
In his haste, his finger accidentally swiped out of the chat interface and he glimpsed Shen Beidao's WeChat list, which was filled with numerous group messages, many of which had a red tag indicating that he was mentioned.
"Are you usually this busy?" Out of politeness, Lin Yi didn't click to take a closer look.
Shen Beidao's gaze swept across the phone screen.
Oh no, these are all messages from students tagging me. These kids ask their teachers about everything, no matter how small. Looks like I'll have to leave a few groups...
But Shen Beidao's face remained calm and composed: "I work in the student union, and I'm responsible for organizing some activities, so I sometimes get a lot of information."
"Oh, I see." Lin Yi handed the phone back. "Then reply quickly, don't let it interfere with important matters."
"Hmm." Shen Beidao took the phone, his face calm, but his palms were already sweating. "No rush, we can talk to them in person at the meeting this afternoon."
"Are you free later?" Lin Yi remembered his business. "I need to go to the designated medical examination center next."
“I’ll drive you,” Shen Beidao replied quickly. “It’s okay if it’s a little late; the meeting doesn’t start until around five or six o’clock.”
"Okay, then I won't be polite!" Lin Yi smiled, her eyes crinkling. "Thank you, boyfriend."
...
The two agreed to meet at the original school gate.
Shen Beidao went to retrieve his car alone, citing the reason that "non-school personnel are not allowed to enter".
This successfully avoided the embarrassment of using an employee card to enter the underground parking garage and using a staff-only parking space in front of Lin Yi.
The physical examination center is not far from Jiangzhou University, about ten kilometers away by car.
After spending a few days together, Lin Yi relaxed a lot in front of Shen Beidao. He comfortably nestled in the passenger seat, eating the snacks Shen Beidao had just bought for him, his cheeks puffing out.
While eating, Lin Yi suddenly remembered something and mumbled, "Oh right, I lost my phone last time, and I can't log into my old game account. Can I borrow your account to play?"
Shen Beidao's fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and he raised an eyebrow, asking, "Are you talking about the 'Marco Bobo Tea' account?"
"Yeah!" Lin Yi said with a smile, "I only agreed to meet you because I thought your voice was really nice, like a cute puppy! I didn't expect you to be like this..."
He deliberately drew out his words, looking Shen Beidao up and down, "He's a mature and steady guy who also keeps up with his fitness routine..."
He admired Shen Beidao's well-developed pectoral muscles, pondering what adjective to use...
"Hey, I know, you're just like that kind of handsome, aloof Doberman Pinscher! Hahaha...doesn't it?"
Shen Beidao nodded: "A little."
"You have such a good temper, you wouldn't even get angry if I called you a dog." Lin Yi stuffed a potato chip into his mouth. "I was just teasing you. You're usually too serious, so I wanted to make you smile more."
Shen Beidao took a bite of the potato chip and looked at Lin Yi: "Do you think I'm a little boring?"
"Of course not, I prefer people who don't talk much." Lin Yi moved closer to him, tilting his head. "I have a friend who talks a lot, I'll introduce you two sometime..."
"Okay, sure."
A lively little rabbit involuntarily floated into Shen Beidao's mind, playfully leaping onto a tall and mighty Doberman Pinscher and snuggling against it, and a slight smile appeared on his lips.
Surprisingly, they even have similar logic when thinking about what animal they resemble; they're practically a match made in heaven.
Shen Beidao: "By the way, the phone I used to play that game accidentally fell into the water and won't turn on." Shen Beidao's tone was a little regretful, "So I haven't logged into that account for a long time."
"Oh, I see..." Lin Yi was a little disappointed. "It's okay, I'll register a new account later and add you as a friend!"
As Lin Yi spoke, he took out his phone and tapped the game icon. "Did you log in with WeChat?"
Shen Beidao glanced at Lin Yi's phone screen out of the corner of his eye, only to find that Lin Yi had put on a privacy screen protector at some point, making it impossible to see the content.
“Mm,” Shen Beidao replied.
"But I can't find you..." Lin Yi fiddled with it for a while, then looked up in confusion.
"We're almost at the medical examination center," Shen Beidao pointed to the road sign ahead. "You go ahead with your examination, and we'll add you later, okay?"
"Okay." Lin Yi put away his phone and complained under his breath, "It's a pity I had so much money in my old account! Last time I tried to contact customer service to retrieve it, they said I had to verify with the original phone number. I really wanted to say: Wang X Glory, give me my money back!"
Shen Beidao: ...So this is the game.
After dropping Lin Yi off at the medical examination center, while Lin Yi was waiting in line for his checkup, Shen Beidao sat in the waiting area, took out his phone, and opened a tutorial video for a game, looking as focused as if he were studying an academic paper…
After looking at it for a while, a message from Du Xiaoman popped up on my phone; it was a bank card number…
After Lin Yi followed Yu Feng into the office, Shen Beidao did not linger in the reception area.
He got up and walked towards the stairwell of the fire escape.
At the corner window, I saw Du Xiaoman puffing away on a cigarette.
Shen Beidao walked over and got straight to the point: "Let's talk."
Du Xiaoman, a cigarette dangling from her lips, glanced at him sideways and said in an unfriendly tone, "Who are you? Do I know you?"
Shen Beidao took out his phone and pulled up the photo that looked like a kiss from a misaligned angle in the underground parking garage. He turned the screen to Du Xiaoman and said, "You took this, right? I'm the person in the photo."
After Du Xiaoman saw the photo clearly, her eyes flickered a few times.
The two then went to a quiet coffee shop downstairs from the company.
After taking his seat, Shen Beidao glanced at his watch and said succinctly, "We only have five minutes to talk. To make a long story short, I'm buying this photo."
“Name your price. I hope Lin Yi doesn’t find out about this. I’m referring to the fact that you sent this photo to his family.”
Du Xiaoman leaned back in her chair, scrutinizing Shen Beidao: "What's your relationship with Lin Yi?...A couple?"
Shen Beidao did not answer, his gaze sweeping over Du Xiaoman's hand under the table: "Turn off your phone's recording function first. I only do business with people who are sincere. If you insist on playing these little tricks, then please do as you please."
His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unyielding and authoritative quality.
Du Xiaoman was exposed by him, and a hint of embarrassment flashed across her face, but she was more puzzled by the behavior of the man in front of her.
He reluctantly turned off the recording, cleared the data in front of Shen Beidao, and then slammed his phone onto the table with a "thud": "Is this okay?"
Shen Beidao glanced at the time again: "Four minutes left. My request is simple: pay for peace and quiet."
Du Xiaoman wanted to probe the other party's background and true relationship with Lin Yi, but seeing Shen Beidao's calm demeanor of "only talking about transactions, not feelings," he changed his strategy.
He laid his cards on the table, saying, "Five hundred thousand, and I'll delete the photos and promise not to spread them again."
Shen Beidao: "I'll give you one million. It will be transferred to your account before this time tomorrow. I hope you can keep your promise and never let Lin Yi know about this or our conversation today."
He paused, his tone becoming even more serious: "I already know that you sent the photos of him and me to his mother. His mother has contacted me, hoping that Lin Yi and I will break up."
“But I have made it clear to her that my attitude will not change. I only want to be with Lin Yi and I do not want anyone to ruin our relationship in any way.”
He observed the slight change in Du Xiaoman's expression and continued his calm analysis: "Among adults, it's all about mutual benefit. The reason you stayed by Xie Chun's side wasn't for some vague, ethereal love, was it? I'm doing this to help you achieve your goal, and I think you know what to do after taking the money."
Du Xiaoman was struck by his words. He pondered for a moment, then finally managed a somewhat complicated smile, tinged with self-deprecation: "You rich people are really something. You're willing to give away a million for a single ambiguous photo."
...
Shen Beidao looked at the bank card number sent by Du Xiaoman and replied:
Shen Beidao: [I need to confirm that this money is for you to delete all photos of me and Lin Yi, and promise not to spread them again.]
Du Xiaoman: [Consider this money as a way to avoid trouble. I'll delete the photos and won't bother you again.]
Upon seeing the words "spend money to avoid trouble," Shen Beidao curled his lips into a smile.
Shen Beidao [Please confirm two details: Besides the one sent to Lin Yi's mother, are there any other backups? Will all data be destroyed immediately after receiving the money?]
Du Xiaoman: [Are you interrogating me? It's just a photo. Buy it or don't, it's up to you. But I'm warning you, if you don't see the money today, this photo will immediately appear on the forums of Jiangzhou University and the National Academy of Fine Arts.]
Du Xiaoman: [You think I wasn't prepared? I've already had someone check. You're a teacher at Jiangzhou University. No wonder you wanted to delete the photos so badly. Being gay must have affected you a lot. Your license plate number is on these photos. I can report you to Jiangzhou University anytime.]
Shen Beidao looked at the threatening message and deliberately waited a while before replying:
The funds will arrive by 5 PM tomorrow. Please keep your promise.
【You're smart to know what's good for you! However, I demand that the money arrive by 5 PM today! Not a penny less, or you'll face the consequences.】
Shen Beidao put away his phone; this conversation had completely recorded evidence that Du Xiaoman was threatening to spread the photos and demand money.
...
After Lin Yi finished drawing blood, he pressed the cotton swab on his arm and slowly walked out, looking weak and pitiful.
Seeing Shen Beidao waiting at the door, he immediately felt like he had found a support. He took two quick steps, gently pressed his forehead against Shen Beidao's chest, and said in a slightly aggrieved voice, "They drew a lot of blood... and it still hurts a bit!"
Looking at his coquettish appearance, Shen Beidao felt a surge of tenderness in his heart. He smiled helplessly and indulgently, and asked in a low voice, "Then shall I carry you on my back?"
"I'm so sorry, so many people are watching." Lin Yi nudged him, then couldn't help but laugh as he spoke, rolling down his sleeves and muttering softly, "Actually, I just wanted you to feel sorry for me, I don't know if I achieved my goal."
Shen Beidao took his hand, their fingers intertwined, and pulled him into his arms, pressing him against his chest. Through his shirt, he felt a rapid, powerful vibration. "Listen to this."
A note from the author:
----------------------
The author has been busy with a business trip lately [glasses emoji]. I'll be updating daily for the next couple of days, and daily again after the paid chapters. Thank you for your support!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com