Chapter 31 — There’s Always a CEO Named Gu

Yan Dun put on his jacket and quietly slipped into the fire escape. As expected, he found An Zao already waiting by the stairwell.

The lighting was dim, but An Zao’s eyes were bright—like the eyes of a beast shining in the darkness.

Yan Dun froze for a moment.

Why did I just compare Boss An to a beast?

An Zao pursed his lips and smiled gently. There was nothing beastlike about him at all.

He extended a hand toward Yan Dun.

“I’ll help you.”

“No need.” Yan Dun stepped aside. “I can walk.”

An Zao nodded and accompanied him downstairs to the parking garage.

Yan Dun instinctively headed for the driver’s seat, but An Zao caught his arm.

“You’re not feeling well. I’ll drive.”

“How could I trouble you with that?”

An Zao smiled.

“It would be more embarrassing to make a patient drive me.”

Yan Dun thanked him and took the passenger seat while An Zao got behind the wheel.

Because of their respective positions, Yan Dun was usually the one driving whenever they were together. Although An Zao rarely drove, his skills were exceptionally steady.

I guess truly intelligent people are good at everything.

Yan Dun genuinely admired him.

Unlike the CEOs in this fictional world, An Zao was the real deal—a talented young executive capable of managing a company and creating wealth.

He always seemed gentle, yet never weak.

Some powerful people were like ice: cold and hard.

An Zao was more like water.

Accommodating and warm, yet capable of killing without leaving a trace.

Yan Dun often found himself drawn to that quality.

As An Zao drove, he glanced sideways at him.

“You look much better. Feeling more comfortable?”

Yan Dun certainly couldn’t say:

Actually, I wasn’t uncomfortable at all. I was faking it.

Besides, he had a strange intuition that Boss An already knew he’d been pretending.

Touching his nose, Yan Dun answered hypocritically,

“I’m feeling much better now. Thank you for your concern, Boss An.”

“Since you’re fine,” An Zao said casually, changing the subject, “then I won’t be polite.”

Yan Dun immediately became alert.

Won’t be polite? What does that mean?

Having been poisoned by too many Mary Sue novels, his first thought was:

Is he about to pin me against a wall and kiss me?

After all, Customer Service had once given him a safety warning:

CEOs suddenly pinning protagonists against walls and kissing them without warning is a high-frequency event. Please be careful, Dear Customer.

That was why protagonist bottoms had invisible cushioning behind their heads to prevent concussions.

The warning had made Yan Dun nervous for a long time.

For a while, every time he saw a CEO, his head hurt preemptively. He even avoided standing near walls when talking to them.

Then another thought occurred to him.

But if Boss An were the one pinning me down and kissing me...

That actually... wouldn't be... so bad...

Customer Service promptly interrupted:

An Zao’s logic is different from that of ordinary CEOs. In his worldview, that would be sexual harassment, Customer.

Yan Dun:

...Oh.

Actually, I agree.

Yet somehow...

Why was he disappointed?

Have I been assimilated by this world’s logic?

Suppressing those thoughts, Yan Dun asked:

“What do you mean by ‘not being polite’?”

One hand resting on the steering wheel, An Zao adopted a serious expression.

“I still haven’t asked what happened with An Chi suddenly firing you.”

“...Oh. That.”

Of course. Boss An really is a normal person.

Strangely enough, realizing An Zao was normal made Yan Dun feel a little disappointed.

He cleared his throat.

“To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Maybe I did something wrong without realizing it.”

He proceeded to recount previous examples:

One employee had been fired on the spot for wearing white socks with a suit.

Another had been dismissed because he ate scones without cream.

These stories served as evidence of CEO An Chi’s unpredictable temperament while indirectly clearing Yan Dun of responsibility.

If this had been the An Zao who first entered this world, he would have suggested immediate psychiatric treatment for An Chi.

But by now, An Zao had adapted to the world’s logic and accepted the explanation easily.

“I think he fired you on impulse,” An Zao said. “Now that Hua Daimao is trying to poach you, he suddenly can’t bear to let you go.”

He paused.

“The charitable interpretation is that he’s childish and impulsive.”

“The less charitable interpretation is that he doesn’t respect people.”

Yan Dun hadn’t expected such an evaluation.

After a moment of surprise, he quickly adjusted his attitude as an employee.

“Maybe it’s not quite that simple. There could be some misunderstanding...”

“Stop defending him,” An Zao replied. “He’s my brother. I know exactly what kind of temper he has.”

Yan Dun laughed awkwardly.

“I’m just a salaried worker, after all.”

“True.” An Zao nodded. “And if you’re just working for someone else, it doesn’t matter much where you work.”

Then he added casually:

“Both An Chi and Hua Daimao are trying to recruit you right now. What are your thoughts?”

The question sounded offhand.

In reality, it concealed a trap.

Fortunately, Yan Dun was completely relaxed.

“I’m honestly still a little overwhelmed,” he admitted. “The conditions they’re offering are very good.”

“Would you like to hear my opinion?”

An Zao’s tone was gentle, like that of a helpful friend.

Yan Dun’s eyes lit up.

“If I could receive Boss An’s guidance, I’m sure I wouldn’t feel so lost.”

“I’m just giving my thoughts. Listen or don’t.”

An Zao spoke calmly.

“The compensation they’re offering is obviously above market value. They’re raising the stakes because they’re competing with each other and trying to save face.”

“They aren’t evaluating your true worth right now. And if they aren’t doing that now, they certainly won’t in the future.”

“That’s actually harmful to your long-term development.”

The reasoning was extremely sound.

Yan Dun was shaken.

Of course, what he was really thinking was:

I’m not planning to build a serious career here anyway.

My mission is to be a White Lotus protagonist.

Who cares about career prospects?

Enjoy today’s wine today.

Maybe I’ll wrap filming tomorrow.

Naturally, he didn’t say any of that aloud.

Instead, he put on a humble expression.

“Then what do you think I should do?”

That was exactly the sentence An Zao had been waiting for.

“I think,” An Zao said with a smile, “you should find a superior who truly respects and appreciates you.”

He paused.

“That person is me.”

“!”

Yan Dun froze.

Wait...

After all that... An Zao is trying to recruit me too?!

──── ୨୧ ────

Meanwhile...

Hua Daimao had hired the best hacker in the CEO universe to investigate the identity of “Yan Dun’s Guardian Angel.”

The hacker returned empty-handed.

After all, the System’s technology was practically divine.

Hua Daimao was displeased.

“Didn’t you say you were the world’s greatest hacker?”

“I am,” the hacker replied.

“That just means nobody else can find out either.”

Hua Daimao disliked the answer.

Mainly because the hacker somehow sounded even more like a domineering CEO than Hua Daimao himself.

“If you’re the best hacker,” Hua Daimao challenged, “why can’t you find the answer? Doesn’t that mean someone is better than you?”

The hacker replied calmly:

“I’m the world’s best hacker.”

“But this anonymous message may be alien technology.”

Objectively speaking, that was actually pretty accurate.

But Hua Daimao assumed the hacker was joking.

“What are you, a third-rate sci-fi writer? You can’t explain something, so suddenly aliens exist?”

The hacker answered:

“You can disrespect me.”

“But don’t disrespect my technology.”

Hua Daimao originally wanted to mock him further.

Then he remembered the man really was the world’s top hacker.

He decided to show some restraint.

“It’s not that I disrespect you. I just find it hard to believe.”

The hacker didn’t respond.

He simply logged off.

──── ୨୧ ────

Meanwhile, Yan Dun was still struggling to process the realization that he had somehow become the hottest commodity in the CEO world.

As he stared at An Zao with wide eyes, the System suddenly chimed in:

Plot Trigger: Encounter the Technology CEO at a roadside café.

Yan Dun was baffled.

A corgi CEO?

A CEO with short legs?

Customer Service corrected him immediately:

Technology CEO. Long legs.

There are no short-legged CEOs in the CEO universe. Customer.

Even the wheelchair CEOs have long legs.

Yan Dun hurriedly reviewed the setting book.

Sure enough, there was another CEO scheduled to appear later in the story.

On the surface, he was the president of a tech company.

In reality, he was the strongest hacker in the world.

Yan Dun sighed.

One CEO working two jobs? That's rough.

Seeing Yan Dun suddenly spacing out with a startled expression, An Zao asked:

“Was my proposal too abrupt?”

“Huh? No, not at all.”

Yan Dun quickly recovered and coughed to hide his embarrassment.

An Zao continued:

“I actually recognized your potential a long time ago. I wanted to poach you from An Chi before.”

“He refused, so I dropped the matter.”

“Now that this opportunity has appeared, I wanted to discuss it with you properly and hope you’ll consider it.”

“Boss An, please don’t say it like that.” Yan Dun hurriedly replied. “I’m honored.”

An Zao smiled.

“As for compensation, I can offer more than either of them.”

“Don’t worry about that.”

“If you have any other requirements, just name them.”

Yan Dun’s heart nearly exploded with joy.

Wait.

Does this mean I can earn over a million annually and work beside Boss An?

He almost shouted:

I ACCEPT!

Fortunately, he remembered he was supposed to be a reserved protagonist.

Smiling politely, he said:

“Your proposal is extremely attractive. I’ll definitely give it serious consideration.”

Hearing that, An Zao knew the matter was practically settled.

A smile tugged at his lips.

“Can you give me an answer tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” Yan Dun blinked. “That soon?”

“That’s called efficiency.”

An Zao sounded perfectly reasonable.

“With your intelligence, one day is more than enough to make a decision. Details can be negotiated later.”

“Alright. Tomorrow.”

In truth, Yan Dun could have accepted immediately.

He was only pretending to be reserved.

Just then, the System announced:

Plot trigger point located 200 meters ahead.

Yan Dun immediately turned to An Zao.

“I just remembered I need to take care of something. You can drop me off here.”

An Zao wanted to ask what it was.

But he knew their relationship hadn’t reached that level yet.

Anything further would be intrusive.

So he simply smiled.

“Alright. Let me know if you have any thoughts.”

“Will do. Thank you, Boss.”

Yan Dun hopped out of the car in high spirits.

──── ୨୧ ────

At that moment, the world’s strongest hacker was sitting inside a roadside café.

Naturally, he had the mandatory MacBook every hacker was required to bring to a café.

His fingers flew across the keyboard as he attacked the firewall of some unfortunate company.

After entering the café, Yan Dun immediately recognized him.

No need to ask.

The tall man with model-length legs and a face carved from marble had to be him.

Walking toward the hacker, Yan Dun felt nervous.

An accidental encounter...

How do I make it natural without being awkward?

And he’s a top hacker. Shouldn’t he be suspicious of strangers?

While his thoughts spiraled out of control—

Someone suddenly cried out.

Yan Dun snapped back to reality.

A cup of coffee had somehow splashed all over the hacker’s laptop.

“...”

Yan Dun’s face turned gray.

Damn.

I should have seen this coming.

The hacker raised his handsome face.

Like every other CEO, he possessed obsidian-black eyes devoid of emotion.

His sharp features looked sculpted by knife and chisel.

Everything about him radiated the aura of an expensive gemstone and inherited nobility.

Yan Dun had no energy to admire any of it.

Under pressure from the System, he immediately started trembling, apologizing, and nearly crying.

“I’m sorry. I really didn’t mean to.”

The hacker smiled.

“No need to apologize.”

“You just saved a company.”

“?”

Yan Dun blinked.

Customer Service explained:

The strongest hacker was attacking a company.

He was one step away from success.

Your coffee interrupted him. Dear Customer.

Yan Dun:

Holy crap.

Doesn’t that mean he hates me now?

If someone spilled coffee on his computer while he was one slide away from finishing a report, he would absolutely lose his mind.

Yet the hacker remained perfectly calm.

Which somehow made him even more terrifying.

He looks calm because he’s probably calculating how to sell my organs on the dark web.

According to the System’s setting guide, this hacker also treated criminal activity as a lifestyle choice.

Yan Dun shivered.

The hacker raised an eyebrow.

“Are you afraid of me?”

Yan Dun instinctively stepped backward.

“Am I?”

“Why?”

Suspicion flashed across the hacker’s eyes.

“Do you know me?”

His sharpness startled Yan Dun.

“W-Why would I know you?”

“Fair enough.”

The hacker had absolute confidence in his secrecy.

After all, nobody had ever discovered his true identity.

Granted, openly conducting illegal activities in public while possessing a face unforgettable enough to stop traffic wasn’t exactly cautious behavior.

The only reason he’d never been caught was because the world’s logic was fundamentally broken.

The hacker smiled.

“Do you realize you just ruined a business deal worth over a hundred million?”

If anyone else had said that, Yan Dun would have replied:

A hundred million? Monopoly money?

But he knew the hacker was serious.

So he spoke carefully.

“I’m really sorry. I never imagined—”

“How about this?”

The hacker spun a fountain pen between his fingers.

The black pen traced a beautiful arc.

“Let’s play a game.”

“Guess my name.”

“If you guess correctly, I’ll let you go.”

Yan Dun swallowed.

“And if I guess wrong?”

“You’re not going to make me pay a hundred million, are you?”

The hacker answered calmly:

“You obviously can’t afford a hundred million.”

“So fifty million will do.”

Those obsidian eyes fixed on Yan Dun.

Dark.

Lifeless.

Like a venomous snake studying prey.

Yan Dun’s scalp tingled.

He forced out a laugh.

“You think I can’t afford a hundred million but somehow can afford fifty million?”

“I’ll help you figure that part out.”

The hacker smiled.

Unfortunately, the smile somehow made him look even more sinister.

Yan Dun felt as though his entire body had been dropped into a boiling hotpot—numb, spicy, and thoroughly cooked.

Rubbing his hands together nervously, he said:

“Then... I’ll try guessing?”

“Go ahead.”

The hacker nodded.

His eyes never left Yan Dun.

Like a predator.

Just as Yan Dun was about to secretly ask Customer Service for the hacker’s name, another System notification appeared:

Plot Trigger: Blindly guess the strongest hacker’s name.

Damn it!

This is a mission?!

Panicking, Yan Dun asked:

Can I get a hint?

Customer Service replied:

Exploring on your own is part of the fun! Don’t take away the joy, Dear Customer

Yan Dun: …

Rejected by the System, he realized he would receive no help whatsoever.

After frantically thinking for a while, he finally swallowed and said:

“I’m guessing...”

“Your surname is Gu.”

The strongest hacker froze.

Then he smiled.

“Correct.”

Yan Dun was stunned and delighted.

People always say eight out of ten domineering CEOs are named Gu.

So many CEOs have appeared already and none of them were named Gu.

I guessed blindly—and actually got it right?!

A spark of interest flashed through CEO Gu’s dark eyes.

He looked at Yan Dun with obvious amusement.

“Congratulations.”

“You got half of it right.”

He leaned back slightly.

“Now continue.”

“What is my full name?”