NOVEL NEXT Chapter 382: A Day at the Office
Xia Yuan, still basking in the afterglow of her imagined victory over Lin Youxi, slept until the sun was high in the sky. When she finally dragged herself out of bed and finished washing up, she found only Lin Youxi bustling about in the kitchen, tidying up the dishes.
"Youxi… why didn't you wake me up for breakfast?"
"I did peek into your room, but you were sleeping so soundly I didn't want to disturb you."
Lin Youxi glanced back at Xia Yuan, her tone gentle.
"There's a plate of pan-fried dumplings I made for you on the table. See if you still want them."
"Of course I do! Your dumplings are the best!"
"Good."
Xia Yuan eagerly scurried to the table and dug in. As Lin Youxi finished putting away the dishes, she leaned against the fridge and asked casually:
"Oh, Yuanyuan, did you hear any strange noises last night?"
Mouth stuffed with dumplings, Xia Yuan blinked innocently. Lin Youxi merely smiled.
"Never mind, then."
"……"
Watching Lin Youxi's unnervingly composed expression, Xia Yuan's chewing slowed. A suspicious glint entered her eyes.
"Youxi."
"Hmm?"
"Did you…sneak outlast night while I was asleep?"
"Tsk. No evidence, no accusations."
"Where's Ah Fang? I need to check his…inventory."
"At work."
"What? He's working today? No classes?"
"That's the boss life for you… Oh, I think he mentioned something about the virtual idol project today."
"Wait—that'smyproject! He went to play without me?!"
Meanwhile, on the Road
Mei Fang navigated his car through the morning rush-hour gridlock. Even as a big-shot CEO, he was just another commuter in Pengcheng's sea of brake lights.
Luckily, he'd left early—no hurry, no stress.
Perfect time to relax.
At a 100-second red light, he massaged his temples and chugged a can of Red Bull.
Sigh…
Last night's…eventsflooded his mind, heating his cheeks.
Since when did Youxi get so bold?!
Where'd she even learn that?!
Damn Yue Xinyi and her corrupting influence…
But still…
Doing this with Yuanyuan would've been fun too…
Double the joy, double the—
Sigh.
After indulging briefly in the fantasy, Mei Fang scratched his head and sheepishly patted his burning face.
I'm such a shameless, horny bastard.
Yuanxi Interactive HQ
The office tower stood just three kilometers from Pengcheng University—convenient for Mei Fang's occasional visits. Today, he rode the elevator amid the morning rush, squeezed shoulder-to-shoulder with strangers.
Ah… the nostalgic grind of being a corporate drone.
Yuanxi occupied floors 20–23, the building's crown. As the elevator emptied at lower floors, only five people remained: one guy and four girls.
Mei Fang was unmistakably the youngest.
Are these my employees?
Don't recognize any of them…
With 500 staff now, that wasn't surprising. Still—
Why does no one recognize me?!
Sure, his face wasn'tthatdistinctive, but between ads, posters, and "Mei Fang Style" memes, he'd assumed he was at leastmildlyfamous.
Not that I want special treatment… but introducing myself would be weird too.
Whatever. Time to check if my girls miss me.
He unlocked his phone—and froze.
A message from Xia Yuan (Special Attention):
[Smirk.jpg]
[Ah Fang, I foundthisin your room. Forgot to toss the trash?]
[Photo: A torn pair of black stockings]
How'd she find out so fast?!
Since when is Yuanyuan this sharp?
Wait—no way Youxi let her find it.
She'd never leave evidence lying around…
Resigned, Mei Fang typed:
[Sorry Yuanyuan… I lost control last night.]
[I just sent a random photo and you confessed?!]
[Since when did you level up your deception skills?!]
Xia Yuan's ability totraphim was more shocking than the crime itself.
[Would you have told me if I hadn't caught you? Hmm?]
[Of course! I was planning to tonight—after Youxi sleeps. Your place or mine? I'll make it up to you.]
[Then tonight,I'mthe mommy!]
[Deal…]
Grinning like an idiot at his phone, Mei Fang failed to notice the sidelong glances from his elevator companions.
Their silence, however, had reasons:
Employee A (Introvert):Too shy to work at her desk. Definitely too shy to greet the CEO.
Employee B (Internal Screaming):OMG OMG OMG IS THAT REALLY OUR BOSS?! WHY DOES HE LOOK SO YOUNG?! WHAT'S HE SMILING ABOUT?! CAN I HAVE SOME HAPPINESS TOO?!
Employee C (Group Chat Fury):[GIRLS EMERGENCY MEETING! SUSPECTED CEO SIGHTING IN ELEVATOR! NOT UNCLE LI (THE 'SMALL BOSS')—THEBIG BOSS, TRIFECTA'S 'STATION MASTER' MEI FANG! HE LOOKS EVEN YOUNGER THAN POSTERS! TOO ADORABLE! FEEL LIKE WE'RE EXPLOITING CHILD LABOR!]
Employee D (After 3 Stealthy Glances):
"Hey there, kiddo. Here for the 22nd-floor intern interviews?"
"Huh? Uh… yeah."
Briefly tempted to roleplay, Mei Fang nodded earnestly.
"Great! I'm Chengzi, today's interviewer. I'll escort you."
"Thanks, Sister Chengzi."
Drawing on his vocal training, Mei Fang pitched his voice higher—instantly dispelling any CEO suspicions.
Phew. Just a lookalike kid…
Almost had a heart attack.
Chengzi, either genuinely oblivious or committed to the bit, treated him like any other greenhorn.
"What position are you interviewing for?"
"I love game design. Hoping for a planning intern spot at Ximilu Studio."
"Oho! A fellow otaku, huh?"
She patted his shoulder. "First interview? You seem nervous."
"Sort of…"
"'Sort of'? It's either your first or it's not."
"Does interviewingotherscount?"
Chengzi blinked, then laughed. "School club interviews don't count! This is therealworld—executives and everything."
"True…"
"But don't stress. Our company's super chill. I've only been here a few months, but we're all young—team dinners, gaming sessions, movie nights. Even the bosses are down-to-earth."
"Plus, if your resume got selected, you're clearly talented. Confidence!"
"Got it. Thanks, Sister Chengzi."
Mei Fang's deliberately childlike reply pleased him.Good hire—friendly and reassuring for rookies.
Following her to the waiting area, he noted the gaggle of wide-eyed applicants. Several nearly stood to salute "Station Master Mei" before noticing his humble seating choice.
One bold guy sidled over: "Dude… you here for the interview too?"
"Yeah… why?"
"Holy shit, you're like Station Master's twin! Related or something?"
"Iwish." Mei Fang forced a wistful smile.
A girl chimed in: "With that face, you'll get hired as his body double for sure."
"Yuanxi isn'tthatcasual about hiring…"
"Relax, it's a joke! No sense of humor." She grinned. "We're all nerds here. Nothing to fear."
"Okay."
"Alright, everyone!" Chengzi clapped. "Submit your resumes and sign in. We'll call names shortly."
When Mei Fang's turn came, he feigned panic:
"Sister Chengzi… do we need resumestoday? I forgot mine… Am I disqualified?"
"Sigh.It's mandatory. Which school?"
"Pengcheng University."
"That'snext door! How'd you forget? And you're our CEO'salumnitoo…"
"Sorry…"
His puppy-dog eyes melted her resolve. "Fine. Sign in first, take the written test, then email me your resume later. Name?"
Mei Fang paused.
"…Zhang Ming."
"Zhang Ming it is. Go sign in."
Too easy.
The 22nd floor housed HR and admin—few permanent staff, no senior executives in sight. Clearly, interns were beneath their notice.
"First group, follow me. Written test rules are standard: no phones, no laptops, 30 minutes. Early submissions allowed."
His first exam since college entrance tests, Mei Fang scanned the paper:
50% otaku purity/CStation trivia, 50% values assessment.
Analyze Yuanxi's current business strategies.
Piece of cake.
Then he hitthequestion:
[Station Master Mei Fang's rise to fame, including his on-again-off-again with 'Yuanyuan' and 'Young Miss,' is legendary. Which scenario isleastlikely to occur between them?]
[A: Borrowing money from Yuanyuan]
[B: Giving Miss shoulder rubs]
[C: Writing lyrics for Yuanyuan's songs]
[D: Carrying Miss bridal-style]
WHO WROTE THIS?!
THERE'S NO CORRECT ANSWER!
Flashbacks to school exams with unsolvable questions haunted him.
If I protest now, I'll blow my cover…
Ugh.
Logically, this tested knowledge of his public persona:
But I can't accept losing points on my own damn test!
Gritting his teeth, he circledD—vowing to grill the exam writer later.
"Time's up! Hand in papers. Next is group discussion—topics distributed shortly."