19 Primary School Students' Brawl

The CEO mentioned in the original text, Shen Shubai, was born in the slums. Fortunately, he possesses an incredibly handsome face (though that is open to debate). He is a man of deep, calculating thoughts who, thanks to a series of "lucky mother" plot conveniences, successfully transformed from a poor boy into a self-made billionaire.

In the novel, Shen Shubai fought with Li Wenzhao for over three thousand chapters. There were wins and losses on both sides, and occasionally, Li Wenzhao would gain the upper hand. If the author hadn't planted so many time bombs early on, Li Wenzhao might not have lost.

As the story progressed into its later stages, the character of Li Wenzhao even accumulated quite a following among readers. When the author randomly decided to bankrupt the Li family, many readers left comments to protest.

Jing Yi had been transmigrated for over half a month, and this was the first time he had seen the legendary "Dragon Overlord" male protagonist. It would be a lie to say he wasn't curious.

But the disappointment that followed his curiosity was also genuine.

Jing Yi gestured, "This is a Hongmen Banquet, isn't it?"

Li Wenzhao turned his head, "You even know what a Hongmen Banquet is?"

What kind of nonsense was he talking about?

Jing Yi furrowed his brows to correct him, "My foreign language skills might be poor, but my grasp of the native tongue is still good."

Recalling the phrases "not much vocabulary," "a bit difficult," and the butchered translation from earlier, Li Wenzhao let out a dry, emotionless chuckle at Jing Yi.

Jing Yi: "..."

Just as he was about to retort, he heard Li Wenzhao give an example: "Do you remember the tongue-twister of a translation you just produced?"

Jing Yi: "..."

Li Wenzhao raised his eyes with a smirk, "In the future, when you go out, you'd better not use your teacher's name."

"..."

Secretary Fan put away his tablet and asked, "President Li, should we bring a gift?"

Li Wenzhao lowered his eyes, his expression unreadable: "Yes."

"What do you need? I'll go prepare it right now."

Li Wenzhao was lost in thought for a moment before suddenly looking at the little butler beside him: "Butler Jing, what do you think?"

Jing Yi narrowed his eyes, holding a grudge.

Just a moment ago, Li was being sharp and critical, and now that he had encountered a problem, he suddenly remembered Jing's value. Hmph, men.

While he was complaining internally, Jing Yi remained proper and respectful on the surface, offering a friendly suggestion: "Why don't we send him a clock?"

Secretary Fan gripped his hand, and his brand-new, high-end fountain pen nearly shattered.

He looked at Jing Yi in astonishment.

Jing Yi: "The implication is, 'I am very fond of you.'"

Secretary Fan: "...Butler Jing, that is not how that phrase is used."

"Hmm." Li Wenzhao squinted and smiled: "Not bad, let's prepare it according to Butler Jing's suggestion."

Secretary Fan nodded blankly, losing his composure for a moment, and pressed the tip of his high-quality iridium pen so hard it split against the paper: "..."

***

Perhaps influenced by the forced video call from Shen Shubai, Li Wenzhao got off work very early today, bringing Jing Yi home before four o'clock.

Jing Yi habitually opened the passenger door, but his gaze sank when he saw a massive clock lying on the seat.

The rectangular block’s material was hard to discern, but its pitch-black color looked... rather ominous at first glance.

Jing Yi’s eyes twitched: "Young Master, Secretary Fan really knows how to handle things."

Li Wenzhao glanced at the passenger seat, satisfied: "This is a secretary's basic competence."

But then, Jing Yi suddenly realized something: "Then there’s no room for me to sit."

Li Wenzhao: "Sit in the back."

Jing Yi looked bashful: "That would be too embarrassing."

Before he could finish, he squeezed through the door Li Wenzhao held open like a loach, shifted to the innermost seat, and excitedly patted the cushion: "Hurry up and get in, Young Master, let's go home."

Li Wenzhao: "..."

The high-end car slid smoothly away from the company building.

It was Jing Yi’s first time in the back seat, and it was indeed much more comfortable than the passenger side. He leaned against the window watching the streetscape recede for a while, but when he turned his head and saw the silhouette of the co... the clock in the front, his excited expression vanished instantly: "..."

Li Wenzhao turned his head as if he had sensed something.

"Young Master." Jing Yi pointed at the object in front: "Doing this, isn't it a bit... ominous?"

Li Wenzhao said in a deep voice: "Jing Yi!"

Meeting Li Wenzhao's dark eyes, Jing Yi wisely shut his mouth: "Okay, okay, I won't say any more."

He had almost jinxed it again.

The two returned to the Li residence together. Neither Li Xu nor Li Ting had returned, and only Li Mingzhi was in the mansion, staring blankly at a document.

"Mingzhi," Li Wenzhao asked, "what are you looking at?"

Li Mingzhi looked up, and when he saw Jing Yi, his eyes lit up: "Butler Jing, Butler Jing, you're finally back! I've been waiting for you for so long."

He rushed over to Jing Yi's side like a gust of wind.

Li Wenzhao was completely ignored: "..."

Li Mingzhi ignored his brother and pulled Jing Yi to the sofa: "I’m planning to participate in a talent show. I signed up for several programs, and unexpectedly, I passed all the preliminary auditions. But I don't know which one to choose. Could you help me pick one?"

Jing Yi was surprised: "Young Master, you're going into the entertainment industry?"

"Yeah," Li Mingzhi said. "It's no good to be idle at home, so I'm just finding something to do."

In the original text, Li Mingzhi's life almost ended the day after he eloped, leading to a tragic conclusion. After the story changed, Jing Yi didn't know what Li Mingzhi's future held, let alone that he would enter the flashy world of entertainment.

Jing Yi looked over the several audition forms in his hand, his expression solemn: "You didn't have to sign up for so many, are you a spinning top?"

"I didn't know if I could pass the first round, so I just signed up for everything," Li Mingzhi lamented. "Who knew I'd pass them all?"

Understood. Casting a wide net to catch fish.

Jing Yi couldn't understand these professional documents either, but his gaze suddenly froze on a certain spot, and his expression turned astonished.

Seeing this, Li Mingzhi hurriedly asked: "What is it? What is it?"

Jing Yi's eyes were fixed on the show's organizer: Shengshi Entertainment.

[Oh, Warden Li's lawless territory.]

Li Wenzhao’s fingers trembled, and he nearly dropped his cup.

Jing Yi weighed his words: "Young Master, why don't you try applying for a few others?"

Li Mingzhi: "Why?"

Jing Yi glanced at Li Wenzhao, who was standing nearby without saying a word: "These programs... don't quite match your overall temperament."

[In reality, these shows are all about to go under.]

[The trainees participating in these shows are constantly involved in scandals. This one had the producer exposed for being secretly married and cheating, obsessed with "group activities," even before it aired, ruining the reputations of dozens of trainees. This one had a trainee leak their phone album during a livestream, revealing a large number of private videos of others, leading to the recording being halted and the show being cancelled. And this one...]

"Now that you mention it, I don't think these shows are suitable for me either." Li Mingzhi took back the documents and threw them directly into the trash can: "I'll re-select."

Li Wenzhao slowly curled his fingers, his face looking terrible.

He had thought that after terminating the contracts of all the problematic artists within the company, Shengshi could return to the right path. He hadn't expected that while the people were fine, the projects would explode one after another.

It seemed this company was beyond saving.

Li Mingzhi pulled out his phone and started scrolling: "Let me find out what other programs I can sign up for..."

Jing Yi blinked suspiciously.

[It appeared again, this strange phenomenon.]

[Is it my imagination? It seems like no matter what I say, the Li family accepts it without reason, without question... Hiss, are big-shot CEOs this tolerant of their own butlers?]

Jing Yi stared at the brothers, Li Wenzhao and Li Mingzhi, with a strange look in his eyes.

[I'd better not discover anything weird. Macabaca.]

Li Wenzhao: "..."

Li Mingzhi: "..."

Just then, the driver came in holding the black clock, interrupting them: "President Li, where should I put this clock?"

Li Wenzhao said casually: "Just leave it at the door."

The driver: "?"

He looked at them in confusion: "...This seems quite valuable."

It had been raining for the past two days; he was afraid it would be ruined if left at the door.

Li Wenzhao glanced at the little butler and drank his water: "It's fine. It's the implication that matters."

The driver: "..."

Jing Yi inexplicably got Li Wenzhao’s sense of humor and let out a low chuckle: "It's fine, Uncle Lin. That thing is ominous, just leave it at the door. If you're afraid of it getting soaked, just cover it with a cloth."

Li Wenzhao looked up.

The driver, Uncle Lin, shook violently. Ominous? He was so scared he almost dropped the clock, swallowing hard: "Butler Jing, covering it with a cloth... that also seems quite ominous."

Jing Yi thought about it, and he was right.

But it was best if this thing didn't enter the Li family's gates. He pondered and really found a place: "Is the ditch that Ning Jiang and... what's-his-name dug still there?"

The driver, Uncle Lin, nodded uneasily: "...Yes."

"Then let's bury it there for now..." He’d dig it up in two days, wash it, and send it to Brother Madman.

*Bang.*

Uncle Lin’s hand shook, and the clock fell straight to the floor.

***

The Shen Group's celebration was just two days away.

Fearing that Li Wenzhao wouldn't dare attend, Shen Shubai made a forced video call early in the morning to urge him. Li Wenzhao’s phone had anti-fraud protection, so he couldn't get through. Instead, he took a roundabout way and called Jing Yi's phone.

Jing Yi was still sleeping. He rolled over and found himself face-to-face with a man in the phone who was grinning with a row of white teeth.

Shen Shubai was a germaphobe. Everything he wore and the decor in his house were primarily in white. Paired with his overly pale face, it gave off an eerie, "living dead" vibe.

Jing "Soul-Leaving-Body" Yi was stunned: "............"

"Hello, you're the new butler of the Li family, right?" Shen Shubai smiled. "You're quite pretty, and you look good even without makeup. Why go serve the Li family? Come to me, I'll make you a star within three days."

Jing Yi remained silent for a few seconds with a pale face.

Wait, is he sick?

Does being a male lead make you so great that you can dress up as a ghost to scare people?

"Why aren't you talking?" Shen Shubai raised an eyebrow, his fingers gently stroking his chin: "Stunned? Heh, man, lusting after my appearance is the stupidest thing you've ever done in your life."

Jing Yi was speechless and reached out to hang up the video.

"Hey, wait." Shen Shubai said: "You haven't agreed yet? Come to my company. You can name your salary. Aside from getting me, you can propose any condition."

"Propose your head!" Jing Yi was so angry he cursed: "Can't you see I'm sleeping? Stop blabbering, you dork."

Shen Shubai: "..."

As the protagonist, this was probably the first time he had ever been scolded. Shen Shubai was stunned for several seconds before smiling faintly: "Young man, do you think you can attract my attention this way? I only did this because you like my face..."

Jing Yi poked the screen and found he couldn't close the video. The phone must have caught a virus. He said angrily: "Sorry, I don't engage in flesh trades."

Shen Shubai: "...I'm not selling myself either, you damn fool!"

Jing Yi snapped unhappily: "Even if you were, I wouldn't buy you."

"You're just a little butler, how dare you not buy..."

Realizing he had strayed from the point, Shen Shubai stopped in time, ending this elementary school behavior.

"Forget it, I won't lower myself to your level. Go tell Li Wenzhao that I'll be waiting for him at the Imperial Hotel at one o'clock this afternoon. If he's a man, he'll show up."

Jing Yi: "Can't you call him yourself? I'm not a loudspeaker. And this message of yours sounds like elementary schoolers arranging a fight."

"...If I could get through, why would I come to you?" Shen Shubai was a bit broken: "I don't know what kind of firewall Li Wenzhao set up; even the top-level technical staff around me can't break through..."

Speaking of this, he paused for a few seconds: "Butler Jing, if you can help me steal that technology, I'll give you this much..."

Jing Yi remembered the app he had installed for Li Wenzhao a few days ago and immediately looked down to install one on his own phone.

[Beep, beep, beep—]

[Illegal communication signal detected. Please pay attention to personal property safety!]

Amidst the screen-filling red warning lights, Shen Shubai’s pale face shrank into a line and disappeared from the screen.

*Phew.*

Jing Yi breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, peace and quiet.

Sure enough, it's good to lean against a big tree for shade. The Motherland is the best!