President 2
He Wang was woken up by the soft, milky cries of a kitten, accompanied by a gentle touch on his face.
As soon as he opened his eyes, he found a little golden British Shorthair kitten resting its paw on his face.
It was a strange feeling. Ever since his parents passed away, this was the first time a living creature had dared to act so boldly around him.
Tang Xi hadn’t expected the man to wake up so suddenly. The moment their eyes met—his dark, piercing gaze—his fur instinctively fluffed up in alarm.
However, since the little golden British Shorthair kitten’s fur was naturally a bit fluffy, the change wasn’t very noticeable.
The awkward stare-off lasted no more than five seconds.
He Wang was the first to look away. After assessing the situation, he reached for his phone, which had fallen nearby, and calmly made a call.
Once he put the phone down, he paused for a moment, looking at the dazed little kitten still staring at him. Then, he slowly reached out.
Tang Xi let himself be scooped up in one hand, obediently placed somewhere relatively safe inside the car.
He looked at the man in confusion.
“Meow?” What are you doing? You should just stay put and wait for rescue.
But, as expected, a man like him never acted according to common sense.
After briefly inspecting his trapped foot, he actually started bending the iron railing—with his bare hands.
The crash had wedged him tightly against the guardrail, which had pierced through the front of the car, pinning him down. Yet now, as he exerted force with an expressionless face, the metal actually began to loosen.
And then, slowly… he bent it.
Tang Xi stared, utterly dumbfounded.
Inside his mind, he frantically called out to the system: [Are you sure this world doesn’t have superpowers?]
This villain’s skill points are ridiculously high. Not only is he a business tycoon, but now it turns out his combat abilities are off the charts too. He definitely doesn’t seem like the kind of antagonist that should appear in a beginner-level rescue script.
1551’s voice was filled with complicated emotions: [No, there aren’t any superpowers… but I think you should be extra careful around him while doing your mission.]
Tang Xi didn’t catch the latter half of the sentence—he was too busy meowing and cheering the villain on.
He Wang shifted his nearly numb right leg, found the right angle, and broke free in one powerful move.
Tang Xi tilted his head up to look at him, unable to hold back a soft gasp of amazement.
Though he couldn’t understand cat language, He Wang quite enjoyed the way the little kitten stared at him without blinking.
Before leaving, he didn’t forget to grab the little kitten as well.
Being held in these rough, calloused hands wasn’t exactly comfortable. It was obvious that their owner had never handled anything soft and fluffy before—his way of carrying a cat was awkward and clumsy.
The delicate little Tang Xi squirmed his tiny body, trying to find a cozier position to settle into.
Then, he suddenly felt a light but firm pat on his butt.
“Meow!” What do you think you’re doing!?
Tang Xi looked up in utter disbelief at this expressionless man who had just shamelessly taken advantage of him.
Yet, instead of feeling guilty, He Wang actually found the sensation rather satisfying.
Before Tang Xi could properly voice his outrage, a fleet of identical black cars pulled up in front of them, interrupting his protest.
A sharp-looking man wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped out of the leading car. After glancing at He Wang, he respectfully opened the car door and gave a slight bow.
“President He.”
He Wang sat in the car, holding the kitten in one hand. He leaned back against the spacious rear seat, closing his eyes with a deep furrow in his brow.
Villains are human too. So he still feels pain, huh?
Tang Xi glanced at his right foot and decided to be an understanding little cat for now. He curled up obediently in his palm, keeping still.
When they arrived at the hospital, He Wang handed the kitten over to his assistant before following the doctor inside.
Tang Xi stared at his retreating figure without blinking, looking as if he wanted to follow him very much.
The assistant holding him suddenly felt like an evil stepmother separating a pair of lovers.
Even though he knew cats couldn’t understand human speech, Assistant Wang couldn’t help but lower his head and say softly to the kitten: “President He is just leaving for a bit. He’ll be back soon.”
“Meow.”
Tang Xi responded absentmindedly, finally looking away.
But in the assistant’s eyes, the moment the little kitten lost sight of He Wang, he suddenly seemed deflated and listless.
A small animal that actually likes President He?
Curious, the assistant gently patted the kitten’s head: “You’re the first one who’s ever dared to get close to him.”
“Meow?” Really?
Tang Xi blinked, his eyes shining with curiosity.
So far, everything he knew about this villain came from the storyline the system had just uploaded. But the original plot was mostly told from the perspective of the protagonist and love interest, with very little insight into the villain’s thoughts.
All Tang Xi knew was that, in the original story, He Wang had been left permanently disabled after failing to receive timely treatment for his injuries. And it was the protagonist’s warm, sun-like personality that had drawn him in.
The original protagonist shou was the nephew of someone He Wang once held in high regard. After that person passed away, the protagonist became an orphan with no family left. He Wang had promised to support his education all the way through university. Before the car accident, He Wang had only provided him with living expenses, showing no real involvement in his life. It was only after the accident, when the protagonist shou took the initiative to care for him, that He Wang finally took notice of him.
Unfortunately, the protagonist shou never had feelings for He Wang. His attentive care was simply a way to repay a small part of the kindness he had received. His true partner was the protagonist gong, a fellow student from the same high school. The two were classic rivals-turned-lovers, and after graduation, they got together.
When He Wang found out, he made life difficult for the protagonist gong in every possible way. But like all villains, he ultimately met a rather unfortunate end.
Assistant Wang had no idea that the innocent-looking kitten in his arms was silently sighing and lamenting his infamous boss’s tragic fate. He continued to ramble on, unaware: “Every other animal runs away in terror at the mere sight of the boss. Actually, forget animals—even people can’t help but be intimidated by him. It’s like he has this… overwhelming presence.”
Tang Xi obediently tilted his little head up, eager to hear more, while secretly roasting him in his mind.
Who would’ve thought that this assistant, who looked so professional and elite just moments ago, would turn around and gossip about his boss to a cat?
Young man, you’ve got potential.
Completely oblivious to the fact that he was being judged by a tiny kitten, Assistant Wang felt his heart melt at how well-behaved the kitten was. He had never owned a cat before, but if his boss decided he didn’t want the little thing after seeing the doctor, maybe he could try raising it himself.
Just as Assistant Wang reached out to pet the kitten for a second time, a deep, magnetic voice interrupted him.
“Give me the cat.”
At some point, He Wang had already returned.
Despite having just been in a severe car accident, he looked completely unscathed—his expression indifferent, one hand casually tucked into his pocket, while the other reached forward, gesturing for his assistant to hand over the kitten.
“Meow!”
Tang Xi started wriggling restlessly, eager to get closer to He Wang.
Of course, he had to stick close to the person he was supposed to save! Not to mention, at this point, he wasn’t just any random cat—he was He Wang’s life-saving benefactor. Well… leg-saving benefactor, to be precise.
Worried the kitten might fall, Assistant Wang instinctively placed him into He Wang’s hand.
The moment he landed in He Wang’s palm, the little kitten instantly settled down, turning into a well-behaved ball of fluff. Seeing this, a barely perceptible hint of softness flickered through He Wang’s cold eyes.
Assistant Wang hesitated before asking, “Are you alright, sir?”
“Mm. Someone tampered with the brakes. Don’t report to the authorities yet—we don’t want to startle them. Have our people lock onto the Xu family and investigate directly.”
“Understood.”
As expected of the big boss villain—he just survived a major car accident, and he’s already calmly analyzing who’s behind it.
Tang Xi: [System, are you sure he even needs me to save him? He looks like he’s doing just fine.]
Thanks to Tang Xi’s intervention, He Wang had avoided being paralyzed. That meant he wouldn’t fall for the protagonist shou and spiral into obsession. As long as he didn’t end up going against the world’s protagonist gong, his fate wouldn’t be tragic.
After all, villain bosses were all incredibly capable—as long as they didn’t court disaster, they wouldn’t meet their demise.
1551: [It’s way too early to relax. He Wang is still financially supporting Ye Qian, which means fate could still push him toward falling in love with him. And if that happens, the power of love might make him obsessive all over again. Keep in mind, Ye Qian and Shen Chensi are a fated couple—they are destined to end up together. If He Wang falls for Ye Qian, it can only end in tragedy.]
Ye Qian and Shen Chensi—the names of the original protagonist shou and protagonist gong. They were the “Children of Fate” in this world.
And only “Children of Fate” were strong enough to take on a villain as formidable as He Wang.
Tang Xi humbly sought guidance: [Alright, then what exactly do I need to do to make sure He Wang never falls in love with Ye Qian?]
1551, pleased with Tang Xi’s willingness to listen, adopted a lecturing tone: [It’s actually quite simple. You just need to match up Ye Qian and Shen Chensi before He Wang even notices Ye Qian.]
[In the original storyline, when He Wang fell for Ye Qian, he and Shen Chensi were still in the “bickering rivals” phase. At first, He Wang even competed with Shen Chensi fairly. But someone as proud as him—if he were to notice Ye Qian already had a boyfriend, he definitely wouldn’t fall for him. That way, the tragedy could be avoided.]
Tang Xi glanced down at his round little kitten paws and soft fluffy belly, feeling deeply confused: [So… how exactly is a cat like me supposed to reasonably matchmake them at school?]
He didn’t even have a human identity.
1551 hesitated guiltily: [Ahem… technically, I should have assigned you an identity in every mission world, but, uh… we left in a hurry this time, so I… forgot.]
It definitely wasn’t going to admit that it had accidentally lost the initial points meant for buying Tang Xi’s identity.
Tang Xi asked seriously: [1551, what use are you to me?]
1551 tried to sound mysterious: [I’m an assistant system! You’ll understand how useful I am in the future!]
Tang Xi drawled doubtfully: [Oh—?]
Clearly not convinced.
1551 panicked: [I’m serious! This was just a minor mistake. Next time, in another world, you’ll have a proper side-character identity. When the time comes, you’ll need me to stay in character!]
By the end of its explanation, 1551’s tone had even turned a little proud.
Tang Xi squinted his kitten eyes happily—another important piece of information acquired.
[Really? Can I pick my own identity? I want to be a domineering CEO.]
Just like He Wang—filthy rich. Then he could buy himself truckloads of meat, eat whatever he wanted, and stock up on as many plush toys as he liked.
And of course, he’d hire a dozen humans to serve as his personal poop-scoopers.
1551 mercilessly shattered his dream: [No. Your identity can only be a minor character with little influence on the main storyline. A domineering CEO is definitely out of the question.]
Tang Xi was instantly disappointed and huffed at the system: [Then you are useless! I don’t want you anymore—I want a new system!]
1551 hurried to defend itself: [Don’t be mad! If it weren’t for that system 996 scam, I wouldn’t have lost the identity points—]
Halfway through the sentence, 1551 realized it had said too much and quickly shut its mouth, pretending it had never spoken.
But how could Tang Xi possibly let it off so easily? He immediately started chasing the silver light ball in his mind, attacking as he went: [I knew it! It’s all your fault that I don’t have a human identity this time!]
1551 was utterly miserable from being chased and finally couldn’t take it anymore. It surrendered: [Alright, alright! I was wrong, little ancestor! I’ll find a way to get you a chance to go to Ye Qian’s school and interact with them—even if I have to use my personal stash of points.]
Only then did Tang Xi reluctantly forgive it.
While he was playfully fighting with the system in his mind, the villain had already brought him home.
The little kitten in his arms had kept its eyes closed and curled up into a ball ever since earlier. He Rong simply assumed it was tired and needed sleep.
After all, young creatures needed plenty of rest.
Author’s Note:
1551 may be a little money-grubber of a system, but it’s actually really good to the little kitten.