Jian Xun loved his job. It didn’t require much brainpower, and he could slack off while working. The only downside was that he could touch, but not eat.
Just as he was about to get off work, the data on the dashboard in his mind quietly changed—
The plot had been stuck at 70% with no progress. The intimacy value of the character he was trying to capture had dropped to zero, while the darkening value—long stagnant at zero—had been steadily increasing every day since he left.
Jian Xun felt a faint sense of worry.
The start of January brought him to a new team. Sitting at his workstation, Jian Xun subconsciously tucked his tail between his legs and checked that his hat was secure.
Beside him sat a young man of similar age. He had just graduated from high school and started working, but due to his lack of education, he could only find work in the factory.
This was Xiao Mi. With his good looks and tall frame, he was popular among the factory girls.
Yesterday in the dormitory, Xiao Mi had heard that a part-time employee had arrived who was supposedly even more handsome than him. He had scoffed at the idea. Nowadays, too many people relied on plastic surgery or makeup, and not everyone looked as good bare-faced as he did. He disdained cosmetics and had no interest in the newcomer.
That was, until now—when he saw men, women, young and old gathered around chatting. Curious, Xiao Mi walked over and laid eyes on the new employee.
Delicate features, fair skin, and a soft, beautiful appearance—especially those bright, clear eyes, so charming and full of life. His entire aura was pure and clean, brimming with youthfulness, making one instinctively want to treat him kindly.
Xiao Mi couldn’t help staring, his face shifting from pale to red in embarrassment.
Someone noticed him and teased, and Xiao Mi, feeling humiliated, shoved them away.
“What are you doing? Get back to your workstations! It’s time to work! If you don’t leave, I’ll report you to the boss.”
His tone was slightly irritated, his demeanor arrogant. Some workers, already displeased with him, began whispering as he walked off.
“Tsk, who does he think he is? Does he really think he’s that handsome? The new guy is a thousand times better looking than him—and with a nice personality, too. You can tell at a glance he’s some young master out here to experience life. There’s no comparison.”
“Isn’t it just because he hooked up with the boss? Look how smug he is, always showing off.”
“Forget it, don’t provoke him. We all work in the same factory.”
The others left as they talked. The workers on their assembly line looked away and returned to their seats.
“Hello, my name is Jian Xun,” Jian Xun greeted warmly.
Xiao Mi glanced at him and replied with a smile, “I’m Xiao Mi.”
During the lunch break, Xiao Mi took Jian Xun to eat. He subtly probed for information about Jian Xun’s background, and upon learning that he was an orphan, he felt both superior and disdainful.
He remarked that even rich kids didn’t come to their factory just to ‘experience life.’
Over the next few days, Xiao Mi treated Jian Xun like a lackey, and Jian Xun happily obliged, not feeling exploited in the slightest.
Those who had once given Xiao Mi gifts now began giving them to Jian Xun instead. More importantly, Jian Xun was unfailingly polite—he not only smiled sweetly in thanks but also returned the favor.
This touched the hearts of the girls who had grown used to Xiao Mi’s attention. Xiao Mi had always been aloof, only accepting expensive gifts and rarely offering thanks.
When Xiao Mi saw something on Jian Xun’s desk that had once belonged to him, he was filled with envy. But the moment Jian Xun turned to speak to him, he quickly put on a friendly smile again.
A fortnight later, during a team meeting, the team leader announced that the boss would be coming to inspect their work and urged everyone to stay alert and show their best attitude.
Everyone responded in unison.
Then they slumped back into their usual lifeless state.
Work was misery.
Looking across at the “factory beauty” on the opposite line, the pretty young woman was brimming with energy—the kind of hopeful enthusiasm that comes with just starting a job. She worked hard and earnestly, unlike the rest of them, who had been drained of all spirit by the daily grind, with no hope for the future.
…
On the day of the inspection, the manager, while taking inventory, discovered a discrepancy—something that had been happening every week. He immediately called the team leader for an explanation.
The team leader stammered, unable to give one. He usually preferred to delegate work to his subordinates and keep himself out of the way, but he hadn’t expected a problem like this.
To make matters worse, CEO Liang Wei was standing right beside him.
The team leader summoned Xiao Mi, who was in charge of the weekly inventory. Surely he would know what had happened.
Xiao Mi walked over and saw Liang Wei. His face paled. Lowering his head, he bit his lip, his expression a mix of innocence and confusion.
“How could that be? It’s always matched up before!”
The handsome young man frowned and sighed, instantly drawing Liang Wei’s sympathy.
“Hey, isn’t this Team Leader Zhao’s responsibility? This has nothing to do with Xiao Xiao!” Liang Wei said.
Zhao Man, knowing full well about Xiao Mi’s affair with Mr. Liang, quickly echoed his words. “Think about it—has anyone seemed suspicious lately?”
Xiao Mi’s eyes darted around, and after a moment’s hesitation, he said, “There is one person who seems suspicious.
…
When Jian Xun returned from the restroom, he sensed that something was off. Everyone was looking at him strangely.
“Jian Xun, the team leader wants you in Office 107.”
“Okay.”
Jian Xun took a sip of water at his workstation and hurried to the office.
“Jian Xun, if you have any difficulties, just tell me. Don’t be sneaky,” Team Leader Zhao said.
Jian Xun was bewildered.
What do you mean by sneaky?
He looked at the man sitting in the executive chair, head bent over a document, then noticed Xiao Mi and the team leader standing nearby.
“What happened?” he asked.
The disdainful looks from the others made him frown, and a bad feeling welled up in his chest.
Xiao Mi spoke first. “Jian Xun, did you steal something?”
Jian Xun’s eyes widened. “How is that possible?!”
He had always been a good kid—he could barely tell a lie, let alone steal.
“You’re accusing me of stealing?” Jian Xun muttered. “I didn’t.”
His voice was clear and crisp, melodic even when tinged with anger. Liang Wei finally looked up, his eyes widening as he stared at him in surprise.
The team leader, watching the two, said calmly, “Check the surveillance.”
Xiao Mi was a veteran employee, and nothing like this had ever happened before—at least, never to him. He had even recommended Jian Xun internally, so if something went wrong, he would be implicated.
That he was willing to check the surveillance showed confidence. But the team leader already knew the truth—the cameras in their section had been broken for a long time, and no one had come to fix them. Checking would be pointless.
Deputy General Manager Liang Wei, his face round and fleshy, stared at Jian Xun with rapt attention. In his entire life, he had never seen someone so good-looking, and for a moment he was stunned.
He also happened to like men—and in a factory dominated by women, attractive men were rare. Looking at Jian Xun, only a few thoughts crossed his mind: So beautiful. So pure. I want him.
The team leader noticed the vacant, heated look in Liang Wei’s eyes, and his expression darkened instantly. He had known from the start that this newcomer was trouble. Not only had he caught the attention of the female employees, but now he was even drawing in Vice President Liang. If Zhao didn’t get rid of him today, he wouldn’t be worthy of his own name.
His gaze flicked to Xiao Mi. Xiao Mi, brimming with confidence, caught the signal and focused on Jian Xun’s small bag.
Zhao Man immediately understood and nodded.
Xiao Mi’s tone turned smug. “That’s funny! I can buy as many dried fish as I want—why would I steal them? But you… you’ve been drooling over them countless times!”
Jian Xun was incredulous and retorted sharply, “Nonsense! I didn’t!”
He admitted that the first time he had come here, his eyes had lit up at the smell and he had smacked his lips in anticipation—but he had controlled himself! The little cats were professionals, after all, wearing masks while working and never drooling.
Liang Wei interrupted with a smile. “If it wasn’t you, would you dare take off your pants and show us?”
Why did he notice a bulge in the boy’s pants? Was his backside really that raised?
Jian Xun’s cat tail twitched, his face paling. “You’re being rude! How can you make someone take off their pants?!”
In his agitation, his tail—hidden in his pants—couldn’t help but lift. Looking down, it was clearly visible.
“We’re all men here. What’s wrong with it? Your pants are bulging—what’s in there?” Liang Wei stepped closer, slapped a large hand against Jian Xun’s backside, and asked in a lewd tone, “Could it be dried fish?”
Jian Xun instantly bristled and slapped him backhandedly, making Liang Wei stagger to the side—small backpack now in his grip.
Liang Wei, rubbing his stinging cheek, kept his expression unreadable.
Zhao Man, who stepped forward to support him, was furious. He barked orders to grab Jian Xun, cursing and insisting they strip off his pants.
Liang Wei, far from being angry about the slap, smiled at Jian Xun and said, “If you’re shy about undressing in front of everyone, that’s fine. You can come to my room alone to prove it, and I’ll—”
“I’m not going! I didn’t steal!”
Eager to clear his name, Jian Xun turned out his pants pockets and opened his small backpack—only for several dried fish to tumble out.
“Ha! It really is you!”
“See? I told you it was him.”
“You’re so young, and you still won’t admit it.”
Jian Xun’s eyes widened in shock, tears welling up. “I didn’t do it! Who slipped these into my bag?!”
Then, as if recalling something, he looked up sharply at Xiao Mi—who was grinning at him with smug satisfaction.
Pointing an accusing finger, Jian Xun shouted, “I saw you take my bag! You put them in there! You’re framing me!”
The boy felt wronged and furious. He knew Zhao Man and Xiao Mi were working together, and from Liang Wei’s attitude, he wasn’t any better. Standing in a defensive posture, Jian Xun tried his best not to be bullied.
Liang Wei’s tone was deceptively casual, but his words carried a threat. “If you won’t admit it, we’ll just call your parents.”
Sure enough, the boy’s expression flickered with panic.
Liang Wei said to someone behind him, “Bring me his personal information sheet.”
Jian Xun bit his lip and frowned. “You can’t do this.”
All this humiliation over a few missing dried fish—and calling his parents on top of it. Jian Xun could see through Liang Wei’s intentions. Perhaps Xiao Mi had already told him who he really was, and Liang Wei was using this as an excuse to trap him.
“Your brother and father are the only ones at home?” Liang Wei took the opportunity to glance at Jian Xun’s personal information, his tone dripping with implication.
“What’s it to you?” Jian Xun shot back fiercely.
“Hmph. You stole from our factory—how is that none of my business? Since you won’t come with me, I have no choice but to call.”
Liang Wei switched on the speakerphone.
Jian Xun bit his lip, regretting that he had filled out the form truthfully that day. He should never have given his real phone number.
Liang Wei dialed the first number—Xu Tutu’s—but the line only beeped for a long time without anyone picking up.
He glanced at the boy, whose eyes were red like a rabbit’s as he glared at him. Then Liang Wei grinned and slowly dialed the second number.
Jian Xun didn’t know who he was calling this time. He kept his eyes fixed on him, clutching his bag tightly in his hand.
“Hello? Who is this?” The voice on the other end was hoarse and cold, with a trace of anxiety.
“I’m Liang Wei. Are you Shang Xuci?”
The moment he heard that familiar voice, Jian Xun’s heart leapt into his throat. He felt even more nervous than when calling Xu Tutu—his chest tightening with a mix of grievance and anticipation.
Noticing the young man’s eager gaze, Liang Wei deliberately raised his voice. “Your son, Jian Xun, was caught stealing from me—”
Before he could finish, the other party cut him off impatiently. “You’ve dialed the wrong number.”
Beep beep.
The call ended.
Everyone looked at one another in confusion.
Liang Wei glanced down at Jian Xun. The young man lowered his eyes, lips pressed tight in annoyance, and said slowly, “He’s not my father.”
“One’s surname is Jian and the other’s Liang—how could they be father and son? Unless he took his mother’s surname?” Zhao Man added fuel to the fire.
Another worker chimed in, “You know, the only person I’ve heard of in City A named Shang Xuci is the son of the Shang Group. He was just on TV recently. He’s a single, wealthy bachelor—how could someone that old be related to him? You’re probably joking.”
Jian Xun opened his mouth to respond—but Liang Wei’s phone rang.
“Hello, this is Xu Tutu. What was that call about?”
It was Xu Tutu calling back.
“Your brother’s in trouble. Come over immediately,” Liang Wei said.
The other person froze for a moment, about to ask more, but the call was abruptly ended.
Liang Wei stepped forward, but Jian Xun snapped angrily, “You’re bullying the weak with your numbers, turning a blind eye to the truth, and slandering me. When my brother gets here, we’ll go to the police station and have this investigated.”
“Sure, I’ll wait,” Liang Wei replied nonchalantly. “We already have all the evidence. Let’s see how long you can keep denying it. Haha.”
Let’s see who outmaneuvers who.
Xu Tutu had just finished work when he received a strange phone call saying that Jian Xun was in trouble. Anxious to the point of pacing in circles, he tried calling Jian Xun, but no one picked up. Without wasting another second, he ran to his boss’s office to ask for leave.
Then he hailed a taxi straight to the factory.
…
Greedy Cat Company
Boss Liang Shuang was leading a group of people on an inspection tour of the branch office.
Walking beside him was a young woman—his daughter, Liang Xue—who had recently earned her master’s degree.
Liang Xue’s major wasn’t in food science, and her repeated job applications had been rejected. She hadn’t been accepted by the company she most wanted to work for, so her father had brought her to the family’s factory to unwind.
“Actually, our factory’s doing pretty well,” Liang Shuang tried to console her. “You could come work for Dad’s company after graduation and jump straight to vice president—that would be fantastic.”
“Forget it. I’d rather try working at my classmate’s company.”
“Classmate?” Liang Shuang asked. “What does your classmate’s family do? What company?”
“Shang Group. Dad, you really don’t know?”
“Shang… Shang Group?” Liang Shuang’s eyes lit up. He leaned in eagerly. “Daughter, do you know someone from the Shang family?!”
“Didn’t I tell you? Shang Xuci is my classmate—we’re in the same department and the same class.”
“Oh my God! Are you close with him? What’s your relationship like?”
“Just ordinary classmates. Shang hardly ever comes to school, and none of us are particularly close to him,” Liang Xue replied honestly. Seeing her father’s excitement, she frowned. “Why are you asking?”
“To be honest, Dad’s company has been expanding lately, but we’re short on connections. If I could build ties with Shang, then…”
The future would be limitless.
It would be the perfect solution to their current predicament.
“Well… I probably can’t help you. We’re barely more than names in the same class group chat.”
“That’s enough,” Liang Shuang said, suddenly remembering a news article he’d seen a few days ago. He gave his daughter a speculative look. “I wonder what kind of girl Mr. Shang likes. My daughter is so outstanding…”
“Dad, what are you thinking? He already has a fiancée. Don’t set your sights on me,” Liang Xue interrupted quickly, a touch of irritation in her tone.
Shang Xuci was the most popular boy at their school—backed by a strong family background, excellent grades, good looks, and a spotless reputation. He was the unattainable ideal of every girl on campus.
How could someone like that possibly be interested in her?
Liang Shuang laughed heartily. “That’s nothing. Mr. Shang just called off his engagement with his fiancée a few days ago. He’s single again—so you both still have a chance.”
“Never mind, seriously.” Liang Xue quickened her pace. “There’s only one factory left. Let’s hurry and go home after we finish here.”
“Hello, is Factory 304 here?” an urgent male voice rang out.
The man who answered shook his head. “I’m collecting trash today, so I’m not sure. You should ask someone else.”
The young man looked visibly disappointed. He started toward the next factory but was stopped.
“Young man, we’re headed to Factory 304 too. Want to go together?” Liang Shuang called out to Xu Tutu.
“Okay.”
“What are you doing at Factory 304?”
“My brother works there. Something happened.”
“What happened?”
“I don’t know.”
The young man’s anxiety was palpable, and the group quickened their pace.
When they arrived, a commotion was underway inside, with a crowd of onlookers gathered at the door.
The foreman at the front checked his watch and barked, “What are you all doing here?! Why aren’t you at your workstations?”
The onlookers turned to see their supervisor, tugged at the sleeves of those next to them, and scurried off in shame.
“Sui Sui!”
Xu Tutu spotted Jian Xun in the middle of the crowd—his hair disheveled, shirt half-unbuttoned with several buttons torn off, and his fair face smeared with dust. Xu Tutu’s pupils contracted sharply. Then, with a sudden movement, he crouched and sprang forward like a cat, forcing his way into the crowd and positioning himself protectively in front of Jian Xun, teeth bared and claws out.
The abrupt scene left everyone stunned.
His posture was odd, like a beast shielding its cub, his voice low and threatening. The primal edge in it startled those nearby, making them think he was unhinged and prompting them to step back.
Jian Xun’s eyes lit up at the sight of him. “Brother Tutu!”
The two embraced.
Liang Shuang and Liang Xue exchanged a glance and frowned. They pulled the foreman aside, shaking their heads, trying to make sense of the situation.
Nearby, the HR representative flipped through the documents in her hands until she found several information sheets for the latest batch of employees.
She leaned over to the boss and whispered, “Boss Liang, this new employee is Jian Xun—we just hired him.”
Liang Shuang glanced at the papers. Just as he had guessed, the young man’s background was simple and clean.
Withdrawing his gaze, Liang Shuang continued to watch the crowd.
Liang Wei hadn’t even noticed the growing crowd behind him. He assumed they were just nosy onlookers from next door and was now intent on teasing someone. Spotting Xu Tutu, he looked the cool-looking newcomer up and down.
“Hey, you’re this kid’s younger brother?”
“I am,” Xu Tutu said, stepping in to defend Jian Xun. “Why are you people bullying my younger brother?”
“Bullying?” Liang Wei let out a hearty laugh, glancing at the people on both sides. “Ask them who started it first!”
Jian Xun shot back angrily, “You accused me of stealing—and you even tried to strip me!”
“What?!” Xu Tutu exclaimed in disbelief.
Had humans really sunk to this level of shamelessness?!
Slandering a kitten—and then humiliating it.
Xu Tutu crouched low, head raised and teeth bared. “Whoever bullies my younger brother, I’ll bite him to death!!”
Everyone: ???
Someone close to Liang Wei leaned over and whispered, “Brother Liang, just forget it. This kid’s brother doesn’t seem… normal.”
Liang Wei shot him a glare, his expression saying loud and clear: This is my business. What the hell do you care?
Jian Xun noticed Xu Tutu’s strange posture. He was more worried that Xu Tutu might lose control and transform into a cat to attack these people—that would be a disaster, considering his secret.
He crouched down and tugged at Xu Tutu’s arm, whispering, “Brother, don’t forget you’re human right now. Don’t get angry yet. Stand up.”
Xu Tutu, still radiating aggression, forced himself to calm down and said, “You accused my brother of stealing. Show me the evidence.”
Xiao Mi pointed to Jian Xun’s schoolbag. “That’s the evidence.”
Jian Xun immediately retorted, “You’re the one who framed me! There was nothing in my bag. You touched it, and suddenly something appeared inside!”
He added sharply, “The surveillance cameras weren’t working. Someone tampered with them on purpose!”
Xu Tutu glanced at the ten or so bags of dried fish on the ground and sneered, turning to Liang Wei. “Let’s not even talk about the goods for now. Just these few bags of dried fish—are you trying to take advantage of my brother?” It was obvious Liang Wei was deliberately looking for trouble and trying to frame him.
He pulled out his phone. “You people are just making baseless accusations. You can’t even explain yourselves, and yet you think you can rob decent men and women? Look at what you’ve done to my brother!”
Xu Tutu grabbed Jian Xun’s arm, and Jian Xun rolled up his sleeve. His delicate skin bruised at the slightest touch, and the sight was even more shocking now.
“Call the police! They’ll stand for justice and make an impartial judgment!”
“Call the police? You think that’ll work?” Liang Wei said arrogantly. “I’m the boss here. If I don’t let you leave, do you think you can walk out?”
“Uncle, since when did you become the boss? Don’t you still answer to my father?”