35: The system's terrifying corrective capabilities

The top floor of the Jinzhong Building.

Lin Chuan and his brother Lin Jiang, along with Long Wu who stood like an iron tower, sat on the floor on a Persian carpet worth hundreds of thousands.

Before them sat that half-finished bottle of red wine, along with pig's trotters, peanuts, and roast goose ordered from a century-old establishment on Hong Kong Island.

If an outsider saw this combination, their jaw would surely drop.

Gnawing on large pig's trotters while sitting on the floor of the most top-tier office building on all of Hong Kong Island?

"Slurp—"

Lin Jiang took a sip of the outrageously expensive red wine and then took a big bite of a pig's trotter, chewing until his mouth was slick with grease.

As the alcohol took effect, Lin Jiang's slightly flushed face looked somewhat dazed under the reflection of the neon lights.

He squinted his eyes, looking at his younger brother's young yet unfathomable face; the massive question mark in his heart finally surfaced, fueled by the alcohol.

"Third Brother..."

Lin Jiang let out a burp, his gaze becoming a bit vacant.

"I've been thinking just now—this isn't right!"

"You said you were studying in Beijing; even if it's the foot of the Imperial City where gold is everywhere..."

"But you've only been there for a few years, right?"

"Now you're buying buildings and starting companies, throwing around hundreds of millions at every turn."

"Even your brother doesn't have that much!"

"Tell your brother the honest truth, where did this money actually come from?"

Lin Chuan's hand holding the wine glass paused slightly.

Here it comes.

This was a question that had to be faced.

Just as he was about to make up an excuse, before he could speak, an invisible force, like an unseen ripple, instantly swept through Lin Jiang's brain.

Lin Jiang's eyes suddenly glazed over for a moment, and then...

A strange logic of self-rationalization began to grow wildly in his mind like weeds.

"Hiss! No, I was thinking about it all wrong."

Lin Jiang suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes becoming incredibly clear, even carrying a hint of insider's wisdom.

"What kind of place is Beijing?"

"It's at the foot of the Emperor! A land of hidden dragons and crouching tigers!"

"I've heard there are many children of the Great Compounds there, as well as those powerful figures with connections to the heavens; they have power and influence but find it inconvenient to show their faces."

"They have to find someone called—what was it? Right! A white glove!"

"They look for young people like you—clean background, a university student, with a sharp mind—to handle things for them in the front!"

The more Lin Jiang thought about it, the more he felt that was exactly the case, his imagination filling in all the vivid details.

"Third Brother, you've climbed onto a high branch!"

"No wonder you're so calm, and no wonder that old Japanese man was so respectful to you!"

"The person standing behind you must be a real big shot, right?"

At this point, Lin Jiang was no longer envious; instead, his eyes reddened, and he grabbed Lin Chuan's hand with a face full of heartache.

"Brother, I know being a white glove isn't easy!"

"That's a job where you keep your head tied to your waistband; being with a ruler is like being with a tiger!"

"You must have suffered a lot of grievances out there, haven't you?"

"For our family, and to let our parents live a good life, you're shouldering all the risks yourself!"

Looking at his elder brother's display of true emotion, Lin Chuan's lips couldn't help but twitch twice.

This system... the correction is a bit too ridiculous, isn't it?

It even came up with 'white glove'?

However, this was indeed a perfect explanation.

Lin Chuan took the opportunity, sighed, and his gaze became a bit more weathered.

"Brother, as long as you know about some things, it's fine; don't go telling others."

"We don't steal or rob; we earn our living through our own abilities."

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. With our current strength, we no longer need to look at others' faces."

"Aye! Aye! I understand! I understand!"

Lin Jiang wiped away a tear and raised his wine glass.

"Say no more, it's all in the wine!

From now on, my life is yours! If you say go east, I'll never go west!"

"Cheers!"

...Early the next morning.

Miss Su appeared in the top-floor office with faint dark circles under her eyes, yet she was full of energy.

Her efficiency was extremely high; she not only brought hot Hong Kong-style morning tea but also three thick resumes.

"Mr. Lin, according to your requirements."

"These are all highly experienced professional managers on Hong Kong Island; some have worked in British trading houses, and others have served as senior executives in large real estate companies."

"I've completed the background checks; they are clean and capable."

Lin Chuan flipped through the resumes while eating preserved egg and pork congee.

His requirements were simple.

First, they must have a good image, appearing at a glance like an elite who has received higher education and seen the world.

Second, they must be obedient, know the rules, and understand who the boss is.

Third, they must be socially adept; when going back to the mainland to negotiate business, they must be able to hold their own.

Soon, his gaze locked onto one resume.

Tony Chen, Chinese name Chen Jiacheng.

38 years old, a Cambridge graduate, formerly the Deputy Director of the Real Estate Department at Jardine Matheson, who left due to factional struggles.

The person in the photo wore gold-rimmed glasses, his hair combed meticulously, with a sharp yet steady gaze that exuded a strong Hong Kong elite aura.

"He's the one."

Lin Chuan slapped the resume onto the table.

"Have him come to see me within an hour."

In less than forty minutes.

Chen Jiacheng stood before Lin Chuan.

He wore a well-tailored deep blue three-piece suit and held a long-handled umbrella, the standard equipment of a British gentleman.

Although he was facing a young mainland boss, he showed no arrogance; instead, he had a great sense of propriety.

This was the quality of a top-tier employee: whoever pays is the boss.

"Mr. Lin, a pleasure to meet you." Chen Jiacheng bowed slightly, his Mandarin surprisingly standard.

"Mr. Chen, I'm not a man for small talk."

Lin Chuan sat in a large executive chair, holding a check between two fingers.

"An annual salary of five hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars, plus year-end bonuses."

"What I want you to do is very simple."

"First, serve as the figurehead CEO of the Longteng Group."

"Second, return to the mainland with me in a few days and play the part of a Hong Kong Businessman to the fullest."

"I want all the officials and peers in the mainland to see you and think our Longteng is a legitimate force, a multinational giant."

"Any problems?"

Five hundred thousand Hong Kong dollars!

Chen Jiacheng's pupils contracted slightly.

This was significantly higher than his salary back at the trading house!

Moreover, although the economy on Hong Kong Island was booming, positions of this level were not easy to find.

He immediately tucked away that faint sense of superiority, and his waist bent even lower.

"No problem, Mr. Lin!

I am honored to serve you!

Rest assured, whether in professionalism or image, I will not bring shame to Longteng.

I am very clear that on this stage, I am the actor and you are the director; I will follow your lead."

"Professional. Lao Wu, see that? That's professional."

Lin Chuan smiled and clapped his hands.

Long Wu also stood behind him, clapping his hands.

Then, Lin Chuan handed over the check... Meanwhile.

Inside a top-tier suite at The Peninsula Hotel.

Chu Tianbiao was lying spread-eagled on the sofa, holding an ice pack to his forehead.

The pent-up frustration from yesterday at Deloitte had kept him from sleeping well all night.

Even in his dreams, that Japanese man Uchiha Ginji was bowing to him, only for his face to turn into Lin Chuan's and mock him.

"Big Brother, do you think this is real?"

Chu Jiaojiao sat to the side, speaking in a sarcastic tone as she applied bright red nail polish.

"The more I thought about it last night, the more I felt something was off."

"That Uchiha Ginji guy is the Asia-Pacific President of Deloitte!"

"Even if the Governor of Hong Kong went there, they'd have to be polite, right?"

"Why was he so respectful to that hillbilly?"

"And even bowed?"

"Do you think... is it possible..."

Chu Jiaojiao stopped her movements, a light of self-perceived cleverness flashing in her eyes.

"That president, that rustic receptionist named Miss Su, even that whole room of people..."

"Were they all actors that kid hired?"

Hearing this, Chu Tianbiao sat up with a start, the ice pack falling to the floor.

"Holy crap!!"

He suddenly slapped his thigh, his eyes lighting up instantly.

"I knew it! I felt something was wrong!"

"It has to be my Third Sister with the sharp mind!"

Like a drowning man clutching at a straw, Chu Tianbiao immediately began to spin a story following this logic.

"Think about it, we did see him go upstairs."

"But what did he do after going up? Who saw it?"

"Maybe he was just taken up for a cup of tea, and then they put on a show for us!"

"The purpose was to intimidate us! To get back the face he lost at the airport!"

"What kind of ability could a university student from the countryside have?"

"He can command the president of Deloitte?"

"That's simply impossible!"

"It must be a scam! That president was probably just some old man playing a bit part from some film crew!"

"Hahaha! Damn it, I was almost bluffed by that kid!"

Chu Tianbiao became more excited as he spoke, as if he had seen through to the whole truth.

This kind of psychology was like a drowning person clutching at a straw.

He couldn't accept the fact that a 'muddy-leg' he looked down upon was actually infinitely more powerful than him.

Therefore, he would rather believe a ridiculous lie to protect his pathetic self-esteem.

"Truly laughable!"

Chu Jiaojiao also curled her lips in disdain, blowing on her wet nail polish.

"Spending so much money to hire actors just to beat us—this Lin Chuan is vain enough."

"It's only good for fooling uninformed mainlanders like us."

Chu Yueli, who had been sitting by the window watching the scenery of Victoria Harbour, finally couldn't help but turn around after hearing the siblings' loud discourse.

She wore a black evening gown, appearing cold and noble.

"Big Brother, Third Sister."

"Do you think a place like Deloitte is somewhere you can just walk into and start acting?"

"That's a multinational accounting firm; the security guards at the door are professionally trained."

"Besides, with that president's aura, how could he be some bit-part actor?"

Chu Yueli recalled Uchiha Ginji's gaze from yesterday; that was a pressure that could only be cultivated by someone in a high position for a long time, definitely not something a bit-part actor could fake.

"There are indeed things about Lin Chuan that one cannot see through."

"See through my ass!"

Chu Tianbiao rudely interrupted her, his face full of impatience.

"Second Sister, I think you've been bewitched by that pretty boy, haven't you?"

Chu Jiaojiao said, "Why do you always talk up others and put us down?"

"Forget it, I won't argue with you. I'll go see him tomorrow, and then I'll know," Chu Yueli said.