President Shu

Bamboo Green Pavilion, the Listening to the Rain Tower private room.

The restroom in the corridor.

Tong Zhao patted Shi Ruohe, who was hunched over the toilet, vomiting nonstop, and handed him the bottle of mineral water he was holding.

"Feeling any better?"

Dizzy and bleary-eyed from throwing up, Shi Ruohe took the water and rinsed his mouth. Once he had recovered a little, he used Tong Zhao's arm to pull himself up and leaned weakly against the door.

He had a poor tolerance for alcohol and had practically been drinking himself to death tonight. Now he couldn't help worrying. "Tong Zhao, can we land this opportunity?"

"We can," Tong Zhao answered, though he wasn't sure himself.

The investors had enjoyed their drinks, and the producer surnamed Qian had promised them each a small role, but no one could say for sure until the contract was signed.

Shi Ruohe pressed his lips together. "If we really can't get it, forget it."

"Forget my ass." Tong Zhao glared at him. "We'll get it for sure."

Shi Ruohe said quietly, "But what if we don't?"

"Then we'll look for another opportunity. Your contract with the company expires in two months. You can't give up, understand? I'll stay with you the whole way."

Shi Ruohe glanced at Tong Zhao a couple of times, as though he wanted to say something, but finally nodded.

Shi Ruohe had signed a three-year contract with an entertainment company at eighteen, but he had never had any luck getting opportunities. His agent had helped him a few times, but whenever there wasn't a camera pointed at him, he was socially anxious and introverted. He didn't know what to say at drinking parties or how to flatter people, and had even offended several big shots. In the end, his agent had been so angry he no longer wanted to deal with him.

Shi Ruohe's grandfather had fallen seriously ill not long ago and urgently needed money. Shi Ruohe had figured his contract would end in two months anyway, and afterward he could focus on finding work. If he took enough jobs, he could cover his grandfather's medical bills. He didn't mind the hardship or exhaustion; it was better than drifting through life in the entertainment industry, waiting to die.

Just after he made that decision, Tong Zhao appeared.

Tong Zhao suddenly signed with Zilai Entertainment as one of its newcomers. When the two first met in an elevator, Tong Zhao caught him off guard by taking his hands and calling him a great film emperor.

Shi Ruohe was so startled he froze.

Tong Zhao said, "As long as you don't end your contract, you'll become a great film emperor someday. Don't be afraid if you don't have opportunities. We'll go find them and fight for them! I'll be with you, help you, and get you to the pinnacle of life!"

Shi Ruohe: "..."

Tong Zhao was like an oasis the isolated and helpless Shi Ruohe had suddenly found in a vast desert. Although his appearance made no sense, he rekindled hope in Shi Ruohe, whom even his agent had given up on.

Tong Zhao was also very capable. Shi Ruohe didn't know how he had talked to the agent, but in just a few days, he had found a middleman, President Lu, and successfully arranged tonight's gathering. He had declared that he would help Shi Ruohe land a role in an urban idol drama adapted from a major IP, no matter what. The size of the role didn't matter; getting one came first.

"I'm going to make a call. Go back to the private room and wait for me." Tong Zhao patted Shi Ruohe on the shoulder.

Shi Ruohe nodded, then hesitated. "Come back quickly, then."

After Shi Ruohe left, Tong Zhao went into a stall and called out, "'Only when it is time to use what you have learned do you regret learning so little,' system!"

[Password correct. Tasker 07166, please speak.]

"That Qian guy called a little fresh meat over halfway through and opened a bottle of '86 Lafite for him. I don't have enough money on me. Can headquarters allocate me some public funds?" Tong Zhao asked the system in the void.

[When you accepted the task, your salary advance was converted into reserve funds for the task world and deposited into your current identity's bank account.]

"My salary advance was only two thousand yuan!"

[There are ways to make use of two thousand yuan. Headquarters will not bear the consequences of a tasker's extravagance.]

Tong Zhao was furious. "Fine, fine, fine. I can take out a loan, can't I?"

[Congratulations on making the wisest choice. Headquarters' current loan interest rate is as low as 3.1. What a fantastic deal!]

Tong Zhao: "..." He could actually see the system's hypocritical face between the lines.

[Tasker 07166, how much would you like to borrow? ^-^]

Tong Zhao: "...Twenty thousand."

[With such a low interest rate, dear, you could actually borrow a little more!]

"...Just twenty thousand. If it isn't in my account within a minute, I'm filing a complaint."

When Tong Zhao returned to the private room, he sensed something was off. President Li and President Lu, who had originally been sitting at the head of the table, had each moved over a seat, leaving the seat of honor vacant. They had also had a server clear the tabletop and set out fresh bowls and chopsticks, and then President Lu had hurried out.

The atmosphere was a little more restrained than before, too, and the investors were discussing something in low voices.

"He's actually coming over? Wasn't he abroad?"

"I'm surprised too. I've been to plenty of banquets before and never saw him. Even when I did, it was hard to get a chance to speak to him."

Tong Zhao returned to his seat, smiled at the sleazy President Mu on his left, then turned to ask Shi Ruohe on his right, "Is someone coming?"

Shi Ruohe replied, "I'm not sure either. It sounds like some president or other will be here soon."

Tong Zhao's heart skipped a beat.

They've already had several rounds of drinks, so what other president is coming now? Aren't all the investors and the producer for this drama sitting right here? If another president comes and they open another bottle of Lafite, will the yuan in my pocket hold out?

This task is really bleeding me dry, boo-hoo-hoo.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his left thigh and gave it a suggestive caress.

Tong Zhao shuddered. Suppressing his disgust, he looked at President Mu, caught his wrist with a fake smile, and turned his hand over. "President Mu, let me read your palm."

"You can read palms too?" President Mu smiled drunkenly, looking even sleazier.

Tong Zhao lowered his eyes and took a look. With an air of authority, he said, "Your love line is quite messy, President Mu. Do you fall in love with everyone you meet?"

President Mu let Tong Zhao hold his hand and leaned closer. "Why do you sound so sour? Jealous? Since meeting you, no one else means a thing."

Tong Zhao gave two dry laughs. Sour, my ass.

He pointed at President Mu's career line. "A big fork. Did you change careers at some point, President Mu?"

President Mu's eyes lit up. "You really can read palms?"

"Of course." Tong Zhao tapped his life line. "Everything's good for you, President Mu. You lack neither lovers nor money, but you do need to watch your health. Look here."

President Mu leaned even closer. "Where?"

"Here. Do you know what this means?"

"What does it mean?"

"Kidney deficiency," Tong Zhao said in a low voice. "Do you often feel tired and sweaty, and get out of breath every few steps? When you do that sort of thing, do you find it especially hard to perform? Are you especially quick?"

President Mu's expression changed. "You... How did you know?"

"Your palm shows it. So from now on, President Mu, you need to build up your health and think less about that sort of thing. Only then can you live to a ripe old age, understand?" Tong Zhao smiled, thinking, You old lecher, don't you look in the mirror? You're flabby, your complexion is sallow, and you've got terrible dark circles. It'd be a wonder if you weren't deficient.

Just then, the private room door opened from outside. The investor bosses around the round table immediately put on broad smiles and stood up respectfully.

President Li said with a smile, "President Shu, you've just gotten off the plane, haven't you? You must be tired from the journey. I ordered some hot dishes; they'll be here soon. Sit here, please, right here."

As Tong Zhao turned his head, the words "President Shu" had only just registered in his mind.

The newcomer wore a crisp black outfit, his expression cold. His ink-dark eyes met Tong Zhao's, and like dark clouds carrying a storm, they swept fiercely over Tong Zhao's panicked, disordered heart.