Stop Scolding Me, Stop Scolding Me!

So the next second, Xu Shi found himself almost laughing at Xia Wuyou's antics.

He had been resting with his eyes closed in the car, and the moment he opened them, he saw her rushing over in a fluster.

"All done talking? Want me to take you back now?"

"Mm..."

Xia Wuyou nodded, then pulled an inhibitor from her combat suit's belt and stiffly handed it over. "This... for you."

If the background were swapped for a cherry blossom tree, Xu Shi might have thought this was some lovestruck young girl giving him a Valentine's Day gift.

But clearly, that wasn't the case, so he had no intention of accepting it. "Why give me this? I don't want gifts someone else gave you, especially not ones from a man."

"This is... my loyalty."

Xia Wuyou gritted her teeth, clearly annoyed by the teasing, but she had no choice but to push through.

"Alright, alright, I acknowledge your loyalty, Miss Xia Wuyou."

Xu Shi couldn't help but chuckle at that, but he still didn't take it. "But I have no use for this. Why not give it to the doctor? It'd save me some money."

"...You said it."

Xia Wuyou didn't waste words and tucked the thing back away.

She was more than happy for him to do that.

Watching her awkward demeanor, Xu Shi found himself thinking Xia Wuyou was more and more like a little cat.

Wasn't she kind of cute?

Xia Wuyou had no idea what Xu Shi was thinking; she just found him more and more insufferable with every look, instinctively wanting to keep her distance.

"No need to trouble Chairman Xu to take me back. I'll just take the subway myself. I'll report to work on time tomorrow, rest assured."

"No need for that either. I was actually going to tell you—I'm planning to give you some time off."

Xu Shi waved a hand dismissively. "Take a few days to rest well. Pay's still coming... Of course, if something comes up, I'll still need you on call."

"Really?"

Hearing the word "vacation" from someone who devoured people without spitting out bones, Xia Wuyou wondered if her ears were playing tricks on her.

"Ask me that again and I might change my mind." Xu Shi shot her a glare.

"...Got it."

Afraid he might actually take it back, Xia Wuyou turned to bolt.

She'd be grateful just to not have to stay around Xu Shi, and she desperately needed time to properly digest everything that had happened over the past few days.

She could also spend more time with her little aunt... The truth was, she hadn't had such an opportunity in a long time; the crushing pressure of work had drained most of her energy.

So in the end, she turned back and gave Xu Shi a slight bow.

"Thank you."

It sounded like it came from the heart.

On the way back, thinking about what had just happened, Xu Shi couldn't help but want to laugh.

He certainly didn't believe in the so-called "loyalty" Xia Wuyou spoke of. If she could so easily sway to his side, she wouldn't be the heroine.

And he was well aware that her actions just now were prompted by Xia Ke'an behind the scenes.

This was clearly an olive branch... Looking at it that way, she wasn't as simple as she seemed.

That one had a heavy mind... If anyone really took her for a harmless loli, Chairman Xu's advice would be to go back and finish elementary school first.

Still, her attitude could at least reduce some resistance for him—the truth was, from the very start, Xu Shi's target wasn't just Xia Wuyou.

His plan was to bring both aunt and niece under his wing, scoring a double win.

The filter of nostalgia was one thing—she was, after all, his childhood goddess... Of course, beauty was only part of the reason. What he valued more was Xia Ke'an's downright broken SS-class ability.

"Future Sight"

No need to explain that much—those in the know would understand... If he could have such an ability backing him, it would undoubtedly save him a lot of trouble in the future.

Especially since he only knew part of the original story now. If he could fill in the gaps, that would be the best-case scenario.

In fact, back when "Refraction" was at its peak, Xia Ke'an had to account for at least eighty percent of the credit.

But on the flip side, such an overpowered ability came with complications that were terrifyingly obvious.

While waiting earlier, Xu Shi had taken a moment to look over her medical records.

Muscular atrophy, albinism, neuropathic phantom pain, narcolepsy, organ fibrosis... All together, there were seventeen conditions.

This had also led to Xia Ke'an being unable to use her ability for a long time—by Xu Shi's estimate, in her current state, she'd keel over before even finishing the startup gesture.

Otherwise, "Refraction" wouldn't have fallen so easily.

Fortunately, he wasn't in a rush about it. Winning their loyalty, like curing Xia Ke'an, was something to be done slowly and steadily.

For now, as long as I can keep them from getting tangled up with Shen He again, that's enough.

Giving Xia Wuyou time off was also for that reason—spending more time with Xia Ke'an would inevitably have a subtle influence.

Besides, you can't keep this Little Cat on a tight leash forever; you have to give her some treats now and then.

Thinking this, a faint, ambiguous smile crept onto Xu Shi's lips.

"Young Master seems quite pleased?"

Su Lin noticed and casually asked.

"Of course... Hm? What are you looking at?"

Xu Shi snapped back to attention, only to find that she had switched the vehicle to autopilot and was earnestly browsing through a document in her hands.

"It's a report from the Engineering Department."

Su Lin replied. "It's the equipment usage feedback from this morning's incident... It doesn't look too promising."

"...Elaborate."

Xu Shi raised an eyebrow at that, leaning forward slightly.

Then he was bombarded with a slew of technical terms from Su Lin that made his scalp tingle.

Good grief, I can't understand a word of it... But he could grasp the gist—much of the equipment currently deployed under the "Serpent Coil" was still stuck at the level of a few years ago, in dire need of a technological upgrade.

"How did this happen? Is the Engineering Department not doing their job?"

This immediately soured his good mood. "I pay their salaries, not to hear the word 'unpromising.'"

"Young Master, please calm your anger."

Su Lin let out a sigh as well. "To be honest, the Engineering Department's development had already started to stagnate two years before the Old Master passed away."

"If I had to put it bluntly... this is a leftover problem."

...That seems about right.

Her words jogged Xu Shi's memory.

Even if he hadn't cared much about the group before, he still remembered this.

His father's death was two years ago, and as his health deteriorated, his grip on the group gradually loosened.

And when an emperor nears his twilight, it naturally leads to his underlings harboring their own agendas... Who would have the mind to get real work done then?

Thinking about it this way, it was no small feat that his father managed to smoothly hand over the reins to him.

Though, even now, the board of directors wasn't exactly his one-man show.

Still, that was something he'd been mulling over lately.

They say you must stabilize the interior before dealing with the exterior. Even if it wasn't obvious now, if this issue went unresolved, he'd inevitably be hamstrung by others down the line.

And those old foxes were all slippery as eels... Figuring out how to handle them was giving him quite the headache.

"I'll head to the Engineering Department tomorrow."

He made the decision on the spot. For now, at least, he didn't have to worry about the "Spark" matter.

"Yes."

"But speaking of which, Su Lin, it feels like you know everything?"

A jack-of-all-trades, huh?

"Because someone doesn't bother to pay attention to these things."

This time, Miss Su Lin didn't hold back her jab.

...Fine, fair enough.

That's what you get for being ignorant... Stop roasting me, please.