Chapter 11

After trying on the clothes, the models still came to him looking worried, beating around the bush as they asked whether the boss planned to ruin their reputations.

Zhou Jingcheng swiftly dodged Secretary Sun's human fountain and clicked his tongue in disgust. "Testing my water absorption first thing in the morning?"

Secretary Sun twitched his lips. "No."

Seeing that his boss was still replying to messages, as if he had fallen in love with this one-on-one commercial mutual-praise championship, Secretary Sun decided to message Madam Zhou later and ask her to keep an eye on the president's mental health.

Whether a person was alive or not was beside the point, but they couldn't become mentally unhinged.

[Still Awake at This Hour: President Zhou, Brother Zhou, big brother, do you remember that trending topic you mentioned?]

[z: I remember. Don't worry, I've already made arrangements. Just don't forget the name you need to showcase.]

[Still Awake at This Hour: Woohoo! I definitely won't forget!]

Just as Zhou Jingcheng put down his phone, his right eyelid twitched.

"Didn't sleep well last night?" He rubbed his chin and began considering whether to give himself the afternoon off.

What? Go to work?

A mature company earned money on its own.

-

Soon, it was time for the June 18 fashion show to begin.

Shi Jihan was picking out his outfit for the evening in the walk-in closet while 000 hovered beside him and explained the plot.

[This fashion show is extremely important to Shen Qinghuai. Even after the original host drove away his business partners and pushed him out of the center of power, he never gave up. It wasn't until the original host was exposed for plagiarism and content-washing, dragging Shen Qinghuai down with him, that he completely broke down, resigned, and divorced Shi Bochuan.]

[In other words, we need to land a killing blow at this show!]

The more 000 explained, the stranger it felt. [Host, Shen Qinghuai hasn't been pushed out of the spotlight, and he even has upgraded business partners now. Can the plot still end with him resigning and getting divorced?]

[Why not?] Shi Jihan straightened his crisp suit, never feeling guilty when questioned. [Tell me, haven't I completed the assigned tasks extremely well?]

000 displayed a bright red "-50.3" debt in front of him and looked at him resentfully.

Shi Jihan: "..."

He shoved aside the obstructive Lurdan. [Move. You're blocking the mirror.]

Today, he wore a white double-breasted knee-length suit with subtle embroidery. Fine tassels draped from his shoulders, refracting scattered points of light beneath the lamps whenever he moved.

It looked very expensive.

It also suited Shi Jihan's face, adding a trace of clean, fresh charm to his innocent appearance.

That was, as long as he didn't open his mouth.

Shi Jihan glanced at the butler standing ramrod straight and tried to make some extra money. "I suggest charging everyone who enters the show ten yuan for admission."

The butler asked, "Why, Third Young Master?"

Shi Jihan ran a hand through his hair, greasy charm overflowing as he activated his peerless bubblegum voice. "Because my handsomeness requires paid viewing."

[Ding. Malice Points +0.2.]

[See? It's -50.1 now. Isn't that practically zero?]

000: [With that mindset, you could succeed even at hauling manure.]

The butler was struck by the sugary greasy bomb and swayed from side to side. He barely steadied himself, his voice trembling. "Third Young Master hasn't smiled this happily in a long time."

Shi Jihan fell silent for a moment. "Butler, you're no slouch yourself."

Rubbing at the goosebumps on his arms, he got into the car and headed for the show.

By then, the venue had become a true arena of fame and fortune, filled with glamorous figures and decadent splendor. Celebrities gathered everywhere.

As one of the organizers, Zhou Jingcheng took a glass of champagne from the champagne tower after finishing his media interviews and sat down. From afar, his gaze met Shi Jihan's as he entered the venue. Their eyes touched only briefly before separating, yet everything was understood without words. Shi Jihan gave him an OK gesture.

For some reason, Zhou Jingcheng's right eyelid twitched even harder.

Someone beside him said, "President Zhou, I heard Shi Corporation has spared no expense on this show. Their main collection is even working with models from your company. With your taste, I'm sure this show will definitely be a visual feast."

Watching Shi Jihan take a seat not far away, Zhou Jingcheng took a sip of wine and issued himself a disclaimer. "The aesthetic of this show does not represent me in any way."

He was a man who enjoyed collecting red wine and possessed exceptionally refined taste.

He absolutely had to draw a line between himself and those three from the Shi Family.

000 poked its head around. [What is 88 Carpool Bro talking about with the person beside him?]

[Call him that again and you can go be his Good Boy!] Shi Jihan's face reddened again with anger. [...He's probably discussing some of his creative ideas. After all, his own work is about to be displayed. It's only natural that he wants to share.]

000 understood. [He's way too impatient. Good thing we didn't disappoint him.]

[We've got both the mission and the design under control.]

Of course.

Shi Jihan proudly raised his chin.

Just wait. His Malice Points would definitely hit zero tonight!

Niu Hulu Jihan had endured humiliation and hardship, been reborn, and was about to launch into a frenzied money-making spree.

Shi Bochuan took his seat and said to his secretary, "Get the livestream ready. It's about to begin."

The moment the livestream started, millions of viewers flooded in, and the stream even lagged for a moment.

Aside from people in the fashion industry and fans of the attending celebrities, most had come because of Shi Jihan's promotional video.

[I'm here, I'm here!]

[With a thunderous boom from the heavens, your girl has successfully arrived.]

[Well, if it isn't the public-use substitute? (whistles) Sitting alone, huh? Come chat with your sis. (rose in mouth)]

[Shi Jihan, do you know how I've spent these past few days?! I've been like a dead ribbonfish that's been dead for three months. (flops desperately)]

[Wow, look what I found. A cold and beautiful man!]

[If Shi Bochuan gave me his wife, I'd willingly accept the punishment of living in a huge mansion.]

The Shi Bochuan couple faced the comments head-on. Neither could sit still, fidgeting constantly.

Shi Jihan glanced at them and softly asked with concern, "What's wrong? Got thorns in your asses?"

Shen Qinghuai: "..."

A vein pulsed at Shi Bochuan's temple. "Be quiet."

The microphone picked it up and broadcast it into the livestream, earning countless comments of "HAHAHAHAHAHA."

Fortunately, the dimming lights quickly came to the couple's rescue.

The lights in the fashion show hall abruptly went dark. In the center of the circular venue, a vintage century clock began to click and turn as its mechanisms meshed. After twelve chimes, it collapsed with a thunderous crash. Mechanical gears and brass clock faces shattered into countless particles of light that drifted down from the dome. Slowly, the particles gathered within the holographic projection where the clock had stood, forming a line of ornate English script:

"PALIMPSEST"

Seated in the front row, Shi Jihan enjoyed the unparalleled visual spectacle and commented, [So rich. They didn't even use the free Founder Song typeface.]

000 cracked cyber sunflower seeds in his mind and watched with relish as well. [It's fine. Sooner or later, it'll be ours.]

Palimpsest, a rewritten manuscript.

It was an overlay of vintage style and avant-garde fashion.

The models strolled out from backstage, every step beneath their feet landing upon halos of particle light. Shen Qinghuai truly deserved to be the protagonist of a novel. His professional ability was among the best in the industry. From the main collection's bold deconstruction of silhouettes, to the layering of its fabrics, to the fusion of hand-stacked embroidery in three-dimensional tailoring and liquid-metal materials, every detail embodied the theme.

[The concept behind this collection is so bold.]

[Did I wake up too violently? Is this still the brand I know for its classical elegance?]

[I love that liquid-metal dress! It shines like the Milky Way under the lights. So beautiful.]

[You know, this dress's design kind of resembles a Valkyrie. It feels like she could head straight onto an interstellar battlefield if you gave her a lightsaber.]

Shen Qinghuai had thought he would be so nervous that his whole body went weak with anxiety, but in reality, he suddenly felt grateful that the fashion show had gotten back on track.

At least the comments were normal now. They no longer made him feel the despair of being harassed through a screen.

Shen Qinghuai rotated his stiff wrist and quietly said to Shi Jihan, "It'll be your turn soon. Don't be nervous."

Shi Jihan blinked, looking like an old man staring at a phone on the subway.

No, was this right?

A protagonist was comforting him, a vicious cannon fodder character?

As one of the organizers, Zhou Jingcheng naturally knew the schedule. He sat upright with his legs crossed, his bearing impeccable. His long-fingered hand held the slender stem of a glass loosely over his knee, while his other hand was... scrolling through his phone.

The screen was open to his chat with Secretary Sun. [Shi Jihan's collection theme is coming up. Remember to record the entire thing.]

[Secretary Sun: Yes, boss. Are you planning to review the models' performances tonight? I'll send it to the relevant agents afterward.]

[z: No. Pure appreciation.]

There was no other reason. He simply wanted to watch the couple who had made him eat ten plates of smashed cucumber lose their composure, then replay the video over and over as punishment.

The comments flew by rapidly.

[Ooh! The little brother's collection is coming!]

[Wait, why is the sub-collection called Carbohydrate Rhapsody?]

[Holy shit, what the hell is this thing that's come to life?!!!]

The moment Zhou Jingcheng looked up, he saw a clump of instant noodles moving down the runway.

Chapter 11

The instant noodles strutted down the runway with immense confidence. The noodles hanging from the pant legs swung from side to side with every movement, looking wonderfully springy.

She reached the front, put her hands on her hips, struck several poses, swept back her hair coolly, and turned around with an icy expression.

Her catwalk carried the wind, and her noodles had bite!

Everyone below the stage: ?

No, was this right?

What the hell was that?!!

But that was only the beginning.

Next came hamburger pajamas.

Under the spotlight, the golden bun gleamed with a wheaty sheen, while the lettuce-leaf pleated skirt rippled like waves.

Her runway walk carried the wind, and her sauce brought the vibe!

Every streak of fat in the Angus beef patty was a testament to the designer's painstaking craftsmanship.

The world-weary-faced model stood at the front of the runway, spread her arms like a flapping moth to display her bun, then slowly closed them like a clam shell, wrapping herself into a genuine hamburger.

One button to block out sound, light, and electricity, allowing your nights to be ruled by black-hole-level sleep from now on.

Watching the sesame seeds glitter beneath the lights, Shen Qinghuai grabbed Shi Bochuan's arm tightly. His fingertips strained white with force as his entire world collapsed and reassembled before his eyes.