His pheromones smelled like... firecrackers?

The former CEO standing just a few steps away ground his teeth. "Assistant Chen, I underestimated you."

"You really will... call anyone named Luo your boss, huh?"

Chen Bei turned and adjusted his black frames. "President Chen, does our department get year-end bonuses too?"

"In your dreams!" Luo Chen, who had just gone from President Luo to President Chen, scoffed. "A mere three hundred thousand was enough to test your loyalty."

"Assistant Chen, you've really disappointed me!"

"You'll get used to it." Chen Bei took off his glasses and picked up the weeding tools on his own. When he looked up, a faint smile rippled across his striking face. "President Luo, watch how these are used. Don't hold me back later."

Luo Ming stared into those shimmering eyes, momentarily distracted, before his lips curled into a wicked grin. "You've used these before?"

"Yes." Chen Bei nodded. "During company team-building events."

"Assistant Chen, then what about me..." Kicked off the team, Meng Han was at a loss for a moment. "What should I do?"

Chen Bei glanced to the side. "You three can be a team."

Old Luo Third and Old Luo Fourth exchanged a look, each seeing the speculation in the other's eyes.

Three on one team?

Wasn't that the same as deliberately going easy on us?

Got it!

He joined Luo Ming's team on the surface, but was actually extending an olive branch to the two of us.

Offend Old Luo First and gain the trust of three people.

What a clever move!

The brothers nodded in realization, their gazes turning meaningful.

[Hahaha, why do I feel like there's something smoldering in their eyes? Are they imagining things or flirting?]

[Three on one team? Isn't that a little unfair? Two alphas and one omega would definitely work faster!]

[It looks unfair, but Assistant Chen isn't gaining any advantage either, so... did he plan this all along?]

[How could the likes of you fathom the scheming of wealthy families?]

[What I want to know most right now is, what punishment will they get if they fail today's task?]

The viewers weren't the only ones curious. Old Luo First was equally eager to know. "Assistant Chen, since you're competing too, shouldn't you explain the rules first?"

"Otherwise, who knows if you'll change the punishment because you lost?"

Chen Bei smiled. "The punishment is simple. Whoever loses sleeps in the storage shed, that's all."

"President Chen, don't think I'm so calculating. I'm nowhere near as wily as you."

Luo Chen: "..."

He dared call me wily?

So he's already found his next employer?

Is he going to anger me to death and then usurp the throne?

Which of those three is it?

Ignoring the scrutinizing, suspicious gaze, Chen Bei looked down at his watch. "We officially start at nine and finish at eleven. The production staff will inspect the work, and the results will be announced at lunch."

He kept watching the time, drawing out his words. "Rea... go!"

In a flash, before he had even finished speaking, Chen Bei tossed aside his tools and started pulling weeds by hand.

"Assistant Chen! You're cheating!"

Luo Chen roared and hurriedly bent down.

"So what? I feel like it."

Chen Bei didn't look up. His airy tone was enough to infuriate anyone.

The live chat, however, was laughing itself to death.

[Hahahaha, someone save me! I'm slacking off at work in broad daylight and can't stop shaking!]

[My fellow alphas, betas, and omegas, Assistant Chen is a special envoy sent from heaven specifically to deal with Top Alphas from wealthy families. Verdict delivered!]

[Wait, are the tools decorations or props meant to hinder the task? Why does Assistant Chen look like he's about to take flight pulling weeds, while the others seem to have barely moved?!]

[Looking at it this way, no matter how many people are on each team, Assistant Chen is guaranteed to win!]

At the very back, Qin Yufan stole a glance at Chen Bei. Seeing how deftly he worked, his eyes filled with confusion.

What omega wasn't delicate? Yet he acted like a bull.

And yet his figure was slender, and he looked even more exquisite without his glasses...

Was he taking an unconventional approach? Attracting people in an unusual way?

Hah, how devious!

With that thought, Qin Yufan moved a little closer and, as he seemingly raised his hand without thinking, rubbed half the Scent-blocking Patch off the back of his neck.

The scent of peaches immediately spread through the surroundings, sweet, rich, and intoxicating...

Every alpha present froze, turning toward the source of the scent with different expressions.

"Sorry, I'm sorry!" Qin Yufan hastily apologized, his eyes reddening slightly. "I accidentally brushed against it just now!"

"I'll stick it back on right away!"

In a fluster, he tore the Scent-blocking Patch off completely, then lined it up with his gland and stuck it back on.

Enough scent had been released to cause a physical reaction even outside a rut.

So...

Secretly pleased, Qin Yufan lifted his eyes and looked ahead innocently, only to freeze the next second.

Why wasn't it having any effect?!

The four Top Alphas were actually still weeding?!

Shouldn't they be irritably searching for suppressants?!

"I warned you not to hold me back. Did my words go in one ear and out the other?" Luo Chen, the only one still standing there, fixed him with a piercing gaze. "Don't even think about renewing your family's supply-chain contract this year!"

Qin Yufan was dumbfounded and hurried to explain. "Luo Chen, I really didn't do it on purpose!"

"Prove it."

Qin Yufan said, "What?"

"What do you mean, what?!" Luo Chen roared. "Start pulling!"

"If you keep being this useless, your whole family..."

[Will be buried with you!]

[Hahaha, we know all the lines already!]

[Old Luo Second's pretty good. He anticipated Qin Yufan's move and injected a suppressant beforehand!]

[He did that on purpose, right? Scent-blocking Patches stick so firmly. How could an edge suddenly come loose?]

[Wait, I suddenly have a question. What do Assistant Chen's pheromones smell like?]

[Hahahahaha, to be honest, I have a bold guess. Judging by Assistant Chen's personality, I think his pheromones smell like... firecrackers!]

[That fits! One spark and he goes off!]

In this world, alphas were born competitive.

Even those who weren't elite generally possessed strong physiques and exceptional ability to get things done.

All the more so for the Luo Corporation's four male leads, who had been blessed by the original author. Seeing Chen Bei's nimble, varied weeding techniques, they soon realized the tools were of little use and tossed them aside, following his example and pulling weeds by hand.

In less than two hours, they finished their assigned areas.

Seeing the team of three stand up first, Chen Bei dusted off his hands too and congratulated them with a smile. "Very good. We're tied for first."

Luo Yu: "?"

Clearly, we were...

He suddenly gave a sinister smile.

Got it. This was an overt attempt to win us over.

"Congratulations to you too." Luo Chenghai nodded.

That's right. This was an attempt to win us over.

Luo Chen stormed over in fury. "One team came first and the other came second, but now you insist it's a tie."

"Are you openly forming a clique?!"

"Forming a clique?" Chen Bei looked puzzled. "Does that affect the fact that you two came dead last?"

Luo Chen: "..."

Fuck!

Precisely because it didn't,

it was even more infuriating!