FOBTS CH52

Chapter 52: I Like Secretary Song  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 3 hours!!]  

Song Ruochen: “……?”  

Just letting Jian Feng and Yan Ci meet under the moonlight was this profitable?!  

[Congratulations, Little Grape, for paying off your debt and becoming prosperous.]  

“Here’s 10 minutes for you, spend it however you like,” Song Ruochen said generously.  

But he still didn’t quite understand the point system. Earlier, Yan Ci and Jian Feng had just… locked eyes for a moment, right?  

What, did that one glance make their hearts race and sparks fly?  

If that’s the case, maybe he could stick a photo of Da Zao on Yi Mi’s face and let them stare at it all they wanted.  

“What’s wrong, Secretary Chenchen?” Jian Yuheng asked softly when he noticed Song Ruochen staying silent for a while. “Did the system say something?”  

[His brain really is quite sharp.]  

“Nothing, just some credits came in,” Song Ruochen said. “…Call me Secretary Song.”  

Who said you could call me Chenchen?  

“Okay, Secretary Song,” Jian Yuheng complied. “Secretary Song is amazing. Xiaoshi can’t do without Secretary Song.”  

“Mhm, as long as you know,” Song Ruochen said modestly.  

[…]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 1 minute.]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 30 seconds.]  

[Yan Ci dropped a Rewind Sand Dollar, Jian Feng dropped half a Rewind Sand Dollar.]  

Even as Song Ruochen got into Jian Yuheng’s car, the Rewind Coin Pouch kept chiming nonstop.  

Once the car window rolled up, the notifications finally stopped.  

“I’ve risen out of poverty,” Song Ruochen said emotionally, wiping away tears. “Who shook my money tree?”  

[No idea. Maybe they suddenly fell deeply in love.]  

“Actually, if we rewind a bit further and bring a laptop, we could check what’s on Bai Cai’s USB drive,” Song Ruochen suggested.  

“That’d be too wasteful. You’d have to go back to collecting bottles again,” Jian Yuheng said. “I’ve pulled all the company’s surveillance footage. His visits to various departments have been abnormally frequent lately. Let’s not alert him yet—I’ve asked Assistant Gong to keep an eye on his social circle.”  

[He knows how to save money. What a thrifty, homemaking alpha.]  

Song Ruochen: “…”  

Meng Yumian pushed a wheelchair over and knocked on the car window. Song Ruochen rolled it down.  

“Almost forgot to give you this,” Meng Yumian said.  

Song Ruochen: “0.o?”  

What is it?  

Meng Yumian handed him a blade of grass.  

Song Ruochen, holding the grass: “?”  

What’s the meaning of this?  

The fuzzy monster winked at Yan Ci—  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 1 second, 2 seconds.]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 4 seconds.]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 8 seconds, 16 seconds.]  

Once the window closed again, the system notifications stopped.  

“System, are you broken?” Song Ruochen asked curiously.  

[Everything’s normal. Money-grubbing.jpg]  

[Who cares? Free money is free money. It’s raining coins.]  

Fair point. Song Ruochen decided not to overthink it.  

Under the night sky, Jian Yuheng drove off.  

“System,” Song Ruochen asked, “do you think I’ve stumbled into the legendary world of corporate warfare?”  

[High-end corporate warfare often employs low-end tactics.]  

[Not bad. The two most business-savvy people from the original novel are both in this car right now.]  

[Show off your corporate warfare skills, Song Ruochen.]  

Song Ruochen: “:D”  

“Young Master,” Song Ruochen said, “let me oversee the latest campaign proposal for Xiaoshi’s advertising department.”  

Bai Cai’s loyalty was wavering, so he might not take it seriously. Better to leave it to his utterly loyal secretary.  

“Please trust my work ethic,” Song Ruochen said coldly.  

Jian Yuheng: “…”  

His previously steady heart was now crumbling.  

Song Ruochen wasn’t sure if it was his imagination, but the sports car seemed to be moving unusually slowly today—so slow that pedestrians kept turning to stare, making him feel like he was riding a kiddie train in a parade.  

“Secretary Song, we’re home. Wake up,” Jian Yuheng said as he parked the car downstairs, tactfully changing the subject. “Did you download that ‘Awo~’ app to find an alpha partner?”  

Song Ruochen: “?”  

Of course not. He was just curious at the time.  

“For outsourcing,” Song Ruochen said.  

Jian Yuheng: “皿.”  

This omega’s insane.  

“Were there any alphas on there that caught your eye?” Jian Yuheng probed. “High compatibility?”  

[?]  

“Young Master, that question falls outside Secretary Song’s job responsibilities,” Song Ruochen said. “Secretary Song declines to answer.”  

“See you tomorrow, Second Young Master,” Song Ruochen said, opening the door to get out.

Song Ruochen walked about ten meters before realizing that Jian Yuheng’s scarf was still wrapped around his neck. The black plaid scarf was warm, and subconsciously, he hadn’t wanted to take it off.  

Song Ruochen stopped, then turned his head back one notch at a time.  

Hmm, why was that sports car still there?  

Song Ruochen turned his head back. Whatever, he’d return it tomorrow.  

His phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out to check—  

[Jian Yuheng]: Secretary Song, aren’t you going upstairs yet?  

Song Ruochen: “……”  

Ahhhh, he saw! The person was already dropped off, why was he still staring?  

[Song Ruochen]: Second Young Master, aren’t you hitting the road yet?  

[Jian Yuheng]: ……  

A cold gust of wind blew past, making Song Ruochen shiver twice before he hurried into the building and rushed into the elevator.  

Gotta say, this scarf was really nice—it even carried a faint sweet-and-sour hawthorn scent. He buried half his face in the scarf, as if savoring a delicious hawthorn cake, his mouth tingling with sweetness.  

Under the streetlight outside the residential area, Jian Yuheng’s car lingered for a while longer.  

His taste was truly impeccable. This neurotic omega was just too adorable. Earlier, when he turned his head to glance out the car window, he happened to see Song Ruochen bury his face in the scarf, sniff the lingering scent, then look around guiltily a few times, as if he’d done something sneaky.  

In some ways, the little secretary was amusingly naive. Song Ruochen’s eyes were clear and innocent, yet every little move and word of his was irresistibly captivating.  

The concentration of hawthorn pheromones in the car’s air increased by 3%… 7%… 15%…  

Jian Yuheng: “……”  

This feeling… was his rut coming on, wasn’t it?  

So, Song Ruochen wasn’t planning to get married? Given the physiological mechanisms of alphas and omegas, was he really going to marry suppressants and spend his whole life like that?  

Hmm, that line sounded familiar.  

Jian Yuheng: “:|”  

Had something just boomeranged back at him?  

—  

“System, his scarf smells so good,” Song Ruochen murmured in his room, hugging the scarf.  

[You don’t seem like a hooligan anymore.]  

[Now you seem like a pervert.]  

Song Ruochen: “……”  

Embarrassed, Song Ruochen set the scarf down.  

“I’ve been so cold and indifferent—did the villain’s desire level drop?” he asked.  

[Nope, it rose by 10%.]  

[The villain still wants to mark you fiercely.]  

Song Ruochen: “QAQ”  

This system… When they first met, its words were pretty sweet. How did its little mouth gradually become laced with arsenic?  

“I’m from out of town,” he said. “Let it be known that I currently cannot accept this brutal ABO-world courtship style.”  

He would use his aloofness and disdain to make the villain back off.  

“Let that so-called ‘desire level’ die in its cradle,” Song Ruochen declared. “I’m a college student who’s seen the world. You can’t bait me with petty tricks.”  

Song Ruochen: “For real.”  

[Mhm, sure, sure.]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 3 minutes.]  

[You’re so rich now, Little Grape. You can rewind to your heart’s content lately.]  

“These coins… Brother Hawthorn really knows how to farm them,” Song Ruochen mused. “They just inexplicably pile up, and it’s sustainable too.”  

Well, it was getting late. Time to put in some overtime.  

He opened his laptop, positioned his keyboard, took a photo of his desk, and sent it to Jian Feng.  

[Song Ruochen]: President Jian, I’m about to start working overtime. Please note my overtime pay.  

[Jian Feng]: Uh… Okay, sure, got it.  

[Jian Feng]: Did Yuheng just drop you off at home?  

[Song Ruochen]: Yeah.  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 8 minutes.]  

Song Ruochen: “?”  

Did the man-machine just turn into a perpetual motion machine?  

Xiaoshi Group’s advertising department was currently working on a product placement plan for an awards ceremony. Since Xiaoshi was hosting the event, the focus was on highlighting their partners’ brands throughout the show.  

This kind of campaign relied entirely on creativity—making sure the audience remembered as many brands as possible at a glance.  

Song Ruochen checked: Xiaoshi’s current collaborations included cars, snacks, home goods, appliances, and smartphones.  

When it came to creativity, college students were all in. College students’ theses were packed with nothing but creativity. Pure creativity.  

Song Ruochen burned the midnight oil, scribbling furiously, scratching his head in frustration, then collapsing into sleep.  

The next afternoon, Song Ruochen brought his proposal to work. He headed straight to Jian Yuheng’s office first but didn’t find him, so he proudly presented his work to Assistant Gong instead.  

Assistant Gong skimmed it for thirty seconds before speaking: “If I were you, I’d dig a hole and bury this proposal immediately—don’t let it wreak havoc on the world.”  

“No need,” Song Ruochen said. “I feel like the world is pretty tolerant. After all, even you’re still breathing.”  

Gong Huo: “……”  

Gong Huo, flames of fury erupting, unleashed his beta strength and shoved Song Ruochen onto the sofa.  

Click. The office door opened. Jian Yuheng stood in the doorway, holding a bag of melon seeds.  

Jian Yuheng: “?”  

In an instant, the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. Gong Huo began trembling.  

“Assistant Gong,” Jian Yuheng said, “shouldn’t you be preparing for your business trip? What are you doing here?”  

“Right away, Second Young Master!” Assistant Gong grabbed his files and fled, but not without a parting shot: “Second Young Master, Secretary Song was looking for you.”  

Jian Yuheng switched the air conditioning from cold to warm.  

“Since when did you two get so close?” he asked.  

“Close? Not at all,” Song Ruochen said. “He just pushed me!”  

Jian Yuheng sighed, morphing into Jian Yuheng (Melancholy Edition).  

His little secretary was outstanding—it seemed he never lacked for friends wherever he went.  

“Is Assistant Gong going on a business trip?” Song Ruochen asked.  

“Yes, to City B,” Jian Yuheng said. “He’s more familiar with the branch office’s work there.”  

“Is this Secretary Song’s advertising proposal?” Jian Yuheng picked up the fallen documents. “Let me take a look.”  

Several minutes passed.  

Song Ruochen: “0.o?”  

“The paper is very white,” Jian Yuheng said.  

Song Ruochen: “……”  

“I think it’s quite creative, very memorable, and absolutely explosive,” Jian Yuheng said. “I’ll take it to the advertising department later and make sure they prioritize implementing it at the awards ceremony.”  

Song Ruochen: “:b”  

“Secretary Song,” Jian Yuheng added, “starting tomorrow, you’ll be accompanying me on a business trip to City O.”  

“Me?” Song Ruochen asked.  

“Yes,” Jian Yuheng said. “The new year’s competition has begun. Nanchi Group, Xiaoshi’s rival, is targeting us at every turn in business. The headquarters needs my brother to hold the fort, but the branch offices can’t be neglected either. I need to oversee things personally, and for business trips, I need a competent secretary by my side.”  

Song Ruochen lifted his proud little chin: “I won’t go.”  

“Business trips come with triple pay and a 50,000-yuan subsidy. Both you and Assistant Gong get it,” Jian Yuheng said. “Plus, I can apply to add a frame to your new employee ID photo.”  

Song Ruochen: “Uh……”  

Money aside, that photo frame was kinda tempting.  

“I’ll think about it,” Song Ruochen said.  

—  

That afternoon, in Xiaoshi Group’s advertising department, a suspicious 2D shadowy figure crept in.  

Bai Cai: “?”  

Huh? Why did everything suddenly seem darker… and flatter?  

“Per the two President Jians’ instructions,” the advertising director announced, “we’re scrapping the original ad proposal in favor of this new, exceptionally creative one.”  

“Understood, Director,” the employees chorused. “We’ll arrange the event accordingly.”  

“Need any help?” Bai Cai sidled over.  

“Help me refine the budget,” the director said.  

Bai Cai: “OK.”  

Everyone seemed so confident—the new proposal must be amazing.  

He opened the file and saw Song Ruochen’s name in the author field.  

That arrogant little secretary had never once looked at him properly, acting all high and mighty with his meager experience.  

Well, he’d just “borrow” Secretary Song’s proposal and let him taste the bitterness of being preempted. It was time for this proud prodigy to lower his noble head.  

—  

Meanwhile, in Jian Feng’s office, Yan Ci sat typing furiously on his laptop.  

“What are you working on?” Jian Feng asked.  

“Research!” Yan Ci said cheerfully. “The Hawthorn Grape Monster Studio wants to invest in a few games. Secretary Song said casual time-killer games might go viral if they’re packed with ads.”  

“Secretary Song has a lot of… unusual ideas,” Jian Feng said.  

Yan Ci: “0.0* Yes!”  

Luckily, he knew about games and could screen for promising but underfunded projects to support.  

“I’m suddenly so busy,” Yan Ci said. “I don’t even feel like traveling the world anymore.”  

Jian Feng: “I… kind of miss it sometimes.”  

Like today, when he saw his and Yan Ci’s wedding photo on a bus stop billboard.  

The office door creaked open gently.  

“Evening, Brother,” Jian Yuheng said, carrying a basket of apples. “Just dropping by to see you.”  

Jian Yuheng: “During my years studying abroad, I often thought of you, my dear brother, in the dead of night.”  

Jian Feng: “:|”  

Did all the smooth talk in the family go to you?  

“Grape Chen went to the archives room for some documents. He should be back soon,” Yan Ci said.  

“Thanks, Sister-in-law,” Jian Yuheng said.  

Bang! The door was kicked open. Song Ruochen staggered in, arms piled high with eight archive boxes, and slammed them onto the desk.  

“What’s this?” Jian Yuheng asked.  

“The history of Xiaoshi’s rivalry with Nanchi. I’m doing research,” Song Ruochen said.  

Mostly because the original novel only mentioned bits and pieces, and he wasn’t too confident.  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 10 seconds.]  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 20 seconds.]  

Jian Yuheng glanced up. Jian Feng was standing a little too far from Yan Ci, so he discreetly poked his brother’s back with one finger.  

Jian Feng took a step forward, pressing close to Yan Ci.  

Yan Ci: “0.0*”  

[The Rewind Coin Pouch has credited 2 minutes.]  

Having successfully farmed coins, Jian Yuheng naturally reached out to ruffle Song Ruochen’s hair.  

Song Ruochen grabbed Jian Yuheng’s paw and flung it away: “Second Young Master, please behave.”  

Jian Yuheng gritted his teeth. This neurotic little menace was putting on his aloof secretary act again.

“Madam,” Song Ruochen said gently, “I’ll be going on a business trip with Second Young Master tomorrow. While I’m away, take good care of yourself.”  

Yan Ci: “0.0…..”  

“T-then… can you answer my calls first every night?” Yan Ci asked. “Or only mine, not the fuzzy monster’s…”  

“I’ll bring two phones,” Song Ruochen said. “Twice the chats, every day.”  

“I’m going for dinner now, Madam,” Song Ruochen said. “Swear to me that during this time, you won’t go anywhere outside City A.”  

“I swear,” Yan Ci said, confused.  

Satisfied, Song Ruochen headed to the cafeteria and ordered a steak to reward his hardworking self.  

While waiting for the steak, he stepped aside to take a call and chat with the fuzzy monster. When he returned, he found that his steak was ready—but Jian Yuheng had taken it.  

“Secretary Song, come here,” Jian Yuheng said.  

The steak had already been cut, evenly sliced and drizzled with sauce, each piece uniform and perfectly shaped.  

[He’s really good with his hands. So meticulous.]  

[No wonder he’s into wood carving.]  

[Now he’s into grape carving (.)]  

Song Ruochen sat across from Jian Yuheng, nearly drooling from the aroma.  

The cows in this ABO world really did seem more fragrant than the ones back home.  

[It’s all cut for you. Eat up.]  

Song Ruochen speared a piece of steak with his fork and popped it into his mouth. The black pepper sauce was incredibly rich.  

“Aren’t you eating, Second Young Master?” Song Ruochen asked politely.  

“Sure,” Jian Yuheng said.  

Song Ruochen: “?”  

Jian Yuheng grabbed his wrist, guiding the fork to another piece of steak, and—using Song Ruochen’s hand—fed himself.  

Song Ruochen: “Ah…”  

This…  

The grape turned red again, and the spot on the back of his neck where the alpha had lightly touched him earlier tingled as if electrified, making him straighten his posture even more rigidly.  

“Eat more,” Jian Yuheng said. “Genetic conditions require extra nutrition. If you’re not healthy, you won’t keep up during the business trip.”  

“Second Young Master,” Song Ruochen said calmly, “when you travel with Assistant Gong, do you also watch over him to make sure he eats properly?”  

This desire level… better douse it with cold water and push it down.  

After all, he wasn’t a proper omega. He wasn’t the real deal.  

Jian Yuheng studied him for a few seconds, then suddenly laughed.  

“I do keep an eye on him too,” Jian Yuheng said. “Only when he’s full can he work hard for me.”  

Song Ruochen sighed in relief. Oh, so that was fine then.  

“But watching you?” Jian Yuheng continued. “That’s because when you’re full…”  

“…you’ll be healthier. I want Secretary Song to be well.”  

Song Ruochen: “?”  

“Did it tell you something?” Jian Yuheng asked. “Did it tell you to ignore me?”  

[??? SLANDER!]  

“Then have you noticed?” Jian Yuheng smiled. “I like Secretary Song.”