Chapter 3: If everyone screws up the project, we can rely on the boss to sell his looks.

Before heading to the appointment, Chu Fuxuan stared at the wall clock in the living room and spent at least two hours mentally preparing himself.

He had scrolled through some posts complaining about blind dates and felt that the probability of stepping on a landmine in this kind of social interaction was close to one hundred percent. However, he was going to discuss cooperation, not preparing to encounter true love. It shouldn’t be that treacherous and dangerous, right?

Just treat it like strolling through a wet market, a tomato looking for an egg. Chu Fuxuan hooked his car keys and went out, his steps brisk along the way.

Local public transportation was underdeveloped. He owned a small hatchback car that he hadn’t changed in all these years. Old-school rock music flowed from the modified sound system.

Today, for some unknown reason, starting from when he looked in the mirror to tie his hair, his heart was constantly and inexplicably apprehensive. Even as he listened to the music now, he still felt unsettled somewhere inside.

While waiting at a traffic light, he unprecedentedly opened an electronic fortune-telling website, silently asking how the result of this meeting would be, and randomly drew a divination slip.

“Hitting a dog with a meat bun (A one-way trip with no return/Gone forever).”

Chu Fuxuan: ?

Describing it so terrifyingly, as if he were going to an audience with a major leader ahead of time.

Brimming with rebellious spirit, he exited the platform, clicked on “Complain,” selected “Inconsistent with Facts,” and then smoothly stepped on the gas pedal.

The location agreed upon by both parties was in a popular commercial district. It happened to be the noon rush hour, and the nearby parking lot was jammed tight.

Leaning on the steering wheel, Chu Fuxuan slowly circled twice. Seeing that he was about to be late, he relied on his car’s compact and light body to squeeze in front of a car with a winged logo.

For no other reason than this SUV looked like an official company car. The consumer demographic for it was successful people in the business world; when they chatted, they could blow hot air from day to night. They shouldn’t mind being blocked halfway by him for a while.

Just in case, Chu Fuxuan left a sticky note with his contact number, then hurriedly walked into the shop and gave his name.

“Hello, the other guest is already here. I will take you to the second floor,” the waiter smiled and verified the information.

At the staircase, Chu Fuxuan inquired rather casually, asking what the guest looked like. The waiter replied with the Chinese pronunciation of “Very wase (Wow/Amazing).”

Figuring Dou Can couldn’t possibly betray him, Chu Fuxuan made an “OK” gesture to express his thanks. Subsequently, he knocked on the door, lightly grasped the doorknob, and pushed it open inward.

Inside the private room, the field of vision was clear and expansive. Across the charcoal-colored long table, a young man had deliberately chosen a backlit seat. He was currently leaning against the chair languidly, more than half of his person falling into the shadow where light and dark intersected.

Catching Chu Fuxuan’s noise, he lifted his eyes and turned this way. His entire face was thus illuminated by the light, allowing Chu Fuxuan to clearly see the young man’s appearance.

The other party’s style of looks leaned towards sharp, heroic spirit. Because his aura was too dominant, it even overpowered the handsomeness of his brows and eyes. The striking initial impression was of an excessive, cutting edge.

Unfortunately, cool as he was, in reality, he seemed to be an idiot. Chu Fuxuan asked a question, and the young man grunted in response. Moreover, the other party’s tone became increasingly hesitant, as if his brain couldn’t turn.

It wasn’t until Chu Fuxuan inquired about his blind date status that the surrounding atmosphere became completely dead silent.

Is it because his English is bad and he didn’t understand? Chu Fuxuan had previously used the local language to converse. Right now, he kindly switched to Chinese.

“This is my first time on a blind date, how many times is it for you? Why do you also need to fake a marriage?” He spoke with clear articulation and rhythmic cadence.

Then he distressingly discovered that the man’s originally indifferent expression seemed to become bewildered, as if he were unaccustomed to the climate in California to the point of having auditory hallucinations.

Just as Chu Fuxuan was attempting to use sign language, Qi Yingzhu scanned the private room and said meaningfully: “Is this arrangement a date?”

Perhaps his friend had acted as a middleman but hadn’t explained the situation clearly to the person. Chu Fuxuan was stunned by the question.

He said: “Not exactly. How much did Dou Can explain to you?”

Qi Yingzhu knew Dou Can was the headhunter for this occasion but hadn’t interacted with him, so he paused hesitantly.

Seeing the blank look on his face, a lightbulb immediately lit up in Chu Fuxuan’s brain. It must be that his friend hadn’t had time to inform him of the details!

“I’m preparing to return to the country, you know this, right?” Chu Fuxuan rested his hands on the edge of the table, craning his neck to ask.

Qi Yingzhu replied very quickly this time, as if his IQ had finally come online: “Mm, I’ve seen your portfolio.”

Chu Fuxuan had never lacked attention. The projects he was responsible for hung on the bestseller lists year-round. Being mentioned by his blind date partner now, he was neither constrained nor arrogant, merely passing over it with unconcern.

He cut straight to the chase: “My next job isn’t a problem. The main thing is that my parents are pressing me tightly regarding my personal life.”

Qi Yingzhu couldn’t help but ask: “Is your job really not a problem?”

Chu Fuxuan suspected this person’s IQ was unstable and had no intention of discussing career development with an idiot. He then made a long story short and explained the predicament at hand.

Anyway, this kind of blind date was about each taking what they needed. Since he chose to show up, it was better to be a bit magnanimous; there was no need to be deliberately coy.

“In short, I couldn’t withstand my parents’ tag-team tactics, so I sent a photo of Qi Yingzhu to make up the numbers. Now they ask me every day when I’m bringing my boyfriend home.”

Having explained the ins and outs up to here, Chu Fuxuan strenuously exhaled a breath, then noticed that the man’s expression was somewhat strange.

He paused and emphasized his innocence to the other person: “I absolutely have no favorable impression of Qi Yingzhu. Deliberately bringing an industry leader into my home, that would be too tacky.”

“It’s just that I coincidentally had a sneak shot of him. It was blurry and dark, making it hard to see his face clearly, so it was easy for me to muddle through.” Chu Fuxuan believed the truth was very important.

Listening to the above supplements, Qi Yingzhu stared at him, comprehending exactly what kind of play was being put on right now.

“You had no way out, so you made a headhunter act as a matchmaker?”

Chu Fuxuan sighed with emotion: “Originally, I was afraid he’d just grab anyone off the street. Grabbing a nondescript weirdo would also be a problem… I didn’t expect him to hide his depths so well. When I first walked in, I even wondered how matchmaking in California could be so reliable; I almost thought I was dreaming.”

As the clear voice fell, Qi Yingzhu maintained his composure, using his left hand under the table to pinch his right hand.

Very good, it hurts. In any case, I’m not sleepwalking.

Immediately after, Qi Yingzhu maliciously hooked up the corners of his mouth and said seemingly thoughtfully: “I look so much like that industry leader, doesn’t looking at me make you uncomfortable?”

Chu Fuxuan thought to himself that this guy was quite sensitive. He assumed his earlier exclamation that the two looked somewhat similar at first glance had accidentally offended the other party’s self-esteem.

“I was just chatting casually. Actually, you’re much more pleasing to the eye. The bridge of your nose is straighter than his, your eyes are bigger than his, and the visual effect is in higher definition than him.” Chu Fuxuan spoke nonsense to deal with him.

He made amends, comforting him: “His reputation is bad anyway, how could anyone put you two together?”

Now it was Qi Yingzhu’s turn to be speechless: “Why? What’s bad about it?”

Chu Fuxuan gave an example: “I don’t know him, but I’ve heard he has a fierce temper, is a workaholic, and is a homosexual who isn’t very easy to get along with.”

Qi Yingzhu wondered how he had become a homosexual. However, he quickly recalled that to escape the board of directors’ matchmaking attempts, he had indeed used excuses like having incompatible orientations.

“I thought if everyone used their brains, they could all tell I was deliberately pulling the rug out from under them.” He was amazed.

Chu Fuxuan scoffed at this and gave a spicy critique: “A straight man pretending to be bent, what kind of good thing is that either? Add an extra degree of guilt.”

“But if you enter Hongni, won’t it be a bit troublesome to work alongside a sinner?” Qi Yingzhu showed humanistic care.

Chu Fuxuan was quite sharp and guarded against him vigilantly.

“Dou Can didn’t mention my backyard catching ghost fire, but instead chatted with you about my employment destinations?” he calculated.

Qi Yingzhu fished for information: “Mr. Chu, I don’t even need to guess to know that many companies are trying to poach you. Your annual salary can only be afforded by the top-tier ones. Hongni should be within your scope of consideration.”

Seeing him not leaving work out of three sentences, Chu Fuxuan rapidly analyzed: Could this guy be trying to snatch business from Dou Can?

Chu Fuxuan practiced Tai Chi (deflected): “Yes, but if you have other recommendations, please hold off for now. We can talk after I finish going through their process.”

Facing the cold nails hidden in the words, Qi Yingzhu didn’t panic, nor was he distracted and evasive like just now.

After the tangled and messy shock passed, he returned to his most normal state, silently glancing at Chu Fuxuan.

Perhaps because he was used to being in a position of authority, even if his gaze lacked deep meaning, it still faintly contained scrutiny. Too dominant an aura easily pressured the surroundings.

Yet, feeling the sense of distance from the person beside him, Chu Fuxuan wasn’t intimidated and instead blinked brightly.

Qi Yingzhu asked amusingly: “Why is your intention towards them stronger? Because of the compensation or the environment?”

Chu Fuxuan couldn’t understand why he had so much nonsense to say, baring his fangs and brandishing his claws in an attempt to oppose him.

“Neither. Their boss has a good image, and the company should be able to survive for a good while. If everyone screws up the project, we can still rely on the boss to go sell his looks.” Chu Fuxuan didn’t speak the truth.

After the teasing, the waiter brought over the coffee and fruit juice, asking Qi Yingzhu if he needed to add sugar.

Chu Fuxuan, having just finished making trouble with Qi Yingzhu, now showed timely consideration, interrupting sensibly: “He might not understand. Please bring some brown sugar and sugar cubes, and let him choose himself.”

Qi Yingzhu could only pretend he truly didn’t understand foreign languages, and watched from the sidelines as Chu Fuxuan reached out his hand and stirred that glass of freshly squeezed pear juice.

The ice cubes scraped against the glass wall, emitting faint, crisp sounds. The sunlight outside was just getting intense, making the standoff in this square space seem increasingly bizarre.

Seeing Qi Yingzhu remain silent, Chu Fuxuan worried this person was an old fuddy-duddy who couldn’t take a joke at all.

“You didn’t really believe it, did you? Actually, I win the ‘Three Good Supervisor’ certificate of merit every year,” he said.

Qi Yingzhu said: “No, I was thinking that if I were the recruiter, I would definitely choose you to onboard.”

Chu Fuxuan was ignorant: “Why?”

“Having enemies among colleagues yet not being able to kill them.” Qi Yingzhu replied while thinking.

Chu Fuxuan: “.”

He took a sip of his iced drink, his voice carrying a bit of laziness: “It really has nothing to do with compensation and the like. If I’m returning to the country, I have to go to the best platform. Right now, they rank first. I’m not leaving myself any other way out.”

This reason felt truly unreliable. He waited to be nitpicked, yet Qi Yingzhu delayed questioning him for a long time.

After a short while, Qi Yingzhu said: “Are you also ranked this high among their candidates?”

Chu Fuxuan didn’t give him a subjective answer, saying melancholically: “Oh, I haven’t thought about it.”

“Haven’t thought about it?” Qi Yingzhu thought he misheard.

“I’ve been busy looking for a cheap husband recently, so annoying.” Chu Fuxuan looked innocent.

Even though Qi Yingzhu had seen plenty of strong winds and big waves, he had never encountered such a tricky scene in his life. He opened his mouth but actually failed to catch the conversation.

The two of them rambled on for half the day. Qi Yingzhu’s attitude was absolutely not gentle. A more timid person would have given up the idea long ago, yet it turned out Chu Fuxuan was still thinking about that matter.

He was excessively competitive, to the point it could even be called stubbornness. But if he wasn’t persistent enough, it probably would have been difficult to achieve such results in a foreign country relying solely on a surge of spirit.

At least for now, Chu Fuxuan had absolutely no intention of giving up. Seeing that the cup of coffee still hadn’t been touched, he carefully picked it up and placed it in front of Qi Yingzhu.

His fingertips stained with the steaming hot aroma of the drink, he took a step further and said: “I am working hard to fight for your cooperation. If you have any demands, they can all be discussed.”

Qi Yingzhu watched him pull his hand back, then met his gaze: “What kind of demands do you think I would make?”

Having just finished painting an illusion for his parents, Chu Fuxuan casually handed a blank check to Qi Yingzhu as well: “I don’t know, but I think I can fulfill them.”

After saying this, he was the first to feel embarrassed, deliberately looking left and right, avoiding Qi Yingzhu’s gaze.

“Is the salad not ready after so long? Did the chef go pick the vegetables fresh from the green belt?” Chu Fuxuan said.

Qi Yingzhu was a bit numb: “It’s fine, I can’t eat.”

“Don’t waste food,” Chu Fuxuan scolded him.

After speaking, Qi Yingzhu noticed Chu Fuxuan began biting his straw out of utter boredom, and then observed quietly for a while.

Chu Fuxuan seemed perfectly capable of having fun all by himself, even using the straw to poke the ice cubes. Seeing him getting increasingly enthusiastic, Qi Yingzhu suddenly and maliciously hooked up the corners of his mouth.

“I have a few things I haven’t finished chatting with you about. Since we’re free now, how about we talk a bit more?”

Interrupted from his self-entertainment, Chu Fuxuan agreed: “David, you haven’t answered yet why you also need to find someone to partner up and live with.”

Qi Yingzhu became even more numb, clarifying: “My name isn’t David.”

Chu Fuxuan: ?

His brain hadn’t made the turn yet, but his body smelled the scent of danger even faster. Immediately after, he frowned and shrank back, seemingly hesitating as he searched for an excuse to escape.

The man beside him didn’t give him a chance to run away. At this very moment, he took out a business card. The front was written with a few lines of English.

Chu Fuxuan froze in place, as if he didn’t recognize the words on it. The business card was flipped to the back, revealing two lines of Chinese:

[Qi Yingzhu
Senior Vice President of Hongni Group, and Main Head of the Interactive Entertainment Business Group]