IETSTSMLARA | The Vicious Support Male Lead is a Bit Sweet | 3
Lin Su maintained his straightforward demeanor and said, "I was just trying to remind you."
The young master, who had just had his card frozen, dared not erupt in anger again. He could only take a deep breath to calm his emotions. Surprisingly, Lin Su found that his flushed face looked quite beautiful.
What's the point of not bullying your little brother? What a perfect morning.
Lin Su went for a run. His physical condition was actually quite decent, but far from optimal. According to his strict self-standard, he needed to at least develop the remaining four almost invisible abdominal muscles.
When he returned, the young master was already gone, without the bento. Naturally, there was no breakfast either. His anger level was basically off the charts.
The voice of system 06's tone was flat: 【This means you're about to enter a period of deep trouble and hardship.】
There was no trace of schadenfreude at all.
Lin Su was in a good mood:【That's really something to look forward to.】
After breakfast, Lin Su didn't go to the company with Father Lin. Although it was well known that Lin Su was adopted by the Lin family, there was still a certain level of respect that ordinary employees should have. As for what might be whispered behind their backs, that wasn't something Lin Su needed to concern himself with at the moment.
"Manager, you have a lunch appointment with Mr. Wang from Haisheng Company at eleven this morning," said the assistant, a seemingly ordinary and plain-looking man.
Although a woman might have been more meticulous in the assistant role, the original owner clearly didn't want to stir up any scandals at the moment, which saved Lin Su a lot of trouble.
"Help me schedule an appointment. The meeting will take place in ten minutes," Lin Su said, checking his watch.
"Yes," the assistant went to arrange it.
Meanwhile, Lin Su sat at his desk, reviewing the projects in the office building. This project seemed insignificant, not worth mentioning in front of the Lin family, but it would later be the cause of the Lin family's downfall.
The original owner, in order to solidify his assets, used lower-grade materials in the construction, which initially seemed inconsequential.
However, the construction team they hired sought to make additional profits by cutting corners, resulting in double deceit and substandard materials. Three years later, the building was completely destroyed. The entire collapse, even though it happened on the weekend, still caused casualties and sounded the clarion call for Lin Family's collapse.
Lin Su intended to redo the project, not out of greed, but out of sorrow for the innocent lives lost.
No matter how many challenges he faces, he always believes that life is not something that can be measured by value alone.
For Lin Su, the progress of the project wasn't difficult. It was just a matter of renegotiating the penalty clauses for breach of contract with the new construction team and providing his father with the replacement data reports along with the reasons.
The orders he gave out weren’t difficult to follow; he handled it effortlessly. His decisions were sharp and decisive, surprising some of the employees with his resolute demeanor.
His decisive decision-making meant less need for rework, leading to a decrease in workload.
"Do you feel like the manager is a bit off today?" one employee stretched and remarked lazily.
"Indeed, it's different. The days that I don’t have to work overtime are truly different," another employee sighed.
"No, it's not that. Don't you feel like the manager is full of domineering energy?" a woman in work clothes remarked.
Then a group of women gathered together, nodding in agreement. "Exactly!"
The male employee: "..."
What in the world is this 'domineering energy'? He doesn't quite understand women sometimes.
Lin Su is currently unaware of the employees' evaluations, as he swiftly completes his assigned tasks. He's focused on managing his current asset changes. Putting all his eggs in one basket isn't feasible, and managing everything alone without agents isn't either.
However, trustworthy and capable agents aren't easy to come by. It's unnecessary to poach from the circle around the protagonist; their abilities might not surpass Sheng Hong's. If Lin Su were to poach, it would be from Sheng Hong's former opponents.
One person Lin Su has his eye on is the current manager of Sheng Shi Group, Qiu Tu, who was Sheng Hong's archenemy in the original timeline. Due to his work being consistently stolen in the early stages, Qiu Tu started from scratch after leaving Sheng Shi and posed several threats to the company. One of these threats nearly brought Sheng Hong down.
Qiu Tu is ruthless, but highly skilled. As long as he can be controlled, he's an extremely valuable talent.
Arranging a meeting with the current Qiu Tu isn't difficult. At this point, he hasn't grown into the ruthless figure he becomes later; he's just highly cautious.
In the quiet corner of a café, a slightly gaunt man with a wary look on his face gazes at Lin Su. "Is what you're saying about the joint venture true? Doesn’t the Lin Family have a good relationship with the Shen Family? Isn't the Lin Family afraid of ruining its relationship with the Sheng Family by openly poaching from them?"
As far as he knows, this young master of the Lin Family is mediocre and incompetent. His status as an adopted son isn't accepted by high society, let alone the possibility of taking over the Lin Family.
"If you're content with always being inferior, you can ignore my invitation," Lin Su shifted his posture, and with just that movement, his whole demeanor underwent a profound transformation. "But let me make this clear: Shengshi can take you or leave you, but I need you."
Though it could have been someone other than Qiu Tu, once the choice was made, it was essential to demonstrate enough regard. No one dislikes being valued, and someone like Qiu Tu particularly craves it.
Qiu Tu looked at the man across from him, who had transformed from ordinary to extraordinary.
His initial skepticism subsided; he desperately needed this opportunity and detested having his achievements repeatedly snatched away. He wanted to stand at the pinnacle of this world and look down on others, just like the man before him.
Everyone has opportunities around, but people often lack the courage and discernment to seize them. If a man can make him tremble with just a glance, perhaps he's worth a try.
Qiu Tu grasped the hand extended by Lin Su, his slender fingers trembling slightly. "It's a pleasure to work with you."
"A pleasant cooperation," Lin Su smiled.
The current cooperation is just a test. This man undoubtedly still harbors doubts, but Lin Su will ensure that he casts aside even the slightest hint of suspicion in the future.
The phone in Lin Su's pocket suddenly vibrated. While he dislikes interruptions during conversations, now that the discussion is over, he doesn't mind. Lin Su retrieved his phone and was surprised to see Lin Tang's name on the screen.
He paused slightly, and Qiu Tu across from him stood up. "Mr. Lin, I'll take my leave."
He’s a person who can read others' expressions well.
Lin Su nodded. "I'll contact you later. Take care."
The specifics of their cooperation still need to be discussed, and everything needs to proceed smoothly.
When the phone connected there was a lot of background noise. If Lin Su hadn't turned the volume to the maximum, he might not have even heard Lin Tang's voice.
Amidst the chaos was a slightly slurred voice, soft and cursing, "You... you bastard, always... trying to steal from me... sob..."
"Lin Tang, let's go back, ah, let's stop playing."
"No, if you lose, you want to... run away? How will you... face the world in the future?"
"Come on, keep playing, whoever chickens out is a... burp, loser!" This was clearly the voice of young Master Lin Tang, quite obviously intoxicated.
The commotion continued on the other end, with Lin Tang clearly forgetting to hang up the phone. As the supporting male lead, this young master had a bunch of dubious friends. Apart from abstaining from vice, he was willing to dabble in just about anything. Such a lifestyle was clearly worlds apart from the protagonist Sheng Hong, who strictly restrained himself.
If the young master had called someone else, it would be no concern. But since he called Lin Su, if Lin Su couldn't bring him back to the Lin Family intact today, he would undoubtedly bear responsibility.
The bars that the young master frequented in the original timeline were limited. It wouldn't be difficult to track him down. Well, after all the bullying he's done to his little brother, occasionally he should shoulder the responsibilities of being the big brother.
…
In the dazzling lights of Max's Bar, the atmosphere was lively everywhere, and Lin Tang's private room was no exception. Dice clattered, glasses toppled, and the lingering smell of alcohol filled the air.
The amount these young masters spent on alcohol easily reached four figures, but the mixture was anything but pleasant.
With a slightly flushed face, Lin Tang leaned back in his chair, his gaze somewhat unfocused, yet still fixed on the dice in the middle. "I bet... big."
Sitting across from Lin Tang, Hu Jie's lips curled up slightly, a hint of casualness in his tone. "I bet..." His gaze swept over Lin Tang, and he lowered his voice, almost whispering, "Small."
Usually, Lin Tang was arrogant and domineering, but when drunk, he showed a rare gentleness. The alcohol added a touch of innocence to his demeanor.
Hu Jie was known for his promiscuity, playing with both men and women. He harbored some desires for Lin Tang, despite the Hu family being slightly weaker than the Lin family. He didn't dare to force anything, but if it was consensual, then the Lin family couldn't blame him.
Young Master Lin looks for excitement. As far as he knew, Lin Tang was still a virgin. If he could be the one to deflower this charming young master, Hu Jie would have quite the story to tell in the future.
As the dice revealed two threes, clearly indicating a small result, the bystanders cheered, "Drink up! A bet's a bet!"
"Lin Tang, you can't drink anymore," Luo Fei intervened.
"Don't... stop me," Lin Tang slurred slightly, lifting a glass. "Isn't... brother Hong coming?"
"He's coming, he's coming," Luo Fei urged, "Mr. Sheng said he'll be here soon. Let's not drink anymore, okay? Let's go back."
He was scared to death when he called Sheng Hong. The cold tone on the other end made him feel like Sheng Hong wouldn't come at all. But this young master was clearly intent on drinking himself into oblivion if Sheng Hong didn't show up, and he couldn't afford to tell the truth.
"No, we have to... keep our word," Lin Tang said, downing his glass of alcohol and then turning it upside down to signal he had finished.
The surrounding people cheered even louder. "Lin Tang is awesome!"
"Yeah, awesome. I love drinking with someone like him."
Lin Tang smirked triumphantly, his gaze unfocused. "This, this is... where we... go."
"Lin Tang is generous, unlike those who beat around the bush," Hu Jie licked his lips. "But just drinking isn't fun. How about we make things more exciting with a little gamble?"
Luo Fei instinctively wanted to intervene, but Lin Tang had already spoken, "Gamble... what?"
Hu Jie chuckled. His gaze lingered on Lin Tang's fair, flushed neck. "Let's gamble on something exciting. How about whoever loses has to spend the night with the other?"
Luo Fei frowned. "What are you trying to do, Hu Jie?"
"I'm not trying to do anything," Hu Jie shrugged. "Instead of Lin Tang tossing and turning alone without Sheng Hong, wouldn't it be better for two people to cuddle up for warmth? If Sheng Hong doesn't want him, I do."
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