Extra 2: The Chairman of Wangu Is My Uncle-in-Law! |
The Minister of Revenue suddenly grabbed Xu Yanmiao’s hand and pulled him to the side.
Xu Yanmiao was stunned for a moment, then hurriedly followed.
His roommate was also taken aback. After hesitating for a bit, he moved to stand under the eaves and began to wait.
And that wait lasted over thirty minutes. The lecture was about to start, but the two still hadn’t returned.
“One round… two rounds… three rounds…”
The roommate rested his chin on his hand and squatted next to a pillar, watching the student council members anxiously running back and forth. It was obvious they were looking for that senior big shot.
“Ha! You guys drove me away, saying you were too busy to deal with other matters. If you’d just let me say a few words, you would’ve known where Senior Yuan went.”
Suddenly, a voice nearby chimed in with sarcasm: “Riding on a tiger’s prestige, huh.”
The roommate jerked his head around, completely startled. “Why are you still here?!”
The roommate was taken aback. “Why do you think he’s a freshman?”
The principal’s son replied with conviction, “Because I know all the big shots from the other years!”
The roommate flashed him a grin. “Well, then you guessed wrong! Let me introduce you — Xu Yanmiao, my buddy, we’re in the same dorm, both in our third year!”
The principal’s son let out a shocked “What the f—!” His expression was so exaggerated it looked almost twisted: “A hidden big shot?!”
Roommate: “Why do you make it sound like a hidden card in a game?”
The principal’s son grabbed his hand excitedly: “Can you introduce me? I love befriending big shots!”
“Ah? Well…” The roommate looked reserved. “I’ll have to ask him first. But don’t think I’ll definitely pull it off. Even though we’re dormmates, Old Xu’s a super low-key guy…”
So low-key that even after living together for three years, he had no idea Xu was a hidden big shot!
Still, Old Xu was being a bit much — clearly he knew that senior and just watched him run around anxiously! Too much! He’s definitely getting grilled skewers out of him later!
Ding!
It was the WeChat notification sound.
The roommate quickly looked down.
The message he sent five minutes ago — “How’s the talk going? The lecture’s about to start.” — finally got a reply.
[Xu Yanmiao]: Coming back soon!
The roommate grinned and replied with a simple “Okay.”
Seeing the roommate suddenly quiet, the principal’s son grew nervous: “What’s wrong, what’s wrong? Don’t tell me they’re not even doing the lecture and just ran off?!”
Skipping the lecture wasn’t a big deal to him — his dad was the principal, after all. He wasn’t worried about future employment. But he hadn’t latched onto the big shot yet!
If they ran off, how would he cozy up to the big shot?!
The roommate told him, “He said they’ll be back soon.”
The principal’s son shot up immediately, eager as ever: “What does your dormmate like? I’ll go buy it right now!”
The roommate thought for a moment. “Pretty much anything edible.”
“Got it!” The principal’s son took off running.
Just a few minutes after he left, Xu Yanmiao and Yuan Zheng returned.
“It’s settled then. Tonight at ten. Don’t forget! I’ve sent you the location.” Yuan Zheng stood at the auditorium entrance and reminded Xu Yanmiao, “I’ll introduce you to a few people. They’re all from our company.”
“Ah!” Xu Yanmiao looked down at his phone and his eyes widened. “At a street-side stall?!”
Yuan Zheng nodded.
Xu Yanmiao hesitated. “Should I dress more appropriately?”
Yuan Zheng chuckled. “Sure, come grill skewers in a suit.”
Xu Yanmiao: “…”
After Yuan Zheng entered the hall to start the lecture, Xu Yanmiao turned and met his roommate’s gaze.
Xu Yanmiao: “?”
“What’s up? Why are you looking at me like that?” Xu Yanmiao blinked in confusion, then continued, “Oh, right! Old Bao! Check out the contact card I sent you. Add him! Senior Yuan said that although he can’t arrange a seat for you, he can video call you so you can still hear the lecture. And if there’s anything you don’t understand, you can ask him on WeChat.”
The roommate gasped.
“Holy crap! Holy crap! You’re something else!”
He shouted “holy crap” twice, utterly stunned: “Old Xu, don’t keep it from me anymore. Just spill it! Are you some princeling from a powerful family? Or are your parents on the rich list? You came to school and stayed in the dorms just to experience normal life because you were afraid you wouldn’t make friends, right? You even played the part so well, always shopping secondhand… Who would’ve thought you…”
As soon as the other person began speaking, just the first few sentences caused Xu Yanmiao’s thoughts to freeze—completely locked up. It wasn’t until they said, “Who could have guessed you—” that he snapped back to his senses and abruptly interrupted, “Wait, wait, wait! What are you talking about? What hidden identity are you talking about?!”
His roommate gave him a look that screamed “Stop pretending.”
“If you don’t have some kind of hidden identity, how come you’re so close with the CFO of Wangu Group?”
Xu Yanmiao’s eyelid twitched, and he blurted out, “I met him when I was doing a summer job! He said I suited his taste—that’s all there is to it!”
His roommate let out a surprised noise. “R-Really?”
Xu Yanmiao nodded hard.
His roommate was full of envy. “Then you’ve got some serious luck! I also did summer jobs before, but I never had the luck to run into any big shots like that.”
Xu Yanmiao said with slight embarrassment, “It really was just luck… Maybe he felt that kind of surprise you get from running into an old friend in a foreign place—though we weren’t really that close, to begin with.”
His roommate nodded in sudden realization.
Xu Yanmiao urged him, “Hurry up and add him on WeChat, or once the lecture starts, Senior Yuan won’t be able to use his phone.”
“Got it!”
With a feeling of reverence, the roommate nervously tapped the contact card on his phone.
This was a favor Xu Yanmiao had used up major social capital to get for him. He had to cherish it!
Once he started earning money, he swore to himself—he’d buy a 4090 graphics card for Old Xu! Not the cheap version—the best one!
Xu Yanmiao, unaware that his roommate was forming grand ambitions in his heart, left at ease after confirming the guy had added the Minister of Revenue and even had a brief video chat.
Where was he going?
Well, it was midday—time to eat!
“Barbecue! Barbecue! Barbecue!”
“All-you-can-eat! All-you-can-eat! All-you-can-eat!”
“I’m coming!!”
Just a few minutes after he left, the principal’s son came running like mad with a huge bag of imported snacks in his arms, panting heavily.
“Ha—haa—where is he?! Don’t tell me he hasn’t come back yet!”
Roommate: “……”
Crap, he completely forgot about this guy.
He quickly apologized, “Sorry, I forgot to tell him. That’s my fault. I’ll message him now and ask if he’s willing to have a meal with you tomorrow or something?”
The principal’s son was the quick-thinking type. He immediately adapted, stuffed the big gift bag into the roommate’s arms, and said, “Please give this to the big shot! No rush on the meal. We’re strangers anyway—might be awkward. Just ask him for me if he’s willing to add me on WeChat. Does he play League of Legends? I’m not a pro, but I hit Diamond rank every season! I swear I won’t drag him down!”
Roommate: “Bro, it’s fine to be humble, but too much and it just sounds fake! But, uh… too bad…
Old Xu doesn’t play LOL. He prefers single-player games. Lately, he keeps shouting ‘Zelda is God’ and he’s addicted to *Monster Hunter—oh, the full name is Monster Hunter: Rise.”
The principal’s son had never played those types of games before—but no problem!
To get close to a big shot, he was willing!
“I’ll go learn it right now! I’ll make sure we have common interests!”
“Hold on! Old Xu said he’s not a big shot!”
The roommate then recited exactly what Xu Yanmiao had said earlier.
The principal’s son just laughed, “Then I’ll just treat it as making a new friend. More friends, more opportunities! Let’s add each other on WeChat first. Later, please tell Big Sho—I mean, tell Xu Yanmiao, that I also like Monster Hunter and I want to be friends with him.”
After the roommate nodded, the principal’s son’s eyes lit up like searchlights. “It’s lunchtime now. You’re going to that barbecue buffet, right? Want to eat together?”
The roommate’s eyes gleamed. “Yes!”
As the principal’s son turned to lead the way, a subtle expression crossed his face.
So naive…
No background or connections—and yet Senior Yuan is taking such good care of Xu Yanmiao?
But hey, playing dumb while hiding your strength? He got it. Satisfying a big shot’s urge to act low-key was also a way to build rapport.
During those four years in another world, Xu Yanmiao had missed modern barbecue seasoning like crazy.
Inside the buffet restaurant, Xu Yanmiao stared at the sizzling steak, jumbo prawns, sirloin, pork belly, drumsticks, and yellow croaker laid out in front of him, a deep sense of satisfaction rising in his heart.
“Hmm, sirloin with salt and black pepper.
Try the steak with ketchup first, then black pepper sauce.
Pork belly… hmm, just go with chili salt and sesame oil!”
He finished pouring the sauces, picked up his chopsticks, and was just about to dig in when someone sat down at the table behind him—and a familiar voice rang out:
“Missy! How do I look in these sunglasses, huh? Cool or what?!”
Xu Yanmiao whipped his head around.
AAAAHHHH!!
The old emperor!
He’s alive!
He’s really alive again!!!
Although Xu Yanmiao was in the mood for barbecue today, it was actually because he had speculated—based on what happened with the Minister of Revenue—that the system had probably brought the old emperor here too. But now that he was seeing the person with his own eyes, his feelings were completely different.
The old emperor hadn’t noticed Xu Yanmiao yet. At the moment, he was showing off to Empress Dou while wearing sunglasses.
This man, in his forties or fifties, was sitting at a buffet table. He used one finger to flick the hinge between the lenses and the frame of his sunglasses, smoothly spun them around, then pushed them up onto the bridge of his nose like a peacock flaunting its feathers—acting incredibly smug.
He was also wearing a brightly colored floral shirt and shorts, perfectly embodying the look of a “trendy uncle.”
Empress Dou couldn’t help but laugh at his antics. Then the old emperor turned around and put a pair of sunglasses on her too, making them look flashy and over-the-top together.
Wearing the sunglasses, the old emperor got up and wandered around the buffet restaurant, swaggering along, and returned with a whole bunch of meat.
“Girl, the meat here is all-you-can-eat. Good thing this place isn’t back where we used to live—otherwise we’d definitely eat them out of business.”
He even remembered to bring a glass of juice for Empress Dou.
Then, when he turned his head, he suddenly saw Xu Yanmiao staring at him in utter shock.
The old emperor: “…”
After forty-five years apart, that familiar stomachache came rushing back.
Empress Dou took off her sunglasses and smiled warmly, greeting him,
“Xu Lang, would you like to come sit with us?”
“Yes, ma’am!” Xu Yanmiao responded cheerfully, quickly gathering his things and heading over. “Your Majesty the Empress! It’s been so long!”
Empress Dou chuckled,
“There’s no need to address me like that anymore. You and our Shengxian are good friends. If you don’t mind, how about just calling me Auntie?”
“Auntie!” Xu Yanmiao said without hesitation.
He then looked at the old emperor and called out,
“Uncle!”
The old emperor gave him a sideways glance and muttered,
“Who taught you to greet people like that, huh?”
Xu Yanmiao paused, then suddenly realized what he meant.
The old emperor gave a subtle nod.
This brat is at least somewhat self-aware.
And so, Xu Yanmiao loudly and clearly corrected himself:
“Uncle-in-law!”
That’s not what I meant! I was telling you to call us Uncle and Aunt, not that ridiculous title!
The old emperor looked both annoyed and defeated.
Empress Dou smiled at him but didn’t say anything. She simply said,
“After the meal, come with me and I’ll show you our place. If you ever pass by, don’t be a stranger—come in for some water and a snack.”
“Will do! Thanks, Auntie!” Xu Yanmiao replied joyfully, then asked, “So… did Gao Xiang come too?!”
“Come here?” The old emperor’s instinct as a former monarch hadn’t dulled. After repeating the phrase twice in his mind, he figured out exactly what Xu Yanmiao was implying. He gave a playful smile, “Shengxian won’t be coming.”
Xu Yanmiao immediately widened his eyes,
“Huh? Why not? Is there a way to help?”
The old emperor’s expression darkened.
Xu Yanmiao hesitated, then cautiously asked,
“Is… is it too difficult? Can I help somehow?”
Empress Dou gently patted the back of the old emperor’s hand,
“Don’t bully the child.”
She turned to Xu Yanmiao and smiled,
“Shengxian was born from me again twenty years ago.”
“Huh?” Xu Yanmiao asked curiously, “You gave birth to her again?”
Empress Dou covered her mouth and chuckled, “We regained our memories from our past lives just a few days ago. That’s when we realized that I had given birth to the Crown Prince, the Eldest Princess, and Shengxian again. They regained their memories too.”
(Back then, the country hadn’t started implementing birth control yet.)
The reason she didn’t mention the Crown Prince and Eldest Princess by name was that she wasn’t sure Xu Yanmiao would recognize them.
The old emperor dropped his serious expression and picked up the story with a smile,
“At that time, there was this voice in our heads calling itself the ‘System.’ It said it was giving us a chance to reunite for one lifetime—there wouldn’t be another. It also said it was the one who tied the red string of fate between me and my girl. Since we only planned to have three kids, the other three sons and two daughters were scattered across different welfare homes—but we’ve adopted them all back now.”
Xu Yanmiao was thoughtful.
So it seemed he had misunderstood—the two “gifts” from the system probably weren’t just the cat and the learning space, but these old friends and the learning space.
“Thank you, System,”
Xu Lang spaced out for a moment.
The old emperor tapped the table with his right hand,
“What are you thinking about?”
Xu Shizhong responded instinctively,
“Your Majesty, I was just pondering this memorial…”
The old emperor: “…”
Xu Yanmiao: “…”
Even though no internal monologue had sounded, the old emperor could clearly read the words “I’m doomed” written across Xu Yanmiao’s face.
Empress Dou cleared her throat and smiled,
“Let’s eat. I heard this buffet is on a timer.”
The old emperor gave Xu Yanmiao a sidelong glare,
“Let’s eat,” he said, while placing a live prawn onto the grill.
Xu Yanmiao looked as if he’d been granted a royal pardon.
The old emperor added,
“This shrimp still has quite a bit of life—”
The next second, with a loud sizzle, the shrimp suddenly leapt off the grill, smacked the emperor’s hand with a sharp slap, and then bolted across the table.
The old emperor’s hand holding the chopsticks froze midair.
Xu Yanmiao immediately ducked his head, his shoulders trembling with silent laughter.
A few tables away…
His roommate silently stared in their direction:
“Is this what he meant by ‘just met Senior Yuan during a summer job’? What about that chairman of Wangu Corporation?! And the president of ‘Women Rule the World’?! What kind of summer job is that?!”
(“Women Rule the World” is the name of a women’s and children’s rights advocacy organization.)
Bao Liyan watched the chairman of “Wangu” affectionately knock on his roommate’s head, watched the president of “Women Rule the World” serve food to his roommate herself—and couldn’t help but shout internally: “Where the hell do you find summer jobs this awesome?!”
The principal’s son calmly cut his steak and replied with the air of someone used to this kind of thing,
“He probably did volunteer work. Or maybe tutoring. All very normal.”
Bao Liyan was shaken. Bao Liyan was thinking. Bao Liyan began to doubt his entire existence.
“Is that so…?”
Principal’s son: “Mmhm.”
Then he looked down, trying to keep his slightly trembling hands steady while furiously cutting his steak, internally screaming: Okay okay OKAY! Dad! I’ve gotten myself a real-deal, 24K gold-tier bigshot!
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