Has the Boss Bost His Temper Today? - Chapter 1

“Screeech!”

 

The sharp sound of metal scraping metal shattered the early morning quiet.

 

Duan Shiming braced himself with one foot on the ground and twisted his head around. He watched in horror as his handlebar left a glaring, jagged mark across the door of a black Rolls-Royce Cullinan.

 

 

The air froze for three seconds.

 

The window rolled down slowly, revealing a profile with cold, hard lines. The Alpha leaned against his seat, long fingers resting on the steering wheel. He turned his chilling gaze toward the window, but when his eyes met the other person’s face, his expression faltered for a fraction of a second.

 

“Um…” Duan Shiming hadn’t expected to cause a disaster the moment he stepped out. His long lashes drooped, and his voice was as faint and guilty as a mosquito’s hum, “I’m so sorry, big brother. I scratched your car. I’ll pay for it.”

 

His timid, beautiful appearance and trembling voice made that “big brother” sound surprisingly deceptive.

 

 

Seeing the man staring at him expressionlessly, Duan Shiming snapped his hands up to his ears, “Don’t, don’t be mad! I’ll pay right now!” He leaned over to pull his phone from his jeans, “Just tell me how much.”

 

“One hundred thousand.”

 

As the deep voice fell, the vibration of the tone seemed to scrape lightly against Duan Shiming’s eardrums, sending a tingle down his spine.

 

Duan Shiming’s hand froze. He slowly looked up, catching the man’s deep, intense gaze. The overwhelming pressure of an Alpha hit him full force. Once the tingling sensation faded, he let out a dry laugh, “…One hundred thousand?”

 

“My car is expensive.”

 

 

Knowing he didn’t have much money in his pocket, Duan Shiming tried a flanking maneuver. He pushed off the car seat, retreated a bit, and parked his mountain bike properly. He walked to the front of the car, touching the scratch he’d made, and put on an act of appraising the damage.

 

“It’s definitely my fault, but does it really need a hundred thousand?”

 

With a “click,” the car doors unlocked.

 

The door swung open, and the Alpha stepped out. His long legs led the way as his thin-soled leather shoes hit the pavement with a steady thud.

 

“I really think it shouldn’t cost a hundred thousand!” Duan Shiming patted the car body, his tone firm. As he finished speaking, he turned around and nearly slammed into the man standing right behind him. His heels did an emergency brake by reflex.

 

 Phew, that scared the life out of him.

 

The man propped one hand against the car. He hadn’t expected the other to turn so suddenly. A rogue scent of citrus and lime drifted into his nose, a scent that was lively and arrogant.

 

An Omega without a scent blocker? How did he dare run around like that?

 

Duan Shiming didn’t realize this Alpha was so tall. He was forced to look up, his eyes meeting the man’s bottomless black pupils. His Adam’s apple bobbed, “Maybe twenty thousand at most?”

 

“If I let the insurance handle it, do you think twenty thousand would be enough?”

 

The Alpha’s arm brushed against Duan Shiming’s, making his body shiver. The Alpha seemed to notice.

 

Duan Shiming pulled his hand back, placing it neatly at his side. He hesitated, “Big brother, isn’t a hundred thousand a bit much?”

 

He played the part of the “strapped-for-cash” youth perfectly. However, that “big brother” made the Alpha sound much older than he was, which wasn’t exactly music to his ears.

 

“Twenty thousand,” the Alpha said, looking at him.

 

Duan Shiming frowned, “(._.) Twenty thousand? Does it have to be twenty thousand?” He tried to struggle one last time.

 

“Then we call insurance,” the Alpha said, pulling out his phone.

 

“Wait, wait, wait—” Duan Shiming immediately pressed his hand over the man’s, “Twenty thousand it is.”

 

The Alpha lowered his eyes, glancing at the hand gripping him before looking back at the face, “Payment method?”

 

Duan Shiming didn’t hesitate, “Installments.”

 

 

Duan Shiming held up five fingers, “Five hundred at a time.”

 

Alpha: “……”

 

Duan Shiming pressed his palms together in a prayer gesture, “I promise I’ll pay it back!” He pointed toward the company gates nearby, “I work right here. I definitely can’t run away. If I don’t pay, you can just block me at the entrance and embarrass me!”

 

The Alpha followed his gaze and raised an eyebrow.

 

— Chu’s Biotech Group —

 

Duan Shiming pulled his phone out, opened his chat account, and handed it over, “Don’t worry, big brother, I definitely won’t dodge my responsibility.”

 

“Twenty thousand.”

 

Duan Shiming paused, giving him a look of “we’re both out in the world, have some loyalty, man.”

 

“Or a hundred thousand, your choice,” the Alpha said calmly.

 

Duan Shiming: He suddenly gripped his phone tight, “Insurance! Let’s go through insurance!”

 

“Are you sure?” The Alpha saw he actually dared to get angry.

 

Duan Shiming slammed his hand against the car door, lifting his chin to stare at the Alpha, “I’ve seen plenty of Alphas like you, well-dressed, old, sophisticated, and calculating. Don’t think I’m easy to fool. Insurance it is!”

 

He didn’t believe for a second that fixing this car could cost that much.

 

The Alpha took out his phone and dialed a number. Even after the call connected, his gaze remained fixed on Duan Shiming. He said to the person on the line, “Five minutes. Come handle my car.”

 

Feeling creeped out by the staring, Duan Shiming huffed and pushed his mountain bike under a tree. “It’s boiling out here.”

 

The Alpha hung up and caught the grumble, looking over.

 

The summer wind blew through the willow tree above, bringing a stifling heat. In the shade of the branches, the “culprit” leaned against his bike with his long legs slightly bent and arms crossed. His sleeves revealed pale wrists, and his chin was tilted slightly. His youthful face was dappled with the golden light filtering through the leaves, showing a healthy glow.

 

His features were striking, with a high bridge to his nose and a face that was both heroic and beautiful, like a haughty, noble cat. He had quite a temper, too.

 

Suddenly, Duan Shiming met his gaze. Feeling like he was being scammed, his mood was sour, and he glared back, “What are you looking at? Want to extort me? Just wait for the insurance!”

 

The Alpha leaned against the car door, his eyes locked on the boy without shifting an inch.

 

Ten minutes later…

 

“The scratch hit the hand-painted pinstripe. That alone is at least a hundred thousand. Plus, this is a special paint job, so it has to be sent back to the original factory overseas for repair. The shipping costs aren’t cheap either. Totaling it up, it’ll be at least two hundred”

 

“Twenty thousand!”

 

Duan Shiming grabbed the man’s arm with both hands, switching instantly to a submissive, pleading mode, “Wait, wait, big brother, big brother, twenty thousand it is! It’s not expensive at all. I know I was wrong.”

 

The Alpha glanced at the hand on his arm, and the boy quickly let go.

 

Duan Shiming raised both hands to his ears, his attitude of admitting fault extremely sincere, “It’s me who is well-dressed, young, sophisticated, and calculating. I’ve never met a kind and friendly Alpha like you. Give me one more chance.”

 

He then carefully held up five fingers and asked softly, “Twenty thousand, five installments, one thousand each time, okay?”

 

That face, when used to show weakness, could easily soften anyone’s heart.

 

“Twenty thousand, paid in full at once,” the Alpha said.

 

Duan Shiming wasn’t a stubborn person. He gave up immediately, “Fine.”

 

Fine, it was his fault. He deserved it. The guy hadn’t even hit him, so the attitude was actually quite good. Sigh, life is hard; hit with a debt before even starting work.

 

His fingers tapped quickly on the screen. His hands were long and clean, with distinct joints and not much flesh, yet they possessed a refined elegance, looking quite delicate.

 

“Transfer sent.” Duan Shiming turned his phone around to show the record, only to find the man still staring at him. He bit his lip guiltily, knowing he was in the wrong, and lowered his phone before reluctantly muttering, “I’m sorry, big brother. I know I was wrong.”

 

The Alpha gave a simple “Mhm,” “It’s good that you know.”

 

The insurance agent who had been called over: “?” So? What was his purpose here?

 

“Sigh.”

 

The HR Manager was setting up the internal system account when he saw Duan Shiming sitting at the desk looking utterly depressed. “What’s wrong, Xiao Duan? Is there anything I can help you with?”

 

This secretary, parachuted in from headquarters, was something else. Young and beautiful—he had to be someone important. Chu Luo Group never hired fresh graduates, so he must be a real powerhouse! He had to be treated well!

 

Duan Shiming rested his face on his hands and sighed, “Brother Wang, if I work hard, is there a lot of room for promotion?”

 

Monthly rent was ten thousand, he’d scratched a car and paid twenty thousand this morning, and now he had exactly five hundred left in his card. He’d become a pauper the moment he entered society. Money really disappears fast.

 

Brother Wang from HR thought, As expected, this newcomer is ambitious and can’t be underestimated; he’s already planning his promotion. “Of course! As long as you align the granularity of our work within the team, grasp the underlying logic of every task to find a leverage point, and realize the final closed-loop, you will definitely achieve optimal configuration of your own assets.”

 

Duan Shiming: “(O_o)?”

 

Aligning granularity? Underlying logic? Leverage points? Closed-loops? What on earth was he saying?

 

“Brother Wang!”

 

Just then, the hurried sound of high heels came from outside. A poised Alpha woman walked in. She froze for a moment when she saw Duan Shiming.

 

Duan Shiming gave her a polite, sweet smile.

 

The Alpha woman: Her heart skipped a beat. Where did this boy come from? He’s so handsome and pretty! Is he an Omega? No, President Yan doesn’t hire Omegas.

 

Brother Wang: “Oh, Xin Lei, perfect timing. This is Duan Shiming, the new addition to the Secretary’s Office. He’s reporting for duty today. Xiao Duan, this is the ‘Big Sister’ of the Secretary’s Office, Xin Lei. You’ll be following Sister Lei from now on.”

 

Duan Shiming stood up, placed his hands politely in front of him, and nodded, “Hello, Sister Lei!”

 

Xin Lei gave a doting smile, “Did you get your system account?”

 

Duan Shiming nodded, “Yes, I got it.”

 

Xin Lei then looked back at Brother Wang to get to business, “Brother Wang, what happened when President Yan arrived this morning? His expression was terrible during the meeting just now. He seems to be in a bad mood today, he rejected every single proposal.”

 

“Oh, right, President Yan’s car got hit. He’s still fuming.” Brother Wang patted Duan Shiming’s shoulder, “Xiao Duan, when you drive for President Yan in the future, be extremely careful not to scratch it. President Yan loves his cars, and they are insanely expensive! The person who hit his car probably had to pay several hundred thousand.”

 

Duan Shiming: “…?”

 

“So that’s why. No wonder. I get it now. Anyway, Xiao Duan, come with me.” Xin Lei waved at him, “I’ll take you to see President Yan.”

 

Duan Shiming followed hesitantly. The two walked toward the elevator together.

 

“Xiao Duan, you aren’t an Omega, are you?”

 

Duan Shiming was used to this question. He smiled, “I’m a Class-A Beta.”

 

Xin Lei realized, “Sorry about that. You’re just so good-looking I thought you were an Omega. I didn’t know Class-A Betas could be so handsome.”

 

Duan Shiming decided to change the subject, “Sister Lei, what is our boss’s name?”

 

“Chu Yanzhou. we all call him President Yan.”

 

“Is President Yan easy to get along with?”

 

“He’s generally okay, but he demands perfection in his work. He’s very strict and doesn’t allow mistakes. So, whenever you finish a process, show it to me first before giving it to him. Especially documents or schedules—besides the digital approval, he needs a hard copy, or you’ll get lectured.”

 

“You’ll mainly be responsible for his schedule, travel management, meetings, and receptions. I’ll send you the list of hotel brands he usually stays at.”

 

“Also, President Yan doesn’t like having a driver follow him when he goes out, so you’ll have to handle the driving. I saw in your file that you can drive, right?”

 

Duan Shiming: “I can drive.” Though everyone usually hates my driving.

 

“As for living arrangements, his standards are high. You need to be careful with food, too. President Yan doesn’t eat onions, ginger, garlic, spicy food, or anything with a strong seafood smell. Remember that when arranging meals.”

 

“And then there’s the concept of time. President Yan doesn’t allow himself or others to be late. Whether it’s a meeting or a trip, we must arrive early. Never arrive right on the dot…”

 

……

 

Duan Shiming: “(-_^)”

 

Is this ‘easy to get along with’? This is God himself. He’d already forgotten half of what she said.

 

“That’s about it. Can you remember all that?” Xin Lei looked at him and smiled, “It’s okay. I have a spreadsheet of things to note about President Yan. I’ll send it to you later.”

 

Duan Shiming: “Okay.”

 

A spreadsheet of notes. Tch. This leader really thinks he’s something.

 

They stood at the door of the CEO’s office.

 

Xin Lei: “Ready?”

 

Duan Shiming smoothed his shirt and gave himself a silent pep talk. I can do this. Who cares if I couldn’t be a sniper? I can still make a name for myself in another industry. He was a descendant of the Chu Luo family, after all. If he couldn’t go to the battlefield, he would conquer the business world and bring glory to the family!!

 

Knock, knock.

 

“President Yan, I’ve brought the new secretary.”

 

“Come in.”

 

A deep, magnetic voice came from inside. It sounded familiar. The door opened.

 

Duan Shiming’s foot froze mid-step. As the double doors opened, a spacious, bright office came into view. At the same time, their eyes met.

 

The man sitting behind the desk looked very familiar.

 

Duan Shiming stared for two seconds. The moment he realized who it was, his brow twitched, his eyes widened, and he physically recoiled a step, “You”

 

“The new secretary?” Chu Yanzhou twirled the fountain pen in his hand, his gaze shifting past Xin Lei to land on Duan Shiming, “Care to introduce yourself?”