The Boss Always Thinks I'm After Him - Chapter 1
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- Chapter 1 - The Heartbeat Progress: 0.1%. No Way—He Wouldn’t, Would He…?
Chapter 1 – The Heartbeat Progress: 0.1%. No Way—He Wouldn’t, Would he…?
Just one month ago, a major crisis hit the company’s flagship project. The higher-ups went into full panic mode, pulling skilled employees from various departments to contain the fallout. That’s how Xiao Yang got pulled from the third tech division and assigned to the elite first group.
After a month of grueling, round-the-clock work, he finally had a moment to breathe. Seizing his lunch break, he grabbed a much-needed coffee and dashed back to his old team to vent.
“This kind of job isn’t made for humans. I swear, I’m running on five hours of sleep max, every day, every month. Not even New Year’s gave us a break!”
“Gu Che is worse than the clients. They say it’s fine, and he still makes us redo everything. I’ve never met a boss that demanding.”
Taking a sip of coffee, Xiao Yang pointed to the dark circles under his eyes. “If he saw these, he’d probably have them framed as a cultural artifact.”
His teammates chuckled and nodded in sympathy. Someone teased, “No kidding—your baby face’s aged ten years!”
Xiao Yang clutched his chest dramatically. “I’m telling you, if most bosses are capitalists, Gu Che is capitalism incarnate. He’s like a villain straight out of a labor horror story.”
He was in full rant mode, completely unaware of the room’s shifting atmosphere. His coworkers’ laughter trailed off, their smiles frozen into awkward grimaces. The team lead, Ding Zhanyang, kept shooting him warning looks.
“What’s with the eye twitch, Brother Ding?” Xiao Yang asked with a smirk, patting him on the shoulder.
Everyone suddenly cleared their throats, trying to subtly alert him that he was no longer alone.
Xiao Yang frowned, puzzled by their strange reactions. “Come on, Gu Che’s not here. Why are you all so nervous? Even if he walked in right now, I’d still tell it like it is!”
He jabbed a finger toward the doorway—only to feel it hit something solid.
Turning around slowly, he found himself practically poking the second button of a crisp designer suit.
The man standing there had neatly combed hair, sharp eyebrows, and a cold expression that could freeze a room. His thin lips were pressed in a line, his glasses rested perfectly on a high-bridged nose, and every inch of him exuded a chill, commanding aura. He looked like he stepped out of a luxury fashion ad—and directly into a boardroom nightmare.
Xiao Yang recognized him instantly.
His knees buckled. If not for Ding Zhanyang’s quick reflexes, he would’ve hit the floor.
Hands braced on the desk, he stammered, “B-boss… what brings you to the 17th floor?”
Gu Che, still on a Bluetooth call, made no response, simply staring Xiao Yang down with unreadable calm. After the call ended, he gave him a frosty look.
“Finished?”
“Y-yes! Definitely done!” Xiao Yang blurted, grabbing his things and sprinting out the door like his life depended on it.
Everyone in the room watched him flee, silently lighting metaphorical candles for his soul.
Gu Che scanned the room, his gaze cold and piercing. Wherever it landed, people snapped back to work like their lives depended on it. Then he took off his headset and beckoned Ding Zhanyang with a nod. “Come with me. We need to talk.”
Back on the 19th floor, Xiao Yang reentered his cubicle only to see Gu Che and Ding Zhanyang disappear into the small conference room.
His anxiety spiked.
Did I really just get myself fired… for a few sarcastic comments?
Trying to play it cool, he pretended to work while straining to catch any hint of their conversation. When he noticed Ding Zhanyang’s troubled expression and the way he glanced toward him with reluctant eyes, Xiao Yang’s heart sank.
Great. Gu Che’s not just a workaholic—he’s the vengeful kind too.
But he wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
He slipped over to the secretary’s office and knocked. “Zhang Mi, quick question—what does the boss like? I need to make it up to him.”
Meanwhile, inside the conference room, the atmosphere was no less tense.
Though Gu Che and Ding Zhanyang had been close friends since college, this was business—and serious business at that.
Ding took a long sip of tea and sighed. “Come on, Gu. We’ve known each other for years. Isn’t this a bit much?”
“But,” he hesitated, “we only have a few solid people left in our group, and Xiao Yang’s one of the best—smart, hardworking. You borrowed him during the emergency, sure. But now you’re trying to keep him? That’s not right.”
Gu Che didn’t reply at first. He rubbed his temple, looking visibly tired. Then he shut the blinds and spoke, voice cool and steady.
“Truth is,” he said, “we’ve uncovered a serious breach. Last time’s project collapse? It was sabotage—from within.”
Ding’s face went pale. “Why didn’t you say anything earlier? What’s the plan?”
With a department as critical as the Phantom Tech Group—where the company’s core innovations lived—espionage wasn’t just dangerous, it was catastrophic.
“I’m still investigating,” Gu Che said. “There are nearly twenty suspects. I don’t even know how deep this goes. I need people I can trust—and fast.”
When Gu Che said “trust,” Ding Zhanyang knew exactly where this was going.
He sighed heavily.
From a manager’s perspective, he didn’t want to lose Xiao Yang. But for the company’s future—and Xiao Yang’s growth—he understood.
“Fine. But I’ll say this up front,” he said, leaning forward. “Xiao Yang’s talented, no doubt. But he’s young, impulsive, and a little careless. When he’s on point, he’s excellent. But if he messes up…”
He let the warning hang in the air.
“And,” he added, “that kid loves games. He might not even want to work in Group One.”
He put down his teacup with a smile. “Still, since you’re taking him, take care of him.”
Gu Che felt slightly uneasy at that smile, but nodded. “Of course.”
When they stepped out, they crossed paths with Xiao Yang, who was just coming back from a coffee run. Ding patted him on the shoulder, eyes full of meaning. “Don’t forget us. You’ll always have a home in Group Three.”
That strange farewell hit Xiao Yang like a ton of bricks.
No way. He’s really transferring me?
He dragged himself back to his desk, the coffee in his hand suddenly tasteless.
He’d busted his tail to get into the Phantom Tech Group. Could it really all end just because of a few complaints?
After sulking for a few minutes, Xiao Yang made a decision. If he was going down, he’d at least go down with dignity.
He grabbed the coffee and marched into Gu Che’s office.
“Come in,” Gu Che said without looking up from his papers.
Xiao Yang cautiously stepped forward and offered the drink. “Boss… I brought you some coffee.”
The air around Gu Che seemed ten degrees colder.
He raised his eyes, glanced at the coffee, then at Xiao Yang’s face. “Just in time. I have something to discuss with you.”
On the desk were documents—Xiao Yang’s employee file, background, performance reviews—all laid out, fresh from HR.
Xiao Yang gulped. He set the coffee down, then hurried to explain. “Boss, about earlier—it was a total misunderstanding!”
“What I meant was, you’re dedicated, detail-oriented, and truly inspiring. My admiration for you runs deeper than any river!”
He folded his hands and looked up with wide, pleading eyes. “Please forgive my poor judgment. I swear I’ve learned my lesson!”
Gu Che stared at him, expression unreadable. He hadn’t caught every word of Xiao Yang’s rapid-fire apology, but it was clear the kid thought he was in serious trouble.
He took a slow sip of the coffee. It was exactly the kind he liked.
He raised an eyebrow—impressed, despite himself.
“Since you’ve repented,” he said coolly, “I’ll let it slide.”
Xiao Yang’s eyes sparkled.
“Since you admire me so much… why don’t you join Group One permanently?”
“I—I’d probably drop dead from stress…”
Xiao Yang blurted it before he could stop himself. Gu Che narrowed his eyes, and Xiao Yang scrambled to recover. “What I meant was, someone like me isn’t worthy of working under a legend like you!”
“Are you questioning my judgment?” Gu Che asked, tone sharp. “Do you know how many people would kill for that chance?”
He let his words hang heavy, applying pressure like only a boss could.
Xiao Yang silently cursed his luck.
Who wouldn’t want to be in Group One? But staying under Gu Che’s direct watch sounded like a nightmare for his anxiety.
Then Gu Che raised an eyebrow.
“I’ll double your salary.”
Xiao Yang perked up.
“Triple pay for any overtime.”
His eyes lit up.
“You’ll get priority access to beta test the next three game titles.”
Xiao Yang was practically glowing.
“Any gaming gear you want—I’ll make it happen.”
His mouth fell open.
“And you’ll only answer to me. No more navigating office politics.”
Silence.
Then finally, Xiao Yang let out a long sigh.
“…When do I start?”