The Cannon Fodder Male Supporting Character Is the Zombie King - Chapter 19

In the end, Zhou Huaichen still got into the car.
Ye Wei’an had been staring at him the whole time.
Zhou Huaichen sat down beside him and took the initiative to explain, “I’ve been busy all day and didn’t know what was happening online. I’ll check it right now.”
In truth, the Zhou Group did have public opinion monitoring. Any news related to him would normally be reported to Li Zeng by the PR department.
This time, it was probably because Li Zeng had been busy and hadn’t noticed in time.
Zhou Huaichen opened Weibo and saw that netizens were all discussing the scandal between him and Yan Qing. He also saw that supposedly beautiful and suggestive photo.
Zhou Huaichen didn’t care about baseless rumors like that.
Not until he saw Yan Qing’s fans stepping on Ye Wei’an to praise him did he finally understand what “Little pig wants to see me fall” was referring to.
His brows furrowed tightly. He looked up at Ye Wei’an and said in a low voice, “I’ll handle it.”
Ye Wei’an tilted his head at him.
Zhou Huaichen continued, “Judging from the angle of the photo, the photographer must’ve been near the entrance of the neighborhood. Checking the surveillance footage should be enough to find them.”
He first dialed Li Zeng’s number, instructing him to look into the matter. Then he contacted property management to obtain the surveillance footage. Afterward, he told the PR and legal departments to prepare for accountability.
Ye Wei’an listened to Zhou Huaichen giving orders the whole time and couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. He is truly worthy of being the biggest boss in the book. His efficiency was off the charts.
The system spoke faintly: 【Host, if you had Boss Zhou’s level of efficiency, you would’ve already won over Yan Qing.】
Ye Wei’an dismissed it. “Feelings aren’t the same as work. Don’t mix them up.”
System: 【……】
Excuses. The host just didn’t want to pursue Yan Qing, that’s all!
After Zhou Huaichen hung up the phone, his voice softened. “Let’s go home first. By the time we get there, Li Zeng should have the results.”
Ye Wei’an nodded.
The car started and drove all the way toward Zhou Huaichen’s villa.
Outside, a fine drizzle still veiled the world. The driver drove quietly, the wipers moving rhythmically across the windshield.
Zhou Huaichen’s voice broke the silence inside the car. “It’s my fault. I didn’t handle the issue with Yan Qing in time.”
He had planned to wait for Zhou Yongnan to return so he could resolve everything in one go, but he hadn’t expected Yan Qing to be so bold as to try to set him up.
Ye Wei’an gave him a somewhat strange look, feeling that Zhou Huaichen seemed to be explaining himself to him.
The system commented sourly: 【He wants to get close to you. Of course, he doesn’t want you to misunderstand him.】
System: 【President Zhou is a scheming boss.】
Ye Wei’an blinked.
So, A-Chen just didn’t want him to get the wrong idea.
He looked at Zhou Huaichen and nodded seriously. “I understand.”
—【I know there’s no way you’d be interested in Yan Qing.】
—【Yan Qing’s a lemon, not some tender, juicy cabbage. There’s no way you’d like him.】
—【Pigs don’t go rooting for lemons!】
Zhou Huaichen: “……”
He wanted to laugh, but also felt a bit exhausted.
He had been explaining himself to Ye Wei’an just now. Since Ye Wei’an hadn’t misunderstood, he naturally felt relieved.
But… why did Ye Wei’an think of him as a pig?
Was it because his desire to “root for the cabbage” was that obvious?
Not long after, the car arrived at the villa.
Li Zeng was already waiting at the entrance with the personal assistant.
As the executive assistant, Li Zeng managed the entire assistant team, while the personal assistant mainly handled Zhou Huaichen’s private matters outside of work. It is similar in nature to a celebrity’s assistant.
“President Zhou, we’ve already obtained the surveillance footage.” Li Zeng got halfway through his sentence, then suddenly stopped.
Through the open car window, he saw Ye Wei’an sitting beside Zhou Huaichen… and suddenly froze.
There was only one thought in his mind. Had President Zhou already moved fast enough to bring President Ye home?
As expected of the BOSS!
Zhou Huaichen nodded at Li Zeng and said, “We’ll talk inside.”
He held up the umbrella and waited for Ye Wei’an to get out of the car before leading Li Zeng and the personal assistant inside.
Once they entered the house, Ye Wei’an noticed there was already another guest present.
He couldn’t help but glance over at Zhou Huaichen.
—【Why is Zhu Hongke here?】
—【Is he here to fight me for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?】
Seeing how Ye Wei’an’s eyes were fixed only on the food, Zhou Huaichen couldn’t help but laugh softly. He said, “Hongke is the founder of Hongda Law Firm, and also Zhou Corporation’s legal adviser. There’s been progress on Bai Yuan’s case. He came over to discuss it.”
Hongda Law Firm.
That was the top law firm in the novel!
Ye Wei’an’s eyes immediately lit up.
The founder of Hongda Law Firm was a childhood friend of Zhou Huaichen. No wonder Zhou Corporation’s legal team was so strong.
Ye Wei’an stared intently at Zhu Hongke, his tone filled with enthusiasm. “So you’re the founder of Hongda Law Firm. What an honor to meet you!”
He had thought Zhu Hongke was just here for a free meal, only to discover that he was actually a top-tier professional.
—【We can’t poach A-Chen’s core team, but we can poach his legal advisor.】
—【Poach him! We must!】
Unfortunately, his face remained expressionless. What he thought was a warm tone sounded abrupt and out of place to Zhu Hongke.
Zhu Hongke looked toward his childhood friend for help, utterly confused as to why Mr. Ye was suddenly acting this way and greeting him so warmly.
After all, they had met before. Mr. Ye hadn’t been nearly this friendly back then.
Zhou Huaichen shot Ye Wei’an an amused glance.
Just moments ago, this man had been worried Zhu Hongke might steal his Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Now, he was plotting to steal the man himself.
Unbuttoning his cuffs, Zhou Huaichen motioned for everyone to move toward the study, saying to Ye Wei’an as they went, “Hongke hasn’t been too busy lately. If the Ye Group has any legal issues, feel free to consult him anytime.”
Ye Wei’an was delighted. “Perfect!”
Meanwhile, Zhu Hongke’s face was full of question marks: “……”
He’s swamped, okay!
Besides, his law firm has never worked with the Ye Group. How could he just rashly take on the role of legal adviser?
Zhou Huaichen cast him a calm glance.
Zhu Hongke: “…”
Catching the look from his childhood friend, he instantly changed his attitude and enthusiastically said to Ye Wei’an, “Right, right. Of course, President Ye can come to me anytime.”
Ah, since A-Chen was chasing someone, as his best friend, he could only sacrifice himself.
Ye Wei’an looked even more pleased.
—【The Ye Group doesn’t have any legal issues for now, but I can at least build a connection first.】
—【How about inviting him to dinner tomorrow?】
Zhou Huaichen lowered his eyes.
Looks like he’d have to make Buddha Jumps Over the Wall tomorrow and lure Ye Wei’an to his house.
After that, the group gathered in the study to deal with Yan Qing’s scandal.
Li Zeng said, “It’s been confirmed. The rumor started from Yan Qing’s side. The photos were taken at his request. He used a marketing company and internet trolls to hype it up.”
“I got the surveillance footage from the property management. The person who took the photos is a friend of Yan Qing’s agent.”
Marketing companies and internet trolls were common in the entertainment industry. They were easy to trace.
Although Yan Qing had acted discreetly, Li Zeng still managed to uncover everything in a short time.
Li Zeng said, “The police have already gotten involved. The marketing company provided Yan Qing’s transfer records, and the photographer admitted he was acting on the orders of Yan Qing’s agent.”
He turned to Zhou Huaichen, waiting for instructions. “The PR department has already prepared a statement and can release it at any time.”
Zhou Huaichen gave a brief hum. “Go ahead and post it.”
So Li Zeng immediately started a video conference with the PR department and directed them in their response.
On the PR department’s end, things proceeded in an orderly manner. They quickly released the clarification and handled the public’s doubts with precision.
Watching from the side, Ye Wei’an couldn’t help but sigh inwardly again. As expected of Zhou Huaichen’s trusted team. Their efficiency was truly remarkable.
The system tried to motivate him: 【Host, you should learn from them!】
Ye Wei’an deeply admired such efficiency, but flatly refused to learn.
System: 【……】
……
After a full day of uproar over the scandal between Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen, by evening, the official account of Zhou Group’s headquarters released a clarification: 【Our company’s president has no connection whatsoever with the male celebrity Yan Qing. The entire incident was fabricated and hyped up unilaterally by the celebrity. Our company reserves the right to pursue legal action.】
The post was accompanied by surveillance footage provided by the property management, showing that the photographer had staked out the spot in advance. It also proved that Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen spoke for less than thirty seconds, indirectly confirming that the so-called “ambiguous” photo was merely something Yan Qing had staged on his own.
The official account then posted, in the comments, the transfer records provided by the marketing company and the troll network, as well as the photographer’s statement to the police.
Once the clarification went out, all the subsidiary companies under Zhou Group shared it immediately.
Before long, the topic hit the trending list.
What caught netizens’ attention first was how neatly all of Zhou Group’s companies had reposted it.
For many, it was the first time they realized Zhou Group owned so many subsidiaries, covering so many industries. It left them stunned.
【I knew Zhou Group was impressive, but not this impressive. Shows how ignorant I’ve been.】
【I suddenly want to call President Zhou “Dad.” He’s still young, but I don’t mind having a dad my own age.】
【I usually can’t stand people online calling someone “Daddy” for no reason. But me? I’m different. I’m calling him Father. Father, would you like a thirty-year-old bald son?】
After their excited chatter about the Zhou Group, everyone finally took a look at the video and the clarification itself.
And once they did, the revelation hit them hard. It turned out the entire scandal had been orchestrated by Yan Qing’s side.
Netizens were momentarily speechless, not even sure where to start criticizing.
【Good grief, has Yan Qing lost his mind? Who comes up with such a lousy scheme? Does he think he can fake a connection with the Zhou Group? Does he think he can use President Zhou for publicity? Has he gone brain-dead?】
【I don’t get it either. What on earth was Yan Qing trying to gain from this?】
【He probably wanted to use President Zhou’s name to stir up some hype, but ended up kicking an iron wall instead.】
【I’m guessing this clarification post from Zhou Group’s official account was personally ordered by President Zhou. Well, I suppose Yan Qing did manage to get his attention. That’s… quite something, huh.】
【Just imagining President Zhou’s look of disgust makes me embarrassed for Yan Qing.】
The moment Yan Qing and his agent saw Zhou Group’s clarification, they knew it was over.
The agent muttered, “…I didn’t expect President Zhou to be so merciless.”
He had assumed that Zhou Huaichen was too busy handling major affairs to bother with a small online rumor like this.
And since Zhou Yongnan was Yan Qing’s official boyfriend, he thought that even if things got exposed, Zhou Huaichen would let it slide for Zhou Yongnan’s sake.
But Zhou Group’s clarification had been so swift and decisive. Not only did it state outright that the scandal was fabricated by Yan Qing alone, but it even attached hard evidence.
To obtain surveillance footage from the property management and have the photographer detained by the police within such a short time, only Zhou Huaichen could pull that off.
The agent paced anxiously around the room. “It’s over, it’s over… President Zhou won’t blacklist you, will he?”
He stopped in front of Yan Qing, urging him, “Hurry and contact Zhou Yongnan. Get him to help smooth things over.”
After all, Zhou Yongnan was Zhou Huaichen’s biological nephew. With him stepping in, surely Zhou Huaichen would show some leniency.
Yan Qing sat on the sofa, his face dark as iron, not saying a single word.
Thinking of how Zhou Huaichen was like an impenetrable wall of steel, never once showing him a pleasant face, and how this time, he had even publicly slapped him in the face. Yan Qing felt his bl00d surge with anger.
He was unwilling to accept it.
But that wasn’t even the worst part.
As netizens mocked Yan Qing, they also remembered how his fans had been loudly spreading the CP One Night in His Arms. They even took jabs at Ye Wei’an behind the scenes.
【Where are Yan Qing’s fans now? Come on, take a few steps forward. Weren’t you all shouting that Yan Qing was President Zhou’s little darling?】
【I remember Yan Qing’s fans used President Zhou to trample on President Ye, calling Ye desperate and saying “the night turns cold, Ye falls apart”. Yet in less than half a day, Zhou Group’s official headquarters account personally smacked you all in the face. It turns out it was Yan Qing clinging on shamelessly.】
【I’m dying of laughter. Yan Qing and his fans must have faces swollen like pig heads by now.】
【Yan Qing is the one who shamelessly tried to latch onto President Zhou for hype, and his fans are lunatics. What a perfect match.】
That very day, Yan Qing’s fans had originally been elated.
Upon hearing that Yan Qing and Zhou Huaichen were supposedly together, all the frustration they’d felt toward Ye Wei’an before had completely vanished.
They genuinely believed Zhou Huaichen was better than Ye Wei’an. They also genuinely believed that their beloved Qing Qing’s charm had conquered him.
Who could have expected that in just half a day, Zhou Group’s official account would step out and post a clarification, directly hammering home the truth that the scandal had been fabricated by Yan Qing alone.
Now, the gossip-loving netizens were all mocking them. It was far more vicious than it had been during the Ye Wei’an incident.
After all, Ye Wei’an had never personally stepped forward to slap Yan Qing in the face. But Zhou Group showed no mercy at all, practically grinding Yan Qing into the mud.
Yan Qing had lost all his dignity. His fans’ pride had been shattered along with it.
Earlier that day, they had brazenly flooded the internet with posts about One Night In His Arms and trampled on Ye Wei’an without restraint. Now that the netizens were striking back, they didn’t even dare to argue, let alone show their faces online.
What made them truly despair was discovering that the entire scandal had actually been orchestrated by Yan Qing himself.
They couldn’t believe their idol would do something like that. They couldn’t accept that Yan Qing had been the one desperately clinging on.
In corners unseen by the public, fan group chats were exploding. Everyone was tagging the major fan leaders and Yan Qing’s studio, demanding an explanation.
……
After reading the clarification and the netizens’ reactions, Ye Wei’an couldn’t help praising Zhou Huaichen. “Well done.”
—【Time to eat!】
—【Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!】
Zhou Huaichen chuckled softly, his tone gentle as he said, “Yan Qing is Yongnan’s boyfriend. When Yongnan comes back, I’ll give you an explanation.”
Ye Wei’an tilted his head at him.
—【What kind of explanation?】
—【Is it more important than Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?】
—【Buddha Jumps Over the Wall! Buddha Jumps Over the Wall!】
Zhou Huaichen: “…”
Amused, he shook his head and stood up. “Come on, let’s go eat.”
Li Zeng and the personal assistant also stood, preparing to take their leave.
Ye Wei’an looked at Li Zeng in confusion.
—【It’s dinnertime. Why are they leaving?】
—【Sure, that means two fewer mouths fighting me for the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but they’re elites from Zhou Group!】
—【If we had dinner together and got to know each other better, who knows, maybe one day I could poach them.】
Zhou Huaichen: “…”
So this person was actually thinking about stealing his team.
He couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.
Did this man not realize that if he “poached” Zhou Huaichen himself, then Zhou’s entire team would naturally become his as well?
Zhou Huaichen spoke up, telling Li Zeng and the assistant to stay for dinner.
Li Zeng didn’t refuse. President Zhou treated his close aides well. It wasn’t unusual for them to share a meal.
Ye Wei’an, satisfied, cheerfully headed toward the kitchen.
Seeing him in such high spirits, Zhou Huaichen’s lips curved slightly upward, too.
This time, the kitchen had prepared not only Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, but also Dongpo Pork and Eight-Treasure Chicken, among other dishes.
Ye Wei’an ate with immense satisfaction.
Zhu Hongke noticed that every few bites, Ye Wei’an would glance over at Zhou Huaichen. He raised his eyebrows slightly.
At the last gathering, there had been too many people, so he hadn’t realized Ye Wei’an had this little habit.
With a teasing smile, he said, “President Ye, does A-Chen look even better than Buddha Jumps Over the Wall?”
Without thinking, Ye Wei’an replied, “He does.”
—【No matter how delicious Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is, it can’t compare to A-Chen’s grape-scented sweetness.】
This wasn’t the apocalypse. There were no purple crystal cores with that grape fragrance, so he could only use A-Chen as a substitute.
Zhou Huaichen hadn’t expected that, in Ye Wei’an’s heart, his position ranked higher than Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. The realization caught him a bit off guard.
Ye Wei’an looked at him again.
—【Mhm, makes the meal taste even better.】
Zhou Huaichen: “…”
He understood now. He was still being used as an appetizer.
As a lawyer, Zhu Hongke was exceptionally observant. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something between the two of them was oddly off.
When he withdrew his gaze, he happened to catch sight of Li Zeng’s expression.
Li Zeng was smiling.
Their gazes met.
Li Zeng: “…”
Zhu Hongke: “…”
Both averted their eyes as if nothing had happened. But in that fleeting exchange, they each saw mutual understanding reflected in the other’s eyes.
Ye Wei’an, meanwhile, couldn’t care less what they were thinking. He ate happily, thoroughly enjoying himself.
Whether it was the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, the Dongpo Pork, the Eight-Treasure Chicken, or even Zhou Huaichen sitting beside him, they were all delicious.
After dinner, Li Zeng and the personal assistant took their leave.
Zhu Hongke stayed behind to report on Bai Yuan’s case. “Bai Yuan has confessed to hiring a hitman. Though it was an attempted murder, the nature of the crime is severe. We can push for a heavier sentence.”
As a lawyer, he always left himself some leeway when he spoke.
He said, “push for a heavier sentence”. But with his skills, it was almost certain Bai Yuan would spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Ye Wei’an nodded. “Good work.”
As a zombie king, if this were the apocalypse and he’d met someone like Bai Yuan, he would’ve handled it himself right then and there.
But this was a lawful society, and the system didn’t allow him to act on his own.
He fixed his bright, unwavering gaze on Zhu Hongke.
—【No wonder he’s a top lawyer!】
—【I’ll invite him to dinner tomorrow. I wonder if he has time.】
Zhou Huaichen’s gaze paused slightly.
He smiled at Ye Wei’an, appearing casual as he said, “Tomorrow the kitchen will make Fengjing pig trotters and crispy suckling pig. Are you coming?”
Ye Weian: “…”
Ye Weian: “I’m coming!”
What poaching, what top lawyer. Can those be as important as Fengjing pig trotters? As important as crispy suckling pig?!
Zhou Huaichen lowered his eyes, concealing the smile in them.
Zhu Hongke: “……”
He felt like a huge lightbulb, so he put away the documents and, being sensible, left.
……
Yan Qing and his agent were still completely frazzled.
Seeing Yan Qing hesitate to contact Zhou Yongnan, the agent grew anxious: “Go charm Zhou Yongnan a little. Get him to go beg Mr. Zhou on your behalf.”
“This can’t be dragged out. What if Mr. Zhou over there really wants to blacklist you? What will you do?”
Yan Qing clenched his fists and suddenly stood up. “I know what to do now.”
The manager opened his mouth but stopped himself from speaking.
He always felt that ever since Ye Wei’an stopped supporting Yan Qing, Yan Qing’s luck had plummeted. Every decision he made had been the wrong one.
But Yan Qing was stubborn and refused to listen to advice, leaving the manager helpless.
……
Yan Qing went to find Xie Siming.
The whole affair had blown up. Of course, Xie Siming knew Yan Qing was being cursed at by netizens and watched closely by the Zhou Group.
Feeling sorry for him, Xie Siming’s heart twisted when he saw Yan Qing’s bloodshot eyes.
Yan Qing threw himself into his arms, choking out, “Siming, I hate Ye Wei’an so much. I hate Lin Chang so much… Help me, please?”
He believed Zhou Huaichen’s coldness and ruthlessness were all Ye Wei’an’s doing.
Ye Wei’an was a petty man. If he couldn’t have Yan Qing, he’d destroy all of Yan Qing’s romantic prospects.
Bai Yuan had been sent to prison because of Ye Wei’an. Zhou Huaichen’s side was surely also being poisoned by Ye Wei’an’s words.
Xie Siming gently stroked his shoulder and said, “The Ye Group invested in a web variety show called 《Open Your Eyes Today》. The director sent me an invitation before.”
He knew Ye Wei’an was targeting Yan Qing, so he had refused to take part in any script or show invested in by the Ye Group.
But now, he’d changed his mind.
He wiped the tears from the corners of Yan Qing’s eyes and said, “I heard Ye Wei’an’s been invited as the guest for the first episode.”
“I’ll have my manager reply to the director. I’m willing to be a regular cast member, on the condition that you come with me.”
“When the time comes, you and Ye Wei’an can record the show together. Let everyone see how Ye Wei’an fawns over you.”
The idea fit perfectly with what Yan Qing wanted.
He once again threw himself into Xie Siming’s arms, acting coy. “Siming, you’re so good to me.”
*
The next day after work, Zhou Huaichen came to pick Ye Wei’an up.
As soon as Ye Wei’an got in the car, he shared some news with him. “The director of 《Open Your Eyes Today》 invited me to appear as a guest for one episode.”
Zhou Huaichen was looking over a document. Upon hearing that, he set the papers on his knee and quietly listened for him to continue.
Ye Wei’an said, “The director said my online popularity is high. I can help boost the show’s visibility.”
Zhou Huaichen’s voice was gentle. “Do you want to go?”
Ye Wei’an rubbed his chin. “Of course, I’ll go!”
He had invested in the show himself. Naturally, he wanted it to become popular and make a lot of money.
Zhou Huaichen smiled. “Then you go.”
Ye Wei’an asked him, “Are you free that day?”
The system indicated that the production team had already confirmed Xie Siming and Yan Qing as regulars. Yan Qing was probably already preparing to slander him with false accusations of assault.
He wanted to invite Zhou Huaichen to watch a good show.
Zhou Huaichen looked a little embarrassed, thinking before he replied, “It’s inconvenient for me to appear on camera…”
Ye Wei’an stared at him expressionlessly.
—【What are you thinking? Who said you had to appear!】
—【Thinking of spreading your charm everywhere, huh】
—【A pig like this won’t do!】
Zhou Huaichen chuckled softly and said gently, “Just for you to see.”
Ye Wei’an: “!”
—【He! Is! So! Good!】
The system, nearly dying, suddenly sat upright: 【!!!】
Damn it, quickly drag this handsome, capable BOSS pig out and slaughter him!

Author’s note:
System: Despair.