The Cannon Fodder NPC Went Too Far [Quick Transmigration] - Chapter 6
Chapter 6
“Clap!” A crisp clapping sound suddenly echoed in the silent office. Xia Yu rolled up a document and gently slapped it on the desk, springing up from her chair and glaring furiously at Shen Zheng.
Shen Zheng slightly raised her eyes, tilting her head in confusion.
Under Shen Zheng’s mild gaze, the momentum Xia Yu had managed to build up immediately dampened, weakening a few degrees, as if doused with water.
She lightly cleared her throat, frowning. She aggressively pointed at the script she had slapped onto the desk, stammering at first:
“Shen Zheng, you… how can you do this… there are so many words in this script. How could I possibly memorize all of it? It’s obviously an attempt to make things difficult for me. Change it.” As she continued, her words flowed smoother, and she felt increasingly justified, sticking out her chest and lifting her chin as she looked at Shen Zheng.
Shen Zheng put down her pen, her dark eyes locked onto the person in front of her, remaining completely silent.
Seeing this, Xia Yu’s spirited flame flickered out slightly. She took a small step back, her hand resting on the table unconsciously curling her fingers and tapping the surface.
Xia Yu weakly asked the system in her mind, uncertainly: “Little System, was I too much? She’s not talking anymore. Is she angry?”
The system ran its data-filled circuits and rationally analyzed: “Uh, now that the Host mentions it, it seems so.”
Shen Zheng was silent for a moment. Seeing that Xia Yu had calmed down, she softly chided: “Don’t even think about it. Complete your own work independently. No pampering.” However, compared to the harsh, ruthless way she disciplined the Shen family’s juniors, her words sounded more like a reminder than a reprimand.
Xia Yu: “Huh?”
System: “Huh?”
The little cat, who was bearing its claws and snarling, froze mid-air. Its large eyes stared blankly at the air for a moment, then it casually retracted its claws and haughtily strutted back the way it came.
Seeing Xia Yu with her head down, viciously scribbling meaningless lines on the paper, Shen Zheng lightly sighed and walked over to Xia Yu’s side.
She lowered her eyes and gently tucked a few strands of hair that were scattered over Xia Yu’s face and moving with her breath back behind her ear, revealing her delicate and elegant profile.
“Nervous?”
Xia Yu hadn’t felt anything until Shen Zheng asked her so gently. She pursed her lips, and her tense fingertips trembled slightly. She supposed she was.
This was the first time she would truly wield power, entering the company as CEO to deal with fabricated financials, make an example of someone, and stamp her own mark on the company. Even if she had thousands of chances after this, this was still her first step.
Xia Yu had rehearsed the entire process countless times in her mind: marching fiercely into the company, preemptively slamming the fake financial reports in their faces, convening a major shareholder meeting, and firing all the corrupt ones.
But even knowing the entire procedure, she still felt uncertain. She silently questioned herself. Will I really mess this up? Can I really handle power with ease, like my father and brother before, or like Shen Zheng now? Can I…
“This isn’t the CEO Xia I know. CEO Xia always holds her head high, with a fierce aura. Even when she’s wrong, she’ll stubbornly deny it, swallowing all hardship and tears in secret, refusing to admit defeat until the end,” Shen Zheng quietly described her impression of Xia Yu, a flicker of tenderness passing through her eyes.
“Shen Zheng, are you complimenting me or criticizing me?” Xia Yu looked up at her, softly countering.
The audacious flame in her eyes reignited, like two leaping small flames, glittering beautifully. All her doubts vanished under Shen Zheng’s playful encouragement.
She was never inferior to anyone. She studied the books of the sages since she was young, and was proficient in archery and horseback riding. Even after her spine was nearly broken and she fell down a cliff, she tenaciously grabbed onto the last bit of life and came to this world.
If she failed this time, there would be a next time, and thousands of times after that. As long as she wasn’t dead, nothing was final; there was always room for change. She must succeed.
Xia Yu finally faced the deeply buried ambition in her heart and bravely grasped it.
Shen Zheng watched the transformed, majestic Xia Yu, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Very good. She hadn’t wasted her teaching these past few days. Shen Zheng knew better than anyone what Xia Yu craved and what held her back.
It was an ephemeral thing called ambition, suppressed for too long, finally bursting forth like a geyser.
Now, even without Shen Zheng’s shadow behind her, that ambition would propel her forward, step by step, climbing ceaselessly.
Looking at Xia Yu, Shen Zheng felt as if she was looking at her younger self, only she hadn’t been as lucky. It took her a long time of struggle to understand what she truly wanted.
In the Shen family, that strictly regulated and ceremonious top-tier powerful family, she initially only felt resentment—resentment over why a brother with the ridiculous title of ‘eldest legitimate son’ could step all over her.
Shen Zheng took a step forward, opened her arms, and gave the girl a light, comforting embrace. She gently rubbed Xia Yu’s soft hair.
Xia Yu, for once, didn’t struggle, resting her head lightly on Shen Zheng’s shoulder, allowing the sandalwood scent to envelop her completely. In the quiet office, only their two heartbeats could be heard, pulsing ceaselessly: thump-thump-thump.
When she was done comforting her, Shen Zheng leaned close and whispered words of encouragement into her ear: “Don’t worry, CEO Xia is wise and mighty, and you will surely return victorious. I’ll wait for your good news here.” With that, she took a step back, intentionally ending the embrace.
Xia Yu was momentarily stunned, then smiled and playfully teased: “Shen Zheng, I didn’t realize you spoke so nicely. I thought all you did was scold people.”
Isn’t this normal? She wasn’t like her young master brother, who was born with everything, nor was she like the later-born legitimate grandson nephew, who was pampered and applauded for everything he did.
When she was weak, she would smile to welcome people, humble herself, and consolidate every power she could, silently observing them like a venomous snake, waiting for the right moment, and then swallowing them whole.
She could bend her back and lower her status, and now she could stand tall and personally crush everything he owned.
But these minor details weren’t necessary to share with her.
Shen Zheng smiled faintly, her eyes bright and soft like the spring breeze. She softly asked: “Then does CEO Xia like it?”
“I like it,” Xia Yu’s clear, bright eyes clearly reflected Shen Zheng’s face, and she answered crisply, her smile radiant and pure.
It’s good that she likes it.
She could afford to fail many times. Shen Zheng would always be there to catch her. This was the privilege she was giving her.
The system lay back in Xia Yu’s spiritual sea, casually playing a game while silently sighing: “Alas, the big villain and the Host have such a good relationship. They truly are a perfect match.”
Qin Assistant gently pushed open the door with a stack of files. The first thing she saw was the sight of the two embracing quietly. She froze for a second, quietly pulled the door shut, and dutifully guarded the entrance.
Her face, however, held three parts blankness, four parts doubt, and five parts confusion. Was this part of the plan? Why didn’t she know?
Shen Zheng sat at her office desk, the screen displaying a heap of moving text, but she couldn’t focus on it. Her mind was still replaying the embrace they had just shared. She never knew before that hugging someone could be so comforting. So soft. I wanted to hold her even tighter.
At night, in the main hall of the Xia family mansion, Shen Zheng leaned against the sofa, looking down at files. Qin Assistant sat nearby, typing furiously on her laptop, and then reported to Shen Zheng, item by item, as usual. Everyone else in the vicinity had been cleared out by Shen Zheng.
Shen Zheng leaned over, poured a cup of tea, placed it in front of Qin Assistant, and then crossed her arms over her chest, her slender fingers tapping on her arm in an irregular rhythm as she quietly pondered.
After speaking continuously for a long stretch, Qin Assistant unceremoniously finished the tea and then added: “Oh, right, CEO Shen, it seems some Shen family people have infiltrated the Xia family. We don’t know who they belong to yet. Should I clean them out?”
“No need. If we handle everything, the child won’t get any practice and will never grow up,” Shen Zheng gently shook her head, clearly intending not to interfere in the internal family matters.
Qin Assistant subtly glanced at Shen Zheng again, still unable to fathom her intentions toward Xia Yu.
She can’t possibly be seriously taking on the role of a stepmother! It was a joke. Even if she herself was overcome with maternal instinct, Shen Zheng wouldn’t be.
“Shen Zheng! Shen Zheng!” A crisp, excited voice suddenly swept in from a distance, instantly breaking the surrounding silence.
Xia Yu waved her hands excitedly toward Shen Zheng from afar, then bounced and skipped toward them.
“Really, she’s an adult, but she’s not steady at all,” Shen Zheng gently shook her head.
CEO Shen, could you please wipe the smile off your face before saying that? You seem to be enjoying it quite a lot.
Xia Yu charged directly at Shen Zheng like a firecracker. Shen Zheng saw her, smiled warmly, opened her arms, and caught her without the slightest wobble.
“Shen Zheng! I did it! I did it!”
“The moment I arrived at the company, I preemptively called a board meeting, slapped the evidence right in front of them, and immediately sent them packing. The whole room went silent instantly, all of them trembling under my overwhelming aura. I still clearly remember the greenish faces of those old geezers.”
Xia Yu chattered incessantly, gesticulating wildly as she recounted her victory.
Shen Zheng listened quietly, her right hand instinctively wrapped around Xia Yu’s shoulder, holding her close. She occasionally responded with a smiling “Mmm.”
“Well done. You must be hungry after all that work. I’ll have Butler Liu send over the menu.”
Qin Assistant, who had been completely ignored since Xia Yu’s entry, was momentarily stunned. She quietly packed her materials and headed out.
The moment she saw Shen Zheng’s low, smiling gaze, she understood everything. Forget plans and schemes, the usually reserved and romance-averse CEO Shen had found her heart burning for the young girl.
And what’s more, CEO Shen seemingly hadn’t realized it herself.
Should I keep quiet, or should I keep quiet, or should I keep quiet? It had been years since she had seen the increasingly composed Shen Zheng make such a blunder. Hehehe.