Chi Zhan was already quite full, but he couldn’t bring himself to reject Zhou Yanxing’s good intentions. Reluctantly, he picked up his spoon again.
“Oh, Secretary Chi is here too?” Bai Gongzi acted like he’d just noticed him. He added with a hint of concern, “You don’t look too well—are you feeling under the weather?” Then he turned back to Zhou Yanxing. “Do you have plans next Saturday?”
Zhou Yanxing threw the question to Chi Zhan. “Ask Secretary Chi.”
That was absolutely a trap.
“Actually, my birthday party is next Saturday. If you’re free, I’d love for you to come. Secretary Chi, you’re welcome too if you have the time.”
“No time.”
“President Zhou is free.”
Chi Zhan and Zhou Yanxing spoke almost in unison.
Bai Gongzi looked confused.
“So, is he free or not?”
“……I really don’t have time. Secretary Chi isn’t fully aware of my Saturday schedule.”
Bai Gongzi chuckled.
“That’s fine too. I can work around your availability. Whenever you’re free, I’ll reschedule the party.”
“Is your birthday on February 29th? So any day works?”
Chi Zhan quickly cut him off. “President Zhou does have time… he can make time.”
“Really? That’s great!” Bai Gongzi exclaimed, somehow already pulling out a prepared invitation. “You have to come. No backing out!”
He handed over the invitation and swiftly left—probably to avoid getting rejected. Zhou Yanxing’s expression darkened as he held the invitation, clearly itching to toss it. Chi Zhan immediately stopped him.
“President Zhou, we may be collaborating with the Bai family soon.” Chi Zhan had seen it in the planning phase: the Bai family specialized in all kinds of variety programs, exactly the kind of resources their company needed. He spoke seriously, “They’re preparing to launch a new idol talent show, with a lot of buzz. If we can get our trainees in, it’s all upside.”
That did the trick. Zhou Yanxing’s fury was successfully curtailed.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhou Yanxing said, “I’ll have someone evaluate the project and consider it afterward. As for this invitation…”
His fingers brushed over the card, as if deciding whether to tear it up. Chi Zhan watched his movements with bated breath.
As Zhou’s fingers clenched, Chi Zhan involuntarily sucked in a breath.
Zhou Yanxing released the invitation and sneered, “So tense?” He shot Chi Zhan a sideways glance. “You care about Young Master Bai that much? Don’t tell me he’s your relative?”
“……”
***
In the end, the invitation wasn’t thrown away.
Zhou Yanxing handed it to Chi Zhan and said, “You hold onto this. Add it to my schedule once we’re back at the office.”
Chi Zhan maintained a perfectly calm expression, but internally, he let out a long breath of relief.
At that moment, the NPC panel let out a crisp ding—Ding—
[Side Quest Triggered]
Player Commission: Young Master Bai’s Birthday Party
Support Task: Deliver a Birthday Gift / Get the Target to Attend the Party (Completed)
Support Reward: Favorability with Bai Gongzi / Luxury Cruise Day Pass / Mystery Blind Box x1 (Pending Distribution)
Recovering at home had gotten a bit dull, so with time on his hands, Chi Zhan took out the NPC Handbook, a hefty brick of a book bound in premium leather, and started reading. The book detailed the game’s world and mechanics with surprising depth.
This romance world was an open-world setup. Each serial number corresponded to a different world, and multiple players could log into the same one simultaneously. Each world contained several hidden romance targets, and the system would guide players to “accidentally” run into them across different scenarios.
Of course, drawing a special identity card—like Jiang Yi’s intern role or Su Ran’s CEO identity—gave players an edge when pursuing targets like Zhou Yanxing.
If a player had no such advantage, they had to work to create their own connections—like Young Master Bai, who constantly dropped by the office.
To boost gameplay variety, the map was massive. And if players weren’t interested in romance, they could pursue other routes: domestic slice-of-life, indulgent leisure, ambitious career paths, and so on.
Still, the game’s primary hook was its roster of devastatingly handsome male leads, and most players came for the love stories. The others were a rare minority.
But as an NPC bound to Zhou Yanxing, Chi Zhan had no access to data on the other romance targets.
When players unlocked new areas, triggered side quests, or activated event instances, the panel would notify relevant NPCs.
Side quests were often key opportunities to boost a target’s favorability—meaning special events were bound to unfold.
If all quest conditions were met, the associated NPC would receive the mission and corresponding reward.
This time, the side quest had been triggered almost by accident.
A mystery blind box… what could it be?
Chi Zhan clicked “Claim Reward.”
A soft white glow shimmered around the box. Then, three options appeared before him:
- A. Premium Restaurant Monthly Pass
- B. Custom Fashion Monthly Package
- C. “Panda Livestream” Monthly Tipping Pass
So that was how it worked—rewards distributed through blind box format, covering food, fashion, and fun. No matter which he chose, it was a good deal.
This was one of the perks of being close to a romance target: the closer an NPC was to a lead, the higher the chances of unlocking such high-tier quests.
There were other NPCs in the game with no connection to the romance routes. Their sole function was to add realism to the world, and they had only a minuscule chance of being pulled into a storyline—like Tao Ran.
“Panda Livestream” was the very same platform Su Ran’s company was preparing to partner with. Seven streamed on it too.
Chi Zhan hesitated for a moment, still undecided. He opted to tuck the blind box away for now. It had a one-week claim window—plenty of time to think it over.
Recently, Zhou Yanxing hadn’t been delivering the chicken soup personally. After asking for Chi Zhan’s address, he started having takeout delivered to his home every day. The soup was still included, along with an assortment of tonics and supplements—a clear expression of Demon King Zhou’s benevolent affection for his subordinates.
