CFALE Chapter 2

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Xia Heng was delighted to hear this—he hadn’t expected to earn 1,000 points just by completing half of the task.

Although most of the attribute-enhancing items in the system shop were still beyond his budget, Xia Heng was content. This was already a great start.

Previously, that white suit had cost him 100 points, which had pained him for quite some time. But now, he could afford more than ten suits like that! How could he not feel encouraged?

Xia Heng recalled what his previous system, 015, had once said—being cannon fodder was an easy job with great rewards. It was much better than struggling to death as a protagonist.

Xia Heng, who had earned points, and System 014, who believed the task was going smoothly, happily left after reviewing the published results.

However, they were unaware that elsewhere, a handsome man was flipping through design drawings, speaking to his subordinate who stood before him, listening attentively.

"This year's newcomers are quite good. Our company doesn’t lack solid and steady designers; what we need is inspiration and innovation. I think Xia Heng’s design work is pretty good," the man commented.

"Then why did the boss place Han Lang in first place?" the subordinate asked.

"Because young people sometimes need to have their pride tempered so they understand that there are always people better than them," the strikingly beautiful man replied leisurely.

Meanwhile, Xia Heng, completely unaware of this conversation, was filled with joy as he and System 014 finalized their approach for the upcoming interview.

"I think I just need to make a small mistake during the interview so that Han Lang can slap me down. That way, he’ll secure his spot, and the boss will be impressed by him," Xia Heng said enthusiastically.

"That’s an outdated face-slapping tactic. It’s not satisfying enough, and it won’t leave a deep impression on the boss," 014 replied, sounding like an experienced expert.

"What’s the latest trend in face-slapping?" Xia Heng humbly inquired.

"It’s called 'strong versus stronger' face-slapping! You need to be strong, but the protagonist has to be even stronger! That way, his professional skills will be greatly emphasized, leaving a deeper and better impression on the boss," 014 analyzed seriously.

"But… what if Han Lang isn’t stronger than me?" Xia Heng hesitated.

"Heh, what are you thinking? The protagonist carries the world’s fortune and luck. How could he not be stronger than you? Think about today’s exam rankings—we prepared for so long, and I even gave you the most cutting-edge and high-end design references from the interstellar industry. And yet? Han Lang still ranked higher than us! So rest assured, the protagonist is invincible!"

Xia Heng found this reasoning convincing, and the two of them became even more confident in Han Lang’s abilities.

Finally, the interview day arrived. Xia Heng woke up early, got dressed, and headed to the interview site.

As soon as he entered the waiting area, he hesitated. "014, why is everyone wearing black suits? Won’t I look strange wearing white?"

014 was momentarily caught off guard. It had only considered that Xia Heng looked better in white but had forgotten to account for this situation.

Now, Xia Heng looked like an actor who had wandered onto the wrong set. His outfit and overall demeanor completely clashed with the environment and the other interviewees.

But 014 wasn’t incompetent like 015! It quickly tried to salvage the situation: "Don’t worry! The more outstanding we appear, the better it will be when the protagonist defeats us. That will make him shine even brighter!"

Xia Heng found comfort in this logic—after all, what was done was done, and he couldn’t go home to change.

So, sitting in the waiting area, looking like an ethereal little prince, Xia Heng tried to ignore the curious glances directed at him.

Just then, a small bottle of herbal tea was placed in his hand.

Xia Heng turned his head to see Han Lang smiling at him. A bit flustered, Xia Heng thought to himself, The protagonist is really so manly.

Han Lang wasn’t just good-looking, with his sunny and handsome face—he was also over 1.8 meters tall, something Xia Heng truly admired.

And on top of that, Han Lang carried the protagonist’s aura of fate! Xia Heng's initial awkwardness quickly turned into excitement.

Blushing, he stammered, "Th-thank you."

Han Lang, seeing Xia Heng looking like a startled little rabbit, blushing while thanking him, felt a sudden surge of affection.

Although he came from a wealthy family and had seen all sorts of flirtation tactics, he realized that this was exactly his type—soft, delicate, and exquisitely beautiful. The way Xia Heng blushed and said "thank you" was simply too tempting.

With a hint of mischief, Han Lang smiled and asked, "How do you plan to thank me?"

Xia Heng froze. How to thank him? Should I let him crush my pride in the interview?

Even though he thought that, he couldn’t say it aloud. At a loss for words, his face turned an even deeper shade of red.

After hesitating for a long moment, he finally muttered nervously, "I… I don’t know how…"

Looking at Xia Heng’s delicate profile, his soft voice, and his shy, hesitant demeanor, Han Lang unexpectedly felt a reaction.

This was awkward—he had always known he liked men, but he never realized he could be so easily flustered.

He subtly adjusted his posture to conceal his reaction and casually said, "I was just teasing you. Why are you taking it so seriously?"

Hearing this, Xia Heng let out a sigh of relief. Owing a favor to the protagonist is too stressful. As a minor cannon fodder, I can't handle that!

Feeling like he had dodged a bullet, Xia Heng smiled at Han Lang and said a little shyly, "I can be slow sometimes… Sorry if I made a fool of myself."

Han Lang laughed heartily. When Xia Heng smiled, two charming dimples appeared at the corners of his mouth, making him look incredibly attractive.

At this moment, Han Lang felt that this young man was absolutely his type.

His family’s business was already being managed by professionals, and as someone born into immense wealth with all the time and money in the world, Han Lang felt that the only reason he hadn’t become a spoiled brat was due to his parents’ good upbringing.

He had initially applied to this company simply because the salary and benefits were great.

But there was another reason—because the company’s boss was exceptionally handsome.

T/N: Please give support on my ko-fi page, thank you....