CFALE Chapter 3

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At the year-end gathering of a family-invested company, Han Lang had only taken a distant glance and already found the company's boss quite pleasing to the eye. That was what led to today's interview scene.

However, looking at Xia Heng, who was sitting beside him feeling rather uneasy, Han Lang thought that maybe he could change his target.

Xia Heng had no idea what Han Lang was thinking at that moment, and neither did 014. Both of them just felt that while the situation was slightly strange, it was still under control.

The interview was conducted in groups of three, with three people going in at a time.

Xia Heng knew he would definitely be placed in the same group as the main character shou; otherwise, how would the face-slapping scene happen?

Sure enough, both Xia Heng and Han Lang’s names were called together.

Thinking about the incoming points, Xia Heng felt a surge of joy. He turned around and smiled at Han Lang, saying, "Good luck!"—You must step on me to rise to the top!

Han Lang was momentarily stunned by the sweet and charming dimples on Xia Heng’s face, then slowly responded, "Okay."

The top three scorers in the written exam advanced to the interview round.

As soon as the man sitting in the main seat saw Xia Heng, a variety of emotions flashed through his eyes—wasn't this the little cutie who had tried to fake a fall on him the other day?

Xia Heng had no idea what the man was thinking. At that moment, he was quite nervous because he was about to be humiliated—for the first time in his memory.

He looked at the handsome chief examiner in the main seat with great anticipation. The mission was about to be completed! So exciting.

Cheng Kaiming noticed the young man in white staring at him with bright, eager eyes, his expression filled with excitement.

He knew his appearance was attractive—so much so that many people were obsessed with him.

From childhood to adulthood, his face had brought him plenty of trouble. He never liked being stared at. But in this young man's gaze, there was no obsessive greed or unpleasant desire—only pure enthusiasm for the upcoming interview.

This kind of gaze, free of any ulterior motives, made Cheng Kaiming feel quite comfortable. It even improved his impression of Xia Heng significantly.

Xia Heng was initially nervous, but when he saw the company-issued documents in his hands, he immediately understood—they were being asked to evaluate their own and their competitors' designs.

Looking at the two ring designs he had submitted, stamped with the word "Excellent," Xia Heng couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement—the joy of being recognized.

Then, he turned his attention to the other two designs.

One was a wedding ring featuring two swans, each with a diamond set in its beak. The design was simple yet elegant, with gracefully curved necks and silver-white bodies, exuding sophistication and beauty.

The third design was much simpler—a heart with a diamond embedded at its center. It was unique but, compared to the other two, clearly less impressive.

Xia Heng instantly determined which design belonged to the main character shou—it had to be the one that was second only to his own in creativity. He was that confident.

Cheng Kaiming, looking at the three contestants preparing their answers, calmly said, "All three of your designs are displayed here. Who would like to analyze their strengths and weaknesses first?"

Xia Heng immediately raised his hand, eager to speak. No way was he letting the main character go first—how else would he get humiliated?

In moments like this, he had to seize the initiative! Xia Heng thought confidently.

Xia Heng listened to the increasingly off-track conversation and couldn't help but feel a little anxious. He quickly called out to 014, "Fourteen-ge, does this count as a slap in the face for Han Lang?"

But 014 remained silent.

Recalling his past experiences, Xia Heng suddenly felt a little panicked. Did he fail his mission again? That couldn't be! He had clearly done everything right! As he thought about it, his eyes took on an even more pitiful look.

Han Lang's heart softened when he saw his expression. How could he bear to say anything harsh? He was almost at the point of saying, "Just take Xia Heng then; I don’t want this position anymore."

Cheng Kaiming, watching the interaction between Xia Heng and Han Lang from the stage, gently tapped his pen against the table. Had these two met before? That would actually be quite beneficial. Initially, he had only planned to keep one of them.

But seeing their good relationship now, he could consider keeping both. After all, most work in jewelry design required teamwork.

Xia Heng was completely thrown off guard by the praise. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go! Could the protagonist please follow the script?

Han Lang found Xia Heng’s panicked expression utterly adorable. Just a few compliments, and he was already shy?

As Han Lang smiled at him, Xia Heng felt that something was very wrong. He tried calling 014 again, but still received no response. Xia Heng could only brace himself and try to overcome the challenge on his own.

Just as he was about to speak, one of the interviewers sitting beside him announced, "This interview is now over. Please wait for our notification."

Xia Heng lowered his head in despair and followed Han Lang and Li Dong out of the interview room.

As soon as they stepped out, the system, which had been silent until now, suddenly appeared. But when Xia Heng heard what it said next, he felt even worse.

"This is System 010, at your service."

"Where’s 014?"

"Oh, it’s handling other side character missions."

"Then you're responsible for…?" Xia Heng cautiously asked after hearing 010's response.

"I'm responsible for assigning missions to minor cannon fodder in this world," 010 said proudly.

Xia Heng was stunned. Did this mean his role had been upgraded? Did that mean his mission was complete?

Before he could ask, Han Lang turned around and said, "You did well today. Here’s my business card. Contact me if you need anything in the future."

Xia Heng was flattered and quickly accepted the card. Han Lang smiled at him again before leaving.

Looking at the black business card in his hands, Xia Heng was surprised. The card only had Han Lang's name and a phone number—nothing else.

It was completely different from the business cards he was used to, which were always filled with job titles and positions.

Yet Xia Heng felt that this card carried far more weight than those full of titles.

Li Dong glanced at Xia Heng, picked up his belongings, and prepared to leave. Xia Heng politely bid him farewell.

Li Dong turned back to look at Xia Heng’s sweet smile, sighed, and said, "Your work is indeed good. Keep up the effort."

Xia Heng was a little surprised that Li Dong would say such a thing, and he felt touched. "Actually, I think your work is good too," he said sincerely. Just not as good as mine.

Li Dong chuckled at Xia Heng’s earnest expression and said, "I don’t know what your relationship with Han Lang is, but I get the feeling he has quite a background. Be careful when dealing with him."

If Xia Heng had been half-joking earlier, now he was completely serious. "How do you know?"

Li Dong simply smiled without answering. Instead, he patted Xia Heng’s shoulder and walked away.

Xia Heng, still in shock, turned to System 010 and asked, "Is Han Lang the main character's uke or the protagonist of this world? Why does everyone treat him differently?"

010 seemed to freeze for a moment before responding slowly, "Who told you he’s an uke?"

"015 did. 015 said that usually, the rich one is the gong, and the poor one is the uke." Xia Heng ratted out another system without hesitation.

010 was silent for a moment before it subtly changed the topic. "Let's not focus on that for now. Since you failed your last mission, the main system has deducted 500 points from your score. I hope you’ll work harder on your next mission."

Xia Heng exploded in frustration upon hearing this. He no longer cared about who was the uke or the gong. "Why did I lose so many points?! I clearly worked hard—Han, Han Lang—!"

"I'm sorry, but this is a rule set by the main system. If you fail a mission, you lose half of the points you previously earned," 010 stated matter-of-factly.

Xia Heng’s eyes reddened with distress. So many points! He had worked so hard, and he still failed!

As he wallowed in regret, 010 comforted him. "Don’t worry, you can still take on more missions and earn points. Many other hosts would love to have this opportunity."

"What’s the next mission?" Xia Heng asked gloomily.

"The next mission is a bit more complicated," 010 explained patiently. "You have to become the company’s pitiful underdog, get bullied by everyone, and then have Han Lang stand up for you. That way, Han Lang and Cheng Kaiming will have their first ideological clash!"

"So… I just get bullied?" Xia Heng hesitantly confirmed.

"It’s not just about being bullied," 010 clarified. "In the end, you need to suffer a tragic resignation, forcing Cheng Kaiming to acknowledge the issues in the company. Most importantly, you have to make Han Lang notice Cheng Kaiming’s capabilities, tactics, and sense of justice."

Xia Heng remained silent for a moment before finally asking the question that had been on his mind, “Who is Cheng Kaiming?”

Xia Heng left the company while being bombarded by 010’s detailed explanations of Cheng Kaiming’s illustrious career.

“So, according to you, the protagonist gong is Cheng Kaiming? This guy started from scratch and worked his way up to become a giant in the jewelry industry—doesn’t that make him incredibly impressive?” Xia Heng asked in his mind, full of admiration.

“Don’t use the word ‘worked his way up’ so casually! Every brick and tile of Cheng Kaiming’s company was built through his own hard work and perseverance,” 010 said with equal admiration.

“So, those two are actually a great match,” Xia Heng muttered under his breath.

“What do you mean, ‘a great match’?” 010 didn’t quite catch his words.

“I mean Han Lang and Cheng Kaiming make a great pair. Li Dong told me that Han Lang is no ordinary person, and since they’re both so capable, they complement each other well,” Xia Heng said earnestly.

“Well, of course! We carefully selec—” 010 stopped abruptly, realizing it had said too much, and let out an awkward chuckle.

Xia Heng didn’t press further. He had always respected other people’s secrets, and that extended to systems as well.

When he returned to the apartment 014 had previously arranged for him, he found the small space cozy and exactly to his liking. It was filled with plants, making the whole place feel vibrant and full of life.

Outside, autumn had already begun. Xia Heng carefully turned off the heater he had set up specifically for his plants. After watering them a little, he asked 010 somewhat sadly, “015 and 014 won’t be punished because I failed my mission, will they?”

010 answered nonchalantly, “Of course not.”

“Every day, many hosts fail their missions and get sent to the next world. You… are just a little different.” 010 chose its words carefully.

“How am I different?” Xia Heng asked curiously.

“Apologies, but I don’t have permission to answer that question…” 010’s tone suddenly turned robotic and formal.

Xia Heng quickly waved his hand. “It’s fine, it’s fine. I was just asking. If you can’t say, it’s no big deal.”

010 was silent for a moment before finally saying, “015 and 014 both really like you. Now… I think I kind of like you too.

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