[How can a person be this effortlessly amazing?]

Since arriving in the book world, Chen Zemian had interacted with several young heirs from wealthy families and had gradually summarized a few patterns.

The young masters had been treated like royalty since childhood, accustomed to being pampered and followed. Their actions and words often carried an excessive sense of self-importance, with everything they said or did seeming to imply that it was simply how things should be. This sense of arrogance was particularly evident when they gave orders.

However, compared to the other young masters, the arrogance and behavior of these individuals had seemed trivial and insignificant in front of Lu Zhuonian. To put it simply, they had paled in comparison and had not been worth mentioning.

Chen Zemian’s line, “I didn’t have the honor before,” was clearly a compliment. Normally, no one would reply with “now you do.”

But Lu Zhuonian said it so matter-of-factly, as if it was just natural.

It was as if an emperor had instructed a minister to rise.

Although Lu Zhuonian was destined to build a massive, stable, and invincible business empire and dominate the global financial world in the future, he was currently only a sophomore in college. What had this emperor-like grace and condescension been about?

At this moment, Chen Zemian had no words to say and even felt like he should respond with a “Thank you for your kindness, Your Majesty.”

He stared at Lu Zhuonian, thinking, ‘Being the male lead in a modern urban setting is really beneath you, Your Majesty. You should go to a cultivation world and be an emperor.’

How can a person be this effortlessly amazing?

Xiao Kesong and Ye Chen remained unfazed, so Chen Zemian couldn’t quite figure out whether they were so used to Lu Zhuonian’s sudden air of superiority that it no longer surprised them, or if they knew he was just joking around.

But no matter the case, for Lu Zhuonian, who usually keeps others at arm’s length, to show any willingness to accept a follower, that was already impressive enough.

Seeing Chen Zemian frozen, Xiao Kesong quickly nudged his arm, signaling him to seize the opportunity.

At this point, if Chen Zemian didn’t say something, it would seem quite ungrateful. So, he picked up his teacup, used tea instead of alcohol, and stood up respectfully, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Lu, for your favor.”

Lu Zhuonian responded with a nonchalant “Hmm” and didn’t show any other reaction.

Chen Zemian had no choice but to continue, “I wonder if I might have the honor of serving you, Mr. Lu?”

Hearing this, Lu Zhuonian lifted his gaze and stared at Chen Zemian for a while. Only when he saw that Chen Zemian’s hand holding the teacup was starting to stiffen did he speak, “Let’s see how you perform.”

‘Is that a yes or a no? What does “let’s see how you perform” mean?’

Upon hearing this, not only was Chen Zemian confused, but even Xiao Kesong and Ye Chen were left puzzled.

Just as the atmosphere grew increasingly awkward, Lu Zhuonian suddenly raised his teacup and lightly clinked it against Chen Zemian’s teacup.

With the sound of the cups clinking, Lu Zhuonian encouraged him, “Do well.”

Xiao Kesong and Ye Chen exchanged glances, both of them utterly incredulous.

Lu Zhuonian was always composed and reliable in front of outsiders, but today, for some reason, he had teased Chen Zemian repeatedly.

Chen Zemian, realizing what was happening, squinted his eyes at Lu Zhuonian and indeed caught a hint of mischief in his eyes.

‘He’s definitely teasing me.’

Ever since the day Lu Zhuonian threatened him with a lumbar puncture, Chen Zemian had realized that Lu Zhuonian was not the righteous, noble male lead he had initially expected. His shine and greatness faded before this calculating, cold-hearted person.

After all, it was his suspicious behavior that night that had caught Lu Zhuonian’s attention.

If he wanted to get off Lu Zhuonian’s special watchlist, he couldn’t lose his temper and clash with him. He had to think about how Chen Ze would act instead.

As long as he could simulate behavior similar to Chen Ze, he could gradually dispel Lu Zhuonian’s suspicions.

After all, there were the shields of being drunk and injured that night to cover up his odd behavior. Eventually, when the disguise faded, he would slowly revert to his usual personality without making things feel awkward.

Chen Zemian decided firmly, repeating in his mind three times, “Don’t bully the poor youth,” before giving Lu Zhuonian a sycophantic smile.

Seeing such a clichéd smile, the mischief in Lu Zhuonian’s eyes indeed seemed to diminish.

Chen Zemian felt a surge of relief and continued to flatter, “Mr. Lu, if you need anything in the future, just give me a command. I’ll do my best to serve you, no matter what it takes.”

Lu Zhuonian said nothing.

Chen Zemian raised his teacup with both hands and said with a smile, “Mr. Lu, I toast to you.”

Lu Zhuonian’s handsome brows lightly furrowed as he looked at Chen Zemian.

Chen Zemian was surprised and hummed in response, pretending to be clueless, “What’s the matter, Mr. Lu?”

Lu Zhuonian’s mood seemed to have soured, his voice light but disinterested, “Nothing.”

He placed his teacup down, the bottom tapping softly on the table, signaling his displeasure.

Xiao Kesong couldn’t understand why Lu Zhuonian suddenly seemed upset, so he subtly nudged Ye Chen under the table, hinting for him to give some kind of clue. 

Ye Chen pressed down on the automatic rotating table and gave it a counterclockwise push. The plate of taro duck stopped right in front of Xiao Kesong.

Xiao Kesong: “?????”

Ye Chen reluctantly spat out two words: “Taro duck.”

Xiao Kesong didn’t get it: “What about the taro duck?”

Ye Chen simply picked up the plate, dumped the taro duck into Xiao Kesong’s bowl, and said, “Eat yours.”

‘Mind your own business.’

Xiao Kesong: “…”

Lu Zhuonian’s displeasure was obvious.

He had always been picky about food. The dishes at Jinlin Restaurant didn’t suit his taste to begin with, and now he was even less in the mood to eat. He barely touched his chopsticks afterward.

Chen Zemian, on the other hand, was eating with great enjoyment.

Since he couldn’t confront Lu Zhuonian directly, he could only resort to mental victories—

If Lu Zhuonian was unhappy, then he was happy.

If Lu Zhuonian was unhappy because of him, then he was doubly happy.

As it turned out, appetite and mood were closely related, and the food at Jinlin was genuinely delicious.

Chen Zemian ate too much again and ended up with a slight stomachache.

As it grew late, Xiao Kesong didn’t ask Chen Zhe to see him off and drove off by himself.

Even though Chen Zemian had clearly seen Lu Zhuonian’s car, he still put on an act and asked, “Mr. Lu, may I see you off?”

Lu Zhuonian’s face turned colder. “No need.”

Chen Zemian feigned disappointment: “Alright then, Mr. Lu, take care on the road.”

Trying to show his eagerness to please, he had wanted to open the car door for Lu Zhuonian—but the bodyguard had already opened it.

The custom bulletproof Maybach had its hazard lights blinking, reflecting a luxurious sheen under the streetlights.

Standing beside the black luxury car, Lu Zhuonian’s aura didn’t diminish in the slightest—if anything, his tall figure and noble presence became even more prominent.

Seeing that he wasn’t getting in the car, Chen Zemian wisely stepped forward and asked, “Do you have any instructions for me, Mr. Lu?”

Lu Zhuonian looked at him up close and paused for about two seconds before speaking in his usual lofty tone: “Will you do everything I ask?”

Chen Zemian had no idea what new trick he was up to, so he replied without hesitation, “Of course. If you have any requests, just say the word.”

Lu Zhuonian’s gaze dropped slightly, landing on the top of Chen Zemian’s light blond hair. “Dye your hair back to black.”

Chen Zemian was stunned. “What’s wrong with my hair?”

Lu Zhuonian’s answer was unexpected: “It’s too shiny. Hurts the eyes.”

Chen Zemian, for once, genuinely agreed with him. “I think so too.”

The color really was a bit flashy.

He had actually been thinking of dyeing it a different shade. A few days ago, he even went to the salon to ask about it, but the stylist told him that because his hair had been bleached, dyeing it a darker color wouldn’t come out well. They recommended ash-brown or muted lavender instead. Chen Zemian had thought that would be even more flamboyant, so he hadn’t gone through with it.

“They probably just want me to sign up for a membership,” Chen Zemian saw right through the stylist’s scheme. He pushed his bangs back and bent down to check his reflection in the car window. “Might as well shave it all off someday.”

Lu Zhuonian looked at the reflection in the glass and immediately dismissed the idea of a bald Chen Zhe hovering around him. “No. Bad idea.”

Chen Zemian met his gaze through the reflection and asked with his eyes: Why not?

Lu Zhuonian paused for a few seconds before answering, “Even shinier.”

He wasn’t wrong. Besides, the weather was getting colder by the day—being bald would freeze his head.

Chen Zemian accepted the advice humbly: “Alright, I’ll listen to you.”

Those words—“I’ll listen to you”—sounded especially pleasant to the ears.

Finally hearing something agreeable from Chen Zhe’s mouth, Lu Zhuonian’s mood improved. Even that blinding gold hair started looking more tolerable.

He nodded in satisfaction, took one long step into the car, and a bodyguard immediately stepped forward to close the door.

The Maybach engine roared to life and drove off in style.

—-

After securing initial funding from Young Master Xiao, Chen Zemian finally moved his game development plans up on the schedule.

According to his plan, he casually recruited a few computer science students from prestigious universities, handed off the basic framework to them, and set a three-month development deadline.

In this world, the development of both online and mobile games lagged behind that of his original world. Many of the blockbuster titles that had once gone viral hadn’t even been released yet. The game Chen Zemian was working on was a gacha-style game, blending a gripping storyline with a fresh combat system—it had strong potential.

The essence of gacha games is monetization. That applies not only to players but also to game companies. To make a good gacha game, the art design has to be top-notch. The character designs need to be intricate and visually stunning—totally different from the slapdash look of those combat-training games that just draw a head and limbs and call it a day.

Combat-training games had strong market performance, especially that once wildly popular multiplayer shooter. Its gun models were incredibly realistic, and even the footstep sounds were meticulously categorized—pretty exciting to play.

Chen Zemian had sharper hearing than the average person. When he played that shooter, it was like he had cheat codes enabled. He didn’t even need to see enemies to pinpoint their location just by their footsteps. His blind shots were so accurate it was almost terrifying—so much so that his teammates would report him.

If his father hadn’t forbidden him from taking time off during senior year of high school, Chen Zemian would’ve gone pro. But by the time he graduated college at 22, most pro players were already preparing to retire—and the game’s popularity had also faded.

The Chen Zhe of this world had just reached adulthood—prime age to go pro. Unfortunately, that game didn’t exist in this world yet.

Chen Zemian’s fingers itched—he wanted to recreate it.

Building a game framework wasn’t hard. What stumped him were the specific parameters for firearms.

“What’s so hard about that?” Xiao Kesong said. “Zhuonian loves guns. He opened an international shooting range in Beijing, and he’s got a firearm museum at one of his estates overseas. I’ve been there—it’s basically an armory.”

For the first time, Chen Zemian found himself struggling to understand Chinese.

An international shooting range in Beijing. A gun museum abroad.

What a niche language.

He knew Lu Zhuonian was rich, but not this rich.

Xiao Kesong continued, “There’s nothing the Lu family doesn’t have. Gun specs? Easy. He could probably get you uranium warhead ratios if you asked. If you want the data, just ask him. If you’re too shy, I can give him a heads-up for you?”

Chen Zemian’s first instinct was to stay far away from Lu Zhuonian. But on second thought, taking advantage of this opportunity to get closer to Young Master Lu seemed exactly like something Chen Zhe would do.

Who knows—if he buttered him up a few more times, Lu Zhuonian might get annoyed and stop watching him so closely, stop thinking everything about him was off.

So Chen Zemian carefully worded his request and asked Xiao Kesong to pass it on.

No one knows exactly how Xiao Kesong conveyed the message.

What Chen Zemian had actually said was:

[Wow, that’s awesome. If you ever go to the shooting range and don’t mind, could you invite me along? I’m really into guns too.]

What Xiao Kesong told Lu Zhuonian was:

[Chen Zhe says you’re really cool and wants to play with your guns.]

“How do you want to play?”

Inside the shooting range, Lu Zhuonian took off his coat and handed it to a staff member. He turned to Chen Zemian and asked, “What do you want to play with?”