Chapter 10 Zhang Modu: ??? Hah! Excellent! I’ve got such a good cousin…

Lin Yu watched as Zhang Modu waved at him before a trail of exhaust instantly billowed from the rear of his car, leaving behind conspicuous marks that were all too obvious to him.

Shaking his head, he turned and walked toward the company building.

The company occupied a prime location in the office tower—shielded from dust while avoiding direct sunlight, minimizing weather’s impact on operations.

When Lin Yu swiped his card to enter the elevator and arrived at the chairman’s office, a knock revealed his “long-absent” father as expected.

Lin Yicheng nodded at him. “Son, I’ve gone to great lengths to line up all the people you wanted.”

A faint smile crossed Lin Yicheng’s face as he narrowed his eyes. “See how much I trust you? You’re still an undergrad who hasn’t even graduated, yet you’re already so impatient?”

“Why the rush to take over the company, son? After your master’s degree, I’ll send you to the Ivy League for proper training—guaranteeing your smooth transition into the company!”

Lin Yu:……

Lin Yu remained silent for a moment before sitting on the office sofa and speaking slowly, “I believe our company has operational issues.”

“Problems that don’t require immediate takeover—just adjustments to correct.” Lin Yu spoke earnestly, reading from the small screen.

Lin Yicheng waved his hand dismissively. “Don’t worry, son, I believe in you! Review the reports a bit longer—we’ll start the meeting on schedule.”

With that, Lin Yicheng turned to leave, remembering to close the door behind him. “I’ll go prepare the conference room first.”

The door’s movement stirred a gust of air that brushed past Lin Yu’s contemplative face, swirling an inexplicable trace of irritation around him.

001 emitted a pale blue glow, hovering lightly beside Lin Yu. “Preparing meetings ahead of time, acting with decisive efficiency. Truly worthy of being a First Generation Entrepreneur who rode the Favorable Opportunity wave back then!”

Lin Yu rested one hand on the armrest, his slender fingers tapping rhythmically against it.

His other hand flipped through documents with focus, his eyes scanning the pages rapidly.

When the time came, Lin Yu stood up and arrived punctually at the conference room.

Rotating his wrist deliberately, the luxurious and elegant watch he’d specifically worn caught the light. With measured steps, he lowered his gaze to the handle and pushed the door open—

Different faces bore different emotions—beneath each composed and reliable exterior lay subtle details of confusion, bewilderment, curiosity, envy… A complex mix of sentiments intertwined.

Lin Yu’s expression remained unchanged as he closed the conference room door behind him and took his seat.

Lin Yicheng nodded at him before turning to launch the PowerPoint, meticulously presenting the company’s operations, relevant personnel, and implementation specifics.

The occasional questions to subordinates and verifications of details allowed Lin Yu’s floating AI analysis tool to record everything with precision, while also letting him observe each attendee’s reactions clearly.

Undoubtedly, Lin Yicheng truly trusted Lin Yu—treating his words as critically important and positioning him as the company’s future successor.

Lin Yu lowered his head, his other hand jotting notes on paper while cross-checking details with the system.

[11 vulnerabilities detected……]

[Spokesperson: Zhang Chunju’s statements are inconsistent in details, suspected of logical confusion, with the process control appearing self-directed…]  

[Spokesperson: Lin Zhixing, disclosed details do not match the specific accounts, pending data entry…]  

[Spokesperson: Lin Zhixing, suspected involvement in Incident A, suspected involvement in Incident B…]  

Lin Yu squinted slightly as he skimmed through the AI-generated speech draft, then leisurely took a sip of tea from the cup on the table.  

After the respective project managers and executives had given their brief summaries, Lin Yu pressed the pause button on the screen.  

Truly an advanced AI program brought by the administrator from the high-tech Small World—efficient and incredibly useful.  

Lin Yu looked up and gave his father a nod.  

Lin Yicheng caught the glance and understood immediately. With a wave of his hand, he declared the meeting adjourned.  

Lin Zhixing frowned slightly, lost in thought for a moment. Only when most of the attendees had left the conference room did he politely call out, “Uncle.”  

Then, turning to Lin Yu, he flashed a broad smile, walked over, and patted his shoulder. “Xiao Yu, long time no see.”  

Dressed in a well-tailored, undoubtedly expensive suit, he exuded the aura of a polished elite. In contrast, Lin Yu, clad in casual attire, looked like he had wandered into the company for a game of make-believe.  

“So, how’s university life treating you? Need any help from your cousin? What brings you here today?”  

Lin Yu set down his pen and looked up, speaking unhurriedly. “Actually, yes.”  

Lin Zhixing wrapped an arm around his shoulder warmly. “What is it?”  

Under his father Lin Yicheng’s complicated gaze, Lin Yu slowly pulled out a stack of reports and handed them over. “A friend of mine mentioned a project that’s lacking a reliable manager.”  

He met Lin Zhixing’s eyes squarely, enunciating each word. “What do you think, Cousin?”  

Lin Zhixing caught sight of the figures on the documents from the corner of his eye. A glint flickered in his gaze as he held his breath.  

……  

Once outside the company, Lin Yu opened the specially designed Surveillance Tracker on his system and glanced at the red dot on the screen, feeling a wave of exasperation.  

Great. His father really had a “strong work ethic.”  

Fresh out of a lengthy meeting, and already off to “unwind” at a club—truly the “eccentric” figure Shen Qian had described.  

Lin Yu nodded to himself and was about to close the system screen when he looked up and met a pair of familiar eyes watching him quietly.  

“Ayu, watch your step.” Zhang Modu reached out a hand to steady his shoulder.  

The warmth seeped through his clothes like an electric current, tiny tendrils of discomfort prickling at Lin Yu’s skin.  

Lin Yu glanced at the conspicuous Maybach parked in the distance, then at Zhang Modu’s immaculate attire, and took a puzzled step back.  

Noticing the subtle evasion, Zhang Modu didn’t seem offended. Instead, he extended his arm again in invitation. “Didn’t you ask me to share some tips on how to avoid being followed?”  

“I just got off work and figured you’d be leaving the company around now, so I came to pick you up.”

“Would you mind coming to my place?” Zhang Modu smiled gently, his black suit fitting him like a model’s, standing out like a unique little tree in the forest.  

It wasn’t until Lin Yu actually followed him into the car that he began to sense something amiss.  

001 was frantic, pacing around the car and smashing its big blue head against the back of Zhang Modu’s skull: “Host! Host! Lin Yu! Lin Yu!”  

Lin Yu: ?  

“Ahhh, I’m such a useless system, wuwuwu… You can’t use your original power in this world!”  

“You’ve been kidnapped by a bad guy, wuwuwu… What if something happens to you?”  

“Will Master Shen Qian, my favorite administrator, just reset me to factory settings? Wuwuwu, nooo! I worked so hard to self-learn to this level, please nooo!” 001 cried so hard it seemed out of breath—a program that didn’t even need to breathe, yet it wailed with the tragic grandeur of Meng Jiangnu weeping over the Great Wall.  

Lin Yu replied dismissively, “You’re overthinking it. I can’t use Source Power, but this human body of mine is still quite capable.”  

001 sniffled, tears and snot running down its face. “Lin Yu, what do you know, wuwuwu? The people here have firearms.”  

“Do you even know what firearms are…?”  

Lin Yu was lost in conversation with 001 when suddenly, the door beside him swung open, and a hollow emptiness swept through the passenger seat.  

Instantly, Lin Yu’s guard shot up—a reaction born of pure instinct.  

He couldn’t possibly have let his guard down to this extent, failing to notice someone disappearing or appearing beside him with potentially life-threatening consequences.  

“We’re here, Ayu. What’s…?” Zhang Modu sounded puzzled.  

Lin Yu swiftly pulled up the system interface, submitting error reports, bug feedback, and a Source Power usage application in one smooth motion, all under Zhang Modu’s bewildered gaze before finally stepping out of the car.  

Zhang Modu recovered from his confusion and politely gestured for Lin Yu to follow. “Ayu, I appreciate you coming all this way. This is where my family usually stays.”  

Lin Yu followed his gaze into the distance. This wasn’t the city center—just a modest suburban area—yet standing there was an undeniably luxurious villa: expansive gardens, a small forest, a multi-story mansion, and more.  

“Not bad, Host. I don’t think you’ve been kidnapped. At worst, you’ve been… kept. This place is pretty nice~” 001 gloated.  

Lin Yu cradled 001’s translucent orb in both hands, carrying it like a ragdoll as he followed Zhang Modu.  

His arms were folded around 001, making him look like a child hugging a stuffed toy.  

Zhang Modu glanced back curiously at his posture, but Lin Yu paid no mind, continuing forward expressionlessly.  

The tall, gilded interior of the villa shone brilliantly. Though evening was approaching, clever lighting techniques and unique designs kept the space as bright as midday.  

“So, how should I refuse those people?” Lin Yu had no interest in the villa’s extravagance, cutting straight to the point.  

Zhang Modu paused, taken aback, but still courteously ushered Lin Yu inside.

Lin Yu sat down on the sofa and frowned. “They treated me well and didn’t harm me. According to human moral standards, it seems I shouldn’t harm them.”

001: ?

Zhang Modu: ?

The waiter standing nearby, who happened to overhear while preparing to pour tea: ?

Lin Yu looked at Zhang Modu with utmost sincerity. “So what should I do?”

Zhang Modu wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, blinked rapidly, took a cup of tea from the waiter, and handed it to Lin Yu politely. “I don’t think you’re the type to hurt others. You don’t need to worry about moral standards—just follow your heart.”

001 was puzzled. “Why does this person keep mixing ‘you’ and ‘you (honorific)’? Isn’t that strange?”

Lin Yu pondered for a moment and agreed. “I should address you with honorifics.”

Zhang Modu: ?

The waiter who was about to leave: ?