Chapter 1

Lin Shu stared at the green wheat fields racing past the window of the high-speed train, feeling agitated.

Today would be her first day joining Tianhao Law Firm after returning to Rong City from Li City.

In fact, Rong City was where Lin Shu grew up. She had lived there until she graduated from high school. After the college entrance exams, she went to university in Li City and stayed there for work after graduation.

This was supposed to be a homecoming, but Lin Shu couldn’t feel relaxed or happy about it.

A month ago, one of the founding partners of Tianhao had gone against all opposition—despite concerns about Lin Shu being too young—and invited her to join Tianhao, making her one of the firm’s new partners.

This should have been a joyful occasion, as becoming a partner would mean Lin Shu could build her own team. But before things were officially settled, the founding partner who had supported Lin Shu suddenly passed away from a heart attack.

With his passing, things quickly changed. Lin Shu’s treatment at the firm was greatly diminished. Just five minutes ago, she received a call from Tianhao’s HR department, relaying the unanimous decision of the senior partners:

“Lin Shu, one of our female partners is retiring, leaving her team vacant. You will take over her team. However, given your age, it’s hard for others to accept you as a full partner, so you’ll start as a junior partner. Once your team generates over ten million a year in revenue, you’ll be promoted to senior partner.”

Everyone knew that managing an established team was far harder than building one from scratch—especially a team that was already set in its ways. It was extremely difficult to establish authority without making enemies in such a short time.

Moreover, any good team would be fought over by everyone. The fact that this one was available to Lin Shu likely meant it was a motley crew of leftovers.

Now that the partner who had gone to bat for her was gone, Lin Shu found herself alone at Tianhao, with no one close enough to fill her in on the firm’s office politics or gossip.

So, she had no choice but to turn to other means, looking for any clues about her new team on the legal gossip forum, LAWXOXO:

“There’s only one woman on that team, right? All the others are men, and they’re a bunch of old-timers with their own stories.”

“Please, the woman’s story is even more dramatic than the men’s. She’s the mistress of one of the senior partners at Tianhao, and she didn’t even pass the bar exam. Super arrogant, too. She drove the wife into depression, and the wife jumped off a building three months ago. And the mistress? She’s got nerves of steel. After the wife’s death, she’s ready to take the throne in style…”

This was definitely a “big Buddha” to deal with.

Lin Shu couldn’t help but let out a cold laugh. This was probably the most powerful mistress in the world.

And that wasn’t even the only big Buddha in the team.

It turned out that the youngest son of Wang Yannian, the CEO of Xinhe Group, was also in Lin Shu’s team.

“Tianhao is full of nepotism, and this team seems to be packed with connection hires. And the strongest one is that second son of Xinhe’s CEO. People at Tianhao secretly call him ‘the Crown Prince.’”

“Xinhe Group contributes 80% of Tianhao’s revenue, making them the king of all clients. Of course, he can act like the ‘Crown Prince’ at Tianhao.”

“I heard Wang Yannian’s wife is best friends with one of Tianhao’s founding partners. She dotes on this youngest son, so she got him a spot at Tianhao, with her best friend protecting him.”

Where there’s danger, there’s also opportunity. And opportunity often brews in the midst of risk.

This was information that gave Lin Shu a bit of excitement.

The team looked like a hot potato, but if she could build a good relationship with the “Crown Prince” of Xinhe, wouldn’t that mean she’d have cases falling into her lap? Would she even need to worry about generating ten million in revenue?

Step one: identify who the “Crown Prince” was.

Wang Yannian’s youngest son was very mysterious and low-profile. His name and photo had never been made public on social media, likely due to some confidentiality agreement. Even people at Tianhao kept quiet about it.

Lin Shu scoured forums and only found one piece of gossip:

“I overheard during my Tianhao interview that the ‘Crown Prince’ has a really unusual name. Unfortunately, I didn’t make it past the final interview, so I couldn’t dig deeper for everyone.”

Luckily, Lin Shu’s luck wasn’t all bad.

Although “Wang” was a common surname, there was only one person with that name on her team, making it relatively easy to pinpoint the “Crown Prince.”

In the forum, someone had also replied to the gossip:

“Just curious, does the ‘Crown Prince’ really have such a unique name?”

Lin Shu looked at the team member list and contact information sent by HR. She stared at the name “Wang Tie Niu” (Iron Ox) and couldn’t help but feel speechless.

It was indeed quite unique.

But regardless of whether he was called Wang Tie Niu, Wang Tiezhu (Iron Pig), or Wang Tiegou (Iron Dog), Lin Shu was confident she could become good friends with him.

After all…

Lin Shu had some external help.

After hanging up the phone, she opened a message from her cousin, Tang Xiao:

“Our boss’s youngest son is said to be weak and unlucky, so they had a fortune-teller change his name to help balance his fate and ensure he grows up healthy. But apparently, the son himself really hates the name…”

To be fair, Lin Shu could understand. After all, who would be happy being called “Iron Ox”?

Coincidentally, Lin Shu’s cousin worked at Xinhe Group and was a well-connected social butterfly. She happened to be close to the CEO’s personal assistant and had provided some insider information about the “Crown Prince”:

“I heard he’s very particular and refined. His outfits are carefully coordinated, and he never repeats the same set of clothes. He’s also a bit of a germaphobe and can’t sleep in unfamiliar beds, which is why Tianhao never sends him on business trips.”

“Our CEO actually wants him to come home and take over the family business, but he finds it too exhausting and doesn’t want to work hard. He didn’t even want to have a job in the first place, but the CEO felt that such a carefree lifestyle wasn’t suitable, so he pushed him into Tianhao Law Firm. To sweeten the deal, he handed over Xinhe’s legal business to Tianhao as well. In other words, his dad basically bought him a job.”

“He also hates peaches—everything from the fruit to anything peach-flavored. He’s extremely picky about food, allergic to dog hair, and absolutely despises the color yellow. He’s very proud and can’t stand being criticized in front of others—not even by his father or older brother.”

“Speaking of his older brother, his name is Wang Yizhou, the heir to Xinhe Group. We call him ‘Little Wang.’ Little Wang is handsome, but his younger brother doesn’t resemble him at all—they’re completely different. We suspect the CEO’s youngest son doesn’t want to reveal his looks because he doesn’t want to be compared to his older brother.”

As soon as Tang Xiao mentioned Wang Yizhou, she became a fangirl: “In short, though they have the same parents, Little Wang and his younger brother are total opposites in every way: Little Wang is approachable, while his brother is arrogant and difficult to deal with; Little Wang works hard from nine to five, while his brother is lazy and rebellious; Little Wang repays grievances with kindness, believing in ‘blessing through hardship,’ while his brother holds grudges and follows the motto ‘if you make me suffer, I’ll make you pay.’”

…

Lin Shu put down her phone and looked at the book in her hands, *Xinhe and My Ten Years*, feeling conflicted.

It was the latest autobiographical novel by Wang Yannian. He was very protective of his family’s privacy, and aside from his own photos, the only other person publicly mentioned was his eldest son, Wang Yizhou, who would inherit the business. There was no mention of Wang Tie Niu or even his wife, and their names weren’t even mentioned. But it was clear that Wang Yannian adored his youngest son, frequently referring to him as “my youngest” throughout the book.

In conclusion, based on all the information Lin Shu had gathered, the “Crown Prince” Wang Tie Niu was arrogant, lazy, spoiled, vengeful, and difficult…

In short, definitely someone not to offend.

Knowing your opponent is key to victory. The prepared warrior wins every battle. Lin Shu felt ready to meet the “Crown Prince” and her new team at Tianhao.

—

Half an hour later, inside Tianhao Law Firm, Lin Shu stared at the burly figure of the “Crown Prince” before her, struggling to maintain her composure.

“Hello, Lawyer Lin, I’m Wang Tie Niu. Feel free to assign me any work. I look forward to working with you!”

Wang Tie Niu’s appearance was indeed drastically different from his brother’s. His brother had a refined, elegant look, but Tie Niu… Lin Shu could only say that nature truly works in mysterious ways—this name, Wang Tie Niu (Iron Ox), suited him perfectly.

However, what surprised Lin Shu was that, despite the rumors about his difficult personality, the “Crown Prince” showed her an unexpected amount of respect at their first meeting, even extending a friendly gesture:

“This is a small gift I picked up while traveling a few days ago. I thought one for you too, Lawyer Lin.”

Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief. Before coming to Tianhao, her biggest worry had been how to handle her relationship with the “Crown Prince.” If he had been arrogant and refused to give her any face, it would have been tough for her to establish authority.

After all, the first task of leading a team is to assert dominance.

But for now, the crisis had been averted.

Lin Shu respectfully accepted the gift with both hands and sincerely said, “Thank you, Tie Niu.”

The “Crown Prince” certainly knew how to read the situation! He could be worked with!

Now, as for the next one…

“You must be Liu Xuhui, right?”

Liu Xuhui had an extensive resume, and his profile had been posted on Tianhao’s website—a middle-aged male lawyer.

He seemed gentle and stood up, giving Lin Shu a respectful greeting as well.

Now…

“Where is Xu Shijia?”

Lin Shu’s team currently has only three members: Wang Tie Niu, Liu Xuhui, and Xu Shijia.

According to the information on the LAWXOXO forum, there’s only one woman in the team, which is obviously Xu Shijia.

But when Lin Shu glanced at the only empty desk, there were no signs that anyone had been there—it wasn’t that Xu Shijia had stepped out temporarily, but she hadn’t shown up at all.

Lin Shu had already asked the HR department to notify the team members that she would meet with them today, and she had confirmed that no one in the team was on a business trip or on sick leave.

“Xu Shijia hasn’t come to work yet?”

Lin Shu glanced at her phone—it was already 10:30.

Not only were there no signs of Xu Shijia coming to work today, but there were also no signs she had been here yesterday or the day before. A quick wipe of the desk revealed a layer of dust.

The forum’s information was spot on—she really is an arrogant mistress.

What happened before Lin Shu took over could be overlooked, but Lin Shu absolutely wouldn’t tolerate such a blatant provocation on the first day.

Even Wang Tie Niu, the favored son of Xinhe Group, had shown her due respect!

Who does this Xu Shijia think she is?

Especially since Lin Shu detests mistresses who ruin other people’s families the most!

If she let this slide today, it would be hard to manage the team in the future.

Lin Shu turned to Liu Xuhui, trying hard to suppress her anger: “Call Xu Shijia and tell her to come to work immediately.”

But at these words, not only Liu Xuhui, but even Wang Tie Niu showed expressions of astonishment. They both almost said in unison, “That’s not a good idea…”

What’s so bad about it?! Even Wang Tie Niu came to work!

Liu Xuhui glanced at Lin Shu: “At this time, Xu Shijia is usually still sleeping… It’s not convenient to call her, she’s really grumpy when she wakes up…”

Liu Xuhui looked like a nice guy but appeared uncomfortable. It might indeed be awkward for him to call a mistress with powerful connections.

Fine, if he wouldn’t do it, Lin Shu would!

Lin Shu pulled out the electronic contact list and found Xu Shijia’s number. Just as she was about to dial, Liu Xuhui stopped her.

He lowered his voice and kindly reminded, “Lawyer Lin, you might not know, but Xu Shijia has strong connections…”

“I know where Xu Shijia comes from.” Just the most notorious mistress around.

If you have to be mindful of every nepotism case, work would never move forward. After all, doesn’t everyone have some connections?

Though Lin Shu claimed to get along well with Wang Tie Niu, truthfully, if Wang Tie Niu didn’t show her respect like Xu Shijia, Lin Shu wouldn’t be nice to him either.

She had plenty of methods and strength.

Now, this Xu Shijia, just because she’s the mistress of a senior partner, thinks she can act so arrogantly? Even drove the original wife to despair and suicide.

Today, Lin Shu would stand up for justice.

“I know, but so what if she has connections? Does that give her the right to ignore the attendance rules?”

This was a perfect opportunity to establish her authority!

Lin Shu said righteously, “In my eyes, whether someone has connections or not, they are all treated equally. Even a prince is subject to the same laws as a commoner. I have zero tolerance for Xu Shijia’s behavior.”

Ignoring Wang Tie Niu and Liu Xuhui’s attempts to dissuade her, Lin Shu decisively dialed the number.

She was already fuming, so when the call connected, she didn’t even give Xu Shijia a chance to speak and unleashed a barrage of anger—

“Xu Shijia, are you planning on quitting? It’s 10:30, and you’re still sleeping instead of coming to work. Don’t think I’ll turn a blind eye to this behavior. Get to the office before 11:00, or else just go ahead and process your resignation. I don’t tolerate slackers in my team.”

After hanging up, thinking about the poor original wife who was driven to depression and suicide by this woman, Lin Shu still felt unsatisfied and followed up with a text—

“If you can’t even work from 9 to 5, don’t bother coming in and messing with others. Just use your skills to find someone to marry and stop tarnishing the image of our profession.”

After sending the message, Lin Shu finally felt relieved.

And as expected, when she turned around, Wang Tie Niu and Liu Xuhui were looking at her with visible respect in their eyes.

Exactly. Her stern scolding of Xu Shijia not only showed her uncompromising integrity but also served as a subtle warning to the others.

Quickly gaining loyalty and establishing authority.

They were all adults—surely after hearing her speech, even Wang Tie Niu would maintain a level of mutual respect with her.

Lin Shu felt a little pleased with herself.

As expected of me!

Next, it was time to see where Wang Tie Niu stood.

“Tie Niu, come to my office. I have some tasks for you.”

Once they were in her private office, Lin Shu became much more pleasant. She feigned concern about Tie Niu’s work and assigned him a few simple contract revisions, using the opportunity to show him some goodwill—

“I’ve read your father’s book, and I was deeply moved. I feel like I’ve gained a lot from it. You could say I’m a fan of his. I’d love to get a signed copy of one of his books.”

Lin Shu smiled and said, “If you ever run into any difficulties at work, feel free to come to me.”

Sure enough, after her mix of toughness and kindness, Wang Tie Niu’s face showed genuine gratitude. “Of course, Lawyer Lin! I didn’t expect you’ve read my dad’s book! Next time you’re free, I’ll definitely arrange for you to have dinner with him!”

How cooperative!

He immediately offered to arrange a dinner with his father!

Lin Shu was sure that her relationship with the Xinhe Group was on the fast track to success.

After sending off Wang Tie Niu, Lin Shu hummed a little tune and decided to call Tang Xiao to dispel the rumors about him.

Where did she get her information?

Wang Tie Niu wasn’t hard to deal with at all. He was quite reasonable.

“Wang Tie Niu? His name is quite unique,” Tang Xiao said skeptically. “But it doesn’t make sense—how could he be so different from the rumors? Are you sure you’ve got the right person?”

“It can’t be. I mentioned his dad’s book, and he responded right away, so it’s definitely him.”

“Anyway, his attitude toward me was flawless,” Lin Shu said smugly. “Rich people are good at judging others, so it must have been my charm that won him over instantly.”

**

Lin Shu wasn’t wrong—her charm really did win over Wang Tie Niu instantly.

As he walked out of the office, he was still in a daze. It wasn’t until Liu Xuhui called out to him at his desk that he snapped out of it—

“Brother Hui, this woman is something else!” Wang Tie Niu took a big gulp of his herbal tea. “The saying that ‘heroes emerge from youth’ is spot on! Look at her, so young yet so bold! She doesn’t show any special treatment to the ‘prince’—she went all out against him!”

Liu Xuhui looked equally uneasy. “I never thought she had such guts. It’s the first time I’ve seen someone dare to scold the ‘prince’ like that. I even warned her about his powerful background, but who knows how the ‘prince’ will deal with her.”

Wang Tie Niu immediately took a stance: “I’m willing to support Lawyer Lin! She’s so young and pretty, I thought she was just a pretty face, but turns out she’s the real deal! So brave! I, Wang Tie Niu, respect her as a true warrior!”

Lin Shu organized her new office. Since several senior partners were out on business trips, she took the opportunity to greet her new colleagues from HR, administration, and other departments. After settling in and making herself a cup of tea, she received a phone call.

Since there was quite a distance between Lishi and Rong City, she didn’t want to drive long distances. So, she had her car shipped, and the service was punctual—it arrived just as she had settled in at Tianhao.

Lin Shu took the call and went downstairs to retrieve her car.

She also quickly booked a reservation at a nearby high-end Western restaurant. After all, this was her first meeting with the new team. Once she parked the car, she planned to invite everyone to dinner. As for Xu Shijia, she had already asked Liu Xuhui to notify her. Xu Shijia should know better than to act out, knowing Lin Shu wasn’t someone to mess with.

However, as Lin Shu was driving towards the underground parking garage, the road ahead suddenly became blocked. She crawled forward at a snail’s pace, only to discover that a sports car was causing the jam.

Rong City truly is a first-tier city, with many wealthy people. The car causing the jam was a Porsche 918 Spyder, which, if she remembered correctly, was worth tens of millions.

Too bad such a fine car was wasted on someone with terrible driving skills—the car had stalled and was pulled off to the side.

The owner, a young man, was casually leaning against his luxury car with a lazy, indifferent posture.

From Lin Shu’s angle, she could just make out the tailored, expensive suit he was wearing. It was made of dark blue satin, adorned with sequins and intricate embrotheridery—clearly a high-end runway piece.

Lin Shu checked the time and sighed, resigning herself to being stuck in traffic.

When her car finally crawled to the point where she was right beside him, she got a clear view of his face.

From behind, she could tell he had a good physique, but she hadn’t expected his looks to match his body—perhaps even surpass it. Even with her preconceptions, Lin Shu had to admit he was almost too handsome. His eyebrotherws were high, lips thin, and his eyes strikingly beautiful. His features were all sharply defined.

As a man, he was almost too delicate and handsome.

He was nothing like Wang Yizhou or Wang Tie Niu.

Lin Shu thought he looked somewhat familiar, like she’d seen him somewhere before.

Was he a minor celebrity? She couldn’t recall.

He was yawning repeatedly while on the phone, his handsome face filled with the typical innocence of a spoiled rich kid: “I’m still half asleep. I didn’t have time to call the driver, so I had to drive myself. Who knew the car would be so hard to handle?”

At that moment, Lin Shu’s phone rang—it was Tang Xiao.

“Sis, I just saw on Xiaohongshu that there’s a 918 Spyder on your street, and the owner is drop-dead gorgeous! Someone just posted a side profile of him, and it went viral instantly! Tons of people are already heading over to check him out!”

No wonder there were more and more people around, making the road even more congested!

Tang Xiao was great, except for her obsession with good-looking people. Her voice was filled with excitement: “Sis, can you go down and take a look for me? Maybe even ask him for his contact info? He’s young, rich, and handsome—a total catch!”

Lin Shu couldn’t hold back: “This guy stalled in the middle of the road! What’s the point of being handsome if he can’t even drive properly? If he drives so badly, he shouldn’t be on the road at all!”

“And about him being young and rich? Do you know that in Japan, most young guys driving luxury cars are hosts?”

“Most importantly! Never ask a man with bad driving skills for his contact info.”

Still stuck in traffic, Lin Shu grew more frustrated as she thought of all her recent troubles, and she couldn’t help but launch into a rant: “Men with bad driving skills are bad luck! If they can’t drive well, you can bet they’re bad in bed too.”

“You think I’m exaggerating? I’ve got facts to back this up! The guy’s been yawning non-stop—clearly, he’s out of shape. He’s young but probably already worn himself out. Totally weak.”

“I’m not against girls chasing guys, but if you’re going to chase someone, at least pick someone decent! It’s like the saying goes—if he can’t manage something as simple as driving, how can you trust him with anything else?”

After she finished her rant, Lin Shu tugged at her collar in irritation and turned her head—only to realize she had forgotten to roll up her car window. Standing outside her car was none other than the man Tang Xiao had described as “drop-dead gorgeous,” now wearing a stony expression as black as coal.

At some point, he had walked over to Lin Shu’s car.

His car had been moved off to the side by someone else, and now, he was standing right next to her car.

At this moment, his exquisitely handsome face was twisted in an expression of anger, as though he had just encountered a sworn enemy. His dark eyes seemed to carry a resolve for revenge.

And at that same moment, a young girl finally mustered up the courage to approach him…

“Excuse me, could I have your contact info?”

Lin Shu heard the man’s low, mocking voice reply—

“No.”

“Because men with bad driving skills are bad luck.”

“So you should never ask for the contact info of a man who can’t drive.”

Lin Shu: “………………”

How could there be such a petty, vengeful man?

To be fair, when comparing Wang Tie Niu to this guy, Tie Niu seemed practically straightforward and genuine. As the youngest son of Xinhua Group, standing at the pinnacle of the wealthy, the ultimate “rich kid,” Tie Niu was actually pretty down-to-earth—he even dressed in relatively inexpensive clothes. But this guy? Standing there like that, it looked like a peacock had escaped from the zoo and was flaunting its feathers.

Purely a flashy show-off.

Lin Shu couldn’t be bothered with him, rolled her eyes, and without his car blocking the way anymore, she hit the gas and drove off.

**

“Xu Shijia, so what if the new female partner scolded you? Did you really drive all the way to Tianhao just to resign?”

“And as for this name change you’re talking about—that’s absurd. I know you’re not fond of your name and think it’s too feminine, but I think you’re being overly sensitive. It’s actually a gender-neutral name. Everyone thinks so. Haven’t you already accepted it? Why suddenly want to change it again?”

On the other end of the line, Xu Shijia’s voice was seething—

“That new female partner told me to find someone to marry!”

“…,” Wang Yizhou, on the other end, tried to speak calmly and reasonably: “It’s a new era, men can marry too. She might not have thought you were a woman. As for everything else, you should communicate properly. She just transferred here and might not know the situation yet. Calm down, don’t be so childish. You still need a decent job and a career goal to work toward.”

Wang Yizhou was already stressed, but then he noticed that Xu Shijia had suddenly gone quiet.

A moment later, he heard his brotherther’s sinister voice again: “Brother.”

“That woman I’ve been looking for? She just showed up.”

Xu Shijia’s voice was cold: “She drove past me just now and didn’t even recognize me. She insulted my driving skills, said I was useless, and not only did she say these cold and heartless things with her thirty-seven-degree lips, but she even rolled her eyes at my handsome face.”

Wang Yizhou, rushing to a meeting, cut him off and got to the point: “I sent you the new female partner’s info. Her name is Lin Shu. She’s your schoolmate. Graduated from the same high school as you, two years ahead, but she’s five years younger. She’s quite outstanding. You should really learn from her.”

He then heard Xu Shijia grinding his teeth: “Lin Shu? My new boss is Lin Shu? The one who told me to find someone to marry is Lin Shu?”

“Brother, I’m not quitting anymore. I’m going to stay here, for a long, long time, until I run Tianhao into the ground.”

“?”

“I think you’re right. A person should have a goal to work toward. I didn’t have one before, but now I do.”

“And, brother, hire me a driving instructor. I need to practice.”

Wang Yizhou was surprised: “Why? You’ve always complained that driving is tiring and annoying.”

“Because not knowing how to drive brings men endless humiliation.”

“…”