THD Chapter 28

What do they usually call unregistered companies? Ye Xiqing savored the aroma of the avocado. "I'm planning to start a pharmaceutical company, but I haven't gotten anything done yet."

Oh, so it was "nothing."

Meng Xuedong decided to give up on herself and listen carefully to Xi Shen's ideas, but after waiting for a long time, Ye Xiqing still didn't say anything.

Meng Xuedong: ...

"So, Xi Shen, what's your first step?"

Ye Xiqing glanced at her indifferently. "How would I know? I haven't attended a single professional class either."

Meng Xuedong: ...

Then why are you so confident?

Ye Xiqing looked at her expressionlessly and said matter-of-factly, "You need to understand one thing. You are no longer my classmate or my roommate. I am the one hiring you. Do you need the boss to personally handle something as small as setting up a company?"

Meng Xuedong: ...

"In that case, can we talk about salary first...?"

Ye Xiqing beckoned for her to bring over her phone, transferred 5,000 yuan, and coldly said, "You're only worth this much right now."

"Huh?"

Meng Xuedong sprang up from the recliner.

"Yes, Boss!"

The world was diverse. Although her family background was not as extreme as Ye Xiqing's before she was found, it was still the sort of family where, by the time she reached university, she felt embarrassed to ask her parents for living expenses. Their hands were rough with calluses, and their bodies bore the marks of a lifetime of hardship.

Before entering university, she had already applied for student loans. She planned to spend the many university holidays working part-time to support herself and, if possible, ease her parents' burden while she was still studying. She also hoped to gain plenty of work experience, secure a good job immediately after graduation, and repay her loans independently.

Truly admirable.

Unfortunately, she had many relatives. After she received her admission letter from X University, people constantly came to her parents to gossip and pressure them.

"University graduates are worthless nowadays. Plenty of them can't even find jobs."

"It's better for girls to marry well than study well. Look at Old Wang's daughter next door. She married so-and-so and now lives in luxury."

To all of that, she had only one response.

Get lost!

You people are the worthless ones, sitting at home playing games all day and failing to get into even a vocational college. I'm incredibly valuable!

Of course, she did not dare say that to their faces.

Still, it did not matter. She had already decided to start competing from the moment she entered university. Even with the current difficult job market, she was determined to claw her way to the very bottom among those who still had employment opportunities.

The inner world of the King of Competition was beyond ordinary people's understanding. The moment she received the money, Meng Xuedong was ready to begin working.

"Okay, Xi Shen. I need a work environment and some tools, like a computer. Can those be reimbursed?"

Ye Xiqing had originally intended to treat her as a friend, but she had not expected her to adapt to her new role so quickly. Since that was the case, she would respect and support her choice.

Leading Meng Xuedong into the prepared guest room, Ye Xiqing demonstrated one of the luxuries of the Ye residence. Even a guest room came with a private bathroom and a clearly separated work and rest area.

"The rooms here are all soundproof. You can close the door and work without being disturbed. For today, your first task is to compile a list of all the qualifications required to establish a pharmaceutical R&D company. Contact logistics if you need anything."

"After you finish, come find me. Although you're my employee now, I still consider you a friend. And as a friend, I'd really like to treat you well."

Meng Xuedong: ...

She did not want to go find her!

What employee spends their free time hanging around their boss after work? They were no longer friends. Bosses and employees could not be friends!

Naturally, she could not say any of that out loud. One could not tell the boss everything.

So after seeing her boss off, Meng Xuedong tearfully expressed how much she wanted to spend time with her.

The moment Ye Xiqing left, she slammed the door shut and used all her strength to test the room's soundproofing.

Excellent.

She flopped into the swivel chair.

Ah!

This was her territory.

After enjoying the comfortable working environment for a while, she carefully opened the thin laptop, which booted up instantly, and gasped in amazement once again.

Wow!

She was beginning to love her job.

After lamenting yet again how wonderful it was to be rich, Meng Xuedong turned toward the screen with a serious expression and recalled her boss's instructions.

She opened a browser and typed:

"What qualifications are required to establish a pharmaceutical R&D company?"

As she copied information from various websites, she felt a twinge of guilt.

Was 5,000 yuan too much for work with this level of technical difficulty?

Her fingers flew across the keyboard as she organized and summarized the information.

She sincerely hoped her boss would assign her even more work.

...

Meng Xuedong believed the room was soundproof, which meant no one would know what she was doing.

However, the system was an extraterrestrial lifeform. It could see everything.

The system immediately contacted Ye Xiqing in alarm.

"Host, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

"Establish a pharmaceutical company. Didn't I tell you already? I want to explore the male lead's profession."

The system ground its teeth.

"You're exploring the male lead's profession? You've already started planning a company! The male lead is still studying his major!"

Ye Xiqing remained completely calm.

So what?

Was she supposed to wait for him to get started first?

He had been born four years earlier than her and already had a four-year head start. He certainly had never asked for her permission.

Time waited for no one.

Starting early was essential. If she was late, the male lead would seize the advantage.

System: ...

The system knew Ye Xiqing would never obediently follow the plot. Once she gained an advantage, who knew what she might do?

Still, the fact that she had scored 746 on the college entrance examination, entered the nation's top pharmacy program with legendary fanfare, and become the student of a renowned professor was already set in stone.

At this point, the system could only hope that the strict regulations surrounding pharmaceuticals would make it difficult for her to establish a company.

From a rational perspective, a college freshman starting a pharmaceutical company could only end in financial loss.

The problem was that Ye Xiqing could never be analyzed rationally.

The system nervously monitored Meng Xuedong's progress, only to discover that she had already summarized the objective requirements for success and then identified an even more important factor.

Money.

System: ...

As a "reborn" daughter who had suffered severe abuse and trauma, Ye Xiqing was extremely dissatisfied that her father had used her name to promote the company without her permission. Thus, the loving father, determined to make amends, immediately transferred five percent of the company's shares to satisfy his noisy little princess.

Not even her brothers had received such treatment.

Wow.

Life in a doting family really was wonderful.

Want to start a business?

The family would deliver the funding right to your doorstep.

Moo—

The system cried bitterly, utterly despairing of this world where Ye Xiqing could summon wind and rain at will.

Its heart shattered into eight pieces, the system forcibly pulled itself together and tried to offer some advice.

"Host, as the saying goes, what is truly frightening isn't rich kids spending money. It's rich kids starting businesses."

"Even the male lead first built up his network in academia before starting a company with his friends. Host, shouldn't you be a little more cautious?"

Ye Xiqing casually turned a page in her book. Meng Xuedong had not even attended a single class yet, while she had already begun studying.

Looking up at the strangely agitated system, she decided to show a little kindness to her long-term partner. Setting her book down, she asked benevolently, "System, what exactly do you think my purpose is in following the male lead's path?"

The system blinked.

Wasn't that obvious?

To steal the male lead's opportunities, of course.

Ye Xiqing could not help laughing.

She looked at the system with the same patience one might reserve for someone mentally challenged.

"System, have you considered the possibility that I'm merely using him as a stone to test the depth of the river?"

"Your male lead is a hollow stone with a smooth brain and a pretty exterior. If you treat him as some valuable collectible, all you'll find is a waste of time and energy."

"But if you toss him into the river first, you'll discover that even this kind of thing sinks. Once you know that, crossing the water doesn't seem nearly so difficult."

"Now that I already know from the original plot that he'll sink, does it really matter how he managed it?"

System: ...

It was already painful enough that the female lead looked down on its carefully chosen male lead.

Now even his brilliant entrepreneurial achievements from the original story were being mocked.

The system tried desperately to salvage its self-esteem, but there was nothing left to save.

Curling up in its system space and sulking, it could not stop glancing back at Ye Xiqing.

Keep being arrogant.

Keep talking big.

If this little puddle really overturned you one day, I would laugh myself to death.

...

Regardless of what the system thought, Ye Xiqing had no interest in paying further attention to it.

She disliked wasting energy on meaningless matters.

Compared to that, she would rather spend her time absorbing new knowledge and exploring unfamiliar worlds.

She casually opened Introduction to Pharmacy and patiently read even the preface word by word.

Had she still been in her original world, she would have approached everything with a clearer purpose, more meticulous planning, and an unwavering determination not to fail.

But this was a game world.

Here, she possessed endless possibilities and cared little about temporary victories or setbacks.

The feeling was wonderful.

She could confidently immerse herself in an ocean of the unknown, where even the concepts of time and physical existence gradually lost their significance.

Only when hunger finally reminded her body of its presence did she realize night had already fallen.

Turning her head, she noticed the iced cola Meng Xuedong had ordered earlier. It had long since lost its chill.

After a moment of thought, she instructed someone to add fresh ice and deliver it to Meng Xuedong.

The order was accepted immediately.

Being served hand and foot really did make life easy.

...

Meng Xuedong claimed she would slack off after work, but in reality, she was far too anxious.

Nothing ever felt good enough.

She constantly worried she was failing to justify the 5,000 yuan salary and that she would be fired at any moment.

So she began researching everything from basic company qualifications to GLP certification requirements, technical team standards, and the construction of a complete pharmaceutical R&D system.

The deeper she looked, the more daunting it seemed.

Was starting a business really this difficult for a college student?

As she desperately searched for solutions, inspiration suddenly struck.

Why not acquire an existing laboratory?

Inspired by her own brilliance, she carefully outlined countless development pathways.

Then she worried the report might be too complicated and tire out her boss.

So she began refining every sentence, every word.

After thoroughly proofreading the document and confirming that not a single typo remained, she contacted the logistics department and requested a printer.

The problem was that she had never used one before.

She had to learn on the spot.

When the perfectly formatted report finally emerged from the machine, Meng Xuedong felt an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.

Excitedly carrying the report, she rushed off to find her boss.

Only to be told that it was mealtime and work discussions were prohibited during meals.

Meng Xuedong: ...

She sat stiffly at the Ye family's long dining table while listening to Ye Xiqing introduce her mother.

Ordinarily, she would have been extremely curious about wealthy socialites.

Today, however, she was in a hurry.

A very big hurry.

Ji Yuxiu had not expected her daughter to bring a classmate home.

Of course, as someone accustomed to moving among the upper class, she possessed a certain pride.

But her daughter's friend was different.

The sight of her filled Ji Yuxiu with an unexpected sense of delight, as though her daughter had finally begun sharing a piece of her life with her.

"Huh?"

Because of this joy, Ji Yuxiu's attitude was exceptionally warm, and the atmosphere was friendly from the very first meeting. Meng Xuedong gradually let go of her prejudice against wealthy families and felt as though she were simply a guest visiting an ordinary classmate's home. She hurriedly finished her meal and frantically gestured at Ye Xiqing.

Something's up! Something's up! Hurry up!

Ye Xiqing: ...

She disliked being rushed while eating as though someone were at death's door, but considering that Meng Xuedong was technically her employee and was creating value for her, she decided to forgive her this once. If it happened again, she would make sure Meng Xuedong finished her meal first.

Despite Meng Xuedong's incessant urging, Ye Xiqing stubbornly finished her portion before standing up and saying goodbye to her mother.

"Mom, I'm going upstairs with my classmates."

"Go on, go on."

Ji Yuxiu watched them leave with a gentle smile and could not help sighing.

"Youth is so wonderful."

Then she noticed there was still another young person sitting beside her and could not help asking,

"Li'er, why are you so quiet today?"

Ye Xueli looked up.

Ye Xiqing's friend. Ye Xiqing's mother.

Naturally, neither of them had paid much attention to her.

Staring blankly at the unfinished game on her screen, she wondered what, exactly, still belonged to her.

...

After exchanging ideas with the highly excited Meng Xuedong, Ye Xiqing's mind was filled with the girl's resonant voice. Rubbing her temples, she returned to her room.

Just as she rounded the corner, she saw Ye Xueli waiting for her.

The lights in the Ye family's corridor were designed to mimic natural sunlight, creating a hazy twilight atmosphere around the staircase landing. Ye Xueli stood there on the stairs. Her figure was always slender enough to be overlooked, yet Ye Xiqing noticed her immediately.

Stepping aside, Ye Xiqing looked up at her.

"Is something wrong?"

Ye Xueli: ...

She had deliberately chosen this spot because only from a higher position did she have the courage to face Ye Xiqing.

But it was all pointless.

The moment Ye Xiqing's gaze swept over her, she felt as though she could collapse at any second, no matter where she stood. She could only grip the railing tightly in an attempt to appear less timid.

"Sister, don't you like Brother Qin Nian?"

Ye Xiqing looked at her.

"Why do you ask?"

Ye Xueli was so nervous that she could barely breathe. Her fingers clenched tightly around the railing.

"Because you were very rude to Brother Qin Nian today. If you don't like him, does that mean I can like him?"

"Our relationship has reached the point where you need my permission to like someone?"

"Brother Qin Nian is different. Before the truth came out, he was supposed to be your fiancé. I don't want to compete with you for anything, so I wanted to ask first."

Hearing that, Ye Xiqing tilted her head slightly, as if considering the matter seriously.

After what felt like an eternity, she smiled.

"Ah, of course."

Ye Xueli let out a long sigh of relief.

Even if she had ultimately lost to Ye Xiqing, at least she still possessed this one trump card, something that would not be taken away from her.

She no longer wanted to remain in this house. Brother Qin Nian was her only refuge.

But she had not expected that the dim lighting and her fragile appearance would always invite a certain primitive cruelty.

So Ye Xiqing's answer did not end there.

Still smiling, she continued.

"You really don't need to be so careful when asking for my opinion, wondering whether I'll step into your little battlefield."

"For someone like you, who has always been raised as a weak little rabbit, your fiancé should have been my fiancé as well."

"But he can't be."

"In ancient tradition, only the princess who isn't valued is sent away in a political marriage."

"And as for me..."

Ye Xiqing's smile deepened.

"No matter what happens, I am the one who will rightfully inherit everything in the Ye family."

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