Chapter 148: Chapter 147: Having Me Is Like Having a Good Dad

"Foster Father, save me!"

As he was getting close to home, Lin Chu suddenly received a message from Wang Zhefei. The wording and tone seemed a little... strange.

He never used to talk like this. He certainly wouldn’t take the initiative to call him Foster Father, and crying for help was even more out of character.

’Looks like he’s really in some kind of trouble.’

"What troubles you? Present your petition."

Lin Chu casually typed back.

He had just sent the message when a call came from Wang Zhefei. "What are you up to? Busy? Let’s get dinner tonight."

"Just tell me what’s wrong first."

Lin Chu said calmly, remembering he had a date with his "cop" tonight.

"Damn it! I got played by a female colleague. Played completely and utterly."

Wang Zhefei’s voice was full of anguish, but also a hint of twisted, helpless exasperation.

Lin Chu said, "Talk to me about it *after*. That’s it, I’m hanging up."

From that one sentence, Lin Chu had already pieced together the whole story. ’It’s nothing complicated. He bought a house, got a promotion, and now his ’market value’ is up. So some female colleague is chasing him. Maybe her methods are a little too aggressive, and he finds it annoying, but he’s also secretly enjoying the attention.’

’This kind of thing is all too common.’

’What’s the big deal?’

’The bastard’s just being melodramatic.’

Lin Chu even suspected he was just bragging.

"No, no, no, don’t hang up yet! Let me finish. It’s not that simple."

"Okay, so here’s what happened. At first, she started bringing me meals. I ate them and didn’t think much of it. Then she started bringing me coffee. I refused most of the time, but sometimes I just couldn’t say no without making things awkward, so I drank it. Again, I didn’t think much of it. Then, a few days ago, we were working overtime at night, and she just jumped on my back. I had to push her off and reject her."

"Then yesterday, she sent a message to the main company group chat, accusing me of workplace sexual harassment. My fucking... mind just broke."

"Now pretty much everyone in the company knows about it. Today, my boss called me in for a talk. He asked me what my ’plans’ were and even suggested that maybe I should just start dating her. He said I had to give her some kind of answer, that at my age I should be settling down and getting married, and that our company doesn’t forbid office romances."

"What am I supposed to do? This is driving me insane!"

Wang Zhefei said, his voice a little frantic, radiating sheer frustration.

He was usually a very resolute guy.

Lin Chu had no doubt about that. But as anyone with experience knows, these kinds of workplace schemes are hard to guard against.

They say when a woman pursues a man, there’s barely a veil between them.

And now that it was out in the open at the company, public opinion was starting to have an effect.

Lin Chu thought for a moment. "Do you like her?"

"Like her? Hell no! Is that what you call liking somebody?! ’Liking’ someone only after they get a promotion, a raise, and a house—is that real? I don’t want it! I haven’t even slept with her; I’m completely innocent! If I slept with someone like that, I’d be screwed!"

"Now my boss is pressuring me, she’s pressuring me... I feel like if I don’t agree, I’m going to lose my job. And I just fucking made supervisor!"

When he was just a regular programmer, nothing like this ever happened.

But the moment he became a junior supervisor and bought a house, suddenly all this crap came his way.

And they call this "liking" someone?

Lin Chu considered this, then chuckled. "First, you need to figure one thing out: what’s her relationship with your boss? Are they sleeping together? If they are, this might be a task from her ’master,’ which would make you the cleanup crew—the king of cucks."

"Logically, it’s not normal for a boss to be pushing you two together at a time like this."

"You were promoted on merit. She’s probably just in admin or something. In your boss’s eyes, your respective values to the company aren’t even in the same league."

HISS!

Wang Zhefei was stunned by this. He was silent for a long moment, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

’That was something he’d never even considered.’

’His mind just wasn’t that dirty.’

Lin Chu’s words had opened the door to a whole new, cynical world.

To put it bluntly, he’d never really been in a relationship. While rejecting all women had been a form of self-protection, it also meant he had zero real-world experience. Everything he knew was just hearsay.

"I mean... can people really be that depraved?"

he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.

"Just a guess," Lin Chu said. "You can check it out. No need to rush."

"Here’s the plan. Tomorrow, drive my Lamborghini to work. I’ll lend you that Richard Mille, too. Let’s see how they react. Make a big show of it."

"Time to lay your cards on the table. No more pretending. Let them know you have a rich Foster Father and you’re not to be trifled with. Show them you’re not just some junior supervisor they can push around. If that doesn’t work, call for outside help. I’ll step in."

Lin Chu said, his tone light and casual.

’It’s an internal company matter, so it’s better for him to make the first move, with me providing support.’

Wang Zhefei took a deep breath. "Alright, let’s go with that for now. Tsk, tsk. I feel like I’m about to put on a show. Time to take off."

A hint of laughter returned to his voice.

He was relieved, reassured.

’Even though Lin Chu was a son of a bitch and a total lech, an old hand was an old hand. He had a playbook for everything.’

"Mm-hm."

"Alright then. I’ll be waiting for the gossip. Keep me updated tomorrow."

Lin Chu said with a laugh, then hung up.

...

’Another one of the bros is starting to level up.’

Lin Chu found it rather amusing.

Still, this was a required course in life. When you’re poor, you can’t get a girl. When you’re middle class, you have to learn how to be discerning. Wang Zhefei was middle class now, so it was time for him to catch up on his lessons. Otherwise, he’d end up paying the price sooner or later.

Schemes like getting a guy to put your name on the deed have been around for years, and they’re especially common in prosperous cities.

Of course, Wang Zhefei was a sharp guy.

The biggest advantage was that Brother Fei wasn’t the type to get blinded by love.

And besides, he had a "Foster Father" like him.

’If he really couldn’t stay at the company, he could just quit.’

Brother Fei was an absolute master at making money. He was the one who’d raked in that 600 million. The guy had no shame; if you told him to call you Foster Father, he’d do it without hesitation.

...

Back at home, Lin Chu went next door to Yang Huixian’s place.

When he walked in, she had already prepared a table full of delicacies: blanched shrimp, braised fish, a simmering soup, and a bottle of red wine on the side.

Tsk.

’She’s giving off some serious good-wife-and-loving-mother vibes.’

"You’re back? Quick, go wash your hands and get ready to eat. I didn’t even go into the office today. I spent all afternoon cooking. Have a taste and see if you like it."

She was wearing an apron, the very picture of a doting housewife, her eyes full of tender affection.

Lin Chu grunted in acknowledgment and went to wash his hands for dinner.

’She seems a lot more tender all of a sudden,’ he thought. ’Maybe she’s finally come to terms with things?’

’Hard to say.’

Still, it was nice to enjoy a cozy meal.

After dinner, she went into the kitchen. Lin Chu assumed she was going to wash the dishes, but to his surprise, she came out a moment later wearing a blue-black uniform. The contrast was... stark.

Tsk.

’Just what I was hoping for.’

"Suspect Lin Chu, come with me. It’s time for your interrogation."

she said, her expression blank and her voice stern.

Lin Chu: ...

’Huh?’

’You’re already getting into character!’

The corners of his mouth turned up in a slight smirk. Lin Chu stood and walked toward her.

"Put your hands out. Time to cuff you."

she said in all seriousness. The cuffs were obviously props, but they looked quite realistic.

Lin Chu glanced at her, but instead of holding out his hands, he snatched the cuffs. With lightning speed, he pinned her arms behind her back.

...

...