C5 Talking too Much Could Kill a Starman!

The scene shifted to the other side, where a sound came from outside the black wooden door:

"Sir, are you awake? Your father is asking you to come down for breakfast. Should I come in?"

The servant outside the door knocked tentatively twice, but hearing no response from inside, hesitated and asked again:

"Sir? Are you still asleep? Your father has been waiting for you for quite a while."

Finally, he snapped back to reality and lazily replied from inside:

"I don't want to eat."

Those simple words dismissed everyone's waiting, yet no one dared to say anything.

In the spacious dining room, a lavish breakfast was laid out on the table, but only two people were seated in the large house: the owner of the luxurious mansion and his slightly coquettish wife.

The young servant who had just knocked on Shuoyi's door came downstairs and nervously reported in the dining room:

"Sir, he said he doesn't want to eat."

Sitting at the head of the table was the authoritative middle-aged man, the master of the house and Shuoyi's father, Linhua. Beside him was his current wife, Shuoyi's stepmother, Xiangxia.

Upon hearing this, Xiangxia glanced upstairs but said nothing.

After chewing his food, Linhua sighed and said, "Let it be. If he doesn't want to eat, that's fine. He has to go to work soon anyway."

The young servant breathed a sigh of relief and quietly retreated.

After getting ready, Shuoyi chose a simple black suit and got into the Rolls-Royce Phantom parked at the door.

The morning roads were as congested as usual. Sitting in the car, a few rays of sunlight streamed through the window, highlighting his flawless face, with its refined features, neatly styled hair, well-defined ears, and long fingers resting on his cheek. It was a unique face, exuding an unmistakable aura of melancholy.

His brows furrowed slightly, eyes closed in deep thought, recalling the conversation with his father a month ago:

Kong Shuoyi walked down the wide hallway to Kong Linhua's door, hesitated for a moment, and then gently knocked twice. A moment later, a voice from inside called, "Come in."

He pushed the door open and approached Kong Linhua, who was engrossed in reading some documents. Shuoyi kept his head down, avoiding eye contact.

Seeing his son enter, Kong Linhua was a bit surprised but quickly masked his expression and asked, "What brings you here all of a sudden?"

"I want to join the company." These words were delivered casually, but to Kong Linhua, they seemed unusually strange.

"Are you sure? You’ve never shown interest in the company before. Why now?"

"I'm sure, and I'm ready. I have a master's degree in business administration and the skills to manage the company."

"Well, to be honest, I've wanted you to join the company for a long time, but you never showed any interest, and your personality didn’t seem suited for business."

"But since you've brought it up, I'll definitely support you. You can report to the company tomorrow."

"Alright!" Shuoyi was about to turn and leave.

"But once you're in the company, you're just another employee, not my son. You'll be treated the same as everyone else, and I won't give you any special favors. Everything will follow company policies, and I'll treat you just like anyone else."

"Yes, that's exactly what I expect," he replied before walking out the door.

In truth, Shuoyi knew better than anyone that if it weren't for the unresolved question haunting him, he wouldn't be asking his father to join the company. Back in his room, he thought to himself, "If only you had spent more time at home with Mom, she might not have died so suddenly. I will find out who’s responsible."

Since his mother's passing, he had lived under his father's shadow, constantly monitored with no freedom of his own.

"I definitely saw that figure back then. It must have been the killer. I can't investigate at home, but outside, I can find someone to look into it."

He sat down at his computer and searched online for a long time until he finally found a reliable private investigator. They agreed to meet this Friday.

As he thought about this, the car pulled up to the office building. Entering the underground parking lot, the driver suddenly stopped, jolting Kong Shuoyi from his thoughts.

"What's wrong?"

"Mr. Kong, your parking spot is taken by this pink car. It must be someone new who doesn't know this is the executive parking area, especially with a color like that."

"Just find another spot."

"Most of the other spaces are full too. It might take a while."

Kong Shuoyi glanced at his watch, seeing it was already 8:27.

"Alright, just look for a spot. If you can't find one, park elsewhere. I'll head upstairs."

"Yes, sir. I'll drop you at the elevator."

Exiting the car, his long strides quickly carried him to the elevator. His office was on the 29th floor, so the elevator ride felt interminable. Employees coming and going greeted him respectfully:

"Good morning, Director!"

"Morning, Director!"

However, his typically reserved nature made him dislike the surrounding noise, making the elevator ride particularly grating. He merely nodded in acknowledgment.

This reminded him of his first day at the company, a daunting experience. Unfamiliar with the company, his driver had fearlessly dropped him at the main entrance. With his impeccable appearance, arriving in a Rolls-Royce, dressed head to toe in luxury brands, and as the heir to the GM Cartoon Empire, he became the center of attention the moment he walked through the doors. The buzz and gossip surrounding him never ceased.

In a company that moved at lightning speed, he remained a hot topic for over two weeks, becoming the subject of water cooler conversations and even gaining a group of admirers.

For someone like Shuoyi, who despises noise, this was nothing short of a disaster. From his first day at the company, he never experienced a moment of peace. He tried to respond politely to everyone but deliberately avoided them. Since that day, he stopped using the main entrance altogether. The first thing he did when he got home was tell his driver that from now on, he would enter through the underground parking lot.

Though the driver found it odd, he complied.

Finally out of the elevator, Shuoyi took a longer route to avoid some employees in the lobby, and only when he reached his office did he breathe a sigh of relief. Inside, he swapped his shoes for comfortable slippers, loosened the tie that had been constricting him for too long, and slowly walked to his desk. The room had a relaxation area with a sofa and a recliner, and a fruit platter on the coffee table, filled with fresh fruit that his assistants replenished daily. Beside the recliner was a mini-golf set.

His desk faced the door, with a heavy crystal nameplate clearly engraved with "Executive Director Shuoyi." It was sparsely decorated with a new Mac desktop and two Apple monitors. Next to them was a black photo frame containing a picture of young Shuoyi with his mother. He settled into the leather office chair.

The desk was near the floor-to-ceiling windows, and some sunlight filtered through the open blinds. But he didn't like the brightness, so he quickly stood up and closed the curtains.

After a while, there was a knock at the door:

"Director, today's schedule and documents have been sent to your email. There are also some papers that need your signature."

"Okay, come in."

A woman with long hair, dressed in a white short blazer and a black pencil skirt, approached Shuoyi, holding a stack of documents:

"Director, please take a look. I've already verified the data, and some just need your signature." She was about to showcase her efficiency when Shuoyi stopped her.

"Alright, I got it. You can leave now."

The atmosphere felt a bit awkward. Faced with such an emotionally detached man, any woman would be left speechless with frustration. The secretary had no choice but to turn and exit his private office.

Regardless of what others said, he meticulously double-checked all the data. After thoroughly reading the contract and confirming everything was correct, he signed it.