The Card Apprentice - Chapter 10: An Enigma

Broken-hearted and drunk, Yoshida, a 26-years old salaryman, stumbled upon a runaway-from-home high-schooler on his way back from the bar.

“Hey, you. JK.”*

“What the heck are you doing out here. Go home already.”

“Uncle, let me stay at your place for the night.”

“You can do ‘that’ to me if you let me stay.”

“If you meant that as a joke, it’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking. It’s fine by me.”

“Then allow me to tell you that I have no interest in brats.”

“Hmm?”

“Then, just let me stay.”

Notes:

[*] JK is slang for Joushikousei (high school girl)

Title: Trillionaire Student: The Art of Corporate WarfareGenre: Cyberpunk Corporate Drama / Tech RomanceSetting: Near-future Shanghai (2045) where blockchain dynasties and AI oligarchs dominate global finance.Protagonist:· Ye Chen: A 22-year-old financial prodigy with military-grade neural implants. Orphaned and self-made, he accidentally inherits trillion-yuan assets tied to a cryogenically preserved heiress.· Su Ning: A “frozen elite” heiress resurrected from cryostasis. Her trauma-encrypted mind holds the keys to her family's blockchain empire.Core Plot:When Ye decrypts suicidal patterns in Su's neural data, their forced partnership to upgrade her emotional firewall exposes:1. Corporate Espionage: Rival tech giants weaponize celebrity scandals as NFT commodities.2. Family Conspiracy: Su's mother audits her memories like hostile mergers.3. Hidden Protocol: A blockchain ledger tracking physical intimacy as corporate liability.Key Westernized Elements:· Boardroom duels in holographic Hunger Games-style shareholder arenas· Romance through shared neural hacking of trauma encryption· Memetic warfare where viral tweets manipulate stock marketsThemes:· Capitalism 2.0 (emotions as crypto assets, SEC-regulated marriage contracts)· Cybernetic identity (childhood trauma rebuilt as AI firewalls)· East-West fusion (Tang poetry as quantum encryption keys)Cultural Bridges:· “Black Swan Fund” → “Quantum Contingency Fund”· Neural interface battles styled as The Matrix meets Game of Thrones· Food metaphors: Xiaolongbao dumplings as encrypted data carriers

Crossing over to an independent urban world where martial arts and immortal law coexisted, the only thing Lin Shen could rely on was his clone’s golden finger.

“Clone cultivation, the host becomes stronger.”

“Clone [Pure Flame Body]: Flame attribute techniques cultivation speed +300%, Blazing Flame Palm, Melting Hand, Pure Flame Sword Skill… Any flame attribute techniques at your service. You can become a master in a day!”

“Clone [Natural Daoist Body]: cultivation speed +500%. All martial arts techniques can be understood at first glance, and will be integrated, crushing all geniuses!”

“Clone [Non-self Sword God]: Sword art technique power +200%, sword art technique cultivation speed +200%. No matter how strong you are, I will cut you down with one strike!”

…

“You never know how many clones are trying to cultivate behind the person you are talking to in front of you!”

“What does it have to do with me if my clone did it?”

“Don’t try to outnumber me cuz you can’t!”

Su Tao had been in love with Xie Jin for four long years.

Everyone knew that Xie Jin was paranoid and had a strong desire for control, while Su Tao was obedient and would listen to anything Xie Jin said.

As a secretary who only knew how to follow orders, how could she stay by his side and have access to privileges that were beyond the reach of ordinary people?

With the “help” of others, Su Tao finally discovered that Xie Jin’s paranoid demands were an attempt to mold her into the image of his former secretary. She was nothing but a substitute.

Without leaving a trace, Su Tao only left a resignation letter and disappeared completely.

No one could have imagined that Xie Jin, who couldn’t find Su Tao, was like a devil. No one was able to calm his rage when he went insane.

—

The next time Su Tao saw Xie Jin was at the annual meeting of a rising star company in the industry.

She appeared as a shareholder and stunned the crowd, attracting the attention of countless young talents.

Just as she was about to leave, Xie Jin suddenly grabbed her wrist and his fiercely red eyes were filled with madness: “Be good, don’t go.”

Su Tao pulled her hand back and looked at him coldly, “I forgot to tell you, I’ve never been obedient.”

Xie Jin held onto Su Tao’s clothes and choked out the words, “I’ll be good.”

#ChasingWifeAtTheCrematorium#

A paranoid CEO who becomes obedient to his wife X a calm and determined secretary.

[Note:]

1. HE (Happy Ending), 1-on-1 romance

2. The female lead is not a substitute.