Saving the overbearing CEO
Chapter 1: Wen Qinxi The IT Guy

In a futuristic skyscraper located in City A, the office was boisterous with employees carrying out their daily targets in a vibrant colourful work environment. This wasn't your average boring old fashioned company run by old farts. It was one of the most unconventional yet productive companies globally with innovative games launched every month catering to all kinds of preferences.

The gaming experience provided by this company was unmatched in the industry but it wasn't enough for CEO Qie Ranzhe, a fourth-generation heir who built GameX from the ground up. GameX was always ahead of its time producing thousands of patents annually, always the head and never the tail.

Qie Ranzhe had a game-changing vision that would wreak havoc in the gaming industry and thus introduced project Flagship with a team of experts brought on board to bring to life a new virtual-reality game with a whole new gaming experience that could bring their competitors to their knees and Wen Qinxi was part of that team.

The genius had only been a part of the company for less than a year. Nine months of being labelled an intern though he had the full benefits of a permanent employee. Wen Qinxi went through months of hazing by senior staff, from coffee runs to photocopying documents and still achieve his daily targets.

At first, he had accepted it as part of the company culture like making fun of the new guy but when the person employed after him didn't go through the same experience, he soon realized that it was all on purpose. His co-workers instigated by his manager had overlooked Wen Qinxi's outstanding resume and only focused on the high school he attended.

The gossip after that was, "That new guy, Qi something went to the same school as the CEO and were even in the same class. That's why he got the job in the first place,"

"l heard he was the CEO's lackey in high school so he got the job pushing out more capable candidates,"

The gossip got even weirder especially after being selected into the new team for project Flagship, "l heard he belongs to the CEO. He's a kept man,"

'Fuck! Laozi belongs to no one,' he thought angrily stomping out of the break room when he overheard them gossip. It was true that he and Qie Ranzhe were former classmates but they barely had any interaction all throughout high school. Their social circles were worlds apart though they were physically separated by a single desk.

Wen Qinxi fell under the charity case class sponsored into the school for their outstanding performance but Qie Ranzhe was from the Forbes group that literally ran the school. To top it all off he was a male god the school grass featuring in every girl's wet dream.

The one memorable encounter he had with Qie Ranzhe was when he asked him to help throw a twinkies wrapper into the bin as he hurriedly ran off for swim practice. They operated in different circles and Wen Qinxi was fairly certain Qie Ranzhe didn't even know his name let alone his face.

But to the whole office, he was a man kept by the overbearing CEO. From then on, he stayed in his bat cave with his own personal coffee maker and packed lunch. He no longer mingled with the rest of the staff hence starting the legend of the troll that stews in his office all day long plotting against mankind. He came to work early and left work late that was his daily bread minimizing the risk of bumping into his co-workers to almost zero per cent.

Today the so-called troll, Wen Qinxi, was busy programming the software for project Flagship when he received an unusual phone call. He picked it up with his eyes fixed on the monitor as he typed at light speed. "Hello, Wen Qinxi's office, how may l help?" he politely answered the phone though cursing in his head, 'who the fuck would be calling when we have a fuckin deadline.'

Recently the head of the department had been on their throats trying to get Flagship up and running before the previously stipulated deadline, a direct order from the guys upstairs. The entire company was made aware of the urgency of this project and hence the team was not to be disturbed but some jerk had the balls.

"Umm...Wen Qinxi, sorry to bother you but l need your help," said an angelic loli voice that had him wagging his invisible tail, "my computer won't turn on and tech support is not picking up, it's pretty urgent. Will you come upstairs and help me please," she said in a pleading tone.

"Okay l wi-," he replied before the phone was rudely cut off but he didn't seem bothered. If it was anyone else, he would have told them off but Wen Qinxi immediately dropped his work and rushed like a knight to rescue the damsel in distress. That damsel was Li Menxie, a gorgeous goddess and one of the executive assistant to the commander and chief. Okay, Wen Qinxi was not doing it for the good of the company but for the good of his little brother, that was only familiar with the five knuckle shuffle.

He hoped his charming looks and genius mind would score him some points with a beauty queen and even if she rejects him she could set him up with a few of her friends. He excitedly jumped into the elevator and pressed the highest floor possible that led to the director's floor after that he had to be escorted into another elevator with military-grade security to get to the CEO's office.

Li Menxie smiled at him flashing her beautiful pearly white teeth and led the way. Wen Qinxi's IQ dropped drastically as he fumbled through his words trying to strike up a conversation. "So when did it start giving you problems?" he asked as she did a retina scan to open the elevator.

"Since this morning," she replied with a fixed smile on her face that was obviously forced but Wen Qinxi was too dense to take a hint. She was somewhat irritated but had to act polite so he could help her before Qie Ranzhe comes into the office.

"Did you check if all the ports were plug-in correctly because sometimes it's as simple as that?" he asked with a sweet smile that would normally charm any maiden but Li Menxie who had been constantly exposed to Qie Ranzhe's male god appearance had become immune to any other man's charms. She only had her eyes set on the big whale and cared less for the plankton in the sea.

"If I hadn't would I have called you? Just get it done before the CEO comes into the office," she replied no longer concealing her annoyance as the elevator doors opened. Wen Qinxi wasn't stupid, he realised then he had been tricked into coming and was now being given a cold shoulder since it was too late for him to back down.

'I guess it's just you and me for a while Lil bro,' he thought to himself while walking over to her desk.