Chu Tianyi sat in his cold, unyielding office chair, the thick dossier before him almost like an epitaph for his career—the "Li Manting VIP Client Special File." His fingertips unconsciously traced the rough leather cover of the folder, as sunlight streamed through the towering glass curtain wall, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across his face, fatigued yet unnervingly alert.
Across the A-team office area—and even in the adjacent B-team—the dramatic, humiliating ultimatum delivered by Wang Hai yesterday had left the atmosphere strangely charged, an uneasy mixture of anticipation and pity. Chu Tianyi could feel at least a dozen gazes zeroing in on him like surgical lights, their collective scrutiny threatening to dissect him from the inside out, to witness how this doomed underling would make his final, pitiful struggle against the crushing weight of his fate.
He turned each page of the dossier slowly. Every sheet felt like a heavy tombstone engraved with the bitter failures of former sales elites from Speedwing Corporation, dashed on the rocks of Li Manting's merciless standards—her complaints scrawled in precise detail, her demands bordering on madness.
Veteran salespeople with nearly a decade at the company had poured bone-deep frustration and defeat into their reports: "This VIP client (Li Manting) is monstrously domineering and capricious, her paranoia so extreme she rejects any explanation or suggestion. Her nitpicking has long surpassed the bounds of normal business dealings. It seems her complaint is less about resolving issues and more about indulging in sadistic control. My recommendation: Unless the company founder and chairman personally prostrates himself in apology, there is virtually zero chance of salvaging this deal."
Then there was the young female salesperson, allegedly from a well-connected family, who confidently volunteered to face Li Manting—only to be publicly scorned with barbed insults until tears ruined her designer makeup. In her internal complaint she wrote: "Li Manting abused her VIP status, repeatedly making unreasonable demands and launching personal attacks. Her behavior is twisted, communication is impossible, and she may even suffer from severe mental issues! I urge legal review and a reevaluation of the value and risk of working with such a… 'deranged' client!" Shortly after, the young woman resigned, unable to endure the humiliation.
A top-secret memo detailed how the company had assembled a "dream team"—led by the deputy director of marketing, aided by the star sales manager and flanked by a senior PR specialist—to negotiate a nine-figure annual strategic partnership with Li Manting. When the deputy director accidentally spilled coffee on her high-end European designer suit, she flew into a rage, smashed both the latte and the painstakingly crafted proposal into his face, and terminated all current and future cooperation with Speedwing on the spot.
One fiasco after another underscored the near-suicidal hazard of this assignment. Li Manting was a nightmare; Wang Hai had tossed this ticking time bomb to him with a calm, calculated cruelty.
Despair, cold and dark, washed over Chu Tianyi like a flood, tightening around his heart until he nearly couldn't breathe.
Then, that familiar, nagging throb returned—like countless needles piercing his skull—the aftereffects of using his "Heart-Hunting" technique the past two days. It cut through the despair like an unwelcome yet jolting reminder.
Mind-reading… the Heart-Hunting technique…
This thought was a flicker of ghostly flame at the abyss's bottom, a slender thread of hope penetrating his despair. What if he could uncover the true motives behind Li Manting's inhuman demands? What if he could discern her deepest desires, her secret vulnerabilities?
Yet she was untouchable, high above him. And Wang Hai—who had pushed him into this abyss—what drove him?
His gaze, cold as poisoned steel, settled on Wang Hai's polished glass office. Inside, Wang Hai lounged with his legs crossed, sipping from his trademark thermos of strong tea, browsing unsavory websites and letting out obscene chuckles as he imagined Chu Tianyi writhing under Li Manting's tyranny.
Why subject him to this guaranteed death sentence? Was it mere revenge for his earlier defiance? Or pure malice, to remove him like a worthless pest?
No—his instinct, sharpened by Heart-Hunting, told him there was a deeper, hidden agenda. Wang Hai was no fool; he would not so brazenly anger Director Su—if Li Manting truly severed ties over this, Su would punish him—unless some ulterior motive lay beneath his machinations.
If only he could read Wang Hai's mind too… perhaps find a lifeline, a chance to turn the tables.
A violent thrum pounded in his temples. Each use of Heart-Hunting inflicted unbearable psychic strain, yet he had no choice. Better to fight than await death.
He inhaled deeply, forced down the pounding within, closed the Li Manting dossier, and rose. Adjusting the collar of his cheap but spotless white shirt, he walked resolutely to Wang Hai's redwood door.
He tapped lightly on the door. "Who is it? Can't you see I'm busy? Get in!" Wang Hai's impatient roar came from inside.
Chu Tianyi entered, expression blank. Wang Hai's office reeked of cheap tea and cigarette smoke. Files cluttered the desk; on the wall hung a gaudy "Instant Success" embroidery, grotesquely at odds with the sleazy occupant.
"Oh, it's you, kid," Wang Hai said, his swollen eyes narrowing. "Finished reading Li Manting's hero invitation? You think this task is a walk in the park and came to report your brilliant battle plan? Or have you finally realized your limits and want to beg for mercy?"
Chu Tianyi, keeping his tone calm, even humble, let a hint of confusion and reliance color his voice: "Team Leader Wang, I reviewed the materials and consulted predecessors… This case is incredibly complex with no clear direction. I wanted to ask you: What precisely is Li Manting's core grievance against our company? And what is the leadership's true stance, especially Director Su's threshold for negotiation? Knowing this would help me target my next steps and not disappoint you or the company's expectations."
As he spoke, he braced himself for the searing headache as he unleashed Heart-Hunting on Wang Hai—the invisible net probing into his deepest thoughts.
A roaring dizziness struck, as if his mind were exploding. But this time, fortified by desperation and experience, he clung to consciousness, sifting through the torrent of mental debris to pinpoint Wang Hai's most vital secrets.
On the surface, Wang Hai sneered and slammed his fist down. "Do I have to hold your hand through every little thing? You're paid to think independently! If you can't, pack up and get out!"
But Chu Tianyi's technique had already uncovered the truth: Wang Hai was terrified, frantic to dump the problem on him to save his own skin. Li Manting's accusations were baseless, but she held damaging evidence—photos and emails—that could ruin Speedwing's reputation and land Director Su in hot water. If liability landed on Wang Hai, he could lose everything: his position, his savings, even his freedom.
He had to shield himself. Let Chu Tianyi become the scapegoat, absorb the blame, and let Wang Hai play the martyr to Su.
Armed with these revelations, Chu Tianyi felt a surge of grim triumph. Wang Hai's facade of control was shattered; he was a paper tiger, desperate and exposed.
Gathering his composure amid crushing psychic pain, Chu Tianyi continued, almost to himself but loud enough for Wang Hai to hear: "Team Leader, I know my experience is lacking and I've let you down. But if the company still grants me this chance to redeem myself, I will go all out—even if it costs me my life. But regarding the alleged 'technical defects' and potential major compensation, does the company have any legal or technical basis to refute these claims? And what maximum concessions are permissible—say on unauthorized discounts? Where is our bottom line?"
His words struck like precise scalpels. Wang Hai, shocked and pale, nearly spilled his thermos.
"How did you know that? That unauthorized discount was a secret bribe I made to secure that bonus—if anyone else found out, I'd be finished!" he thought, panic flooding his mind.
But he masked his terror, roaring: "Shut up! Your job is to satisfy Li Manting at all costs! The company's support? None. This is your problem to solve. If you can't, you're worthless!"
Again, Heart-Hunting revealed his real thought: "At all costs? I'd rather you pay the bill yourself than let the company suffer a loss and wreck my bonus! That Chu Tianyi is too strange—he sees through me!"
At last, Chu Tianyi's silent exultation soared. He had dissected Wang Hai's cowardice and greed, wielding them like weapons.
"Understood, Team Leader," he said, voice calm yet laden with unspoken meaning. "I won't waste this opportunity. I will do my utmost to meet your… 'high expectations' and 'special trust.'"
With that, he turned and left, each step echoing with new purpose.
Back at his deserted cubicle, Chu Tianyi reopened the dossier on Li Manting. Her obsidian gaze, once distant and impassable, now looked like a treasure trove awaiting his exploration. And Wang Hai—the vile snake—had unwittingly become his first quarry in the hunt.
Three days remained—a deadly gamble.
A maw of icy dread opened in his chest, but at its edge glimmered a fierce, burning resolve: Chu Tianyi's true counterstrike was about to begin.