“Chairman Xia, this is the new employee name list. Please take a look.” Du Bai, the head of Human Resources handed a list to Xia Lei.

Xia Lei flipped through a few pages and skipped right to the end to look at the final number. He was shocked. “Five hundred and eight people?”

“This is all because of your strategy, Chairman Xia. The employees recommended our company to their old classmates and friends and they were attracted by the offer. The new employees also recommended more people and we have a lot more employees now as a result,” said Du Bai respectfully.

Xia Lei grinned. “What strategy? It’s because our company has a good welfare package and good career prospects. Go on, back to work. With more new employees, you have to take good care of them and arrange things well. Let the old hands guide them. They have to be independent when the new workshop is finished.”

“Yes, Chairman Xia, don’t worry. I’ll be on my way.” Du Bai left with the file in hand. On his way out was Liang Si-Yao, who was buried in documents. “You look busy, Miss Liang.”

Liang Si-Yao lifted her head and smiled, “Go on, go on.”

She seemed to be on the same page as Xia Lei.

Liang Si-Yao abandoned her desk and ran over to Xia Lei when Du Bai was out the door.

Xia Lei put his arms around her waist and said with a smile, “Why isn’t the workday over yet?”

“You want to get off work when you’ve just started the day?”

“Yep. I want to go home with you.”

A blush appeared on Liang Si-Yao’s cheeks. “You made me... I can’t walk properly and I don’t dare to walk out of the office now. You want more? You’re so greedy.”

Xia Lei rubbed her plump buttocks with his palms. “It’s because you’re so enticing,” he said softly.

His roaming hands and soft, sweet words made Liang Si-Yao weak. She enjoyed some intimacy with Xia Lei before suddenly remembering something. “Go, go quick!”

“Go where?” asked Xia Lei uncomprehendingly.

“Go get the condoms.” Liang Si-Yao bit Xia Lei’s ear. “Steal them from the warehouse, or I won’t go back home with you. I’ll sleep in the dormitories.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

The boss of Thunder Horse Manufacturing going to his own supermarket to steal condoms? Ridiculous. Something like this was embarrassing just thinking about it, much less actually doing it. Xia Lei, however, still went in the end. He had no defence against Liang Si-Yao’s wheedling.

It was going well - Xia Lei was the boss of the company so the warehouse manager could not stop him from entering to inspect the safety of the warehouse, could he?

Xia Lei went past the warehouse manager and quickly found what he was looking for. He stuffed his shirt and trouser pockets full of boxes.

The warehouse manager saw Xia Lei’s bulging pockets when he came out of the warehouse and was full of suspicion but he said not a word. The entire supermarket belonged to Chairman Xia after all, so why couldn’t he take something from the warehouse?

Xia Lei pretended to be all business-like. “Uh, some cartons of milk are blocking the fire extinguisher. Go sort that out - it’s a fire hazard.”

“Right away, sir.” So he did find something. The warehouse manager did not dare dally and went into the warehouse to take care of it.

Xia Lei let out an internal sigh of relief. ‘Lucky thing I was not discovered. It would’ve been so embarrassing if I was.’

“What are you doing here, Lei?” came a reedy voice from behind him.

Xia Lei turned to see Qin Xiang. He had his lips painted red, a ton of eyeshadow on and was wearing female clothing. He was eye-catching and unique. Xia Lei had a headache at the sight of him. “Um, I had some free time so I came over to check the safety of the warehouse.”

Qin Xiang sashayed to Xia Lei. “Is Shentu Tian-Yin’s matter resolved?”

Xia Lei nodded. “It is. The killers have been caught and the criminals too. It should be fine now.”

“Sounds like it really is settled. You still have to be careful of the Gu clan though. Gu Ke-Wu is not a good man,” said Qin Xiang.

Xia Lei patted Qin Xiang on the shoulder. “I’ll be careful, thanks.” After a pause, he said, “Oh, right, I want to take a look around the workshops too. You go about your duties. I’m off.”

“What a hard worker. Go on. Come visit me in my office when you have time,” said Qin Xiang with a smile.

Xia Lei turned and made his escape.

“Lei.” Qin Xiang’s voice came from behind him again. “You dropped something.”

“What is it?” Xia Lei turned to look and saw a Durex box in Qin Xiang’s hand. Xia Lei froze as if he’d been struck by lightning and turned to stone.

Qin Xiang walked over, pulled at Xia Lei’s pocket and inserted the Durex box into it. “You’re using this with Miss Liang, eh?” he said with a smile.

Xia Lei smiled sheepishly.

“I knew it.” Qin Xiang gave him a charming smile. “Let me know when you run out and I’ll send more over. You come to steal condoms with that level of skill? Heh heh, have you forgotten what I do? The warehouse has cameras too, you know.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

“Seriously, come have a chat in my office when you have time. I’ll teach you how to steal,” said Qin Xiang, “One more skill will make things easier.”

Xia Lei hesitated. “I’ll learn from you tomorrow, but you can’t tell anyone that I came here to... take condoms.”

Qin Xiang chortled, “Don’t worry about it.”

Xia Lei went to his personal workshop after leaving the supermarket warehouse, pondering over what Qin Xiang suggested. ‘Learning the skill of thievery? Well, it has advantages and I also have another identity... Qin Xiang’s methods will be useful for my other identity. Whatever, he’s willing to teach so it doesn’t matter if I learn a little.’

His other identity as a consultant for Bureau 101 meant that Long Bing could pop up in front of him at any moment and invite him to help complete some mission or another. He might end up using the skills Qin Xiang taught him. Learning how to steal was advantageous if he looked at it from this perspective.

“Chairman Xia.” Yin Hao came over from the office building and greeted Xia Lei from afar. He had a large stack of documents in his hands.

Xia Lei stopped in his tracks. “What’s up, Yin Hao?”

Yin Hao walked to Xia Lei. “Chairman Xia, our research and development department has completed several plans recently. We’d discussed this with Miss Liang beforehand and she likes them too but she says that these matters should be decided by you. Please take a look; this are the plans we’ve completed.”

It was true that Xia Lei had to personally decide on which new products to manufacture.

Xia Lei took the document Yin Hao handed to him and flipped through it.

The employees of the R&D department had worked hard. There were five plans and each and every one of them was an innovative product.

“Chairman Xia, these plans were made according to the vision you had for company expansion. They are closely tailored to the daily needs of the general populace and small products which make life more convenient for everyone.”

Xia Lei’s face was full of praise. “Mm, this foldable exercise equipment is not bad. There are many fatties these days. This exercise equipment you’ve designed can be folded up and carried by one hand; it’s good for people who usually sit at work. The other plans are not suitable as yet. Settle this exercise equipment first. Send the plans to the workshops when you’ve polished up the drawings and let them try to make a few.”

“Yes.” Yin Hao was still rather happy that Xia Lei had approved one out of five of his plans.

“Hold on.” Xia Lei called Yin Hao to a stop.

“Is there anything else, Chairman Xia?” Yin Hao looked at Xia Lei.

Xia Lei thought for a bit and decided. “I have an idea. I’d like you guys in R&D to work on it.”

“What idea?” Yin Hao was intrigued. Xia Lei was like a celebrity idol to those who had graduated from vocational schools. Xia Lei’s idea must be something that’s out of the ordinary!

“My idea is an automatic skateboard. There is no product like this on the market yet. The patent is ours if we can make it and only we will be able to sell it on the market. It’ll be a hot item if we do it well,” said Xia Lei.

“Automatic skateboard? Automatic skateboard...” Yin Hao seemed to be envisioning the specifications and functions of the product. He could not stop the smile of excitement on his face. “Why didn’t I think of it? It’s true - there isn’t any product like this on the market. It’s a completely new, novel product. It’ll be popular among the youths for sure if we manufacture it!”

“Tell only Han Bo about this. Don’t reveal it to others. I’m handing this matter to you and Han Bo. Come look for me if you have any difficulties and I’ll finish up the design with you two,” said Xia Lei with a smile.

“There will be no problems at all if you’re participating too, Chairman Xia. I’ll go look for Han Bo now.” Yin Hao could not wait to start discussing the plan with Han Bo.

“Go on, go on.” Xia Lei was delighted too.

This was a sudden thought which had popped up mysteriously when Yin Hao handed him the plans. This idea could not be called an inspiration though, as it was a reference to the automatic surfboard by Nice Moves Sports Equipment Company. He had made the decision swiftly because of this and, in small part, some measure of revenge.

Gu Ke-Wen had snatched away Liu Ying’s patent with underhanded methods back then. After Gu Ke-Wen seized ownership of Nice Moves Sports Equipment Company, the automatic surfboard had sold very well overseas and made a fortune. Liu Ying, who should have been the recipient of this fortune, was forced to go to Australia with her child to live in a strange place. Xia Lei had kept in contact with Liu Ying and though they chatted only about normal everyday things and children, Xia Lei could sense her pain every time they spoke. He felt injustice on her behalf and wanted to do something for her.

Xia Lei did not know what he could do for Liu Ying before because he had limited power but it was different now. He had his own company, Thunder Horse Manufacturing, and his status as a consultant for Bureau 101. He had accumulated the power to help Liu Ying get her company back. Gu Ke-Wu and Gu Ke-Wen had also dropped all pretense with him and were very much not on his side. They would not kindly let his pass either if he did nothing, so why not make the first move and give them a nip?

The company Gu Ke-Wen controlled manufactured automatic surfboards which were aimed for use on the sea and on lakes. The product he was designing was similar but it was to be used on land.

The whole set of design plans for the automatic surfboard were still stored in his left eye, including the number of parts needed and so on. He just needed to add four wheels to that automatic surfboard and he could take it to get patented! He let Yin Hao and Han Bo into the picture not because he wanted them to divide the work of designing a product like this among themselves but because he wanted them to get practice. What could be confirmed was that he alone could complete 90% of an automatic skateboard like this!

“Destroy my car? And you want my hamstrings cut too? Does he think I’m a soft persimmon he can pinch?” A faint sneer appeared in the corners of Xia Lei’s mouth. “We’ll see. You have to pay the price for all that you’ve done.”

Xia Lei became a human-shaped machine when he walked into the workshop. He was going to make a set of mecha gloves for Liang Si-Yao and also draw out the design for the automatic surfboard for modification in order to change it to his own automatic skateboard.