The Iron-Rank Legend and His Troublesome President

Phew… I finally made it.

Li Chunsheng, having missed his bus, sprinted from the previous stop, chasing the vehicle all the way to the next station, finally boarding it amidst the surprised, yet somewhat accustomed, gazes of the other passengers.

“Damn… that kid’s still a beast, huh?”

“But if he can chase down a bus, why bother paying for it?”

“Judging by his extraordinary appearance, could this young man be a wealthy individual simply experiencing life?”

“You must be new here. That kid rides this bus every day; he just happens to have exceptional physical talent.”

As they shared the same bus route daily, they had, in a sense, become fellow commuters, familiar with each other’s faces.

To them, Li Chunsheng was nothing short of a legend.

After all, a person who could outrun a bus and never miss it was quite the spectacle among a crowd of commoners, most of whom were Iron-rank.

Confronted by their murmurs and conjectures, Li Chunsheng merely offered a faint smile.

‘Joke’s on them, this is all thanks to pay-to-win body refinement!’ Li Chunsheng mused internally, knowing full well he hadn’t exercised a single day in his life. He simply relied on spending counterfeit currency to boost his stats, which had now neared the absolute limit for Iron-rank.

Outwardly, however, he maintained that it was pure, natural talent, a genuine, innate physical cultivation, asserting that genes always had their exceptions.

Meanwhile, inside the bus, a Man in Sunglasses, who had just participated in the conversation, secretly typed a note on his phone: [Li Chunsheng, suspected of undergoing pay-to-win body refinement.]

Throughout the remainder of the journey, the Man in Sunglasses made no overt moves to approach Li Chunsheng, yet he subtly observed him, his gaze intermittently falling upon him with remarkable discretion.

As Li Chunsheng headed towards the “Mu Group” office building for work, the Man in Sunglasses followed, lingering nearby and continuing his distant surveillance.

****

Among the steady stream of employees arriving for work, several colleagues from the same company spotted Li Chunsheng and greeted him warmly.

“Brother Ironstone~ Good morning!”

“You’re working hard, Brother Ironstone!” Some colleagues even bowed to him.

The moniker “Ironstone,” however, originated from a rather unkind nickname: “Iron-rank 10.” It was initially coined by the Former Head of Security Department as a derogatory term to belittle Li Chunsheng, a newcomer.

More than a codename, it was a taunt, primarily intended to mock the newcomer Li Chunsheng’s “value,” as he had only reached a paltry “10” by the time he graduated high school—a complete novice.

‘How could such a weakling be qualified to work for our Mu Group?’ people had scoffed, subjecting him to ridicule and bullying.

Yet, when Li Chunsheng delivered a single punch that flattened the Former Head of Security’s arrogant face, all the clamor abruptly ceased, dissolving into an eerie silence.

What truly transformed the crowd’s silence into fawning deference towards Li Chunsheng was the subsequent incident: the Former Head of Security had attempted to report him to the Group President, only to find himself summarily fired.

“If you can’t even defeat someone with a ‘value’ of 10, aren’t you the trash of all trash? Perhaps someone else should occupy your position?” These were the exact words of the President’s Young Miss.

Even after this series of events, Li Chunsheng remained a mere security guard. When the new head personally approached him, offering to change his nickname, he simply insisted that “Ironstone” was fine and required no alteration.

Thus, the esteemed title “Brother Ironstone” was born.

Following these incidents, Li Chunsheng’s standing within the group subtly solidified, making it so that no one dared to underestimate him.

Li Chunsheng had bypassed decades of struggle, becoming a respected security guard.

Though still a low-ranking security guard with a modest salary, he was fortunately unburdened by significant responsibilities.

Li Chunsheng found contentment in this. Having been a corporate drone in his previous life, he considered a relatively leisurely job in this one to be quite pleasant.

From a distance, the Man in Sunglasses, who had been trailing Li Chunsheng, watched his respected demeanor, his gaze gradually growing solemn. He typed on his phone: [Li Chunsheng, suspected Mu Group executive.]

Meanwhile, Li Chunsheng, after donning his security uniform in the changing room, officially began his workday.

Armed with a rubber baton, he commenced his routine patrols both inside and outside the office building—this constituted the entirety of his current duties.

As Li Chunsheng officially started his work, the Labor Ritual, encompassing the entire company, began to exert its power upon him. Even without consciously checking the numbers, he knew his “value” was steadily decreasing.

These “value” points would ultimately combine with the blessings provided by the company’s female employees, under the influence of the ritual’s power, to generate usable Blessing Coins.

As a security guard, Li Chunsheng enjoyed a 3x production multiplier as stipulated by his employment contract. For every 10 “value” points expended daily, he would receive 30 Iron Coins from the Labor Ritual. After deducting the one-third share for the female employees, and adding his basic company salary of 3000, he would net 3600 Iron Coins each month.

While not a vast sum, combined with his inherent ‘cheat,’ it was more than enough to lead a rather satisfying bachelor’s life.

****

Li Chunsheng ambled around the exterior of the office building, humming a tune, when suddenly, a luxurious sedan pulled up directly in front of him.

His brow twitched, and he immediately turned, intending to feign ignorance and slip away.

“Stop!” A delicate, yet commanding, cry rang out from behind him, compelling Li Chunsheng to turn around with a sigh of resignation.

“Uh… good day, President.” He scratched his head, displaying none of the deference others typically showed towards the President.

A tall, slender young woman with vibrant pink hair and a rather flat chest emerged from the car, her gaze fixed on Li Chunsheng with clear displeasure.

“Tell me, Li Chunsheng,” she began, “this job, which I admittedly arranged for you, why do you always try to scurry away like a mouse spotting a cat whenever you see me?”

“Don’t you think that’s incredibly rude?” the young woman huffed, leaning close to Li Chunsheng’s ear.

“President, you misunderstand,” Li Chunsheng’s mouth twitched, as he forced out an explanation. “My eyesight isn’t great; I genuinely didn’t see you.”

“Hmph, I’ll pretend that’s the case,” the pink-haired young woman said, shaking her head, her voice softening. “Li Chunsheng, since you’re my junior from high school, I’ll let it slide this time.”

“Yes, yes, of course. Then I shall return to my duties,” Li Chunsheng quickly stepped away, eager to distance himself from her.

“Oh?” A delicate hand swiftly caught Li Chunsheng, who was attempting to flee. The pink-haired young woman said with a beaming smile, “As a security guard, isn’t escorting the President’s safety also part of your job?”

The young woman’s tone was almost coquettish, her voice incredibly melodious, yet it sent an immediate shiver down Li Chunsheng’s spine.

‘What exactly is this wicked woman plotting?’ he wondered inwardly.

Meanwhile, as Li Chunsheng continued his outdoor patrol, the Man in Sunglasses, now observing from an even greater distance with binoculars, witnessed this scene. He gasped sharply, then hastily blind-typed on his phone: [Li Chunsheng, suspected of having a ‘deep relationship’ (crossed out) intimate relationship with the Mu Group President’s Young Miss.]

On the other side, Li Chunsheng, still being led by the pink-haired young woman, responded to her myriad topics with nothing more than perfunctory grunts and murmurs.

The pink-haired young woman, however, seemed entirely unfazed, continuing to chat away about her own interests.

Along the way, Li Chunsheng’s colleagues watched him with eyes full of awe, as if beholding a deity.

It was not until Li Chunsheng “escorted” her to the President’s office that the pink-haired young woman reluctantly released his hand.

Confronted with this situation, Li Chunsheng fled the space occupied by the pink-haired young woman as if escaping, seemingly unwilling to remain for another second.

‘Is she insane? Why does she always target me?’ Li Chunsheng sighed inwardly, his thoughts brimming with profound disgust.

Indeed, Li Chunsheng utterly detested this woman.

This was because she was none other than Mu Shengling, the nominal ex-girlfriend of his beloved senior, Liu Xia!