1 Difficult to bootlick, boss.

In the bustling city of Qingfeng, nestled among the winding alleyways and busy markets, stood the Pavilion of Prosperity.

It was a modest building with weathered wooden beams and faded red lanterns hanging from its eaves. Within its walls, amid stacks of dusty ledgers and rows of ink-stained desks, toiled a man named Chen Yang.

Chen Yang had served as the Pavilion's accountant for thirty long years. He meticulously tallied numbers and balanced accounts with a precision that bordered on obsession.

Day in and day out, he pored over scrolls of financial records, his abacus clicking rhythmically as he calculated profits and losses with a practiced hand.

Despite his diligent efforts, Chen's life remained unremarkable. His salary—a mere two silver coins a month—barely covered the cost of his meager meals and threadbare robes.

But Chen was content with his lot, finding solace in the familiarity of his routine and the quiet satisfaction of a job well done.

However, beneath the veneer of contentment, a shadow loomed over Chen's otherwise mundane existence. His manager, Mr. Zhang, was known for his sharp tongue and even sharper temper.

From the moment Chen had stepped foot in the Pavilion, Mr. Zhang had made it his mission to make Chen's life miserable.

One particularly grueling day, as Chen diligently worked through the mountain of paperwork on his desk, Mr. Zhang stormed into the office with a scowl on his face and fire in his eyes.

Without warning, he launched into a tirade of insults and accusations, berating Chen for imagined errors and failures.

"No wonder this Pavilion is struggling financially with an incompetent fool like you in charge of the books!" Mr. Zhang bellowed, his voice echoing off the walls of the office. "I should have fired you years ago!"

Though Chen knew he had done nothing wrong, he bit his tongue and endured Mr. Zhang's verbal onslaught with stoic resignation. He had long grown accustomed to his manager's outbursts and knew that arguing would only make things worse.

Just as Mr. Zhang's tirade reached its peak, the door to the office swung open, and in walked the owner of the Pavilion—a stern-faced man named Master Li. He had a large mole on his right cheek and a chubby body.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Master Li fixed Mr. Zhang with a steely gaze and demanded an explanation for the commotion.

With a sly grin, Mr. Zhang attempted to deflect blame onto Chen. "Haha, Master Li, it is nothing serious. I am just telling Chen Yang to focus on his work instead of getting lost in thought and making mistakes with the accounting."

Master Li's face darkened, and his eyes turned cold as he looked at Chen Yang, releasing an invisible threatening aura. "Chen Yang, are you here in my Pavilion to work or to make up for your laziness? If you don't make it clear, you don't need to work here from today onward."

Chen Yang's body trembled from the pressure Master Li was exerting on him. But as years of pent-up frustration fueled his anger, he clenched his fist and said, "Master Li, I beg your forgiveness for interrupting, but I cannot in good conscience allow Mr. Zhang's lies to go unchallenged any longer."

With that, Chen opened the ledgers spread out on his desk and pointed out the discrepancies and errors that Mr. Zhang had made. The color drained from Mr. Zhang's face. "Master Li, don't believe his words! He is blaming me for the mistakes he made because I complained about him to you."

"Master Li, don't believe Manager Zhang's words. Look at the handwriting and signatures on the ledger, and you will know who is accusing whom."

A heavy silence hung over the office, broken only by the sound of Master Li's heavy breathing as he processed the situation. Without a word, he turned to Mr. Zhang, whose fury was evident in his clenched fists and furrowed brow.

"Mr. Zhang," Master Li said sternly, "your actions have brought shame upon this establishment, and you shall be held accountable."

With a look of disbelief and rage, Mr. Zhang stormed out of the office, his downfall complete. As the door slammed shut behind him, Chen felt a surge of vindication, knowing that justice had finally been served.

Nevertheless, a persistent fear gnawed at him because he knew that Mr. Zhang's brother, a strong cultivator at the 7th level Body Tempering Stage, would not take well to his brother's dismissal.

Why was he being so mouthy? Just as he was berating himself, something mechanical spoke inside his head.

"Detected that the host has revealed Manager Zhang's corruption to the Pavilion owner. The exposure system has been activated. Binding successful."

Chen Yang was almost scared by the sudden prompt. "System, is that you?"

"I am, host."

With the sudden appearance of the system, Chen Yang suddenly began laughing loudly.

Master Li, the boss, said with a dark expression, "What are you laughing about?"

Chen Yang was abruptly jolted by Master Li's statement, lowered his head, and said, "Sorry, Master Li."

Master Li said, "Instead of showing off your yellow teeth, focus on your work."

"Old man Li, just bully me for a while. When I get strong, that's when your bald head will get hurt," Chen Yang murmured.

Master Li snapped, "What did you say?"

Chen Yang hurriedly said, "Nothing, Master Li. I was just thinking of your wise words. Follow them, and have a successful life."

"Okay, do not just butter me up. Do your work," Master Li said with a proud smile.

With newfound determination and the system now bound to him, Chen Yang felt a glimmer of hope. He knew his life was about to change.