CHAPTER 29: PRESIDENT CHI

’So it begins again,’ she thought quietly. The web of destiny was weaving itself before her eyes.

But this time, she wouldn’t be a background character lost in someone else’s story.

She would make sure her father’s smile was protected, no matter what it took.

When school ended that afternoon, Huaijin ran out of the gates, her heart hammering in anticipation.

And there he was, Chi Yuanfeng, waiting by the car with a gentle smile, holding out his hand for her.

Her face lit up immediately as she dashed toward him. "Daddy!"

He laughed softly, scooping her into his arms. "Did you have fun?"

"Mm-hmm! I even made... acquaintances!" she said, hesitating on the last word.

He smiled at her unusual phrasing, brushing her hair back from her face. "Good. I’m proud of you."

As he carried her back to the car, Huaijin glanced over her father’s shoulder, her small hand clutching his shirt.

The playground behind them was still filled with children laughing in the golden light of dusk. But her eyes weren’t on them.

They were fixed on the horizon, where the sun dipped low, painting the sky in hues of orange and crimson.

In that fading light, her expression was far older than her years, filled with a quiet determination.

’This time,’ she whispered to herself, ’I’ll definitely change everything.’

*

*

*

On the other hand,

When Chi Yuanfeng watched his daughter disappear into the school gates, her small hand waving until the last moment, the soft smile on his lips lingered only a second longer than her shadow.

Then, as the morning sun rose higher and the sounds of laughter faded behind him, that warmth in his gaze cooled, like a flame slowly extinguished.

The moment he turned away from the kindergarten, his entire expression shifted. The gentle lines of his face hardened, his soft eyes turning sharp and calculating.

The loving father who had just promised his little girl to wait for her after class was gone, replaced by a man with the quiet, commanding aura of someone used to being obeyed.

He stepped into his old, worn-out car, a relic that looked out of place in the polished district of the city.

The paint had dulled, the leather on the steering wheel was cracked, and the air conditioning barely worked.

But none of that seemed to matter to him.

As he drove, the world outside the window changed from the pastel colors of a kindergarten neighborhood to the gleaming skyline of the city’s central business district.

Towers of glass and steel rose like monuments of ambition. The roads widened, the traffic thinned, and the atmosphere became one of silent power, the kind that thrived on control, money, and secrets.

By the time he stopped in front of a twenty-story building whose mirrored windows gleamed in the sunlight, his face had turned into a blank mask.

There were no signs of the affectionate father now, only the calm detachment of a man about to step back into a world built on deception.

The building itself was grand but minimalist, its entrance lined with granite pillars, the company’s logo etched in silver on a slab of black marble.

The name gleamed faintly under the morning light:

CHRONOS CORPORATION.

One of the top conglomerates in the country.

From the outside, one would think its elusive president rarely appeared in public. Rumors swirled constantly about who truly ran the company: a genius strategist, a ruthless businessman, someone whose influence extended through every major financial sector.

Yet no one had ever seen his face in the media. Only a few at the top knew his name.

That name was none other than Chi Yuanfeng.

As soon as he walked through the doors, the atmosphere inside shifted perceptibly. The employees who had been chatting by the reception immediately straightened.

"Good morning, Sir!"

"Welcome back, President Chi!"

Their voices carried a subtle reverence, fear laced with respect.

The shabby car, the simple clothes, even the faint tiredness around his eyes couldn’t conceal the aura that surrounded him.

He didn’t walk like a man used to blending in; he walked like someone who owned the ground others stepped on.

Without a word, he nodded to the receptionist and made his way toward the private elevator. His secretary, an elegant woman in her early thirties with sharp glasses and a digital tablet in hand, hurried to follow.

"President Chi, the meeting with the international investors has been rescheduled to three o’clock," she reported efficiently, keeping pace with his long strides. "Also, the documents regarding the merger proposal have been reviewed. The legal team awaits your final signature."

He pressed the elevator button, his gaze impassive.

"Good," he replied, his tone low and smooth, devoid of warmth. "Send the summary to my office in ten minutes."

"Yes, Sir."

The elevator doors closed, sealing them in silence. The walls were mirrored, and in that reflection, his true image stared back, a man in his thirties, with dark hair slightly tousled, wearing a simple black coat that did little to hide his quiet dominance.

His eyes were sharp, the kind that could dissect a person with a single glance.

The secretary stole a discreet look at him, still unable to reconcile how such a man could walk through the city looking like an ordinary father dropping his child off at school.

The elevator ascended swiftly. Each floor they passed was a reminder of his empire, departments of technology, investment, research, media, and development.

Every single branch operated under his direction, yet few knew his real identity.

When they reached the top floor, the doors slid open to reveal an office that contrasted starkly with his modest apartment. It was vast, lined with floor-to-ceiling glass that overlooked the city skyline.

Sleek black furniture gleamed under the natural light. The air carried the faint scent of polished wood, and luxury was subtle, restrained, but unmistakably expensive.

He stepped inside without hesitation. The staff waiting outside immediately bowed.

"Good morning, President Chi!"