Alex drove toward the group headquarters with his newly assigned secretary sitting beside him.
As soon as the car stopped, Rachel opened the door and stepped out with indifferent grace.
"Vice President Lin, I'll head to the investment department first and get familiar with the business. As for selecting your bodyguard, you can handle that yourself."
Without waiting for a response, she walked away briskly, heels tapping, posture elegant.
Alex chuckled."She hasn't changed at all… still full of attitude."
He parked, then headed toward the Security Division.
The department manager was already waiting at the entrance. Spotting Alex, he quickly bowed.
"Young Master Lin, welcome!"
Alex raised a hand casually."Don't call me 'Young Master' anymore. I'm working now—address me as Vice President Lin."
"Yes, Vice President Lin!"
The manager's tone became even more flattering. In just a short walk, he managed to praise Alex more than ten times.Alex felt physically uncomfortable listening to it.
"Enough flattery," he muttered inwardly. "I like compliments, but too much makes it nauseating."
Inside the hall, dozens of tall, muscular bodyguards were training, monitoring security feeds, or inspecting equipment.
"Everyone, gather!" the manager shouted.
Within seconds, the guards lined up neatly in three rows.
"This gentleman beside me is the heir to the Lin Group and the future head of our corporation—our esteemed Vice President Alex Lin!"
The guards straightened their backs.
"He will now select one of you as his personal bodyguard. Such an opportunity is rare! Do your best and fight for it!"
"Yes, sir!" the guards shouted in unison.
"Vice President Lin, some words, please."
Applause filled the room.
Alex lifted a hand to silence them calmly.
"I won't say much. Just one thing—follow me, and you'll live well."
A simple line, yet every guard's eyes lit up. The manager quickly applauded first.
"What a powerful statement! Motivating and profound!"
Alex's expression stiffened.Right… too much praise really did feel tiring.
"Vice President Lin," the manager continued, "most here are veterans with strong skills and extensive security experience. Some are also trained drivers. Whoever you choose will not disappoint."
Alex nodded."Very good. Anyone willing to volunteer step forward. I prefer proactive people."
Instantly—
"Me!"
"Me!"
Two men stepped forward at once.
Alex glanced at them.
One was the exact person he came to find—his loyal elite from the previous life.
The other…
His expression froze.
"…why are you here?"
This person was supposed to be at Licheng Group, becoming the personal bodyguard of CEO Roxanne Chu, triggering a classic protagonist rise story.
Yet here he stood—right in front of Alex.
They locked eyes.
He was Ethan Ye, 28 years old—currently a "regular security guard" at the Lin Group.
But in the shadows, he was once a mercenary king of the underground world.Hundreds of life-and-death missions… countless kills… a top-tier warrior.
Later, he grew tired of bloodshed and returned to urban life to live quietly.
And secretly—he too had been reborn.
In his original life, he would have joined Licheng Group, met Roxanne Chu, and risen as her unstoppable protector, conquering the world step by step.
Until he met Alex Lin.
Alex—the undefeated villain.The "useless rich second-generation" who was in fact terrifyingly capable, ruthless, brilliant, and impossibly powerful.The man who crushed Ethan's strength, stole Roxanne, wiped out the forces backing him, and reduced him to a hunted stray dog.
Humiliation.Despair.Hatred.
And now reborn, Ethan vowed to reclaim everything.
But Alex was a monster.Impossible to beat head-on.
Thus, Ethan devised a new plan:
Get close to him.Gain his trust.Find his weakness.Then destroy him completely.
His heart pounded with excitement.
"This time… everything will be different."
Alex stared back silently.
"Another reborn protagonist? Great. Just what I needed."
He sighed inwardly.
"Why are protagonists everywhere?"