My Core is the Boss

Cradling the phone as though it were a historical artifact, Kuang Huan instinctively bowed. "Mr. Qi."

From the other end came Qi Yuan’s casual question.

—Why is your voice trembling? You're not exercising, are you? Did I interrupt something?

Kuang Huan's expression shifted rapidly. "No, no, no! Not at all!"

He was frantic at the thought of a misunderstanding.

—Good. Because if I'd ruined your mood, I wouldn't have the nerve to ask you for a favor.

From the way he spoke, no one would have guessed that Qi Yuan was a being of supreme power. Of course, Kuang Huan knew better than that.

His respect deepened further. "Mr. Qi, please ask me anything!"

Being of service to Qi Yuan was an honor. Even the marquis’ ancestors would weep with pride.

—Didn't I mention that when the extra sun appeared, it meant I was getting married?

Kuang Huan's eyes lit up. "Congratulations, Mr. Qi!"

So it had all been true. Mr. Qi's wife had genuinely descended from the sun. He couldn't fathom what she was like or what kind of radiance she had.

Qi Yuan hesitated before giving an explanation.

—We're planning to register the marriage tomorrow, but there are some complications.

Kuang Huan paused. So even someone like him has to register a marriage? Then again, who can understand the way someone like him thinks? Registration it is, then.

"Is there anything I can help with?"

Qi Yuan laid it out plainly.

—The thing is, I want to marry two wives. Together. At the same time.

Kuang Huan went still. Two wives...

Thoughts cascaded through his mind. Two wives sounded unusual, but was it really? Plenty of powerful men had done it openly. At times, they had more than two wives. Buying several buildings in the same residential complex, one for each wife, wasn't unheard of.

Kuang Huan asked carefully, "Mr. Qi, does she know about this?"

He feared Qi Yuan’s wife’s wrath. Once again, she descended from the sun.

Qi Yuan sounded puzzled.

—Of course. What, do you think I'm tricking innocent girls into marriage?

Kuang Huan rushed to clarify. "No, no, no! I'll have it arranged for you immediately, Mr. Qi."

—Oh, right, neither of my wives has an ID card or any documentation. Could you handle that for me as well?

"Of course!"

—Ah, but ID photos require the person to be present, so you'd have to let me know when to come. Oh... but wait, if we're registering tomorrow, is there enough time? Getting the ID cards and then registering is two separate trips. Could we somehow do it all at once?

Kuang Huan felt a mild exasperation. He almost wanted to say, “Don't even come out, I'll just bring the ID cards and marriage certificates to you.” Still, knowing how unusual Qi Yuan's thought process was, the marquis dared not push back.

"Don’t worry, I can get both documents done at the same time. I'll arrange a red envelope for the staff. Mr. Qi, all you have to do is step outside the residential complex.”

Kuang Huan decided the simplest solution was to bring the Civil Affairs Bureau and the local police station to Qi Yuan's doorstep.

—Really? You really do have connections. Oh, how much should the red envelope be? I'm paying, not you. Name a number.

Kuang Huan winced internally and eventually said, "Nine hundred and ninety-nine?"

He was afraid to go too high or too low.

Qi Yuan sounded genuinely pained as he grumbled.

—Ugh, my savings just dropped another nine hundred and ninety-nine yuan. Getting further from buying Arch Star by the day...

In this era, money was hard to earn. If job listings gave a range of five thousand to nine thousand, the final salary would definitely be five thousand. And yet, according to the national average wage statistics, it was nine thousand.

Kuang Huan chuckled. This was a remark he dared not respond to.

***

The morning sunlight was warm.

Wang Tong drove with a contented expression. "With that extra sun up there, I think the temperature really has gone up."

Zhao Longshou sat in the passenger seat and read his newspaper attentively.

Wang Tong gazed up at the sky thoughtfully and wondered, "They say spiritual energy is awakening lately. Do you think that the second sun is from some Mythic?"

Zhao Longshou lowered the paper. "You youngsters are so inexperienced. There's no such thing as spiritual energy. It's all made up. Demons, immortals are all fake. We trust in science."

Wang Tong said, dissatisfied, "Pfft. Then you explain the extra sun."

He held out the paper to her. "This is exactly why education matters. Look, it says so right here in the paper. The extra sun isn't a real sun. It's an atmospheric phenomenon, like a solar projection of something else."

Wang Tong pouted. "What rubbish experts. They’re just making things up because they can’t make up their minds! Didn't that same expert call a cat a rabbit last time?"

Zhao Longshu sighed. "There's no reasoning with you youngsters..."

Wang Tong dropped the matter. "So who do you think is the big shot taking a second wife today? Why did they rope us in to process the certificate?"

Zhao Longshou grew serious. "Don’t stick your nose where it doesn’t belong. Follow the procedure and do the work."

Their superiors had made it clear that they were to accommodate this VIP in every way. No chit-chat or unnecessary questions. If they somehow offended this individual, they should go ahead and pick out a coffin.

Zhao Longshou was well aware that civil servants were essentially set for life. Unless they committed a serious offense, they probably kept their jobs forever. And yet, his superior's remarks of picking out a coffin told him how important this person was.

Wang Tong muttered, "I heard there are two marriage certificates to process. I am so jealous. Honestly, when will I get two husbands?"

Zhao Longshou simply smiled.

Around nine in the morning, the two arrived at their assigned location for the day. It was their temporary office, at least for now. Several other officials from different departments had arrived as well.

After a round of pleasantries, Wang Tong slipped back inside and whispered to Zhao Longshou, "I heard the big shot's wives don't have ID cards. What if one of them is a fugitive? Or a rich heiress who faked her own death to escape an arranged marriage?"

Having watched a great deal of dramas, her imagination ran wild. Powerful Person A fell for Wealthy Heiress B, but Heiress B was betrothed to Powerful Person C, so she faked her death and fled.

Zhao Longshou said, "That is quite a stretch. You might as well say she's an alien."

Wang Tong's eyes lit up. "An alien! Actually, that's a new angle. What if she's not even human?! Like a demon, or a ghost, or an immortal. With the spiritual energy awakening on its way, anything is possible."

"Please stop. I’m too embarrassed to introduce you as my coworker like this."

Wang Tong insisted, "Don't laugh, I actually think it's possible!"

Zhao Longshou chuckled. "Just get ready. I'm told they'll arrive this afternoon. Then you'll get to meet your demons and immortals in person."

"Honestly, you're such a boomer. No wonder they say once you hit thirty-five, your brain just shuts down."

"You'll understand when you’re my age. Someday, you'll look back at your younger self and realize how naive you were."

***

—Is this Li Yan?

"Oh, Qi Yuan? What's up?"

—I'm holding a wedding ceremony tomorrow. You are invited.

On the other end of the line, Li Yan was briefly stunned. "What? you're getting married?"

Soon, her surprise gave way to envy at his luck. Qi Yuan had not only become a top streamer with an annual income close to seven figures thanks to his cat, but was also getting married.

She forced the words out. "Congratulations, congratulations!"

—The address is at... Actually, never mind, I need to notify the others.

***

—Wang Xu? I'm getting married. The wedding ceremony...?

"What? Tomorrow? I'll definitely take the day off!" said Wang Xu.

—Wu Qi. Will you be coming to my wedding?

***

In a hospital somewhere, a young doctor in a white coat received a call from a patient and experienced a brief memory reload.

—Doctor Zhong Niao, I'm having a wedding ceremony tomorrow...

A handsome face surfaced in her mind immediately, throwing her into a confusion. "You're getting married?"

—Yes!

Zhong Niao's thoughts were a mess, and her assumptions had already gotten ahead of her. "Does she know you have some psychological issues? Qi Yuan, you can't go around affecting other people's lives, do you understand?"

—There is nothing wrong with my mental health.

A wedding ceremony had to have people to feel like a celebration. However, Qi Yuan had no family, and so were Canary and Little Bride. The banquet could end up completely empty if he couldn't even fill a single table. To avoid the embarrassment, he reached out to people.

"Fine," Zhong Niao said after a few more questions, her feelings were thoroughly complicated. She hung up and solemnly sat in her office. "A mentally ill person is getting married. That's going to ruin some poor girl's life..."

She'd seen cases like this before and was always irritated by it.

From nowhere, a bold thought surfaced. If he is going to ruin someone else's life, why not ruin mine instead?

The thought startled her and her face went a little red.

With a groan, she buried her face in her hands. "Do I need a career change? Maybe I’m developing symptoms after spending too much time around these mental patients... And that dream on top of everything... I haven't slept properly in weeks."