Chapter 2: Doudou

“Guoguo, Guoguo…”

The little girl’s voice was both cute and soft.

She waddled after Shen Siyuan with her chubby little legs and reached out to grab him.

Shen Siyuan looked down at her, and she asked again, “Guoguo, can you see me?”

This time, Shen Siyuan nodded firmly.

He had expected her to be happy, but instead, she pouted, her lips trembling, tears swirling in her eyes, on the verge of crying but holding back.

“What’s wrong? I can see you, so why are you upset?” Shen Siyuan asked, puzzled.

“I talk to Mom and Dad, but they ignore me… and Dodo and the others, they don’t want to play with me… boohoo… Guoguo, you can see me and talk to me, I’m so happy, but… but… waaaah…”

The little one seemed to want to pour out all her grievances, opening her mouth wide and bursting into tears.

“Don’t cry… don’t cry…”

Shen Siyuan was flustered. He seldom dealt with children and didn’t know what to do.

“Wuwu… I miss Mom and Dad so much. I want to talk to them…” The little one wiped her tears and sobbed.

But the tears seemed endless, the more she wiped, the more flowed.

“Talk to them? That’s easy. Stop crying for now. Big brother will help you,” Shen Siyuan comforted her.

Though he had no cultivation himself, he had inherited the legacy of a powerful Demon Lord.

Flesh may turn to bones and resurrection might be impossible, but allowing the living to see a lost soul was very simple. Just using the Ten Thousand Souls Banner and weaving in a strand of Netherworld energy, it could be done easily and professionally.

Shen Siyuan decided to fulfill this little wish.

“Here’s what you do: go back first. When your mom finishes work, come to my office. I’ll make sure your mom sees you.”

He pointed to the online game operations department where he worked.

“Really?”

“Of course. Do you think big brother would lie to a little kid like you?”

“Then let’s pinky swear~”

The little one stretched out her short, chubby pinky finger.

“Alright, alright~” Shen Siyuan sighed and bent down to link pinkies with her.

“Pinky swear, hanging for a hundred years…”

Just then, the little girl suddenly stood on tiptoe and planted a kiss on his cheek.

“Thank you, Guoguo~”

Then she turned around, spread her little arms, and made a humming sound, delighted like a little airplane.

Watching her retreating figure, Shen Siyuan’s eyes softened.

He was an only child at home, so no one ever called him “Guoguo.”

But the Nine Nether Demon Lord had a sister in his memories.

Though the Nine Nether Demon Lord had stirred countless bloody storms and destroyed many dynasties, before becoming a demon lord, he was just the son of a humble farming family named Lin San. Being the third child, he had an older brother, an older sister, and a younger sister.

His sister had married far away when he was very young, so he barely remembered her.

His brother was of marriageable age but had not found a wife due to poverty.

The younger sister was about the same age as the little girl, always clinging behind him, calling him “Guoguo.”

Life was hard but the family was kind-hearted and happy.

One year, a great drought struck, turning the land barren with no harvest.

The starving people turned to cannibalism. Their mother was the first to die, followed by the strong, robust older brother.

To keep Lin San alive, the father sold the younger sister for some grain, giving all the food to Lin San and leaving alone to save that last bite for him.

When Lin San next saw his sister, it was at a mass grave. Aside from a rotting skull barely recognizable, only bleached white bones remained, without a shred of flesh…

Later, Lin San learned the drought was no natural disaster but caused by an elder of the Yan Yang Sect who had intercepted the earth’s veins to forge a magical treasure.

Only then did Lin San awaken to the truth that in this wilderness, humans were like ants; only cultivation and power were eternal.

Once he achieved cultivation, the first thing he did was annihilate the Yan Yang Sect, becoming the Nine Nether Demon Lord of the cultivation world.

…

Shen Siyuan pushed open the door to the operations department and stepped inside.

Immediately, people quickly switched computer screens, some sat up straighter, others pretended to casually put down their phones…

When they saw it was Shen Siyuan, they resumed their work.

This was why Shen Siyuan was willing to accept a monthly salary of just over five thousand and not resign.

He only worked one day a week; the rest of the time was for playing. Even the manager, Zhou Chuan, was the same, so no one really cared.

The operations department had eleven people: nine men and two women.

Shen Siyuan sat in the second row, facing Manager Zhou Chuan. To his right was Li Kang, nicknamed Kang Mazi.

To his left was Wang Chao, called Brother Chao, who sported a buzz cut so close it nearly touched his scalp. He looked like a hooligan, just shorter, loyal and righteous but a bit reckless.

The reimbursement form in Shen Siyuan’s hand was Wang Chao’s.

“Reattach this.”

Shen Siyuan tossed the form onto his desk.

“RTM, I’ve stuck it three times already, still not good enough?” Wang Chao grumbled.

Across the partition, Tian Yunrui laughed, “Did you offend Accountant Fu?”

At this, the drowsy crowd suddenly perked up.

Li Kang said, “It must be from the last team dinner. Brother Chao toasted everyone in accounting except Accountant Fu.”

Zhang Kaixuan, sitting opposite Li Kang, burst into laughter: “Brother Chao, you idiot, you buttered the wrong horse’s leg. We’re an operations department. Why bother toasting finance? Do you expect them to get you a raise?”

Lu Ran, sitting back-to-back with Wang Chao, turned around: “You all don’t know. That day he wasn’t really toasting. It was just that Liu Xintong from finance wore a deep V-neck, so he took the chance to check out her cleavage…”

“Damn… Brother Chao, you’re unforgivable. Why didn’t you tell us?”

Everyone shouted in outrage.

“Alright, alright, watch your words since there are female colleagues here,” Manager Zhou Chuan said, trying to be polite.

No one really minded. One of the female colleagues, Lin Manzhi, said, “Sometimes, I really don’t get you men. Why are you always staring at girls’ chests and legs? What’s so great about that?”

Her words sparked a chorus.

“Sis Lin, that’s not how it is…”

“Sis Lin, you just don’t understand…”

“Sis Lin, that’s not right…”

The whole department immediately got loud.

“Sis, don’t be silly. Men don’t look at legs, butts, bodies, or faces? What else would they look at, their insides?”

The office was filled with laughter and cheer.

“I didn’t mean that. What I mean is, what’s the use of just looking? If you like them, just go for it.”

Her words silenced everyone.

Only her neighbor, Li Wenjuan, chuckled quietly.

Radiant Animation was a game company specializing in mobile game development, so there were few female employees, and even fewer considered beauties. Lin Manzhi was undoubtedly one of the top beauties.

With delicate features, a slender figure, and slender fingers, she carried a uniquely gentle charm that was captivating.

She especially loved wearing professional women’s suits, adding an extra layer of allure.

Her long legs were mesmerizing, making her the object of many gazes. The only flaw was she was already married. Her husband worked at the nearby design institute, and they had a son born two years ago. Her life was happy and fulfilling.

It was true that once a woman married, she changed from a girl to a woman, loosening both her words and inhibitions.

Everyone laughed and joked until it was time to leave. Some had already shut down their computers; others had arranged to meet friends, just waiting for the time to rush off.

This was why Shen Siyuan, despite the low pay, was reluctant to quit—working here was comfortable, and it was hard to find such a job elsewhere.

Shen Siyuan didn’t leave because the little one had already come looking for him, standing nearby and looking at him pitifully.