The Cannon Fodder Female Supporting Character Alpha Decides to Go On Strike (GL) - Chapter 28.2

Su Li deliberately tightened her grip on Shen Mo’s hand, planning to wait for her to plead before “generously” letting her go and demonstrating her own “magnanimity.” But things didn’t go as she expected. Shen Mo not only didn’t speak but also showed no sign of struggling with the arm that was held captive.

Just as Su Li wondered if she intended to help, a rush of warm breath suddenly assailed her, blowing onto her sensitive nape. The next moment, the zipper tab at the back of her dress was lifted.

Su Li was stunned. She turned her head to look back, but through the water, she could only see the top of Shen Mo’s head. Then, strands of hair fell away, and the zipper was pulled all the way down.

“Shen Mo?” Su Li bit her lower lip, calling her name with difficulty.

Shen Mo quickly moved closer. Being shorter than Su Li, she had to stand on her tiptoes, just barely reaching her level. Su Li understood what was happening and curved her lips into a smile.

In the blink of an eye, Shen Mo actively offered her lips, and the two shared a shallow kiss mixed with clean water. Shen Mo’s breathing was unsteady. Her bright eyes, in the mist, were like starlight hidden behind clouds.

“…It’s done.”

“Pfft.” Su Li laughed, shaking her head.

Shen Mo was confused. “Why are you shaking your head?”

Su Li slowly exhaled and spoke directly, “I just can’t figure out if President Shen does this on purpose, or if she’s just a natural-born seductress.” If it were intentional seduction, Shen Mo always responded to her flirting so earnestly. But if it were unintentional… How on earth did she come up with the move of unzipping the dress with her mouth? Could it really be instinct?

“…” Shen Mo didn’t admit to it. “Didn’t you tell me to do it?”

Su Li chuckled. “So, was I a good teacher?”

Snapping out of her daze, she turned the tables and lifted Shen Mo up in a bridal carry. Shen Mo gasped, hugging her tightly, and nodded, squeezing out an almost inaudible “Mhm” through her nose.

“Well, it seems I’m quite a good teacher then.” Su Li shamelessly took credit for the “teaching results,” her eyes sparkling. “Those were just the basics. The main lesson is coming up now~”

The blush on Shen Mo’s face had spread all over her body. Curled up in Su Li’s arms, she looked like a delicious delicacy presented on a platter. She stretched her neck, trying to breathe in the steamy bathroom. Her beautifully curved swan neck was exposed and nearly marked by Su Li’s mouth.

“Stop, don’t do that…” Shen Mo pushed against her face. She lowered her gaze, her soaked long hair clinging to her cheeks and back, looking beautiful in the water’s gleam, like an innocent mermaid newly arrived on land. The little mermaid was beguiled by a human and came ashore, completely losing her way amidst repeated coaxing.

She looked at Su Li, nodded, and agreed to the hateful human’s trap: “I will… learn properly.”

Su Li licked the corner of her lips, her eyes perfectly clear, with not a hint of tipsiness left.

After a wild night, Shen Mo endured a sore back and left early the next morning to catch her flight.

Her assistant, Yu Shengxiao, was waiting at the airport. Seeing Shen Mo step out of the car, she instantly gasped. “President Shen?!”

Shen Mo, wearing sunglasses that covered half her face, nodded at her. “Morning.”

“…Morning.” Yu Shengxiao gave a wry smile and looked at Su Li, who was walking over with the luggage from the trunk.

Su Li greeted her and said, “Assistant Yu, thank you for taking care of Shen Mo on this trip.”

“No, it’s nothing.” Yu Shengxiao sighed with a forced smile, opened her purse, and took out a brand-new box of foundation. “President Shen, let me… let me apply some to your neck.”

“Hmm?” Shen Mo frowned. “Apply something to my neck?”

Hearing this, Su Li also leaned closer. Then, she smiled faintly, stating without any guilt, “Hiss, I didn’t notice it at home. Why are these marks so obvious?” As she spoke, she reached out and touched the hickey on the side of Shen Mo’s neck.

Shen Mo realized what it was belatedly and raised her hand to cover the spot.

Su Li soothingly said, “It’s alright,” and turned to Yu Shengxiao. “I’ll do it. I have some with me, too.” With that, she went back to the car to get her concealer and returned to Shen Mo.

“A thin layer of coverage should hide it,” Su Li instructed while applying it to Shen Mo. “Remember to wash it off when you get to the hotel. It should be gone after a night.”

Shen Mo stood still with a deadpan expression, only the light pink fingers tightly clutching Su Li’s sleeve betraying that she was far from as composed as she appeared. After Su Li straightened up, Shen Mo’s first question was, “Is it done?”

“Mhm,” Su Li smiled. “Don’t worry, it’s covered perfectly.”

Shen Mo couldn’t help but turn her neck left and right. “Are there any others?”

“No, no.” Su Li glanced sheepishly at Yu Shengxiao standing by, bent down, and whispered close to Shen Mo’s ear, “Is President Shen so insecure? I’m not an animal; how could I bite you so many times?”

Shen Mo pushed her face away, recalling the events of the previous night, and couldn’t help but purse her lips and pinch the soft flesh of Su Li’s cheek hard. But her resolve was weak. After Su Li only feigned a couple of “ow” sounds, she let go.

“Excessive indulgence… is bad for your health,” Shen Mo muttered, lowering her head.

“Mmm, but I didn’t see you objecting last night,” Su Li puffed out her cheeks.

Shen Mo snapped her head up. “…I said no many times!”

“Oh…” Su Li rubbed the spot she was pinched, smiling slyly. “My mistake, then. I thought President Shen was just being polite.”

Shen Mo silently took the suitcase from her hands.

“Alright, alright, I was wrong. Don’t be mad.” Su Li lowered her head, quickly pecked her cheek, and mumbled softly, “We’re about to be apart, and you won’t even let me have a good meal first…”

Shen Mo didn’t catch it. “What did you say?”

“Nothing.” Su Li snatched the suitcase back. “Let’s go, let’s go, time to check in.”

Yu Shengxiao stepped forward upon hearing this. “President Su, let me do it. I’ve traveled with President Shen many times, so I’m very familiar with these procedures.”

“It’s fine. I rarely have the time, so let me have a chance to show some affection,” Su Li said with a smile, walking ahead. She turned her head and looked at Shen Mo with a beaming smile. “President Shen, come on now~”

Shen Mo adjusted the sunglasses on her face, but unfortunately, they couldn’t hide the slight upturn of her lips.

Yu Shengxiao lagged behind, rubbing her temple helplessly. “It’s over.” Having followed Shen Mo for so long, this was the first time she realized that her own decisive and successful President Shen was completely a love-brain individual.

After sending off Shen Mo, Su Li returned to the Su Shi Technology Building.

The struggle for the “Lü Ye” order was nearing its end. Shortlisted suppliers needed to bring their products for a final presentation and confirmation. Su Shi was naturally on the invited list. The following afternoon, Su Li led her team to the Lü Ye Headquarters Building.

Only three suppliers had been shortlisted this time. The first was a newly established small company that secured its spot with an extremely low bid, but the product they presented was quite mediocre. When their team presented, Su Li noticed that Lü Ye’s executives in the audience looked very serious, clearly dissatisfied. In the past, low cost could certainly be a trump card. But Lü Ye’s current procurement was aimed at high-end products, so price advantage was definitely not their primary consideration.

It wasn’t until Fang Huo took the stage to present their flagship product, the X-79 over-ear headphones, that the executives’ expressions began to improve. Facing a formidable opponent, Su Li, sitting in the audience, also listened attentively. Even in her heart, she had to admit that among the high-end headphone products currently on the market, Fangyuan Technology’s X-79 was second to none in terms of competitiveness and cost-performance. When Fang Huo finished his presentation, the audience erupted in applause, and Lü Ye’s executives showed satisfied smiles.

Qiao Mumu excitedly rushed up to hug him, and in the process, knocked over the project team’s audio equipment. Staff members rushed forward to check. As expected, the speaker was damaged and emitted a loud, grating static noise. Since Su Shi was scheduled to present after Fangyuan Technology, they had to arrange for personnel to replace the speaker.

“President Fang is truly promising and accomplished,” several Lü Ye managers chatted with Fang Huo during the intermission. “Lü Ye frequently follows new tech products on the market, and Fangyuan’s presence has been growing stronger in recent years.”

“Thank you, thank you,” Fang Huo said, shaking hands with them and intentionally glancing back at Su Li. “You all have a sharp eye for talent. Fangyuan also hopes to establish a long-term partnership with Lü Ye.”

“I think the order should just go straight to us at Fangyuan, right? What right does Su Shi’s product have to compete with us?” Qiao Mumu said, deliberately raising her voice.

“Well…” The Lü Ye managers were slightly embarrassed and offered a vague, noncommittal response.

“Mumu, don’t say things like that,” Fang Huo said, outwardly stopping her but with his lips curled up in a constant smile. “President Su’s team has already come all this way. We can’t let them go back without doing anything, can we?”

Qiao Mumu crossed her arms, completely disregarding Su Li. “I don’t think they should have come in the first place. Doesn’t Su Shi just have those same two old headphone models? They can’t beat ours.”

“Does Assistant Qiao know Su Shi that well?” The staff had just moved the new speaker in place, and Su Li took the opportunity to step forward.

“President Su, let’s cut the small talk,” Fang Huo said, looking at her with a look of absolute confidence. “The managers are tired of sitting, so please finish quickly so we can all go home.”

“Oh?” Su Li curved her lips. “It seems President Fang is very confident in his product?”

Fang Huo didn’t hide it anymore. “Apologies, but frankly speaking, I can’t think of any reason why Lü Ye wouldn’t choose to partner with Fangyuan.” The fact that he said this without angering Lü Ye’s decision-makers, with some even nodding in agreement, was telling.

Su Li didn’t mind. Seeing the staff finish adjusting the equipment, she calmly walked onto the stage. “Next, please allow me to introduce Su Shi’s new high-end headphones: the K12.”

“K12?”

Fang Huo immediately frowned sharply. “Isn’t Su Shi’s product the K10?”

Su Li ignored his question, opened the presentation, and began her introduction: “The K12 is our company’s newly launched headphone model, with iterative updates in both design and functionality.” The screen displayed a 3D model of the K12, which was simple, elegant, and filled with high-tech cyberpunk elements, drawing gasps of admiration from everyone present.

“Beyond the design, the K12’s audio quality score is also outstanding, achieving a comprehensive test score that no other headphones on the market can match—12,000 points!”

At this point, the audience wasn’t just gasping. Those who understood the market began whispering in disbelief.

Fang Huo’s face darkened. He leaned close to Qiao Mumu. “Why didn’t you tell me Su Shi was developing a new generation of 12,000-point headphones?”

“I… I didn’t know,” Qiao Mumu said, gritting her teeth angrily. “She actually hid it from me! She didn’t tell me?!”

Fang Huo frowned deeply. “When you were her special assistant, didn’t you see the relevant documents? There’s no way such an R&D project wouldn’t have paper documents.”

“I forgot… I think I saw them.” Qiao Mumu propped her chin up, deliberately poking her cheek as she spoke. “But I thought it wasn’t important, so I didn’t pay any attention.”

“You!” Fang Huo nearly jumped out of his chair.

“Fang Huo!” Qiao Mumu frowned. “Why are you being so fierce?”

“Sorry.” Fang Huo took a deep breath. “Mumu, I’m not mad at you. It’s just that Su Li is too cunning! I didn’t scare you, did I?”

“Hmph.” Qiao Mumu pouted. After a moment, she asked, “So… are the new headphones better than ours?”

“Much, much better, both in appearance and function.” Fang Huo gritted his teeth, his expression gloomy. “I never thought she was hiding a move like this.”

Qiao Mumu began to panic. “Then… are we going to lose this order to Su Shi?”

“No, not necessarily!” Fang Huo curled his lips into a smirk. He suddenly became gentle, giving Qiao Mumu an encouraging stroke on her hair. “Thanks to you, our quote is a lot lower than Su Shi’s.” Qiao Mumu’s eyes lit up.

Fang Huo leaned back in his chair casually. “Although the X-79 isn’t as good as the K12, as a high-end headphone, the X-79 already meets Lü Ye’s product requirements for this procurement. In this situation, price will become a crucial factor!” As he spoke, he stared menacingly at Su Li on the stage. “You didn’t see this coming, did you, Su Li? I had Su Shi all figured out long ago. I’d like to see how you, a person I’ve had wrapped around my finger, are going to turn things around!”

Su Li on stage naturally had no idea what he was thinking. She was focused on doing her job—showcasing the advantages of her product to the client! This time, Lü Ye’s decision-makers not only showed satisfied expressions but also discussed the product with those next to them from time to time, clearly giving serious thought to a partnership.

When Su Li finished her presentation and stepped down, several people immediately came forward to discuss various supply and after-sales details with her. As the discussion was in full swing, Fang Huo approached with Qiao Mumu. “Gentlemen.”

“President Fang?”

“Do you truly believe Su Shi is the best choice for Lü Ye?” Fang Huo shook his head. “That would be a great pity.”

Someone responded, “President Fang, well… that’s how business is. If there are no further issues, you may prepare to leave.”

“Vice President Zhu, you can’t say that. Product is one thing, and price is another,” Fang Huo said confidently. “Look, if Lü Ye is serious, I’m not a stingy person. I’m willing to offer another layer of profit margin off the original price. What do you all think?”

All the Lü Ye managers exchanged glances.

“How about that?” Fang Huo raised his hand proudly. “Since Su Shi’s quote is so high, Lü Ye might as well save the money and invest it elsewhere. I think that would greatly benefit Lü Ye.”

Vice President Zhu: “B-but President Fang…” He hesitated, wondering if being too blunt would hurt Fang Huo’s ego.

But Fang Huo completely misinterpreted him. “Vice President Zhu, please speak your mind. Business is like war, and I believe no one is going to lose their cool just from hearing the truth, right?” After saying this, he looked at Su Li with a provocative glance, no longer bothering with superficial politeness.

Su Li curved her lips and smiled at him, her eyes filled with sympathy, as if looking at a powerless grasshopper in late autumn. Fang Huo’s brows suddenly furrowed, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.

“President Fang, even if you offer another layer of profit margin, Su Shi’s quote is still about the same as Fangyuan’s. Apologies, but if the price is the same, we will naturally choose the better product.”

Fang Huo almost thought he misheard. “What did you say?!”

“He said…” Su Li stepped forward, looking at him mockingly. “Su Shi’s quote was already lower than Fangyuan’s.”

Fang Huo violently shook his head. “Impossible! That’s impossible! Your quote, your quote…” As he spoke, he instinctively glared at Qiao Mumu next to him.

Su Li gave a cold laugh. “Judging by President Fang’s reaction, it seems as though you knew Su Shi’s quote from the very beginning?”

“What nonsense are you talking about?” As this was a serious matter, Fang Huo immediately denied it.

Su Li pressed her advantage. “Then how did you know Su Shi’s quote was ‘so high’?” She narrowed her eyes. “Did a Bodhisattva tell you in a dream?”

Fang Huo opened his mouth, and it took a while before he found his voice. “I… I guessed. You launched a new product; could it be cheap?”

“So that’s it.” Su Li turned to look at Qiao Mumu. She didn’t expose her immediately, instead smiling meaningfully. “Let’s hope that’s truly the case.”

Having lost complete face, Fang Huo couldn’t stay any longer. He grabbed Qiao Mumu and turned to walk out. “Fang Huo! You’re hurting my arm!” Qiao Mumu, in her high heels, struggled to keep up with his “tap-tap-tap” footsteps, complaining as she ran, “Let go of me!” But Fang Huo couldn’t hear her and showed no sign of slowing down. Soon, the two flustered people disappeared from the conference room.

“Gentlemen, shall we continue?” Su Li clapped her hands, calling everyone’s attention back. Lü Ye’s executives came back to their senses and continued to discuss the subsequent partnership with her, holding the contract documents.

It was an hour later before they had finalized a few simple details. Su Li stretched and walked out of the Lü Ye conference room. She looked at her team members waiting in the corridor and realized one person was missing. “Where’s Engineer Qian?”

The assistant said, “Engineer Qian went to the restroom.” Then, she frowned. “I remember he left quite a while ago. He’s still not back.”

“He’s probably resting somewhere,” Su Li smiled, not thinking much of it. “Call him and tell him to hurry back. We’re getting ready to head back to the company.”

“Okay.” The assistant nodded.

Soon, the whole team was assembled, and Su Li led them away from Lü Ye.

“Phew, it’s finally over.” The most crucial part was done. All that remained was for the project department to liaise with Lü Ye, essentially concluding Su Li’s duties as President for this project.

Returning home after 7 PM, she sprawled lazily on the sofa, texting Shen Mo.

[Have you eaten?]

Today was the second day since Shen Mo left. As the day’s work ended and she relaxed, the longing that had built up in her heart became irresistible. Shen Mo didn’t reply immediately after the message was sent, but Su Li couldn’t bear to put her phone down. She scrolled up through her chat history with Shen Mo, smiling sweetly as she read and recalled their time together.

Suddenly, a pop-up appeared—a video call invitation from Shen Mo. Su Li rolled over to lie on her stomach on the sofa, her legs swaying leisurely in the air. She tapped the green button, and the next second, Shen Mo’s face appeared on the phone screen.

“I’ve eaten,” Shen Mo said to her while putting down her room key. “I just got back to the hotel.”

Su Li stared at her intently. It had only been two days, but she already missed every detail of Shen Mo’s face.

“What are you doing?” Shen Mo asked, hearing no reply.

“I just got home, too,” Su Li replied with a smile. After a thought, she deliberately teased, “President Shen is so busy? You probably haven’t had time to think about me for the past two days, then?”

“I did think of you,” Shen Mo said quickly, as if eager to refute her speculation. “I’ve been thinking of you the whole time.”

“Really?” Su Li counted on her fingers. “Only three more days, and then you’ll be back.” She sighed. “I wish I were like President Shen, who doesn’t mind being apart for five days and can handle work in an orderly fashion.”

Shen Mo pursed her lips.

“But I can’t do that.” Su Li rested her chin on her arm and continued, “I slept alone last night, and my arms felt empty without you. I tossed and turned for a long time before finally falling asleep.”

Shen Mo whispered, “…Me too.”

“Hmm?” Su Li slightly lifted her body. “What did you say?”

“I didn’t sleep well last night either.” Shen Mo sat down on a single armchair in the room. Her brow was slightly furrowed, and there was a faint hint of melancholy in her eyes. “Su Li, why is being apart so much harder than I expected?”

Su Li was stunned for a moment, then a wave of warmth rushed through her heart, making her feel flustered. She called out, “Shen Mo! You’re not allowed to say such heart-stirring things anymore,” Su Li said, clutching her chest, half-jokingly. “I want to fly over to you right now and give the President Shen who said five days would pass in a blink a good beating!”

Shen Mo bit her lower lip, her expression innocent yet slightly aggrieved.

“Pfft.” Su Li winked. “Just kidding.” She changed the subject: “Speaking of which, how are things over there? Can you handle it?”

“Mhm.” At the mention of work, Shen Mo clearly shifted into a different state. “Zhou Muxin’s penetration of Xinmu is a bit deeper than I expected, but it’s still manageable. After I finish up the work in the next couple of days, I can head back.”

“That’s good.” Su Li also shared the good news of their victory over Fangyuan today. “When I saw Fang Huo’s crestfallen face, I nearly burst out laughing.”

Shen Mo curved her lips, praising her without hesitation. “You always do a great job.”

A night breeze blew into the high-floor hotel room, and the lifted curtains brushed against Shen Mo’s knees. She stood up to close the window, and reaching the window, she happened to see the full disc of the moon hanging in the sky. “The moon is so round tonight.”

Hearing this, Su Li also got up and went to the window. Unfortunately, she searched for a long time but couldn’t see the moon Shen Mo was talking about, possibly due to the weather or the angle. “It looks like we don’t even have the chance to ‘share the beauty of the moon from a thousand miles apart.'”

Shen Mo switched to her rear camera, showing the moon on the screen. “You can see it this way.”

“It really is round,” Su Li murmured with a smile.

Just as she was about to say more, a knock sounded on Shen Mo’s door. “That should be Shengxiao,” Shen Mo said. “I asked her to get some documents from the factory.”

“Then I won’t bother you. You go ahead and work,” Su Li said.

Shen Mo bit her lower lip, feeling a bit reluctant, but she was accustomed to prioritizing work. She nodded and ended the video call.

Three hours later, she finally finished her work for the day. But when she video-called Su Li again, Su Li didn’t pick up, even after the ring tone ended. “Did she go to sleep so early?” Shen Mo muttered to herself, frowning.

Suddenly, a knock sounded on the door again.

“Knock, knock, knock—”

“Who is it?” Shen Mo was a little puzzled—it was nearly 11 PM, and no one should be visiting at this hour. She got up and walked to the entrance.

“Room service.” A voice, clearly a feigned one, replied.