chapter 1 iceberg queen

"Damn it! Overslept again! Now, who knows what Manager Fatty Moore is going to pull!"
Without even having time to wash up, Melanion Quickley hurriedly threw on his clothes and rushed out the door.
"Stop right there!"
Just as Melanion had shut the door behind him, he heard a fierce voice from behind.
Without needing to look back, he could tell the voice belonged to his landlady, Aunt Lacey, who was less than one and a half meters tall but weighed a hefty two hundred pounds.
Turning stiffly, Melanion cautiously offered a smile, "Aunt Lacey."
"Don't try to butter me up. Take back this jade you pawned to me the other day. You dared to claim it's a family heirloom passed down from your mother, but I took it to the pawnshop and they said it's not even worth two hundred bucks."
Landlady Calleigh Lacey said as she tossed a piece of red jade at him, causing Melanion to hastily catch it. Holding the red jade, he sighed deeply, "This jade truly is a family heirloom. How could it be worth less than two hundred dollars? Besides, didn't I just pawn the jade with you? Once I get my paycheck, I'll redeem it. How could you take it to the pawnshop?"
"Don't give me that nonsense! You're two months behind on rent. If you don't pay up today, you can go sleep on the streets tomorrow!"
"Please, Auntie, I'm getting my salary today. I'll pay you tonight! I'm in a hurry to get to work, so I'll be going now!" Melanion said with a forced smile, clutching the red jade tightly as he left.
By the time he arrived at the bus stop, the last bus had already left.
Anxious and unable to wait for the next one, he scanned a shared bicycle and started pedaling furiously...
Melanion cycled so desperately that even cars were left trailing behind him, and passersby stopped to watch.
"Holy crap, is he racing to reincarnate or something?"
Just then, at the T-junction, a Maybach roared out, heading straight for Melanion as he passed by.
It was too late to dodge, and his heart went cold.
"It's over for me! And I'm still single!!!"
Screech... screech... The piercing sound of brakes filled the entire street—
Melanion was flung along with his bike into an alleyway about ten meters away, crashing heavily onto the ground.
In that moment, Melanion felt as if the whole world had gone silent, everything moving in slow motion.
Blood from his forehead trickled down his cheek to his neck. The family red jade, now stained with blood, shone with a dazzling light, and then his body was enveloped in a white glow. Golden light coursed through his organs, rapidly repairing his bleeding body, and in the blink of an eye, Melanion was restored to his healthy self.
As the red jade healed his body, Melanion felt as if he were in a strange dream. In the dream, he stood, bewildered, in a gray and white world, alone.
"Soul Capture! Activate!"
A voice suddenly exploded in his mind, sounding like a bell and spreading majestically to the skies.
Melanion felt as if he had been struck on the head, his ears ringing, the soul-deep pain making him shudder uncontrollably.
Meanwhile, many onlookers who had witnessed the accident gathered on the road. Through the haze, Melanion saw that above each person floated a semi-transparent figure resembling a soul, as seen in movies. When Melanion focused on these souls, their thoughts appeared directly in his mind.
"Is he alright?"
"Did he get killed?"
"Could this be a scam?"
"I don't see any blood; it must be internal injuries. So tragic!"
"The young man looks talented. It's a pity if he dies young."
...
The thoughts of the bystanders bombarded his mind like explosives, the sudden influx too much for him to bear, causing a splitting headache.
He also felt as if his body was on fire, an indescribable heat consuming him.
This suffocating pain jolted Melanion awake, finding himself drenched in cold sweat. Recalling the dream, he couldn't help but feel terrified.
At that moment, the driver of the Maybach had already gotten out to check on him.
Click-clack, click-clack, click-clack...
The crisp sound of heels echoed in the quiet street corner.
"Are you okay? Do you need to go to the hospital?" The voice was husky and sexy, unforgettable.
When he looked up at the person, he couldn't take his eyes off her—
Clear and bright eyes, a high-bridged nose with sharp lines, and slightly pursed thin lips that seemed to emit a signal of indifference.
She had an elegant beauty with a hint of sternness, pride in her gaze, emanating an aura of 'keep your distance.'
She wore a simple white blouse paired with a Chanel suit jacket, a black striped skirt that covered her slender waist, and long, straight legs that sparked endless fantasies. Her delicate and fair feet were in crystal sandals, exuding a commanding presence, full of queenly aura.
She had a face that could eclipse most female celebrities—
Pure as ice and jade, naturally charming—
"How are you? Should I take you to the hospital?" Feeling Melanion's unabashed gaze, the woman frowned slightly and asked.
"I'm fine, I've practiced martial arts! I'm in great shape!" Dusting off his pants, Melanion sprang up from the ground with a carp flip, "See, I'm all good!"
"Really okay? Here's five thousand dollars, go check yourself properly. I'm in a hurry, if there's anything wrong, call me on this number." Saying that, the woman took out a stack of crisp bills from her bag and also left a phone number for Melanion.
"I'm really fine! No need for compensation. Beautiful lady, hope to see you again! Bye!" After saying that, he ran to the side of the road, scanned another bike, and quickly left.
The ice queen watched his retreating figure, tilting her head in thought, musing that he was indeed a strange one.
...
The Langford Group, ranked among the top 500 in the national economic magazine, has businesses including real estate, hotels, shopping malls, high-end cosmetics, biotechnology, and others, contributing over a hundred million in taxes each year, and is one of Fliagoria's leading enterprises.
Melanion had gone through great lengths to join the company, and now it was already his third month, with today being the last day of his probation period.
He sneaked into the office building and when Melanion arrived at the marketing department, he saw Fatty Moore, with his face full of flesh, had already been waiting for him for quite some time.
"From the Quickley family, you're quite early today!" Fatty Moore said with a smug look.
Putting on a professional fake smile, Melanion bravely approached Fatty Moore, "Yo, Mr. Moore, you're looking really sharp today. Met with some good fortune recently? Do tell, brother."
"Cut the crap. Do you know we have an important contract to negotiate today? We wasted over half an hour just waiting for you. Now the client has left, the big deal has flown away, causing huge losses to the company. Can you bear this responsibility?" Fatty Moore's voice was as cold as the air in a dank cellar, making Melanion pause.
He didn't recall offending this fatso before, so why did the situation seem off now?
Melanion had been with the company for three months, and his probation period hadn't even ended. He was clearly not needed for important contract negotiations. What was Fatty Moore playing at?
"Pack up your trash and go to the finance department to get your wages and get lost." Fatty Moore said coldly.
"What?"
Melanion couldn't believe what he had heard.
"I said you're fired. Are you deaf?" Habib Moore rebuked with a dark expression.
"The company has rules. Being late only deducts from the attendance bonus. I've worked hard for the company's performance. You're firing me just because I was late? On what grounds?" Melanion's face turned cold as well.
"Just because I'm your boss. The marketing department is my domain! Pilan Cannon, come here." Habib said arrogantly.
"Uncle." At that moment, a young man approached, respectfully calling out.
"He's been fired by me. You're going to take his place and his performance, understand?" Habib motioned, immediately darkening Melanion's expression.
"From the Moore family, you just want to bring your nephew in to replace me, don't you? Why bother with so many excuses? According to company policy, you don't have the right to fire me!" Melanion said with a dark face.
"You're just a nobody. Always talking about rules this, rules that. Do you think you own the company?" Habib scoffed.
"The company isn't mine, but it's not yours either, Habib!" Melanion shouted, ready to risk it all.
"How dare you!" Habib's shout echoed throughout the marketing department, silencing everyone.
"Melanion, I'm telling you, if you keep causing trouble here, I'll make sure you can't find a job in this industry ever again! Do you believe that?" Habib had the confidence after years in the industry.
"This is a big group. I don't believe there's no justice here!" Melanion was getting angry.