"Impossible, right? Eun-chae, stop joking!" Lee Ji-eun froze for a second before reverting back to her usual bubbly self, "The company takes such good care of me, how could they possibly ask me to do something ? Eun-chae, this joke isn't funny at all!"
"Ji-eun, I'm not joking this time. Even the boss can't do anything about it. It's a command from the state, and not even the boss has the power or the courage to refuse." Eun-chae said through clenched teeth. She had never imagined that such a thing would happen to Lee Ji-eun.
Seeing Eun-chae's serious expression, tears suddenly started streaming down Lee Ji-eun's cheeks uncontrollably, "Who do they want me to accompany? Some important figure from Huaxia?"
"It's a young man from Huaxia, named Zhang Menglong. Maybe you've heard of him."
"Zhang Menglong? The Zhang Menglong? The one who appeared in international news with the world's richest man?"
"Yes, him," Eun-chae said, "Ji-eun, you're aware of our recent banking issues in Qingqiu Country, aren't you?"
Lee Ji-eun dabbed away her tears and nodded.
"It's all this young man's doing; his goal was to avenge those who doubted him. There's a saying in Huaxia, 'kill the chicken to scare the monkey'. Unfortunately, Qingqiu Country was the chicken he chose. Now, whenever he wants, he can drain all the banks of Qingqiu Country, leading to a national economic collapse."
"They want me to please him? They're overestimating me!"
"Choosing you wasn't a top-down decision," Eun-chae said, "Originally, the Ministry of Finance had invited Zhang Menglong to discuss the matter today. The longer we delay, the more danger our country faces. He's not in a hurry, but we are. Right now, Zhang Menglong is still sleeping. He said that if you go and wake him up, he'll get up."
"This is absurd! Must our nation's fate really be thrust upon me?" Lee Ji-eun was filled with indignation, unable to accept being used as a sacrifice to appease a complete stranger.
"Eun-chae, I can't do this. I'll terminate my contract with the company. I'll pay all the penalty fees. Can I do that?" Lee Ji-eun grasped at what felt like her last lifeline, "Eun-chae, you must help me."
"I... I can't help you..." Eun-chae couldn't even bear to look into Lee Ji-eun's eyes, "The boss said that if he can't pull this off, he'll be behind bars tomorrow. He said even if you break the contract with the company, he knows where your family lives—your parents, your brother. If he's finished, your whole family won't be spared either."
"Did the boss really say that?" In a moment, Lee Ji-eun felt her heart sink to ashes.
In Qingqiu Country, those entertainment companies had very murky waters beneath them; many had a host of social organizations under their wing. Their bosses were indeed capable of such actions,
"Ji-eun, the boss said it was Mr. Su from the Ministry of Finance who personally delivered the message. You have to go, whether you want to or not. If you're not in his room by ten o'clock, your brother..."
"I'll go!" Lee Ji-eun bit her lip hard, her beautiful lips turning even redder from the blood rushing to them, combined with her immensely aggrieved expression. Perhaps no man could withstand such a sight.
Lee Ji-eun understood that no matter how hard she resisted, it would be in vain. It was the will of the national authorities; no matter how famous she was or how high her popularity soared, she was just an entertainer. As an entertainer, even one misstep in this industry could lead to a downfall from which she could never recover, let alone contend with the power of the state.
"Damn, this call woke me up from a perfect nap!" Zhang Menglong grabbed a cup of morning tea from beside his bed and took a sip, feeling completely awake after just wrapping up a call with Piao Guanzhi.
"Hong Yi, bring me my clothes. I'm getting up!" Zhang Menglong yelled; after gaming all of last night, he had treated himself to a full body massage—of course, the legitimate kind—and had then blissfully fallen asleep. Looking around the bed, he couldn't find his clothes.
"Mr. Zhang," Hong Yi's voice came from outside the door, "are you sure you want to get up now?"
"Ah? Do you need confirmation to get up?" Zhang Menglong was bewildered for a moment, "I mean, is there some kind of ritual I need to perform before getting up in Qingqiu Country?"
"Mr. Zhang, have you forgotten? Just now, Piao Guanzhi from Qingqiu Bank called you, saying that Representative Jin from the Qingqiu Ministry of Finance wanted to meet with you. You told them that you needed Miss Lee Ji-eun to wake you up, and you needed kisses and hugs, otherwise you couldn't get out of bed..."
"Holy shit, did I say that?" Zhang Menglong immediately panicked, "I thought I was still dreaming. I was just talking nonsense; they didn't take it seriously, did they?"
Hong Yi outside the door was suddenly at a loss, scratching her head in frustration. Was this kind of thing even a joke? She had just conveyed this message to Piao Guanzhi!
"I reported your exact words to them. Just now, Manager Piao called and said that by 10 o'clock, Miss Lee Ji-eun will definitely be delivered to your room. He also asked me to tell you that although Miss Lee is in the entertainment industry in Qingqiu, she has always been well protected, and she is still a virgin. He hopes..."
"Hopes that you would enjoy yourself tonight..." Hong Yi said with a blush coloring her cheeks.
"Holy shit, so I said a word in my dreams, and it got twisted into this? Do I, Zhang Menglong, look like that kind of person?" Zhang Menglong was speechless. If Lu Yiyao heard about this, he wouldn't be able to explain himself even if he had a hundred mouths.
Why was Hong Yi handling this matter in such an excessive manner; couldn't she judge the situation for herself?
"Mr. Zhang, judging by the time, Miss Lee will probably be here soon. Why don't you lie down for a bit longer?" Hong Yi asked tentatively, "Or if you're in a hurry, I can go prepare things for you now."
"Prepare things? What things?"
"Safety measures, of course. Do you want the pill or a 'little raincoat'?"
"This question, are you doubting my character, Zhang Menglong? Only a scumbag would make a girl take the pill!" Zhang Menglong suddenly seemed to miss the point.
"Then I'll go prepare the 'little raincoat' for you."
"Wait a minute! What are you preparing for; I'm not going to do anything, why do I need a 'little raincoat'?"
"Knock knock knock..." Suddenly, a soft knock on the door came.
"Mr. Zhang, it seems Miss Lee Ji-eun has arrived."
"Holy shit, she really came?"
"What do you think? The person you asked for, not just a female artist, but even if she were a princess or a queen of a country, she would have to be brought to you. But to give credit where credit's due, they are pretty quick!"
"Oh man, if Yiyi found out, she would kill me!" Zhang Menglong said nervously, "To think they took my sleep talking seriously!"
"Knock knock knock!" A crisp knock on Zhang Menglong's door was followed by a sweet voice from outside, "Mr. Zhang, time to get up!"