Recalling the familiar aura he had sensed from Bai Hanyun and the comforting feeling when near her, Gui Xiaoxu reached inside his clothes to touch a jade pendant hidden within. Rubbing its smooth surface, he fell into deep thought.
After a while, he said, "Have Bu Gui Pavilion reject the mission."
Ke Ting was stunned when he heard that. After a moment of thought, he said, "Boss, this is the first time you have canceled a mission. Do you know this Bai Hanyun?"
Gui Xiaoxu shook his head. "Not yet. But... Maybe in the future."
Ke Ting raised an eyebrow at his words. He studied Gui Xiaoxu’s face but couldn’t read a thing from his calm, expressionless demeanor.
Sensing his gaze, Gui Xiaoxu asked, "Still not going?"
Snapping out of his thought, Ke Ting replied, "I will handle it immediately. Boss, should I send someone to protect Miss Bai?"
Gui Xiaoxu shook his head. "No need. Someone has already sent professionals to protect her. I haven’t found out what I want to know about her. We shouldn’t get involved for now."
"Understood," Ke Ting said with a nod before leaving.
After he left, Gui Xiaoxu picked up the file again and looked at Bai Hanyun’s picture. As he studied her face, he muttered, "Bai Hanyun.... This is getting interesting."
Half an hour later, Bai Yansheng received a notification that Bu Gui Pavilion had rejected his assassination request.
Clenching his phone tightly, he asked through gritted teeth, "I paid the fee. Why did Bu Gui Pavilion suddenly reject my request?"
Hearing his question, the man on the other end of the call said, "It’s a direct order from the Boss."
Listening to the robotic voice, Bai Yansheng’s heart skipped a beat. He narrowed his eyes and thought, ’A direct order from the owner of Bu Gui Pavilion? Why? Is this protection, or is this a warning?’
Unsure of the reason behind the rejection, Bai Yansheng could only swallow his anger and dissatisfaction.
"I understand," he said after a long silence.
Just as he was about to end the call, the mysterious man added, "Director Bai, you should know that our Boss controls over 90% of the underworld territory. No one else will dare take your mission, no matter how high the reward is."
After delivering the warning, the mysterious man ended the call before Bai Yansheng could respond. As the busy tone came from the phone, Bai Yansheng furiously threw it against the wall.
"Bastard! How dare he threaten me?!"
He was so angry that he felt dizzy and hurriedly grabbed the mahogany table to steady himself. Just as he tried to catch his breath, someone knocked on the door.
"Come in," Bai Yansheng said without opening his eyes.
The door opened, and his secretary entered with a file in hand. Glancing at the broken phone on the floor near the wall, he sighed inwardly.
’Who angered Director Bai again? Can’t I go a day without getting scolded?’
Though he was complaining in his heart, the secretary calmly handed the file to Bai Yansheng and said, "Director Bai, here is the document you requested."
Bai Yansheng took the file and reviewed it carefully. Once satisfied, he signed it and handed it back to his secretary. "Send this to Attorney Jiang."
"Yes, Director Bai." The secretary nodded and left the office.
After the door closed behind him, Bai Yansheng’s expression darkened.
He clenched his fists and muttered, "I can’t wait any longer. Once that damn girl signs the document, it will be harder to deal with her. I must get rid of her before Jiang Yinqi delivers the document."
As he pondered how to deal with Bai Hanyun, his phone rang again.
Glancing at the name on the screen, Bai Yansheng took a deep breath to calm down, then picked it up and asked gently, "Li Li, why are you calling Daddy? Do you need money for another bag?"
On the other end, Bai Li’s sweet voice replied, "Daddy, I don’t want a bag. You know what I want."
Hearing this, Bai Yansheng sighed and said, "Li Li, it’s not that Daddy doesn’t want to help you. It’s just—"
"I don’t want to hear it! I don’t want to hear it!" Bai Li interrupted before he could finish.
Pouting, she coquettishly added, "Daddy~ Please help me this time~ I really like Gui Xiaoxu. You don’t understand. After I saw him at the auction, I fell for him. Daddy~"
Bai Yansheng’s head throbbed at his beloved daughter’s whining. Rubbing his temples, he patiently said, "Li Li, CEO Gui is not someone we can afford to offend."
When Bai Li heard her father’s words, her expression darkened. "Hmph! I don’t care! If I can’t marry him, I will kill myself!"
Startled by her words, Bai Yansheng quickly said, "Li Li, don’t be stupid!"
Sensing that her words had softened his stance, Bai Li asked sweetly, "So... Do you agree to help me, Daddy?"
Knowing how spoiled his daughter was, Bai Yansheng could only give in—at least for now.
Although he understood how ruthless and cold Gui Xiaoxu could be, if Bai Li managed to capture his heart, the Bai family could rise in status and gain a foothold in the capital city, becoming one of the most influential families in the country.
With that thought, Bai Yansheng said, "Fine. Daddy will find a way for you to meet CEO Gui."
Excited, Bai Li beamed and replied, "I knew Daddy loves me the most! Thank you, Daddy!"
He shook his head with a helpless smile. "It’s good that you know. Daddy still has work to do. Let’s talk more at home."
After ending the call, Bai Yansheng fell into deep thought.
There was no existing connection between the Bai and Gui families, making it difficult to arrange a meeting between Bai Li and Gui Xiaoxu.
As he mulled over his options, Bai Yansheng’s eyes lit up.
He chuckled and muttered, "I may not have ties with the Gui family, but Li Li said Gui Xiaoxu seems interested in Bai Hanyun. If I can leverage that connection, it won’t be impossible for Li Li to meet him."
Having made up his mind, Bai Yansheng’s mood lifted as he prepared for his next steps. Meanwhile, while he was busy scheming, something happened in the Yuezhi Tribe’s military camp.