A hint of deep contemplation on his own exquisitely handsome face made Mo Rutian, this ’pretty boy,’ rather displeased.
The mere thought of her trying to take compromising photos of that man was fraught with peril. Even setting aside whether she could succeed, one could only imagine what might happen when a man had a woman in such a situation.
"Director Mo, have you forgotten... you were the one who told me about this!" Long Shangxuan said with a cunning smile.
He walked over to Mo Rutian, a man of considerable looks and wealth, and chuckled, "When you told me initially, wasn’t it because you hoped to use Hua Xiaomo to get ahold of Qi Longbing’s incriminating photos? So why the cold feet now?"
"I..." Mo Rutian was at a loss for words, his delicate face darkened, and he paused for a moment before finally saying, "But I still don’t want her to be in danger!"
"Don’t worry. Director Mo, Hua Xiaomo is very smart. She’ll know how to protect herself. Once we get ahold of Qi Longbing’s vulnerabilities, she can make a clean getaway. I’ll have her work as your secretary then. Wouldn’t that be perfect?" Long Shangxuan said with a light smile.
He understood this man’s mind all too well. Beneath the ambition for power, Mo Rutian wanted to seize this rare opportunity to crush his rival, yet he couldn’t bear to sacrifice the beauty involved. Such a dilemma truly left one in knots!
But if they could firmly grasp Qi Longbing’s vulnerabilities, wouldn’t any sacrifice be worth it?
If Qi Imperial Court were to defer to Mohai in the future, it would undoubtedly be an earth-shattering event in City A’s business world.
Mo Rutian did not dwell on this for long; instead, his mind shifted to another concern. "Xiao Mo has never had a good impression of me. How would she agree to be my secretary?"
"Director Mo, you provided the five million. You’ve shown her kindness, and I believe she will make the right choice when it comes to her benefactor," Long Shangxuan said with a smile. He then turned, walked over to the bar, and poured two glasses of Grand Lafite.
Long Shangxuan, holding the glasses, walked back and handed one to Mo Rutian. "Director Mo, here’s to you. May all your wishes come true!"
Mo Rutian looked at him and smiled faintly, accepting the glass. "Thank you..."
He understood the other man’s intentions well enough.
Of course, Long Shangxuan’s ambition was undoubtedly to join Mohai’s board of directors, but that was easier said than done!
A heavy weight, like a stone at the bottom of a deep pool, settled in Mo Rutian’s heart.
「The next day, in the top-floor executive office of Qi Imperial Court.」
A handsome man, impeccably dressed in an ice-purple suit, strode in, accompanied by his special assistant and bodyguards.
"Good morning, President Qi!" the two beautiful, long-haired secretaries said in unison.
"Has Xiao Mo arrived?" Qi Longbing asked before even stepping into his own office.
This was the first time he had specifically instructed Yu Bao not to pick up Hua Xiaomo for work. He believed that if she wanted to come, she would do so without needing someone to fetch her.
Besides, he didn’t want to pressure her anymore.
To willingly stay by someone’s side, isn’t that what true affection is?
Qi Longbing found it laughable, deeply ironic. When had she ever truly liked him? That would be as likely as the sun rising in the west, wouldn’t it?
"President Qi, Miss Hua hasn’t arrived yet," Ms. Lin said.
Qi Longbing didn’t say another word. His handsome face showed no change in expression, but his voice turned noticeably colder. "Inform everyone, the meeting will begin in ten minutes."
"Yes, President Qi," the secretaries responded in unison, a sense of foreboding washing over them. Oh no, the President is probably going to lose his temper again today.
Qi Longbing entered his office and gazed at the vacant desk next to his, his eyes darkening.
"President Qi, shall I go pick up Miss Hua for work?" Yu Bao asked, clearly seeing the desolation in Qi Longbing’s eyes...
How could Hua Xiaomo truly not show up? ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝙣𝙚𝙩
President Qi had invested so much thought and effort in her!
"If you go pick her up, will she come? Forget it, let her be," Qi Longbing sneered.
He slumped into his Osaka chair, his entire demeanor exuding a sense of defeat.
This little demon, she’s truly torturous!
He had only been speaking casually; had she actually taken it to heart? Did she really intend to draw a clear line between them?
"President Qi, I’ll go make you a cup of coffee to perk you up," Yu Bao said before leaving. Soon, he returned with a cup of coffee. "President Qi, have some coffee!"
Qi Longbing glanced at it, took a small, indifferent sip, and said coldly, "This was brewed by Ms. Lin, wasn’t it? Not by you, Yu Bao."
Yu Bao laughed awkwardly. "President Qi, you truly are an expert in this area; nothing escapes your eyes."
"You make me sound omnipotent," Qi Longbing said, looking at Yu Bao with an expressionless face. "But isn’t Xiao Mo still keeping things from me? Is there any news about that Feng Shui Master?"
"I’ve had people searching everywhere, but there’s no news yet. That guy is too cunning; he even skipped the feng shui site assessment he’d scheduled with Xingda’s General Manager Wang," Yu Bao reported.
"Hmph! If he didn’t have a guilty conscience, why would he be hiding?" Qi Longbing snorted, a cold, dark glint flickering in his blue eyes. "Assign more people to find him!"
An intuition he couldn’t quite articulate told him this Feng Shui Master must have some connection to Hua Xiaomo.
But no matter who it was, he wouldn’t let anyone harm his Xiao Mo...
Suddenly, the internal phone line rang.
Qi Longbing quickly answered it.
"President Qi, it’s time for your meeting," Ms. Zhang’s clear and pleasant voice came through the phone.
Qi Longbing hung up the phone without another word. He quickly stood, one hand in his pocket. Just as Yu Bao rushed ahead to open the office door, Qi Longbing’s gaze fell directly on the figure emerging from the executive elevator.
It was none other than Hua Xiaomo!
Qi Longbing stared, a feeling washing over him as if an entire lifetime had passed since he last saw her.
She wore a sleek black blouse with women’s black dress pants, complemented by glossy high heels. Her tall figure was rendered even more striking.
Her short hair was endearingly tousled, the neatly trimmed bangs no longer obscuring her eyes. Her beautiful eyes, like brilliant Xingchen, were captivatingly bright.
Her black attire was understated, yet it made her fair skin seem even more prominent.
Lightly made-up, she seemed like an Angel emerged from hell, her presence impossible to ignore.
For a moment, the two elegant secretaries were stunned. Isn’t that Hua Xiaomo?
Hua Xiaomo saw that he had seen her. Her steps faltered slightly, her gaze paused for a moment, but then she composed herself and walked towards him.
"President Qi, I’m sorry... I’m late today," Hua Xiaomo said, her voice tinged with a hint of somberness.