As Mrs. Yu had mentioned, Jia easily found the invitation in her purse. It was a sophisticated card with the venue and time written on it.
"Silverleaf hotel?" Her eyes widened. "Isn’t it a luxurious five-star hotel?"
Huojin said, "Should I say that I am impressed? I thought this cult gathering would be in some shady rundown place. They are seriously meeting up in a five-star hotel?"
"They sure don’t lack money," she dryly said.
"The husband said that they donate."
A vein popped on her temple. "They should use that precious money in Ehuang’s education and wellbeing instead of wasting on such brainwashing people!"
She looked at the date again and raised her brow. "We don’t have to wait for long. The next gathering is the day after tomorrow."
He nodded. "You have enough time."
"Enough time for what?"
"To buy a new dress? Didn’t the wife say that they dress the best? You cannot go there in your pajamas," he chuckled.
She glared.
"Wait, do you even have any dress in the first place?"
"I do have decent dresses."
"Not luxurious enough. You will be thrown out if you look poor."
She scorned. "You are saying as if you have expensive suits."
"Hah! I am not so frugal like you. I enjoy my hard earned money too, you know? On a serious note, spend some money for the sake of the mission."
She cleared her throat and mumbled. "Fine, I will go shopping tomorrow..."
Jia was already crying thinking about the hole in her wallet. She tried to forget about it and said, "I will go and meet Ehuang. By the way, where is Mingshen?"
Shilin, who was passing by, said, "Boss is still inside. He is still grilling the couple for more answers."
"I see. Thanks. How is college going by the way?"
"Good as usual," he smiled.
"Are you still in contact with Daxia, Yong and Anhe?"
"Daxia, yes. Sometimes we cross paths in college. Yong keeps to her own. Anhe, not really. She is quiet these days."
"And Li Beiye?" Huojin asked this time.
Shilin gave him a stare. "...Not particularly. Why did you ask?"
"Just curious," he shrugged. "When I was investigating, she told me about the fashion show incident where Anhe fell off the stairs and blamed her. Anhe thought there was something going on between you two."
"Ah. It’s nothing like that between us. We only met because she needed some help."
"I see. Do you know she interns at Quantum Games?"
He blinked. "Really? I am aware that she is interning somewhere, but I didn’t know about the company."
"Yup she works there. Met her when I dropped off Zexi on her first day."
"Oh..."
"You look a little perplexed."
"It’s nothing. I just thought that she isn’t interested that much in gaming."
Jia said, "Well, sometimes it’s about the experience too."
"You are right."
"Good to see you are doing well. I will get going," she glanced at the corridor and thought about something.
Well, I will ask him later, she thought.
—
"Why are s-still here!? Didn’t you promise us that you will let us go!" Despite answering all the questions, Mrs. Yu was still strapped to the bed in the dark, sinister ward.
She frantically looked for her husband, but he was nowhere to be found.
"Your dear husband is another ward. Rest assured, he will too soon get a five star treatment," Mingshen’s laughter echoed with an eerie ring to it.
Her chest heaved breathlessly and tears continued to pour out from her eyes. Her body was shaking badly as if she was left in some lone, distant freezing place.
"I-I answered all your questions..."
"That was just one part. The real deal is beginning now. Do you want to play a guessing game?" He smiled. "What do you think the real deal is?"
She couldn’t voice out her words.
"As somebody who thinks that sex and pleasure is a shameful act to indulge in, it is only the right thing that you free yourself from such temptations too, right?" He blinked innocently.
"No..."
"No? Shouldn’t you thank me? I am getting you liberated from your bodily desires. I am sure your kitty party people will appreciate your decision that as a woman, you don’t deserve to have any sexual happiness. You will be the star in the next gathering," he shone brightly.
Mingshen leaned in near her ear and whispered. "You will join in your daughter’s happiness. Isn’t it such a wonderful thing? Your husband will also be honored to go through the same pain that he gifted Ehuang. Wouldn’t it be such a picture perfect family?"
She shuddered hard. She bit her lip and meekly said, gathering the last strand of her courage, "Y-you won’t be spared...You will be in jail for this...!"
Mingshen stared right into her very soul and tilted his head. He leaned closer and hushed. "Who will tell anybody of what happened behind the closed doors here? You? You won’t. That is, if you don’t want me to stitch your lips shut too just like what I will be doing down there."
He pointed at between her thighs with his gaze.
Mrs. Yu wished she could faint and wake up to realize that this was all just a nightmare.
"You see old hag. The court might have deemed you not guilty but in my lab, the laws work differently," he smiled. "In this space, you are guilty and you came here on your own accord. My guards gave you a chance to walk away, but you didn’t. You remained stubborn and egoistic and that is why you are lying here so helplessly and unable to escape your fate. So you know why? Because the only stubborn and egoistic person in my lab can be me."
He sneered. "Yet you two walked so royally like you own the place. I don’t like that attitude. So I want to teach you a lesson as well. Ehuang can come here as and when she likes. I like smart people. Smart people are always welcomed in my lab and in the Yang mansion. You aren’t. So..."
He shook the syringe that swayed the liquid inside it. "Are you ready? You are going to be reborn as a new person now. Enjoy the fun ride~"