The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 24

“Remember to take your medicine. I have to go back.”

After finishing the can of beer, Jin Sique went to the bathroom, found some mouthwash, and rinsed her mouth.

By the time she came out, Xie Ying had fallen asleep again.

Jin Sique sighed almost imperceptibly. She covered Xie Ying with a blanket, hooked a finger into the back collar of her sweater, and pulled it down to examine her badly damaged gland.

“I’m not going to die,” Xie Ying said with her eyes closed.

Jin Sique smiled casually and covered the back of her neck again.

“That would be best.”

The corners of Xie Ying’s lips curved upward.

“I’m your role model, aren’t I?”

Jin Sique picked up the hat resting on the back of the sofa and put it on. She opened the door, then looked back.

“Not really.”

Xie Ying grabbed a cushion and threw it at her.

“I’m keeping the second bedroom for you. Come stay with me soon.”

Jin Sique said nothing.

She merely picked up the cushion and carefully placed it on the shoe cabinet by the entrance.

Xie Ying looked at her and suddenly gave a mocking laugh.

“I’m leaving,” Jin Sique said.

She lowered the brim of her hat and hurried downstairs, rapidly escaping the long, dim stairway.

Only when she stepped through the building entrance and into the sunlight did she feel herself break free from the oppressive atmosphere behind her.

Jin Sique turned around and looked down at her toes.

The boundary between light and darkness was as distinct as a dividing line, directly before her and separated from her by only a fraction of an inch.

Even though she had fled with all her strength, the darkness remained within reach.

If someone pushed her from behind now—or reached out and dragged her backward—she would once again fall into that dark abyss.

—

The search program retrieved tens of millions of personal records.

They included different demographic categories, as well as Alphas, Omegas, and Betas who shared the same name. The results covered their life histories and every related entry that could be found online.

“Isn’t this what people call doxxing?” 052 asked.

“It is publicly available information,” Lü Zhongcai replied. “Ninety percent of it is either duplicated or useless.”

052 gave a meaningful “Oh.”

“Of course, an ordinary person wouldn’t search through this material, nor would they be able to obtain this search program,” Lü Zhongcai added.

She filtered the entries and eliminated eighty percent of the useless information, yet a large amount of complicated data remained.

Then Lü Zhongcai filtered out all Betas and Omegas, leaving only Alphas.

She fell silent.

Next, she narrowed the region to ethnic Chinese living in Africa and specified an age range.

Immediately, only several dozen search results remained.

Names, genders, publicly available photographs, educational backgrounds, and places of employment filled several pages on the computer.

A quick review would have revealed the results.

Yet Lü Zhongcai showed no visible reaction.

052 said regretfully, “After Du Mengzhen went abroad, she stopped using this name. She only resumed using her childhood name after returning to China.”

Lü Zhongcai tapped a bent finger against the desk.

She pressed Enter and sent an email to a friend living overseas.

“I’ve always thought…”

“That she was deeply in love with you?” 052 interrupted. “She was obviously trying to hook you and marry into a wealthy family.”

Before their marriage, Jin Sique’s pursuit had continued for more than half a year.

Lü Zhongcai’s excellent upbringing had given Jin Sique sufficient courage and boldness.

Then one day, the proud swan asked her a question.

—

“Why are you here?”

Lü Zhongcai had stepped outside during overtime to get some air and was sitting on a bench in the park.

Jin Sique had waited there for several days, hoping to encounter her, and had finally succeeded.

Jin Sique smiled and gestured toward the balloons in her hand.

“There are many children here. The parents who live or work nearby are generous and willing to buy small toys for them. They sell better here than at the night market in the urban village.”

Lü Zhongcai smiled.

She crossed her long legs and rested one arm along the back of the bench, watching Jin Sique sell every balloon except the last one.

Jin Sique had kept a balloon printed with the enormous face of a Samoyed.

“This is for you.”

She offered it to Lü Zhongcai.

Lü Zhongcai glanced at the cigarette held between her fingers.

“That’s something for children.”

Jin Sique smiled and withdrew the balloon.

She pointed at the empty place beside Lü Zhongcai.

“May I sit?”

Lü Zhongcai removed her arm from the back of the bench and placed it on her raised knee instead.

The phone beside her had been vibrating for a long time, but she continued ignoring it.

Under the night sky, the park was brightly illuminated by streetlights.

Jin Sique wound the balloon string around her finger again and again.

Not far away, many married couples and lovers were walking through the park on dates.

“What are you thinking about, President Lü?” Jin Sique asked.

“The Nasdaq opened with strong gains, but the index is moving somewhat differently from what was anticipated. The hedging strategy needs to be adjusted,” Lü Zhongcai replied.

“I don’t understand those things.”

Lü Zhongcai nodded slightly and gestured toward her.

“Then remain quiet.”

“…”

They sat for a while.

When Lü Zhongcai stood, Jin Sique cooperatively picked up the suit jacket from the bench, shook it open, and helped her put it on.

At seventeen, Jin Sique was slightly shorter than she was now.

She had to lift the jacket high, and her forehead barely reached Lü Zhongcai’s chin.

As she helped Lü Zhongcai into it, the thin balloon string tied around her wrist repeatedly brushed across Lü Zhongcai’s face.

Lü Zhongcai: “…”

Against Lü Zhongcai’s cold face, the enormous Samoyed head looked almost comical.

Jin Sique burst out laughing.

Lü Zhongcai inclined her head.

“Thank you.”

She buttoned her suit jacket with one hand and walked away.

“Your phone.”

Jin Sique picked up the phone from the bench.

The screen displayed the word Mother.

She froze, suddenly feeling as though the device had become scorching hot.

“Aren’t you… going to answer? She’s been calling for a long time. What if it’s something important?”

“She’s urging me to get married,” Lü Zhongcai said.

Jin Sique immediately became awkward.

“Uh… Even you’re pressured to marry?”

“Yes.”

Lü Zhongcai accepted the phone and answered.

Before she could speak, the middle-aged woman on the other end began roaring.

“You little Lü brat, you’ve gotten bold, haven’t you? Oh, your poor mother! When exactly are you coming home? Look at the wretched state you’re in…”

Meng Yuqing began cursing furiously, mixing Mandarin with her Shandong dialect and using every unpleasant expression imaginable.

Lü Zhongcai calmly said, “I have a meeting in ten minutes…”

There was a pause on the other end.

Then Meng Yuqing became even more agitated.

“You damned girl—”

Jin Sique’s face turned scarlet with embarrassment.

She smiled awkwardly and silently mouthed, Sorry.

Then she untied the balloon from her wrist, stepped closer, and wound the string around Lü Zhongcai’s wrist instead.

The scent of fresh grass filled Lü Zhongcai’s nose.

Distracted by the phone call, she did not react until Jin Sique had already retreated and run several steps away.

Jin Sique ran far into the distance.

The wind filled her clothing, and her faded old clothes seemed to be covered in gentle moonlight.

Facing Lü Zhongcai, she shouted, “President Lü, I hope you’ll consider me!”

“Yes, I like you,” Jin Sique said.

“Bye-bye!”

Lü Zhongcai returned to the company with the balloon tied to her wrist.

The sight of that balloon combined with her imposing presence was so bizarre that it later appeared on LE Financial Center’s list of unsolved mysteries.

“You never questioned it?” 052 asked. “My dear President, you—you…”

Lü Zhongcai turned off the computer and guided her wheelchair out of the office.

Night had fallen.

Miss Bai had already become friendly with the office employees. She currently had an arm around an Alpha’s shoulders and was laughing so hard that she bent forward and backward.

The moment Miss Bai saw Lü Zhongcai, she walked toward her.

“Hello, darling. I already asked around, and you’re still single. Does that mean I still have a chance?”

Lü Zhongcai replied to 052:

“Was there any need to question it?”