The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 43

A knock sounded at the door.

Lü Zhongcai glanced sideways.

“Who is it?”

Jin Sique’s hand stopped in midair. She rested her palm against the wooden doorframe and answered softly, “It’s me.”

Lü Zhongcai lowered her eyes and stopped what she was doing.

“Get some rest.”

Jin Sique’s hand fell to her side.

“All right. You should rest early too.”

“Good night.”

“Good night.”

Jin Sique smiled dejectedly and left the guest-room door.

052 said with satisfaction, “Not bad. President, you finally showed some backbone.”

“What do we do next? Shouldn’t we arrange for Du Mengzhen to die overseas?”

Lü Zhongcai set down the tablet and casually pulled the bedsheet over herself.

“A Chinese person dying abroad—only heaven, earth, you, and I would know. Who else could possibly find out?” 052 continued.

Lü Zhongcai closed her eyes and fell asleep.

“President?” 052 asked in confusion. “President? You… You’re truly going to infuriate me!”

—

The following morning, the guest-room door opened.

Aunt Guo entered with a vacuum cleaner and jumped in fright when Lü Zhongcai sat up in bed.

“Why—why are you sleeping in the guest room?”

Lü Zhongcai shook her head.

“What time is it?”

Aunt Guo pulled open the curtains.

“It’s after ten. Sique has already returned to the university. I thought you left early this morning.”

She turned around.

“Does your head hurt? Oh dear, I’ll find a thermometer…”

“There’s no need.”

Lü Zhongcai lifted the blanket and got out of bed.

“I’m probably simply unused to this bed. I have a meeting at eleven.”

Aunt Guo went to the master bedroom, selected a change of clothes for Lü Zhongcai, and placed everything in the washroom outside the guest-room bathroom.

“Cai Cai, I prepared your clothes and watch. Sique probably arranged them for you before leaving.”

A muffled response came from behind the shower curtain.

Aunt Guo sighed, put everything down, and left.

When the sound of water stopped, Lü Zhongcai pulled open the shower curtain and stepped out naked.

Her legs were long, her waist slender, and her skin cool and pale.

She dressed one garment at a time, then gathered her long hair and tied it impeccably behind her head.

The driver opened the car door.

Lü Zhongcai bent down and entered.

Aunt Guo handed her a lunchbox and reminded her to eat properly before watching the car leave the villa.

052 sighed.

“After your downfall, the Lü family’s social standing will also collapse.”

“Aunt Guo has no children. The book barely mentions her, but I think—”

“She will live well,” Lü Zhongcai interrupted.

“Appealing to my emotions won’t work. The Lü family has never mistreated anyone over the years. Even without me, they can continue living their lives.”

The driver secretly examined Lü Zhongcai through the rearview mirror.

052 sighed again.

“My dear President, how can affection between people be measured with money?”

The car stopped.

The executive assistant hurried over and opened the door for Lü Zhongcai.

“The president of EA has come to the company and wishes to meet you,” she said.

Lü Zhongcai held her cane in her right hand. Her slight limp did nothing to diminish her tall, elegant figure.

“EA?”

“It’s an internet technology company that develops trading software. The company isn’t large—only a little over a dozen employees, all programmers.”

“I heard another company recently attempted to acquire them. They appear to have reached a dead end…”

The executive assistant pressed the elevator button.

Lü Zhongcai lowered her brows.

“A technology company? LE has no major plans to invest in technology companies this year.”

“Yes.”

The assistant bowed, held the elevator door, and then selected the floor containing the president’s office.

The elevator rose.

“But…”

The doors opened with a chime.

The sound of an argument immediately reached them.

A disheveled Omega stood in the middle of a crowd with her hands on her hips.

“I don’t care! LE must invest in me today!”

“If you refuse, I’m not leaving! I’ll stay here! I’ll eat, drink, sleep, and use the bathroom here!”

The executive assistant smiled awkwardly.

“That is the situation… President Lü.”

Lü Zhongcai glanced at the administrative area, then continued toward her own office.

“Where are the security guards?”

“I’m an Omega! An Omega! If anyone dares touch me, I’ll call the police and accuse them of harassment!”

A scream came from the administrative area.

“Ahhh!”

The executive assistant scanned them into the president’s office and entered with Lü Zhongcai.

She boiled water, prepared tea, and placed the materials for the upcoming meeting beside Lü Zhongcai.

052 advised, “I don’t think there’s any harm in meeting her.”

Chaos continued in the administrative office.

Lü Zhongcai reviewed her emails and sent the photograph she had obtained the previous night to her contact overseas.

“Bring her in.”

The executive assistant froze and nearly poured the water outside the cup.

“Yes. I’ll go immediately.”

—

Under the blazing sun, Jin Sique wore a sun hat and narrowed her eyes at the flagpole in the distance.

She raised her club and sent the golf ball into the hole.

“Not bad.”

Beside her, Fang Zhiming rested both hands on his club and smiled approvingly.

Jin Sique removed her hat and smiled radiantly.

“Your turn?”

The instructor reset the ball.

Fang Zhiming selected a club and struck it into the hole.

Jin Sique watched with a smile.

The instructor placed another ball, and Jin Sique stepped forward and successfully sank it again.

The sun grew increasingly intense.

Fang Zhiming glanced at the sky.

“Shall we sit down?”

“All right.”

Jin Sique smiled, handed her club to the instructor, and inclined her head before walking toward a nearby canopy.

Fang Zhiming picked up the pitcher on the table and poured her a glass of lemonade.

“Would you like some?”

“Thank you.”

Jin Sique accepted it and drained the glass.

“Shall we sit?”

A warm breeze passed.

Jin Sique tightened her ponytail, pulled out a tissue, and wiped the sweat from her temples.

She casually moved the tissue toward the back of her neck before noticing Fang Zhiming examining her.

“Mr. Fang?”

She smiled.

Fang Zhiming nodded and narrowed his eyes.

“Miss Jin wants to ask me about Mengzhen, doesn’t she?”

“How do you know her Chinese name?” Jin Sique asked in return.

“Du Mengzhen is very fond of that name. During her travels, she often used it when signing bills.”

Jin Sique abruptly smiled.

“What else?”

Fang Zhiming turned toward her.

“Ask whatever you want to know directly, Miss Jin. I’m already fifty. Trading veiled remarks with you young people is exhausting.”

Jin Sique smiled awkwardly and lowered her gaze toward the glass in her hand.

The shallow pool of water reflected the endless blue sky.

“How… has she been?”

“She appears to be doing quite well. She has traveled to many places and is an admirable young woman with ideals and ambition,” Fang Zhiming replied with a smile.

Jin Sique nodded dazedly.

She stared at the water for a moment before asking, “Has she… been in a relationship?”

“Probably not.”

Jin Sique froze.

She quickly glanced at Fang Zhiming, then smiled and raised the glass, taking two large gulps.

“Then—then why hasn’t she returned to China?”

“Do you know whether she suffered after her adoptive parents left? Did she complete her education? And…”

It was as though Jin Sique had opened a floodgate, urgently asking one question after another.

Fang Zhiming burst into laughter.

“I don’t know those details.”

“But I can tell you about some of my experiences in Africa. Du Mengzhen…”

“Mm…”

Jin Sique picked up the pitcher and refilled her glass.

A breeze passed.

She lifted the cup and gently blew across the surface.

Ripples spread through the water, gradually distorting the reflected blue sky and white clouds until they transformed into a pair of distinct, cold eyes.

Jin Sique froze and stared absently into the glass.

“Miss Jin?” Fang Zhiming called. “Miss Jin?”

A hand waved before her face.

Only then did Jin Sique return to her senses and look at Fang Zhiming sluggishly.

“Mr. Fang?”

“I was asking whether you need me to contact her on your behalf.”

Fang Zhiming smiled.

“She is probably still in Africa. Or I could give you her phone number.”

Jin Sique immediately shook her head.

“There’s no need. Knowing that she’s living well is enough.”

Fang Zhiming examined her suspiciously.

“That’s all?”

“Mm. That’s all.”

Jin Sique put down her glass, stood, and bowed to Fang Zhiming.

“Thank you, Mr. Fang. I’ll leave first.”

“Please keep today’s conversation confidential.”

“Confidential from Du Mengzhen, or from President Lü?” Fang Zhiming asked meaningfully.

Jin Sique stopped.

She pressed her lips together and smiled.

“From both of them. Thank you, Mr. Fang.”

“A businessman does not participate in unprofitable transactions.”

Fang Zhiming put down his teacup.

At that moment, a golf-course server hurried over and handed Fang Zhiming a menu.

Jin Sique turned toward him.

A flash of disgust appeared in her obscure gaze before she smiled.

“Yes. I understand.”

Fang Zhiming finished ordering.

The server accepted the menu, then handed it to Jin Sique.

Jin Sique took the pen and wrote a string of numbers in one corner.

Reaching past the server, she gave it to Fang Zhiming.

“Whenever Mr. Fang wishes to hear opera, you may contact me.”

Jin Sique smiled and stepped backward twice with an inclination of her head.

Then she turned and strode away.

Holding the number, Fang Zhiming shook his head and laughed.

—

After leaving the golf course, Jin Sique returned to the university.

Her ankle had mostly recovered, so she could resume training.

At ten that night, rehearsal ended.

Members of the theater class lay scattered across the stage, all utterly exhausted.

“My legs…”

Zhu Wanqing wailed.

“I might not survive until the official performance.”

Leaning against a corner, Jin Sique smiled helplessly.

“Only three days remain. Endure it a little longer.”

The class representative called out, “All right, that’s enough for today. Everyone can leave.”

“Same time and place tomorrow. We’ll work on our coordination again. Once the official performance is over in a few days, we’ll finally be free!”

The students staggered out of the auditorium like walking corpses.

Xiaobai grabbed her backpack, opened the zipper, and slowly pulled out two tickets, handing them to Jin Sique.

“Here. I managed to get these for you. Excellent seats near the front.”

“Thank you,” Jin Sique said.

Zhu Wanqing made an interested sound and leaned closer with a grin.

“Who are they for? You’ve never brought relatives or friends before.”

“I…”

Jin Sique paused.

She lowered her brows and smiled.

“My Sister.”

Zhu Wanqing screamed excitedly.

“Ahhhhh!”

Xiaobai clicked her tongue.

“I can’t stand you.”

Zhu Wanqing said, “Should we rehearse for another two hours?”

Xiaobai: “…”

“Who is the other ticket for?” Xiaobai asked curiously.

Zhu Wanqing’s delighted expression immediately collapsed.

“It couldn’t be for your sister-in-law, could it? I’ll cry if that’s true.”

Jin Sique smiled awkwardly.

“I’m going home.”

—

At Jingwan Villa, Lü Zhongcai showered in the guest-room bathroom and changed into her nightclothes.

She walked toward the bed and noticed an admission ticket placed on the bedside table.

She picked it up and checked the time.

The performance was scheduled for that very evening.

She and Jin Sique had not spoken for several days.

Lü Zhongcai suddenly remembered that she had personally offered to attend Jin Sique’s end-of-term performance.

052 made an intrigued sound.

“Oh?”

“Is she trying to end the cold war?”

“You aren’t actually going, are you, President?”