The Cold Alpha's Black Lotus O Strategy Plan (GL) - Chapter 48

Technology Summit

On June 18, at City A International Convention and Exhibition Center, a staff member escorted Lü Zhongcai to a seat in the front row.

At the high-tech summit, beneath a massive display screen, the person in charge of EA was passionately introducing her company’s software.

Lü Zhongcai flipped through the list of attendees and raised her wrist to check the time.

Each participating organization had approximately ten minutes to speak.

Those ten minutes could determine a company’s fate.

The audience consisted entirely of investors and entrepreneurs seeking funding through the roadshow, ranging from individuals to entire organizations, as well as members of the media. Hundreds of people had gathered, and the sound system carried the voices of the host and entrepreneurs into every corner of the hall.

EA’s representative concluded her presentation.

“In the future, artificial intelligence will spark a new industrial revolution.”

Applause sounded throughout the venue.

After answering several questions, EA’s representative wiped the sweat from her brow and stepped off the stage.

“What does President Lü think?”

“Artificial intelligence has been hyped for years, but we still haven’t seen any meaningful results. They call it intelligent, but all it can do is play music and boil water.”

Several investors spoke quietly among themselves. They clearly did not think much of the claims made by the head of a company on the verge of bankruptcy.

Lü Zhongcai did not respond.

She stood, buttoned her suit jacket, and inclined her body slightly to indicate that she would be leaving first.

“She’s leaving already?”

“Those financial elites from LE always act as though they’re above everyone else.”

“This is a society built on relationships… That attitude will cost her sooner or later.”

“They’re talking about you,” 052 reminded her. “Perhaps you should stay and listen to the other entrepreneurs’ presentations. It would help you establish a humble, approachable image.”

“There’s no need,” Lü Zhongcai replied.

The driver opened the car door.

Just as Lü Zhongcai bent down to enter, an Omega hurried after her.

“President Lü!”

Lü Zhongcai turned around, her long cane resting against the ground. A polite smile appeared on her cool, dignified face.

“Hello.”

“Thank you for having someone send me the invitation.”

The Omega braced both hands on her knees and gasped for breath.

“I asked so many people, but no one could get one for me. No one was willing to help…”

“Thank you. I shouldn’t have caused a scene at your company last time.”

“It’s all right,” Lü Zhongcai said. “It was no trouble. I’ll be leaving now.”

She opened the car door and departed beneath the Omega’s admiring gaze.

“You’ve gained yourself a little admirer,” 052 said. “Such a generous Alpha who doesn’t hold grudges—honestly, even I would fall in love with you.”

“I’m married,” Lü Zhongcai emphasized.

“A married Alpha currently experiencing marital difficulties.”

052 spared no effort in mocking her.

“I’ve noticed you’ve been talking more recently. Do you feel lonely because the black lotus left?”

“No,” Lü Zhongcai denied.

“Don’t be embarrassed. No matter how lonely you become, you’ll always have me to keep you company.”

Lü Zhongcai: “…”

The driver: “…”

The driver had long grown accustomed to Lü Zhongcai’s occasional habit of talking to herself and expressionlessly drove the car back to LE Tower.

When Lü Zhongcai returned to the company, her executive assistant turned over a page on her desk, revealing an entire sheet of tasks scheduled for that day.

Lü Zhongcai glanced at it.

One of her afternoon appointments was a visit to a computer genius whom she intended to persuade to perform a preliminary evaluation of EA’s software.

The route would take her through the city center—and past Mingyuefeng Theater.

Lü Zhongcai tapped the desk and pressed the internal telephone button.

“Ask Finance to come here.”

Several minutes later, Lu Baimei entered carrying two cups of coffee. She handed one to Lü Zhongcai.

“What did you need me for?”

“Prepare a budget,” Lü Zhongcai said.

Lu Baimei studied her, her expression turning serious.

“It’s already June. Eighty percent of our funds have been invested in projects in Africa.”

“Are you certain you want to stake everything we have left on EA?”

Lü Zhongcai acknowledged her and swiped across the screen, sending the relevant information about EA to Lu Baimei’s email.

“I’ll begin working on it and establish a reasonable range,” Lu Baimei said.

Lü Zhongcai considered it for two seconds, then nodded in agreement.

“I’ll also need Legal. Have them draft an agreement.”

“During the bankruptcy guarantee period, I want a performance-based agreement. EA will have six months to produce results.”

Lu Baimei sighed.

“They’ve been researching this project for ten years, and you expect them to deliver results in six months? Isn’t that too harsh?”

“Appropriate pressure can effectively accelerate progress.”

After speaking, Lü Zhongcai pointed toward the door, indicating that their brief conversation was over.

Lu Baimei tilted her head and studied her.

“Why do I feel as though you’re unusually irritable?”

“Has your sex life been unsatisfying recently, our esteemed S-class Alpha president?”

Lü Zhongcai closed her laptop and prepared to leave for rehabilitation.

“President Lu is always asking about my private life. I assume that means you don’t have one of your own.”

Lu Baimei nearly sprayed out the coffee in her mouth.

“You actually mocked me?”

Lü Zhongcai patted her shoulder.

“I’ll leave first.”

Lu Baimei glanced at Lü Zhongcai’s schedule.

“Wait. You’re going to exercise? Is it already time?”

—

That afternoon, Lü Zhongcai drove herself to the meeting place.

Her leg still felt uncomfortable, but the pain was bearable.

She frowned, parked the car, and walked directly into a café beside Mingyuefeng Theater.

“Thank you.”

Jin Sique smiled at the server and accepted more than a dozen cups of packaged coffee.

She turned around and met Lü Zhongcai’s eyes.

Jin Sique: “…”

Lü Zhongcai nodded.

“What a coincidence.”

Jin Sique: “…”

Lü Zhongcai stepped aside to let Jin Sique leave first, then walked toward a corner.

She unfastened the button at the bottom of her suit jacket and sat across from a young woman wearing extremely thick glasses.

“Hello. I’m Lü Zhongcai.”

“A female president?”

The woman removed her glasses and exclaimed dramatically, “Someone is actually named ‘female president’?”

Jin Sique: “…”

A wind chime hung above the café entrance, ringing clearly whenever someone entered or left.

The chime sounded.

Lü Zhongcai looked back.

Jin Sique was leaving with an armful of coffee cups.

“President?” the woman across from her called.

Lü Zhongcai turned back.

“My apologies. We can begin.”

She pushed the contract toward the woman.

“This is the agreement. LE will establish an independent department specifically for you.”

“You will lead EA’s research and development project.”

“The working hours, vacation allowance, and equity offered here represent the greatest sincerity I can provide.”

Lü Zhongcai pointed toward the contract, indicating that she should read it.

The woman snorted, closed the contract, and smiled.

“You really do act like a domineering CEO. But I have one more condition.”

“Please tell me.”

Lü Zhongcai remained perfectly polite.

—

“Coffee.”

Jin Sique raised her brows and distributed the cups one by one among the people in the dressing room.

“Wake up. It’s already late.”

“Ah, this damned job. Why do human beings have to work?”

“Because we’re poor…”

“Because of our mortgages…”

Jin Sique laughed and carried the final cup downstairs.

She had taken only two sips when her steps abruptly stopped.

Lü Zhongcai entered, shook out the suit jacket draped over her arm, and casually placed it over a chair.

Then she looked at Jin Sique.

Jin Sique: “…”

“President Lü.”

Jin Sique quickly descended the wooden stairs and glanced around.

“Is something wrong?”

Lü Zhongcai raised her gaze and looked toward the sky.

“Mm. May I add you on WeChat?”

Jin Sique: “…”

“What?”

She almost suspected that she had misheard.

Lü Zhongcai took out a phone, casually unlocked it, opened a QR code, and held it out for Jin Sique to scan.

“Add her as a friend.”

Jin Sique: “…”

She looked toward the entrance and spotted a bespectacled young woman suspiciously peeking inside.

“Whose phone is that?”

“The engineer’s,” Lü Zhongcai replied.

Jin Sique scanned the QR code.

“I added her. What now?”

“Don’t pay attention to her.”

Lü Zhongcai put away the phone and picked up her jacket.

“I’m leaving.”

Jin Sique made a soft sound of acknowledgment. She gripped her phone, appearing as though she wanted to say something.

“You…”

Lü Zhongcai immediately turned back.

“What?”

Jin Sique quickly shook her head.

“Nothing.”

They silently looked at each other.

Qiu Die came downstairs and curiously examined the two of them.

Lü Zhongcai inclined her head and walked away without looking back.

“Do you like her?”

Qiu Die approached and draped an arm around Jin Sique’s shoulders.

Jin Sique glanced sideways at her.

“Hmm?”

“If she’s a Beta, she might be acceptable as a bed partner, but nothing more.”

Qiu Die shrugged and answered Jin Sique’s confused expression.

“She looks very Alpha-like, but I asked Mazi about her. No one can smell anything from her, so she’s probably only a Beta.”

“Is she some middle manager or something?”

“Even this probably isn’t enough.”

As she spoke, Qiu Die rubbed three fingers together in a gesture indicating money.

Jin Sique suddenly remembered something.

“I need to step outside.”

—

“Here.”

Lü Zhongcai tossed the phone back to the young woman.

“Is that enough?”

Du Jia looked toward Mingyuefeng Theater.

Before signing, she sought confirmation from Lü Zhongcai.

“You aren’t tricking me, are you?”

“I recommend consulting a lawyer,” Lü Zhongcai replied.

“That makes sense.”

Du Jia put away the contract.

“See you later.”

Lü Zhongcai: “…”

She massaged her brow and walked toward the parking area.

A figure stood beside her car.

“Huh? Why did she come out?” 052 asked.

Jin Sique smiled at Lü Zhongcai.

“I knew it. Why didn’t you bring a driver?”

“Hmm?”

Lü Zhongcai stopped walking.

Jin Sique held out her hand, asking for the car keys.

“I’ll drive you back.”

“There’s no need,” Lü Zhongcai replied casually.

“There is.”

Jin Sique persisted.

Lü Zhongcai sat in the front passenger seat while Jin Sique started the car.

“Back to the company?” Jin Sique asked casually.

Lü Zhongcai looked out the window.

“Home.”

Jin Sique paused.

“…Hmm?”

“Have you finished your work?” 052 demanded.

Having memorized Lü Zhongcai’s schedule, she began listing every remaining task.

“…You still have all of those things to do. Doesn’t your conscience hurt?”

Lü Zhongcai: “…”

She rested one hand against the window.

The summer breeze was gentle, and a barely perceptible smile lingered at the corner of her mouth.

Jin Sique’s phone lay on the center console.

Its constant vibration attracted both women’s attention.

Jin Sique picked it up, glanced at it, then put it down again.

“The person you just had me add.”

Lü Zhongcai made a soft sound.

The phone continued vibrating.

Inside the silent car, the noise was particularly irritating.

Jin Sique turned on the music.

Bach flowed through the speakers like moonlight cleansing the mortal world.

The phone kept vibrating.

Just before it shook itself off the center console, Lü Zhongcai caught it.

Hi.

Pretty Sister, are you an Omega?

Do you already have an Alpha?

Could we get to know each other?

Do you like matcha coffee?

“What did she say?” Jin Sique asked curiously.

Her phone had no password.

The moment Lü Zhongcai touched the screen, it automatically opened the conversation.

“She’s asking whether you already have an Alpha.”

Jin Sique paused.

Her hands tightened slightly around the steering wheel.

“Oh. Then please help me answer her.”

Lü Zhongcai truthfully replied:

I’m married.

052 contemplated this for a long time.

“Something has felt strange to me recently.”

“President, you don’t like the black lotus, do you?”

Lü Zhongcai’s hand trembled as she put the phone back on the center console.

It slipped from her grasp, fell to the floor, and struck the top of her foot.

“What happened?” Jin Sique asked.

“……”