CH 62

Translator: Abo Dammen

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Ruan Zhou let out a couple of dry laughs. “President Lou, you should really focus on resting.”

“You don’t like the idea? Or do you feel you aren’t ready for it? The CEO role isn’t as restrictive as you might imagine. As long as the work gets done, you can go anywhere you please. And after a few years, if you decide to step away from daily operations, you can simply draw dividends from the company shares. You’d be earning money while lying flat on your back.

“Besides, your salary from last month still hasn’t been paid. Once the new company is set up, it can all be disbursed to you together. I also know some contacts who can help us secure new subsidies for small and micro-enterprises…”

President Lou offered one persuasive reassurance after another, each point meticulously addressing one of Ruan Zhou’s practical dilemmas.

It would be a lie to say Ruan Zhou wasn’t tempted.

Yet the fruits of victory had arrived so swiftly that the entire proposition felt somewhat unreal.

This was nothing like the last time at the Mingyu Residential Complex, when President Lou had promised him the assistant position. Right now, President Lou was clearly not in a fully lucid state. Ruan Zhou couldn’t take advantage of that. What if President Lou later refused to honor the agreement?

“Rest up and recover first. We can discuss everything properly once you’re discharged.”

President Lou looked ready to argue further, but Ruan Zhou swiftly exchanged a few more pleasantries, urging him to take good care of his health, before promptly dragging Lin Lin out the door.

Watching their retreating figures, President Lou let out a long sigh and removed the nearly invisible in-ear receiver he had been wearing.

“I offered him the CEO position itself. If he still won’t agree, then there’s truly nothing more I can do.”

When the Anomaly Control Bureau had first approached him about establishing a new company, President Lou had mulled it over extensively. Deciding the plan was feasible, he had then presented it to Ruan Zhou.

“That he didn’t refuse outright is already a promising start,” President Lou continued. “Let’s just hope he can do some soul-searching on his own.”

A voice crackled through the earpiece. “The Anomaly Control Bureau will provide full cooperation in this matter.”

Once they had exited the inpatient building, Ruan Zhou finally exhaled in relief. He turned to Lin Lin. “He wants to launch a new company. How could he possibly appoint me as CEO? I was only at my last job for a handful of months. The leap is way too drastic…”

Ruan Zhou chattered on, and Lin Lin kept nodding in agreement, though his gaze remained fixed on the hand Ruan Zhou was still holding.

“…Why are your ears so red?”

Lin Lin’s expression was perfectly serious. “Sunburn.”

“This weather, honestly.” Ruan Zhou released his hand to pull out his phone and check the time. “What time is your flight? Is there enough time to grab a meal?”

“There’s time.”

The two of them shared a quick dinner of dumplings. Afterward, Ruan Zhou accompanied him to the airport and saw him through the security checkpoint.

[My Lord, if you wish to accompany him, your humble servant can secure a discounted airfare to the capital for you as well.]

…That would not be necessary.

As Ruan Zhou turned to leave, he accidentally collided with a young man.

The man’s phone went flying, clattering to the floor.

“I’m terribly sorry.” Ruan Zhou hastily bent down to retrieve the device and handed it back. The black phone looked oddly familiar.

The young man had a boyish, baby-faced appearance with a youthful complexion. He wore a black baseball jacket and a matching black baseball cap.

“It’s alr—” The man’s voice cut off abruptly the moment he got a clear look at Ruan Zhou’s face.

Ruan Zhou asked, “Is something wrong?”

The man accepted his phone, a smile breaking across his features and revealing a pair of unexpected dimples. “Nothing at all.”

“Check if it’s damaged?” Ruan Zhou glanced at the screen, but from his angle, he couldn’t tell if the display had turned on.

The man had a privacy screen protector applied.

“It wouldn’t break that easily,” the young man said with a grin. “Thanks for your help.”

As Ruan Zhou watched the man walk away, a sudden realization struck him. He knew where he had seen that phone before.

Lin Xuezhu had owned one exactly like it.

It was a brand that seemed notoriously difficult to acquire.

The young man strode briskly out of the terminal and found an isolated corner. He lit a cigarette, eyes narrowing against the smoke until his expression was unreadable.

His black phone rang again, but the sound was crackly and distorted.

“The call cut out halfway through. What happened?”

“I dropped my phone.”

“You need to be more careful. You’ve just returned to the country and there are eyes everywhere. And now the local chapter has had this incident…”

“I heard about the situation with Mingyu Group.”

“Headquarters didn’t handle that cleanly, going over our heads and dealing directly with the underlings. I just resent how unmanageable that monster is. Perhaps only an S-Class anomaly could deal with it, but every application we submit gets rejected. Headquarters’ recent movements have been… off. I’m still monitoring the situation.

And that monster is a cunning one too. I don’t know what methods it’s using, but the moment I try to report any changes here to Headquarters, it always detects it. It’s gotten even fatter recently, too. My favorite sofa has been completely crushed!”

The voice on the other end continued its litany of complaints while the baby-faced man exhaled a ring of smoke.

“How did your mission go?” the voice asked.

“The mission itself wasn’t the issue.”

“What happened?”

“I just saw Ruan Zhou.”

The voice on the other end spiked sharply. “You saw who?”

“Ruan Zhou.” The young man took a fierce drag of his cigarette.

“What was he doing there?” The voice had completely changed. “Where was he heading?”

“Seeing someone off.”

“This information absolutely cannot leak. That monster has been acting like some obsessed fan lately, watching every single report related to him dozens of times over. It’s completely infatuated. Hold on, Headquarters just issued a new directive—”

A sudden shriek came through the line. “Ah! No, no, I wasn’t communicating with Headquarters! This is my colleague! The task was arranged specifically for you—”

The sound of flesh being struck echoed through the phone.

The dark-haired young man listened in silence, finishing his cigarette without a word.

After a while, the sounds of pleading on the other end subsided, replaced by faint rustling noises.

“I can’t take it anymore. That monster is throwing another fit. But I’ve managed to delete the message from Headquarters. They also sent over several anomalous artifacts.”

“What are the requirements?” the dark-haired young man asked.

“Get close to Ruan Zhou. Report on his activities at all times. This mission is yours, Xiao.”

The first thing Liang Ziang did upon waking was open the forum. The discussions about the restaurant incident were still raging.

[Does no one actually know this Big Shot R?]

[So many people have been getting visits from the Anomaly Control Bureau lately. I’m getting a little scared. I wish I’d never watched that illegal live stream.]

[What are you afraid of? You’re a law-abiding citizen. Are they going to lock you up and beat you?]

Liang Ziang logged into his account.

I’m 1.8 Meters Tall: [Seeking contact information for R. Hefty reward offered.]

The replies below were a torrent of abuse. Many users recognized his handle from the live stream chat and berated him for being a toad lusting after a swan’s flesh, pointing out that R already had a partner.

“Young master, it’s time for your meal.”

The butler was a middle-aged man, as nondescript and unremarkable as every butler in every wealthy family novel ever written.

Liang Ziang was, likewise, a remarkably unremarkable scion of immense wealth. He had just graduated university this year and was quietly waiting to inherit the family business. Aside from his sexual orientation leaning towards men, no melodramatic, soap-opera-worthy events had ever befallen him.

“Ziang-er, your uncle is coming home today. Have the housekeeper prepare the guest room later.”

At the dining table, his imposing father issued the command.

Liang Ziang nodded.

His uncle had no children of his own and had been ill for some time recently. It had been quite a while since he last visited their home.

“Sir, here are today’s letters and newspapers.”

Liang Ziang’s father had maintained the habit of reading a physical newspaper for decades.

However, the moment his eyes fell upon a particular white envelope in the stack, his brow furrowed.

Liang Ziang asked, “Another bill from that company?”

His father nodded. “Throw it away. That’s the fifth one this month.”

The white envelope was sealed with a golden wax stamp. The paper itself was stiff and of exceptionally high quality. The butler promptly consigned it to the trash bin, where it became stained with refuse.

Liang Ziang watched the bill being discarded, his pace of eating slowing noticeably.

That afternoon, the housekeeper finished preparing the other floors of their villa for the guest’s arrival. Meanwhile, Liang Ziang continued surfing the web, eventually navigating back to a thread he had posted the previous month.

[What do I do if my household keeps receiving bills that aren’t ours?]

[I know this is hard to accept, but repaying debts is a matter of natural justice.]

[They aren’t our debts! This company has absolutely no business dealings with our family. Besides, the amounts listed are absurd. There’s no way we could owe that much.]

[Your reasoning sounds exactly like my internal monologue after a bad night of mahjong.]

[This company doesn’t even exist. My family called the number listed, but the person on the other end just said “Noted” and yet the bills keep coming.]

[It’s either a scam or an anomaly.]

Liang Ziang’s expression darkened. This was precisely what he feared most.

Before long, the butler came to fetch him.

Descending the stairs, Liang Ziang looked up and saw his uncle. The portly figure was clad in a maroon-colored suit, giving him the distinct appearance of a rehydrated, over-plumped goji berry.

A smile was plastered on his uncle’s face, as amiable and approachable as ever.

“Uncle!” Liang Ziang stepped forward to greet him warmly, a genuine smile blooming on his face.

The two families had been very close since his childhood. Seeing his uncle recovered filled him with heartfelt joy.

“Hello.” A fresh, clean-cut figure emerged from behind Lou Pangbing, offering a friendly smile.

The moment Liang Ziang recognized the person, his mind went momentarily blank.

“Liang Ziang, come here. Allow me to introduce Ruan Zhou, Mr. Ruan,” Lou Pangbing announced, beaming. The young man extended a hand towards him, his smile strikingly attractive.

Liang Ziang froze for only a fraction of a second before clasping the offered hand firmly.

“Hello, I’m Liang Ziang.”

“Come in, come in.” Father Liang glanced at Ruan Zhou and hastily ushered the group inside.

“How’s your recovery coming along?”

“Not bad at all. Can’t you see I’ve slimmed down?” President Lou patted his belly. “Healthier than ever, and I lost weight to boot. A blessing in disguise.”

“You rascal, at your age you’re still so fond of joking around. Come, let’s talk in the study.” Father Liang invited the two guests. “Mr. Ruan, would you care to join us?”

Ruan Zhou nodded.

He had assumed that the matter of starting a company would conclude once President Lou was discharged from the hospital. Instead, President Lou had registered the new company while still hospitalized. The moment he was released, he had dragged Ruan Zhou straight here, announcing they were going to secure investment.

“You are the company’s de facto manager. How could you not be present?”

Concerned about President Lou’s current physical and mental state, and worried something might go awry, Ruan Zhou had reluctantly agreed to tag along.

Father Liang smiled warmly at him. “Mr. Ruan, so young and yet so remarkably capable. Your future prospects are truly boundless!”

After the exchange of pleasantries, they arrived at the heart of the matter.

Due to the deep, longstanding ties between the two families and their mutual understanding, Father Liang agreed to invest in President Lou’s new venture with hardly any hesitation. Ruan Zhou didn’t even need to speak.

He felt rather like a decorative mascot.

“Mr. Ruan, why don’t you step outside for some fresh air? I’d like to chat a bit more with President Liang,” Lou Pangbing suggested with a smile.

The moment Ruan Zhou left the room, Father Liang dropped his smile, his face clouding with bewilderment. “Who exactly is that man? When you told me you were bringing an esteemed guest, I didn’t expect him to be your subordinate.”

President Lou immediately countered with deep disapproval. “Nonsense. He is not my subordinate. If anything, I am currently working under him.”

Father Liang wore an expression that clearly said, You must be joking. “Lao Lou, are you feeling alright? In all the years we’ve known each other, I’ve never seen you so… humble.”

President Lou pursed his lips. “I’m telling you the plain truth. The only reason I’m sitting here, alive and well, is entirely thanks to him. And be careful what you say. Certain things, if overheard by the Anomaly Control Bureau, would mean serious trouble.”

“The Anomaly Control Bureau?”

At their level of society, even if one didn’t know the precise details, certain matters were at least heard of in whispers.

“Are you saying… this man is from the Anomaly Control Bureau?” Father Liang straightened his posture instinctively. “So your new company actually has the Bureau’s backing?”

“The company does indeed have the Bureau’s backing. But that support isn’t because of me. It’s entirely for him.” President Lou offered a cryptic smile.

“What?” Father Liang nearly lost control of his volume.

The young man had seemed so utterly unremarkable. What had he done to merit such favor from the authorities?

“What do you think?” President Lou lowered his voice conspiratorially. “This company is the Anomaly Control Bureau’s gesture of good faith.”

While the Bureau would never officially admit to it, President Lou’s instincts were sharp. This was an overture from the official powers.

Father Liang’s hand trembled slightly. “Then why did you come to me for funding?”

If that were truly the case, President Lou shouldn’t need to seek private investment. Government subsidies and the like should be plentiful.

President Lou shot him an approving look. “The Bureau has allocated two million in seed funding. It just needs a perfectly legitimate method to enter the company’s accounts.”

Understanding dawned on Father Liang. They were essentially laundering money.

“This is an opportunity for you as well,” President Lou added with a smile. “You’ve sensed it too, haven’t you? Things have been far from peaceful lately.”

Father Liang hadn’t built his vast enterprise through mere talk. He quickly grasped the immense potential here. This was a golden chance to forge closer ties with the official sphere.

President Lou was offering to bring him along for the ride.

Father Liang deliberated for only a moment. “No problem. I will fully cooperate with you both.”

Lunch had already been prepared, and Father Liang strongly insisted that Ruan Zhou extend his stay in Linquan City for a while.

“Our Moonlight Beach in Linquan is truly stunning. There’s also the Volcano Park and the Gulf Stream Canyon. Mr. Ruan, you simply must stay a few more days,” Father Liang urged with great enthusiasm. “I’ll have Ziang show you around.”

President Lou also pressed Ruan Zhou vigorously to stay, saying he should take the chance to relax. After working so hard for so long, he was overdue for a break.

Ruan Zhou hesitated and murmured, “There should be interviews scheduled for the new company soon.”

President Lou waved a dismissive hand. “Oh, just have Xiao Xie set up video interviews when the time comes. No problem at all.”

“Alright then. I’ll book a hotel first.”

Father Liang’s eyes crinkled deeply with delight. “Absolutely not! You’re one of us now! Our villa is enormous. You can take your pick of the guest rooms.”

Why had Father Liang’s demeanor towards him become so excessively enthusiastic after his private conversation with President Lou? Ruan Zhou couldn’t puzzle it out.

As they were chatting, the butler suddenly approached, holding another white envelope.

The instant he saw it, Father Liang’s expression soured. “Another one? Didn’t we already receive one today? Did you call the number again?”

“I did. But the moment someone answers, they just hang up,” the butler explained.

“In the future, if more of these arrive, don’t bother bringing them in. Just throw them directly away.”

Noticing Ruan Zhou’s curious glance, Father Liang offered an embarrassed explanation. “Just advertisements. We’ve been receiving these nonsense ads lately, credit card offers and such. A blasted nuisance.”

That evening after dinner, Liang Ziang proposed taking Ruan Zhou to visit the beach. Ruan Zhou agreed.

Seeing the sleek lines of the supercar, Ruan Zhou’s eyes lit up. “This car is gorgeous.”

Liang Ziang smiled. “We have several others at home. If you’re free, I can show you around Linquan.”

Ruan Zhou nodded. Though he was no longer with Mingyu Group, it seemed the perks of paid vacation and chauffeured rides in luxury cars had followed him anyway.

Ruan Zhou was in an excellent mood. Just then, a message from Lin Lin arrived. It was a picture of a bowl of ramen.

[Off work again, ge?] Ruan Zhou texted back.

A long pause followed before Lin Lin replied with a single “heart” emoji. [Are you still busy? How are things going with the company?]

By now, they had arrived at the beach. The wind from the window had thoroughly tousled Ruan Zhou’s hair. The summer night breeze by the sea carried a distinct chill. The moon was perfectly full, and the sand underfoot was impossibly fine. Viewed from a distance, it seemed to glow with a soft luminescence.

No wonder it was called Moonlight Beach. It truly was beautiful.

Ruan Zhou snapped several photos with his phone and recorded a short video clip.

A silver moon, a glowing beach, the cool summer sea breeze, and figures strolling unhurriedly along the shore. Perfect.

He forwarded the images to Lin Lin. [Went to Linquan City this evening with President Lou to discuss some matters with an investor. After we finished, I came to see Moonlight Beach. It’s incredibly beautiful here.]

A moment later, Lin Lin’s reply appeared. [It looks wonderful. I’d like to see it too.]

[When you get back, I’ll take you.]

[Mm, alright.] Lin Lin responded. Then, another message followed immediately beneath it. [By the way, who’s that next to you?]