He had his own obsessions. If he didn't want to say or do something, no one could force him.
"How long are you planning to stay this time?"
Lu Sheng replied with a smile, "Dad said he hasn't been feeling well lately. I'm here to attend tonight's charity dinner on his behalf. I might leave anytime once he recovers."
Lu Sheng had always been free-spirited and unconstrained.
Lu Qianzhou glanced back at the brightly lit hall.
"Let's go back."
"You're in such a hurry to go back. You must be eager to see her, right?" Lu Sheng pointed in the direction of the hotel rooms. "I saw her go that way just now."
Hearing this, Lu Qianzhou turned to look at the building. The garden was silent, save for the faint chirping of unknown insects. Connecting the dots, his face suddenly darkened.
"You go back first." He instructed Lu Sheng, then made a phone call and rushed towards the building.
Yan Xia followed Long Tao all the way into the hotel. By the time she reached the elevator lobby, the elevator had already started moving up steadily. Yan Xia watched the floor where the elevator stopped in silence - the fourth floor. So she took another elevator and also went up to the fourth floor.
The corridor was brightly lit. As soon as she stepped out of the elevator and was about to look for Long Tao, she suddenly heard someone say behind her,
"Ms. Cheng, are you looking for me?"
Yan Xia was startled. It felt as if she was being attacked from behind. Instinctively, she turned around to face him. Long Tao was leaning against a pillar, a cigarette between his fingers. Perhaps he had guessed that Yan Xia would follow him all the way here, so he was waiting for her.
Shangguan Yao's voice came through the earpiece, "Act according to the situation. Later, give him the information I've revealed to you."
"It seems that Mr. Long knew I've been trying to meet you all along, but you've always turned a blind eye," Yan Xia said with a smile. "It's really not easy to meet you. I hope Mr. Long will give me some face tonight. I sincerely want to cooperate with you."
Yan Xia's gaze fell on Long Tao's face. At tonight's dinner, there were countless handsome men and beautiful women. In comparison, Long Tao looked quite ordinary - so ordinary that he would blend into the crowd without attracting a second glance.
He didn't even bother to style his hair. He just wore a suit out of courtesy. His bangs were messy, and since he had left the dinner venue, he had put on a cap.
Long Tao sized her up and suddenly let out a laugh. He walked straight to the room door, swiped his key card, and stood by the door looking at her, as if testing her courage. Whether Yan Xia dared to step through that door would determine whether they could take the next step.
Shangguan Yao instructed Yan Xia again, "Go ahead. We're staking out this hotel. As soon as you're in any danger, someone will come to rescue you."
With those words, Yan Xia felt reassured.
So she stepped into the room. It was a luxurious suite with a faint scent of ambergris.
"Ms. Cheng has been trying to find me so many times. I wonder what I can do for you?"
"Mr. Long knows everything but has been pretending to be stupid. You've seen a lot and have a wide network of contacts. Since I've gone to so much trouble to find you, it means I've investigated your background thoroughly and am ready to cooperate with you." Yan Xia sat down on the sofa, her long, fair legs gracefully slanting against the sofa. "I believe after all this time, you've also investigated my background."
Her background was now clean and wouldn't arouse any suspicion of her being related to the police. After all, those long and complicated matters were no longer necessary for her.
Long Tao turned his back to her and brewed tea, quietly listening to her words. "Does Ms. Cheng know the rules of cooperating with me?"
"Of course I do," Yan Xia replied. "Actually, you don't have to be so cautious. I dared to take on the business of the underground casino, which proves that I'm confident I can do well. Even if we're reported by the police, I have the ability to get everyone out and expand the casino business. The police will also give me some face."
She knew how to boast without overdoing it, so as not to make it unbelievable.
"I heard that Ms. Cheng is doing all this for someone. If you're just doing this for fun, then don't waste our time," Long Tao said with a smile, pushing a cup of freshly brewed hot tea in front of Yan Xia.
Yan Xia nodded approvingly. "Mr. Long has indeed investigated very thoroughly."
She didn't intend to hide or deny her relationship with Lu Qianzhou. The fact was right there, and denying it would be useless.
"Yes, I'm doing all this partly because of Lu Qianzhou. I believe you've also heard about the feud between us. He's the one who ruined my family. I want to take revenge, but the gap between our strengths is huge. After all, to know your enemy and yourself is to win a hundred battles. I'm doing this first to earn money and redeem what belongs to me, and second, because of Lu Qianzhou."
Long Tao stared at her with his slender eyes, as if weighing the credibility of her words.
Finally, he said with a smile, "I wonder what Ms. Cheng can bring to me?"
Yan Xia took out a note from her handbag and handed it to Long Tao. Under the light, every frown and smile of hers exuded charm. Sitting gracefully on the sofa in this spacious room, she was like a beautiful woman in a New Year painting - poisonous but irresistible.
Long Tao examined the content on the paper carefully, and his face changed.
He looked up at Yan Xia again, his eyes darkening. Only he knew how important the next operation was to him. The information Yan Xia gave him had completely saved him.
"Does Ms. Cheng have connections in the police force?" Long Tao asked.
Yan Xia held the cup of hot tea, her fingertips sliding along the rim. "Mr. Long doesn't need to doubt how I got this information. As long as you're willing to cooperate with me, I'll tell you any information I can find out in the future. It's mutually beneficial. Why not?"
Long Tao took off his cap and took a sip of hot tea.
"I wonder what I can do for Ms. Cheng?"
Yan Xia said, "Some days ago, my place was maliciously reported, and my suppliers were arrested. I know Mr. Long has wide experience and a large network of contacts. You must be able to introduce new suppliers to me. Don't worry. If it works out, I'll personally send you a big gift."
Her tone was very alluring, like a siren luring people into the abyss.
"I have a cooperation with President Lu, and you're his enemy. What if you meet him in the future..."
Yan Xia interrupted him. "You don't have to worry about this. My business with Lu Qianzhou is a private matter. Lu Qianzhou is doing all this for money. After all, the old Mr. Lu is dying, and everyone wants to make achievements to show him so that they can get a bigger share. I believe Lu Qianzhou won't want anything to go wrong at this critical moment."
"The matter of the suppliers is a small problem. But what if I want something else besides that?"
Long Tao walked slowly to Yan Xia's side and sat down next to her. His eyes sized her up from head to toe. Finally, his calloused hand climbed up along the back of her hand.
His eyes were full of shrewdness as he tested Yan Xia's reaction.