“Ding”


  The elevator doors slid open. Qin Shu carried President Ba and walked out with even steps. She did not have the energy to deal with the posse of women in the elevator.

  The woman in red turned around. Seeing her former compatriot reaching out towards her, the woman in red prepared to defend herself. She glared fiercely at the woman in the sapphire dress. “You dared attack me too?”


  The woman in sapphire blue was taken aback but hurriedly explained herself. “I was going to lend you a helping hand. I wasn’t about to attack you.”


  “Rubbish! Who are you trying to fool? You were the one who pinched me just now.” The woman in red was not one to be taken advantage of. Raising her hand, she slapped the woman in blue as well.

  The consequence of which resulted in a three-way fight among the trio—the sound of fabric being torn and curses being uttered, slowly petered as the elevator door closed, resuming its ill-fated journey with its three passengers.

  The corridor instantly became quiet.

  Qin Shu carried President Ba back to her guest room and washed up. It was getting late, and she ought to be in bed.

  She tried willing herself to sleep but to no success.

  She had managed a good night’s sleep in a while, and it was beginning to show. Large dark circles rimmed her eyes, and her skin had taken on a ghostly hue. Even now, her head throbbed to the beat of a drum.

  Since sleep continued to elude her, Qin Shu decided not to force herself any further. It was pointless. Instead, she closed her eyes and felt the movement of her unborn child. Strangely, it was one of the few things that calmed her – this baby, her one and only child.

  Around 10 pm, the baby would toss and turn as if it was doing gymnastics before eventually tiring and falling asleep. Ten minutes later, her baby settled down.

  President Ba curled up in the corner of the bed, his head resting on his forelimbs, but he was not sleeping. His pair of dark green eyes shone like gems, piercing the darkness and seeing into the unknown.

  …


  The following day ushered in clear skies and warm light. After Qin Shu washed up, she dressed up as a boy, wearing a pair of ratty jeans and a worn shirt, cheap and unassuming.

  She asked the hotel staff to prepare a cup of milk and a poached egg. President Ba, on the other hand, received his serving of fish. The two of them enjoyed their meal in companionable silence.

  Giving President Ba a once over, she decided it was time to use those cosmetic lenses she had bought specifically for his use. His pair of dark green eyes were simply too eye-catching. Anyone acquainted with President Ba would discover who she was through her disguise.

  Qin Shu withdrew a small box from her backpack. Inside it was a unique set of contact lenses specially made for President Ba.

  “President Ba, be good and don’t move. I’ll help you put on your cosmetic lenses.”


  She squatted down in front of President Ba.

  President Ba blinked his eyes and stared at the curious objects in Qin Shu’s hand, confused. His body stiffened, but he trusted his mistress and obeyed.

  Qin Shu smiled in satisfaction.

  President Ba was also very cooperative, and it did not take her long to put it on for him.

  President Ba’s dark green eyes turned blue, instantly transforming the way he looked.

  Qin Shu looked quite satisfied. “President Ba, let’s go climb the mountain and relax.”


  President Ba was still a little uncomfortable with the contact lenses. He blinked, rolling his eyes in an attempt to get used to the novel sensation of having something in its eye. “Meow”


  The five-star hotel was just a few steps away from the Scenic Area.

  President Ba traipsed into Scenic Area in slow, unhurried steps.

  Qin Shu bought a ticket and followed President Ba into the Scenic Area with her hands in her pockets.

  April was not a particularly busy period for the Scenic Area since it was not tourist season. In addition, It happened to be a weekday, so not many people had the time to galivant.

  They walked along Bluestone Road at a leisurely pace.

  It was not long before they reached the top of the mountain.

  Qin Shu’s goal was not the top of the mountain.

  After walking for more than an hour, they arrived at a shady spot. A stream burbled happily not a distance away. It flowed down from the mountain’s summit to its foot.

  The deeper they ventured, the more natural the scenery became. It remained unblemished by human hands.

  There were several reasons for this, but the chief of which was to save on cost. Preserving nature’s beauty was only a secondary concern.

  Qin Shu sat on a large rock, planning to take a short break. She took out a bottle of mineral water and poured some of its contents into its cap. She then placed it in front of President Ba while she drank up the rest.

  President Ba sat on his haunches, greedily drinking the water Qin Shu had poured out for him.

  “Dong-Dong… Ding-Ding…”


  Their break was interrupted by a series of knocking sounds that came from below.

  Qin Shu paused and peered down the mountain. She saw a familiar figure squatting at the foot of the mountain with an iron spike in his hand. He drove the metal instrument into the earthen wall.

  It was Master Feng – a man so rich that it was said his wealth rivalled a country!

  She remained silent as she spied on his actions down below.

  In order not to prevent herself from being discovered, Qin Shu deliberately concealed her aura. Master Feng and Fu Tingyu were fellow disciples. The latter being the former’s senior. His skill in the field of martial arts was undoubtedly leagues ahead of hers. Martial artists of his calibre were particularly sensitive to their surroundings; some boasted unparalleled vision while others could hear a pin drop amidst a sea of voices.

  Someone like Master Feng would not have any trouble discovering her presence.

  Master Feng squatted in front of the mountain wall, holding an iron hook in his hand, and kept hacking the wall.

  When the hole was ten centimetres deep, he stopped—withdrawing a sterile bag from his pocket. He deposited the crushed bits of stone and soil into the bag before putting it away in his coat’s pocket.

  Qin Shu bore witness to the whole sequence of events.

  She withdrew her gaze and continued sipping at her bottle of mineral water. On the surface, she appeared calm but beneath that thin veneer of tranquillity was a calculating mind pondering the significance of Master Feng’s actions.

  There are no profiteers without merchants!

  After Master Feng left, Qin Shu stowed away the empty bottle of mineral water and backtracked along the path she had taken.

  Pausing at the foot of the mountain where Master Feng had stood earlier, Qin Shu examined the wall in front of her. Master Feng had mended the hole he had created in the wall, making it as if it had not been mined at all. If she did not strain her powers of observation, she would have missed the signs indicating marks of a human hand.

  …


  After returning to the hotel…


  Qin Shu took a shower and changed into a clean and comfortable nightgown. She sat on the sofa and crossed her legs.

  Moving the coffee table closer, she set up her laptop and began typing away at the keys with a deft hand.

  President Ba was exhausted by the time they returned to the hotel. Coupled by the wonderful dinner he had eaten, he was all but ready to call it a day. He curled up beside Qin Shu and was out like a light not a while later.

  Meanwhile, In another guest room in the same hotel…


  Master Feng lounged on the sofa with one hand on his forehead. In a slow and steady voice, he asked, “When will the results be ready?”


  “The professor said it won’t be long now,” the guide replied.

  “I expect to hear from the good professor soon,” Master Feng grit out between clenched teeth. The wait was driving him crazy!

  Noticing Master Feng’s impatience, the guide immediately dialled the professor’s number and inquired for a specific time frame.

  When he received word from the professor, the guide looked up at Master Feng and said, “The professor said that it’ll be another hour or so.”


  Master Feng was silent for a while before nodding.

  A little more than an hour later…


  The guide got a call from the professor and reported the findings excitedly, “Master, the results are out. The professor said that the gold content is at least 50%.”


  Master Feng’s eyes lit up when he heard this. “Is it now?”


  “That’s what the professor said,” the guide replied.

  Master Feng nodded. “This trip wasn’t in vain, then. Get ready. We’ll go and look for the owner of the Scenic Area tomorrow.”


  “Yes, Master.” The guide left upon receiving his orders.

  Master Feng crossed his legs, a smile full of teeth slashed its way across his mouth. Nobody would scorn extra money in their pockets.

  –


  The next day…


  Master Feng sought out the owner of the North Lake Scenic Area. He did not reveal his identity but offered a handsome sum to buy the North Lake Scenic Area.

  The reason he gave was to redevelop it for commercial use.

  Such an endeavour was impossible to do so without a substantial amount of capital.

  The owner of the North Lake Scenic Area, Shen Chuzhong, was worth more than ten billion. He was almost sixty years old, yet he looked no older than a day over fifty. Evidently, he was a person who took good care of himself.

  Shen Chuzhong smiled and said, “I’m sorry, Mr Feng, but I’ve already promised to sell it to someone else.”


  …