Yancheng.
Lan Feng International apartnt, 30th floor "secret base".
The heavy blackout curtains were tightly drawn, completely isolating the city's clamor.
Only a single floor lamp was lit inside the room, its dim yellow halo casting long shadows on the wall.
Xiao Jing sat on the black leather sofa with her legs crossed, swirling a glass of non-alcoholic soda water in her hand.
She slightly raised her chin, striking a cool pose of a "dark behind-the-scenes boss".
Lily stood before her, expressionlessly delivering the final action report: "Miss Jane, the target Li Jingzhong has taken the bait. He has already arranged a hotel eting with Coco. Coco has pre-installed three hidden caras in the room to ensure no blind spots. Additionally, as per your request, the drug's potency has been precisely calibrated. It will be sufficient to make him lose self-control, yet retain clear consciousness, allowing him to fully *experience every second of the absurdity and sha*."
The corners of Xiao Jing's mouth uncontrollably lifted, "Excellent! When the ti cos, send the room number imdiately."
"Yes."
Lily closed the folder without further questions.
But the little abacus in Xiao Jing's heart was already clattering away.
Such a once-in-a-millennium spectacle, how could she not go witness it in person?
When the ti cos, she would invite Qianqian out and book another room next door in that sa hotel.
Once the grand show begins.
She would pull her along to appreciate the magnificent, heroic posture of that Manager Li who had once harassed her!
Qianqian would definitely be moved by my friendship and efforts.
Hehehe...
"If there are no other arrangents, I will take my leave now," Lily said.
"Hmm... wait."
Xiao Jing's eyes rolled around, looking at the woman before her who had remained as professional, efficient, and cold as a robot from start to finish, she couldn't suppress her overflowing curiosity.
She pretended to ask casually: "Lily, I see you and Ben are all extrely professional, your thods, your equipnt, even more impressive than the spies in movies. Where did you buy that encrypted communication system? Where do you all co from?"
Lily's utterly placid eyes flickered slightly.
She looked at Xiao Jing, her tone respectful yet distant: "Miss Jane, regarding this question, I'm afraid you'll have to ask Miss Kate."
Xiao Jing's heart tightened, instantly understanding the other party's aning.
"Oh, it's nothing then, I was just asking casually, if it's inconvenient then forget it."
She checked the ti, stood up and straightened her skirt, reverting to the well-behaved girl's deanor.
"It's too late, I need to hurry ho, otherwise... my family will worry."
The two walked out of the apartnt, turned the quiet corner of the corridor, and arrived at the door of unit 3001.
Lily rang the doorbell. Monts later, the lock clicked softly, and the door was opened from inside.
Xiao Jing followed into the living room, where a rich, llow aroma of high-end red wine washed over her.
At a glance, she saw Anne Kate sitting on the single sofa by the floor-to-ceiling window.
She had already changed out of her professional attire, wearing a smoky gray body-hugging pencil skirt.
Her extrely exaggerated waist-to-hip ratio outlined an S-shaped silhouette under the light that made one's blood race.
On the coffee table before her rested half a glass of red wine, her gaze sowhat indifferent and hazy, as if she was pondering sothing.
"ntor Anne, I'm going back now."
Xiao Jing obediently walked over, like a primary school student reporting to the teacher after school.
Anne set down her wine glass and stood up.
Stepping on the carpet, she soundlessly walked up to Xiao Jing.
Reaching out, she ticulously straightened Xiao Jing's slightly crooked collar, her movents gentle like a mother, yet also like she was appraising a satisfactory piece of work.
"Alright, be careful on your way."
Xiao Jing stood on tiptoe and, following Western etiquette, affectionately kissed her on the cheek: "Goodbye, ntor."
After saying this, she turned to leave.
"Jane."
Anne's lazy yet dangerous voice suddenly sounded from behind, stopping her.
Xiao Jing turned back in confusion: "What's wrong?"
Anne didn't speak, but slowly approached.
She gently patted Xiao Jing's collagen-full face, her fingertips icy cold.
Then, she leaned down, her red lips approaching Xiao Jing's ear, warm, wine-scented breath spraying onto her ear, raising goosebumps.
Xiao Jing's face flushed slightly, and she pressed her legs together.
The mare ntor was really understanding her more and more!
"You seed quite curious just now... about Lily and the others' origins? Are you interested in this area?"
"!"
Xiao Jing's body instantly stiffened, her pupils sharply contracting.
(O_O) !
She's monitoring !
Truly worthy of being the dark great villain!
This level of control is too perverted!
Luckily... I also have a bug clipped to my chest.
This move, this move is called spy vs. spy.
Hehehe.
Sensing Xiao Jing's montary tremor, Anne let out a low, light chuckle.
"What? Scared?"
Her fingers slid from Xiao Jing's cheek down to her neck, gently stroking that fragile artery.
Carrying a hint of warning, and also a hint of doting.
"Relax, dear, we are on the sa side." Anne straightened up, looking down at her from above, a dark light flickering in her eyes: "This world is far more complex and profound than you imagine. What you've seen so far is rely the tip of the iceberg."
She looked at Xiao Jing's sweet face that hid a cunning, intricate mind, and coaxed her step by step: "Work hard to please Song, beco his indispensable agent. When that day cos, he will personally tell you all the answers."
After saying this, she planted a heavy kiss on Xiao Jing's forehead.
"Go on, prepare your revenge drama well. Don't ss it up."
"...Okay, ntor." Xiao Jing bowed in farewell and quickly walked out of the room.
Watching the "fleeing in panic" back of Xiao Jing disappear.
As the door closed with a soft "click," the smile on Anne's face gradually faded.
She walked back to the living room, picked up her phone, and looked at the email from the [Tangjin Family Office] secretariat on the screen.
Her eyes flickered, and she chuckled softly.
Raising her head, she looked at her own reflection standing in the darkness in the glass, the corner of her mouth lifting in a faint, self-mocking yet arrogant smile.
"Executive Committee mber..."
This office, after all, is called "Tang Jin."
It has a strong Huaxia background, that is the stronghold of Tang Song, Mira, and Ouyang Xianyue.
Therefore, her overt connection to this office is minimal, rely being a mber of the executive committee, with extrely limited voting rights.
Because she clearly understood that excessive involvent would only alert her sensitive and suspicious family and displease Mira.
She entered more as a representative of [Jingwu Capital].
That was her report card, and also her visible bargaining chip used to solidify her position within the Kate family.
But her true ambition had never stopped there.
Her goal was—
Devour.
Completely devour that vast, ancient, decaying, yet declining [Kate Family].
Her thoughts drifted. As the alcohol surged, she couldn't help but recall the scene in 2016, the first ti she was "captured" by Tang Song.
And that secret eting in early 2021.
Back then, she was ambitious, wanting to compete with Ouyang Xianyue for the position of "Chairman of the Advisory Committee" at the founding of the [Tangjin Family Office] headquarters, to prove her own value.
But Tang Song refused her.
She still rembered that scene to this day.
The fireplace flas illuminated his young yet unfathomable face.
He played with a gold coin bearing the Kate family crest in his hand, looking at her with a gaze that was almost scrutinizing yet filled with ultimate temptation.
He spoke those words that had made her tremble ever since:
"Anne, your vision is too shallow."
"Why fight for that position? That's rely power I bestow upon others, a ga with rules set by others."
"And you, you have Kate family blood flowing in your veins."
"That is an aging lion, its claws and teeth are still sharp, but its heart is already rotten."
"What I want you to do is not be a senior advisor here."
"I want you to return to the darkness, to bite it, to hollow it out... until one day, you step on the bones of those old fellows and beco the new lion king."
That was Tang Song's promise to her, and also the task he gave her.
It was also the fundantal reason she was willing to submit to him and fear him.
Because she knew this man saw through all her desires and gave her a key leading to either hell or heaven.
And he also had the ability to replace her at any ti.
Now, with Tang Song formally entering the family office, her preliminary tasks were complete.
A new chapter was about to begin.
Anne looked at the brilliant nightscape of Yancheng outside the window, that was the prosperity belonging to the East.
She elegantly bent down, raised the red wine glass in her hand, and saluted the man in the void from afar. Her red lips parted slightly, whispering in a low voice:
"My King, I am doing it."
"I hope this ti... you won't disappoint either."
....
30 Hudson Yards.
Conference Center.
"...Regarding the optimization of the North Arican region's human resources structure, we plan to cut 15% of administrative redundancy in Q4, which will save the group approximately $30 million in operational costs (OPEX)..."
"...The IT departnt's upgrade plan for the global data center cooling system, the budget has been submitted..."
"...The ESG compliance departnt's latest audit results on carbon emission indicators..."
Presenters took the stage one after another, PPT slides flipped page by page.
There were no heated debates, only tedious data accumulation and standardized administrative procedures.
But every person present still sat upright, not daring to show the slightest slack.
Because Director Jin, sitting at the head of the table, even while listening to this most trivial of reports, maintained a focus that was palpably intimidating.
She would occasionally interrupt a presentation to point out one or two logical flaws in the data. That absolute control over details made every reporting executive break out in a cold sweat.
Heaven knows, originally these nitty-gritty tasks didn't need to be reported at a shareholders' eting of this level.
It was purely because Director Jin had suddenly beco "capricious," forcibly extending the originally half-day eting and even demanding detailed reports from each departnt.
The preparation ti given to them was truly insufficient.
Fortunately, Director Jin seed to be in a good mood. She didn't overly pick on them, and had just announced moving tomorrow night's cocktail party to tonight.
Outside the window, Manhattan's sky gradually darkened, the city lights began to glow.
Inside the conference room, the lights were bright.
Tang Song sat beside Secretary Jin, holding a Fang Baolong fountain pen in one hand, occasionally making notes on paper and pondering.
In this oppressive, stifling atmosphere, his gaze kept drifting uncontrollably to the side.
Looking at her beautiful profile, sitting upright with her aura in full force.
Looking at her icy, unapproachable eyes.
Tang Song's thoughts couldn't help but drift back to the scene in the office at noon today.
The noon "massage service" had not been interrupted due to busy work.
And Secretary Jin was not wearing black stockings under her suit pants.
This was the first ti, in reality, in such a sober state, that he faced her legs without any adornnt, completely bare and honest.
The mont his palm covered them.
Without the smooth, cool barrier of stockings, what was transmitted was the most authentic sensation.
Snow-white, warm, delicate like mutton-fat white jade.
If black stockings represented a kind of temptation with a sense of distance, full of implication and embellishnt.
Then this kind of direct touch, this bare honesty, was a kind of intimacy and trust with all defenses completely let down.
That friction of skin against skin, that slight bounce as fingertips sank into soft flesh...
It was simply addictive.
Especially at the end, when she was straightening her clothes and pretending to be calm while praising his technique.
Secretary Jin, who was listening to the report, glanced sideways slightly.
Her clear eyes looked at him through the gold-rimd glasses.
She raised an eyebrow, a hint of a seemingly amused warning flashing in her eyes: President Tang, please focus, we are in a eting.
The corner of Tang Song's mouth lifted slightly, then he withdrew his gaze, looking at the large screen as if nothing had happened.
Similar exchanges of glances happened from ti to ti during the eting.
Though seemingly calm on the surface, they carried an ambiguous tension only the two of them could understand.
....
"Alright, all agendas for this shareholders' eting are hereby concluded."
As Director Jin's voice fell and she closed the folder.
The tense atmosphere in the conference room finally relaxed, everyone secretly letting out a sigh of relief.
The eting secretary stood up and announced with a smile:
"Everyone, the celebration banquet is ready. The location is The Peak (top-floor viewing restaurant) upstairs. Please follow the staff."
The crowd began to stir, the atmosphere instantly becoming lively.
In the corner at the back.
Lin Muxue stood up following the others, her eyes sparkling with barely concealed excitent.
It's finally over! Oh my god!
Having been in New York for so many days, she had been working non-stop with Director Jin's assistant team, busy with various docunts and procedures every day, and worrying about being targeted, it was even worse than the 996 schedule back ho.
She also hadn't had any ti to properly enjoy the New York nightscape.
Tonight, she finally doesn't have to attend etings or take minutes!
And she can go to the legendary The Peak!
That's currently the hottest check-in spot in New York, located at the top of Hudson Yards, and connected to Edge, the highest outdoor observation deck in the Western Hemisphere.
There's a glass floor suspended in mid-air where you can overlook the entire Manhattan nightscape, the prestige is maxed out!
The key point is, it's booked exclusively tonight!
Shen Yuyan, however, didn't show much interest.
She stood among the crowd, her gaze piercing through those expensive suit-clad backs, always tightly fixed on that tall, straight figure at the very front.
The shareholders' eting was over, the New York trip was also nearing its end.
Where would his next step take him?
Back to China? Or sowhere else?
And his next work assignnt should be going to Xuanji Optical World, right?
Shen Yuyan gently exhaled, silently clenching her fist in her heart.
No matter what, she must follow closely behind him.
For her, in this world, no Manhattan nightscape, no matter how beautiful, could compare to standing by his side.
Just as she was lost in thought, soone gently patted her back.
Shen Yuyan turned her head and saw Lin Muxue looking at her with a strange expression, a hint of teasing in her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Shen Yuyan looked at her, puzzled.
Lin Muxue leaned slightly to the side, speaking in a voice only the two of them could hear: "Stop looking, he's Director Jin's man now!"
Shen Yuyan was stunned for a mont, then reacted, glaring at Lin Muxue in annoyance.
But her gaze still couldn't help but steal another greedy glance in that direction.
"What, still peeking?"
Shen Yuyan: "..."
She felt as if the BGM of "One Plum Blossom" automatically started playing in her ears.
Snowflakes flutter, the north wind howls...
101st floor, The Peak.
The mont they stepped in, Manhattan's dazzling nightscape crashed into their vision like a flowing scroll, holding nothing back.
As the highest-altitude viewing restaurant in the Western Hemisphere, this place felt like a crystal palace suspended among the clouds.
Massive, borderless floor-to-ceiling glass curtain walls, six ters high, surrounded them on all sides, completely blurring the boundary between indoors and outdoors.
Looking south, the spires of the Empire State Building and the Chrysler Building seed within reach, shining brightly against the deep blue night sky.
Looking west, the Hudson River resembled a flowing black silk ribbon, reflecting the endless neon lights on both banks, vividly outlining the prosperity of this city that never sleeps.
The interior of the restaurant had been rearranged.
Luxurious crystal chandeliers cast soft halos of light, flowers and champagne towers complented each other.
Waiters carried trays, weaving through the crowd.
At the golden ratio point of the banquet hall, directly facing the Empire State Building with the most stunning view from the floor-to-ceiling window.
A semi-circular, low platform had been specially set up.
The stage design was minimalist yet sophisticated.
At the center of the spotlight, a grand piano sat quietly, emitting a faint, lustrous glow.
The lid was half-open, the black and white keys refracting a cool, srizing sheen under the lights.
To the side and rear of the piano, a vintage double bass and a set of exquisite jazz drums were also placed.
Clearly, the restaurant had originally arranged for a jazz band to perform tonight.
But at this mont, due to Smile Holdings' sudden exclusive booking, they were on break.
This was a quiet, high-class, flowing feast.
There were no boisterous toasts, no impassioned speeches.
Representatives from major institutions, global regional executives of Smile Holdings, headquarters core mbers, assistant teams...
They gathered in twos and threes, their champagne glasses lightly clinking, emitting crisp sounds.
Everyone's gaze, intentionally or not, focused on that figure at the center of the venue.
Director Jin remained smiling throughout, her speech and deanor polite, distant, and noble.
Every movent was executed with flawless, impeccable precision.
Tang Song always stood not far from her, yet maintained a socially safe distance, chatting casually with guests, an air of subtle mystery surrounding him.
Facing the probing, curious, and even awed words from those around, he responded with ease.
That innate composure and confidence ensured that even standing beside Director Jin, whose aura was in full force, he was not overshadowed in the slightest.
In the process, he naturally rembered the na and position of every executive.
Speaking eloquently and with ease.
...
The night deepened.
The cocktail party entered the slightly inebriated monts of its latter half.
Sohow, the surrounding clamor seed to slowly fade away.
Tang Song and Secretary Jin, with impeccable tacit understanding, detached themselves from the center of the crowd and slowly walked to the viewing spot at the very front of the banquet hall.
The two stood side by side, half a ter of distance between them.
Their gazes were directed at the vast sea of lights outside the window.
No one dared to be tactless enough to disturb the solitude of these two celestial figures.
For a mont, this small piece of heaven and earth beca exceptionally quiet.
Only the heavy, powerful breathing of the city beneath their feet remained.
Tang Song looked at the sea of light ford by countless twinkling lights beneath his feet, his gaze slightly lost.
A strange, intense sense of déjà vu surged in his heart.
He rembered, in the later stages of that "Heartthrob Simulator" ga, after he cleared an extrely difficult business battle dungeon, a beautifully crafted CG animation had appeared on the screen.
In that scene, it was also a night like this.
Also standing at the top of a skyscraper this high, with well-dressed guests in the background.
"He" and the gold-rimd-glasses-wearing Secretary Jin stood side by side, overlooking the magnificent city nightscape below.
[The world is already in your grasp.]
That was the [Player's] perspective.
Cold, grand, yet separated by an untouchable screen.
Now, the pixelated images from mory perfectly overlapped with the reality before his eyes.
The only difference was that the woman by his side now was no longer that paper character who could only be interacted with via dialogue boxes.
Her breath was warm, her hair fragrance was real, her heartbeat belonged to him.
Those mories surged into his heart like a tide, making his gaze beco incredibly profound, the corners of his mouth lifting in a warm, emotional curve.
"What are you smiling about?" Secretary Jin keenly sensed his emotional change, her voice softly ringing by his ear.
Tang Song kept one hand in his pocket, not turning his head, but instead eting the gaze of that peerlessly beautiful woman reflected in the glass.
"Thinking about a story about growth."
"What kind of story?"
"A person who spent a long ti, walked a very long road, and finally stood at the pinnacle of the world."
"And then?"
"He originally thought he would see the whole world."
"So? What did he see?"
"In the end, he discovered that compared to the cold lights beneath his feet, the person standing here beside him was his true world."
A mont of silence passed.
The woman reflected in the glass raised her hand and adjusted the gold-rimd glasses on the bridge of her nose, her eyes shifting, "Is that so?"
"Mhm."
Secretary Jin's red lips lifted slightly. She turned her head, about to say sothing.
Tang Song extended a finger, gently pressing it against his lips, making a "shh" gesture.
"Then, beautiful Ms. Smile, may I ask you to close your eyes now?"
Secretary Jin was taken aback, a flash of confusion passing through her beautiful eyes.
But upon eting his deep gaze, she obediently slowly closed her eyes.
Her face still wore an intoxicating smile, her long eyelashes casting a fan-shaped shadow beneath her eyelids.
They trembled slightly, revealing the unease in her heart.
"Count to 10, then open them."
The sound of Tang Song's departing footsteps reached her ears.
Then, a brief, expectant silence.
"1... 2... 5..."
With her eyes closed, her senses were infinitely amplified.
She could clearly hear the friction of a waiter's footsteps on the distant carpet, the crisp sound of ice cubes clinking against glass, and the low hum of the wind brushing past the tall buildings outside the window.
"10."
Ti's up.
Secretary Jin slowly opened her eyes.
The man by her side had already disappeared.
She instinctively turned around, her gaze searching the vast restaurant.
The next second, the smile on her face froze.
On the originally empty semi-circular stage.
Tang Song was sitting upright before that black Steinway grand piano.
He was slightly bowing his head, his slender fingers gently resting on the black and white keys.
His profile under the light was handso and radiant, like a painting frozen in ti.
That quiet, focused, aloof, elegant temperant was completely different from his usual self.
The surrounding crowd, still conversing, also keenly sensed the anomaly on the stage.
The chatter gradually died down, curious, surprised gazes gathering from all directions.
Shen Yuyan, who was conversing with a European regional executive, abruptly stopped speaking.
She turned her head, her breathing slowing for half a beat.
Tang Song... is going to play the piano?
She already knew before that many of Su Yu's hit songs were written by him.
So she wasn't particularly surprised by this scene.
But the sight before her eyes was an indescribable visual impact.
Yet this scene before her still carried an impact that was hard to put into words.
Behind him was the entire, vast, dazzling nightscape of Manhattan.
The spire of the Empire State Building seed to shine behind his shoulders.
The flowing light of the Hudson River fell like a cape.
The city was cold.
The piano was cold.
The night was cold.
Only he was warm, vibrant, glowing.
That innate nobility and charm emanating from his very bones ant that even if he did nothing, just sitting there quietly was enough to make the elites around him pale in comparison.
Not far away, Lin Muxue's champagne glass trembled slightly, almost spilling.
She was completely unaware, just staring blankly at the stage.
Her gaze infatuated.
.....
Tang Song raised his head, looking at Secretary Jin through the interplay of light and shadow.
No words.
No confirmation.
He gave a slight nod.
The world fell silent.
His slender fingers fell upon the piano keys.
Like a low sigh.
Liszt, "Liebestraum No. 3" (Dream of Love No. 3).
The lody unfolded like a night river awakened by starlight, slowly spreading from the lower registers.
The tone was warm, continuous, carrying an extre softness.
It didn't sound like a performance for a large audience, more like a whisper solely for one person's ear atop these hundred-story clouds.
Tang Song's shoulders and back were relaxed, his wrists naturally sinking, his fingers rising and falling without exaggeration, devoid of any flashy body language.
There was no showy, technical display, but a kind of effortless grace that ca from complete understanding.
The light fell on his sculpted profile, the lines clean and sharp.
The black and white keys beneath his fingers were like tad spirits.
The lody gradually rose.
The notes were no longer just flowing, but breathing.
Low, deep love, long waiting, unspoken obsession.
Every chord's expansion was like a hesitant step closer.
In the restaurant, no one spoke anymore.
Even breathing beca cautious.
The myriad lights sprawling outside the window trembled and breathed with the rhythm of his fingertips.
The world beca a dream.
Before the viewing spot.
Secretary Jin remained standing there, motionless.
The sea of lights shattered into a kaleidoscope of shimring light behind her lenses.
Her rational eyes were being eroded bit by bit by his figure.
Tang Song's wrist lifted, the intensity suddenly released.
Fervent, yet not lacking order.
Torrential, yet always elegant.
That was Liszt-style romance, and also the emotion in his bones.
Love was no longer hidden, no longer restrained.
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