The conference room on the 48th floor of Hengda Tower was built to intimidate.
A wall of glass overlooked the city. The table was long enough to feel like a battlefield. And around it sat seven people who had spent their lives learning how to make others flinch.
Su Lingyan didn't.
She sat at the head of the table, legs crossed, back straight, eyes cold.
One of the directors cleared his throat."We need to talk about last night."
Su didn't respond.
Another leaned forward, fingers steepled. "Photos are circulating. You, leaving a casino with a man no one recognizes. Do you understand what that looks like?"
"A woman leaving a building," Su replied. "Is that illegal now?"
A few of them frowned.
"This isn't about legality," a third snapped. "It's about reputation. You are the face of Hengda Group."
"And you're afraid that face chose someone you can't control," Su shot back.
Silence fell like a blade.
One of the older men laughed thinly. "We're afraid you compromised yourself. Who is Kai Zhou? A gambler? A nobody?"
Su's eyes sharpened."He's neither."
"So what is he?" another asked.
Su leaned forward slightly. "None of your business."
One director scoffed. "You think we won't investigate?"
"You can investigate whatever you like," Su said. "But if any of you think you get to dictate who I speak to, who I see, or who I trust—you're welcome to resign."
The tension snapped.
Someone slammed a hand on the table. "You're being emotional."
Su stood.
In heels.
In a room full of men who thought they owned her.
"I am being precise," she said. "And if any of you bring this up again, I will personally make sure you regret it."
No one spoke after that.
Kai stood in the doorway of his old apartment.
It hadn't changed.
Same cracked tiles. Same faint smell of cooking oil and damp walls. Same thin curtains fluttering in the weak morning breeze.
But it felt… wrong.
Too small.Too quiet.Like a place that belonged to someone else now.
His phone buzzed.
Su Lingyan:Lunch later?
Not awkward.Not uncertain.Just… assumed.
A soft chime sounded in his mind.
[Host is adapting well.]
That was all.
The doorbell rang.
Hard.
Kai opened it to find his landlady standing there with crossed arms and a look that said she'd already decided she hated him today.
"Finally," she snapped. "Do you know how long I've been ringing?"
"You could have knocked," Kai replied calmly.
"Don't get smart with me. Starting this month, rent is doubled."
Kai blinked. "What?"
"My son is going to college. Tuition isn't cheap. You people always think landlords are rich."
"That's not what's written in the contract."
She laughed loudly. "Contracts? What, you going to sue me? With what money?"
Kai stared at her for a second, then spoke evenly. "Give me my deposit back. I'm leaving."
Her smile vanished. "Deposit? After you trashed my place?"
"I didn't trash anything."
She waved at the walls. "Scratches. Dents. Look at this floor. You ruined it."
"That was here when I moved in."
"Liar."
She pulled out her phone. "Come up here," she barked. "This idiot is trying to steal from us."
Ten minutes later, her son arrived.
Big, loud, and already angry.
"So you're the one causing trouble?" he sneered. "You think because you lived here a few months you own the place?"
"I just want my money back," Kai said.
The son stepped closer, puffing his chest. "You think you deserve it? People like you should be grateful we even rent to you."
Kai didn't move. "Step back."
"Or what?"
The son shoved him.
Kai stumbled one step back, then steadied.
The landlady laughed. "Hit him again. He needs to learn."
The son shoved him harder.
Kai grabbed his wrist and twisted—not violently, just enough to make him yelp and let go.
"Let go!" the son shouted.
Kai released him immediately.
But that only made the son angrier. He swung wildly. Kai blocked, the blow glancing off his shoulder. They grappled for a moment, knocking into a chair, making a mess of the small room.
"Stop it!" the landlady shrieked—though she didn't look worried.
Kai shoved the son away and stepped back, breathing steady. "I'm done."
He grabbed his trolley bag and backpack and walked out without another word.
Downstairs, he loaded his things into the Bugatti.
The landlady and her son followed, still shouting.
Then she saw the car.
Her eyes widened.
"That's stolen," she said immediately. "There's no way you own that."
Kai closed the trunk slowly.
"Say that again."
"You heard me," she snapped. "Thieves always think they're clever."
Kai pulled out his phone. "Then let's find out."
He dialed.
"I'd like to report harassment and false accusations," he said calmly. "Yes. I'm at—"
The landlady went pale.
Kai looked at her, not angry. Just done.
"This time," he said quietly, "you picked the wrong man."