The male students, pale-faced, were led back to the waiting room and automatically chose a spot far away from Pei Zhen.
Because of Xu Si's backing, they didn't dare to repeat their previous insolent behavior and were even somewhat afraid that the orphan might seek revenge.
But he didn't.
Pei Zhen, who had witnessed everything, merely gazed blankly before lowering his eyes again.
On this winter day, he wore a very thin winter outfit. His skin was as white as snow, his eyes a pale grey, as he stared at the few brightly wrapped pieces of high-quality chocolate in his palm.
It took a long while before he raised his head, unable to bring himself to eat even one, and carefully placed them in his pocket.
Then, from his pocket, he pulled out a retractable knife he used for self-defense. Its blade was sharp and gleamed with a cold light. Without a moment's hesitation, he threw it into the trash can.
His expression was calm, without a trace of disturbance, as if he were discarding something as ordinary as a leaf or a scrap of paper.
In the entire venue, only the short-statured boy noticed this scene.
His eyes widened, and in his panic, he covered his slightly open mouth and nose with his hand, suppressing the impulse to scream.
Security in this place was tight, and carrying knives was not allowed.
How had the orphan managed to sneak one past the search to bring it inside?
What if just now...
This was too terrifying!
Pei Zhen seemed to notice his gaze and slowly lifted his eyelids to look back at him.
Just one glance.
The short boy was so scared that he pursed his lips tightly and scrambled to an even farther spot, not daring to come any closer to the youth ever again.
***
It was the end of November, the dead of winter, and the fog had not yet cleared.
Having skillfully dealt with the numerous questions from the reporters, a lot of time had passed.
Xu Si rubbed her sore eye sockets and took a rest in the car.
Anshi sat in the co-driver's seat, holding a few reports, discussing the upcoming arrangements with her.
"Miss, the company is currently developing quite steadily. The stock price hasn't dropped sharply, and your press conference has also helped stabilize the situation. In the next half a month, there are several chamber of commerce events that you'll need to attend," he said.
He turned over another page and hesitated for a long while before he continued, "Additionally, the news of Old Mr. Xu's death has reached the reporters. What are your thoughts about the current situation? Do you want to accept the chamber of commerce's suggestion to sell the company?"
This was a very serious question.
To outsiders, Xu Si had just turned 18. As the only legitimate heir, she was not seen as having the capability to control the company. This could likely cause panic among the employees and shareholders, leading to a sell-off of stocks, plummeting share prices, and making the company vulnerable to short-selling.
The best course of action seemed to be to sell the company while its market value was high, living as a wealthy, idle lady, or to seek help from someone else.
Xu Si frowned and looked out the car window at the White Magnolias, then asked, "My two distant uncles overseas, have they made any moves these past few days?"
Anshi replied, "No, but if you need to notify them to come back, I will contact them immediately."
"No need for that," Xu Si said, a mocking smile on her lips, her tone firm, "They'll contact me soon enough."
Starving hyenas knew where the feast was and would come running at the scent of it.
At this time in her previous life, she had been alone, in possession of a staggering fortune which made many envious, yet she never handed it over.
Until her two uncles, along with their families, returned from abroad after traveling thousands of miles, lavishing her with years of utmost care and attention.
After she was finally moved by their affection, they promptly convinced her to sell the company under the pretext of her lack of business acumen, urging her to take the money and invest in overseas ventures.
Ignoring Anshi's advice, she handed the money over.
But the so-called venture investment was nothing but a money trap. Once Xu Si stepped in, the project was immediately locked into incurring endless losses, leaving her with no way to back out as she watched all her capital legally flow into her uncles' accounts.
Her two uncles, in turn, gave her only five hundred thousand as a final gesture of concern, then went on to buy a holiday island abroad for their families.
Anshi was also dismissed.
Xu Si always remembered the humiliation of that five hundred thousand.
She dared not slack off even in the toughest times and worked hard to build her career after graduating from college.
The circle was only so big. Many people had connections with the Xu Family, so she was aided by these influential figures, learned a lot, and established her own business.
It was only when she re-entered high society that she realized Hong Kong Island had changed, with fresh blood already at the top of the capital pyramid.
The once-invincible tycoons began to fear the gun-wielding Triad Society, whose leader at the time was Pei Zhen.
And in her ignorance, she had somehow managed to provoke Pei Zhen.
Reflecting on these complicated past events, Xu Si's chest felt as if it was clogged with layers of damp cotton, suffocating and uncomfortably full.
Foolish. Truly foolish.
Unlucky. Truly unlucky.
Therefore, in this life, there were far too many things she had to do.
One, preserve her vast family fortune.
Two, find an opportunity to kill those two bastard uncles, making sure none of them had it easy.
Three, "reform" Pei Zhen and make him work for her.
Four, leverage insider information for investment...
Five,...
In short, she must prevent those terrible things from happening again, preferably crushing them in the bud.
However, among the changes she planned to make to avoid past regrets, some were simple, others difficult.
Fortunately, there was enough time. Everything could be done slowly.
With these thoughts in mind, she closed her eyes, and her frantic heart finally found a moment of peace.
"Miss, the adoption papers you requested are being processed, and we're also communicating about the school enrollment. Once these are done, do you want to bring Young Master Pei Zhen home?"
As an excellent assistant, Anshi rarely questioned his employer's thinking. Noticing Xu Si's fatigue, he swiftly shifted to another topic.
Although the young lady's approach was a little strange, the Xu Family could certainly afford to raise an orphan.
The wind blew softly. After some contemplation, he thought that Xu Si was acting out of a lack of familial love and an excess of sympathy, which was why she would spend money to bring an orphan into the family.
This behavior was like someone, moved by compassion, casually adopting a puppy that was about to become a stray.
The air was moist, while the inside of the car was dry.
Xu Si took the document. A photo was attached: the young boy wore a well-fitted black suit, with a few strands of hair falling across his forehead. His strikingly handsome face and delicate features perfectly matched her aesthetic, making anyone who merely glanced at him break into a spontaneous smile.
Xu Si raised an eyebrow, "Mm, bring him home. He'll live wherever I live. Enroll him in the best school, treat him well. It's pitiful he's without parents."
Anshi bent over and nodded, his eyes complicated. Had the young lady forgotten she had just lost her own father?
Just as he was about to praise her kindness, Xu Si suddenly furrowed her brows, muttering softly, So strikingly handsome. What a pity he's younger.
Anshi: "..."
He bowed his head, withdrawing the words that had almost escaped his lips.
A creature like Xu Si, true to her name, was utterly unrestrained. She had no conscience to speak of, let alone sympathy.
He began to suspect that her adopting the orphan wasn't out of kindness, but possibly for some other reason.