"Who is that guy? He actually went into Miss Penelope's office!"
"I'm so jealous. He just walked right in. He's so lucky!"
"Wait… could he be Miss Penelope's boyfriend? They seem to know each other pretty well…"
"Oh, come on. Look at that guy's country-bumpkin appearance. There's no way Miss Penelope would be into someone like him. Don't talk nonsense—or I'll break up with you. She's my goddess!"
"Yeah, cut it out. Even if they know each other, he's probably got some dirt on her or something. That has to be it…"
"It seems like you're quite the celebrity here, Ice Queen." Jiang Hai chuckled as he pulled the curtain shut and glanced out the window at the commotion outside. The crowd was on the verge of a riot. He couldn't help but grin as he turned to Penelope. One guy in particular—glasses, trying to play dumb earlier—had been standing there the whole time, fists clenched, staring at the office but not daring to enter. Jiang Hai wasn't sure whether the man was afraid of Penelope or himself.
Penelope barely acknowledged Jiang Hai's comment. She simply glanced at him before sitting back down at her desk.
Jiang Hai walked over and glanced at the nameplate on her desk:
Attorney: Ms. Penelope Dahler
"Oh, so you're officially a lawyer now? You can take cases on your own?" he asked with genuine surprise.
"It's thanks to you, actually," Penelope replied without looking up. "After going to China with you, I made some professional connections. When I got back, Mr. Adams asked me to handle the firm's Chinese cases. My internship ended, and I was made a full employee."
"Well, that's also a result of your own hard work," Jiang Hai said, settling into the chair across from her. When he was alone with Penelope, he never really teased her too much. In his mind, she was more like a niece. After all, her father was his subordinate—just like Edward Anderson and the others—so by that logic, she was from the next generation.
A bit of light teasing was fine in public, but in private, he tried to keep things respectful.
"You're here to see Mr. Adams?" Penelope asked, her tone still chilly but professional. "He should be back before eleven."
"Yeah. I want to turn my manor into a formal company, maybe build a brand, and then head to Texas for the beef expo. After that, I'll come back for the Boston Fishery Expo. Without a company name, it's hard to promote the products."
"That makes sense. If you're selling that beef and seafood at market price, you're seriously undercutting yourself." Penelope's tone softened slightly. Despite their complicated dynamic, she had no reason to be dishonest with him—if anything, she was still grateful.
She had tasted Jiang Hai's beef and seafood. They were among the best she'd ever had. Beef could get away with standard pricing, but his seafood? Every fish tasted like bluefin tuna, yet it was selling for just a few dollars. That was borderline criminal.
"That's why I want to talk to Moses Adams. He's the expert," Jiang Hai said with a smile.
Penelope said nothing more and went back to reviewing her files.
Jiang Hai watched her for a moment, then shook his head with a quiet smile. She really was a unique woman. But not his type. He preferred women who were more proactive. He wasn't good at making the first move and didn't like dealing with women who were too emotionally distant.
So, he leaned back on the couch and started playing games on his phone. Nearly an hour passed before Moses Adams finally returned.
By that time, the people outside were getting anxious.
Penelope had already made it clear that no one was allowed in her office without calling ahead—even in emergencies. What Jiang Hai didn't know was that Penelope had a mild case of mysophobia. She couldn't stand having other people's scents or presence in her private space.
But Jiang Hai was an exception.
When Moses Adams finally arrived, the crowd outside rushed to him like loyal subjects spotting their king. They exaggerated their grievances, hoping Adams would kick Jiang Hai out.
And at first, when Adams heard that Penelope had called the visitor Mr. Jiang Hai, he did panic a little.
He hurried over to her door and knocked—much to the crowd's disappointment.
Knocked?
Wasn't this the moment to kick the door in like a hero? Now he was knocking?
These guys had already started imagining all kinds of scenarios…
In their warped fantasies, Jiang Hai had something on Penelope—some kind of secret that threatened her legal career—and was using it to blackmail her. That must be why she let him in.
Penelope's cold expression earlier? That wasn't indifference, they reasoned. That was fear, disguised as restraint.
Their imaginations ran wild, veering into NTR territory—complete with betrayal, humiliation, and forced compromise.
But inside the room, reality couldn't have been more different.
"Who is it?" Penelope asked, barely looking up from her file.
"It's me. Is Mr. Jiang Hai there?" Moses Adams asked in a low voice.
"I'm here," Jiang Hai replied, standing up and opening the door himself.
"Mr. Jiang Hai! My sincerest apologies for the delay," Adams said eagerly. His demeanor flipped immediately. He grabbed Jiang Hai's hand, practically vibrating with energy. If he could've kissed Jiang Hai's shoes, he probably would've.
"No worries," Jiang Hai smiled. "I was just killing time. Your work comes first."
"Could you two take this to the reception room?" Penelope said, not even looking up from her paperwork.
"Ah—of course! How careless of me," Moses Adams said, slapping his forehead. "Mr. Jiang, let's talk in the reception room. Front desk—two green teas, please!"
The two men left Penelope's office. After they exited, Penelope herself walked out briefly.
Her cold expression and unchanged appearance reassured the onlookers.
Maybe… nothing happened?
Penelope didn't care what they thought. She went back in, shut the door, and pulled out a pack of disinfectant wipes. She paused when she reached for the sofa where Jiang Hai had been sitting. Then, for the first time, she hesitated… and put the wipes away.
That spot didn't feel dirty at all.
She returned to her desk and resumed reading her files, a little surprised by her own reaction.
Meanwhile, in the reception room, Jiang Hai explained his purpose.
"You're finally setting up a company? Boss, this is what I do best!" Moses Adams was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Once the company's up and running, we'll promote your brand. With the Wal-Mart connection, we can get you listed on NASDAQ, sell stock, and take your wealth from billions to tens of billions. You'll be the youngest billionaire—heck, give me three years and I'll turn you into the king of premium food!"
Jiang Hai held up a hand, interrupting him.
"Hold on, Moses. That's not what I'm aiming for. I don't want to go public or bring in investors. I just want a company and a brand to promote Tenglong Manor. That's all. I want full ownership."
"Oh—just a brand and a company?" Moses blinked, his stock-market dream shattering.
"Yes, just that." Jiang Hai smiled.
"Well, that's easy," Moses replied, quickly switching gears. "I'll handle the legal side—company registration, trademark application, all of it. But I'm a lawyer, not a manager. You'll need someone to run things."
Jiang Hai nodded. "I figured. How much do I need to register the company?"
"You're not taking outside investments or trying to build a network, so a few hundred thousand is enough. But since you're aiming to join the National Beef Expo next month, I recommend setting the registered capital at $3 million. It'll speed things up."
"Got it." Without hesitation, Jiang Hai transferred $3 million to Moses Adams.
Despite their friendship, Moses insisted on drawing up a legal power of attorney before accepting the funds. Jiang Hai signed the document, thanked him, and prepared to leave. Adams, meanwhile, got ready to visit the Public and Commercial Bureau to begin registration.
As Jiang Hai left the building under the hostile glares of the bystanders, he got into his car, took out his phone, and hesitated.
He couldn't call Qi Li just yet.
Better to go home and talk to Qi Jie first. If Qi Li suddenly showed up and ran into both Qi Jie and Qi Ya… that would be a serious problem.
After all, in Qi Li's world, her sisters were still supposed to be in Miami.