Chapter 294: New Tricks
Chapter 294: Chapter 294: New Tricks
People who live by the blade don’t have time for sentimental nonsense.
If you like someone, you chase them. If you can’t win them over, you take them by force.
The key is to be fast, ruthless, and precise.
On missions, Xue Can would always tell them their movements weren’t clean enough, that they should do this or that to complete the job more efficiently and safely.
So why was he being so wishy-washy now that he was chasing a girl?
As for getting rid of a love rival, Mo Bei was one hundred percent on board. He was even willing to help.
Xue Can’s face darkened. "All you think about is fighting and killing. Can’t you use your brain for once?"
Mo Bei: [・_・?]
’Did I just get chewed out?’
’What? Did I say something wrong? How am I the one who doesn’t use his brain?’
Xue Can didn’t give Mo Bei a chance to ask, just told him to drive to the Skytop Hotel.
He was just talking. He would never actually make a move on Fu Cheng.
If he really did something like that and Shen Lu found out, not only would she not be moved, she’d think he was a psycho. She’d see him as overly cruel and cold-blooded and would only distance herself from him even more.
In Xue Can’s mind, Shen Lu was as pure, kind, and beautiful as a daisy, someone who couldn’t bear to see the slightest hint of darkness.
’You say she hired a hitman?’
’That was just her giving them a taste of their own medicine, eliminating a future threat for good. It was a sign of her wisdom and decisiveness.’
’Besides, didn’t you see how she only targeted Boss Jin? She didn’t even think about his mistresses or illegitimate children.’
In short, in Xue Can’s eyes, Shen Lu was simply wonderful.
And for him to get close to someone so wonderful, he couldn’t be too sullied himself.
During the hour-and-a-half drive, Xue Can was lost in thought.
Mo Bei had no idea what his boss was thinking about. ’Probably just some unnecessary nonsense anyway.’
The Skytop Hotel was an 18-story building located near a checkpoint.
The light was poor at night, and with the incessant, whistling sandstorm, Shen Lu couldn’t get a clear look at the Skytop Hotel’s exterior.
Once they entered the underground garage, the constant PELTING of sand against the car finally stopped.
The three of them got out, and after Wu Jun locked the car, they took the elevator to the first floor together.
Mo Bei and Xue Can had arrived a bit earlier and were now sitting on a sofa in the lobby.
Seeing Shen Lu emerge from the elevator, Xue Can and Mo Bei stood up and walked over to greet them.
"Mr. Xue, have you been here long?" Shen Lu asked.
"We just got here too." Xue Can looked at Wu Jun. "It’ll get later and the sandstorm will get worse. Don’t rush when you’re driving back; safety first."
Wu Jun nodded. "Got it, Boss."
Making idle chat, the group took the elevator to the VIP hall on the third floor. It was the Skytop Hotel’s largest banquet hall, capable of holding 5,000 people and taking up nearly the entire floor.
The newly appointed head of the Commerce Association, President Pan, was standing at the entrance to the hall in a black suit. Compared to the pot-bellied Boss Jin, President Pan was in much better shape, though his skin was quite a bit darker, giving him the intimidating look of a mob boss you wouldn’t want to cross.
"I heard this President Pan runs factories. What does he produce? It’s not machetes, is it?" Shen Lu whispered to Xue Can.
Xue Can couldn’t help but smile, the corners of his mouth twitching upward. "President Pan has several factories. They make clothes and shoes."
"Oh."
President Pan’s eyes swept over the room and landed on Shen Lu’s group.
Of course, he didn’t recognize Shen Lu or Fu Cheng, but he knew Xue Can.
The Gale Mercenary Corps had quite a reputation in the Imperial City, especially in the Lower City District. Their professionalism and efficiency were highly valued by the various bosses.
President Pan himself had done business with the Gale Mercenary Corps a few times and had met Xue Can before.
President Pan greatly admired the young man and had even thought about marrying his daughter to him to win him over.
Unfortunately, Xue Can wasn’t interested in the slightest and flatly refused.
"Mr. Xue, long time no see," President Pan said, coming over with a warm smile.
He had heard the rumors. Apparently, it was Xue Can who had silenced Boss Jin. Although he didn’t know who had placed the order, eliminating Boss Jin had been a crucial step in his own rise to power.
"President Pan, congratulations." Xue Can extended his right hand and gave President Pan’s a firm handshake.
"Likewise, likewise."
President Pan gestured behind him. "I’m truly honored by your presence, Mr. Xue. Please, come in. I’ve already had a table arranged for you."
As for Shen Lu and Fu Cheng, President Pan didn’t greet them, assuming they were members of Xue Can’s corps.
Shen Lu and Fu Cheng didn’t mind this and walked calmly into the VIP hall with Xue Can.
A server led them to a table near the front. After they sat down, Shen Lu remarked, "I thought it would be a buffet. I didn’t expect a traditional round table dinner."
Xue Can said, "President Pan isn’t a big fan of the whole Western-style setup."
’So he’s pretty traditional, then?’
"We must be sitting this close to the front thanks to you, right?"
Xue Can just smiled without saying anything.
Mo Bei chimed in flippantly, "Yeah, that’s right, Boss Shen. You didn’t know? This President Pan thinks very highly of our boss. He even tried to set him up with his daughter once."
’Shen Lu, oh, Shen Lu, our boss is a real catch!’
’He’s way more popular than that crippled fiancé of yours who just freeloads off you. You’d better seize this opportunity!’
"Ahem!" Xue Can coughed lightly, warning Mo Bei not to run his mouth.
Mo Bei pouted and grabbed a handful of sunflower seeds to crack.
In less than half an hour, the VIP hall was filled with people.
Shen Lu’s table was almost full, but she didn’t know a single person there.
Listening to them greet each other as ’Boss This’ and ’President That,’ trading fake smiles and flattery, Shen Lu felt a strong sense of disconnect.
’So what they show on TV is real. This is actually how business people talk at banquets.’
Quite a few people came over to greet Xue Can.
Breaking from his usual cold demeanor, Xue Can responded amicably, even making small talk for a bit.
For a moment, the few who had been brushed off coldly by Xue Can in the past were a little baffled.
’What’s gotten into Mr. Xue?’
’Did he suddenly have a personality change? Is he done with the cold and aloof act?’
It was hard for Xue Can to keep up the pretense, but when he caught a fleeting look of surprise on Shen Lu’s face out of the corner of his eye, he felt it was all worth it.
Shen Lu covered her mouth and leaned close to Fu Cheng’s ear. "Don’t you think Mr. Xue’s smile looks a little forced?"
’Of course it does. Acting is much harder than killing. It’s only natural to look strained when you’re doing something you’re not good at.’
"He’s still injured, after all. A wound like that is still pretty serious for him."
Fu Cheng didn’t expose Xue Can’s act, casually finding a reasonable excuse for him.
"That’s true," Shen Lu agreed, finding it made perfect sense.
At six-thirty, all the arriving guests had been seated by the servers. As the host of the banquet, it was President Pan’s turn to give a speech.
While President Pan was speaking on stage, Shen Lu craned her neck to look around but couldn’t find Mr. Sun or General Manager Chen, whom she had met once before.
’Did they decide not to come because they couldn’t bear to see the winner’s smug face?’
After the speech came the most important part of the evening: the champagne tower.
Unlike a champagne tower at a wedding, this one was connected to a circular pool made of ice at its base, which encircled the platform and enclosed President Pan in the middle.
It looked like some new gimmick was about to be revealed.