The negotiation was successful and he got what he wanted, so Xia Lei should have been happy, but his heart was heavy. He had used all of his merits, everything he had built up, to force that Zhongzhen Wukui to bow his lofty head. If this negotiation was to be compared to a victory, it was a tragic one.

The look Zhongzhen Wukui had given him as he left made a chill run down his spine. That look was a look which painted him an enemy.

If the actions ZN Bureau had taken against him in the past were just defensive structures, and that Zhongzhen Wukui was carrying out the administrative tasks, then the next step ZN Bureau was going to take was to mix in personal grievances and causes.

Xia Lei walked out of the Bureau 101 office building. Sunlight fell on his face, warming him.

‘Whatever. I am sitting in a stable position as long as I have not done anything illegal. He might have a lot of authority, but what can he do to me? With my value, and the value of Thunder Horse Military Factory, there is no way he can deal with me openly. I just have to help Fan Fan get the position of ZN Bureau Chief, and I can solve my problem with ZN Bureau. If he steps down from his position now, he will be nothing!’ Xia Lei smiled coldly at that thought. He got into his car and dialled a number.

The call connected in a few seconds.

“This is unusual. You’re actually taking the initiative to call me. So, what is it?” It was Fan Fan’s voice.

“Where are you now?”

“At my grandfather’s. What do you want?”

“Let’s talk. I’ll come over right now. Is it convenient?”

“I still have a few days more to go on my period. Wait a few days more, and it will be convenient.”

Xia Lei was speechless.

A red BMW M6 suddenly entered the car park, and stopped next to Xia Lei’s Chevrolet Suburban.

Xia Lei recognised this car. It was the first car he had bought for Liang Siyao.

The two of them wound down their windows at almost the same time.

“WHen did you get it back?” asked Xia Lei casually. This car dredged up memories for him.

Liang Siyao smiled toothily. “It was at my old place. I got someone to drive it to the 4S shop for maintenance and drive it back to me. It’s very important to me. My boyfriend gave it to me. Is it pretty?”

Xia Lei smiled too. His heart twanged with pain.

Liang Siyao abruptly drew close to the window and lowered her voice. “A report from Europe. Gu Kewen flew from Japan to South Korea at eight last night. The CIA’s elite field agents too.”

The CIA’s field agents did not deal in intelligence, but were agents who captured and assassinated. Gu Kewen flying from Japan to South Korea with field agents meant that she was making some sort of move.

Xia Lei raised his head and looked up at the sky. It was clear, but he felt like dark clouds were coming.

“You have to be on your guard. Her target is you.” Liang Siyao’s eyes were filled with worry.

Xia Lei nodded. “I got it.”

“I’ll go report this to Boss Shi. We’ll talk later.” Liang Siyao withdrew and made to leave.

“Wait.”

“Is there something else?” Liang Siyao looked back at Xia Lei with a faint smile on her lips. She was quiet, beautiful.

“Um. Thank you,” said Xia Lei.

Liang Siyao quirked her lips in a wry smile. “You know that this is not what I want. There’s no need for you to thank me, no matter what I do for you.”

Xia Lei smiled. “Go. I’m going off too.”

Xia Lei drove away, and Liang Siyao watched him go. Xia Lei watched her in his mirror. The distance grew between them, but some things, some ties, just couldn’t be cut.

An hour later, the Chevrolet Suburban appeared in the car park of the Academy of Science. Xia Lei alighted with a big bag of gifts. He could have arrived earlier if he had not gone to buy those gifts. Part of the gifts were for Fan Fan, and the other part was for Fan Yiming. He hardly tried to curry favour with others, but he had to make some changes now.

Fan Fan was leaning against the pillar in front of the lobby, watching Xia Lei approach with a smile on her face. She said teasingly, “What are the gifts for? You can’t still be asleep, can you? Is your brain still muddled?”

“Buying some gifts for you mean that I’m still asleep and that my brain’s muddled? Well, I won’t give you any gifts since you’re saying that, then. Hold on. I’ll put these in the car.” Xia Lei turned to leave.

Fan Fan then stepped forward and grabbed the bags from Xia Lei’s hands. “How can there be a person like you who buys gifts, then takes them back? You’re a billionaire! How can you be so petty? You must be the pettiest billionaire on Earth.”

Xia Lei shrugged. “You’ve said everything. I won’t add anything to that.”

Fan Fan looked at the gifts and said with a laugh, “There’s tea leaves and porcelain too. These are for my grandfather, huh?”

“Yeah. I don’t know what tea the old man likes, so I bought a bit of each,” said Xia Lei.

Fan Fan squinted at Xia Lei. “What’s your motive for trying to butter him up?”

Xia Lei smiled. “Isn’t it obvious? I want to get his granddaughter.” He then moved close to Fan Fan’s pale jade ear and blew warm breath as he said, “Will you receive my advances?”

His words held a challenge, and that devilish smile… plus the hot breath in her ear… All these combined made Fan Fan’s body react, and a moan escaped her lips.

Xia Lei said in surprise, “You can’t have…”

Fan Fan bit her lip and looked at Xia Lei, red-faced. She said nothing more. It wasn’t that she did not want to say it, but that this shameful thing just could not be said.

“Uh, let’s go see Elder Fan first, then we’ll look for a place to have a good chat,” said Xia Lei. The devilish smile on his face widened.

“What do you want to talk about?”

“We’ll talk about whatever you want to talk about.” Xia Lei shot Fan Fan a loaded gaze.

“You… You’ve become really naughty.”

“Don’t women like a bad boy? If I play by the rules all the time and become an honest farmer, would you like me? Would you still want to have my child?”

“No, I don’t,” said Fan Fan. She was sure that she wouldn’t give Xia Lei a second glance if he were a farmer, no matter how handsome he was. The likelihood of her sleeping with him was even lower, and giving birth to his child even less.

Xia Lei would not have been able to attract a woman like Fan Fan if it weren’t for his achievements, his position in society now, and his IQ of 998.

In the dean’s office, Fan Fan shoved a big bag of gifts into Fan Yiming’s hands before Xia Lei could say anything, and said, “Grandfather, Mr Xia came specially to see you, and brought you all these gifts.”

Fan Yiming was delighted. “Oh my, Mr Xia. You really shouldn’t have. You coming here is like coming to work — why the gifts?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. It’s just some tea leaves and some tea drinking tools. I don’t know if you’d like them either, Elder Fan,” said Xia Lei politely.

“What’s this about liking them, eh? I’ll be happy even if you give me a few bags of tea, hehe.” Fan Yiming took Xia Lei’s hands. “You came at just the right time. Let’s talk about the Alloy X Project. I have an idea…”

Fan Fan cut between the two men before Fan Yiming could finish his sentence, and pulled Xia Lei away.

“What are you doing?” Fan Yiming looked at his granddaughter in confusion.

Fan Fan looked back at him and laughed. “Grandfather, I know what you’re thinking. I’ll talk with Mr Xia about it. I have an idea too. I’ll tell him first.”

There was an odd look on Fan Yiming’s face. “Didn’t you come to see me, Mr Xia?”

“Of course, Elder Fan…” But Fan Fan had pulled him off before he could finish.

The office door closed with a slam.

Fan Yiming stared at the closed door for a bit, and did not move.

Things settled down half an hour later.

XIa Lei did not know if Fan Fan had received seduction training as a core member of ZN Bureau, and he did not know if she truly had feelings for him, but he did not care. Genuine feelings were good, and fake feelings were good. It was good so long as they were happy.

“I saw your chief.” Xia Lei changed the topic.

“You…” Fan Fan started to say something, then stopped.

Xia Lei gave a laugh. “I’m not here to deceive you. What I’m saying is the truth. I’ve just come from Bureau 101. That old man’s boney and his eyes are quite unique, like a hawk’s. His name’s Zhongzhen Wukui. Am I right?”

Fan Fan was quiet for a bit before she said, “It’s him. I only know that he wants to meet you, but not why.”

“I had some negotiations with him.” Xia Lei watched her. “Do you know what the negotiation was about?”

“No clue.”

“Ling Han has no clue either?”

“What are you trying to get at?”

Xia Lei gave a laugh. “You don’t need me to explain that the relationship is between you and Ling Han, do I? I came with a fully sincere heart today. If you’re questioning my motives, then there’s no need for us to speak further.”

Fan Fan suddenly moved her mouth to Xia Lei’s arm and bit him.

Xia Lei frowned. “Are you a dog?”

Fan Fan raised her head, her eyes full of challenge and discontent. “Why didn’t you ask me about my motives when you were making me go crazy earlier? Why wait till you’ve had your fill of my body? You men are all jerks.”

“Hehehe…” Xia Lei laughed.

“Come on, tell me. What did you negotiate with him?”

Xia Lei then started telling her…