On the other side of the city, a black Tesla moved smoothly through the evening traffic.
The city lights reflected against its polished exterior as it passed through crowded streets and towering buildings.
Inside the car, the atmosphere was entirely different.
Angela occupied the passenger seat, elegantly crossing one leg over the other while touching up her makeup using the compact mirror in her hand.
Beside her, Adrian held his phone against his ear while steering with one hand.
"I've got the sample," Adrian said casually.
"Where should I deliver it?"
The person on the other end replied without hesitation.
"Someone will visit your hotel room later tonight. Keep the hair sealed inside the plastic bag until then, make sure it's fully tucked in."
Adrian glanced toward the small transparent evidence bag tucked inside the center console.
Several strands of white hair rested inside.
They looked ordinary, yet the amount of trouble required just to obtain them suggested otherwise.
Adrian clicked his tongue.
"What do you take me for? Some careless fool?"
His fingers tapped lightly against the steering wheel.
"Why do you need that kid's hair anyway?"
A brief silence followed.
"The less you know, the better."
The answer immediately annoyed him.
Adrian leaned back against his seat.
"You people sure know how to ruin the fun. Fine. Be mysterious."
He glanced sideways at Angela before smirking.
"Oh, I also sent a picture of that kid, Gou Feng. Apparently, he's exactly as Angela described. If the boss takes an interest in him, let me know."
He chuckled softly.
"I can deliver that kid to him in no time."
The voice on the other end immediately turned cold.
"Don't do anything beyond what was agreed upon in our contract. If you act on your own and ruin the plan, neither your family nor your father's position will protect you."
For the first time during the call, Adrian's amused expression dimmed slightly.
"Tsk. You're no fun." He scoffed.
"Fine. I'll stick to the plan. But make sure your side keeps its promise too."
Without waiting for another response, Adrian ended the call.
The car fell into silence.
Beside him, Angela glanced at him.
"So..." she said calmly, fixing a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
"What are you planning to tell your parents after this?"
Adrian drummed his fingers against the steering wheel.
"I've already thought it through."
He turned toward her.
"All you have to do is continue playing your part."
A smile spread across his face.
"You did wonderfully today. As expected of my future actress and model."
Angela's eyes brightened immediately.
She had always loved praise. Especially when it acknowledged the image she worked hard to maintain.
She smiled and tilted her head proudly.
"Of course. I was born to shine. It's only natural that I'm good at everything I do."
Adrian chuckled.
"Still as confident as ever."
Angela snapped her compact mirror shut, and leaned back against her seat.
"I was born to be admired."
Her confidence wasn't modest.
It never had been, yet Adrian found it amusing.
Perhaps that was why they worked so well together.
Both of them wanted more than what they had been given.
More money, more power, and more recognition.
Even if obtaining those things meant stepping over others.
"You know," Angela said thoughtfully,
"That Gou Feng really surprised me."
Adrian raised an eyebrow.
"How so?"
"He doesn't look special." Angela crossed her arms.
"He's quiet, ordinary, and honestly a little pathetic."
Her expression shifted.
"But people keep paying attention to him, and even after everything that happened today..."
She paused.
"...he still looked at people as though none of them had wronged him, he still forgave them. He didn't even want to file a disciplinary complaint towards you."
Adrian snorted.
"You're overthinking it."
"Maybe." Angela looked out the window at the passing cityscape.
"But people like that are dangerous."
Adrian glanced back at her.
"Dangerous?"
"They endure too much." Her red lips curved into a faint smile.
"They forgive too easily, and somehow... They make other people feel guilty."
Angela looked straight at him.
"I hate those kinds of people."
Adrian laughed.
"Good thing we're not like that."
"No." Angela smiled.
"We've always known exactly what we want."
Outside the windshield, the luxurious silhouette of a five-star hotel came into view.
It belonged to Adrian's father.
One of the many privileges Adrian had enjoyed since birth.
He guided the Tesla into the private entrance.
The valet staff immediately approached.
Adrian handed over the keys without a second glance.
"Come on."
He adjusted the sleeves of his expensive leather jacket.
"We still have work to do."
Angela slipped her hand through his arm.
"And if your mysterious employer really likes Gou Feng?"
Adrian's smile widened.
"Then we'll become even more valuable."
Neither of them noticed the way the hotel's crystal chandelier flickered briefly overhead as they entered the lobby.
Nor did they notice the elderly janitor moping near the reception desk.
The old man slowly lifted his head.
His clouded eyes followed their retreating figures.
Then his gaze shifted toward the elevator reflected in the polished marble floor.
For a fleeting moment, the reflection beneath Adrian's feet appeared distorted.
As though a dark shadow walked a step behind him.
The janitor's wrinkled hand tightened around the wooden handle of his mop.
"...Greed invites misfortune," he murmured quietly.
But Adrian and Angela had already disappeared into the elevator.
Neither heard the warning.
And neither realized that from the moment they took Gou Feng's hair, they had stepped into something far more dangerous than a simple business arrangement.
The elderly janitor blinked.
The solemn expression on his face slowly vanished, replaced by confusion and disorientation.
He looked around in alarm, his brows knitting together.
"...What was I just doing?" he muttered under his breath.
His gaze darted across the lobby as if trying to recall something important, but whatever it was had already slipped through the cracks of his memory.
A strange chill ran down his spine.
For reasons he couldn't understand, unease gripped his heart.
Clutching the mop tightly, he hurried toward the staff room with unsteady steps, his expression pale and bewildered.
It was as though he had suddenly awakened from a dream, as though someone had briefly borrowed his vision and voice to deliver a warning that had never been meant for him to remember.
Outside, the bustling sounds of the company gradually faded as employees finished their work and headed home.
Back in the office, Hei Bao sat beside the sofa bed, a pair of thin-framed reading glasses resting on the bridge of his nose as he reviewed a stack of documents.
The office had grown quiet.
Most of the lights on the floor had already been turned off, leaving only the warm glow of the desk lamp illuminating the room.
He had changed very little since earlier.
Although spare clothes were kept in one of his office drawers, he had not bothered with them.
The faint stains on his shirt remained.
So did the wrinkles.
After retrieving a first-aid kit from the staff lounge, he had cleaned and treated the bruises on Gou Feng's face himself before returning to his paperwork.
At least, that had been the intention.
In reality, his attention never remained on the documents for long.
Every few minutes, his gaze would drift toward the sofa bed.
Toward the sleeping figure beneath the blanket.
Toward the subtle rise and fall of Gou Feng's chest.
As if confirming that he was still breathing steadily.
The realization annoyed him more than he cared to admit.
A faint frown settled between his brows.
He turned another page. The quiet scratching of paper filled the room.
For a while, everything remained peaceful, when suddenly a scream shattered the silence.
"No!"
Gou Feng jolted upright so suddenly that the blanket slipped from his shoulders.
His entire body trembled, harsh breaths tore from his chest as cold sweat soaked through his clothes.
The panic in his eyes was immediate.
For several seconds, his gaze darted wildly around the room, lost and confused.
As though he had not truly awakened and was still trapped inside whatever nightmare had dragged him from sleep.
His hands shook violently.
He tried to stand.
"I have to find—"
But, before he could take a step, Hei Bao was already beside him, refraining him from going anywhere.
A firm hand settled on his shoulder before he could rise.
"Sit down."
Gou Feng froze, the cold, steady voice cut through his internal crisis like a blade.
Slowly, he lifted his head, and saw Hei Bao standing beside the sofa bed.
His expression remained as unreadable as ever.
"Ge..."
The word slipped out from him unconsciously.
Gou Feng stared at him blankly.
His breathing remained uneven.
He looked at lost, as though part of him had yet to fully be aware of what was going on.
"I..."
His voice faltered.
The panic gradually faded from his eyes, replaced by embarrassment.
At last soberness smacked through him and he noticed where he was.
His gaze dropped.
Silence settled between them.
Hei Bao remained standing, observing him.
The ticking of the wall clock echoed faintly in the background, before finally, he spoke.
"How long have you been like this?"
Hearing such a question, Gou Feng stiffened.
His fingers tightened around the blanket.
His shoulders tensed, as a bitter feeling rose in his chest.
He had never wanted Hei Bao to see him like this, especially to know about what was going on in him.
Not yet.
He was unprepared, and things still unclear, he didn't know where to even start explaining it.
What was he supposed to say?
Sweat still clung to his forehead.