The VIP lounge fell into deathly silence.
Only Zhou Yan's black tracking device screamed in his trembling hands, red lights flashing like a bomb about to detonate.
The red dot on screen clung to Ning like a parasite.
Lucien's fingers pressed against the woman's nape—that most vulnerable junction of bone and nerve where two fingers could snap vertebrae with a satisfying crack.
His fingertips were ice-cold, roughened by years of worry beads leaving callused ridges.
"Bold enough to treat Pei Corp's internal network like your personal playground."
Lucien's gaze dropped, studying her face with clinical detachment.
The intoxication from their contact evaporated, replaced by murderous calculation that turned his eyes into arctic wastelands.
"You're the first."
Four bodyguards shifted, hands moving to concealed weapons, muscles coiled like springs. One gesture from their boss and they'd clean up the mess.
Ning didn't flinch.
In her peripheral vision, the blood-red countdown had jumped back to **[02:05:00]**.
She wouldn't die. Not yet.
But this broken-down body was greedy, having tasted SSS-grade energy. Why would it let go of the only living reactor in existence?
Lucien was a danger—and her only lifeline.
Under that potentially lethal grip, Ning half-closed her eyes.
Like a well-fed cat planning to skip the bill, she leaned into his palm's pressure, turning her head until her cheek nuzzled the hollow of his thumb.
Skin soft and warm.
Radiating the reckless heat of the living.
"Don't be so loud..."
Her voice came out husky, lazy with renewed vitality.
She even frowned in displeasure, her fingers tightening possessively around his waist, nails digging through shirt fabric to rake across the rigid planes of his abs.
*More. Need to get closer.*
Zhou Yan's jaw nearly dislocated.
This woman... was she *flirting* with the boss? While being strangled? Possibly seconds from becoming fish food?
Lucien froze.
The moment Ning's cheek pressed against his palm, the torturous ringing that had drilled through his skull for three hours simply... stopped.
The world hit mute.
Cool relief spread from the contact point, instantly soothing his frayed nerve endings.
Lucien Pei bowed to no one.
"Hah."
A cold laugh escaped his throat as he prepared to fling this audacious woman across the room.
Ning's eyes snapped open.
Clear. Sharp. No trace of the drowsy affection from moments before.
She'd rebooted like precision machinery, her gaze now streaming pure data and calculation.
*Smack.*
She swatted away Zhou Yan's tracking device before it could touch her face.
"Annoying."
Ning straightened but strategically remained within Lucien's embrace radius.
She raised two fingers, methodically smoothing the tie knot she'd wrinkled during her earlier... exploration.
The gesture was casual, like grooming a pet golden retriever.
"Mr. Pei, before you kill me, maybe check your network?"
Her fingertip tapped his collarbone, voice dripping mockery.
"Three hundred million for a firewall that's basically Swiss cheese. I could breach it with that cracked-screen dinosaur phone. You call that 'Sky Shield'?"
Zhou Yan sucked in a sharp breath.
*Insane. This woman was delivering a face-slapping lecture!*
"Teaching me my business?"
Lucien's eyes narrowed, fingertips tracing her carotid artery like he was selecting the perfect incision point.
"Don't believe me?"
Ning chuckled, finally releasing his waist.
The instant she left his warmth, system alarms exploded in her mind.
*Ignore it. For bigger stakes, show your fangs first.*
She stood, smoothing her skirt, chin jerking toward Zhou Yan's tablet.
"Open Section C database, third line of code."
Her voice remained steady. "There's a 'ghost' backdoor being monitored by three overseas IPs. If you don't patch it, Pei Corp stock will hit limit-down by tonight."
Zhou Yan hesitated, glancing at Lucien.
Lucien said nothing, his stare cold enough to freeze hell.
Zhou Yan immediately complied, fingers flying through base-level code.
Three seconds later, his face went ashen, cold sweat soaking his shirt.
Three red intrusion alerts blazed across the screen like warning flares!
The backdoor, buried deep in millions of code lines, was hemorrhaging core data!
Without specifically checking Section C's third line, even gods wouldn't detect it!
"This..." Zhou Yan nearly dropped the tablet, hands shaking.
He looked up in horror.
This woman had been unconscious moments ago, then busy "molesting" the boss after waking up.
When had she performed a full network scan?
During those few seconds of contact?
"Boss..." Zhou Yan's voice cracked. "It's real. Data's bleeding out through multiple proxy jumps. Source untraceable."
Lucien glanced at the screen.
The room's temperature plummeted.
He slowly raised his eyes to Ning, now standing several steps away.
She stood with arms crossed, expression aloof, radiating an aura of "I'm expensive and you can't afford me."
"Your handiwork?"
"If I wanted to destroy you, you'd already be filing bankruptcy."
Ning rolled her eyes. "Just ran a casual scan. Occupational hazard."
She had no time for games.
Her life force was draining faster.
Ning stepped forward, ignoring the bodyguards' instant weapon draws, invading Lucien's personal space again.
Lucien didn't move.
He was... testing.
As she approached, the returning tinnitus was suppressed once more.
Ning leaned down, palms braced on the sofa's armrests.
An aggressively dominant position, trapping the capital's living Hades between herself and the furniture.
"Mr. Pei."
Her voice dropped to a whisper only they could hear.
"Not just your firewall. I can cure all your... conditions."
Lucien's pupils contracted.
"For instance..."
Her fingertip ghosted along his ear, feeling his body's instant tension.
"As long as I touch you, you can't hear those dirty lies anymore. Am I right?"
The fortress walls around Lucien's heart cracked.
Lie-induced tinnitus was his deepest secret.
Besides the dead, no one knew.
This woman... not only knew but was currently his only antidote.
Lucien studied Ning for three heartbeats.
The murderous intent in those deep eyes faded, replaced by a predator's greed upon spotting premium prey.
Even... excitement.
"Hah."
Lucien suddenly smiled.
Wicked. Dangerous.
He reached up, elegant fingers catching a strand of her hair, winding it around his knuckles before yanking sharply.
Ning was forced to lower her head until their noses nearly touched.
"Excellent."
Lucien leaned back, long legs crossing as he resumed his imperial posture.
"Since you claim I'm full of holes, I'll give you a chance to patch yourself in."
He turned to the still-stunned Zhou Yan.
"Draft a contract."
"Uh... confidentiality agreement or—"
"Employment contract."
Lucien pointed at the woman who'd just hacked his three-hundred-million system and threatened him, lips curving with dark amusement.
"Hiring Miss Ning as Pei Corporation's... Chief Security Consultant."
"Additional clause: Must maintain 24-hour proximity. On-call availability."
Zhou Yan's eyeballs nearly popped out.
Where was the CEO who forbade female creatures within three meters?
*Proximity? Twenty-four hours?*
Ning wasn't surprised.
Unless Lucien wanted to be driven insane by noise, he had no choice.
"Deal."
She extended her hand for a shake (and power absorption).
"But Mr. Pei, could I get a salary advance?" Her tone was righteously shameless. "I want spicy hot pot. Extra spicy."
Lucien looked at that outstretched hand but didn't shake it.
Instead, he grasped her wrist, pulling her back down beside him.
"Order whatever you want."
Lucien closed his eyes, savoring the absolute silence. "But first, clean up the mess you've attracted."
As if summoned, chaotic footsteps echoed from the corridor, accompanied by shrill screaming.
"She's in this VIP room!"
"Storm in! The livestream's still running!"
"Let everyone see which sugar daddy this bitch Ning is hiding with!"
*BANG BANG BANG!*
The recently repaired mahogany door shook under violent pounding.
Xavier's deranged fans.
Someone had leaked her location, and these rabid dogs had breached the TV station's security.
Zhou Yan paled. "Shit, extremist fans. Boss, I'll have security escort us through the back—"
"Unnecessary."
Ning sat beside Lucien, calmly tucking loose strands behind her ear.
Life force: **[04:00:00]**.
Fully charged.
Perfect. Her hands were getting itchy anyway.
Ning stood, casually picking up the priceless blue-and-white porcelain teacup from the table, testing its weight.
Just right.
"Since the boss is buying dinner, consider this my initiation gift."
She stared at the trembling door, eyes colder than when she'd destroyed Xavier.
"Open it."
Her smile was razor-sharp.
"Some trash won't learn they're not above the law until they're personally escorted to prison."