The chairman's gavel cracked like a gunshot.
**"The gala competition is set,"** he declared. **"Winning subsidiary claims majority rights."**
A hushed gasp. Luong's nails bit into her palms—*Cheng Ying's doing*. The old vulture lounged at the far end of the table, smirking as if he'd already won.
As the room emptied, he cornered her, reeking of cigar smoke and arrogance. **"Such a *shame* if your little startup project… encountered *accidents* before the gala."**
Luong leaned in, sweet as poisoned honey. **"Funny. I was just thinking the same about *your* financial audits."**
She strode off, Li "tripping" into Cheng Ying's shin with a battle-ready grin.
Midnight. Luong's penthouse glowed with scheming energy.
**"Got him."** Li slapped a file on the table—embezzlement records, falsified reports, even the pharmacy receipt for her father's tainted meds. **"But he'll strike first."**
Zhang Yu cracked his knuckles. **"We'll need backup."**
**"Please."** Luong rolled up her sleeves, revealing a jagged scar. **"I took down three muggers at MIT. Cheng Ying's just a pensioner with a grudge."**
Li tossed her a panic button bracelet. **"Wear it. Or I'll handcuff you to Yin until the gala."**
Luong clipped it on with a sigh. **"Fine. But if he attacks, *I* get to break his nose."**
As they disbanded, Zhang Yu loitered by Li's car, uncharacteristically awkward. **"My Porsche's in the shop. Can you…?"**
Li's eyebrow soared. **"After you turned my desk into a snack landfill?"**
**"I'll buy you lunch!** *Eventually.*"
With a dramatic eye-roll, Li jerked her thumb toward the passenger seat. **"Get in, Prince Whiny."**
Ten minutes later, she screeched into a neon-lit seafood buffet.
Zhang Yu blanched. **"This isn't my apartment—"**
**"Nope."** Li dragged him inside, ordering every lobster on the menu.
As plates piled high, Zhang Yu's wallet whimpered. **"You said *lunch*, not a seafood *heist*!"**
Li licked butter off her fingers. **"Chew slower. The regret hurts less."**
When his card declined, waiters swarmed like sharks—until the manager waved them off. **"The lady paid upfront, sir."**
Outside, Zhang Yu found Li leaning against her car, smug.
**"…You *paid*?"**
**"Consider it an investment."** She tossed him the keys. **"Now drive. And *next* time? It's a gold-leaf truffle 'someday.'"**
For the first time in recorded history, Zhang Yu obeyed without complaint.