Zhao Qi's office occupied the ninety seventh floor of Zongsheng Medical Centre, a space designed to reflect quiet authority rather than flamboyance. The walls shimmered faintly with a muted pearl finish, textured to catch the light without glare.
Sculptural lighting fixtures curved from the ceiling like frozen waves, illuminating the desk where years of medical contracts had been signed and dissolved.
Beyond the wall-length window, the city unfolded in intricate layers — towers like blades of silver, bridges lined with jeweled lights, and ribbons of traffic winding endlessly through the metropolis. The afternoon sun scattered across the skyline in a soft amber hue, bathing the room in a regal calm.
Su Ning sat opposite Zhao Qi, her posture unhurried yet commanding. Even in silence, her presence filled the room. She held her tablet before her, the reflected skyline gleaming across her eyes like liquid gold.
Zhao Qi, still standing beside his desk, waited in composed tension, respectful but cautious, as if every breath depended on her next sentence.
Su Ning finally spoke, her tone smooth but carrying the chill of authority.
"Director Zhao, from today onward, I want a full screening of all internal activities — financial, administrative, and operational. Every department head must submit a performance report within forty-eight hours. Any discrepancies, no matter how minor, will be reviewed directly by me."
Zhao Qi nodded instantly. "Understood, Chairwoman Su."
She glanced up from her tablet, her gaze sharp as moonlight.
"And…" she continued, "Lay off every incompetent staff member. Rank, seniority, or connections are irrelevant. This establishment has no place for dead weight."
The words were simple, but their impact filled the room. Zhao Qi's pulse quickened, he had managed countless directors before, but no one ever commanded him like this.
He lowered his head slightly. "I'll begin the internal review today. Should I issue an anonymous audit notice first?"
Su Ning shook her head. "No. Let them panic. Fear has a way of revealing the guilty faster than investigation."
Her words lingered in the air like frost.
Zhao Qi's admiration deepened. There was no hesitation in her, only the quiet certainty of someone who didn't just hold authority but embodied it.
Then, Su Ning leaned back, her expression softening slightly. "Also," she said, "keep an eye on the board. Someone's been moving the company's funds. Not in large amounts but small, calculated withdrawals that blend with routine expenses. They're clever. But not clever enough."
Zhao Qi stiffened. "I'll find them, Miss Su."
She smiled faintly. "You won't need to. I already have my suspicions."
Zhao Qi hesitated. "Then what would you have me do?"
"Observe. Don't confront them yet. I'll decide how to deal with it when the time comes."
As silence settled between them, Su Ning's gaze drifted toward the towering window. The city pulsed below, restless, glittering, alive. Her reflection merged with the skyline, a dark silhouette against a river of light.
Something flickered in her thoughts — the system space. The contract feature. A way to ensure loyalty.
Zhao Qi was competent and cautious, but human greed was unpredictable. She could not afford betrayal. Not now.
She rose from her seat, her every movement deliberate. Her voice, calm yet threaded with command, broke the quiet.
"Director Zhao," she said, her back to him, "I need you to accompany me somewhere."
He blinked. "Now?"
"Yes."
He didn't question her. "Of course, Chairwoman. Where to?"
Su Ning turned slowly, her gaze catching his. "You'll see soon."
For a brief moment, time seemed to suspend between them, her eyes cold and knowing, his filled with dutiful trust.
Then she spoke inwardly to the system.
"Initiate transfer."
The air around them shifted, sound folded into silence. The skyline behind the window shattered into a swirl of white light, dissolving into mist.
When the brightness faded, Zhao Qi found himself standing in an endless expanse.
The air was still, cool, and faintly scented with blooming jasmine. The ground beneath him glowed with soft ivory light, stretching into the horizon where the sky merged with itself. In the distance stood the great warehouse-like structure that dominated the space — elegant yet minimal, its frame shimmering like it was built from solid moonlight.
Zhao Qi looked dazed, confusion flickering across his face — though his mind was already beginning to blur under the system's influence.
The system's neutral tone filled the air.
:Notice: Any external being brought into the System Space will retain no memory of this environment. In the real world, only one second will pass.'
Su Ning smiled faintly. "That's reassuring."
'Please select a binding option for the external entity.'
Three contracts appeared before Su Ning in glowing text — Master and Subordinate, Equal Friendship, and Master and Puppet.
She didn't hesitate.
"System, activate the Master and Subordinate Contract."
'Confirmed. Binding procedure initializing.'
The air trembled. A mysterious symbol, intricate and ancient, formed beneath their feet, pulsating like a heartbeat.
Zhao Qi's knees buckled briefly as a golden thread extended from his chest toward Su Ning, intertwining with another that emanated from her. The threads merged, glowing for a moment before fading into their bodies.
Su Ning inhaled sharply as the connection solidified — faint, but unmistakable. She could feel his presence now, like a whisper in her consciousness. His loyalty was absolute, sealed beyond will or thought.
A final chime sounded.
'Contract established successfully. Subject loyalty: 100%. Memory of event: erased.'
The glow faded, and the space dissolved around them.
In a blink, they were back in Zhao Qi's office.
He was still standing where he had been moments ago, blinking as if waking from a trance. The city stretched once more behind him, unchanged.
But something in his eyes had shifted. Reverence — no, devotion, replaced the cautious professionalism he once held.
Su Ning returned to her seat. She rested one arm on the desk, gazing at him calmly. "Proceed with the tasks I assigned. I expect updates directly from you."
Zhao Qi bowed slightly. "Yes, Chairwoman Su. I'll handle every instruction personally."
His voice carried an unfamiliar fervor. He stood straighter, eyes alight with purpose, as though serving her was no longer duty but destiny.
Su Ning allowed herself a small, satisfied smile. "Good. I trust you won't disappoint me."
"Never," he said without hesitation.
For a while, she skimmed through several reports, giving short instructions between silent minutes. Zhao Qi took notes quickly, eager to please, not daring to interrupt her rhythm.
Then, finally, Su Ning rose from her seat, brushing invisible dust from her sleeve. "That's all for now. I'll take my leave."
Zhao Qi immediately moved around the desk, instinctively falling into step beside her. "Allow me to escort you to the entrance, Chairwoman."
They descended the private elevator, its interior lined not with reflective metal but a subtle onyx polish that absorbed light and gave the illusion of infinite depth. Soft classical music played faintly in the background, barely audible over the hum of the elevator's descent.
When they reached the ground floor, the lobby staff straightened instinctively, bowing as soon as they saw her. Su Ning acknowledged them with a quiet nod before walking toward the exit.
Outside, the city's pulse greeted her, the steady rhythm of engines, conversations, and the faint hum of aircraft in the distant sky.
A sleek, obsidian sedan waited by the curb, Zhao Qi's personal vehicle. Its surface gleamed like liquid ink under the sunlight.
"Chairwoman," Zhao Qi said quickly as she called for a cab through her phone, "please, take my car instead. The chauffeur's ready."
Su Ning glanced at the sedan, then at an approaching cab. She smiled softly, her tone teasing yet composed. "No need. I'm not so fragile that I can't sit in a normal car."
Zhao Qi opened his mouth to protest, but the cab stopped before her. Without hesitation, he moved ahead, opening the back door with both hands and bowing slightly as she entered.
His gesture drew curious glances from passersby, a man of his status bowing so deeply to a teenage girl. But Su Ning merely gave him a nod.
"Good work today, Zhao Qi."
"Thank you, Chairwoman." He bowed once more, his eyes glowing with unshakable loyalty.
The door clicked shut, and the cab pulled away into the stream of traffic.
Su Ning leaned against the seat, her eyes on the passing skyline.
A faint smirk touched her lips. The contract works perfectly.
She could sense the thread that bound Zhao Qi to her, quiet but strong, humming with obedience. No betrayal, no deceit, no hidden agendas.
For the first time since inheriting the companies, she felt true ease.
She adjusted her posture and instructed the driver, "Take me to Luminous Beauty Spa headquarters."
The driver nodded. "Yes, miss."
As the cab merged into the main road, the city unfolded before her once more, a world of towering empires and hidden darkness.