Chapter 101: Laying the Perfect Trap

This story is entirely fictional.

"Here, take this card. Find a way to locate Chi Zhaoming and give it to him. Tell him it’s a request for his help in producing an advertising campaign for this company. This is the required production budget, just like last time. However, this time, don’t rush to set a date for the campaign; just make sure he gets the card," Ma Shengwei instructed.

"Is that all?" Xiao Jin asked.

"Yes, that is all. It is a matter of great importance. You must go and handle this right now. It is urgent," Ma Shengwei said.

"I don't understand. Can't this wait until tomorrow? Why should I have to miss the Class A league match and give up my chicken leg for this?" Xiao Jin replied dismissively.

"Stop acting like that. This is all because of your incompetence. I asked you to tail Wu Zhengzhe, and you couldn't even do that right. Now, Wu Zhengzhe has gotten hold of our leverage. It is said he has enough evidence to put someone named Lu Jiahui from Duhao in prison."

"Let him go to prison. What does that have to do with you?" Xiao Jin said.

"Why are you so full of nonsense? Lu Jiahui is my own brother. If he’s in trouble, I’m in trouble. I don't want my brother to suffer," Ma Shengwei said, his tone deepening.

"I still don't get it. One is surnamed Ma, the other is Lu; you’re not even related. Besides, what does delivering a card to Chi Zhaoming have to do with your brother's situation?" Xiao Jin continued to pester him.

"Calling you a pig is an insult to pigs. You really are the most foolish pig," Ma Shengwei laughed.

"You’ve been trailing Wu Zhengzhe for so long, and yet you have no idea what his Achilles' heel is, do you?" Ma Shengwei asked.

Xiao Jin shook his head, looking like a mentally disabled child standing before Ma Shengwei.

"His weakness is Chi Zhaoming. According to reliable information, Chi Zhaoming has lost a fortune gambling on outside bets. His wife found out last time, and it was only through the help of relatives and friends that he managed to pay off all his debts. Not even six months later, he started gambling again. Now he’s neck-deep in debt; he even went to borrow one hundred thousand in high-interest loans this morning. You take this card to him now—the PIN is written on it—and tell him it’s for advertising. In reality, I intend to exploit him. Given his current situation, he will definitely use the money on this card. Understand?" Ma Shengwei asked, frowning.

"Understood. I’ll go handle it right now," Xiao Jin said, bowing and scraping.

Gao Yating had not seen Dai Jiujiu for several days, and she did not want to disturb him too much. She knew his distress and his anxieties. The most agonizing one was that cursed AIDS—as the saying goes, once bitten by a snake, one fears the rope for ten years.

Although she knew Dai Jiujiu wouldn't return to her arms so quickly, Gao Yating still felt it was necessary to check on him every day. She feared that a long cold war would worsen their relationship; she feared the crisis that might arise if she let go of the reins of this man; she feared that if she let the kite string out too far, she would never be able to pull it back.

Without the nourishment of Dai Jiujiu’s love, Gao Yating’s complexion began to wither. The radiance on her face was obscured by dark clouds, robbing the once vibrant and seductive Gao Yating of her former vitality.

Whenever she went to the door of Dai Jiujiu's office to call for him, he would only lift his head to look at her, then shake his head. Gao Yating would know he had no intention of coming home, and she would have to drag her heavy footsteps away from the office building.

Gao Yating remained dejected, looking as lost as if she had lost her soul. Leng Junfeng saw all of this, and it pained him.

Happening to run into her as he was also leaving work, Leng Junfeng took a few quick steps to catch up. "Heading home, President Gao?"

"Yes. Where else would I go?" Gao Yating’s response was cold.

"What’s so good about going home? Back there, it’s just you, cold and lonely, just like me—no one to talk to, no joy to be found. Why not go to the Zhizhen Bar for a few drinks and drown your sorrows?" Leng Junfeng followed behind her, suggesting.

Gao Yating thought about it and realized he was right. Home was like an ice cellar—no warmth, no man she loved for company. For the first time, she felt a sense of loss, and for the first time, she agreed to go drinking with Leng Junfeng. "Let’s go. Today, we drink until we drop."

Leng Junfeng was overcome with joy. The woman he had been pursuing for nearly ten years had finally given him some face. She hadn't been this agreeable in a decade. It was truly a godsend, he thought to himself.

"Shall we take my car?" Leng Junfeng asked.

"Fine." Gao Yating followed him. Leng Junfeng gallantly opened the car door for her.

Once Gao Yating was seated, Leng Junfeng closed the door gently and jogged to the driver's seat to start the engine. They drove to the parking lot of the Zhizhen Bar and got out.

As two top executives of HZ Entertainment entered the bar, the greeters lined up to welcome them.

With Gao Yating by his side, Leng Junfeng felt ten feet tall, strutting with pride. A rare smile played on his face as he enthusiastically acknowledged the staff. He waved his hand—a gesture that, while subtle, carried the air of a high-level executive visiting a subsidiary.

After Gao Yating left the office building, Dai Jiujiu also began packing his files, preparing to head back to his room at the Zhizhen Hotel.

Just then, Yiyi’s call flashed incessantly on his screen. Dai Jiujiu hesitated, debating whether to answer.

After mulling it over, he picked up.

From the other end came Yiyi’s excited voice: "Uncle, I miss you so much. Can we meet?"

Dai Jiujiu missed the young girl day and night just as much. Because of his longing for her, he had grown haggard, and his face lacked its former luster.

Several months had passed since they first met. Dai Jiujiu couldn't wait to see her, to talk to her, to go clubbing with her...

Following Yiyi’s instructions, Dai Jiujiu arrived at the place where he had first picked her up. Yiyi looked the same, her red and yellow hair as cute as ever. The only difference was that along with her sunglasses, she was now wearing a face mask.

"It's late at night; why are you wearing sunglasses and a mask?" Dai Jiujiu asked.

"I have a bit of a cold, and I don't want to get you sick. It's safer this way, Uncle," Yiyi said, making a playful face.

"Then take off the sunglasses. It looks a bit strange wearing them at night," Dai Jiujiu urged.

Yiyi thought to herself: *This is it, I’m done for. If I take them off, my identity will be exposed.* But she figured that if it was meant to be, it was meant to be; there was no avoiding it now.

She took off her glasses and placed them on the dashboard.

Dai Jiujiu looked at her, his expression peculiar.

Seeing his look, Yiyi assumed he had recognized her. When he remained silent, she took the initiative. "You're looking at me strangely today. What's wrong?"

"I made a discovery today. You look very similar to a girl I know."

"My face is quite common; it’s normal to look like someone else," Yiyi said, trying to cover her tracks.

"That's true. There are many people in this world who look alike. But you look too much like her—at least seventy percent similar." Dai Jiujiu took another look at her.

"Really? If you have the chance, introduce me to her. I'd like to see if I'm really that similar," Yiyi feigned composure.

"Maybe another time. Let's go eat, and then we'll have some fun! Western or Chinese?" Dai Jiujiu asked.

"I don't really like Western food. I prefer Chinese, especially farmhouse-style dishes."

"Alright then. I'll take you to the best farmhouse restaurant in Dahe and let you taste their delicacies," Dai Jiujiu said.

"Great! I'm a total foodie," Yiyi said, her cute act appearing very natural.

Dai Jiujiu accelerated, and the Porsche sped off, leaving a trail of exhaust behind.

To avoid running into anyone familiar, Dai Jiujiu took her to a farmhouse restaurant far from the bustling city.

They parked the car and walked toward the restaurant. Yiyi, looking shy, instinctively took Dai Jiujiu’s arm. The dim lights cast their long, slanted shadows on the ground.

One of the waiters at the door recognized Dai Jiujiu and hurried over with a grin. "Welcome, Boss Dai!" He then led them to a VIP private room.

In the room, Dai Jiujiu and Yiyi chatted and laughed, enjoying their wine.

It had been a long time since Dai Jiujiu had tried to drown his sorrows.

Drinking to excess was something he hadn't done in years. Back during his time at MC, when his wife had fled abroad, he had spent a long time unable to let go of that relationship, drinking day and night. Especially after learning that his ex-wife's husband had died of AIDS, his mood had darkened further, and his mental state had deteriorated.

When he went to the hospital for a check-up, a psychiatrist diagnosed him with depression. It took a long course of medication before he began to recover.

When Gao Yating brought him to Dahe, he thought his life was finally getting back on track—he had a stable home and a woman who loved him, no longer needing to struggle for money.

But now, just as he was starting to fall for Gao Yating, his peaceful life had been shattered by MC’s Will.

His painful feelings had no outlet, but the girl before him gave him a reason to smile; she made his entire being feel incredibly relaxed.

Before they knew it, they had drained a bottle of wine, both reaching a state of high exhilaration.

(To be continued)