Chapter 69 - Shen Ji.

Jihai was currently in his new office facing his two friends who were also sitting down discussing. With all three of them dressed in suits, the room was filled with manly elegance and nobility making his Japanese secretary blush anytime she entered the room. He kept turning his pen as he stared at them, engrossing in deep thinking. Cai Longwei and Mo Bingwen were arguing over a business proposal when they noticed Jihai was quiet.

Sharing a look between themselves, Cai Longwei decided to ask. "Has Chunlan called yet?"

"No." Jihai dropped the pen to stand up, walking to face the city view through the glass windows behind his chair.

"Don't worry so much. I am sure she is fine. Tang Huizhong won't kill his own daughter." Cai Longwei tapped his shoulder comfortingly and placed them back in his trouser pockets.

"What excuse did your parents give my father-in-law about your succession?" Jihai asked.

Cai Longwei chuckled with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "They told him that we somehow found the red paper in their possessions. They cannot underestimate us, you know?"

"Did he buy it?"

"He has no reason not to. After all, the Cai And Mo family has always been loyal to him." Cai Longwei replied. "Oh,I forgot to tell you this! My dad called me yesterday to inform me about a meeting they held last night. They said......"

After Cai Longwei whispered the plan into his ears, Jihai smiled for the first time for the day as he shook his head. "Interesting. My father-in-law is really something else."

"What should we do?" Mo Bingwen spoke for the first time, his voice raspy and his face was very pale.

Jihai picked up a blanket and hung it around his friend's shoulders, wrapping him. He then poured him a glass of water and put some medicine in his hand. "We should let him take the first step and observe. Tang Huizhong is smart and unpredictable, I am sure he is aware that there is a spy at his table."

"Are our parents going to be at risk?" Cai Longwei's eyes scrunched up in worry.

"Not yet. Tell them to lay low for a while, there is no need for them to communicate with us anymore." Jihai said.

He then turned to face Mo Bingwen again who was now closing his eyes, the drugs taking effect in his body. "Have you talked to Menxiang since you came back?"

Mo Bingwen opened his eyes abruptly, glaring at him and not bothering to respond to him.

Cai Longwei observed the situation and quickly signaled Jihai to change the topic. Jihai ignored him and insisted. "You can't keep on hurting her like this. You promised me you would take care of her."

Cai Longwei saw Mo Bingwen continue to ignore Jihai like he was a piece of furniture which was already expected. He attempted to meditate. "Jihai, let's not talk about that now. We have other issues to discuss."

Seeing his pleading eyes, Jihai finally let go of the topic switching to other business matters. "Any news from the Wen Patriarch?"

"Not yet. But the Wen family saw Wen Honglin outside the house, beaten and tied outside their gate so they rushed him to the hospital, again. Jihai, do you think its okay to go against that old man at this time? We will have too many enemies and we are not strong yet." Cai Longwei asked.

"We need to clear our enemies in one strike instead of picking them one by one. We don't have much time." Jihai replied as once again, he turned to look at the phone with expectation.

"Fine, don't worry. We will support you. The Cai and Mo-". Cai Longwei's eyes widened when he turned around to glance at Mo Bingwen and saw him holding a handkerchief stained with blood, coughing intensely. "Hey, Bingwen! Are you alright? Jihai, help me!"

They rushed forward to see him collapse on the sofa. Jihai picked up his phone to make a phone call. A woman's voice was heard when the call connected.

The woman's soft voice said. "Jihai, what a surprise, I-"

He cut her off. "I need your help. Come to the new Star Blade Headquarters now." And hung up.

The woman sighed sadly.

Thirty minutes later, a woman arrived dressed in a white coat and stethoscope hung around her slender neck as she walked up to the reception table. The receptionist greeted her. "Welcome to Star Blade Enterprises, how may I help you miss?"

The woman said. "I want to see Jihai, where is he?!"

The secretary scrutinized her before she asked. "May I know who is asking about him, please?"

"Tell you your boss, my name is Su Menxiang!"

Meanwhile, Mo Bingwen had regained consciousness and was now resting while Jihai, Longwei and the unknown woman stood in a corner discussing in low tones. Jihai asked the woman solemnly. "You still haven't found the antidote for his poison?"

"Not yet." The woman responded. "I still haven't gotten any response from my contact about the poison he has."

"Is your contact trustworthy?" Cai Longwei looked at his friend worryingly.

"Of course, he is. From what I know, he is one of the best in his field of poison." She said.

Jihai watched quietly and made a decision. "Its best we move him to my house so that it will be convenient to treat him."

The woman's smile of ȧssurance quickly turned into a frown. "You want him to live to live with us?"

"That's better, that way, you can provide emergency treatment when necessary." Cai Longwei agreed.

"Is that going to be a problem?" Jihai's eyes rested on her with unseen pressure.

"Not at all." The woman lowered her eyes, hiding her displeasure and sadness.

After a while, they finally leaving the building when Jihai was blocked and forced to receive a ruthless slap from somebody causing people in the background to gasp in shock.

"So you are truly alive, Bai Jihai?!"

Jihai's eyes narrowed in anger as he turned to face the fearless person who had committed the atrocity when his eyes suddenly dimmed. "Menxiang, what are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here?" She asked out of disbelief as she saw Mo Bingwen and Cai Longwei standing behind him. "Did both of you know that he was alive?"

The men said nothing when they saw tears spill out of her eyes. She looked betrayed and disappointed at the people who had lied to her again and again. She said. "Did you know how sad I was at your funeral? How much I cried because of your death? How could you put me through all that misery and pain just for your personal gain? What kind of person are you?"

Cai Longwei stepped forward to say. "Calm down, Menxiang. Allow us to explain."

"Shut up!" She faced him, her fingers pointing at him. "You even had the guts to come and make a scene in my hospital because of him!"

She continued looking at Jihai as she sniffed and sobbed. "I always knew that you never considered any of us as your friends except Chunlan. Me, Honglin, Mengqi, all of us meant nothing to you at all! I was very sincere to you and treated you like my own family, why was it so hard to do the same to me?"

Jihai's cold eyes looked complicated at the moment as he walked up to hug her stubbornly, effectively subduing her.

She started struggling immediately he hugged her, twisting and beating his ċhėst. "Release me! Jihai, I hate you so much, let me go!"

"I am sorry." Jihai's statement halted her movements as he apologized to her. Behind him, the woman who accompanied them watched with vexation making her clench her fists.

Menxiang finally calmed down which prompted Jihai to release her letting her see the unknown woman with them. "Who is she? Jihai, you just returned to China and you are already cheating on Chunlan?!"

"That's not true, she is -"

"-My girlfriend." Mo Bingwen coughed twice before he answered, his body covered with a furry coat as he stood.

Menxiang froze as she saw them share a look.

"I ask again, who are you?" She willed the incoming tears to stay at bay, her voice cracking a little.

The woman sighed resignedly as she saw Jihai give her a look before she smiled brightly, stretching her hand for a handshake.

"Hi, nice to meet you. My name is Shen Ji, what is yours?"