Chapter 710 - Starting Point

After the storm that occurred two weeks ago, the weather calmed down. It was late afternoon yet the sun was still shining brightly.

In front of the floor-to-ceiling window of IHZHI chairman's lobby, a tall man stood facing the window, looking at the city being shrouded by the afternoon glow of the sun.  ​​

His back was straight and aloof. There was a stillness around him that gave an impression of isolation.

When Xiong Zhi and Linfeng came in, they were met by this man's figure.

For some reason, Xiong Zhi felt a sense of familiarity after seeing the man's back. 

How come she felt a sense of deja vu?

The man turned around, waking up Xiong Zhi from her daze.

She narrowed her eyes at her sudden visitor. 

"It seems like you are acting too familiar with us, Young Master Lu Jin. Coming here without notice ahead of time, and it is not just once. I am not well informed that we are this close."

Lu Jin's face had no expression. His pale lips moved. "But you still let me enter regardless. I believe it is because I impose no danger to you with Mr. Zhou Linfeng around." 

Lu Jin's gaze was directed towards the man who never let his guard down. 

Linfeng looked back at him, watching him closely.

Xiong Zhi: "...Come inside."

Lu Jin withdrew his eyes and walked after the pair to enter the office. 

He sat down on his previous seat.

Lu Jin looked at them straight in the eyes, "You must want to hear what I came here for." 

Xiong Zhi sat across from him as well. "That is right. However, I believe that all the favors I used to owe you are already paid. So what did you come here for?"

"...."

Lu Jin was silent for a long time. He did not move and simply looked at the couple in front of him.

Xiong Zhi was silent as well, waiting for the quiet man to answer. 

If the man wanted to play a quiet game, she could accompany him in doing the same. 

Lu Jin slowly lowered his eyes. He seemed as if he was still deliberating the decision of coming here. Or perhaps choosing the right word to start what he was going to say.

The clock continued to tick by.

It was taking too long and wasting a lot of time that Xiong Zhi was about to run out of patience, when Linfeng held her shoulders. 

Linfeng shook his head briefly. 

'Don't disturb him.'

Xiong Zhi frowned, but she still settled down.

What kind of play was this? 

The man just came here so that they could watch him sit here silently?

Xiong Zhi did not have any idea of what was going on inside the man's mind. 

However, Linfeng's instinct was telling him that the man came here with a very significant purpose, something that weighed a lot in Lu Jin's mind. He wanted to know the reason for which Lu Jin especially came here.

After what felt like an eternity, Lu Jin finally spoke.

"Gunan."

Hearing the name that came out of the man's mouth, Xiong Zhi's eyes flashed with coldness. 

She had never forgotten the fact that she was deprived of achieving her own vengeance by this man's father.

"You came here for Gunan?" Her voice was laced with anger.

Lu Jin looked into her eyes. "Yes and no."

Xiong Zhi frowned.

Lu Jin softly sighed. He started the conversation wrong.

"Actually, I came here to make a deal."

*****

The sun settled in the horizon. The blazing torch left a blanket of purple and black shades at its wake. 

The dark sky and the city lights outside reflected in Xiong Zhi's eyes. 

Her eyes were still laced with shock. 

"Zhi'er." 

Xiong Zhi turned around in surprise.

Linfeng handed her a cup of tea. He had taken off his coat. His sleeves were rolled to his elbows, showing a pair of strong arms.

…Since when did Linfeng leave her side and make her tea?

Seeing the stunned expression on his girlfriend's face, Linfeng smiled helplessly at her. 

"You are so immersed in your thoughts that you have lost awareness of your surroundings. Are you really that shocked about what Lu Jin said?" 

He reached out an arm to wrap around her.

Xiong Zhi leaned against him and took a sip of the warm tea. 

"...I admit, yes, I'm still shocked. I never imagined that he… that he..." 

She could not finish her words because the thought of the scene earlier still made her feel stunned.

The unexpected discussion really took her by surprise.

Linfeng drank from his teacup. He hugged the soft body closer. His sharp eyes from earlier had calmed down. However, his heart was still trembling from shock and excitement. He was better at hiding it than his Young Miss did though. 

"I feel the same here, Zhi'er. Lu Jin, that person… I know that he is a man who hid many secrets behind him. But I never imagined that all this time, that's what is running through his mind."

Xiong Zhi turned to Linfeng. The glow of the city lights below casted a glow on her slender jaw. 

"Do you think we can trust him? After all, we are not even sure if it is a trap..."

"I don't quite trust him. He is Ming Zi Yi's son after all. However, I believe that he really did care for Gunan. Perhaps that is what made him to approach us."

"I still can't believe it. If you think about it, we are the ones who drove Ming Zhi Yi to abandon Gunan, so why would he come to us then? If he has 'that' with him, then he could do it by himself alone. I don't understand why he needs to come to us..." 

Xiong Zhi's gaze drifted far. 

In her eyes, Gunan and Lu Jin were the same. They were both Ming Zhi Yi's hands who pushed people to their demise. 

She could not bring herself to trust his words so easily.

Linfeng lowered his eyes.

In fact, the way he saw it, it was probably because of himself and Xiong Zhi that Lu Jin suddenly made this decision. 

No, it was more likely the changes that Xiong Zhi had brought to disrupt the grand plan outlined in her dreams which gave hope to Lu Jin.

Linfeng held Xiong Zhi's hand. 

"We can't be so sure. There is no harm in using what he gave to us, right? We can use it to our advantage. Soon, the peaceful society that we are in will be engulfed in chaos. We must prepare beforehand."

Xiong Zhi returned his grip. She nodded. Her eyes were determined and firm. 

"Yes, we must."

The battle that they were preparing for was just a few steps ahead.

*****

The seasons changed and people began wearing warmer clothes for mid spring. It was a good weather for people to come out for walks, have dates with their loved ones, and have picnic trips with their families.

Just as seasons turned continuously, the rapid flow of social media made people forget the past events and focus on the trends.

The scandal of the Guan Empire was eventually forgotten. The talk of the high society nowadays was the IAmFashionista event which had been delayed for years. 

Finally, the voting process was finalized, the winning faction stabilized their positions in the organization, and the chosen head would soon be revealed to the public.

Just a day before the event, the news about the successful election of the current head of the organization spread far and wide.

Like the previous event, there was aerial traffic due to the coming and going of private planes from all around the globe. Helicopters and new models of aircraft flew in the air above the capital. Luxurious cars were seen on expressways, and the hotels around the IAmFashionista venue were filled to the brim. 

It was not only the VVIPS who came here on the day before the event, but the media all around the world came here as well for a live coverage.

This event which everyone was waiting for would become the starting point of the chaos that Linfeng spoke about. 

Only the behemoths, the kings, and the most powerful were the ones who could see this fact.