Chapter 473 - Cousins

"You can't do the job." Zoey shook her head sideways, sighing as she bluntly relayed her thoughts aloud. "I'm not saying I am underestimating you. It's just not me who you need to protect. I'm putting you into good use." In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey explained.

"Pfft--!" As Angelo listened to the magnanimous Zoey, he could not help but chuckle. Meanwhile, Ivan could not really understand what she was saying. Thus, he frowned as it seemed Zoey was spouting something funny that made Angelo chuckle.

"What are you guys saying?" Just as Ivan asked, he caught the figure of some employees coming in. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat, mopping the floor as he averted his eyes away from them.

On the other hand, Angelo hid the pistols by clipping them in his waist. "Boss Zhou, I sent your schedule for the day and also the designs that are about to be mass produced. Everything is on your table." As if on cue, Angelo turned to Zoey and slightly bowed his head. 

Both Angelo and Ivan acted as if nothing happened. Within a split second, Carter and Ryan could only see regular employees. 'What the…' Ryan was rendered speechless, darting his eyes from Angelo to Ivan and then to Zoey.

If he didn't experience what happened just now, Ryan would hardly believe that these two were the same people. He couldn't trace the slightest danger around them which they had never seen before.

"Good morning, Boss Zhou!" At the same time, Melanie Xue entered the establishment. As soon as she saw Zoey, she greeted her in a high tone. "Huh?" Her eyes blinked repeatedly, darting her eyes to the unfamiliar faces inside the lobby.

"They are my… cousins." Upon seeing the question marks flickering across Melanie's eyes, Zoey explained nonchalantly. "Mel, send me the designs for the Zoid Solution. I want them on my table once I reach my office." To avoid anything, Zoey ordered.

Obviously, it was effective as Mel stopped studying them and nodded her head. "No problem, Boss Zhou!" Mel saluted before she rushed towards the stairs.

Everyone watched Mel dash towards the stairs. "So, what do you say?" When only Mel's shadow could be seen, Zoey turned to the two as her eyes bore a knowing look.

Carter and Ryan only looked at each other in silence. Shortly after, they turned their head and faced Zoey's harmless front.

****

"I can't believe that everyone wants to protect you. You don't need that, obviously." After hours and hours of meetings for their company affairs, Zoey and Angelo finally had a room to breathe. As they reached her office, Angelo could not help but speak his mind because the thought of Carter and Ryan still lingered in his mind.

"Blame my sex appeal." Without casting him a glance, Zoey shrugged as she plopped down on the swivel chair. "I'm too delicate and precious." She added, raising her head to Angelo who was standing beside her desk.

"Really?" His under eye twitched, peering at her in disbelief. "Nikolai and Xi Matthew?" He asked, shaking his head as he couldn't believe that the men surrounding her were kings of their own kingdoms.

"Don't forget Inigo." Zoey winked, adding the man's name to the list.

"You're proud that the man is chasing you to the ends of the world just to kill you?" 

"Hehe. I'm just messing with you." Zoey chuckled, entertained enough at Angelo's reaction upon the thought of Inigo. "Having enough allies is better than having none, don't you think? Not that Inigo is so powerful… that guy is just so unpredictable that the number of men is not the game changer." In a matter-of-fact tone, Zoey sighed as she propped her temple by her knuckles.

Angelo remained silent, staring at Zoey. "I couldn't disagree." He muttered, nodding his head as he leaned his bottom on the edge of the desk. "So what's the plan? You wouldn't just send Ivan with those two if you had nothing in mind." Angelo raised his right brow, perking his chin up as he witnessed her smile.

"Numbers are not the problem, yes." She paused, leaning her back against the swivel chair languidly. "However, it will if the additions equal to hundred." She resumed casting Angelo a knowing look.

"Huh…" As he absorbed her words, Angelo chuckled as he understood her completely. "You really scare me sometimes."

"You only must worry if you plan to betray me." She shrugged, leaning her head back as she breathed in.

****

Meanwhile…

"You two amuse me in a way, you know. How can you believe her words?" At the back seat, Ivan wondered as he leaned forward, darting his head from the front passenger seat where Ryan perched on the driver's seat where Carter was.

"Can you please shut up?" Annoyed, Ryan glared at the peeking head as he raised the partition.

"Ah! What the!" As the partition rolled up, Ivan hollered as he pulled his head back. "Are you insane?!" Ivan gasped as the partition stopped midway.

"No, but you and your boss will make us lose our sanity." Without averting his eyes away from the road, Carter chimed in sternly.

"Geez! I'm just saying if your boss said look after her, there shouldn't be any negotiations! Now, you only got yourself a leash for her to put around your neck." Ivan sassed, rolling his eyes as he had seen through Zoey's obvious plot.

For a moment, the car fell into a stifling silence as that came to light. "If I'm your boss, I would have disposed of you already." Ivan stressed, clicking his tongue sideways as he could not believe how easily Zoey convinced these two to leave her alone.

"Then, why did you tag along knowing that?" Ryan queried, glancing at him through the rear mirror.

"Because you two are dumb." Just like Zoey, Ivan's words are blunt and honest. He didn't sugarcoat his words and didn't care if his words would hurt their ego. "I trust her, so I listened. Also, I knew tagging along with you is more important… now I know why." Just as Ivan dropped his words, the vehicle stopped, and he glanced at the window.

"Ohhh… a hospital?"