Beauty and the Bodyguard

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_ ~~Warning- Unedited~~_

“Although, it was a first meeting between our companies- they shouldn’t have had that kind of thorough information on me. The thing here is that we don’t have any convincing evidence.” Pengzhan said, shaking his head as if doubting his own suspicions.

“Uncle Chu, I overheard a man talking on the phone when I went to the washroom earlier.” Lin Yi decided that this was a good time to bring the event up. He started telling the chairman of what had taken place.

The chairman’s eyebrows tightened upon hearing Lin Yi’s words. He’d had his suspicions back at the meeting, when the other party kept delaying the actual signing of the contract, despite the fact that everything was pretty much prepared. It was as if they were waiting for something, eventually postponing everything to another date, only after whatever they were waiting for had failed to come.

Chu Pengzhan was quite enraged at the abrupt breaking of their agreement, but the contract was still technically unsigned- the other party still had the right to change their mind at the last minute. It was all the chairman could do to offer a couple of courtesy sentences before leaving.

The unnatural change of mind gave birth to some suspicions, but Pengzhan didn't think much of them until he heard of Mengyao’s kidnapping, only thinking of connecting the two events after that.

They seemed completely unrelated at first glance, and Pengzhan’s connection of them wasn’t firm at all- the other party’s odd behaviour was the only basis for that correlation.

Lin Yi’s explanation a while back pretty much confirmed his suspicions- there was no genuinity from the other party in the first place; they’d planned to threaten him with Mengyao from the very start!

It made sense. He’d have had little alternative other than succumb should the other party hint about their kidnapping of Mengyao.

They could’ve simply denied any accusations afterwards, as well- it was a bank robbery, after all. The effectiveness of the cover up was immense.

Pengzhan finally understood why the opposing party was constantly looking at their watches, as if waiting for something. Lin Yi’s words brought in a new component to the problem, too: the man in the washroom had to be a high executive if he was based on the top floor.

It was no surprise then of how nearly perfect the plan was, with a rat of 1.

..!top floor authority on their side. There was no telling how things would have developed if an unforeseen circumstance like Lin Yi hadn’t come by; assigning the boy to Pengzhan’s daughter was a wise move after all!

Pengzhan had arranged Lin Yi to be by Mengyao due to his father’s wishes, not taking much of a consideration beyond that. He’d never expected Lin Yi to contribute so vitally in such critical a situation!

“I’ll look into the matter.” Pengzhan responded definitively. It was preferable to be on good terms with some particular top floor executives, but the chairman wasn’t planning on holding back when his own daughter had been involved in the conflict.

Lin Yi only nodded, not intending to partake in any of these affairs- this was Chu Pengzhan’s field, as chairman of Pengzhan Industries. Lin Yi had simply wanted to provide whatever information he had.

“Yi, the enemy hasn’t been alerted to our suspicions yet, I hope?” Pengzhan asked as the sudden concern crossed his mind. It’d be a deal harder if the man in the washroom was aware of Lin Yi’s eavesdropping.

“Don’t worry, Uncle Chu.” Lin Yi answered with a smile. “Li Fu rang my phone up, but I’d managed to pass myself off as an associate walking up the wrong floor when coming to the company for some affairs.”

Lin Yi explained the entire thing in more detail.

“Hahaha, not bad at all!” Pengzhan praised, more and more pleased with his decision of employing Lin Yi. The kid was extremely skilled, and full of potential.

Pengzhan’s father was Chu Sanwa, whose words packed extreme power in the Chu families. The man had started as a carpenter, eventually setting the foundation for Pengzhan Industries and bringing it to its glory. Chu Pengzhan had inherited the company from Chu Sanwa, but the old man remained a powerful presence.

The Chus were poor earlier on- Chu Sanwa had just formed the Pengzhan Construction Company when Pengzhan was around eight, the company only growing into a superpower step by step, year by year. It was also the reason why Chu Pengzhan was so well mannered, unlike young masters of Zhong Pinliang’s like. Pengzhan always treated everyone with respect and grace, and constantly paid his father a large amount of respect.

The stockholders had all begun as Chu Sanwa’s business warmates. Their shares had been passed down and inherited generations down the line, and a certain discord and disobedience had started to form. Chu Pengzhan, however, didn’t take any drastic actions regarding them, leaving them some space due to their involvements with Sanwa.

What happened, however, had crossed the line- they’d laid their hands on Mengyao, Pengzhan’s only daughter. It was genuine rage that propelled the chairman at this point.

“By the way, Uncle Chu… Are there any missions you’ve prepared for me?” Lin Yi asked after some hesitation, deciding that this was as good a time as any to finally touch on that topic.

He’d been in Songshan a couple days now- still no significant assignments other than accompanying Mengyao to school, making some breakfast for her and dealing with some delinquent clowns….... It was a relaxing life, but not a fulfilling one- he’d accepted the mission with a set goal and mindset in mind: To have the rest of his life comfortably set up from the massive rewards promised! Lin Yi didn’t think that going to school with the Miss would earn him that life.

“Ah, missions……” Pengzhan glanced at Lin Yi oddly. “Well, there _is_ an important assignment you should expect, but the time isn’t ripe yet- you’ll need to bond with Mengyao a little longer so as to ensure its success.”

“Hah?!” Lin Yi was stunned- Bond with Mengyao? What kind of mission was this, why did he have to bond with the girl for the mission to succeed? What was Mengyao’s part in all this? The chairman wasn’t planning on setting Mengyao up as bait to fish out the mastermind or anything, was he?

It was the only logical explanation Lin Yi could come up with. The chairman was not trying to make things clear at all! According to Lin Yi’s experience in missions, however, clients who maintained a secretive attitude regarding the specifics never revealed the actual assignment until the final moment.

Lin Yi would never let any confidential information get out, but he understood the careful mindsets from his clients’ perspectives.

:O... Top 3 seems so far awaaay

*[Long Taos]: side characters in Chinese operas who perform acrobatics and fight scenes

*[12.47 to 13.07]: don't ask me about the tree sap