After Little Sweet Omega Runs with the Ball - Chapter 9

Lu Xing stood in Ji Mingxue’s office.

“Director Ji, I think you should reconsider.”

The languid alpha leaned back in her chair, idly toying with the Hetian jade bracelet on her wrist.

The lustrous jade clung to her snow-white skin, creating a striking visual contrast.

It was hard to tell whether the jade elevated the woman’s elegance or if the woman made the jade seem even more precious.

Lu Xing pressed her throbbing temples. In the company, employees often described her as an AI robot who only knew how to work. Over time, even Lu Xing herself had begun to believe she was nothing more than an emotionless work machine.

Until now.

“You’re transferring Song Shuangtian to Western Mine No. 3?”

If it were anyone else, Lu Xing would have outright questioned whether they understood the significance of Western Mine No. 3.

But the person before her was Ji Mingxue her absolute superior and the very person who had brought her into the company.

Lu Xing adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses. “This kind of overt demotion but covert promotion is far too conspicuous. It will stir discontent among some employees.”

Ji Mingxue continued stroking the Hetian jade bracelet, indifferent to Lu Xing’s words.

Lu Xing: “…”

Boss refuses to communicate

Lu Xing closed her eyes briefly before handing over a folder with both hands.

“Director Ji, this is all the information we could gather about ST Group.”

A spark of interest finally flickered in Ji Mingxue’s previously bored eyes. She took the folder and flipped to the page introducing the chairman’s wife.

Qiu Tingnan, female, omega, deceased at thirty-seven.

Founder of ST Group, studied in Europe in her early years, later became a university lecturer, eventually promoted to associate professor. After returning to China, she established ST Group.

As for Qiu Tingnan’s children, there was only one female omega mentioned.

But the records contained no details about her name or appearance.

Lu Xing lowered her gaze apologetically. “I’m sorry, this is all I could find.”

If even Lu Xing couldn’t dig up more, then the outside world stood no chance of uncovering anything about Qiu Tingnan or ST Group’s heir.

“The current chairman is nothing but a waste.”

Ji Mingxue scoffed, reaching for a cigarette before her gaze landed on a stack of hand-drawn jewelry sketches by Song Shuangtian piled in the corner of her desk.

Song Shuangtian and Cui Yu had already left for Western Mine No. 3, so she wouldn’t be around to smell the smoke. But Ji Mingxue didn’t want the lingering scent of cigarettes to taint the painstakingly hand-drawn designs.

Even Ji Mingxue herself didn’t know where this sudden fastidiousness came from. She merely held the cigarette between her lips without lighting it.

Lu Xing adjusted her gold-rimmed glasses again.

“ST Group has signed the Oscar-winning spokesperson we originally wanted for their ad campaign. There are signs of a recent rebound.”

“Should we consider buying some negative trending topics?”

Ji Mingxue glanced at the folder dismissively. “Forget it. Let’s see how long those fools can last.”

Ji Mingxue: “Keep digging. Find out who Qiu Tingnan’s daughter is.”

Years ago, while studying in France, Ji Mingxue had encountered a beautiful black-haired woman outside a church. Back then, her French wasn’t fluent, and the woman had been holding a book on jewelry design, struggling to comprehend it.

She came from wealth her attire and accessories made that clear but she had been in a rough neighborhood. The outcome was predictable.

A motorcycle suddenly roared toward them, nearly snatching the young Ji Mingxue away. The books in her hands fell to the ground.

A woman swiftly grabbed her hand, and out of nowhere, several bodyguards in black suits appeared, drawing their guns without hesitation.

The motorcycle narrowly escaped. The woman bent down to pick up the dust-covered books from the ground.

Beneath the stone chapel, white doves took flight behind them, while a fountain stood to the left, filled with wishing coins tossed in by tourists.

The dark-haired woman wiped the dust off the books with a handkerchief before handing them back to her.

This woman would later become Ji Mingxue’s tutor.

Ji Mingxue even attended the same university where the woman had once taught.

She was a formidable artist and a successful businesswoman, but her taste in husbands was disastrously poor.

At the time, Ji Mingxue was twenty. The woman had returned to her home country when Ji Mingxue was ten, vanishing without a trace afterward.

It wasn’t until many years later that Ji Mingxue learned the woman had already had a daughter her own age before returning home. The woman died of illness the following year.

Ji Mingxue closed her eyes briefly, dispelling the old memories.

She wiped the Hetian jade bracelet on her wrist and took a sip of bitter coffee.

Far away, on the desolate Gobi Desert.

Cui Yu and Song Shuangtian were choking on mouthfuls of sand.

“Hey, you two, roll up the windows!” the driver, an older man, shouted. “Close them now!”

In the jolting jeep, Song Shuangtian felt as if her organs had been rearranged, her stomach churning with nausea.

She couldn’t throw up in the car, so she had to gulp down fresh air only to end up with a face full of sand.

Song Shuangtian: “Sorry.”

The man wiped the yellow sand from his face and pulled over on the highway.

“Wait here, you two. The tire’s blown. I’ll change to the spare.”

Song Shuangtian: “…”

Cui Yu looked on the verge of tears. “I never thought in my life I’d be exiled to the frontier.”

Song Shuangtian: “Think about the salary.”

Cui Yu: “I can endure it.”

They weren’t the only employees sent to the Western No. 3 Mine, but they had set out the latest, so the others had already arrived at the mining site.

Song Shuangtian’s lap was piled with paper documents. Her eyes scanned the pages rapidly.

Officially, it was called a diamond mine, but as a byproduct, the yield of various gemstones was unexpectedly high.

In fact, the Western No. 3 Mine was the highest-quality gemstone deposit currently exploitable in the country.

Other corporations were also eyeing the intel in secret.

Clearly, M Group had no intention of sharing the spoils.

“I heard ST Group offered a massive profit share for cooperation up to 30% but M Group still refused.”

Song Shuangtian paused. “ST Group isn’t doing well now. Even if they partnered, they wouldn’t gain much.”

A shadow flickered in her eyes.

After changing the tire, the driver sped toward the mining area. Though the landscape was barren, with nothing but pitted rocks and yellow sand as far as the eye could see, the site had everything supermarkets, hospitals, dormitories.

M Group had collaborated with the local government to ensure all basic infrastructure was in place.

But the dorm conditions.

Maybe quitting now wouldn’t be so bad

The good spots had already been claimed by earlier arrivals. The walls were severely eroded by yellow sand and hurricane winds, their surfaces peeling. The incandescent light on the ceiling was draped in cobwebs, swaying precariously with every gust of wind.

The room contained only a rickety iron bed frame barely fit for sleeping naturally, there were no bedding supplies. A pile of construction debris occupied one corner, though thankfully, a shovel was provided for easy cleanup.

The sole redeeming feature was the desk and chair from the last century, allowing one to sit and work at any time.

Song Shuangtian: “…”

Where had this little omega ever endured such conditions? She pulled out a thick stack of wet wipes and scrubbed the chair until it was barely presentable before plopping down heavily.

Song Shuangtian wiped the dust off her pearl necklace with a damp tissue, then tucked it deep into her clothing, pressing it against her skin.

After the long journey, her legs had begun to swell slightly.

The swollen tops of her feet were painfully cramped inside her leather shoes.

“Ugh!”

Her stomach churned, and she hastily grabbed a plastic bag, retching into it as tears welled up in her eyes from the physical strain.

How had a fierce alpha like her become so weak??

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