After My Death, I Became a Heartless Madman - Chapter 41.1

Mia said that Song Shizhou’s sudden appointment as Deputy Chairman might not be entirely disadvantageous for them.

“At least Mr. Bai can breathe a little easier for now.”

Mr. Bai had a habit of eliminating heirs, a habit most ruthlessly executed during Lan Chi’s generation, leaving Mia with deep psychological scars. Now, with Chairman Chen’s return and his deliberate push for an outsider Deputy Chairman, not only was Mia shocked, but Mr. Bai had also been caught off guard.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend at least this would keep Mr. Bai too preoccupied to focus on Bai Ruowei.

Bai Ruowei admired Mia’s ability to find silver linings in adversity. The Council’s training grounds were vast, and the two walked down a long, dimly lit corridor.

“Not only will Mr. Bai’s affairs be put on hold, but your relationship with Miss Chen.”

“Miss Song,” Bai Ruowei corrected her.

“Right, Miss Song.”

“Your relationship with Miss Song can also return to normal.”

Mia was in high spirits. She had dozens of rejected meeting requests from the Council in her hands, but today, she had finally been summoned by Chairman Chen. Her excitement was palpable.

Bai Ruowei didn’t understand why she would say that.

Did Mia know something she didn’t? Or was it a case of an outsider seeing things more clearly than those involved?

Mia was startled by Bai Ruowei’s sudden seriousness, her tone turning hesitant.

“Your relationship with Miss Song has become a proper superior-subordinate one. Isn’t that…”

Isn’t that infinitely better than the messy, tangled mess it was before?

Bai Ruowei stumbled, nearly tripping over the carpet.

The Council’s exclusive training facility was massive, with equipment for endurance, strength, speed, and precision neatly arranged. She knew this place like the back of her hand, yet today, her mood was tinged with…

Unease.

Was it because she was about to see Song Shizhou again? Bai Ruowei instinctively touched her neck. The Alpha gland still bore the red mark from a few nights ago hot, searing, as if constantly reminding her of what had happened that evening.

Access to the training facility required identity verification. Bai Ruowei placed her hand on the scanner, and the glass doors slid open. Mia, however, was stopped outside.

Mia had expected this. She handed her documents to Bai Ruowei and turned to leave.

These were the Surveillance Institute’s activity reports from the past six months, which she was supposed to present to Chairman Chen today.

But she wasn’t sure if Chairman Chen or Miss Song would be in the mood to listen.

From the moment she entered the corridor, the crisp sound of gunfire had echoed in her ears. Sure enough, surrounded by a crowd, one figure stood out, holding a G1 pistol, wearing a transparent impact-resistant visor that obscured the emotions in her eyes.

Song Shizhou stood tall, her short hair tied back neatly. The hand gripping the gun was slender and pale, the bones more pronounced than an average person’s due to her Epsilon physiology. The recoil from each shot made the veins on her hand bulge, both sensual and dangerous.

Those same hands had traced every inch of Miss Bai’s body the night before, making her instinctively shrink back. But now, their owner seemed utterly indifferent to her.

Not even a glance was spared for her.

Bai Ruowei paused, feeling a sudden pang of sourness in her heart.

After several gunshots, a few airgun holes appeared on the target. Secretary Sun glanced at the electronic screen.

“Miss Song’s results are quite good. To achieve such progress in just one morning is impressive. With more practice, she’ll undoubtedly improve even further.”

Secretary Sun was a seasoned aide to Chairman Chen, well-versed in the art of speech. He didn’t disclose Song Shizhou’s exact scores, merely stating that her performance was commendable. Yet, outright praise might come across as insincere, so he added that with more practice, she would surely do better implying there was still room for improvement.

She had fired five shots in total, none of which scored particularly high, the best being only an eight.

In the Council, where experts were abundant, could such results truly warrant such praise?

Song Shizhou smiled faintly and handed the gun to Chen Ting.

Yet Chen Ting also seemed pleased.

“Mother, perhaps I really don’t have much talent in this area.”

Chen Ting was taken aback, clearly not expecting her to say this.

“Nonsense. You’re still a beginner. These results are already very good.”

She took the gun and patted Song Shizhou’s back reassuringly. Song Shizhou paused, then opened her arms and hugged her.

The embrace from her daughter left Chen Ting momentarily stunned before her smile grew even warmer.

“It’s good that you want to learn about the various departments in the Council, but before that, you should also pick up some basic self-defense skills.”

“Shi Zhou, you don’t want me to assign bodyguards to you at all times, but you must at least let your mother feel at ease about your safety.”

Chen Ting’s words were reasonable, but Song Shizhou had little interest in shooting. After a morning of practice, her arms felt numb from the recoil, and she was exhausted.

Chen Ting patiently massaged her wrists.

The Chairman’s palms were somewhat rough, likely due to age, lacking the softness of a younger person’s. Yet, Song Shizhou still felt warmth in the gesture such care was something she had never experienced before.

She smiled and thanked Chairman Chen.

Seeing Song Shizhou’s smile and recalling the rumors that once surrounded her, Chairman Chen’s eyes welled up with tears, her maternal instincts surging once more.

“There’s plenty of time. We can take it slow.”

She glanced at the people around them. “These are all the shooting instructors I’ve arranged for you. You can ask them anything about firearms and learn from them.”

“And Miss Bai,” she called out loudly.

“Bai of the Surveillance Institute, come here.”

“Shi Zhou is new to the Surveillance Institute and has much to learn. As her subordinate, it’s your duty to answer her questions.”

“I’m assigning you a task: by the end of this month, ensure her shooting results reach an ideal standard.”

Secretary Sun’s eyelids twitched. Anyone could tell this was a deliberate challenge.

What counted as an “ideal standard”? Miss Song was exceptionally talented and the Chairman’s daughter, any outstanding result would be expected, meaning no matter how high the scores Bai Ruowei helped her achieve, the credit would go solely to Song Shizhou’s diligence, with none attributed to Bai of the Surveillance Institute.

Conversely, if Song Shizhou failed to meet expectations, the blame would fall entirely on Bai Ruowei.

The uniform of the Surveillance Institute looked very good on Bai Ruowei. The slightly widened shoulder pads made her waist appear even slimmer and her legs longer. The intricate embroidery reserved for the Chief Inspector adorned her shoulders, yet in front of Chairman Chen, it seemed more like an exquisite toy.

Bai Ruowei knew this mission was difficult. She didn’t speak immediately, only responding after Secretary Sun cleared his throat,

“Yes, Chairman Chen.”

Chen Ting smiled in satisfaction, her expression warm as she adjusted Song Shizhou’s collar,

“Don’t rush during practice. If you feel tired, take a break.”

She whispered in Shi Zhou’s ear,

“If you don’t like shooting, that’s fine too. You don’t have to practice someone will always protect you.”

The assistant team Chen Ting assigned to her was lavish, with six personal attendants alone, not to mention the countless others who followed her around, explaining work-related matters.

Song Shizhou didn’t want so many people around.

She wasn’t the type who needed constant care, and the crowd made her uncomfortable.

With a faint smile, Song Shizhou looked at Chen Ting and said lightly,

“There was a girl named Qingluan before… I thought she was good.”

Chen Ting smiled.

“Alright, then she can stay.”

“Let her go.”

Chen Ting’s expression shifted.

Song Shizhou chuckled,

“I promised her.”

Freedom it had been Lan Chi’s unfulfilled dream, and Qingluan had willingly become Lan Chi’s blade for that very dream. Unfortunately, Lan Chi had failed in the end.

Staying in the Surveillance Institute meant losing freedom, regardless of who you followed. Living in an environment you disliked, constantly worrying about every possible threat, always on edge, Song Shizhou knew this feeling all too well.

After all, this was how she had survived in the Lu and Song families of her past.

Of course, Chen Ting knew what she was thinking. Guilt deepened in her eyes, mingling with maternal love until it overflowed. She nearly rushed to the Song residence then and there to slap Song Lanyi twice and demand how she had treated their daughter!

Song Shizhou turned her face away, not daring to meet her gaze.

“Mom, can you help me find someone?”

Though her rebirth had happened long ago, she still remembered people from her past life. Little Zhao had followed her in the Song Corporation, enduring unfair treatment more than once. She was just an employee, if the work environment was bad, she could have simply found another job. But she hadn’t.

By the timeline, Little Zhao should be job-hunting now. If she received an offer from the Council at this moment, she’d probably be overjoyed.

If she didn’t want the job, Song Shizhou still wanted to help her in other ways.

Perhaps her sense of morality was just this simple. Song Shizhou smiled, feeling like the farmer in the old tale who imagined the emperor farming with a golden hoe alongside his ministers. But she was straightforward like that she repaid kindness wherever she found it.

After Chen Ting left, Song Shizhou rested briefly. Though she had little interest in shooting now, she agreed with Chen Ting, the ability to protect oneself was important.

Little Zheng, the intern assistant Chen Ting had assigned to her, was the only person she kept around. With keen awareness, he handed her a glass of water.

Song Shizhou gulped down most of the water in one go. Little Zheng helped remove her goggles, but she waved him off, saying she could manage on her own. A few drops of sweat slid down her hairline as her slender fingers brushed across her face, stirring something inexplicable in Bai Ruowei’s chest.

She still remembered the warmth of those hands.

Just days ago, those very hands had explored every hidden part of her body. A black leather collar had tightened around her neck while the owner of those hands stood behind her, observing every shattered reaction, deliberating whether to tighten further or ease up slightly.

The dangerous thrill of being controlled resurfaced. Bai Ruowei took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain composed in front of the others.

She was Chairman Chen’s assigned professional instructor for Song Shizhou, there was no reason for her to stand idly by. After a brief hesitation, she finally stepped forward.

“Miss Song, let me teach you.”

Chairman Chen had already implied she should take charge. Seeing Miss Bai speak up, the shooting instructor obediently retreated.

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