Rules of Civility - Chapter 9

Deng Su only knew that Shao Yiqing had met Lingrui’s female principal, yet he still had no idea how Shao Yiqing planned to persuade the Sheng family to postpone the signing ceremony.

He was neither their relative nor connected by any mutual interests, and the acquisition was already a done deal.

Deng Su thought about it every which way without finding a solution. He had intended to ask shortly, but the moment he saw Shao Yiqing step out of the bedroom, every single question in his mind vanished.

From the very moment he became Shao Yiqing’s driver, the headhunter company had told him what to pay attention to after accepting this job. The person he would be serving was different from most Omegas; no matter what he saw or heard, he should never be meddlesome and ought to strictly keep to his own bounds.

Deng Su had assumed he would be serving some big celebrity whose private life couldn’t be exposed, and he thought that way right up until the moment he actually met Shao Yiqing, to the point where it was hard for him to believe when he learned Shao Yiqing was the owner of a design company. He had never seen such a stunning face in real life; to Deng Su, who had been hustling in society for just a few years back then, it was simply breathtaking. He believed faces like that only existed on television, yet Shao Yiqing didn’t wear makeup or powder, and he was already the spitting image of a fox spirit that had cultivated for centuries.

Perhaps he shouldn’t describe his boss that way, but whether back then or now, Deng Su had never changed his view of Shao Yiqing. He was neither a little cat nor a bunny; he was a fox, and no other animal could describe a person so fittingly. That pair of fox-charming eyes, even when doing nothing at all and simply staring straight at you, could throw anyone’s mind into complete turmoil.

How difficult it was to keep to one’s bounds in front of Shao Yiqing, no one understood better than Deng Su. Years had passed, and Deng Su had long since understood and grown used to Shao Yiqing’s startling appearance, but this time, he froze once again.

When Shao Yiqing walked out of the room, he was looking down and fastening his belt. That pale pink chiffon top packaged Shao Yiqing into a look he had never worn before, resembling the very first bite of fresh ice cream in the sweltering heat of summer, making one’s mouth water just by looking at it. The pink color didn’t extinguish his alluring charm; instead, it carried a special freshness. This man was in his thirties? There wasn’t a single wrinkle on his face, his curves boasted a perfectly proportioned figure, and his skin was smooth and delicate. Which part of him could possibly have anything to do with being thirty years old?

It wasn’t that Deng Su had anything against people in their thirties, but in real life, where had he ever seen a thirty-year-old like this?

“Doesn’t it look good?” Shao Yiqing tied a bow at his waist, then turned and walked over to a clothing rack on the side to retrieve a dark-colored overcoat to slip on. It was raining outside, and the house was also invaded by the cold air.

“No,” Deng Su said hesitatingly, “President Shao, you really should dress like this more often.”

Shao Yiqing handed him the umbrella. Deng Su took it in his hand, giving Shao Yiqing a quick once-over: his trousers were gray casual wear, the hem of the chiffon top was tucked into his waistband, and the well-fitted casual pants outlined his slender waistline. That such a fine figure had given birth to new life felt simply incredible.

“It’s still raining,” Shao Yiqing walked out to the doorway, looked up at the sky, and said, “though time is running out.”

“I will definitely get you to the location on time,” Deng Su hurried over. He could no longer tell whether he was reluctant to disappoint his boss or reluctant to disappoint such a charming Omega, and his tone carried a trace of uncontrollable flattery. “We can leave right now as well.”

Shao Yiqing pulled back the hand resting against the doorframe, turned around, and walked back into the room. “No rush, let’s wait a bit before leaving.”

The other party hadn’t arrived yet either, so there was no need for him to arrive early.

An encounter was meant to be inadvertent, and no mistakes could be allowed, otherwise it wouldn’t be beautiful enough.

“Alright.” Deng Su walked back inside and stood still, obeying so thoroughly that if Shao Yiqing were to tell him to go lie down in the rain right now, he wouldn’t hesitate at all.

Longjiang Pavilion had hosted Xiangjiang’s most glorious evening banquets.

Thirty years ago, Xiangjiang’s largest tech company, Lingrui, turned a piece of wasteland into a house of gold and presented it as a contribution to the government. From that exact moment, the less-than-prosperous Xiangjiang began to shed its backward title, and humanized technology enjoyed by big cities permeated every single street and subway station in Xiangjiang.

The evening banquet co-hosted by Longjiang Pavilion for the government and Lingrui under the banner of a win-win cooperation was hailed by the media as an epoch-making dinner.

Technology continued to advance and develop; AI replaced humans, machines moved mountains and filled seas, 4D movie theater simulation technology brought immersive experiences, and unmanned driving technology stripped countless taxi drivers of their livelihoods. During a certain period, Xiangjiang was hailed as the city of technology, the city of innovation, the city of the future, and the city leading the infinite possibilities of the new century.

When everyone thought this technological metropolis would develop and lead ahead at a rapid pace, internal strife, power struggles, corruption, and greed, human desires destroyed those infinite possibilities. Elite talent drained away, innovative technologies were ruthlessly suppressed and transferred, with everyone holding back cards and keeping secrets. Xiangjiang stalled at the very year of its explosive development, never to go any further.

During Lingrui’s most glorious period, all other tech companies were merely its appendages, including the Sheng family. In the fifth year of Lingrui’s dormancy, Sheng Hang burst onto the scene with the galax chip developed under his company’s banner, rising rapidly to fame. This widely utilized chip surpassed Lingrui’s KX7071 across various technical aspects, serving essentially as an open declaration of war against Lingrui. The Sheng family began running neck and neck with Lingrui, and the disputes spanning decades had never stopped.

You make a little progress over there, I conjure up some new things over here; chasing each other, going back and forth, neither side able to fall a single step behind.

Now, decades of struggle had finally been declared a win or loss due to Lingrui’s poor management. The location for the restructuring meeting was set at Longjiang Pavilion. Whether this was the final blow before Lingrui’s demise, nobody knew, but what everyone knew now was that the Sheng family was about to become the undisputed giant in the tech sector.

Du Dezhong had been sitting in the lobby of Longjiang Pavilion for a long time. He had tasted the wine, smoked the cigarettes, and sampled the new-style desserts, yet there was still no sign of Sheng Tingzhou.

“Director Du,” while Du Dezhong was deep in thought, a female Alpha holding a whiskey walked up to him, presenting the wine glass with a sweet smile as she said, “You came so early, I haven’t even had a drink with you yet.”

Du Dezhong hurriedly stood up. Although the woman before him was dressed in a fishtail gown and wore a sweet smile, she was an S-class Alpha capable of suppressing ten others, possessing formidable pheromones and serving as the senior director of the chip group.

“You flatter me, Miss Song. I’m just an outsider; how could it ever be my turn for you to toast me?” Du Dezhong smiled modestly and good-naturedly, raising his glass slightly to touch hers.

“I don’t like hearing Director Du talk like that. We treat Director Du as one of our own, so why does Director Du treat us like outsiders? In the future, the Sheng family will certainly need Director Du’s care. I’ll drain my glass first as a toast.” Song Xing downed her drink in one go, looking exceptionally dashing and bold.

“What are you saying?” Du Dezhong hesitated for a moment before taking a sip as well. Raising his head to look at the attendees who had arrived, he asked casually, “Is President Sheng not coming today?”

Song Xing replied, “Does Director Du have some matter to discuss with President Sheng?”

“No, it’s just that when I saw President Sheng last time, I was blown away by his demeanor. I always felt President Sheng should step out into the public eye more often. What a pity to keep such a handsome appearance hidden away,” Du Dezhong said with a smile. Most of the people who needed to attend had already arrived, and someone was organizing everyone to enter the rooms.

Longjiang Pavilion had only booked the second floor venue, so there were still plenty of customers coming in and out of the restaurant.

Song Xing let out a soft laugh. “President Sheng doesn’t like lively crowds. Unless it’s a decision-making banquet, he basically doesn’t attend company-wide meetings. Plus, President Sheng just returned from overseas to take over the company not long ago, so tasks waiting for him to handle pile up one after another. How could he possibly be as free as us?”

“I heard President Sheng studied abroad in Switzerland for many years and stayed overseas even after graduation. Did he encounter any trouble when he came back to take over the Sheng family?”

“There wasn’t much trouble to speak of. If we must say so, he merely cleared out a batch of people who didn’t share his path. The Second Young Master will be graduating soon as well and should be doing an internship at headquarters. President Sheng has been busy with his matters recently.” Song Xing pulled out a cigarette and lit it.

Du Dezhong had also caught wind of the Sheng family’s Second Young Master. Both of Sheng Hang’s sons were high-achieving scholars, though news about Sheng Tingzhou was slightly scarcer, as cross-border tracking and shadow-chasing were no easy feat for most media outlets.

“I see,” Du Dezhong said. “Then it seems President Sheng is very busy. I’m afraid he won’t be able to make it to today’s meeting.”

Song Xing took a puff of her cigarette and said, “He will. The restructuring of Lingrui is a matter of utmost importance; President Sheng will come.”

“Then I can rest easy.”

“Huh?”

“To be able to listen to President Sheng’s high discourse, I can consider myself lucky for three lifetimes.” Du Dezhong’s eyes were full of anticipation.

Song Xing smiled alluringly. “Director Du is far too flattering.”

Sheng Tingzhou did come.

He was just a tiny bit late, but he hadn’t missed the mark; he walked into Longjiang Pavilion right on schedule. The rain was still falling heavily at that moment, and his assistant held an umbrella for him. The torrential downpour didn’t cause the slightest hindrance, and Sheng Tingzhou stepped into the private room on the second floor of Longjiang Pavilion with an absolute magnetic field.

Du Dezhong had met Sheng Tingzhou once before, but seeing him a second time still left a profound shock in his heart. There were plenty of high-ranking Alphas; at this social tier, rank comparisons were no longer mainstream because any Alpha or Omega who could navigate this stage, no matter how low their rank, possessed extraordinary capability.

Sheng Tingzhou was the kind of person who, much like most young masters, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, inheriting his parents’ excellent genes, meaning his superior rank went without saying. What made people yearn for him the most was lacking the frivolity typical of playboys; his aura was majestic, his actions dignified, and his words carried substance. It seemed his years of studying abroad were not spent reveling in wine and song.

Instead, he genuinely had some substance.

“Therefore, everyone must exercise discretion regarding our attitude toward Lingrui. When communicating with their engineers, designers, and R&D personnel, you must guide them patiently, listen to their opinions, provide for their needs, and solve their difficulties. Every member of the management team about to take office at Lingrui, let me make this sentence crystal clear: acquiring Lingrui does not equal bullying Lingrui, and please do not let me receive any complaint reports concerning anyone present here today.”

Following these words, the private room fell into absolute silence. Sheng Tingzhou asked, “Are there any questions?”

Everyone hurriedly responded, “No, President Sheng can rest assured.”

Du Dezhong was so suppressed by Sheng Tingzhou’s aura that he forgot how to breathe. Remaining motionless for a long time, he hesitatingly replied to a message on his phone.

Most people had gotten word of the Sheng family’s meeting at Longjiang Pavilion. Many cars were parked at the entrance, alongside paparazzi disguised as ordinary citizens.

What their target was couldn’t be clearer. Strutting openly into the view of those hidden cameras, Shao Yiqing headed straight for the stairs leading up to the second floor, looked around, and a waiter hurried over to greet him.

“I’m sorry, sir, this area has already been booked out.”

“I know,” Shao Yiqing said without changing his expression or missing a beat. “I lost my silk scarf. I’m here to find my silk scarf and will leave immediately.”

“But…” the waiter started to say, but seeing that this person possessed an extraordinary appearance and a refined, noble temperament, he figured this wasn’t just anybody and didn’t dare to block him too hard.

“I’ll help you look for it together,” the waiter said. “Though you’ll have to be quick. Once we find it, you’ll leave right away, alright?”

“Of course, thank you,” Shao Yiqing smiled at the waiter. “You’re really kind.”

The waiter felt his bones melt from that smile.

He turned away to the side, completely forgetting to question why a silk scarf belonging to someone not booked for the second floor would be left in a reserved venue, his initial suspicion instantly evaporating into thin air.

Shao Yiqing knew the waiter was only helping him look as a formality and would soon return to ask him to leave, so he didn’t dare waste a single second. Yet there was no such thing as foolproof perfection in this world, such as his current predicament where the meeting was nearing its end, but Sheng Tingzhou had not come out alone.

Looking at that private room door guarded by two people, Shao Yiqing knew his target was right inside, but how to approach him, create a private space, and make contact had become a dilemma.

And that waiter was about to return.

The very instant Shao Yiqing’s brain went into overdrive, a deep voice rang out unceremoniously from behind him: “Looking for someone?”

Shao Yiqing turned his head back, looking at the man he had searched half a day for, standing right in front of him.

While congratulating himself for being lucky enough, he wondered whether Du Dezhong was actually inside or not.

The lag in information was enough to ruin his entire plan at this moment.

“I came to see President Sheng.” Shao Yiqing swiftly accepted the sudden development, maintaining his composure on the surface. “I have an appointment with him.”

Sheng Tingzhou looked at the man before him, not speaking immediately, but instead involuntarily glancing down at the other’s attire, or more accurately, his figure. He couldn’t guess the other’s age, but caught a whiff of an extremely pleasant fragrance.

Was it perfume? Or pheromones.

“Is that so?” Sheng Tingzhou’s gaze grew profound, passing through the soft-textured chiffon fabric straight to the other’s neck. Tied around it was a pink rose neck ornament, with long silk ribbons winding around his fair throat. Between his breaths, the rose seemed to come alive, pulsing with the movement of his windpipe. Even though the motion was tiny, it remained inescapably captured.

“That’s right.” Shao Yiqing boldly stepped forward. As he closed the distance, he caught the penetrating cedarwood scent radiating from the other man.

It was growing heavier.

He didn’t like it.

Still, he remained a qualified speculator.

He hadn’t blown his cover on the spot.

“Please pass along a word to President Sheng,” Shao Yiqing had thought their meeting would be full of drama, yet hadn’t expected it to be so straightforward. Sure enough, all plans were futile in the face of God’s script. Possessing an exceptionally strong adaptability, he seemed to still be acting according to the script, his expression devoid of any panic. “Tell him that Lingrui cannot be signed over just yet.”

Sheng Tingzhou’s gaze was unfathomable.

Standing in the shadows, he had been paying attention to this uninvited guest for quite some time.

Ever since the other person was conversing with the waiter.

He had momentarily assumed it was just another disguised paparazzo, feeling a fleeting sense of disappointment, until the other person uttered those words, letting him know that their objective was far grander than he had imagined.

The dialogue between the two of them was too brief to stretch any further, yet an inexplicable, humid heat was rising and expanding between them.

Just when Shao Yiqing expected to receive reactions like “Why”, “What is the reason”, or “What do you mean”, the other person instead uttered an unexpected, baffling sentence.

“Aren’t you cold?”

Even someone like Shao Yiqing, who had long roamed through the romantic battlegrounds, was caught completely off guard by this sentence, a fleeting hesitation flashing across the clever, fox-charming eyes that usually oozed shrewdness.

Sheng Tingzhou lowered his gaze, following Shao Yiqing’s waistline all the way down, as he gently reminded him, “Your trouser hem is wet, sir.”

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