Protection and Negotiation
"But I still feel uneasy..."
Carol was worried. The mysterious person's ability was too unpredictable; she could control a person's mind without physical contact. What if she turned Luke into a puppet to fight her?
The thought made the girl's head pound.
"Stop overthinking things. I'm not as weak as you think, and she's not as strong as you think. Trust me, everything will be fine."
Luke gently rubbed her hair and smiled. "However, to prevent any accidents, you need to stay by my side until I find her location. You can't leave for a moment."
"That's probably not possible."
Carol hesitated. "There are many things at the company that require my attention. I can't leave."
"I'll come to the company with you."
"With me?"
"What's wrong? Am I not welcome?"
"No, not at all."
Carol's eyes darted around. She suddenly looked at the Phantom battlesuit nearby. "Is that iron lump something you designed?"
"That's Phantom Unit 1. It's not an iron lump, and it'll get angry if you call it that."
"A machine can get angry?"
Luke snapped his fingers, and Phantom Unit 1 suddenly jumped up, landing heavily on the ground.
"See? It's really mad."
Carol: "..."
"Okay, I apologize."
The girl giggled and pressed close to Luke's chest, her wide, watery eyes blinking with undeniable seduction.
"Since you can build powerful exoskeleton armor like Phantom Unit 1, I bet you can build other things too."
Luke sighed helplessly. "Go on, what do you want me to build?"
"It's nothing much. Our company is developing a new type of engine, but there are a few technical hurdles we haven't overcome. Could you help?"
"Is that all?"
Carol nodded eagerly. "Yes, that's all."
"Helping you is no problem, but..." Luke gently pinched her chin and grinned. "You know my rule: I never do work for free."
The girl pretended to be angry.
"What do you want?"
Luke whispered a few words in her ear. Carol's face instantly flushed crimson, the color spreading down her neck. She bit her lip and stammered for a long moment before replying in a voice as soft as a mosquito's buzz,
"Once!"
Luke held up five fingers.
Carol shot back, "Twice, tops!"
Luke shook his head. "No way. At least six times."
"Bastard! You just said five times!"
"That was then, this is now."
Carol turned her head away. "Three times. That's my absolute limit."
"Seven times. Not one less."
"You..."
The girl widened her eyes in anger. Under Luke's meaningful gaze, she finally conceded. "Fine, five times it is, but that's final! You can't add any more!"
"Ah, women! You truly don't like to lose even a little. Come on, it's time to head out. If we delay any longer, the people outside will get impatient."
The two quickly changed their clothes and left the villa.
The Grandfather's Messenger
Outside the villa, Lin Fu, sent by the old master, was relating his heroic stories from youth to Wang Hu, Tony, and Dio. His tales, especially the one about visiting a brothel without paying and even having money pushed onto him, made Wang Hu and Tony's eyes glow with envy.
Lin Fu was getting into his storytelling, almost spitting with excitement, until he saw Luke and Carol approaching in the distance. He immediately cleared his throat and patted Wang Hu on the shoulder with a serious air.
"Kid, I have faith in you. You've got the potential to be like me. Work hard."
Tony quickly asked, "What about me?"
Lin Fu looked at him with disdain. "That skinny frame of yours won't be able to handle my techniques."
Tony looked crestfallen.
Luke opened the main door and smiled. "Grandpa Fu, why are you here so early?"
Carol's face was slightly flushed, and she also greeted him, "Grandpa Fu!"
This startled Lin Fu. For a moment, he didn't know how to respond, eventually shooting a disapproving look at Luke.
You good-for-nothing brat! The Boss just arranged your engagement yesterday, and today you've already hooked up with another woman. Are you trying to anger the Boss to death?
Though, this girl is quite nice—top-tier looks, temperament, and figure.
Despite his thoughts, he still pulled Luke aside.
"What happened last night? You caused such a big commotion."
"Nothing. It's all sorted."
"And this girl? Don't tell me, another little—" He quickly corrected himself. "—girlfriend."
"She's different. Carol is the daughter of the Ferris Aircraft CEO and currently serves as the company's executive director. We've been together for three years. I just didn't tell Grandpa for certain reasons."
Three years?
If he remembers correctly, the brat was only fourteen three years ago! He got the man's daughter...
Lin Fu wanted to punch him, but curiosity won out. "Is she really the daughter of the Ferris Aircraft CEO?"
"Guaranteed."
"That complicates things!"
Lin Fu pounded his right fist into his left palm, clearly worried. "The Boss arranged everything. You're supposed to meet the little girl for lunch today to prepare for the engagement. But here you are, bringing a rich young lady! What are we going to do now?"
Luke shrugged. "Worst case, I'll just bring Carol along."
"The Boss will beat you senseless."
"Then I guess I just won't go!"
"The Boss will beat you senseless either way."
"Since I'm going to get beaten either way, I'm not going. Go back and tell Grandpa I have things to deal with for the next few days and won't be home. Tell him to take care of himself, walk around more, and let his legs get used to generating force again."
Finished, he returned to the door and addressed Wang Hu, Tony, and Dio.
"You guys don't need to blame yourselves. What happened last night was a pure accident and has nothing to do with you. Head back, wash up, get some sleep, and then help Danny clean up the gang's mess. Remember, it needs to be completely thorough; don't leave a single loose end."
The three simultaneously let out a sigh of relief and replied seriously,
"Understood, Boss. We won't disappoint you."
Wang Hu and Tony turned to leave, but Dio lingered, his eyes occasionally drifting toward Carol. He seemed to have something to say, but Luke subtly shook his head, signaling him to ignore it.
Seeing this, Dio had to suppress his confusion.
He was certain that the Purple Light Woman from last night was Carol Ferris, their former Boss's girlfriend. What he couldn't understand was how they went from fighting like mortal enemies yesterday to being back together again overnight.
He couldn't figure it out, not at all!
After the others left, Luke sent a text message to his grandfather confirming he was safe. Then, he got into the BMW with Carol and headed to her company.
The Arranged Meeting
At noon, at the most famous Chinese restaurant in Coast City.
The curtain was pushed open, and a Chinese girl appeared at the entrance. She was wearing a white dress, slender, with an elegant, ethereal, and refined temperament. She had shoulder-length black hair and delicate, exquisite features, with eyes like autumn water, sparkling with a lively light.
She stood there, appearing completely out of place in the noisy restaurant.
The restaurant manager, who had already been informed, quickly greeted her with a smile.
"You must be Miss Qu!"
The girl smiled and nodded.
The manager sighed with admiration. "Miss Qu is truly beautiful, like a fairy. The Young Master is very fortunate."
"Please follow me. The private room on the second floor is all ready."
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