In the Vice President's office, Wang Zi Rui sat on one of the plush sofas with his legs crossed, leisurely flipping through the script prepared for the upcoming press conference. Leaning back against the cushions, he appeared perfectly at ease.
Seated opposite him, Jin Muchen narrowed his eyes as he studied his best friend from head to toe. He found it hard to believe Wang Zi Rui could look so composed when he was only minutes away from facing a room full of reporters.
Jin Muchen could still vividly remember the day Wang Zi Rui lashed out at the media. From that moment on, he avoided reporters and public appearances, becoming increasingly indifferent to the world around him. To everyone else, it seemed as though he had simply vanished.
"If you have nothing better to do, why don't you busy yourself with your nightclub? Wasn't it about to open?" Wang Zi Rui said, setting the script aside and shifting his gaze to Jin Muchen.
He looked visibly annoyed at being stared at so intently.
Jin Muchen let out a sigh.
"You can't really blame me. I worry about you having to face so many reporters."
Wang Zi Rui furrowed his brows.
"That's exactly why there's a rumour that we're dating."
Jin Muchen couldn't hold it in any longer and burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as the sound echoed through the otherwise quiet room.
Just then, the door swung open and Si Qi stepped inside.
"Boss, we'll start in five minutes."
Wang Zi Rui gave a slight nod and rose to his feet. He followed Si Qi toward the press conference venue, but just as they reached the door, his steps slowed. After a brief pause, he stopped beside Jin Muchen.
"A'Chen..." he called quietly.
Jin Muchen looked up at him.
Wang Zi Rui remained silent for a moment before saying, "I'll be fine."
Though softly spoken, the words were enough for Jin Muchen to hear before Wang Zi Rui continued toward the venue without another glance.
As the room fell silent once more, Jin Muchen remained seated with his head slightly lowered, his expression unreadable. Then, slowly, a knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
At the same time, inside the auditorium at GL Holdings Headquarters, journalists from the country's leading media outlets had already gathered. They had been personally invited to attend the press conference regarding the ongoing controversy.
"When is it going to start?" one reporter muttered impatiently.
Just as everyone's patience began to wear thin, the side doors swung open, and Wang Zi Rui, clad in a sleek gray suit tailored by one of the Capital's most prestigious boutiques, strode inside with measured steps.
His calm demeanor immediately drew every eye as camera flashes erupted from every direction, bathing the auditorium in bursts of white light.
But as he stepped onto the stage, giving everyone their first clear look at the elusive heir to Country C's largest conglomerate, many reporters couldn't hide their disappointment.
Having never managed to obtain a clear photograph of him before, they had come hoping to finally capture the face of the nation's most sought-after bachelor.
Instead, they were met with a pair of silver-rimmed glasses resting on the bridge of his nose and a white mask concealing the rest of his face, leaving only his sharp golden-brown eyes to sweep over the crowd.
Many reporters quietly lowered their cameras, knowing it would be yet another day of failure.
Wang Zi Rui pressed his lips into a tight line beneath the mask before drawing in a slow, steady breath.
"Good morning..." he greeted, his low, raspy voice carrying through every corner of the auditorium. "I am Wang Zi Rui, Head of Operations."
"GL Holdings has invited everyone here today to address the ongoing allegations surrounding the Resort Project in Province A. It is our responsibility to provide accurate information."
The journalists immediately began typing as cameras trained on him, careful not to miss a single detail.
Wang Zi Rui paused briefly.
"The allegations regarding the use of substandard materials... are true."
The moment the words left his mouth, the auditorium erupted in gasps.
"What do you mean by that?" one reporter blurted out.
"Does this mean GL Holdings is admitting to illegally funding the project?" another called, rising from his seat.
"Are you saying GL Holdings betrayed the public's trust?"
Questions flew from every direction, voices overlapping until the once orderly auditorium descended into chaos.
Wang Zi Rui remained silent, his hand slowly curling into a tight fist as he waited for the commotion to subside.
Meanwhile, in another part of the country, Song Meiqi and her team arrived at M. City Airport. As they made their way through the terminal with their rolling suitcases, heads immediately turned in their direction.
Some were pleasantly surprised to encounter such high-profile celebrities in person, while others frowned at the sudden commotion. A few, however, were sasaeng fans who had been expecting their arrival all along.
Whether they were ordinary fans or sasaengs, the moment the group came into view, they surged forward without hesitation. The crowd relentlessly chased after the idols, pressing in so tightly that even their three bodyguards struggled to clear a path.
Walking beside Xiuying and Song Meiqi, Manager Li's expression darkened.
The chaos was far beyond anything she had anticipated. They had deliberately kept their schedule low-profile and booked one of the earliest flights available, yet word of their arrival had somehow spread.
"Move! Move!" Manager Li shouted, no longer bothering to keep her voice polite.
Xiuying, however, remained composed. Wearing a gentle smile, she politely asked the fans to make way.
Just then, she felt an icy hand clasp hers from behind.
Turning around, Xiuying saw Song Meiqi. Her cap was pulled low over her face, her head bowed as the colour drained from her complexion.
The moment the fans surrounded them, Song Meiqi felt her stomach churn. Her eyes darted frantically across the crowd, meeting countless faces and relentless camera flashes. Before long, the strangers' features blurred, twisting into the faces of the men from the night before.
It was as though they were hiding among the crowd, watching her from every direction. Her breathing grew shallower with each passing second, as though the air had been stripped from her lungs. Trembling uncontrollably, she clung to Xiuying's hand as if it were the only thing keeping her grounded.
At the same time, back in H.City's capital, a man dressed as a delivery rider pulled up outside GL Holdings Headquarters. Clad in a yellow vest and helmet, he stepped off his motorcycle with a tray of coffee drinks in hand.
As he entered the building, one of the security guards stepped in front of him.
"I'm sorry, sir, but no unauthorized visitors are allowed inside. May I know who placed the order?" the guard asked.
With the press conference underway, security throughout the building had been tightened.
"The order says it's for Mr. Q on the fifteenth floor of GL Holdings Headquarters," the delivery rider replied, glancing at his phone before lifting the tray of coffee.
The guard turned to the front desk.
"Can you verify a delivery for Mr. Q on the fifteenth floor?" he asked.
The receptionist nodded and immediately picked up the telephone to confirm the order.
Moments later, after the front desk verified the delivery, the guard escorted the rider to the elevator and accompanied him to the fifteenth floor. Once he had watched him deliver the coffee, he returned to the lobby, satisfied that the man posed no threat.
Left alone, the delivery rider waited until the guard disappeared from sight. Then, without hesitation, he slipped into the emergency stairwell and quietly made his way to the seventeenth floor, where the press conference was underway.