The aroma of freshly brewed coffee and sizzling hangover soup.Yu Han meticulously buttered a piece of toast, while Jiang Shao, still a little sleepy-eyed, stirred his coffee. Yang Zi, on the other hand, was already halfway through his plate of scrambled eggs, humming tunelessly.
"This is actually a decent start to the day. Quiet, peaceful..." Yu Han said.
"Mmm-hmm! You are best cook Yang Zi. Marry me Yang Zi." Jiang Shao joked.
"I don't want to marry a fucking bastard like you, who only knows how to cause trouble when drunk." Yang Zi.
He just offered a small, content smile, picking up a piece of fruit.
"Hmphh!!! Fuck my ass." Jiang Shao snorted.
But the peaceful moment was abruptly shattered by a gentle beep from Yang Zi's phone, resting beside his plate. He glanced down.
His eyes scanned the screen, and his entire demeanor shifted. The small smile vanished, replaced by a look of utter bewilderment, then a slow, creeping dismay. His hand, holding the fruit, froze mid-air.
"'Good morning Yang Zi, Shi Wang this side, hope you slept well, wear thick clothes when you go out.'"
Yu Han paused, his toast halfway to his mouth, an eyebrow arching. Jiang Shao, having just swallowed a mouthful of egg, looked up, confused.
Yang Zi said fixing his gaze on Yu Han,"How... how did Shi Wang get my number?"
Yu Han shakes his head immediately, "Not from me. Why would I give him your number? I barely know the guy."
Yang Zi then whipped his head towards Jiang Shao, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"Jiang Shao, did you give Shi Wang my number?"
"Me? Of course not! Why would I do that? And when would I even have seen him?"
Jiang Shao was genuinely indignant, puffing out his chest. But as he looked at Yang Zi's intense stare, a flicker of something in his own eyes changed. His initial indignation slowly melted into a look of dawning horror, then, finally, a sheepish, almost apologetic realization.
His memory clicked, a vivid flashback of last night's party, Shi Wang being charming, asking for contact info for "future collaborations," Jiang Shao, a little tipsy and overly friendly, thinking "Oh, he knows Yang Zi and Yu Han, they're all friends!"
Jiang Shao choked,"Hehehe... um... actually... maybe... maybe I did give him your number."
Yang Zi stared.
"I just... I thought he's such a good person! And he also knows you guys! He was talking about how he admired you, Yang Zi, and you, Yu Han, your... your fashion sense!"
Jiang Shao explained.
Yang Zi's face, which had been frozen in bewilderment, now contorted into pure, unadulterated fury. His jaw clenched, his eyes blazing.
"You. Did. WHAT?!" Yang Zi said in low voice barely controlled.
He shot up from his chair, a sudden burst of energy that sent the chair scraping loudly across the polished floor.
"Whoa! Yang Zi! Wait! It was an honest mistake!"
But Yang Zi wasn't listening. He lunged across the table. Jiang Shao, seeing the murderous intent in his friend's eyes, let out a terrified shriek and ducked under the table, emerging on the other side.
"You absolute fucking bastard! How could you just give out my number?!"
"I'm sorry! I wasn't thinking! He was just so... friendly!" Jiang Shao panicked.
Jiang Shao scrambled away from the table, darting around the large dining table, using it as a shield. Yang Zi, fueled by righteous anger, was right behind him, a menacing glint in his eye.
"Friendly?! I'll show you friendly! Get back here, you asshole!"
"No! Yu Han, help me! He's going to kill me!"Jiang Shao running from Yang Zi.
Yu Han leaned back in his chair, taking another calm sip of his coffee, a wide, amused grin spreading across his face as he watched the chaotic chase unfold around his elegant dining table.
"And just like that, peace is shattered. Well, at least the coffee's still hot."Yu Han muttered.
___________________
[SHI WANG'S OFFICE ]
The sleek, modern office hums with a quiet, expensive efficiency. SHI WANG in sharp suit, impeccably groomed, stares intently at his phone, his brow furrowed. He slams it lightly on the polished desk.
"Read at 10:07 AM. It's almost noon. What is he doing? "Got your proposal, will review." That's all? No follow-up? No "excellent work, Shi Wang, you're a genius"? Ugh. The nerve."
A soft knock on the door. Shi Wang barely looks up, still glowering at his phone.
The door opens a crack, then wider, revealing his SECRETARY, MR. LIU. He's wearing a surgical mask, his eyes watering above it. He suppresses a cough, then another, louder one that rattles his chest.
"What is it, Mr. Liu? Can't you see I'm busy?"
" Mr. Shi… (He manages a small, apologetic sneeze into his elbow, even with the mask on, then winces.) These… (he holds up a stack of files) …are the quarterly reports you asked for. And the revised budget proposals."
"Just… place them on the corner of the table. I'll get to them later. Just… put them down. Quickly."
Mr. Liu shuffles over, careful not to breathe too heavily. As he places the files down, a violent, wet sneeze bursts out of him, rattling his whole body. He quickly says "Excuse me!"
" Ugh! What the fuck are you doing, Mr. Liu?! Good Lord!"
Mr. Liu flinches, clutching his mask.
"Strong man like you! How can you possibly catch a cold like this?! It's pathetic! Don't you take vitamins? Don't you have any immunity? You're practically a biohazard!"
Mr. Liu's eyes, visible above the mask, narrow. A flicker of something dangerous – resentment, fury, exhaustion – crosses them. His voice, though still hoarse, gains a surprising edge.
"Well, Mr. Shi, perhaps my "pathetic" immunity was compromised last night."
Shi Wang blinks, surprised by the sudden shift in tone.
"You see, when one is left stranded outside 'The Gilded Cage' club at 2 AM, you drove with your 'friends', leaving me with no option but to run the four miles to my apartment in a sudden, torrential downpour… well, Mr. Shi, even the strongest of men might find themselves a little susceptible to a common cold."
He takes a deep, ragged breath, which ends in a wheeze.
" W-what? That's… that's preposterous! I had no idea! … you should have called!"
"My phone was dead, Mr. Shi. Just like my enthusiasm for running marathons in the middle of the night."
He gestures vaguely at the files.
" Is there anything else, Mr. Shi? Or may I go and contaminate my own office, far away from your "strong" immunity?"
Shi Wang, still reeling from the accusation and the sudden, undeniable logic of it, waves a dismissive hand.
" No. No, just… go. And get some rest. And for God's sake, don't breathe on anything important."
Mr. Liu nods curtly, turns, and shuffles out, leaving Shi Wang alone, a strange mix of annoyance and dawning comprehension on his face. He glances back at his phone, still no reply from Yang Zi.
______________________
[LI HAO'S OFFICE]
The polished mahogany table reflected the dim overhead lights of the meeting room. Li Hao, impeccably dressed in a charcoal suit, leaned back in his chair, his gaze fixed on the young presenter, Chen.
Chen, Head of Advanced R&D, stood beside a large screen displaying complex schematics and a bar graph stretching skywards. He gestured enthusiastically with a laser pointer.
Chen: "...and that brings us to the projected ROI, Mr. Li. With our proposed 'Guardian Aegis' system – a fully autonomous, multi-spectrum defensive platform – we're not just offering an incremental improvement. We're offering a paradigm shift in national security. The government's recent public statements, their increased defense budget allocation, the urgent need for next-gen deterrents... it all points to an unprecedented opportunity to secure a nine-figure funding package."
He clicked to a slide titled "Funding Acquisition Strategy," which featured a simplified flowchart leading to a stylized money bag.
Chen beamed, clearly pleased with his presentation. He looked at Li Hao, expecting a nod of approval.
Li Hao, however, remained impassive. He slowly straightened up, resting his forearms on the table.
Li Hao,"Chen, your enthusiasm is commendable. Your technical insights into the Aegis system are, as always, impressive. But let's step back from the glowing projections for a moment."
Chen's smile faltered slightly.
Li Hao pointed out,"You mentioned 'practically guaranteed.' I've been in this industry for many years, Chen. Nothing involving the government, especially when it comes to a 'nine-figure funding package' for 'demanding weapons,' is 'practically guaranteed.' Have you accounted for the other players?"
Chen,"Of course, Mr. Li. We've done a thorough competitive analysis."
Li Hao,"Publicly, yes. But what about the companies with legacy relationships? The ones whose executives golf with the procurement officers? The ones who have a senator or two on their advisory board? Are we merely the best technically, or are we the best strategically to navigate that political minefield?"
Chen hesitated. He glanced at his notes.
Chen,"Our proposal emphasizes the cost-effectiveness and rapid deployment time, which are critical factors for the current administration."
Li Hao, "Resonance is one thing. Actual allocation is another. And what about the procurement cycles? You're talking about 'urgent need,' but 'urgent' in government terms can still mean eighteen months of committee reviews, budget re-allocations, and multiple rounds of RFPs. Can our current capital sustain that extended pursuit without this 'guaranteed' funding?"
He gestured to Wang Lei, the Head of Finance, who sat beside him.
Wang Lei,"Chen, our Q3 projections, even with current contracts, show a tightening. A pursuit of this scale, as Mr. Li suggests, without guaranteed interim funding, would put a significant strain on our reserves. We'd have to pivot resources from other promising, albeit smaller, projects. The opportunity cost is substantial."
Chen looked a little deflated, but he rallied.
Chen: "We have developed a phased funding request, Mr. Li, allowing for smaller tranches upon key milestone achievements. This mitigates some of the risk."
Li Hao's gaze hardened slightly.
Li Hao,"The Guardian Aegis is important. It could redefine our legacy. But we don't throw all our chips on a gamble, no matter how good the hand looks on paper. We prepare for every scenario. Can you update your proposal to reflect that realism, Chen? And have it on my desk by end of week."
Chen swallowed, the earlier exuberance replaced by a more sober determination.
Chen,"Yes, Mr. Li. Absolutely. End of week."
Li Hao nodded, a flicker of satisfaction in his eyes.
"The meeting is dismissed."
Li Hao stepped out from elevator, then suddenly his phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen – "Company Investigation Office."
He paused outside his cabin door, finger hovering over the access panel, and answered the call.
"Li Hao speaking."
" Mr. Li, this is Officer Zhang from the Company Investigation Office. I apologize for disturbing you, but I wanted to provide a brief update regarding the ongoing situation."
"Officer Zhang, go ahead."
"Our team is working rigorously, a full-scale operation, thoroughly investigating the disappearance of the confidential documents related to our company, as you know."
"Unfortunately, the documents themselves are still not discovered yet. Despite extensive digital forensics and physical sweeps across all relevant departments, we have not been able to pinpoint their current location or confirm any direct external breach."
Li Hao leaned against the wall, a sigh catching in his throat.
Li Hao,"So, no leads at all then? Everything's still… up in the air?"
Officer Zhang,"We are considering all possibilities, Mr. Li, but the pattern of disappearance suggests a highly coordinated effort, possibly with insider knowledge. This isn't a simple case of misplacement. The implications, as you can imagine, are significant."
Li Hao,"Find that bastard."
Officer Zhang,"We will. Have a productive day, Mr. Li."
The line clicked. Li Hao slowly lowered his phone, his gaze distant. The quiet hum of the air conditioning seemed to amplify the silence. "Who is behind all these? Who the fuck is helping Shi Wang??