Qiao Lu could not help but remember the look on his father's face that day, when he had sat him down for a 'talk'.
"I don't want to do this!"
He had managed to say those words as assertively as he could—words he constantly regretted after a few years of being allowed to make his own decisions. Especially since one of those decisions had led him right here to the Reformation Committee's HQ, facing disciplinary action for making his own choices.
Sometimes places just radiate the energy of the people around them. Looking at the opulent decorations around him, Qiao Lu could almost feel the pride oozing off every item. Clearly, whoever said pride came before a fall had never sat before a panel of prideful people who believed the world revolved around them because no one was ever brave enough to tell them it didn't.
Sometimes Qiao Lu craved the reactions the people within these walls would have to being shown their place—especially since it would also cause him to be yanked down from the pedestal of being an obedient minion. Maybe then he wouldn't have to face a panel of ignorant, prideful executives who had decided to blame him for following their foolish instructions.
"You knew that helping that crazed lunatic would harm us, and yet you went ahead and shared the plans with him?" Sir Rodeo questioned angrily, his red eyes very much resembling a crazed lunatic's.
None of the other panel members seemed to find it odd as they all turned to face the youngest person in the room. The righteous indignation in their eyes almost made him forget how much they had loved Sir Figra before he was deemed a crazed lunatic.
Even though Qiao Lu did not understand why helping several civilizations survive violent extinction made someone a crazed lunatic, he knew that inquiring about it in such a hostile room would yield no good consequences, so he confessed to his 'mistake'.
"Yes, I am incredibly weighed down by my foolish decision, and I am ready to accept any punishment," Qiao Lu managed to force out as sincerely as he could before humbly bowing his head.
Watching him apologize so sincerely, most of the panel members couldn't help but feel their faces heat up with embarrassment. After all, most of them did not agree with the panel's decision to summon such a trustworthy person just for following instructions. Besides, Sir Rodeo was the one who had vouched for his brother-in-law to the heavens and back, but now he had the audacity to act more enraged than them.
Seeing him act so self-righteous, Madam Jiang could no longer hold back and quickly spoke up for her poor nephew.
"Being able to admit your mistakes and even accept punishment is very good!" she praised with a gentle smile, hoping the boy would not forget to mention her help to his parents when he got back home.
Unaware of the deep thoughts going through Madam Jiang's mind, Sir Rong took it as a chance to speak up.
"Yes, so we have decided to assign you a pledge!"
His words left the room in an eerie silence, allowing everyone time to digest their meaning—especially Sir Rodeo, who looked particularly stiff. Only one person could assign pledges: a man none of the panel members would dare question or oppose.
Unaware of the tension breeding in the room, Qiao Lu quickly accepted his punishment with a bow. "Thank you so much, Sir Chairman."
Sir Rodeo only gave a small nod in response as he stared at the young man, whose posture seemed a bit too calm considering he was sitting in front of a panel of high-level executives.
"It is alright. Further details will be provided by my secretary. Do you have any questions?" he continued after sternly looking around the room in warning.
Yes, he did, but he was not stupid enough to ask, so Qiao Lu shook his head before answering with a "No."
Sir Rodeo watched everything happen with dread, wondering just how much the chairman had uncovered about that incident.
"Do any of you have any questions for him?" Sir Rong asked perfunctorily.
Every single member of the panel knew he was just asking to be courteous and did not dare ask anything after meeting his cold eyes.
"Since there are no further questions, you may now leave," Sir Rong dismissed while tapping his finger on his hardcover notebook—a clear tell of what was to come after his departure from the room.
Oblivious to the increasing tension, Qiao Lu nodded happily before gracefully standing up from his chair. He was dressed very formally in a white cotton blouse that seemed to glow under the bright room lights and navy blue trousers that made his long legs look endless. His clothes perfectly accentuated his beautifully sculpted body, which exuded grace with every step he took out of the room.
"Who is going to tell me what happened last week and why it happened?"
He heard a deep, familiar voice ask immediately after he closed the door, making him linger to eavesdrop on what was happening. However, he noticed a calm secretary watching him from a few doors down and quickly scrambled away.
A few steps later, he remembered his punishment and walked back to the seated secretary, feeling very embarrassed and foolish. Even though Teresa knew why Qiao Lu was standing in front of her desk, she continued with her work, waiting for him to speak up—after all, it was not every day a professional girlie got to meet a hot celebrity.
After feeling a bit calmer, Qiao Lu finally asked, "Good afternoon. I was told to get some information from you?"
The deep timbre in his voice almost made Teresa squeal as her mind conjured an image of him flirting with her, just like in recent viral clips from his latest movie. She had to take a deep breath before she managed to speak.
"Yes, here it is," she managed to get out before handing him a brown envelope.
Staring down at the A4-sized brown envelope, Qiao Lu frowned before taking it from her hands. The envelope felt very bulky, clearly packed with numerous documents, leaving him to wonder why they were using such an old-school method to pass information.
Guessing his thoughts, Teresa explained, "The information in that file is very sensitive and should not be exposed or recorded on any device!" she warned with a stern look, which she put away only when Qiao Lu nodded solemnly before thanking her and gracefully walking out.
His composure betrayed nothing about his thoughts, which were focused entirely on finding out what was hidden behind the envelope's brown cover. Naturally, Qiao Lu opened it the moment he was alone in his car and pulled out the thick stack of papers inside.
The first page contained a small profile picture of a beautiful, long-haired woman, with the name "Zhao Yuan" written beside it.