She wore a sharply tailored ivory trench coat that day, its collar slightly open to reveal a dark gray turtleneck underneath.
Her long blonde hair shimmered in the afternoon sun. Her features were sharp, her expression naturally inquisitive, and she held a voice recorder and a slim notebook.
She did not step inside right away. She paused at the doorway, her gaze sweeping over the living room in a quick, instinctive professional assessment.
Once she saw nothing suspicious, she walked in and closed the door behind her.
Yongye patted the sofa beside him, grinning like a practiced womanizer who had finally gotten a girl up to his hotel room.
"Sit down. Make yourself at home. Tea or coffee?"
Lois sat beside him, neither too close nor too far, maintaining just the right social distance.
She did not rush to take out her recorder. Instead, she turned to study Yongye's face for a moment and reached a firm conclusion: he really was handsome.
One time with him wouldn't be a bad deal!
"President, about the conditions for the exclusive interview that you had your secretary pass on last time..."
"I've thought them over carefully. As long as you give me enough genuine material, I can go along with anything you ask."
"Whatever it takes to satisfy you!"
As she spoke, she did not look away. Her eyes held none of the embarrassment or anger most people would have felt in this situation. She had weighed it all countless times and arrived at a rational decision.
The mandarin orange segment in Yongye's hand paused halfway to his mouth. Then he popped it in and chewed slowly.
"Looks like you really want this exclusive."
Lois lifted her chin slightly and did not deny it. "I got this far in my career by being