Lin Hao

The Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly entered the heart of Deep City's central business district.

Yuanda Group's headquarters stood on this stretch of prime real estate, where every inch of land cost a fortune.

Ninety-eight stories, three hundred and ninety-eight meters tall.

Its tempered-glass curtain walls reflected a cold, sharp light in the sun.

The building consisted of twin towers connected by a skybridge. From a distance, they looked like two unsheathed swords thrusting into the clouds.

At the top, the four Chinese characters spelling out "Yuanda Group" were each three stories tall. They were gold, glittering in the sunlight.

The car stopped at the main entrance.

A doorman hurried forward and opened the door.

Lin Nianwei stepped out, her face expressionless.

The doorman bowed slightly. "Ms. Lin."

Lin Nianwei nodded and walked inside.

Chen Quan followed behind her.

The lobby ceiling soared twenty meters overhead. An entire wall was clad in natural marble, its patterns like mist-shrouded mountains and winding streams, majestic in their sweep.

The floor gleamed like a mirror, reflecting people so clearly that even individual strands of hair were visible.

The young women at reception immediately rose when they saw her enter, their manner respectful.

"Good morning, Ms. Lin!"

Lin Nianwei kept walking, offering only a slight nod.

The security captain was making his rounds. At the sight of her, he immediately stepped aside, his back ramrod straight.

"Ms. Lin."

Lin Nianwei walked past, leaving a faint trace of fragrance in her wake.

Several employees waiting for the elevators hurried aside, their heads slightly lowered, not daring to look at her.

"Good morning, Ms. Lin!"

Lin Nianwei nodded again, still without a word.

At the far end of the elevator lobby stood a private elevator.

Lin Nianwei walked over and scanned her fingerprint. The doors opened silently.

Chen Quan followed her inside.

The elevator ascended, the floor numbers changing rapidly. Lin Nianwei's reflection appeared on the mirrored wall. She looked straight ahead, her face expressionless.

The elevator finally stopped on the eighty-eighth floor.

The doors opened onto a corridor carpeted in dark gray. Several modern paintings hung on the walls, minimalist and austere.

Lin Nianwei turned right and passed the secretaries' office.

Behind the glass door, several secretaries were busy working. They all looked up at the sound of footsteps.

One young woman stood and hurried out to meet her.

Her name was Su Qing, Lin Nianwei's personal secretary. She was twenty-seven or twenty-eight, very attractive, and smartly dressed in a well-fitted business suit.

"Ms. Lin, your cousin is here. He's waiting in your office."

Lin Nianwei paused.

"My cousin? Lin Hao?"

"Yes, Ms. Lin," Su Qing said with a smile. "He's here for his first day."

A faint smile appeared on Lin Nianwei's face.

"All right."

She took two more steps, then stopped again.

"Chen Quan, come in with me. I have something to ask you in a bit."

Chen Quan nodded. "Yes, miss."

Lin Nianwei pushed open her office door.

The office covered nearly three hundred square meters. An entire wall of floor-to-ceiling windows faced Deep City's skyline. Standing before them, one could take in the entire central business district.

The custom-made desk was black walnut, five meters long and two meters wide. Only a computer, a pen holder, and a stack of documents sat on it.

The seating area was on the other side, with a set of dark gray sofas and a marble coffee table.

A young man sat on one of the sofas.

He was in his early twenties, wearing a casual suit, with bright, handsome features that bore some resemblance to Lin Nianwei's. When the door opened, he immediately stood, smiling.

"Cousin!"

Lin Nianwei walked over, the corners of her lips lifting slightly.

"Hao, you're here."

Lin Hao hurried up to her, grinning like a child.

"I'm here to start work today. Mom sent a whole bunch of things for you. She said you work so hard here in Deep City and told me to take good care of you."

Lin Nianwei laughed. "You're going to take care of me?"

Lin Hao scratched his head. "That's what Mom said. I'm just passing it on."

Lin Nianwei sat on the sofa and gestured for him to sit too.

Lin Hao sat down, looked around the office, and clicked his tongue in admiration.

"Your office is huge!"

Lin Nianwei smiled faintly. "How's school? Have you graduated?"

"Yes. I came over as soon as I got my diploma."

Lin Nianwei regarded him with a trace of approval in her eyes.

Her youngest paternal aunt had given birth to him late in life, when she was already in her forties, and had spoiled him thoroughly from childhood.

But he hadn't grown into an idle rich kid. He had earned his own way into a prestigious university, majored in finance, and done quite well.

"Have you decided which department you want to join?" Lin Nianwei asked.

Lin Hao waved a hand. "Just put me wherever you think best. I'll do whatever you assign me. I've only just graduated, and I don't know anything yet. I'm here to learn."

Lin Nianwei nodded, pleased with his attitude.

She considered it for a moment. "Then start in the investment department. The work is demanding, but you'll learn a lot. What do you think?"

Lin Hao looked delighted. "Sounds good. I'm not afraid of hard work. I'll do my best to learn."

Lin Nianwei continued, "You'll start at the bottom and work on projects with the team. For the first three months, there'll be no special treatment. You'll be treated exactly like any other employee."

Lin Hao nodded. "That's how it should be."

Lin Nianwei looked at him, her eyes smiling.

"Good. It's settled, then."

She picked up the cup from the coffee table and lowered her head to drink.

The smile remained on Lin Hao's face, but a flicker of displeasure passed through his eyes, so quickly it was almost imperceptible.

Yet Chen Quan still caught that tiny change, and something stirred within him.

Lin Nianwei set down her cup and looked up.

"Don't worry. I'll work hard. I won't embarrass you."

Lin Nianwei nodded.

"The investment department has several major projects underway. Observe and learn as much as you can. Ask if you don't understand something. Don't pretend you know when you don't. If you have any problems, you can go straight to Su Qing."

Lin Hao nodded at each point.

Lin Nianwei pressed the call button on the desk.

Su Qing came in shortly afterward.

"Take him to the investment department and see Director Zhang. Tell him he's a new employee and have him assigned work as usual."

Su Qing nodded. "Of course, Ms. Lin."

She smiled at Lin Hao. "Mr. Lin, this way, please."

Lin Hao stood and said to Lin Nianwei, "I'll get going, then."

Lin Nianwei nodded.

Lin Hao followed Su Qing out, thoughtfully pulling the door shut behind him.

The office fell quiet.

After a while, Lin Nianwei said, "Chen Quan, have a seat."

Chen Quan sat on the sofa opposite her, but perched only on its edge.

Lin Nianwei looked at him and suddenly asked, "Chen Quan, have you heard anything about Chen Jingshen over the years?"

Chen Quan froze for a moment.

He hadn't expected her to suddenly ask about that man.

Eighteen years had already passed.

"Miss, why are you suddenly asking about him?" Chen Quan asked tentatively.

Lin Nianwei didn't answer. She merely looked at him.

Chen Quan was silent for a moment before finally speaking.

"After Chen Jingshen buried the child back then, he didn't stay in Deep City."

Lin Nianwei simply watched him without responding.

"Your father had me follow him to the cemetery. I asked what he planned to do next. He said he would leave Deep City and try to make a life in Sea City."

Chen Quan paused. "He also said he might never come back to Deep City."

"Sea City?"

"Yes. Sea City."

Lin Nianwei said nothing more.

She stood, walked to the floor-to-ceiling windows, and gazed outside.

Beyond the windows, the sky was blue and the clouds were white. All of Deep City lay at her feet, its towers rising above streets bustling with traffic.

Watching Lin Nianwei's back, Chen Quan felt a pang.

Eighteen years!

She had never once asked about Chen Jingshen.

He had thought she'd forgotten.

But she still remembered.