Yan Jinyue was involved too. Jiang Yuzhuo wanted to take on Jiang Yujing now, but without Yan Jinyue, he was no match for Jiang Yujing-or Jiang Huai.
Ji Hanxing had made excellent use of someone else's power to throw his weight around. Jiang Yuzhuo's expression stiffened. He was stuck now, unable to back down.
Besides, something really had happened that night. Yan Jinyue and Ji Hanxing had been drugged, and he still hadn't found out who had done it.
Had anyone besides Yan Jinyue and Ji Hanxing fallen victim that night? He wasn't sure either.
He had only focused on reviewing the surveillance footage for Yan Jinyue's suite, 5108. If other people came to him too, only to hear that the surveillance system had been damaged...
Jiang Yuzhuo's head throbbed. He couldn't tell this lie; one lie would take countless more to cover it.
Seeing Jiang Yuzhuo like this, a glint of sly satisfaction flashed in Ji Hanxing's eyes. He didn't want to offend Jiang Yuzhuo too badly this time either. As the saying went, leave some room for others, and you could meet again on good terms.
His only goal was to get that surveillance footage back.
"As the finest hotel in our City A, surely the Grand Prosperity Hotel has backups of its surveillance footage?"
"I wonder if there's a backup of the footage that was damaged that night, Yuzhuo?"
How could Jiang Yuzhuo fail to recognize the way out Ji Hanxing was offering him?
Jiang Yuzhuo stiffly tugged at the corners of his mouth. "You're right, Brother Ji. There's a backup. I forgot about it."
"Good, as long as there's a backup." Ji Hanxing held out his hand, palm up.
Jiang Yuzhuo gritted his teeth. Unwilling but helpless, he took out the USB drive Assistant Li had prepared for him earlier.
He forced the corners of his mouth upward, staring at Ji Hanxing as he enunciated each word. "Brother Ji, this contains the master copy. It's the only one."
Since he had to hand it over, he had to maximize its value. Giving Ji Hanxing the only master copy was also a way for Jiang Yuzhuo to show where he stood.
Ji Hanxing lifted his chin slightly and lowered his eyes, his gaze settling on his own palm. Jiang Yuzhuo rubbed his fingers over the USB drive before finally placing it in Ji Hanxing's hand.
The reassuring feel of the USB drive landing in his palm also put Ji Hanxing's anxious heart at ease, accompanied by the system's announcement:
[Congratulations, host, on completing the mission: successfully prevail in the negotiation with Jiang Yuzhuo. Mission reward: 2 days of life.]
Ji Hanxing rose easily and waved the USB drive in his hand. "Thank you for treating me tonight, Yuzhuo. The food was delicious."
"Oh, and the chains in the presidential suite really aren't aesthetically pleasing."
The enormous chains that had appeared in suite 5108 still made Ji Hanxing's heart race with fear. What kind of top-class hotel put those things in its rooms?
Jiang Yuzhuo gave Ji Hanxing a complicated look and complained under his breath, "Both of you said you didn't want them. Neither of you has any sense of fun. When you and Brother Yan were in the suite..."
His quiet muttering made Ji Hanxing raise his brows. "What did you say?"
"Nothing, I didn't say anything!" Jiang Yuzhuo shook his head like a rattle drum. He could tell that Ji Hanxing and Yan Jinyue were deeply secretive about what had happened that night. He had better keep his mouth firmly shut.
With a miserable expression, Jiang Yuzhuo saw Ji Hanxing out of the dining room, only to run straight into Yan Jinyue coming out of the room next door.
Yan Jinyue immediately spotted the excitement and triumph hidden in Ji Hanxing's eyes beneath his calm expression. Then he looked at Jiang Yuzhuo's dejected, beaten-dog appearance and roughly guessed what had happened.
Jiang Yuzhuo looked at Yan Jinyue, his face full of resentment and hurt. "Brother Yan."
Seeing Yan Jinyue emerge from the room next door, a flicker of surprise crossed Ji Hanxing's eyes. This villain really did haunt him at every turn.
"Were you dining next door, President Yan?"
Ji Hanxing quickly glanced behind Yan Jinyue but saw no one else.
"Dining here alone, President Yan? How leisurely."
Yan Jinyue kept his response brief, merely giving a hum of assent.
Having completed his mission, Ji Hanxing no longer wanted to stay. He nodded casually, then turned to Jiang Yuzhuo.
"Thank you for your hospitality today, Yuzhuo. No need to see me out."
Xue Hui, who had been waiting by the door, stepped forward at just the right moment. "President Ji, the driver is already waiting at the entrance."
Ji Hanxing started walking. Just as he was about to pass Yan Jinyue, Yan Jinyue suddenly reached out. This time, Ji Hanxing reacted keenly, his gaze sharpening with a fierce glint.
He stepped back and angled his shoulder slightly, evading Yan Jinyue's hand.
"What are you doing, President Yan?"
Yan Jinyue gazed deeply at Ji Hanxing. "I just noticed something on your shoulder, President Ji."
Ji Hanxing lowered his brows and looked at his shoulder. The little white speck on his dark suit was indeed conspicuous. Yan Jinyue reached out and gently flicked it away.
Ji Hanxing's long, narrow phoenix eyes stayed fixed on Yan Jinyue, his gaze inscrutable. "You certainly have sharp eyes, President Yan. Thank you."
Yan Jinyue calmly withdrew his hand. "It was no trouble."
[Hah, did you think I was complimenting you? You show-off.]
Ji Hanxing pursed his lips slightly.
[Still, since I got 5108 from him, such an auspicious number, I won't hold it against him today.]
A hint of triumph showed in Ji Hanxing's eyes. "I really must thank you today, President Yan."
[Thank you for this suite with an '8' in its number. It's mine from now on.]
Having said that, Ji Hanxing strode away, with Xue Hui following close behind.
Yan Jinyue raised his brows, privately pondering the term he had just heard in Ji Hanxing's thoughts. A show-off?
Jiang Yuzhuo's voice was aggrieved and forlorn. "Brother Yan..."
He had barely called out when Yan Jinyue turned his eyes toward him. "You gave suite 5108 to Ji Hanxing?"
Jiang Yuzhuo's mouth fell slightly open. He glanced at the dining room next door, disbelief lurking in his eyes. "You eavesdropped on our conversation!"
Yan Jinyue scoffed, his tone mocking. "Has Grand Prosperity's soundproofing gotten that bad?"
Only then did Jiang Yuzhuo's stalled brain recover a little. Their Grand Prosperity's soundproofing technology was patented, and privacy was absolutely guaranteed. There was no possibility of anyone eavesdropping from next door.
Then how had Yan Jinyue known?
"You and Ji Hanxing teamed up to screw me over!"
"Brother Yan, my dear Brother Yan, you're forgetting your friends for a pretty face!"
Even Jiang Yuzhuo's fingers were trembling. He had actually become part of this damned couple's play!
Yan Jinyue looked faintly disdainful. "If I teamed up with him, you probably wouldn't even have your underwear left."
Jiang Yuzhuo was half convinced. "Really?"
Before Yan Jinyue could speak, he hurriedly added, "I believe you, I believe you."
He no longer cared how Yan Jinyue had known that suite 5108 had been given to Ji Hanxing. As far as he was concerned, his Brother Yan could do anything.
Yan Jinyue asked, "How did your discussion go?"
"Brother Yan, you have no idea. Ji Hanxing really isn't someone to underestimate!"
"You guessed right, Brother Yan! His target really was the master surveillance recording! To get it, he..."
Jiang Yuzhuo began pouring out his grievances to Yan Jinyue, recounting the entire process of how Ji Hanxing had screwed him over. He failed to notice that Yan Jinyue's gaze was growing increasingly meaningful.
Ji Hanxing had indeed taken that master recording. What did he want to do next? Yan Jinyue would wait and see.
He was far too curious about Ji Hanxing. Perhaps it had begun when he inexplicably became able to hear Ji Hanxing's thoughts, or when they spent an absurd yet memorable night together. It might also have been Ji Hanxing's discrepancy between his outward behavior and inner thoughts...
A desire for a challenge and a sense of excitement ignited in Yan Jinyue's heart.
The thrill and novelty of encountering a worthy opponent made his blood surge.