The girl was startled:
“Really?!”
“Does it have to be Mo Hanzhou? Can’t it be someone else?”
Mo Hanzhou’s leg disability was one thing, but what truly made people fear him from the depths of their hearts was his ruthless methods.
Back when he was injured in a car accident, he went mad with revenge against the mastermind behind it. During that time, everyone in Pingcheng lived in fear. When his father’s illegitimate children tried to seize power, he sent both the father and the sons straight to a nursing home. While outsiders didn’t know what happened to the former president of the Mo family, many in Pingcheng’s social circles had seen Mo’s father sitting in a wheelchair, drooling under the care of a nurse.
If a person could be so cruel to his own father, they had every reason to suspect that if his future partner didn’t meet his expectations, he might turn them into a human specimen. The reason it was a specimen rather than being thrown into a river was because the former was much cheaper.
This girl was a true friend. After comforting her friend for a while, she returned home still feeling uneasy. When she opened her phone, she saw Lu Qiao arguing fiercely in the group chat.
Perhaps influenced by her emotions, she couldn’t help but feel that Lu Qiao’s remarks were dripping with hypocrisy. Of course, this wasn’t her imagination. Lu Qiao, deeply influenced by True Love Unlimited, now spoke like the villainess in the show either dripping with sarcasm or oozing with fake sweetness. The fact that she could see through it meant her ability to detect such behavior had reached a passing level.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, the girl tapped open Lu Qiao’s WeChat profile and sent him a private message:
【What are you so proud of? Even if you’re licking up to Mo Hanzhou here, he still doesn’t want you!】
【Mo Hanzhou is about to go on a blind date with someone else. No matter how much you wish for it, it’s useless!】
On the other end, Lu Qiao had just put down his phone to pour a glass of water. When he returned and saw the screen lit up, he tapped open the latest chat. As soon as he read the message.
Thud. His phone fell onto the sofa.
A thunderbolt struck him.
The world spun before his eyes!
The light in Lu Qiao’s eyes vanished as he sat on the sofa like a wooden puppet.
He had only remembered that he should act obediently and cleverly to smoothly marry into a wealthy family, but he had forgotten that besides his own efforts, others would come to compete!
Oh my god, a rival in love!
No, a competitor!
For a moment, Lu Qiao was thrown into a frenzy.
Well, he didn’t think there was anything wrong with someone trying to snatch Mo Hanzhou away or with Mo Hanzhou having other options. When he used to pick people, he would examine them one by one like choosing winter melons at a market.
A powerful man deserved the best melon!
But he absolutely could not be the leftover winter melon. He had to be the chosen one!
No, he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing!
Lu Qiao sprang up from the sofa and immediately called Yu Jiadong.
“Yu Jiadong, Mo Hanzhou will have another blind date soon. Find out who he’s meeting, when, and where!”
Yu Jiadong was taken aback: “This.”
“Enough with the hesitation. His blind date partner shouldn’t be too hard to find. I’ll send you the information I already have, and you can narrow it down from there.”
Lu Qiao hung up the phone and sent Yu Jiadong a screenshot of the girl’s name and profile picture. Since she had mentioned it now rather than during the gathering that day, it meant she had only just learned about it. All he needed to do was check who she had met or contacted in the past couple of days.
Because the search criteria were very specific, Yu Jiadong quickly found the person.
“It’s Zhou Jinyu, the young master of Zhou Real Estate. In recent years, due to the downturn in the real estate market, Zhou Real Estate has invested in semiconductors. However, without any technology significantly superior to the market, their performance has remained mediocre. Moreover, after the recent scandal where someone used a property in Zhou’s Tianlin Garden to bribe high-ranking officials, public resistance toward Tianlin Garden has grown, leading to a continuous decline in sales. Some minor voices have emerged within Zhou Real Estate. To reassure shareholders, the head of Zhou Real Estate has decided to arrange a marriage alliance with the Mo family.”
“I bribed a servant in the Zhou household and found out that this Saturday, several key members of the Zhou family, including the grandfather, won’t be home for dinner. I suspect this is the day.”
Yu Jiadong proved unexpectedly useful, with a fairly sharp mind.
Lu Qiao took a deep breath. “Got it. You can leave now.”
After Yu Jiadong left, Lu Qiao lowered his head and looked at his WeChat. A week had passed since he returned from the Mo family. During this time, Mo Hanzhou had sent a few messages, but they were sparse and clearly lacked sincerity the kind that would definitely get someone dumped in a normal passionate relationship.
However, Lu Qiao had initially thought Mo Hanzhou was just like that by nature. After all, he didn’t seem like an enthusiastic person. But upon closer reflection, there was another possibility Mo Hanzhou had other options!
A blazing light erupted in Lu Qiao’s eyes. Marrying Mo Hanzhou (and living off the big shot’s wealth) was the only dream of his life. He absolutely had to win Mo Hanzhou over!
On Saturday, the Zhou family members were fully prepared, dressed in elegant yet understated attire. One by one, they got into the car, which drove out of the gate and slowly made its way toward the main road.
Under a tree not far away, someone took out their phone and dialed a number.
Soon after, Lu Qiao and Yu Jiadong appeared downstairs at a well-established local restaurant.
Although the restaurant looked unremarkable from the outside, it was actually quite discreet. All employees had undergone formal training and signed confidentiality agreements upon joining. Moreover, although Mo Hanzhou and the Zhou family hadn’t booked the entire place, they had reserved several nearby private rooms, leaving only the main hall open for other customers.
Even if someone managed to sneak into an adjacent private room, the soundproof walls were more than enough to block any prying eyes or ears.
“This seems like we can’t get in.”
Lu Qiao glanced expressionlessly at Yu Jiadong, then suddenly opened the car door and got out.
“Come down!” he commanded.
Yu Jiadong hurriedly followed. “What are we doing?”
“Act with me. You don’t need to be too nervous just follow my lead.”
In the gleaming employee corridor, a man in a suit was bowing and scraping as he spoke obsequiously to another man also in a suit, though the two were clearly not on the same level:
“What brings you here today? Our restaurant strictly follows the group’s regulations, whether it’s hygiene standards or serving procedures. You can rest assured.”
The rest of his words were lost to the few employees passing by, who instinctively kept their distance from the people in the center of the corridor, afraid of being questioned. It was lunchtime, and the employee changing room was sparsely populated. Within minutes, it was completely empty.
“Watch the door.”
“Huh?”
Yu Jiadong was taken aback as he watched Lu Qiao slip into the men’s changing room, roughly open one of the lockers, pull out a standard employee uniform, and stuff it into the bag he had brought. Then, with his head held high, Lu Qiao strode straight into the dining area ahead.
“Go back and find someone to dine with me. Make it a woman, someone natural.”
After sending Yu Jiadong away, Lu Qiao calmly crossed the lobby, seized a moment when no one was passing by, slipped into one of the private rooms, closed the door, and quickly changed into an employee uniform. He put on a mask and gloves, placed a pot of tea on a tray, straightened his back, and strode confidently and firmly. He gently knocked on the door of the adjacent room, then pushed it open and entered.
The gathering next door had just begun. The Zhou family was numerous besides Mr. and Mrs. Zhou, the elderly Mr. Zhou was also present. Several elders were exchanging pleasantries, while Zhou Jinyu stood to the side, wearing a somewhat stiff smile as he looked at the handsome man in the wheelchair across from him.
Without glancing around, Lu Qiao placed the tea on a nearby cabinet. He reached out, opened the cabinet door above, and took out a towel. As he closed the door, he discreetly attached a miniature surveillance device to the corner of the door handle.
After retrieving the towel, he wiped his hands and the outer edge of the teapot before stepping forward to pour tea for the guests.
His movements were swift and graceful, with no unnecessary actions. In no time, he had filled teacups for everyone present. While serving the tea, he also took the opportunity to place several listening devices under the table and behind the chairs.
Once everything was done, he calmly withdrew. From entering to leaving, it took less than three minutes.
The process went smoothly after all, he was used to it. The only flaw was that the listening equipment he had obtained at short notice had a limited range, requiring him to be within ten meters. This meant he could only hear the conversation if he remained inside the restaurant.
Fortunately, he had come prepared.
Yu Jiadong was smoking outside when his phone rang. A man’s displeased voice came through:
“Has the person you arranged arrived yet?”
“Ah, yes, yes! I’ll send you the photo right away.”
Lu Qiao glanced down at his phone, then looked up and rose to his feet, waving warmly toward a woman in a yellow dress who had just entered.
“Over here.”
Inside the room, the atmosphere gradually shifted to the main topic.
As the eldest present, Mr. Zhou sighed with emotion. “Han Zhou, I held you when you were little. Who would have thought you’d grow up so quickly? I’ve retired these past few years and no longer involve myself in company affairs. Our two families should stay in closer touch.”
“Come, Jinyu, offer a toast to President Mo. You’re new here and should learn more from him.”
Zhou Jinyu was about to step forward with his glass when Mo Hanzhou raised a hand to stop him. “My health hasn’t been good these years. The doctor advised me to avoid alcohol. My apologies, Young Master Zhou.”
Zhou Jinyu froze, but his grandfather immediately said, “That’s fine, then. Let’s have tea instead. Jinyu, pour some tea for President Mo.”
Zhou Jinyu reacted quickly, stepping forward to pour the tea. This time, Mo Hanzhou did not refuse.
“President Mo is young and accomplished. You’re only two years older than me but already shouldering the family’s responsibilities. I’d like to learn from you.”
Mo Hanzhou gave a faint smile. “I had no choice. If my father hadn’t fallen ill, I would have preferred a few more years of freedom and ease. There’s no need to rush, Young Master Zhou.”
Everyone knew the situation with Mo Hanzhou’s father, so they could only chuckle awkwardly. As the atmosphere grew tense, Mr. Zhou suddenly remarked, “Han Zhou, what do you think of my Jinyu?”
Damn, going from soft to hard tactics?!
In the lobby outside, Lu Qiao nearly crushed the cup in his hand.
“Sir, what would you like to order?”
The waiter approached a guest seated by the window, who stood out from most patrons visiting their restaurant.
He had jet-black, shoulder-length hair and skin as pale as snow. He wore a black jacket with a large golden tiger embroidered on the back, its sleeves wide and loose a trendy, relaxed style favored by young people today. A pair of headphones hung around his neck, giving him the appearance of a rebellious, fashion-forward youth.
Yes, this was Lu Qiao’s disguise. With time pressing, he hadn’t been able to prepare more thoroughly, but he was confident that his current look so drastically different from his usual self would make him unrecognizable at a glance, unless someone was deliberately scrutinizing him.