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I went back to tell Miao Miao about this, and she burst into laughter, saying she didn't expect Lu Ming to be so cunning. She joked that Deng Xiaomei would have a tough time tonight, and I felt a bit embarrassed. Miao Miao, however, was very open about it: "This is like Zhou Yu attacking Huang Gai; one wants to fight, and the other is willing to take it. What if Deng Xiaomei actually likes it this way? She might end up falling for Lu Ming."
I shrank my neck, imagining such a scenario, but quickly dismissed it: "Then she must have a strong masochistic tendency."
I thought the chances of seeing Huang Zhang again were slim, but three days later, Lu Ming called me and asked me to have dinner with him and Miao Miao, saying that Huang Zhang would also be there.
I was surprised, thinking that Lu Ming had arranged for us to meet. However, since we hadn't planned anything yet, meeting Huang Zhang like this might complicate things. I wanted to refuse, but Lu Ming said it was Huang Zhang's request.
He wanted Lu Ming to bring both of us along.
This really took me by surprise. I said I would think about it and hung up the phone. Then I called Miao Miao. After pondering for a moment, she said, "Could it be that Huang Zhang wants to confront us? He wouldn't just randomly seek us out. In any case, let's go see what he wants. He might still have something valuable in his possession; we shouldn't sever the hard-earned connection we've built with him."
That made sense; after all, we couldn't afford to offend Huang Zhang. I was still waiting for him to return my trump card so I could turn things around. Unexpectedly, former enemies had now become our most advantageous allies—though he hadn't agreed yet.
Since we decided to meet, Miao Miao and I didn't dress up deliberately this time. We put on some light makeup and waited downstairs for Lu Ming's people to pick us up. When we arrived at the restaurant entrance, I suddenly realized this was the same place where Wang Xu and I had come for a meal and ended up drinking juice with White Maggot in it!
I couldn't help but suspect that Huang Zhang had chosen this place on purpose. With so many restaurants around, why did he pick this one? I leaned closer to Miao Miao and told her about my suspicion. She perked up a bit and whispered that we should take it step by step; we couldn't guess Huang Zhang's intentions just yet.
I thought the same way, but the memories associated with this place were unpleasant for me. Walking back into this restaurant made me uneasy. The staff inside were still the same, but they no longer recognized me. They wore professional smiles as they respectfully led Miao Miao and me to the reserved area.
Even so, I felt very uncomfortable. Even if everyone had forgotten, I still remembered how I ended up drinking a glass of juice with White Maggot in it here—not due to any fault of the restaurant but because of human involvement. It was clear that those involved in that incident were already waiting in this place.
As we approached, I saw Lu Ming talking with Huang Zhang, who was smiling broadly and seemed to be enjoying himself. He casually picked up a wine glass from the table and was about to take a sip when he sensed something and looked up at me, our eyes locking.
I found it hard to quickly look away as I stared into Huang Zhang's inscrutable gaze and the slight smile at the corner of his mouth. His entire demeanor exuded an eerie atmosphere that made my already heavy heart feel even worse.
Huang Zhang calmly set down his wine glass and stood up in apparent surprise, excitedly saying, "Ladies, you finally made it! Come on over and sit here."
He thoughtfully pulled out two empty chairs for us. After Miao Miao and I sat down, he returned to his own seat and cheerfully said to Lu Ming: "I think Lu Zong is not as considerate as me, Huang; but these two ladies are so grounded with you that you must have some skills! Next time teach me a thing or two; I'd love to embrace beautiful ladies myself!"
Lu Ming smiled lightly: "President Huang is being modest; your people are quite impressive too."
A meaningful remark from President Huang made him laugh heartily: "It seems Lu Zong has truly been captivated by my people; otherwise, why would he mention it in front of these two beauties? Aren't you afraid they'll get jealous? You know how terrifying a woman's anger can be."
It is indeed terrifying—terrifying enough to drive someone to do things they normally wouldn't do willingly; it's more like an escape.
"President Huang, you're joking! My sister and I are just here to broaden our horizons; Lu Zong treats us well; otherwise, we wouldn't have the chance to meet someone as important as you," Miao Miao said with a charming smile before glancing at Huang Zhang and lowering her head again.
"Ha ha, that's just Lu Zong being considerate. I really need to learn from him," Huang Zhang kept laughing, as if he had witnessed something remarkable. However, the more he laughed, the more fear it instilled in me. He was nothing like the person I had encountered before; this version of Huang Zhang was like a ticking time bomb.
Before we could say much more, a figure suddenly appeared behind us. I turned around to see that it was Wang Nan. Wang Nan looked as usual, but there was an underlying sense of displeasure in his demeanor.
Miao Miao was just as surprised as I was. Soon, she seemed a bit annoyed, her voice seeping through her clenched teeth with a hint of irritation: "What are you doing here?"
Wang Nan approached and kept his gaze fixed on Miao Miao. After she asked him a question, he finally looked up and naturally turned to Huang Zhang, extending his hand in a gentlemanly manner: "President Huang, long time no see."
Huang Zhang was initially surprised but quickly regained his smile and shook hands with Wang Nan: "I’m fortunate to run into you today, Mr. Wang. I’ve been wanting to meet you, but it seems harder than climbing to the sky!"
"Not at all. I heard that President Huang has been busy preparing for a major project lately, so I didn’t want to disturb you."
As Wang Nan spoke, he sat down next to Miao Miao, casually draping his arm over the back of her chair. Miao Miao was angry but couldn’t express it in such a setting; her expression changed slightly, yet she forced a smile.
Huang Zhang observed the interaction between Miao Miao and Wang Nan, and then made jokes without including Miao Miao, only mentioning me and Lu Ming. It was clear that he was skilled at navigating social situations. The tension with Wang Nan gradually eased as he occasionally served food to Miao Miao, but her expression grew increasingly sour. If she weren’t holding back, she would have likely exploded at Wang Nan right there.
Throughout the meal, most of the conversation revolved around business matters between Huang Zhang, Lu Ming, and Wang Nan. It seemed they were discussing details of a recent collaboration project without any regard for me or Miao Miao.
During this time, I exchanged glances with Miao Miao, both of us likely speculating about why Huang Zhang had called us over. If it weren't for Wang Nan's arrival, would Huang Zhang have expressed his stance?
After dinner, there was still no progress. Once Huang Zhang left, Miao Miao finally lost her temper: "Do you know how important today is? Why did you come here? Do you think things aren't chaotic enough already?"
"You need to come back with me; we need to talk." Although Wang Nan also looked displeased, he didn’t seem interested in arguing with Miao Miao. He lowered his voice and pulled her toward his car, intending to take her away while turning back to me: "Zhuang Jun, I'm sorry. I'll take her with me tonight; let’s have Lu Ming drive you home. Please be careful on the way."
After giving a knowing glance to Lu Ming, he got into the car with a struggling Miao Miao. He seemed unhappy that she chose to seek out Lu Ming instead of him.
As Wang Nan’s car disappeared from view, it was just me and Lu Ming. Suddenly, I felt something heavy on my shoulder; it was Lu Ming's coat draped over me. I heard him say, "It's cold; the wind is strong."
He seemed to be explaining his gesture of offering me his coat. I tightened it around myself, feeling its warmth, and thanked him before getting into the car with him. Curious about today’s events involving Huang Zhang, I asked: "What did Huang Zhang really want when he called us over? Was he trying to probe us? He should know what we mean; he has to make a choice."
There were only two choices: help or not help; it was that simple.
"He has already made a response."
"What?!" I was taken aback.
"The matter should still be in his hands; he's here to negotiate terms." Lu Ming analyzed Huang Zhang's actions calmly. My blood surged with excitement as if success was within reach and about to be realized.
"Why do you think that? He didn't say anything related to the voice recorder. What if he just wants to talk to you about business? What if he has no other intentions at all..."
I am not a person who unnecessarily troubles myself. After all, I have encountered similar situations a few times. Each time I gave myself hope, only to be left with endless despair. I cannot allow myself to believe blindly again; I cannot make easy judgments until the last moment.
"He should make a move in a few days. Just try to relax then."
It turns out that Lu Ming understands my confusion. He didn't immediately persuade me to believe him; instead, he suggested I wait and see. This made me feel somewhat embarrassed. My doubts were merely a form of self-protection, with no other meaning, and certainly not a reflection of my doubts about Lu Ming's abilities.
In the short time we have spent together, I have already seen how his decisive actions have brought me many benefits. Perhaps he is not so good at expressing himself, but he must know that Gu Xiang's descriptions of Lu Ming have been lingering in my mind. I used to hold a skeptical attitude, but as time goes on, I choose to gradually believe.
Lu Ming then took me to Miao Miao's house. After getting out of the car, I was still wearing the suit jacket he had draped over me. Just as I was about to return it to him, I heard a familiar voice coming from the corner.
"Hey, so you guys are here! Is it just the two of you? Where's Mu Miaomiao? I've been trying to call her but couldn't get through. I thought I'd come by her house to look for her, but I didn't expect to run into you two. I hope I'm not interrupting anything."
Accompanying the voice was Qin Yi, wearing a gentle smile. She looked directly at us with clear eyes and spoke casually.
But what I could imagine was Miao Miao's description of Qin Yi: she had reached her maximum level and couldn't find any monsters, so she returned home to look for Lu Ming. Therefore, her target is Lu Ming right in front of me. If she discovers that her monster equipment is on another player, wouldn't she really be upset?
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