BL Ch26

Due to the absence of the head chef, the breakfast duties the next day were still handled by Bai Zhao. The Black Card team had provided thoughtful and meticulous service, stuffing the double-door refrigerator and the large freezer, which could fit a person, with enough ingredients to last not just three days, but probably thirty.

The golden fried eggs sizzled in the non-stick pan, the aroma of them wafting out just as Ji Lin, who had just woken up and come downstairs, caught the scent. He followed it to the kitchen and said incredulously, “Bai Zhao, you’re up way too early! It’s only six o’clock.”

“I’m used to it.” Bai Zhao flipped the egg in the air with a flick of the pan, letting it fall back in. “You’re up pretty early too.”

“I have a habit of morning runs. I’m heading out now—thanks for your hard work.” Ji Lin patted him on the shoulder.

Bai Zhao placed the egg onto an empty plate. “I’m done. If you want to eat, there are still eggs in the fridge.”

“…You didn’t make any for us? But didn’t you say last night…”

“Last night, I didn’t want you all arguing. It was annoying,” Bai Zhao turned off the induction stove and gave him a glance. “Besides, you’re not paying me.”

Ji Lin was left speechless, watching as Bai Zhao added two slices of freshly toasted bread to his plate, then took a cup of hot milk from the microwave and headed upstairs.

…It really doesn’t pay to get close to Yu Duqiu—you end up just as unapproachable.

The selfless People’s Police Officer Ji Lin decided to teach the two a lesson. He gave up his morning run, dived into the kitchen, and wielded a knife to start cooking. An hour later, he proudly brought out a large pot of Cantonese-style clay pot porridge, enough for four people, to the dining table.

He had chopped the shrimp, scallops, mushrooms, and celery into small pieces, cooking them until the aroma filled the house. He garnished the porridge with fresh chopped scallions, making it look and smell delicious.

By the time Yu Duqiu and Bai Zhao came downstairs after eating on their own, the other four had already finished off the entire pot of porridge.

Lou Baoguo was full of praise: “I didn’t expect it, Captain Ji, your cooking skills are amazing. Young master, why don’t you just hire him as the chef and let big brother focus on… um… dating you?”

Ji Lin nearly choked on his tea, scoffing, “Who said I’d be his chef? I only made this one meal to show some people that life isn’t all about personal gain!”

“Personal gain isn’t always a bad thing. If it weren’t for mutual benefit, Bai Zhao and I probably wouldn’t have met at all.” Yu Duqiu stood at the stairway, looking back with a half-smile at the person behind him. “Don’t you agree?”

Bai Zhao didn’t respond, indirectly dismissing Lou Baoguo’s suggestion. “Last night, I played chess in his room and then kept watch. Everything was fine. What about you?”

Lou Baoguo, who had slept like a log, was stunned. He hadn’t even thought about keeping watch, not expecting that the newcomer Bai Zhao was more professional than him. How could he hold his head up now?

Just as he was about to make up some excuse, Zhao Feihua kicked him under the table and adjusted his glasses meaningfully.

Lying to Yu Duqiu? You want to die?

Lou Baoguo felt a shiver down his spine and confessed honestly: “Sorry, young master. I didn’t keep watch… Usually, Lao Zhou arranges the guards, but yesterday I was scolded by Director Yu and forgot about it…”

Yu Duqiu smiled graciously. “It’s fine. The new security personnel are on their way. You won’t need to keep watch, and Captain Ji, you won’t need to cook. However, Bai Zhao upset me last night, so he’ll continue with the duties of keeping watch and cooking.”

Lou Baoguo gave him a sympathetic look. “Big brother, you’ve got…”

“Sure, thank you.” Bai Zhao smiled and said, “I could do this for a lifetime.”

Lou Baoguo: “?”

Yu Duqiu shook his head, showing his teeth. “I can’t stand it.”

Not long after breakfast, the quiet atmosphere was interrupted by the faint sound of cars arriving at the front door—quite a few of them, by the sound of it. Ji Lin, alert, pressed himself against the window, quickly peeking out from behind the curtain. He turned back and said, “If those seven or eight cars and dozens of men in black outside weren’t sent by your mother, we’re not getting out of here today.”

Yu Duqiu calmly brewed a pot of Darjeeling summer tea, unhurriedly picked up a white porcelain cup, inhaled the rich fragrance, and replied evenly, “Are they all over six feet tall?”

Ji Lin was puzzled. “Seems like they are. Why?”

Yu Duqiu: “Are they not wearing ties and leaving their collars open to show off their muscles?”

“…Yes.”

“Then they’re my mom’s people.” Yu Duqiu sipped the bright, amber-colored tea. “She likes to hire muscle-bound men—what’s with that look on your face? Don’t get the wrong idea, my dad’s not being cuckolded. One, my mom is so controlling she wouldn’t allow him the chance to cheat, so she only hires men. Two, she wants to encourage my dad to work out. The moment he starts to gain weight, she has these guys show off their muscles to crush his self-esteem, forcing him to bring a personal trainer home three times a week. Now, at nearly fifty, he still looks like he’s in his thirties.”

“…Really… what kind of family raises what kind of kids…”

Lu Qing complained, “Exactly! Why is it that only women have to maintain themselves? You men should start worrying about your looks too!”

Just hearing this got Ji Lin riled up. He pointed to his face, now two shades darker. “You think I don’t maintain myself? I put on sunscreen every day! And I still went from a soft-boiled egg to a tea egg!”

Their voices had risen, likely catching the attention of the people outside, who came to ring the doorbell. To be safe, Yu Duqiu sent Lou Baoguo to the door to check the passphrase.

Facing the imposing group of men outside, Lou Baoguo gathered all his courage to suppress his shame and asked in a voice as quiet as a mosquito, “Tell me, who is the most beautiful and wealthy woman in the world?”

The leader didn’t seem to mind, probably used to it, and smiled as he replied, “Who else but Director Yu? Hello, my name is Jia Jin.”

“That’s the right answer. Let them in,” Yu Duqiu said.

Lou Baoguo breathed a sigh of relief, muttering under his breath, “Mother and son have the exact same taste in passcodes…”

Jia Jin brought far more people than expected—just the basic bodyguard team had twenty members, reportedly specially dispatched from Yu Duqiu’s father, Nie Heng. Because of this, Mr. Nie’s personal safety and comfort level plummeted over the next three days, forcing him to retreat to a private island he owned for a vacation. In addition to the bodyguards, there were also medical personnel, translators, travel coordinators, stylists, and more. To accommodate the only female in the villa, Lu Qing, Jia Jin even brought along a female assistant and maid, demonstrating exceptional thoughtfulness.

“Ms. Yu has already sent people to investigate the tracker in the gun. She’s currently attending an exhibition in France and can’t come back. She instructed us to ensure your safety at all costs, or we shouldn’t bother returning to New York—just resign on the spot,” Jia Jin said.

Yu Duqiu’s teacup was empty, and he didn’t refill it. He buttoned up his navy-blue suit and said, “She once said that if I pursued the brain-machine interface project, she would disown me. She talks tough, but she won’t act recklessly. No need to be too nervous. By the way, did you bring the gift for the professor? I had it sent to the hotel in advance.”

“Yes, it was well kept by the hotel front desk and is in the car,” Jia Jin replied.

Ji Lin took the opportunity to ask, “When you were at the hotel, did you notice anyone suspicious?”

Jia Jin responded, “No. After arriving in Charlotte this morning, I took people to the hotel to search and inquire—fortunately, there aren’t many people here. During the ten minutes you three exchanged fire, no outsiders entered the underground garage. However, some guests upstairs heard faint gunshots and were initially planning to call the police. The hotel immediately covered it up, cleaned the scene quickly after you left, and claimed that the noise was from moving steel beams during garage repairs. The hotel then posted security guards on every floor, both above and below ground, and there have been no further sightings of suspicious individuals.”

His clear and steady narration reassured Ji Lin somewhat, but he quickly thought of another issue: “What about the customers in the mall yesterday? A group of masked men chased Yu Duqiu inside, and Lou Baoguo followed them in, causing quite a scare among the crowd. How can you ensure they won’t expose it online, causing panic and attracting the police? I don’t want to be stuck in this place for an investigation.”

Zhao Feihua suddenly chuckled, “If they were going to expose it, it would’ve happened already, and the police would be here by now. What do you think I was doing until 3 AM last night? Check the internet more often. Your PR master has already teamed up with the mall management to turn a violent incident into an innovative robbery drill aimed at raising public awareness and caution.”

“To make it more convincing, I even arranged for a few actors to wear masks similar to yesterday’s and stand outside the mall with signs that read ‘What to Do in a Robbery,’ teaching passersby self-defense techniques. Participants who leave positive feedback on social media receive a ten-dollar coupon valid across the entire mall. Who would turn down free money? The scene was packed.”

Ji Lin was impressed: “You’ve really mastered the tricks of Chinese e-commerce.”

Lu Qing muttered, “So, in simple terms, it’s just about twisting the truth and spouting nonsense!”

Zhao Feihua adjusted his glasses and smiled at Jia Jin, “Shall we head out now?”

Seven sleek black Mercedes-Benz cars were lined up neatly outside the villa, the shiny exteriors reflecting the surroundings.

Jia Jin opened the rear door of the middle car and bowed slightly, “Ms. Yu has provided a vehicle equipped with the highest civilian VR10 bulletproof standards for you.”

“How considerate of her,” Yu Duqiu said as he got into the car, with Jia Jin naturally taking the front passenger seat as his personal secretary.

This left only one seat in the back.

Surprisingly, Yu Duqiu chose Lou Baoguo.

Lou Baoguo was flattered, clutching his chest in excitement, “I thought I’d be out of favor once the boss arrived.”

Yu Duqiu smiled but said nothing, clearly indicating that Lou Baoguo was more trusted.

Zhao Feihua and Bai Zhao got into the car behind them. Seeing Bai Zhao’s slightly gloomy expression, Zhao Feihua could easily guess that he was in a bad mood. He patted Bai Zhao’s shoulder comfortingly and said, “Brother, I don’t know if you’ve genuinely fallen for Yu Duqiu or what, but with your mysterious advances, no amount of sweet talk will win his heart. At most, he’ll just play along. If you want him to truly care for you, you should start by being honest with him.”

Bai Zhao looked down, wiping his newly assigned handgun, and asked, “If I’m honest, will he genuinely care for me?”

Zhao Feihua withdrew his hand, “That’s hard to say. Take me, for example—I’ve been his college classmate and worked with him for years, yet I’ve never felt that he fully trusts me. But you can’t blame him. When surrounded by predators, how can anyone fully relax? You probably don’t know this, but the person who delivered supplies yesterday also brought a handgun, which is now hidden under his pillow—this is his habit abroad. Domestically, he has no choice but to wear a blade necklace for self-defense. You’ve seen it, right? If you had dared to make a move last night, your body would likely be bagged and tagged by now.”

His intention was to deter this new bodyguard from having any ill thoughts about Yu Duqiu. However, Bai Zhao said, “Yes, I know. He’s afraid of guns. Holding a gun makes it harder for him to sleep, making him more alert to danger… A fool who harms himself to take down others.”

Zhao Feihua, used to hearing people praise his boss as a “genius” and “miracle,” was taken aback by someone using the word “fool” to describe Yu Duqiu. He couldn’t help but question this bodyguard’s judgment: “With all due respect, the fool here might be you. Of all people, why chase after him? Didn’t you see what happened to Ms. Du?”

“I’m different from her. I can do things she couldn’t,” Bai Zhao said, looking over. “So, do you have any advice?”

Zhao Feihua didn’t dare offer advice on how to pursue his boss, fearing for his life if Yu Duqiu found out. Moreover, the resolute look in Bai Zhao’s dark eyes was unsettling—this person seemed willing to go to any lengths to achieve his goal, no matter how crazy or outrageous the suggestion.

So Zhao Feihua offered an impossible suggestion, hoping to dissuade this reckless bodyguard: “Give it up unless you’re willing to risk your life. Otherwise, he won’t care for you.”

Bai Zhao paused, frowning, and after a long silence, sighed, “That’s truly difficult.”

Zhao Feihua also sighed in relief, “Yes, so stop dreaming and focus on your job.”

Bai Zhao didn’t speak for the rest of the journey, staring blankly at the gun in his hand, lost in thought.

The distance from Charlotte to Durham was 144 miles according to the map, with a real drive time of two hours.

There weren’t many vehicles on the road, which was a regular two- to three-lane highway—not particularly wide. As the seven Mercedes-Benz cars passed by in a straight, orderly line, all nearby drivers couldn’t help but take a curious look.

Unfortunately, the ten-centimeter-thick one-way bulletproof glass concealed the identities of those inside and blocked any potential attacks.

Two hours later, the Mercedes convoy turned onto a straight road flanked by small granite gates on either side, with a large sign embedded in the wall that read “Duke University” in English.

Lou Baoguo, who had never attended a comprehensive university, was amazed at everything he saw since this was the first time he had accompanied Yu Duqiu to a university for business. “Wow, there aren’t any security guards at the entrance? You can just drive in? Back when I was in the military, even my parents needed proof to visit.”

Jia Jin turned around and replied, “We’ve already coordinated with the university. The on-campus garden is closed to the public today. The professor will meet you in the botanical garden within the garden, which makes it easier for us to deploy security around you without disturbing you two. If any unauthorized person tries to enter, we’ll notice immediately. It’s absolutely secure.”

Lou Baoguo joked, “They really know how to treat guests.”

Jia Jin smiled. “They might also be hoping for a donation.”

Yu Duqiu looked out the window, watching the Gothic buildings pass by, light and shadow playing across them. “They’ll be disappointed. I’m no philanthropist.”

Once the convoy entered the campus, they slowed down and navigated through several turns before arriving at a parking lot beside the garden.

Jia Jin led a team to thoroughly search the garden to ensure it was empty before opening the car door and escorting Yu Duqiu inside. Ji Lin and Lu Qing remained in the parking lot as a precaution.

It was early summer, and the garden was lush and vibrant, with flowers in full bloom, especially the strikingly beautiful tulips. The pond reflected the sky and clouds, while ducks, birds, and turtles coexisted peacefully. The Asian elements, such as lotus and bamboo, created an illusion of being back in China.

Deep within the bamboo grove, a tea room was hidden. A university representative was waiting at the wooden door and eagerly approached when they saw them. “Mr. Yu! Welcome!”

Yu Duqiu shook hands with them. “I apologize for taking up the professor’s research time.”

“Not at all. The professor is delighted to meet you. The Yu family name is well-known in Silicon Valley. And the professor was thrilled to learn that you’re interested in brain-machine interfaces. The last time a Chinese scientist visited him for this project was over twenty years ago!”

Yu Duqiu smiled. “The professor must be referring to Ms. Cen Wan, my grandfather’s student. She was a pioneer in brain-machine interfaces in China, but unfortunately, fate was unkind, and I missed the chance to speak with her. One of my goals in returning to China is to complete the project she left unfinished, which was also my grandfather’s wish. Unexpectedly, I encountered some issues, so I’ve come to consult with the professor and see if there are any problems with Ms. Cen’s experimental data, hoping for his guidance and support.”

Hearing this, Bai Zhao quietly asked Lou Baoguo, “Weren’t we here for the Themis project? Why does he keep mentioning Ms. Cen? Why does he want the professor to look at her data?”

Lou Baoguo grimaced, “Boss, did you forget I don’t understand English?”

“…”

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, they headed toward the tea room.

Since the meeting was private, Yu Duqiu only brought Zhao Feihua, along with two photographers and writers to record the meeting, into the tea room.

Lou Baoguo retrieved a wooden gift box from the car’s trunk, supposedly containing a gift for the professor. It was heavy, and he broke out in a sweat carrying it to the tea room. When handing it over to Zhao Feihua, he specifically reminded him, “The boss said it’s fragile, so be careful!”

Zhao Feihua, not particularly strong, almost buckled under the weight. “What is this? Gold bars? Boss, bribery is illegal.”

Yu Duqiu chuckled and opened the wooden box in front of him, revealing eight glass items of various shapes and patterns. The glass was as clear as ice, and the enamel paint vividly depicted plants and flowers, incredibly lifelike and beautiful.

Even someone as rough as Lou Baoguo couldn’t help but admire them. “These are beautiful. They must be expensive, right?”

“The price isn’t the main issue; it’s about luck in finding them,” Yu Duqiu replied as he closed the box and locked it. “These are the works of Ms. Xishan Xue and can only be acquired through a lottery at exhibitions. It took a lot of effort to collect the complete set of spring flowers, summer grass, autumn fruits, and winter snow. The extras I gave to my mother.”

Zhao Feihua scoffed, “You’re a Chinese man in America giving a Brazilian a Japanese gift.”

Yu Duqiu adjusted his glasses, which had slipped down. “It symbolizes that art knows no borders, and neither does science. Artists breathe life into their work, while scientists give life to humanity. And life is one of the most precious things in this world. Once someone is gone, they can never come back, no matter how much the living repent… That’s why I love both art and science.”

Zhao Feihua sensed there was more to his words, with an underlying emotion in his eyes, but before he could figure it out, Yu Duqiu led them into the tea room, while the rest of the team dispersed to keep watch.

Since there was no shortage of staff, Lou Baoguo took the opportunity to slack off, pulling Bai Zhao to sit in a pavilion, claiming he was taking care of his injured foot.

“I’m fine,” Bai Zhao stood at the pavilion entrance, observing the surroundings. His casual pants covered his ankle, revealing only a small bandage.

Lou Baoguo loosened his tie, fanning himself in the heat. Seeing Bai Zhao in a short-sleeved T-shirt, he said enviously, “Boss, why don’t you have to wear a suit? Didn’t the boss give you one?”

“He did, but I didn’t take it.”

Lou Baoguo was surprised to learn that you could refuse Yu Duqiu’s requests. “You’re brave… Didn’t the boss scold you?”

“He did, and said he wouldn’t have one tailored for me again,” Bai Zhao replied indifferently. “That’s fine; I’ll keep the old one and have Uncle Chen mend it. I’ll pay for it myself if necessary.”

“Uncle Chen’s repairs will cost thousands. You might as well buy a new one.”

Bai Zhao didn’t respond for a while, his gaze fixed on a corner of the garden where a cluster of white hibiscus was thriving like pure snowflakes.

“It’s not about the money.”

A sudden thought struck Lou Baoguo. “Don’t tell me… you can’t bear to throw it away?”

Bai Zhao didn’t answer, but his silence at that moment was as good as a confession.

Lou Baoguo hesitated, struggling for a while before finally speaking up. “Boss, I’m going to say something you might not like. Whether you have feelings for the young master or not, don’t get too deep. The young master’s nature is like that—no one can figure him out.”

“Not necessarily,” Bai Zhao murmured, recalling what Yu Duqiu had said earlier. “He’s not inherently like that.”

Lou Baoguo got anxious. “Come on, can’t you see that the young master was barely paying attention to you today? I think he’s already lost interest in you…”

Bai Zhao’s body stiffened, and suddenly he drew a gun from behind his back!

Lou Baoguo immediately jumped up from the stone bench, waving his hands frantically. “Alright, alright, I won’t say anything more! Don’t be mad!”

However, Bai Zhao wasn’t aiming at him but at a middle-aged man who had just approached the pavilion. The man was startled and quickly raised his hands. “Don’t shoot! I’m on your side!”

Bai Zhao shouted sternly, “Who are you?”

The man, holding a small box, stammered in panic, “Young Master Yu asked me to come check on… your foot injury.”

Bai Zhao holstered his gun and walked down the pavilion steps, leaving Lou Baoguo staring in shock at his proud back. “You all think he’s unfathomable, impossible to read, yet you all believe you understand him and think he wouldn’t care about me. Isn’t that contradictory?”

Lou Baoguo stammered, “But… but…”

“Even if he doesn’t care about me,” Bai Zhao stopped and turned his head slightly, “I’m going to make sure he never forgets me.”