BL Ch10

Bishan is one of the top residential areas in Pingyi City, with a mansion at its peak that rivals a palace, occupying the entire mountaintop. Its area is equivalent to five football fields. It was recently purchased by a new wealthy owner and named “Palace No. 1,” symbolizing the “top 1% of the pyramid.”

The staggered greenery and security-guarded gates block outsiders’ view. On the lush lawns within, two Dobermans with sleek, shiny black fur are chasing and playing. Their golden-brown legs run like the wind, and the platinum chains around their necks swing from side to side. The dog trainer stands nearby, always keeping an eye on them.

A frisbee soared through the air like a falcon, and the two dogs immediately ran after it excitedly, tongues lolling.

Yu Duqiu retracted his hand, lazily lay back on the recliner under the sunshade, adjusted his sunglasses, and tightened his Bluetooth headset, replying, “Got it, Grandpa. I’ve already arranged for someone to handle my second uncle’s funeral. I’ll take care of anything his family needs in the future, whether it’s school district housing for the kids or retirement care for the parents.”

Whatever was said on the other end made Yu Duqiu unusually helpless. He took a fierce sip of orange juice and said, “I’m definitely going to start the Themis project. There’s no use trying to persuade me otherwise. Isn’t this also to fulfill your wish? Don’t worry about me, I’m almost married and know what I’m doing…”

“…Why bring up the wedding again? If you don’t agree, go talk to my parents or the Du family. I don’t want to get married either. Lingya is too obsessive. She knows I’m an incorrigible scoundrel but still wants to reform me. Who in their right mind would…”

“What? Please, take a break. I don’t need you to find someone for me. If word gets out, people will think no one wants me, having elders introduce potential partners… I’m making this call under police surveillance, don’t embarrass me.”

Just by listening to his replies, one could guess what was being said. Lou Baoguo dared not laugh, his face turning red as he nudged Zhou Yi’s arm beside him.

Zhou Yi frowned and retorted, “Don’t act like a grade-schooler.”

“Hey, you old thing…”

Lou Baoguo hadn’t finished cursing when he heard Yu Duqiu say, “We’ll talk later,” and immediately regained a serious expression.

Yu Duqiu ended the call and stared blankly at his two dogs playing on the lawn in the distance. “What’s up with Grandpa? He actually said he wants to introduce me to a nice boy? A boy who can ‘cure’ me? I told him I only top…”

Lou Baoguo was thankful he wasn’t drinking water; he would’ve spit it out. “Young master… you told your grandpa that?”

“So what? It’s not embarrassing to top men, but being topped by men is.”

The very straight Lou Baoguo shuddered violently at the thought of riding men.

Zhou Yi coughed lightly, “Parents always hope their children are cared for and happy. That’s why they introduce partners.”

Yu Duqiu was dismissive, “That’s not always true. Look at my parents. They barely cared for me since I turned eighteen.”

Zhou Yi carefully chose his words, “Sometimes neglect doesn’t mean they don’t love you, it might be out of necessity. I used to work abroad for years, leaving my daughter with her grandmother. But I constantly thought of her, worried if she was bullied at school or studied well. She’s taking the high school entrance exam next year… she’s always on my mind.”

Yu Duqiu snorted, “They’re concerned about me, but also about getting me married and settled. Isn’t that forcing things? I don’t even like Lingya, and even if I did, I couldn’t possibly like only her my whole life. That’d be so boring.”

Even Zhou Yi, usually eloquent, couldn’t find a tactful way to say, “Young master, what kind of twisted logic is that!” He couldn’t delve deeper due to his subordinate status and could only smile wryly, “Well… as long as you’re happy.”

The two Dobermans, panting heavily, ran back after half an hour of playing, still full of energy. The dog trainer chased them, sweating profusely. Yu Duqiu whistled shortly, and the dogs immediately turned around, running to him, eagerly rubbing his palms and rolling on the ground with joy, getting covered in grass.

“Finding someone to spend a lifetime with isn’t as good as having a dog. At least they’re loyal, smart, and obedient,” Yu Duqiu said, stroking the yellow spots above the dogs’ eyes. “Right, Black Cat, Police Chief?”

Lou Baoguo covered his face, whispering, “That name… I doubt every time I hear it. Did the young master really come up with it?”

Zhou Yi tactically coughed, vaguely replying, “Don’t ask unnecessary questions.”

Just then, a voice came through Lou Baoguo’s throat mic. He immediately focused, adjusted the mic, listened intently, then hesitantly reported to Yu Duqiu, “Young master, Uncle Hong said Feihua is here.”

Yu Duqiu’s hand paused as he reached for the orange juice, and his mouth twitched, “Tell him I’m not here.”

“…Uncle Hong said he’s already sitting in the meeting room. He said if you don’t see him, he’ll spread rumors in the financial sector, ensuring you’ll never sleep with another financial elite.”

“…”

Ten minutes later, in the first-floor meeting room of the main villa.

The mahogany meeting table stretched five meters long. At the northern end sat a young man of medium height and slim build, with sharp eyes under long eyebrows. Despite his 800-degree nearsightedness, his ultra-thin lenses barely showed it. His glasses often slid down his low nose, needing frequent adjustments. Despite his youth, he had the air of an old scholar.

But once he started talking, his words fired out like machine-gun bursts:

“Goddamn it, I was only away on a business trip for a week, a week! And you manage to get involved in a murder case! Master Yu, can you give me a break? Stop making my life bitter! When I saw the news on the plane, I wished it would crash right then! Did I kill someone in my past life to deserve being your PR manager?”

Yu Duqiu nonchalantly picked his ear, “You can always quit.”

“No way, quitting now would be a disgraceful retreat. I won’t allow such a blemish on my career! I’ll hand in my resignation when I’ve achieved great success, and then throw it in your face!”

Lou Baoguo and Zhou Yi, sitting on the sidelines, whispered, “Finally, a quiet week…”

“Indeed…”

“Guo Bao Rou, don’t think I can’t hear you!” Zhao Feihua yelled like a class teacher, then opened his thermos to drink some monk fruit tea to soothe his throat before continuing to bombard his boss, who was lounging in his chair, “The whole tech industry is bearish on your new project. Five venture capital firms that initially showed interest have all backed out. I suggest you carefully consider going directly to Series A funding, or better yet, abandon the project entirely. If it fails, your reputation will plummet, and the stock prices of all your companies will be affected! In the end, it’ll be me cleaning up your mess!”

Yu Duqiu tapped his fingers on the table and yawned leisurely, “Failure belongs only to those who dare not even try. On the path of scientific exploration, obstacles are inevitable. For me, as long as there is a one percent chance of success, it’s worth the gamble.”

“My dear young master, it’s one thing to gamble with money, but this time your life is at stake! Brain-machine interfaces have long been studied in the tech world. You know, a scientist in our country, a student of your grandfather, researched this two decades ago with a similar approach, and what was the outcome? His entire family of four perished! Now the media claims there’s a curse on this technology, bringing misfortune to anyone who dabbles in it, predicting you’ll repeat the tragedy from twenty years ago.”

“Maybe,” Yu Duqiu smiled broadly.

“You can still smile!” Zhao Feihua was almost fainting with anger. After calming himself, he adjusted his glasses and tried to persuade calmly, “Duqiu, for the sake of our college friendship, I sincerely advise you to stop. I had no objections to your previous whimsical investments because you have the money to play around. But this project is too dangerous and threatens some fundamental interests.”

“I investigated Pingyi City’s capital situation before returning. On the surface, it’s calm, but underneath, the various forces are intricately intertwined and treacherous. Old declining wealthy families are secretly engaging in countless shady deals and schemes to compete with new rising elites like you. Dealing with these people is a monumental task even for the government. Despite your halo, you’re still just a businessman. I’m really worried you might…”

“Why didn’t you stay in America and be a brilliant entrepreneur? Isn’t it enjoyable to be surrounded by good wine and handsome men every day? Why come back to wade through these troubled waters? You’ve never shown interest in brain-machine interfaces before. Are you looking for trouble because your life was too comfortable?”

Yu Duqiu listened to this long speech, still smiling calmly, “I’ve had this idea for a long time, just speeding up the process, and I’m here to avenge old friends. Isn’t that reason enough? Now there’s my second uncle too. Isn’t that a sufficient reason?”

Zhao Feihua waved his hand, “Come on, when did you become so righteous? It’s the police’s job to catch the culprits. You should consider yourself lucky if you return unscathed, let alone seeking revenge.”

He rolled his eyes, started tidying up the scattered documents on the conference table, “Forget it, I know I can’t persuade you. When you’re stubborn, even eight naked men dancing in front of you won’t distract you. I’ll go and think up a PR plan. Remember to give me a bonus! At least a hundred thousand!”

“Your analogy…” Yu Duqiu chuckled, casually showing a number with his fingers, “Three hundred thousand. It’s hard work. You’re the only old employee I brought back this time. Keep up the good work, and there will be plenty of benefits.”

Zhao Feihua’s anger was slightly subdued by the power of money. His tone softened, “Oh, and don’t neglect your fiancée. Although the Du family is in decline, a lean camel is still bigger than a horse. Her brother still has some influence in the domestic media. He can help you shift the media narrative. I’ll arrange a meeting for you two. Until then, don’t give any response to the media. They are adept at twisting words. Even if you say, ‘I have no comment on this incident,’ they might distort it to ‘Yu Duqiu refuses to take responsibility for Yu Wencheng’s death.'”

Seeing Zhao Feihua finally about to finish his nagging, Yu Duqiu secretly sighed in relief, “Alright, you handle it. Lao Zhou, Baoguo, see him out.”

Lou Baoguo reluctantly stood up, still annoyed at being called “pot-wrapped meat,” grumbled, “See him out? He knows the way…”

Zhao Feihua’s ears twitched, and he snapped, “You fat idiot, what’s wrong with seeing me out? Who knows if there are assassins lurking outside the villa? If I die, who’s going to save you all?”

Lou Baoguo turned red with anger, but with Yu Duqiu present, he didn’t dare argue and grudgingly saw him to the door, whispering to Zhou Yi, “Zhao Feihua talks way too much…”

Zhao Feihua suddenly turned his head!

“Whoa!” Lou Baoguo jumped back, almost stepping on Zhou Yi, thinking he’d been overheard. However, Zhao Feihua wasn’t looking at him but directed a puzzled gaze at Yu Duqiu, “By the way, I heard you hired a new bodyguard at the welcome banquet? Where is he? I haven’t seen him.”

Yu Duqiu, hands in his pockets, was following behind, deep in thought. Hearing this, he casually replied, “Oh, I locked him in the basement.”

“…” Zhao Feihua stopped in his tracks, incredulously asking, “Locked in the basement? What do you mean?”

“Just locked in the basement,” Yu Duqiu looked up, his light-colored eyes shining with a beautiful and gentle glow, “That guy was too arrogant, had to be taught a lesson. He hasn’t eaten for two days… he probably isn’t dead. Want to go check?”