BL Ch71

Some of the guests in the audience didn’t recognize Peiming and stretched their necks to see which unlucky person it was.

Peizhuo was so angry he wanted to curse. Yu Duqiu’s tone was completely commanding, calling out his brother’s name in front of everyone, not giving any chance for rebuttal, treating them not as guests at all!

He suppressed his anger and loudly retorted, “Mr. Yu, are you joking? Who knows if your product might harm people? It hasn’t even undergone rigorous testing, how can you unilaterally use it on others?”

Yu Duqiu countered with reason, “Brain-computer interface devices are mainly divided into two categories: non-invasive and invasive. Invasive types are typically implanted directly into the brain’s grey matter, where the risks are indeed higher. But for non-invasive devices like ours, countless experiments have already proven their safety.”

A shadow fell over Peizhuo’s face; seeing Yu Duqiu’s dismissive look, his temper flared, “Easy to say, what if there’s another accident like twenty years ago? Can you take responsibility?”

“Coincidentally, I’m using the experimental model from Miss Cen twenty years ago.” Yu Duqiu seemed to have been waiting for this moment, a confident smile curling his lips as he elaborated, “After returning to the country earlier this year, I secured Miss Cen’s experimental data through various channels. At the end of June, I went abroad to visit Professor Miguel, the father of brain-computer interfaces, and showed him the data. He confirmed there were no issues, and I still have the recording of that meeting. This means that the accident twenty years ago wasn’t due to any flaw in Miss Cen’s experimental product but was caused by ignorant, foolish, or malicious rumors. Mr. Pei, you can rest assured.”

Peng Deyu gave a quiet “huh” in applause, glancing at Ji Lin next to Xu Sheng, “He went abroad for this? Were you aware?”

Ji Lin was completely out of the loop, “He only took his subordinates with him to discuss with the professor. I thought it was just for show. I didn’t expect his goal to be this… keeping it under wraps until now; he really knows how to keep secrets.”

Peng Deyu took the opportunity to educate, “You think everyone’s as impulsive as you? If he had revealed this back then, without evidence, not everyone would believe him. Now, having produced a tangible result based on Cen Wan’s data, we can test whether this device is harmful or can cause mental confusion. Plus, with the endorsement of a renowned professor, it’s just icing on the cake, and the rumors will dispel themselves.”

Even Feng Jinmin spoke up, “He keeps his strategies close; this kid has deep schemes.”

Peizhuo hadn’t anticipated that his retort would give Yu Duqiu the perfect opportunity to show off, his face turning red, his teeth gritting in frustration, unable to find another excuse to refuse going on stage.

At this moment, Peiming, who had been silent, adjusted his glasses with a serious expression, his tone gentle, “Isn’t Mr. Yu’s press conference supposed to introduce new products? Why bring up old issues? The cause of the accident back then is irrelevant to most of us here. We’re only interested in whether your device can detoxify as you’ve claimed. If so, I believe every investor here would rush to fund you. As for something as simple as lie detection, any polygraph can do that; I see no need for a demonstration. Mr. Yu, show us your real capabilities. Let’s see how impressive this technology is that could secure a billion in investment.”

Xu Sheng, listening, clicked his tongue, “Peiming isn’t so easy to fool; he’s turned the tables. Now Yu Duqiu’s in trouble. If he can’t prove his device effectively treats addiction, people will think he’s all talk, maybe even false advertising, which would severely undermine his credibility, including what he said about Cen Wan’s product being safe.”

Feng Jinmin: “No, Peiming’s already taken the bait.”

Xu Sheng: “Huh?”

Peng Deyu also saw through it: “He said lie detection is a simple function, so why resist going on stage? Peiming is a very slick businessman; he’s always maintained a good relationship with Yu Duqiu, even showing interest in investing. Now he’s publicly challenged Yu Duqiu, risking their relationship rather than doing a simple test. He must have something to hide.”

Xu Sheng had an epiphany.

This was the real lie detection; whether Peiming went on stage or not, the moment Yu Duqiu invited him, he had fallen into a trap.

Hearing Peiming’s words, Yu Duqiu responded calmly from behind the podium, “Detoxification is indeed one of our key research areas, but whether we can experiment on addicts to verify the product’s effectiveness still requires approval.”

Under the cover of darkness, someone from the audience quickly scoffed, “So, it’s all just talk then!”

Yu Duqiu raised an eyebrow slightly, “Mr. Qian, isn’t that too hasty a judgment?”

“…”

The person in the audience hadn’t expected him to pinpoint him in the dark and immediately backed down, trying to laugh it off, “Just joking, Mr. Yu, please continue, continue…”

Yu Duqiu’s sharp gaze swept over everyone else, like a sharp sword; wherever it passed, any malevolent eyes in the darkness disappeared. Everyone quickly composed themselves, fearing being singled out.

“Although not yet confirmed by experimentation, I have great confidence in this project.” Yu Duqiu slightly lifted his chin, the spotlight illuminating his pale, smooth face, casting a halo of sanctity. He looked down upon everyone like an arrogant deity, effortlessly suppressing all skeptics, “Brain-computer interface is the closest thing we have to sci-fi technology, the future of human-computer interaction, with immense medical research value. Detoxification is just a minor branch of its functions.”

“Modern drugs directly damage the brain and nervous system, leading to high addiction and relapse rates, making detoxification extremely difficult. But by wearing our brain-computer interface device, we can effectively intervene in the pleasure centers, reshape neurons, and aid in detoxification. We can also monitor the brain state of addicts in real-time, generating data to make the detoxification process traceable.”

“The whole process would become as simple as losing weight; you just watch the numbers on the screen decrease daily. Of course, addicts must have a strong will; shouting slogans won’t do. If you can’t control your urges, no amount of advanced technology will help.”

Lu Qing whispered, “That’s quite a vivid metaphor…”

Niu Feng: “Just keep listening to his hype. If it were that easy, I’d call him dad!”

Most in the audience were entrepreneurs or wealthy investors here for investment, not experts in brain-computer interfaces. If an ordinary entrepreneur made such claims, they would face strong skepticism.

But standing on stage was Yu Duqiu.

Genius, son of God, madman, psychopath, omnipotent… these polarized evaluations were the hallmark of this young billionaire’s persona. Following him could mean overnight wealth and a leap in social class, or just as easily, overnight ruin.

Thus, skepticism turned into doubt.

History has shown that most of Yu Duqiu’s seemingly crazy and absurd projects have yielded high returns. In the field of sci-tech, not just in Pingyi City, but likely across the country, few entrepreneurs would dare to dream big, have sharp vision, and possess such capability.

At 27, with a net worth of billions, that was the most convincing proof.

Seeing the audience’s attitudes waver, Du Shuyan, the best at reading the room, stood up first to flatter, “Since Mr. Yu is so confident, he must have it in the bag. When will the human testing approval come through? We’re eager to see it in action.”

“I haven’t applied,” Yu Duqiu said nonchalantly.

“…”

Both supporters and detractors in the audience fell silent.

Xu Sheng’s mouth twitched, “What’s the point of this press conference if not to mess with people?”

Du Shuyan was likely speechless too, awkwardly adding, “It’s better to apply early; the approval might take a long time, don’t delay your research.”

Yu Duqiu sighed, “It’s not that I don’t want to apply, but there are too many regulations, human rights, ethics, it’s all so troublesome. Those who voluntarily use drugs don’t care about their lives, why should we give them human rights?”

Du Shuyan forced a laugh, “No choice, you have to follow the rules…”

“Not necessarily. Since it’s inconvenient here in the country, I’ll go abroad.” Yu Duqiu’s tone suddenly shifted as he flashed a creepy smile, “In some underdeveloped countries, medical conditions are poor, and many who suffer from drug addiction are willing to be test subjects. To them, it’s like a last-ditch effort. I plan to go abroad to recruit volunteers for the experiment.”

Du Shuyan was dumbfounded, “Ah? Go abroad?”

“Yes, that’s also the main purpose of today’s press conference – to inform everyone about my next research plan. I intended to talk about this after the demonstration, but since everyone is so eager about the project’s follow-up, I’ll reveal it now.”

In the dark corner beside the podium, Zhao Feihua’s eyelids were practically fluttering with anxiety. She asked her bodyguard nervously, “Is this in the script? I’ve never heard about this plan to go abroad. Have you?”

Bai Zhao shook his head, “Didn’t you notice he didn’t bring the script?”

The matter of going on stage for the lie detector test was long forgotten. Peiming was now willing to chime in, “Hmm, it’s a viable approach. Where does Mr. Yu plan to conduct the experiment?”

Yu Duqiu said leisurely, “Haven’t decided yet. I rarely do business in third-world countries, not familiar with the area, especially since this involves human testing related to drugs, which could be dangerous. I’d need someone familiar with the local scene to help connect. If anyone is willing to assist, I offer 15% of the shares.”

Peiming’s eyes behind his glasses lit up, “Mr. Yu is that generous?”

Not just him, but all the guests except for the police were stirred.

Usually, CEOs joining a startup late get only 10% of the shares. 15% means absolute control!

Yu Duqiu, who never dilutes his shares, is willing to give away 15% of his new company’s equity! Only fools wouldn’t fight for it!

Mr. Qian, who had just mocked him, quickly changed his tune, fawning, “Mr. Yu, I have a rubber factory in Thailand, quite familiar with the place, and I know there are many drug users there.”

Another voice added, “Vietnam has even more drug users; it’s both a drug production country and a transit point for drugs from the Golden Triangle to the international market. I have a mobile parts factory there, with good government connections, so it’s easy to get things done.”

Ji Lin listened to the voices from the darkness, increasingly feeling something was off, “Why do all these people have factories abroad? Are all the heads of multinational companies from our city here?”

Xu Sheng: “Doesn’t Peiming have one… no way, he did this on purpose?”

“What?”

Before Xu Sheng could organize his thoughts, his words came out jumbled, “Don’t tell me I’m right, damn, this kid is playing dirty, how could he do this?”

Ji Lin was about to ask when Yu Duqiu on stage had already made his decision:

“Since that’s the case, why not conduct the experiment directly in the Golden Triangle region? The sample would be richer, and the data more reliable.” He slowly turned his head, like a cold machine set on a target, his gaze accurately locking onto Peiming in the front row, “Mr. Pei, you should be quite familiar with Myanmar, right? Why don’t you take me there?”

Peiming’s fingers on his knee curled imperceptibly.

At the same time, Zhao Feihua grabbed her bodyguard, who was suddenly rushing towards the stage, and growled in annoyance, “What are you doing! Come back!”

“I have to stop him.”

“You can’t stop him! Can’t you see? He wants a legitimate reason to drag Peiming to Myanmar to investigate, even the police can’t stop him!”

Indeed, the police couldn’t stop him, though Xu Sheng desperately wanted to rush on stage and give Yu Duqiu a piece of his mind.

You’re not allowed to go, but you insist on going! Are you looking to die?

The two veteran police officers remained calm. Feng Jinmin judged, “To achieve his goal, he’ll stop at nothing. How does Mu Hao have such a friend?” His tone was full of reproach.

Ji Lin pursed his lips, reluctantly defending, “Brother Mu considers him a friend for a reason.”

Feng Jinmin gave him a seemingly casual glance, “You’re so concerned about Mu Hao’s case for your reasons too, aren’t you?”

Ji Lin’s expression stiffened, and he didn’t reply further.

Peng Deyu leaned towards approval, “I think this little punk’s move is smart. If the murderer is really Peiming’s man, with Peiming by his side, it’s like having a hostage. The murderer would have to think twice before acting. Let’s see if Peiming agrees.”

Just as he finished speaking, they heard Peiming say calmly, “Yes, there are some business dealings. My company has a mine in Mong Hsu, with government cooperation. If Mr. Yu needs help recruiting volunteers, I can offer some assistance.”

“That would be great, I can also buy some ruby directly from the source.” Yu Duqiu said happily.

Du Shuyan, seeing them chat so freely, perhaps envious of Peiming getting all the attention, casually mentioned, “The rubies from Mong Hsu have black spots, not the best quality. The pigeon blood red from Mogok is the finest.”

Yu Duqiu thought for a moment, “True, but it doesn’t matter. I heard Mr. Pei has a mine there too?”

Peiming paused slightly, then gave an indifferent smile, “We do have one, but it’s long been abandoned; there’s not much pigeon blood red left. It’s just a remote village in the mountains, nothing worth seeing.”

Yu Duqiu was slightly taken aback, then a sharp light flashed in his eyes, “Even so, it’s still a world-famous ruby town. I’d love to see it with my own eyes. Would Mr. Pei be so kind as to accommodate me?”

Peiming fell silent for three to four seconds.

Even the other guests in the audience sensed something was off.

Yu Duqiu had explicitly offered this huge opportunity to Peiming, who only needed to show him around his mine, which wasn’t a big deal, yet he hesitated.

Could there be something he’s hiding?

At the same time, Ji Lin remembered where he had heard the name Mogok before – at Charlotte’s banquet two months ago.

“…The earrings Peizhuo gave to Du Lingya were pigeon blood red, only produced in the Mogok mines.” He murmured, quickly piecing things together, “Those earrings were clearly made from recently mined stones, but Peiming says the Mogok mine has been ‘long abandoned’… He’s lying!”

Xu Sheng also grew suspicious, “Why doesn’t Peiming want to take Yu Duqiu there? There must be something shady. Could it be… Bai Zhiming is hiding there? He often goes to Myanmar for business, must be very familiar with that mining area; settling there wouldn’t be difficult.”

Feng Jinmin’s cloudy eyes narrowed, his commanding presence honed over the years making his words sound like an order, “Contact Yunnan immediately, have the Myanmar police set up checkpoints at all entry and exit points of Mogok, focus on searching that area. Even if Bai Zhiming isn’t there, something’s definitely off; maybe there’s evidence of Pei Xianyong’s past drug trafficking.”

Xu Sheng responded with an immediate “Yes,” then relayed the instructions, asking, “Can we apply for surveillance on Peiming’s phone? If he tips off anyone, we’d know immediately.”

Feng Jinmin shook his head solemnly, “The city bureau’s approval process is very strict. Without solid evidence of a crime, it won’t be approved.”

Xu Sheng sighed in disappointment.

Peng Deyu said, “Don’t lose heart. Currently, only we and Yu Duqiu know Bai Zhiming isn’t dead. Yu Duqiu won’t tell outsiders, and if Peiming is a suspect, he must think we’re still in the dark. By the time this press conference ends, the checkpoints should be in place. Even if Bai Zhiming knows we’re after him, it won’t be easy for him to escape.”

After a few seconds of hesitation, Peiming lowered his eyes, adjusted his glasses, and when he looked up, there was no trace of hesitation on his face, “Since Mr. Yu wants to go, I’m happy to accompany you.”

“Good, then it’s settled!” After going through all this trouble, Yu Duqiu finally achieved his goal and returned to the main topic, “Sorry for going off-topic. Now, let me show you how to wear this device…”

The other guests in the audience sighed, lamenting the missed opportunity to invest.

Two hours later, the press conference concluded, the lights in the exhibition hall came on, and many people didn’t rush to leave, wanting to chat with Yu Duqiu.

Peiming stood up, adjusted his suit, and gave Peizhuo a look; they moved towards the door discreetly.

“Mr. Pei, wait!” Du Shuyan called out to them.

Peiming turned back, his expression displeased, “Does Mr. Du have something else?”

“Something personal.” Du Shuyan, being half a head shorter, was less imposing, looking up at him, “Here’s the thing, I wanted to ask on behalf of Ya, if Xiao Zhuo has been very busy lately? Ya said she hasn’t seen you in a while.”

Upon hearing Du Lingya’s name, Peizhuo couldn’t move any further, quickly responding, “No, no, I was worried about bothering Lingya, planning to visit her in a few days. She… mentioned me, Shuyan?”

Although Peiming and Du Shuyan didn’t get along, Du Shuyan was Du Lingya’s brother, so Peizhuo didn’t dare to offend him, keeping his tone very respectful.

Peiming shot a stern look at his brother, preventing him from straying, then responded to Du Shuyan, “Miss Du was quite indifferent to Xiao Zhuo before, didn’t seem interested, right? Besides, she just broke off her engagement with Duqiu. She might not have moved on from the heartache. Looking for Xiao Zhuo might just be for companionship, not necessarily anything more. Mr. Du, you should let things take their natural course, no need to force a match.”

Du Shuyan smiled, “Ya is introverted, it’s hard for her to speak up, but she knows how good Xiao Zhuo has been to her. A little push from us wouldn’t hurt.”

Peizhuo nodded repeatedly, clearly favoring Du Shuyan’s viewpoint, “Thank you, Shuyan, I appreciate it.”

Peiming, disappointed with his brother’s lack of backbone, didn’t want to waste more words with Du Shuyan, coldly saying, “Sorry, Mr. Du, we have other matters to attend to. We need to return to the company. Let’s go, Xiao Zhuo.”

Peizhuo didn’t dare to go against his brother’s wishes, meekly agreeing.

Du Shuyan watched Peiming leave, sighing, “Ah, having such a domineering brother isn’t easy for you.”

Peizhuo: “It’s okay. My brother is just worried about me because I always cause him trouble… and trouble for you too, Shuyan. If I hadn’t given those earrings to Lingya, she might have married Yu Duqiu by now. You probably think Yu Duqiu is better, right?”

“Hey, what are you talking about? They were never suited for each other; they were bound to break up. I think you care a lot about Lingya, and you two are a good match. Don’t belittle yourself.”

Peizhuo’s eyes lit up, “Really?”

At that moment, Peiming, who had gone far, turned back to see his naive brother still chatting and laughing with an adversary, and shouted, “Peizhuo!”

The impact of hearing his full name was too great; Peizhuo didn’t dare to talk further, hastily said goodbye to Du Shuyan, and scurried away.

Du Shuyan chuckled to himself, “He’s much simpler than his brother.”

His secretary whispered from behind, “It’s more like he’s foolish.”

“Being foolish is better than being cunning. At least dealing with him requires less effort. We’ve lost a big tree to lean on, might as well find a small one; at least he’s easier to control.” Du Shuyan said as he turned, looking towards where Yu Duqiu should have been at the podium, “Someone like Duqiu is just too hard to handle… Wait, where is he?”

The person who was supposed to be at the podium was gone. Zhao Feihua was dealing with the guests, her glasses askew on her nose from the crowd, handing out business cards in a fluster, “Mr. Yu had an urgent matter! He left! If you’re interested in this project, please contact me!”

The curtain fell, and the door to the backstage prep room slammed shut.

Yu Duqiu was dragged in there, tossed inside, and before he could stabilize, the man hugged him tightly from behind.

“Don’t go, it’s too dangerous.”

Despite the layers of suits, the man’s body heat wasn’t evident, but his arms held with incredible strength, as if using all his might, making it hard for Yu Duqiu to break free.

“Danger is everywhere, so I need you to protect me, not interfere with my decisions, my queen.”

Bai Zhao’s face was buried in his neck, warming the cold chain, whispering, “I’m afraid I won’t protect you well. I know Bai Zhiming’s character best. I went to find him, prepared for the worst, but that scenario can’t include you, or it won’t succeed.”

“Oh, you think I’ll hold you back?”

“No, what I mean is, you can’t get hurt.”

“Then don’t let me get hurt. Fulfill your duty with actions, not by making me retreat because of your inadequacy.” Yu Duqiu used all his strength to pry his hands away, stepping back two meters, giving him a cold look, “I’ve made exceptions for you, treated you differently, because I thought you understood me, that you would support all my decisions unconditionally. If you stand in my way, I’m sorry, I can make you disappear anytime.”

Bai Zhao stood there, arms still open in a hugging gesture but empty, frozen in place.

His eyes were always deep and distant, calm and indifferent, neither slow nor fast, seemingly devoid of emotion. Kindly, one might say he’s without desire; harshly, one might say he’s numb.

But at that moment, Yu Duqiu seemed to catch a glimpse of fleeting pain.

It disappeared too quickly, cutting his heart sharply before vanishing.

Leaving only the usual, deep, serene silence.

“…No need for anytime, just now.”

Yu Duqiu didn’t understand, “What?”

“You continue your plan, I’ll disappear now.” Bai Zhao didn’t say another word, not even a goodbye, decisively turning and walking out without any hesitation, slamming the door shut.

Yu Duqiu’s hand moved as if to follow, but he couldn’t convince himself to chase after him.

The brief echo lingered in the small prep room for a moment before returning to silence.

The void left by the sound swept back like a flood, filling the room, leaving the man standing alone in the center struggling to breathe, his chest tight. He sat down slowly, leaning on the table, his fingers accidentally touching something cold. He turned to see it was a coffee cup.

The warm coffee inside had already gone cold, the chill stinging his fingers slightly.

Then, the door opened again.

Yu Duqiu looked up abruptly, simultaneously growling, “How dare you—”

It was Zhao Feihua who entered, startled by his shout, “What… what did I do?”

The anger caught in his throat fizzled out; Yu Duqiu paused, then swallowed it down, wearily covering his forehead, “What is it?”

Zhao Feihua sensed his mood was off and reported the situation straightforwardly, without any unnecessary words, “Captain Xu asked me to tell you they’ve started investigating the Mogok area. He wants Bai Zhao to be ready, might need to leave with the police soon. I saw Bai Zhao earlier to tell him this, but he ignored me even after I called out several times. What’s going on?”

Yu Duqiu held the coffee cup handle, his cool fingers slowly caressing the cup’s surface, “Just a tantrum, childishly thinking he can get what he wants by throwing a fit. Let him be, he can go wherever he wants.”

Zhao Feihua: “Aren’t you worried he might actually leave?”

“Then it means all his previous promises were false.” Yu Duqiu’s voice was light, almost speaking to himself, “Can’t indulge him anymore. Indulging any further… I wouldn’t be myself anymore.”