"Dead fat pig!?"

Xu Lai wasn't speaking Mandarin; he was speaking French.

When Alphonse heard it, he froze, wondering if his ears were deceiving him.

"This gentleman is..." Alphonse's expression flickered with uncertainty.

"He's my husband," Ruan Tang replied.

This is exactly why bringing Xu Lai to Europe was the best decision ever! she thought. This jealous man. He would never let anyone take the slightest advantage of her.

His wife's answer made Xu Lai feel quite pleased with himself, but it left Alphonse stunned.

Husband? Damn it! Doesn't this idiotic woman from Hua Country understand the hidden meaning of 'cooperation'? Or is it... she wants both of them to join in?

Alphonse hesitated for a moment before shooting Xu Lai a cold glare. "Let's talk in my office."

Once they were in the office, Alphonse locked the door and got straight to the point. "I've investigated your brand, Above the White Clouds. It was founded just three short years ago and has only started to increase its sales and turn a profit in the last few months. Normally, it would be impossible for a brand from Hua Country to be featured in our department store, but..."

Alphonse made no effort to hide the greed in his eyes. "I think we can discuss the terms properly. What do you say?"

Ruan Tang frowned slightly. "I'm sorry, I don't quite understand what these 'terms' are. Are you talking about additional kickbacks?"

Taking kickbacks wasn't just a Hua Country specialty; it was common in every country.

"Heh, do you really not know?" Alphonse leaned back in his executive chair and said blandly, "I thought I had made myself very clear in my emails. As the general manager for Dreamland Company's Asian market, I'm not short on money."

After a pause, he continued, "I think we should go to my place after work to continue discussing the specific details of our partnership. I have other things to attend to right now."

Hearing this, Ruan Tang finally understood completely.

"So this is your company's idea of a partnership?" she said, her voice turning icy. "How utterly disappointing!"

"Hmph," Alphonse shrugged. "If you're willing, stay. If not, you can leave."

Ruan Tang stood up and walked out without another word.

As the office door closed, Alphonse picked up the glass on his desk and took several large gulps of water. Then, he carefully pulled a Crystal Ball from his inner pocket.

The Crystal Ball was no longer transparent. It swirled with black and white light before a series of cracks suddenly spiderwebbed across its surface under his gaze. Finally, with a sharp POP, the Crystal Ball exploded as if it could no longer withstand the immense pressure. However, it left no shards behind, instead dissolving into streaks of light that vanished into the air.

Alphonse's pupils contracted. What on earth is happening!?

BUZZ. BUZZ. BUZZ.

The phone on his desk rang at that very moment.

Alphonse answered it. A lazy female voice came from the other end. "How did the investigation go?"

"Boss, she rejected my terms and left in a huff," Alphonse replied with the utmost deference.

"Oh." The woman didn't sound surprised. She had always thought the 'unspoken rules' plan was idiotic anyway. She then asked, "So, is she a Spiritual Body?"

"Well..." Alphonse hesitated. "I can't be certain."

"Idiot!" the woman scolded mercilessly. "Can't you even use the Sensing Crystal Ball? There are only two colors, black and white!"

"...But Boss, the Crystal Ball shattered," Alphonse whispered.

"Shattered?" The woman went silent for a few seconds. When she spoke again, her voice was full of fiery excitement. "I'm sending my direct subordinates. You have three hours. Bring her to me!"

She hung up immediately, leaving Alphonse sitting in his office in stunned silence.

The truth was, Dreamland was not as simple as it appeared. His boss came from a mysterious family in the West that possessed innumerable assets. The Fortune 500 company, Dreamland Company, was merely a drop in the bucket for this family.

However, the boss had a peculiar obsession: she was constantly searching for something called a Spiritual Body. This "Spiritual Body" was just a concept, identified solely by the Crystal Ball his boss had given him. Black meant an ordinary person. White meant the sought-after Spiritual Body.

Under the guise of business partnerships, Alphonse had tricked many successful businesswomen from countries like Hua Country and Sakura Country to meet with him. Of course, he only invited people from a list provided by his boss. As it turned out, none of them were the person his boss was looking for, but he had managed to take advantage of the situation quite a few times. His boss turned a blind eye to this, not caring in the slightest. In fact, she seemed to welcome it, since people with weaknesses or vices were easier to control.

As for the boss's direct subordinates... just thinking about them made Alphonse's scalp tingle with fear. Those people were like the 'enhanced humans' from movies. Some could control fire, some could leap through the air, and others could travel through the ground. With them on the job, killing a man from Hua Country would be a piece of cake. After all, his boss never liked to leave witnesses.

***

Leaving the company, Ruan Tang stomped her feet in frustration. "I'm so stupid! I should have known this whole partnership was a sham. I thought he just wanted kickbacks, I didn't expect... Ugh, damn it!"

"You are pretty stupid," Xu Lai couldn't help but agree.

Ruan Tang stopped walking, biting her lip. Her voice was thick with grievance as she said, "I'm working so hard to make money for Yiyi and you, to give us a better life! Instead of comforting me, you call me stupid..."

"I was wrong, honey. I shouldn't have said that," Xu Lai quickly apologized.

"You weren't wrong. I was."

"..." Xu Lai hesitated, then finally said, "Let's just treat this as a vacation. We had a great time yesterday afternoon, didn't we? We even bought a bunch of figurines for Yiyi."

Thinking about it that way, she had to agree. Ruan Tang's beautiful eyes twinkled as she looked at Xu Lai again.

He spoke defensively, "Did I say something wrong again?"

Ruan Tang rolled her eyes at him. She looked down and, after a moment, said in a small voice, "Xu Lai, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you. I'm just furious at myself for being so naive. They're a Fortune 500 company, why would they ever partner with Above the White Clouds? Anyone could have seen there was something fishy about it."

Xu Lai wrapped his arms around her. "Don't be so hard on yourself," he said softly. "Come on, let's go back to the hotel. I'll cook you something delicious."

"I want roast suckling pig!"

"You got it."

Xu Lai couldn't help but smile. Was it because of the "fat pig" comment he'd made earlier?

Back at the hotel, Xu Lai began to cook for Ruan Tang. As he was cooking, he sensed several people approaching down the hall.

He called out, "Honey, can you watch the stove for a bit? I have to step out for something."

"What business could you possibly have in a foreign country?" Ruan Tang asked suspiciously, putting down her magazine.

"Guess."

"As if." Ruan Tang pouted, then scurried excitedly into the kitchen. Back home, Xu Lai strictly forbade her from cooking. The chance to practice was a rare treat!

With a wry smile, Xu Lai untied his apron and opened the door to their room. Looking at the few startled faces in the hallway, he asked calmly, "Can I help you gentlemen with something?"

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