KUNLUN – The Little Lotus

Chapter Four

"Minister Wu is demanding an explanation, and judging by his tone, 'angry' doesn't even begin to describe how he feels." The father slowly turned toward his wife. "Honey... I informed you about today's guest." She folded her arms. "Our daughter called me. She said the important guest was just a little girl. She came here alone and wasn't even wearing designer clothes. How could someone like that possibly be important?" The old woman laughed dryly. "From everything I've learned today, that little girl is a genius. She saved my life... and then she healed me." The father stared at his wife in disbelief. "How could you make a decision like that on your own? Minister Wu approves projects worth billions. If we want this family to remain ahead of everyone else, we cannot treat his guest like garbage." He turned toward his daughter. "You're confined to the house for two months. No allowance." The girl immediately raised her head. "Dad! You can't do that! School starts soon! This is the most important year of my life. I need my allowance!" He didn't even hesitate. "No money. And you won't be getting any new clothes or anything else for the new school year." His daughter looked pleadingly at her mother. The woman answered with a reassuring glance, but the father noticed immediately. "Hand over all of your bank cards. Grandmother will manage your money from now on. You won't receive a single cent, and you certainly won't be buying new clothes." His wife stared at him in disbelief. "You can't be serious." Without looking at her, he turned toward his son. "Find that girl. And if so much as one harsh word leaves your mouth while you're talking to her, I'll enroll you in military academy." The young man immediately straightened his back. "Yes, Father."

Meanwhile, Lianhua had already met with a real estate agent. Seated quietly inside the agency's office, she examined every property currently available for sale. She studied each file with the same patience she devoted to everything she did before finally stopping at a villa located inside a quiet, gated residential community. Raising one slender finger, she pointed at the photograph. "How much?" she asked.

The agent quoted the price without hesitation.

Lianhua reached into her backpack and calmly placed a black bank card on the desk.

For the first time since their meeting, the real estate agent hesitated.

Her eyes moved from the card to the frail little girl sitting opposite her. The child looked no older than ten or eleven. She was far too young to be purchasing a villa. Yet the black card alone spoke of extraordinary wealth, and when the payment authorization was approved almost instantly, every remaining doubt disappeared. Whatever questions she might have asked were replaced by quiet professionalism.

Long before coming to China, Lianhua had prepared everything. The moment she had become fluent enough in Mandarin, she had traveled to Berlin and visited the Chinese Embassy. She had never expected anyone there to truly help her, but that was exactly what had happened. After countless long conversations, she had quietly acquired the company in question. Officially, its former owner still served as Chief Executive Officer, while Lianhua remained hidden behind the scenes, guiding every important decision. After carefully analyzing international markets, she had introduced a series of strategic reforms. Within only a few years, the company had risen into the world's Top Ten. Money had long since ceased to be a concern. Purchasing the villa required nothing more than a signature and a single payment authorization.A positive reply arrived almost immediately. Lianhua took out her phone once more and opened WeChat. I need a driver. I'm still too young to drive, although I plan to buy a bicycle tomorrow. However, I'll still need someone to help with errands and transportation. Within seconds another message appeared. That won't be a problem. She quickly sent her new address before putting her phone away. By then the real estate agent had returned with the necessary paperwork. Lianhua carefully signed every document before the woman informed her that there was a supermarket inside the residential district, easily reachable on foot. "I'll need to buy quite a few things for the house," Lianhua said politely. "Is there perhaps a driver here who could bring my shopping home afterward?" The agent apologized and shook her head. "I'm afraid we don't offer that service." Lianhua had expected as much. The woman handed her the keys and smiled. "You can move in in about two hours. The cleaning crew is already on their way and will have everything ready before then." Lianhua accepted the keys and the ownership documents, carefully placing everything inside her backpack. "Thank you very much for your help." "You're very welcome." After saying goodbye, she quietly left the office and headed toward the supermarket.Walking at her usual unhurried pace, Lianhua soon reached the store. She picked up a shopping cart and slowly wandered through the aisles. First came the necessities—fresh vegetables, rice, and meat. Then she added cooking utensils. She already owned toothpaste, a toothbrush, shower gel, a hairbrush, and her other personal belongings, but she still needed a small rice cooker, bed linen, a quilt, and several household essentials. By the time she finished, the shopping cart was almost full. The larger grocery shopping could wait until tomorrow, once she had a driver. For today she only wanted enough supplies to prepare a proper meal. She picked up a bottle of water before continuing along the shelves, curiously examining the unfamiliar products around her. Having only just arrived in China, everything caught her interest. She became so absorbed in looking at the different goods that she failed to notice the figure quietly following her through the supermarket. Someone else noticed him instead. A young man frowned ever so slightly and decided to keep the suspicious stranger under observation. He watched as the man took out his phone without ever taking his eyes off the young girl. "Master,"

he spoke quietly into the receiver, "the girl is here in the supermarket. Yes... I'm certain... Understood."