Chapter 1 The Indefinite Mission
"Domestic air quality is getting worse and worse." Su Rui stood at the airport entrance, taking a deep breath of the capital's air. Although his words were disdainful, a smile of reminiscence and satisfaction appeared on his face.
It had been a long time since he returned to Huaxia. Upon his return, even the air tinged with a faint haze felt incredibly familiar and welcoming. He wanted to shout, "I'm back!" at the top of his lungs, but restrained himself due to the crowded surroundings. He didn't want to be seen as foolish. "This time, let's not rush to leave, shall we? Stay for a month or two at least?" Su Rui asked the air, but no one could answer him.
It was just mid-May, but the weather was already heating up. Beautiful women were eager to change into their summer outfits, especially at Ninghai Airport, where the influx of passengers made the scene even more dazzling.
Su Rui wore a red plaid shirt tucked into fitted casual pants, highlighting his tall and well-built figure. With a silver suitcase in his right hand, he exuded the aura of a successful man. However, despite his appearance, he sat casually on the steps outside the airport, sipping mineral water and smiling as he watched the passing beauties, his mouth never closing.
Having spent too long in the West, his demeanor had become somewhat gloomy. Now back in China, he needed to relax and adjust his mood. Su Rui sat on the steps without caring about his image, then took out his phone and dialed a rather strange number – it had a whopping twenty digits!
"Hey, I've arrived in Ninghai. Aren't you going to tell me the details of this task?" Su Rui asked impatiently. With his current status, few could command his assistance. If it weren't for the promise he made to the man at the other end of the line – that he would unhesitatingly help if the man encountered difficulties – Su Rui wouldn't have traveled all the way back from the West to China.
And what irked him the most? This task – it was free.
"I was right, you really came back. You haven't changed, still the same old Su Rui..." The voice on the other end sounded somewhat excited.
"Don't try to sentimentalize things. I have no relationship with you people. Asking me to help for free, this is a first! Let me tell you, after this favor, there won't be a next time!" Su Rui spat out his gum into the trash can, looking impatient. "Quick, what's the deal?"
A nearby airport security guard was stunned. Although Su Rui accurately spat the gum into the trash can across the street, it was still ten meters away!
"I just need you to solve some problems for someone."
"Solve problems for someone? Who?" Su Rui raised an eyebrow.
"Lin Fuzhang, Chairperson of Bikon Pharmaceuticals, or more precisely, his only daughter, Lin Aoxue."
"Why help her? Give me a reason. I don't even know what she looks like."
"Lin Aoxue graduated with dual master's degrees in polymer science and management from Capital University. She currently serves as the executive director and director of R&D at Bikon Group. Two months ago, she published a paper in the prestigious scientific journal 'Nature,' causing a sensation both domestically and internationally."
"She's a top student, huh? What did she publish?" Su Rui raised his eyebrows.
"She synthesized trichloroalprazolam at the microscale using polymer techniques."
"Trichloroalprazolam? I know it's a major component of psychiatric drugs, and it's very expensive."
"The thing is, neither Lin Aoxue nor anyone else knows that this trichloroalprazolam, once synthesized again through a simple chemical process, becomes the main ingredient of 'X-one.'"
"X-one?" Su Rui's tone grew heavier. "Is it that new designer d**g popular in Europe and America?"
"Yes! Lin Aoxue's synthesis method is more concise and costs five times less than the existing extraction methods in Europe and America! Both international pharmaceutical companies and underground d**g lords consider Lin Aoxue's patent rights as must-have items!"
"Lin Fuzhang also realized that the publication of this paper posed a great risk to his daughter's personal safety. That's why he asked for my help. We had a life-saving bond..."
"So, the dark underworld of the West is eyeing this thing?" Su Rui asked in a low voice, emphasizing the words "the dark underworld of the West."
"Exactly. I know you're familiar with them..."
"Alright, stop the nonsense. I have another question." Su Rui furrowed his brow. "How long is the deadline for this task? A month? Two months? You should know I'm busy overseas."
The man on the phone chuckled awkwardly. "Uh... We don't know the deadline yet."
"Why are you telling me this now?"
"I was afraid if I told you earlier, you wouldn't come."
"Damn it, I've been completely fooled by you!" Su Rui hung up the phone as soon as he heard there was no deadline. He had plenty of things to deal with overseas, and now they were saying there was no deadline for the task!
The more Su Rui thought about it, the angrier he became. This woman named Lin Aoxue published some paper and caused him so much trouble without even realizing it! The dark underworld of the West? Was that a joke?
He sat on the steps, feeling more and more aggrieved. He had been wronged.
Suddenly, he swung his knee, wanting to kick the mineral water bottle into the trash can across the street. However, instead of landing in the trash can, the bottle gracefully arced through the air and hit a woman's thigh!
The woman, seemingly in her twenties, tall and fair-skinned, wearing a long Bohemian dress, exuded a trembling charm as she walked. But what stood out more than her figure was her face, almost flawless from every angle. She attracted all eyes as she walked through the airport.
Startled by the bottle hitting her, she instinctively looked in Su Rui's direction. Their eyes met.
Su Rui's kick wasn't light, and it's estimated that the area hit had already swollen and reddened. He didn't expect this to happen and was momentarily stunned. Of course, the main reason for his daze was because this girl was just too beautiful, exuding an extraordinary aura of coldness that made it difficult for anyone to look away, even when she glared at them with such coldness.
Being stared down by the beauty, Su Rui, after a moment of being stunned, waved his hand with a smile, forgetting to apologize, "Hey, miss, it's fate that we met. I have some knowledge of fortune-telling. From the blackness on your forehead, there's an ominous sign above your head. If you have time, I can explain it to you in detail."
Upon hearing this, the beauty removed her hand from her thigh, coldly asking, "Who did you say has an ominous sign above their head?"
Normally, anyone would interpret Su Rui's words as cursing themselves, even with a good temper, they would be annoyed, especially considering the premise that he had just kicked her. But how could this ice beauty know that there was another layer of meaning in Su Rui's words? In the Chinese language, there are profound layers of meaning.
However, in the past, Su Rui really wasn't like this. This time back in China, he was acting out of character, perhaps because he felt the need to show something he lacked.
Su Rui's gaze swept from the woman's face. "Of course, it's you. Our meeting was fateful. This mineral water bottle is the red thread between us. How about we find a place to sit and chat? I can calculate how to dispel the ominous signs..."
The beauty's gaze grew colder.
Su Rui smiled slightly, "Even if we don't chat, let's exchange contact information."
He dared to ask for her contact information after kicking her? This beautiful woman had had enough of Su Rui's shamelessness. "If you say one more word, I'll have someone throw you into the Ning River to feed the fish."
The beauty warned coldly, unaware that her expressionless face was even more charming in Su Rui's eyes.
"Oh, feisty girl, I really like this type." Su Rui, unfazed by the beauty's warning, smiled, showing no signs of concern. After all, everyone has a desire for beauty.
Just as Su Rui finished speaking, he felt a cool sensation in his face. It turned out the ice beauty had unscrewed the mineral water bottle in her hand, emptied the remaining water onto Su Rui, and then turned and walked away!
"This is too much!" Su Rui wiped the water off his face, ran his hand through his damp hair, and said indignantly to the beauty's retreating figure, "Just because you have long legs, a good figure, and are beautiful, does that give you the right to splash water on people? What's so great about that? Come back and splash me again if you dare, I promise not to pull your skirt off..."
Su Rui grumbled as he sat on the steps, soaked and feeling wronged.
The ice beauty obviously heard Su Rui's displeasing words. She paused for a moment, then continued walking forward.
At the airport exit, a black Rolls-Royce Phantom was already waiting for her. As soon as the beauty approached, two men in black suits and sunglasses, looking like bodyguards, quickly opened the car door and respectfully invited the ice beauty inside.
"Oh, looks like she's from a wealthy family, riding in a Rolls-Royce Phantom, worth at least seven million." Su Rui, picking himself up from the ground, no longer had the appearance of grievances.
"Chatting with a beauty for no reason, it seems like life from now on will be quite enjoyable." Su Rui, smiling, hailed a taxi and got in, saying, "Driver, to Bikon Pharmaceuticals."
"Young man, you look like a returnee. Are you going to work at Bikon Group? It's a famous company in Ninghai. I heard even the security guards there can earn over eight thousand a month." Taxi drivers are the most talkative profession in any part of China, without exception.
"That high?" Su Rui was somewhat incredulous.
"Of course, the security guards there are said to be carefully selected and must have some skills. Do you think just anyone can work at Bikon Pharmaceuticals?" The taxi driver, proud to mention Bikon, was clearly proud, as it was a local rising star in the pharmaceutical industry, and locals were proud of it.
"I guess I'll be going for an interview then." Su Rui thought for a moment, somewhat uncertain.
"Just go for it, what do you mean 'guess'? Even with a little confidence, how can you get into Bikon Group?" The taxi driver, annoyed, said, feeling iron couldn't be turned into steel.
Su Rui smiled, unconcerned, and stopped talking, as if remembering something.
The car stopped in front of Bikon Plaza, and Su Rui got out, looking at the towering Bikon headquarters building and the spacious plaza, couldn't help but exclaim, "This is really a wealthy family!"
With that, he walked into the building.
"Hello, sir, may I help you with something?" Since he didn't have a work permit, Su Rui was stopped by two receptionist girls as soon as he entered the lobby.
"I'm looking for Lin Fuzhang." "Lin Fuzhang? That name sounds familiar," one receptionist said dazedly, not yet reacting.
"Lin Fuzhang is our chairperson!" exclaimed the other receptionist.
It's no wonder, for a mega pharmaceutical company like Bikon, the chairperson is like the Jade Emperor, rarely seen by ordinary staff.
"I'm looking for your chairperson!" "May I ask your name?" "My surname is Su." Faced with two sweet-looking girls, Su Rui naturally couldn't continue venting his frustrations.
The receptionist quickly checked the chairperson's schedule, but found no appointment for Mr. Su.
"Sorry, sir, the chairperson's schedule is full today, and there's no appointment for you. You can't go in." The two receptionist girls, seeing Su Rui coming over with such momentum, thought he was an old acquaintance of the chairperson, but there was no appointment at all, obviously lying.
"Oh, it's fresh. He asked me to come help him solve some problems, but he wouldn't even let me in." Su Rui sneered, then said to the receptionist girls, "You'd better call Lin Fuzhang and have him come to pick me up personally, otherwise, I won't bother helping with the Triamorphone business."
"What is Triamorphone?" The two receptionists looked at each other, obviously not understanding Su Rui's words, and said, "Sorry, we don't have the authority to report directly to the chairperson. You'd better leave."
"Forget it, even if you don't call, let me tell you the truth. I am the chairperson's designated son-in-law. If you don't let me in, have you considered the consequences?" Su Rui didn't even know if Lin Aoxue was beautiful or ugly, but he was going all out to help.
"The chairperson's son-in-law? You mean the president's boyfriend... How is that possible?" The two receptionist girls obviously hadn't seen much of the world and were easily fooled by Su Rui's words.
You know, Lin Aoxue is known as the number one beauty in Ninghai's business community. There are countless eligible bachelors who want to marry this extraordinary beauty and become the dragon son-in-law of the Bikon Group. On Valentine's Day and the Qixi Festival, she receives so many flowers that they have to be transported by truck! But Lin Aoxue is dedicated to her business, cold to people and things, and has no interest in personal relationships!
"How is it impossible? I've been secretly dating Lin Aoxue for many years!" Su Rui said with a smile.
This was his first time back in the country, and he was feeling playful. If his Western friends saw him like this, they would probably be shocked.
At this moment, a chilling voice came from the entrance of the lobby.
"Who have you been secretly dating for many years?"
Hearing this voice, the two receptionist girls immediately fell silent. Su Rui felt the voice was somewhat familiar and quickly turned his head, only to find that it was the beauty who had accused him of having an ominous sign above his head earlier.
This beauty stood here, as if the entire lobby had brightened a few degrees because of her appearance.
This is so coincidental!
Su Rui thought about being soaked with mineral water earlier and was no mood to appreciate the beauty. He walked up angrily, looking at the ice-cold beauty, "Hey, Miss, what does it have to do with you who I've been dating for many years? Judging by your appearance, with a black mark on your forehead, even if you're beautiful, no man would dare to want you!"