After Rebirth, Married to a Deadly Enemy - Chapter 15
“I have nothing to discuss now; I’ll talk to you tonight.” After repeatedly explaining to Shi Zhen that he was fine, the two of them finally ended the video call.
Wan Tong kept a distance of half a meter from the contract and Bai Xiangxing. He followed closely behind until Bai Xiangxing finished the call. Suddenly, he turned around and stood up a little nervously. “Mr. Xing.”
Bai Xiangxing looked at the Beta in front of him, his gaze unapologetically scrutinizing. This was a very ordinary-looking Beta, and at first glance, there were hardly any standout qualities about him.
This person probably wouldn’t even pass the initial interview. Why did Bai Xiangxing hire him as his assistant?
However, he seemed composed in terms of his personality. Bai Xiangxing had been scrutinizing him for a while now, and aside from a bit of restraint, there were no significant changes in his expression or aura. He hadn’t rushed to ask any questions either.
“Do you know how to drive?” Since Bai Xiangxing had already called the person here, he had no intention of sending him back. Furthermore, during his confrontation with Bai Cang and his father earlier, Wan Tong had defended him, which Bai Xiangxing had noticed.
“Yes.” Wan Tong nodded.
“Give me the contract, and go to the parking lot to bring the car over.” Bai Xiangxing handed him the car keys. This car was currently the only one used by New Shi for official purposes, and it was only deployed when company executives needed to make an appearance. When Bai Xiangxing was informed of this, he had mixed feelings. This model was from three or five years ago. It was ridiculous to use it to make appearances. If it got any older, he probably wouldn’t even drive it.
Wan Tong was efficient in his work. In a short time, he had brought the car over and parked it steadily in front of Bai Xiangxing. A hotel security guard approached and helped Bai Xiangxing open the car door.
“Thank you.” Bai Xiangxing smiled politely at the security guard before getting into the car.
The security guard suddenly felt that today’s sunshine was exceptionally bright. It wasn’t until the car had driven quite far that he slowly came to his senses. “He’s really handsome.”
As a top-tier hotel security guard in the capital, the people who came in and out of the Hua Hai Hotel were either rich or important. He had seen all kinds of good-looking Omega individuals, but the Omega from just now had a unique charm. With just a gentle smile, it was as if he could bewitch people into doing anything for him.
“He’s handsome, but he looks too fierce.” The security guard who had lent the electric baton to Bai Xiangxing muttered to himself, still feeling uneasy.
Both of them recalled the scene a few minutes ago when Bai Xiangxing had treated Bai Xiangqing ruthlessly, and their expressions unconsciously twitched. They suddenly realized that the more good-looking an Omega was, the more dangerous they could be.
“I’m currently the General Manager of New Shi.” Inside the car, Bai Xiangxing began to communicate with Wan Tong.
“Then should I address you as Mr. Bai from now on?” Wan Tong asked.
“That’s fine. Drive the car to New Shi’s headquarters. I’ll send you the address.”
As Bai Xiangxing was about to forward the address to Wan Tong’s light brain, Wan Tong replied, “No need, I know the address. It’s located at…”
Wan Tong quickly reported New Shi’s current headquarters address, which was not in the commercial district’s New Shi Building but the suburban pharmaceutical factory where Bai Xiangxing currently worked.
Bai Xiangxing squinted his eyes. “Have you investigated?”
Wan Tong openly admitted, “Yes, I did some research because I suspected that you might join New Shi Group, especially after the engagement with Colonel Shi.”
Wan Tong was unsure about Bai Xiangxing’s attitude toward this marriage, so he vaguely glossed over it, assuming that everyone understood the underlying meaning.
Bai Xiangxing praised, “Very clever.”
Wan Tong’s tone carried a hint of delight. “Thank you for your compliment, Mr. Bai.”
Bai Xiangxing continued, “Since you’ve investigated New Shi Group, you should have some idea of its current situation.”
Wan Tong replied, “I have a general idea.”
Bai Xiangxing said, “I can responsibly tell you that New Shi’s current situation is worse than what you’ve found.”
Wan Tong remained silent.
Seeing that he could handle this news, Bai Xiangxing smiled and asked, “So, do you regret it now?”
Wan Tong’s fingers tightened on the steering wheel. He knew that Mr. Bai was testing him, and Mr. Bai didn’t fully trust him.
“I won’t regret it,” Wan Tong replied after a pause. He suppressed his discomfort and continued, “But if you’re not confident in me, you don’t have to use me.”
Wan Tong’s response surprised Bai Xiangxing. He didn’t want to reject Wan Tong; he had merely been testing him out of habit. However, Wan Tong’s answer made him inexplicably guilty, as if he had let down someone who trusted him wholeheartedly.
“That’s not what I meant,” Bai Xiangxing said awkwardly, realizing he shouldn’t push further. He decided to ask directly, “You’re my assistant, but I don’t have a strong impression of you. Moreover, compared to Bai Corporation, New Shi, which is on the brink of collapse, doesn’t seem like a wise choice for you.”
“I didn’t choose the company; I chose you,” Wan Tong replied.
Wan Tong’s response left Bai Xiangxing stunned once again. He had chosen not the company but him? What did that mean? Could it be that this guy secretly had feelings for him?
Since becoming an Omega, Bai Xiangxing despised it when others expressed affection for him. He was about to react strongly but suddenly realized that when Wan Tong had come to his side, he was still an Alpha. Suppressing his anger, he thought for a moment and asked, “Have we met before?”
“Did you attend a school-aid charity event?” Bai Xiangxing had attended a prestigious school, which organized annual charity events, with wealthy students who would donate a small sum that was trivial to them. Therefore, whenever there was such an event, Bai Xiangxing usually participated.
“I come from District 64,” Wan Tong replied.
Bai Xiangxing’s eyes narrowed. District 64 was the most remote, impoverished, and dangerous area on Capital Star. It wasn’t unfamiliar to him; he had spent a difficult period of his life there after fleeing from the Bai family in his previous life. However, it was also where he had experienced the warmest days. After his rise to success, one of the first things he had done was to build a school in District 64.
He had managed to survive in such a dangerous place because, when he was young, he had donated a lot of supplies to District 64. Some of the people who had received his supplies still remembered him.
“In our area, going to school is a very luxurious thing. I’m an orphan, so I never had the opportunity to attend school. But there was an elementary school near my living area, and the principal was skilled at manipulating things. He secured a group-one charity assistance qualification for our school, where students from your school would pay for our education. I wasn’t a student at that school, but the principal, in pursuit of more funding, offered the reward of one steamed bun per person for all the kids around the eligible age. I was one of those kids,” Wan Tong explained with a smile. “Then, I was very fortunate to be chosen by you. Mr. Bai, you changed my life. When I left District 64, I vowed to repay you.”
Bai Xiangxing suddenly felt embarrassed. He had never been so straightforwardly thanked before, and he was momentarily at a loss.
“Isn’t that a bit exaggerated?” Bai Xiangxing had never experienced someone expressing gratitude so directly.
“Not at all. Without you, I might have been sent away with just a steamed bun like the other children,” Wan Tong said. “Every year, District 64 receives various donations from outside, but most of it gets embezzled. Less than one-tenth actually reaches the grassroots. The one-on-one program was the same. At that time, only ten children received the opportunity for free education, while the rest of the funding was swallowed by the principal. I wasn’t one of those ten originally, but a month later, the principal suddenly found me and asked me to attend school. I didn’t understand at first, but two days later, I saw you in a video call.”
“Your classmates who participated in the one-on-one program and donated money didn’t genuinely want to interact with or get to know me, to the extent that they didn’t even know our names. Hundreds of students, and you were the only one who requested to meet your aided student,” Wan Tong continued.
Bai Xiangxing suddenly felt a little awkward. He couldn’t even remember Wan Tong’s name, let alone recall this event.
“You said you hoped that I could go to college on my own efforts, that as long as I could pass the entrance exam, you would continue to sponsor my tuition for three consecutive years. Because of your continued attention, the principal was afraid of being exposed for embezzlement and never dared to harm me. Later, the funding for the one-on-one program decreased, but your support never wavered, until I graduated from college.”
Bai Xiangxing struggled to recall, but he still couldn’t remember anything about Wan Tong. However, the style of following up on charity funds did align with his own methods. Whether it was investments or spending money, Bai Xiangxing needed to see results and feedback. Besides, schools organizing such charity events usually kept contact information readily available, so it wouldn’t be difficult to reach out.
It was clear that he hadn’t paid much attention back then, which explained why he couldn’t remember Wan Tong.
“Did I… only contact you once?” Bai Xiangxing asked guiltily.
Wan Tong saw Bai Xiangxing’s guilty expression in the rearview mirror and couldn’t help but smile. “Yes.”
Bai Xiangxing sighed. “Still…”
“Every year, you requested my report card from the school,” Wan Tong said. “And I did manage to pass and graduate from District 64.”
While Bai Xiangxing didn’t feel his actions were particularly deserving of such gratitude, the sincerity in Wan Tong’s words left him at a loss for words.
Bai Xiangxing then remembered something. “I recall you graduated from some Tianxin Academy, right?”
“Tianxin Academy,” Wan Tong confirmed.
“What kind of lousy school is that? With your results, don’t you think it’s a bit inadequate for the tuition I paid? You should have aimed for a Capital University,” Bai Xiangxing said in a teasing manner.
“I admit I didn’t perform as well as I could have. I’ll work harder in the future,” Wan Tong replied, playing along.
“Alright, focus on driving. I’m going to take a short nap. Wake me up when we arrive,” Bai Xiangxing leaned back in his seat and soon fell asleep. He had been busy with company matters for the past few days and hadn’t rested much.
—
During dinner, Bai Xiangxing recounted the events of the afternoon to Shi Zhen.
Shi Zhen furrowed his brows as he listened. Bai Xiangxing had never been a low-key person, and now that he had transitioned from Alpha to Omega, he might encounter some unpleasant Alphas.
“When you go out from now on, have two security guards accompany you,” Shi Zhen advised. “New Scholar’s security personnel are all retired soldiers, and most Alphas wouldn’t dare to challenge them.”
“That sounds like a good idea. I’ll pick someone from the company to be my driver as well,” Bai Xiangxing had actually been considering this idea. While he had ways to deal with troublemakers, it was still quite unsettling to encounter them regularly.
“By the way, there’s something else I want to discuss with you,” Bai Xiangxing said as he explained his recent decisions at New Shiand the contract signing with Changsheng. He couldn’t help but complain, “This Ming Cheng’en is too cunning and shrewd. He’s so demanding, asking for 49% of the shares.”
Shi Zhen remained silent for a moment.
You want to take advantage of the situation, revitalize New Shiwith someone else’s money, and then complain that they’re shrewd?
However, Shi Zhen dared not say this out loud and could only mutter a few words of complaint in his heart.
“About that upgraded pheromone suppressant formula, do you really have it?” For ordinary people, the effectiveness of pheromones might only differ in convenience, but for military personnel, a long-lasting suppressant with minimal side effects meant something entirely different. If this formula truly existed and could be produced, not only the Nancin Tempest Legion but the entire military would scramble to acquire it.
“Of course, I have it,” Bai Xiangxing replied confidently. He indeed possessed the formula in his mind, which he had used to amass his first fortune in his previous life. However, this formula did not belong to him but to another person.
His adopted younger brother, Xiang Rong.
During this period, Xiang Rong should still be in District 64. Bai Xiangxing’s first thought after his rebirth was to bring Xiang Rong out of District 64 ahead of time. However, the timing wasn’t right back then, and it was too dangerous for him to enter District 64 alone. Moreover, leaving District 64 required changing one’s household registration, which would cost a substantial sum of money.
But…
Using the Shi family’s name to request someone and modify their household registration, those corrupt officials in the Household Registration Department probably wouldn’t dare to ask him for money.
Bai Xiangxing looked at Shi Zhen. “I’d like to visit District 64. Could you recommend two capable security guards for me?”
Since the company’s security personnel were all retired soldiers, Shi Zhen should be familiar with their skills.
“Why do you want to go to District 64?” Shi Zhen furrowed his brows.
“To find someone.”
“Do you still know people there?” Shi Zhen was puzzled.
“Don’t worry about that. I just want to find two capable security guards.”
“I’ll go with you,” Shi Zhen offered when Bai Xiangxing didn’t want to explain further.
“You? Not suitable. Pick someone else,” Bai Xiangxing dismissed the idea without much thought.
“What?” Shi Zhen felt insulted. He restrained his anger and said, “My skills rank in the top ten in the Tempest Legion.”
You’re being too modest; you’re practically the ceiling of the Union’s combat capabilities in the future.
“That won’t do either. You look too fierce. What if you scare the kids? I need someone with a gentle appearance but skilled in combat,” Bai Xiangxing stated. Xiang Rong was quite agile and quick to evade danger. If Shi Zhen were to go with him, Xiang Rong would likely stay far away.
“…” Shi Zhen, feeling insulted for his intimidating appearance.
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