Upon reaching him, the hooded man crouched beside Mark and drew a phone. His voice was calm, businesslike as he put the call through.

"Target down," he said into the line. "The buyer took the advance, and one of our men is locked onto him. The dealer's identification confirms it was a commission to Scorpion."

A crisp woman's voice answered on the other end, belonging to none other than Vivian. "Can your crew take care of them?" It seemed quite casual, as if she were used to ordering such things regularly.

The man's eyes flicked to the street entrance. "Kill or capture?"

"Kill them all if possible," the woman said. "But the one who met Mark — capture him alive." There was a beat. "If you need more resources, name your price."

The man hesitated for a fraction, then spoke. "But the one you told me to capture is an A-rank, and he has eight more in his gang. It's a high-risk job. So, an additional 3 million will be charged."

A slow click on the line. "I'll give you five million if you bring me that one alive. But do not fail at any cost, and it has to be done by tomorrow evening." Vivian's voice hardened into command. "And one more thing about Mark — don't kill him yet."

"Should I leave him or imprison him?" the man asked.

"You'll get the instruction later. But for now, keep him with you. You can also use him as a bait to draw them out, too… I don't care as long as he is alive and remains healthy." Her voice was flat and final.

The man's jaw set. "Understood."

He checked Mark with a gloved hand, pulsing slowly from the sedative but steady. "Alright. I'll call you after completing the job." With practiced efficiency, he slipped a pair of anti-mana cuffs around Mark's wrists and hauled him toward a waiting van parked nearby. Two figures stepped out silently and loaded Mark into the back like merchandise.

Hotel Mariotte;

Late in the evening, after dinner, in the corner of the room, Vivian was busy with some work while Lin Fang sat on the couch with his head slightly lowered as he scrolled through his phone. A message from Li Liu blinked at the top of the screen.

Li Liu: Will you return by tomorrow for sure?

Lin Fang typed back calmly, his thumbs moving without pause.

Lin Fang: Yeah. Don't worry, my supplier promised to deliver the new batch by morning. Once I receive them, I'll start for Peking City.

He hit send with a smile. But then in the next second, he leaned back, letting out a small breath. "I don't feel good lying to her like this… It's not like I'm cheating on her, but it feels like I am… Sigh…"

Meanwhile, Vivian scrolled through endless documents and chat threads as she was discussing things with her company management, regarding the items going to be displayed in the auction. Her brows furrowed slightly, then she let out a low groan and shut the laptop with a snap.

She took off her glasses, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Ugh… So troublesome…"

Lin Fang turned slightly from the couch at her groan. "Everything alright?" he asked.

Vivian smiled faintly, brushing back a strand of hair. "It's fine… the auction list just got released. My team is arguing about the closing bids again. Since the first round is a blind auction, we can't see our competitors' prices, so… we have to make sure to win them and yet not at a price that we make a loss."

Lin Fang tilted his head. "Sounds tiring."

"Tiring is an understatement," she muttered, stretching her arms. "But that's how it is in business. Everyone merely looked confident on the surface while secretly biting their nails."

He almost asked more, but stopped himself. The world of auctions and corporate bids wasn't his world anyway. There is no use in his being interested in them.

So, he simply nodded in silence.

Vivian noticed his restraint, her eyes softening for a moment. Then she yawned, stretching her body as she got up. "Anyway, we need to catch the early flight tomorrow. Go to sleep, Lin Fang. No need to play night guard again."

Lin Fang blinked once. "Alright."

It was then that Vivian finally looked around the room and realized something.

Unlike the luxurious Oasis Hotel suite they had stayed in before, the Mariotte was far simpler. The executive suite they booked without thinking much had a small couch, a work desk, and one queen‑sized bed, which is clearly for couples.

"Oh," she said, her tone somewhere between surprise and amusement. "Seems I didn't check the room details properly."

Lin Fang looked at the single bed, then at her, "I can just sleep here on the couch—"

"Don't be ridiculous. Look at yourself and the couch. There is no way you can fit in, much less sleep comfortably," she cut in, patting the empty space beside her as she sat down on the bed. "It's big enough. Come on."

He didn't move right away. His expression froze, staring at the bed space. Vivian caught it and couldn't help but grin.

"What?" she teased, carrying that playful voice again. "Don't tell me you're worried you'll take advantage of my body or something?"

Lin Fang cleared his throat quietly. "That's not—"

She laughed softly, waving her hand. "Relax. I'm not drugged or delirious this time. And I know that you won't try to do anything to me either." Then, lowering her voice just a touch, she added, "If you were the type to be tempted, you would've done it yesterday when I was most vulnerable."

Her tone might sound teasing, but her eyes held quiet sincerity. "Don't overthink it," she said, lying back and patting the bed again. "Come and just sleep. We have a long day ahead."

Lin Fang hesitated one last second before he exhaled and walked to the bed. The mattress dipped slightly as he lay beside her, keeping a careful space between them. The faint scent of her perfume lingered in the air. Lin Fang, nevertheless, calmed down his heartbeat and shut his eyes.

Vivian turned away from him, resting her head on the pillow. A tiny smile tugged at her lips. She murmured under her breath, "He's cute sometimes…"

As the lights were switched off, both of them had gone to sleep. Outside, the city lights flickered, and the quiet hum of the night carried them both into a small stillness.

The next morning.

As the rays of the first light fell through the curtains and filled the room, Lin Fang slowly opened his eyes, only to feel a grip on his body. As his eyes glanced to the left, he was taken aback to see that the blonde beauty was hugging him like a teddy bear beneath the blanket they shared, her bosom touching his side while her leg was over his pants. "Wha…"

Sensing the sponginess, Lin Fang's face reddened deeply, and he instantly sprang up from the bed, jumping away. That sudden movement stirred her up, but not much. As she continued to sleep, hugging the blanket, Lin Fang shook his head, murmuring, "Man, if I stayed with this girl too long, I might end up doing something that I will regret. Let's just do the job and send her away. Today is the last day."

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