Chapter Twenty-One: Xiao Shiyi Niang

"You are fired."
Mary, usually languid, suddenly transformed into a lioness. She threw herself at the trash bin, disregarding her image, and nervously cradled the golden card in her palm, gently blowing on it with her cherry-like lips.
Abruptly, she seemed to remember something else and rushed out of the office, not even bothering to put on her shoes.
The executives in the office were stunned.
The boss had always been poised and elegant; never had they seen Mary so utterly disheveled, almost frantic.
"Lucy, wait."
Mary ran after her, and Lucy, still waiting for the elevator, stared at her boss in disbelief.
"I apologize to you. You don't have to be fired. Where is the person who sent you to deliver the gift?"
Lucy’s eyes widened like copper bells.
Mary didn’t even give Lucy a chance to respond before continuing, "Is he downstairs? Invite this gentleman up—no, I’ll go down and invite him myself. Lucy, well done. Come see me in the office later."
Lucy was utterly petrified, staring blankly as Mary repeatedly pressed the elevator's close door button, as if each second dragged on for an eternity.
The executives now stood at the doorway, confused and curious.
What magic did this card possess to excite a billionaire CEO so intensely?
Then, everyone cast sympathetic glances at the unfortunate soul.
They were all elite professionals; to work at Deepsea was to be among the elite of the elite, and becoming an executive meant defeating 99.9% of the world. Yet, to be fired simply for tossing out a piece of trash—this meant losing the wealth, prestige, and position that had been so hard-won.
Imagine being asked why you were fired from Deepsea, and having to answer: "For throwing out some trash."
Mary raced down from the elevator at breakneck speed, stunning countless employees, government officials, and even the temporary brokers seeking favors at Deepsea.
Had a major crisis arisen?
Had laboratory secrets leaked?
Or was this a fake CEO? Why else would she disregard her noble image so completely?
A thousand questions swirled in everyone’s minds.
To their astonishment, Mary arrived at the reception desk, standing shyly in front of the man there.
Was this not George Conley, the youngest son of the George family?

Although the Conley family was considered wealthy in the United States, their assets—mere billions—were nothing compared to Mary, CEO of Deepsea.
"Hello," Mary said quietly, bowing her head. Westerners were usually bold, but before the owner of the card, she seemed unsure how to express herself.
"Miss, my master wishes to borrow something from you," George said.
Mary finally looked up, "Your master?"
George nodded, "Yes, the true owner of the card."
"Very well, please come to the office so we can discuss in detail."
Even though he wasn’t the card’s true owner, Mary was visibly excited. After all, it was the card’s master who wanted to borrow something from her.
George considered for a moment, then nodded.
"Am I hallucinating? Mary herself came downstairs to greet Conley’s George?"
"Old Conley is always shrewd and cares only for money. Perhaps he sent young George to get close to Mary for the family’s sake."
Mary ignored the curious stares from the crowd, dismissing all the executives from her office. She then looked seriously at George and asked, "What does he want to borrow from me?"
"The Deepsea Laboratory’s new bone regeneration drug."
Mary stared at George in shock, "That is our highest secret. Not even the government knows about it..." As she spoke, she suddenly understood. That man knew when she was in danger; knowing the company’s secrets was hardly surprising.
"No problem," Mary agreed immediately, then hesitated, "There’s just one issue. The storage and usage of the new drug are extremely complex. It must be handled by our professional research staff. If he needs it, I can personally lead a team to deliver it."
George’s gaze was fixed intently on Mary’s eyes.
Mary remained calm and poised; it was difficult to discern any emotion from her flawless face.
"Miss Mary, the location is in China, and you must depart immediately. Are you certain you want to go?"
Mary didn’t hesitate, "No problem."
"Please begin preparations."
After agreeing on the departure time, George left Deepsea Tower.
No sooner had he stepped out than he received a call from Fletcher Conley, the head of the Conley family.
George frowned. At twenty-five years old, he had only ever received one call from his grandfather Fletcher, and that was when his uncle successfully ran for Congress—an event that required the entire family’s attendance.
Within the Conley family, he was nothing more than an overlooked shadow.
"George, come home for dinner tonight."

Fletcher’s mood seemed unusually buoyant, his voice practically dancing with joy.
Who would have thought that the most inconspicuous George actually knew Mary? The outside world was speculating about their relationship, and Fletcher was delighted.
"Tonight’s flight, to China."
Fletcher paused, not angry at all, and instead asked warmly, "Do you need me to arrange a private jet for you?"
"No, I’ll be flying with Miss Mary."
Fletcher was even happier, asking after George’s well-being before reluctantly ending the call.
George’s expression barely changed.
When he joined Seraphim, Ye Qiu had told him that from that moment on, he would no longer be the invisible George. When he finally revealed his true fangs, the whole world would tremble.
Now, this was just an appetizer.
Thinking of meeting Ye Qiu soon, George’s icy demeanor began to soften, his expression growing more animated.
Boss, I will never let you down.
...
"Second Sister, here are the materials for facial reconstruction surgery. I’ve already compiled them. The new drug is on its way."
Xiao Yuru fiddled with the panoramic virtual avatar before her, frowning at Ye Qiu, "Ye, even though this looks similar to Yunyan, why does it seem so dumb? It’s nothing like Yunyan."
"Of course! I’ve been training with my master for ten years to become this intelligent. By human standards, I’m already ten years old."
Xiao Yuru gazed at the proud Liu Yunyan, half understanding.
Yunyan explained, "The code can only replicate basic intelligence. Behavioral simulation depends on the trainer, so it looks a bit dull—like a newborn human baby."
Xiao Yuru nodded, "Xiao Eleven, open the facial reconstruction materials."
"Alright."
All the facial surgery videos and written materials instantly appeared in mid-air, flashing by like a carousel. In the blink of an eye, Xiao Yuru was overwhelmed.
"Stop."
Ye Qiu quickly called out.
"Second Sister, at first your commands can’t be too vague; they must be precise. I think you should let Yunyan assist you this week. Once you’ve defeated those foolish opponents, you can slowly train her."