25 :: Be Brave ::

The Fu Mansion

A young man swiftly entered the mansion, treading slowly with light footsteps. He stepped forward for a few metres before dropping respectfully on his knees. 

"Master, I am back."

Seated majestically on his throne-like chair, Cullen Fu looked up momentarily from the magazine he was reading. It was yet another day he had lay low in the hopes of achieving something in the eyes of the woman who was unique in his eyes. But now, it was just too long. He was beginning to miss the woman.

What was Lu Shengyi up to next? He wondered.

Especially after he had found out how she had got the useless spy to follow him around. The personal investigator was the weakest of the spies he had ever seen. Many players in the corporate world wished to uncover the secrets of the dark and mysterious CEO who never left any traces. He had a clean break with every woman who became his plaything and he ensured appropriate boundaries with every dealing he made.

No woman was allowed in his life for more than three months and anyone who wished to conduct a deal with him or Fu Technologies had to know their limits.

Cross his boundary and they were out. Cullen Fu never had to say his point a second time. In his world, one was one and two was two. His cold and unemotional self attracted uncountable women, but to him, he saw no future in relationships with these women. 

One woman was completely distinct from all of these women. She was the one in a million Lu Shengyi, although she had yet to know her true power.

Cullen helped his servant to his feet. The two men shared a bond that was special between them, one between master and servant. As cold and ruthless as he was on the outside, nobody had the idea that he was hot-blooded and passionate deep inside. But all his emotions had been reserved for that one person's appearance.

Similarly, Silas was cold to those who did not know him well, but in front of Cullen Fu, he was the loyal henchman that had won Cullen's trust on numerous occasions. Silas had a few identities, and one of them included a university student, a client of Shengyi on one event, and a bartender at the Soulless Bar a year ago. But in each role he had played, he had carried himself so well that Shengyi could not recognise him again after that.

"Report," Cullen said nonchalantly.

"Spider failed," Silas answered, his eyes not leaving Cullen's. "She has been punished appropriately."

Cullen nodded briefly. "Did anyone recognise you?"

"Most unlikely," Silas pronounced. 

Cullen remained indifferent. "You may take your leave, Silas."

"Spider was close to achieving her task," Silas said as he reached the end of the pathway leading out of the room. "Her target was just too strong. Do you still want her to continue with her mission?"

Cullen did not require time to think of an answer. His reply came almost instantaneously.

"Get another of our runners to go after the target. As for Spider, she has already been punished, so let her be for now."

Silas did not dare to steal one look at his master as he exited the room. Cullen Fu had a very volatile attitude, at times kind and on other occasions heartless. Given his past experiences in punishing their minions for failed mission attempts, Cullen had already been very forgiving with Spider. She was allowed to live without any form of permanent effects or paralysis, compared to the men who he had punished heavily in the past.

If anything, being a female differed, Silas thought. Spider was the spy who had infiltrated the mansion some time back, and being their prisoner did not give her a second choice over having to take on the mission granted to her. She had swallowed the drink of venom that Cullen used as a test of loyalty. 

However, what his master wanted in Lu Shengyi, Silas did not know. Neither could he read his master's mind despite their bond. Cullen's identity was unknown to all, and even his most trusted henchman knew naught of who Cullen Fu truly was. Though he acted like he was from the mafia, he had no underground connections, neither did he have any friends or family. His wealth and power were indescribable. On the other hand, Lu Shengyi seemed like the average university student who became wealthy overnight. What was special about her, other than being lucky?

............

In Shengyi's abode

"That's all you can find out about Cullen Fu?" I gnash my teeth, annoyed.

Sergei sounds apologetic. "I am sorry, Miss Lu. My team was ambushed, and when we woke up, we realised most of the evidence we have collected from our endeavours have been wiped."

"Arghhhhhhh! Dammit!"

I scream uncontrollably. I am so infuriated that I fling the smartphone across the room. It hits a copper table in the corner at the end of the room with a loud clang.

Sergei's voice still can be heard from the other side of the phone, since I have put it on speaker mode.

"Miss Lu, we have already encountered casualties in the mission. Please let us have some compensation for our efforts. Most of my men are in hospital as we speak. Even I have a fractured leg."

The man sounds sincere and I know without a doubt that what he is saying is the truth, but what I am frustrated with, is how Cullen Fu has easily thwarted my attempts to find out what he is after. Is the man even human?

I don't know what Cullen Fu is after, since all traces of Sergei's findings have been erased, but if he creates any problems for Shengyi Corporation, I swear that I will not let him off. If what he wants is a war, then I firmly tell myself that I will not disappoint him. Sergei is not the only investigator in Andophia.

"Miss Luuuuuuuuuuuu?" Sergei's voice repeats, resounding in the sheer silence of my bedroom. My conscience hits me hard. Even if I am not happy with his services, I can't just vanish and let them find a way to deal with their mess themselves. 

After a few minutes, I walk over and pick up the smartphone lying on the carpeted floor.

"I promised you the sum only if you got me what I want," I utter with a heavy heart. 

The voice on the other side of the phone is completely silent. I continue nevertheless.

"I would have not placed so much hope in you finding the answers to Cullen Fu's threat to me, if not for how well you had performed earlier." Sergei knows I am referring to the task I had entrusted him some time ago, i.e., on Shan Hanyu. His investigations had allowed me to realise that the circumstances relating to Shan Hanyu's arrival at Andophia and his family are distinct from who he was in my past life.

This fact on Shan Hanyu actually having a mother and family back home that are not financially well made me realise one thing: that this world and my past life's world are not necessarily the same world. I bite my tongue and thought hard. Is there such a thing as parallel worlds or universes?

If I am in a parallel world after all, then it is not surprising that my father has a different destiny, that I have a half-sister that never existed, or Cullen Fu, a person who was never present in my former life, is now the threat to Shengyi Corporation's existence.

Even I, Lu Shengyi, have a different identity. I have almost forgotten about Sir Anonymous.

I pick up the smartphone which is lying in my lap. The call is still active, and I can hear deep breathing from the other side of the phone. Sergei must be in a tough dilemma.

"Since you have not committed to your end of the bargain, I shall only give you one-third of what I promised. I hope this is enough for you to recoup your losses. Some compensation to the families of your soldiers."

The breathing becomes more regular and Sergei's familiar voice says, "Thank you, Miss Lu. I can't thank you enough."

The call disconnects and I replace the smartphone on my pillow when it beeps suddenly. I widened my eyes in surprise to read the message that I had just received from Sergei. A number of photographs accompany the message.

"Miss Lu, you may not believe it, but we were dealing with someone of incredible power. When we woke up, our equipment was still intact, despite our injuries. Every image and video we took of anything other than Cullen Fu still exists. How he bypassed the advanced security that I had set up, and only wiped specific information is beyond my knowledge."

I take a few deep breaths as I study the images that Sergei has presented me. 

'Cullen Fu, just who are you?' I say in my mind. 'Are you even from this world?'

At that juncture, I am reminded of how over one year ago, I had woken up in my room after dancing with Cullen Fu in the Soulless Bar. He could have done more than that, but he had not.

A shiver rapidly descends my spine. But I have to be brave and win the fight.

Persevere, Lu Shengyi, I tell myself. No matter what, I can't concede defeat!