Chapter 144: One After Another
Chapter 144: One After Another
“Sorry, I got lost looking for the restroom. Do you know where it is?”
Looking at two big men with alert expressions, Lin Mu smiled and apologized.
“At the corner of the stairs in the living room, there is a restroom. You can go there.”
The big man narrowed his eyes slightly and looked at Lin Mu as he spoke.
“Thank you.”
After saying that, Lin Mu turned around as if to leave, but actually, he used the chance to glance around and see if there were others nearby. Then, he slightly pushed off with his feet and swiftly stepped back between the two men. While they were startled, he simultaneously tapped both of their necks.
He emitted a slight burst of Zhenqi, and the two immediately fell to the ground. Before they hit the floor, Lin Mu grabbed one with each hand, then turned the doorknob of the study and walked in carrying them.
“Didn’t I say not to disturb me? You can discuss the birthday party matters with your classmates. Leave other things to the butler.”
Sitting on the sofa in the study and concentrating on reading documents, Boris spoke without looking up. The only person in the house who could enter his study without announcement was his beloved daughter, Vanessa.
Lin Mu threw the two big men in his hands onto the floor. Two thumping sounds rang out. Boris, who had been looking at the documents, immediately raised his head. Only then did he realize that the person who had entered the study was not his daughter Vanessa, but a strange young man.
“Who sent you?”
After glancing at the two bodyguards on the floor, Boris put down the documents in his hand and asked directly. Since the other party had come straight to him, asking “Who are you?” would be a waste of time, so he went straight to the point.
“Mr. Boris, you are indeed straightforward. I like your style.”
Lin Mu smiled slightly and sat on the sofa opposite Boris, crossing his legs. “I represent the Luo Family. I came for that batch of tax approval documents. It has been delayed too long. I hope Mr. Boris will sign and approve them as soon as possible.”
“Those documents are still under review. We also have to follow…”
“Sorry, I think Mr. Boris might have misunderstood.”
Before Boris could finish, Lin Mu interrupted him. “I don’t think you understand what I mean. I am not requesting; I am ordering you. If you don’t cooperate, the consequences will be terrible.”
“Order me? Young man, are you talking too big?”
Boris snorted with disdain, looking at Lin Mu as if he were an idiot.
“I heard Mr. Boris dotes on his daughter the most. I happened to see Vanessa downstairs just now when I came up. Why don’t I invite her up to join us?”
Hearing this, Boris’s face changed dramatically. Before he could say anything, Lin Mu’s figure vanished from the study like lightning and arrived in the living room downstairs in the blink of an eye.
“Vanessa, your father wants you to go to the study. He has some things to discuss with you.”
Looking at the suddenly appearing Lin Mu, the young people chatting happily in the living room were stunned. Vanessa herself was also dumbfounded. This was her home, and now a stranger had appeared, but she had no idea.
Before Vanessa could say anything, Lin Mu had already taken her hand and disappeared from the living room like the wind, leaving behind a group of young people looking at each other in confusion, not knowing what had happened.
Though curious, they were only guests. As a group of well-mannered and polite young people, they knew what questions to ask and what not to ask, so they just sat quietly in the living room, waiting for Vanessa to return.
Du Xiaoyue’s expression was somewhat strange. She felt that the young man who had suddenly appeared gave off a very familiar vibe, but his face was completely unfamiliar. She was sure she had never seen this person before.
Maybe it was a mistake in her perception. Ever since she ran into that man in Manhattan last time, her mind often couldn’t settle, and she kept thinking about that man unintentionally.
She sighed helplessly in her heart. Du Xiaoyue gazed out the window with melancholy eyes, her thoughts already drifting off to who knows where.
Inside the study, seeing that Lin Mu had disappeared, Boris’s first reaction was to rush to the desk. Just as he was about to press the alarm button under the table, Lin Mu had already returned to the room with Vanessa.
The whole process took only the time Boris needed to run from the sofa to the desk, showing how fast Lin Mu’s movements were. Boris looked at Lin Mu in disbelief, even forgetting to press the alarm button next to his hand.
“Mr. Boris, I know the alarm button is right by your hand, but I advise you not to press it. Otherwise, the consequences… I don’t think I need to say more, right?”
Lin Mu glanced at the two unconscious bodyguards on the floor, his words full of warning.
“Fine, whatever you want, just tell me. Don’t hurt my daughter!”
Boris raised both hands, indicating that he had not triggered the alarm.
“If you had been this cooperative earlier, I wouldn’t have needed to invite your daughter up.”
Lin Mu chuckled softly, then gently squeezed Vanessa’s neck with his left hand. Her legs immediately went weak, and she fainted. Dealing with such a delicate young girl, Lin Mu was afraid that if he used even a little more strength, he might break her neck.
“You!”
Seeing his daughter collapse softly to the floor, Boris became extremely anxious.
“Don’t worry, Mr. Boris. I came to discuss matters with you, not to kill anyone. Your daughter just fainted; she’ll be fine. I assume you don’t want her to hear our conversation, do you?”
Lin Mu picked up Vanessa and placed her on the sofa, then said to Boris with a smile.
“Alright, alright. What do you need me to do? Tell me!”
Boris nodded, walked to the sofa, and touched his daughter’s forehead to confirm she was still alive. Then he turned and looked at Lin Mu as he asked.
“It’s nothing complicated. Mr. Boris just needs to sign, approve, and release all the approval documents related to the Haoyu Financial Group. This is within your duties, so I don’t think it should be too difficult, right?”
Lin Mu smiled slightly and looked at Boris, speaking casually.
“You should know that withholding the Luo Family’s approvals isn’t my personal decision, right?”
Boris’s eyes flickered, and he stared straight at Lin Mu.
“Of course. Otherwise, given your relationship with the Luo Family, you wouldn’t offend such a big sponsor. I know someone higher up gave some orders, but that’s none of my concern. All I need is for you to approve the documents now.”
Lin Mu nodded.
“Then you should also know that if I sign these approvals without authorization, my fate won’t be any better.”
Boris remained very calm, as if he were talking about someone else.
“Of course. If Mr. Boris is willing to leave here, I’m sure the Luo Family would welcome you warmly. Huaxia also has very beautiful scenery. Maybe Mr. Boris would like to change his environment.”
Lin Mu spread his hands and smiled at Boris.
Boris stared intently at Lin Mu for a long time without speaking, as if trying to gauge how much truth was in his words. But then he gave up that idea. The young man before him was deeply shrewd; not a trace of abnormality showed on his face.
“Fine. I hope Mr. Luo won’t burn the bridge after crossing the river.”
Boris nodded slightly, then walked to the desk. He took out the documents one by one and began signing and approving them. In less than half an hour, he had resolved the issue. Then he called the relevant department and instructed others to expedite the approval process.
“Very good. When the Luo Family stabilizes in Huaxia, they will cooperate with Mr. Boris again.”
Lin Mu checked everything, then took out his Mobile Phone and deleted the information about Boris’s family. “Your daughter will wake up in another half hour. No need to worry.”
His voice still echoed in the room, but Lin Mu had already vanished. Boris looked around, both inside and outside the room, and checked the surveillance feeds from various parts of the house on the computer, but found no trace of Lin Mu.
If it weren’t for the fact that he had just signed those approvals, Boris would have thought it was all a dream.
“What happened, Dad? Was something wrong just now?”
Half an hour later, Vanessa indeed woke up. Rubbing her neck, she looked at Boris with confusion.
“Nothing, sweetheart. Let’s cancel tonight’s birthday party. Things have been a bit unsettled lately. We’ll make it up another time if we get the chance.”
Boris stroked his daughter’s hair and smiled gently.
Growing up in such a family, Vanessa was quite perceptive about certain things. She clearly sensed from her father’s eyes that something was wrong—and it was something big.
“Sorry, everyone. Something came up at home, and we might not be able to hold the birthday party recently. Next time there’s a chance, I’ll invite you all to celebrate together!”
After obediently going downstairs, Vanessa apologized to everyone with a smile.
“It’s fine. There will be other opportunities; it doesn’t have to be this time.”
“Exactly. We’ll head back now.”
“Bye, let’s hang out again next time.”
With the sudden change of events, everyone thought of what had just happened: Vanessa being taken away by a strange man. It seemed something really had happened; otherwise, they wouldn’t have changed their minds at the last minute.
After everyone else left, Du Xiaoyue stayed behind.
“What’s wrong, Shasha? Is everything alright?”
Looking at Vanessa’s forced smile, Du Xiaoyue asked with concern.
“Father might be facing a bit of trouble. It’s not resolved yet, but it should be fine in a few days.”
Vanessa shook her head, a trace of worry flashing between her brows. She and Du Xiaoyue were very good friends; they had hit it off from the start. Du Xiaoyue had come alone from Huaxia to study in New York. At school, Vanessa often helped her, warding off the attentions of many lecherous guys.
“Who was that man just now?”
Du Xiaoyue sighed. Being alone here, she really couldn’t help much.
“I don’t know him, but he seemed to know Father. I lost consciousness not long after going upstairs, and I also saw Father’s two bodyguards unconscious in the study. I don’t know what that person’s background is.”
Vanessa rubbed her neck curiously, recalling what had just happened.