Chapter 222: The Oracle Comes True

Chapter 222: The Oracle Comes True

Aside from Ami, the Golden Coast Club offered a few other young and handsome playmates, with both Eastern and Western features.

There were even one or two that Shen Qing recognized, famous television male stars on local channels.

As Shen Qing and Qin Shili stepped onto the yacht, Ami and the playmates immediately approached them.

The beautiful lady attended to Qin Shili while the handsome men entertained Mr. Shen.

With her red hair, Ami wore a high-waisted crop top, while the dashing young men donned white shirts and suit pants. On the surface, they seemed quite modest, but the shirts were semi-transparent.

At first glance, their pectorals, abs, and V-lines were faintly visible beneath the white fabric. These playmates even poured wine for Mr. Shen while casting flirtatious glances his way...

Mr. Shen?? Wait, no – Shao Jingwen, what's going on here? Why do these playmates seem so... improper?

"None of them to Mr. Shen's liking?"

Only when Shao Jingwen asked did Shen Qing notice, goodness gracious, how very interesting – she was already surrounded by companions on both sides.

A handsome young man offers her grapes, while another presents her with wine. Shao Jingwen wears an expression of pure indulgence, resembling a queen attended by her male concubines.

This is the proper way to enjoy a companion's company.

But clearly, both Mr. Shen and Qin Shili were serious individuals; neither allowed the gaming companions to approach them.

Accompanied by a handsome male celebrity, someone was eager to approach Mr. Shen with a tray of fruit and a glass of red wine, only to witness Qin Shili standing stiffly beside Mr. Shen, his face dark with a wary and displeased gaze directed at the approaching figure. It seemed as if the celebrity dared to step any closer to Mr. Shen, Qin Shili would not hesitate to give him a sound beating!

"Miss Shao, my sister came to discuss business with you, and this is how you receive her?" Qin Shili sounded somewhat displeased.

Shao Jingwen was still in a daze. "Does Mr. Shen not prefer this type? I can change to someone more to your liking."

She then turned to Qin Shili with a smile. "Mr. Qin, no need to be so agitated. I've seen others conducting business with hugs all around. Men can play with women, and women can play with men too..."

As she spoke, she took out the Gold Coast's catalog and asked Mr. Shen to select a few that suited his preferences.

Subconsciously flipping through it, Mr. Shen found that the catalog was filled with handsome men and beautiful women, all with chiseled eight-pack abs, standing at six feet tall, and even their... dimensions were listed...

Was this something that 'decent people' were supposed to look at?

Amidst Shen Qing's engrossment, her vision was suddenly blocked, and the list of names she held was snatched away, landing in front of Shao Jingwen.

"I don't allow my sister to read such filth," Qin Shili declared with indignation.

Shao Jingwen was stunned. "Mr. Shen, are you underage?"

"In spirit, I'm already an adult," Mr. Shen admitted candidly.

But Qin Shili shot him a glance. "Didn't you just turn seventeen not long ago?"

Shen Qing was surprised. How did Qin Shili know? They hadn't even met when she celebrated her birthday.

Qin Shili, however, gave her a 'what do you think I don't know' look. Since finding out that Shen Qing was his cousin, he had been paying extra attention to her life and friends.

Many things that Shen Qing was unaware of, Qin Shili had noticed meticulously!

"Mr. Shen is only seventeen? That can't be true. Mr. Shen is so young?" Not only was Shao Jingwen astonished, but the on-board companion was also taken aback.

They all knew that Mr. Shen was the recent renowned female entrepreneur in Hong Kong who had defeated the Gu family for the Tsim Sha Tsui development project, and she was still underage.

No wonder everyone was so astonished. Mr. Shen had made a name for himself in Hong Kong with rapid success; now, who didn't know the female tycoon, Mr. Shen?

As for Shao Jingwen's surprise, it was because she was actually a year or two older than Gu Shaoqian. In Hong Kong, eighteen was the age of majority. When she married Gu Shaoqian, he had already celebrated his 19th birthday, making him technically 20.

Moreover, those from wealthy families were often exposed to social interactions and family businesses from a young age, resulting in their maturity beyond their years.

Thus, Shao Jingwen, who had experienced marriage and divorce, truly didn't expect that the influential Mr. Shen in Hong Kong was still a minor.

"Didn't Mr. Shen already start university? How can he still be a minor?" Shao Jingwen looked at Mr. Shen in disbelief, as most university students were typically at least eighteen.

Mr. Shen was known for his swift and decisive actions. Despite appearing slightly younger, people believed him to be a prodigious youth who had built an empire in Hong Kong at a young age.

To her astonishment, Mr. Shen was even younger than she had imagined – he was still a minor.

Shao Jingwen was genuinely stunned!

For today's business meeting with Shao Jingwen, Mr. Shen donned a white suit and wore diamond earrings. Her long hair cascaded down her shoulders, and a subtle touch of lipstick added a professional touch. This was a stark contrast to her usual school appearance, where she kept her hair in a simple high ponytail with minimal makeup.

Now, Mr. Shen exuded a cultivated maturity and professionalism that easily disguised her underage status.

"She's only seventeen," Qin Shili commented nonchalantly. "Also, who said that attending university automatically means one is an adult? Intelligent people can skip grades in their studies..."

As Qin Shili spoke about these matters, a hint of pride could be seen on his cold and handsome face.

When he turned to speak to Shen Qing, his tone was gentler than when addressing Shao Jingwen. "Business discussions are acceptable today, but no entertaining."

Seeing that Shen Qing remained silent, Qin Shili added, "Understood?"

"Understood, understood, understood!"

Nodding her head even faster than Mr. Shen, Shao Jingwen didn't wait for Qin Shili to say anything further before promptly sending the handsome game companion away. Only the red-haired Ami was left to serve them.

"Apologies, Mr. Shen. I lost my composure just now," Shao Jingwen approached Mr. Shen with a glass of red wine in hand. As she offered her apology, she instructed someone to replace the champagne in Mr. Shen's hand with juice.

In truth, Mr. Shen wasn't too bothered since he could appreciate male beauty as well. However, with Qin Shili standing nearby, he didn't comment further.

After clinking glasses with Shao Jingwen over their juices, Mr. Shen settled down on the sofa and began discussing the Tsim Sha Tsui abandoned building development project with her.

"Miss Shao, to revitalize the abandoned project in Tsim Sha Tsui, the first priority is to dispel its reputation as an 'unlucky' or haunted site. Otherwise, even if the building is constructed, the citizens of Hong Kong won't be interested," Shen Qing presented her research on the Tsim Sha Tsui project.

Shao Jingwen was taken aback. "That building is considered haunted?"

"You didn't know about this?" Mr. Shen was surprised. He assumed that since Shao Jingwen had married Gu Shaoqian and supported his business, she would have knowledge of the abandoned project.

Seeing Shao Jingwen's confused expression and her head shaking, Mr. Shen didn't elaborate further. Instead, he extracted the newspaper clippings from the dossier and handed them to her.

"These are media reports on the Tsim Sha Tsui project."

Upon hearing Mr. Shen's explanation, Shao Jingwen took the newspapers and started reading.

The headline of the first article declared the abandoned building as a site of bad luck, a place of bloodshed and tragedy. It claimed that anyone associated with the building would suffer a violent end... As Shao Jingwen flipped through the pages, her face grew increasingly grave.

The second article reported the murder of Brother Hawk, a member of the East Prosperity Society, within the Tsim Sha Tsui project. The newspaper stated that the already ominous building, combined with the lingering resentment of the deceased, had transformed into a demonic structure, even endangering the life of the property owner.

The third clipping detailed the discovery of hundreds of dead pigs buried at the site, suggesting that these pigs carried a plague. It warned that anyone passing by the Tsim Sha Tsui project risked contracting the disease...

Now, Tsim Sha Tsui had become one of Hong Kong's notorious plague-stricken areas. Coupled with the Liu family, who were burned to death by Su Qilan's orders, this further fueled the terrifying rumor that the abandoned building was a devourer of souls. It intensified the fear and dread among the citizens of Hong Kong towards such structures.

Shao Jingwen finally understood. No wonder when she mentioned visiting the abandoned building in Tsim Sha Tsui last time, the maids had looked at her with terrified, yet hesitant expressions.

Back then, Shao Jingwen had just had an argument with Gu Shaoqian, leaving her in a foul mood. Filled with thoughts of divorce, she hadn't paid much attention to the servants' reactions.

Reading the newspaper Mr. Shen handed her, there was nothing left for Shao Jingwen not to comprehend.

"Other than us shareholders who occasionally visit the abandoned building, nobody dares to pass by it even during broad daylight," Shen Qing continued.

Hong Kong people place great faith in feng shui and mysticism. An abandoned building that had been left unfinished for years, with its ownership constantly changing, and a history of fatalities, would naturally deter anyone from engaging with it. All believed that the stalled construction in Tsim Sha Tsui was plagued by unfavorable feng shui.

Thus, should that abandoned construction project be revived, whether it were to be transformed into an upscale residential area or a grand commercial complex, the presence of the Sky Splitting Blade Curse, the Devil Tower that devours people, and its notorious reputation would ensure that it remains unsellable. When that time comes, the developers would suffer immense losses, not even sparing their underwear.

Shao Jingwen's brows knitted tighter and tighter; she had never heard of such matters before.

She was abroad studying when the incident took place.

Upon returning to Hong Kong and marrying Gu Shaoqian, he had secretly been conducting business with Su Qilan behind her back. Gu Shaoqian was only after her money; he had never disclosed the matter of the Tsim Sha Tsui derelict building to Shao Jingwen.

Shao Jingwen suddenly felt that spending 100 million Hong Kong dollars to purchase the shares of the unfinished building in Tsim Sha Tsui was a losing proposition.

She wore a somber expression, her lips pressed together, radiating anger and displeasure at being deceived.

"Regarding a solution, we do have one in mind," Shen Qing paused before continuing, "But no one can be certain if our plan will perfectly resolve the issue with the abandoned building. That's why I've decided to share this with you, Miss Shao, because in business, cooperation is key, and Tiancheng is built on the foundation of honesty and integrity. Hence, I want to make sure all risks are laid out upfront."

"Mr. Shen, I'm very grateful for your openness with me," Shao Jingwen continued, "I also believe that doing business with you won't result in a loss. However..."

The moment Shen Qing heard 'however' from Shao Jingwen, she knew that the deal might not go through today.

She hadn't anticipated that Shao Jingwen would be completely unaware of the abandoned building situation, especially since both Shao Jingwen and Gu Shaoqian had repeatedly pleaded with Mr. Shen to develop the site at the beginning.

It seemed that Gu Shaoqian was truly unscrupulous, using Shao Jingwen's money while keeping everything from her.

If Mr. Shen hadn't informed Shao Jingwen about the risks involved in developing the abandoned building, she might later blame him for deceiving her into a divorce for business purposes if she found out from other sources.

Observing Shao Jingwen's grim expression, Mr. Shen knew he should give her room to reconsider. Thus, he maintained his composure, looking at her calmly as he awaited her next words.

"Mr. Shen, to be honest, I spent 100 million to buy the shares of that unfinished building from Gu Shaoqian, only then did he agree to divorce me..." Shao Jingwen looked apologetically at Mr. Shen. "But now that you've told me the real situation with the unfinished building, I suddenly feel that I've wasted that 100 million..."

"One hundred million?" Mr. Shen was stunned. "Not just you, even I think it was a waste of your 100 million."

Mr. Shen looked at Shao Jingwen with understanding. "With the shares you hold, if you had invested that 100 million into developing the unfinished building, you would have been making money effortlessly in the future."

The main structure of the building was already completed, and all that was left was to finish the exterior. Moreover, Mr. Shen held the largest share, a total of seventy-five percent. Even if Shao Jingwen bought out all the remaining shares, she would only own twenty-five percent.

Considering the current state of the shares for the unfinished building, 10 million would have been too much for Shao Jingwen to spend. Yet, she had spent 100 million Hong Kong dollars to acquire a mere twenty-five percent?

Just thinking about it made Mr. Shen wince, even though it wasn't her money, but it was the money of her shareholders.

In business, prudence was key. Before they even began working together, Shao Jingwen had so generously fattened up the scoundrel Gu Shaoqian. Once he recovered, he would definitely retaliate against Mr. Shen for persuading Shao Jingwen to divorce him.

That despicable bunch from the Gu family couldn't be allowed the chance to bounce back.

Furthermore, wouldn't it have been more beneficial to use Shao Jingwen's 100 million to develop the unfinished building?

The more Mr. Shen thought about it, the more pained he felt.

Shao Jingwen also felt like an idiot. It wasn't entirely her fault, though, as Miss Shao had always lived a life of luxury and leisure since she was young.

Money was just paper to her, so she was accustomed to spending lavishly. After all, a decent yacht could cost millions or even tens of millions. Thus, Shao Jingwen assumed that purchasing a property would be more expensive.

Hence, she had rashly offered one hundred million Hong Kong dollars. However, she never expected the abandoned project to have a notorious reputation as a haunted house, which foreigners and various companies were desperately trying to offload.

Upon reflection, Gu Shaoqian truly wasn't a decent person. He knew that the abandoned project was worthless but still tried to swindle her out of one hundred million Hong Kong dollars for investment.

Otherwise, why would Shao Jingwen propose spending one hundred million Hong Kong dollars on the shares of the abandoned project and ask Gu Shaoqian for a divorce? It was because Gu Shaoqian initially mentioned that the initial investment for developing the abandoned project would amount to at least one hundred million.

Now, after listening to Mr. Shen, Shao Jingwen realized that Gu Shaoqian had been deceiving her from the start.

Furious, Shao Jingwen tore the newspaper in her hands. "Damn bastard! How dare he deceive me? Not only will I get a divorce, but I won't let that deadbeat Gu Shaoqian benefit a single cent!"

"That's right. Why should you give money to a scumbag when divorcing him?" Mr. Shen spoke up on her behalf. "Gu Shaoqian essentially defrauded you into marriage. Before marrying you, he had already signed a marriage notarization agreement with Su Qilan..."

"What? Such a thing happened?" Shao Jingwen was enraged. "When he came to propose marriage, he didn't mention that he had signed a marriage notarization agreement with Su Qilan."

In Hong Kong, signing a marriage notarization agreement indicated that the two parties were in a de facto marital relationship.

If that's the case, Su Qilan would be Gu Shaoqian's lawful wife.

As the esteemed heiress of the Shao Corporation and the daughter of Hong Kong's renowned jewelry tycoon, how could she have become someone else's mistress?

Rage like a tidal wave surged through Shao Jingwen, igniting flames in her eyes. "I want to kill that damned bastard!"

Shen Qing was genuinely astonished that Shao Jingwen was unaware of this fact.

Given Su Qilan's penchant for showing off, she should have flaunted her triumph over Lu Xiangjun before Shao Jingwen as soon as she was rescued.

Otherwise, why would Shao Jingwen have stormed back to her parents' home? And how could newspapers have reported a fight between her and Gu Shaoqian over Su Qilan while they were still married?

In the end, it turned out that what provoked Shao Jingwen to return to her family was not the news of Su Qilan and Gu Shaoqian signing a marriage certificate?

This Gu Shaoqian... He was truly despicable!

Mr. Shen and Shao Jingwen spoke in unison, though their tones conveyed different emotions—Mr. Shen's was laced with disdain, while Shao Jingwen's was fueled by betrayal.

She clenched her fists and gritted her teeth, vowing, "Divorce, the divorce is settled. I'll also sue Gu Shaoqian for fraudulent marriage."

"Scoundrel, bastard! I'll tear Gu Shaoqian apart piece by piece!" Shao Jingwen rose furiously, instructing the maid beside her, "Go back, tell them to turn this yacht around. I want to tear Gu Shaoqian's face off!"

"The miss, the ship has sailed quite far already. It will take some time to return," the maid informed Shao Jingwen.

Shao Jingwen snapped back to reality, observing the surrounding sea. Only then did she realize that the yacht had sailed far into the endless ocean, with no sign of Hong Kong in sight.

Shen Qing and Qin Shili also noticed this. Both stood up simultaneously, gazing at the vast expanse of water. Shao Jingwen frowned and asked, "Where are we? How long will it take to go back?"

"I'll check the locator," Ami, as the companion, quickly determined their location, then exclaimed in alarm, "Oh no, we're actually in international waters."

"What? We've sailed into international waters?" Shao Jingwen was infuriated. "How could this happen? This is so dangerous out here."

Many wealthy individuals would choose to host yacht parties within Hong Kong's waters due to the numerous uncertainties and potential pirate activity on the high seas.

Shen Qing and Qin Shili also sensed something amiss. They exchanged a glance, with Qin Shili taking the lead to head towards the yacht's cockpit.

Regardless of the transportation used at sea, in the event of an emergency, the first priority was to secure control of the cockpit to navigate the direction of the vessel.

However, just as Qin Shili made his way to the cockpit, a foreigner aimed a gun at him.

"Bang!"

As the bullets flew, Qin Shili reacted swiftly, diving for cover while drawing his weapon alongside his assistant to retaliate.

Brother Biao and Huoniu immediately sprang into action, shielding Mr. Shen and returning fire.

Shao Jingwen was utterly bewildered. She never imagined that the companion provided by the Golden Coast Club for her entertainment would turn out to be an assassin.

"Damn it! Is it because Gu Shaoqian won't divorce me and wants to kill me to inherit my fortune?" Shao Jingwen instantly thought of Gu Shaoqian.

At that very moment, Gu Shaoqian, seated in his hilltop villa, sneezed twice.

"It seems the operation at sea has begun. The question is, was that sneeze-inducing curse from Shen Qing or Shao Jingwen?" Gu Shishi chuckled, sitting across from Gu Shaoqian with a cold smile.

Gu Shaoqian gazed expressionlessly at Gu Shishi. "I arranged for the hitman to board the yacht. Don't forget your promise to me."

Gu Shishi laughed. "Of course not."

Putting down her coffee cup, she looked at Gu Shaoqian with her seductive, eyeliner-enhanced fox eyes, still intrigued. "It's just about dealing with those old timers at the Gu Corporation, right? Don't worry, I'll take care of it perfectly. They won't stand in your way."

Gu Shishi looked pointedly at Gu Shaoqian, "After all, Father is still in the ICU. Right now, only you can control the Gu family. My future depends on you."

Gu Shaoqian remained unperturbed, "What about the massive fortune that was transferred from the Gu family?" His gaze pierced into Gu Shishi, "I found out that you were the one who contacted the Swiss bank."

Gu Shishi countered, "If I say that the money was stolen before it was even deposited in the Swiss bank?"

With a slap, Gu Shaoqian struck her face. The loud 'slap' echoed, causing the attendant standing by to immediately kneel on the ground.

Gu Shishi used her tongue to soothe her burning cheek, then she smiled and swallowed the blood in her mouth, "Only Father could retrieve that money from the Swiss bank personally."

"Hundreds of billions of dollars, you wouldn't want to hand it over to someone else, would you?" Moving closer to Gu Shaoqian, Gu Shishi's eyes held a seductive yet malicious glint, "So you have to keep Father alive, and settle the mess in the Gu family before you can go to Switzerland for the money."

"You'd better not be lying to me," Gu Shaoqian reached out to choke her neck, his gaze sinister, "Or I'll kill you too."

Upon hearing this, Gu Shishi laughed. Her gaze grew more alluring as she looked at Gu Shaoqian, reaching out to embrace his neck, only to be pushed away by him, "Get lost, you disgust me."

Gu Shishi fell to the ground, staring hatefully at Gu Shaoqian's retreating back, yet there was an unhealthy tinge of amusement in her eyes.

Gu Shaoqian despised her, but he was unaware that he was just a pawn between her and Gu Chengfu... It was truly intriguing to see how Gu Shaoqian, driven by power, had become ruthless and merciless, eliminating all those in the Gu family.

Gu Shishi suddenly broke into laughter.

In contrast, Gu Shaoqian, who had just left, rubbed his temples irritably and asked the bodyguard beside him, "Make sure the people on the yacht ensure Shen Qing's safe exit."

The protective geomantic arrangement in the Gu family still required Shen Qing's Purple Mansion destiny to act as its focal point; thus, she couldn't die.

However, he had to create an illusion of Mr. Shen's death to secretly imprison her in the hilltop villa...

Recalling his plan, Gu Shaoqian felt a thrill of excitement. From this day forward, no one, be it Shen Qing or anyone from the Gu family, would dare defy him. Everyone would have to respect and obey him!

As Gu Shaoqian stood atop the hilltop villa, overlooking the entire harbor, Shen Qing and Qin Shili were at that moment on the yacht, facing a hail of bullets. Zhong Ziguang was hiding behind, divining the future. Upon seeing the omens, he exclaimed, "Oh no, Master! The dream message from Guanyin Bodhisattva in my divination has come true today."

...