Chapter 53: Boss

Chapter 53 The Boss

When Jiang Xun and the others returned to Kontra’s hospital room, they found Liu Hai leaning against Kontra’s bed, watching cartoons. Kontra, meanwhile, was absently answering his questions and peeling him an apple.

Jiang Xun: “…”

“Liu Hai!” Xiao Jin chided him helplessly. “How can you let a patient peel an apple for you?”

“I already said I’m pretty much recovered,” Kontra said, looking up and stuffing a piece of apple into Liu Hai’s mouth. “Don’t treat me like an ordinary patient.”

He shot Jiang Xun a subtle glance, a smirk he couldn’t quite suppress playing on his lips.

Jiang Xun: “?”

He walked over to Liu Hai, took the half-peeled apple, finished peeling it for him, and asked, “Were you two talking about anything?”

The unspoken question was: Why was Kontra staring at him with such a strange smile?

“We talked about secrets!” Liu Hai declared solemnly. “Can’t tell you.”

“Ah, congratulations,” Kontra teased with a knowing grin. “Jiang Xun, the kid’s all grown up—he has his own secrets now.”

Jiang Xun couldn’t help but frown. “What’s with that expression?”

“It’s the proud-uncle expression of Uncle Kontra next door,” Kontra curled his lips, a flash of amusement in his eyes. “Good luck with that, Jiang Xun.”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

Xiao Jin asked eagerly, “Looking forward to what?”

“Looking forward to the day that arrogant genius lowers his noble head and bows in submission,” Kontra’s eyes crinkled with mirth. “No matter how many achievements one has, no matter how much of a celebrated genius they are in their field…”

“There’s always an opponent they can’t handle.”

“Huh?” Xiao Jin’s gaze darted back and forth suspiciously before he boldly ventured a guess, “Are you talking about romance?”

“Hah?” Kontra looked bewildered. “Of course, I’m talking about research!”

“Ah—” Xiao Jin sounded disappointed. “You made it sound so ambiguous—I thought there was some juicy gossip about the boss!”

A Yu’s expression flickered strangely for a moment. He quickly glanced at Jiang Xun and Liu Hai before feigning ignorance and falling silent.

Jiang Xun had no idea why this guy was grinning so smugly, but that didn’t stop him from retorting: “Should I schedule a brain scan for you?”

“Hey!” Kontra glared fiercely.

Just as it seemed another argument might erupt between them, Liu Hai quickly changed the subject: “Did you see that child?”

“Hearing you call someone else ‘child’ feels a bit odd,” Jiang Xun indeed toned down his aggression and refocused on Liu Hai. “Don’t worry, she’s doing well—thanks to you.”

Liu Hai pointed at himself in confusion. “Thanks to me?”

“Mm, you saved her life—in every sense of the word.” Jiang Xun lowered his gaze, appearing unusually gentle. “I know you want to see her too, but she needs to stay in a sterile room right now. Unfortunately, we don’t have an isolation suit your size.”

“However, this time, I met someone there who said you could greet her through the glass.”

“Really?!” Liu Hai perked up. “Who’s this kind person?”

“Kind person…” Jiang Xun’s expression turned complex. “But he also made a request—he wants to talk to you alone.”

Before Liu Hai could respond, Kontra’s eyebrows shot up. “Who’s this shady character trying to—”

Jiang Xun: “It’s the boss.”

Kontra: “…”

Liu Hai asked curiously, “What’s a boss?”

A Yu whispered, “He’s the head of Siren Company—the one who pays our boss’s salary.”

Liu Hai’s eyes widened in realization, suddenly respectful. “The King of Humans!”

“No, not to that extent,” Jiang Xun sighed and explained in terms Liu Hai could understand. “More like… the company’s human king.”

“Oh—” Liu Hai nodded seriously. “Got it. A big shot!”

“Let me meet him!”

Jiang Xun hesitated. “Alright.”

“But he’s a bit… strange.”

Liu Hai tilted his head. “What kind of strange?”

“He likes saying weird things,” Jiang Xun recalled the boss’s usual manner of speaking. “Likes giving people riddles, being cryptic, and talking in circles.”

“If you don’t understand what he’s saying, a small part of it might be your problem, but a larger part is probably his.”

Liu Hai nodded earnestly, taking mental notes. “So he talks in a confusing way!”

Jiang Xun patted his head. “Other than that, there’s nothing else to worry about.”

“Eh?” Liu Hai blinked. “That’s it? But he’s still a king, right?”

“Because he’s a decent king,” Kontra chimed in. “He won’t bully kids. Calling you over is probably just out of curiosity.”

“Oh, and you can ask him for a red envelope.”

Kontra winked. “If he asks, just say I told you to.”

Liu Hai nodded vaguely before climbing into his wheelchair. “Okay! Where is he?”

At the door stood a tall man in a crisp suit and sunglasses. He looked down at Liu Hai’s wheelchair and paused suspiciously.

Struggling to keep a straight face, he began pushing Liu Hai. “I’ll take him to see the boss.”

Liu Hai waved back at them. “I’ll be back soon!”

…

After several turns, Liu Hai felt a bit dizzy. He looked up at the exceptionally tall man behind him and asked, “Hello, what’s your name?”

The man hesitated before answering, “I’m the boss’s bodyguard.”

“Your name is Bodyguard?” Liu Hai blinked, confused. “Just that?”

The man: “…No.”

Liu Hai asked again, “What do you think of the boss?”

The bodyguard remained silent.

Liu Hai whispered, “Is he scary?”

The bodyguard remained silent.

Liu Hai pondered and asked, “To be the head of the company, he must be really impressive, right?”

“Can he beat a killer whale?”

A voice answered with a laugh, “I’m afraid not.”

Liu Hai was startled, only to realize someone was already standing in front of him.

A long-haired man with a gentle demeanor looked easygoing and oddly elegant.

Behind him stood another bodyguard. When the one behind Liu Hai stepped forward, the two looked like mirror images of each other.

Liu Hai hesitantly asked, “Boss?”

“Yes.” The boss smiled and nodded. “That’s me.”

“Hello, Liu Hai.”

Even after all the rumors, he still seemed quite friendly!

Liu Hai greeted him enthusiastically, “Hello!”

The boss chuckled and lightly pointed at the window. “You can see inside here.”

Liu Hai remembered why he came and quickly leaned in.

On the other side of the window, a girl with a human body and a fish tail seemed to be doing some simple rehabilitation exercises, her expression focused, lips pursed stubbornly.

Standing beside Liu Hai, the boss spoke, “Well… though she can’t exactly be called unharmed, given everything she’s been through, her current state is practically a miracle.”

Liu Hai repeated the word, “Miracle?”

“Yes.” The boss folded his hands behind his back and said gently, “Wang Yiliu fed himself and her poison-laced capsules before you arrived on the island. The capsules would dissolve in about half an hour, activating the poison.”

“He never intended for either of them to survive.”

“Wang Yiliu was already dead when they brought him aboard, but she…”

The boss’s expression turned sorrowful. “Her physical condition was dire; her body was failing, including her digestion.”

“The poison in her stomach would take longer to take effect. As luck would have it, she jumped into the Ancient Sea, swallowed its water, and had an allergic reaction—one symptom of which was vomiting…”

“She threw up the poison almost at the very moment it was about to take effect.”

“Though she still has a long way to go before she’s healthy, up to now, it’s nothing short of a ‘miracle.’”

Liu Hai peered through the glass and turned to look at him. “Will you have someone save her?”

The boss smiled at him. “What do you think? Will I?”

Liu Hai frowned slightly. “Jiang Xun was right—you really do love asking people questions!”

“Haha, seems Dr. Jiang Xun complained a lot about me to you.” The boss coughed lightly. “Sorry, it might be a bad habit of mine.”

“I think… yes.”

He said simply, “She’s garnered a lot of attention. Helping her recover would be great PR for the company—not just kindness, but also a show of strength. These are all more important than the cost of her treatment.”

Liu Hai blinked.

The boss grinned mischievously. “That’s what Jian Yu wrote in her report to me.”

“I knew it didn’t sound like something you’d say!” Liu Hai nodded approvingly. “So, what do you really think?”

“Oh? You could tell?” The boss scratched his chin awkwardly. “Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to admit.”

“Basically…”

“Because I’m very rich, I can afford to ignore gains and losses, paying only for occasional kindness and heartwarming miracles.”

Liu Hai cocked his head. “That just means you’re a good person. Why come up with all these reasons?”

“Because for a businessman,” the boss said with a grin, “that trait makes me look naive.”

Liu Hai patted him sympathetically. “You have it tough too, having to keep up appearances for others’ sake.”

The boss: “…”

A faint smile appeared on his face. “Hmm, Jian Yu was right. You really do have that knack for getting straight to the point.”

“Good, very good.”

He patted Liu Hai’s head approvingly. “You know what? Mermaids mean a lot to our company. So, no matter what, I’d prefer the one bearing the name of a mermaid to be a charming kid.”

Liu Hai grinned slyly. “Hehe.”

“Oh, right! Kontra said I could ask you for a red envelope.”

“That guy.” The boss sighed. “Always helping others get freebies from me.”

He waved to the bodyguard behind him, and a red envelope was passed to him.

“Here you go.” The boss smiled as he placed it in Liu Hai’s hand.

“Whoa—” Liu Hai looked up in shock, reaching out to take it. “You just carry these around?”

“Yep, handy to have.” The boss’s smile was warm, but he held on a moment longer. Suddenly, he asked, “Actually, you’re not actually a mermaid, are you, Lil’ Liu Hai?”