After breakfast, Sefu quickly gives a run down on what they had found out about last night.
"The men that dragged Miss Song are these people." Sefu places a few photographs onto the cleared table. Some were from the surveillance camera footage, some were prison identification photos and one was of two of the men bruised and battered. "I asked for Stamos to find and interrogate them last night. It didn't take that long to find them and," He snorts, "it took even less to break them down."
Jia Hyson laughs, Song Chuntao just stares wide-eyed at the beaten up men with mixed feelings. On one hand she hates those bastards who stripped her and dragged her off with the intention for her to get r*ped. But on the other hand… like wow did that look painful. One of the unfortunate ruffians looked like their cheekbones had broken and there was an unnervingly unnatural cave in on the side of his face.
"So, who's behind it ah?" Jia Hyson asks interestedly. They hired the best guards to accompany them, so of course their abilities were not limited to guarding alone.
Sefu glances at Song Chuntao making her shiver almost instinctively. "We could only conduct a preliminary investigation given the time, but we believe there's some connection with the Zheng family."
Song Chuntao stiffens, hands clenching by her side as her expression grows tense. Jia Hyson pretends not to notice, leaning in toward Sefu interestedly. "The Zheng family? They're quite a big deal in this country right?"
Currently the Zheng family is one of the top four families, with the third most influential company that specialises in technology. It also has other products related to home wear gadgets and other Internet game things. Jia Hyson doesn't really know. It was sort of brushed over in the story and his spicy chicken memory still isn't great so usually he researches beforehand all the important basic things he needs to know about the company and people he's meeting then proceeds to immediately forget eighty-seven percent of it the day after.
If he recalls the other three families specialize in either medical shit, technology again and mining, with the technology and mining-based families rivals to the Zheng's and the medical one allies. The Songs, when they were still big, ran an artsy company that sold quality canvas, paints, fabrics and other such things that many fashion designers and artists relied on. However when they fell, many vultures have picked on their carcasses so their fabric designers and such had been bought over to other companies.
"Miss Song over there is also the head of the rising Noble Song company." Sefu adds.
Jia Hyson frowns, pretending to be unaware of the personal relationship between the Songs and the Zhengs. "Even so, that doesn't make sense to attack her in such a manner."
Song Chuntao, in order to fulfill her aim to completely crush the Zhengs, started up a company related to technology- games and online entertainment. This company was simply yet ambitiously named Noble Song in the hopes she can overthrow the Zheng's company Zhengzhi (Meaning: Upright). She had already developed a rather popular social app for new artists to show off their work on an easier platform for communication and criticism called DesignUrs and her programmers had also made a few more apps and games of varying success. Because of this she could grow her company and start to invest in other branches of both technology and art.
Jia Hyson only remembers this because he himself actually is a user of DesignUrs and also a fan of another one of her most popular apps WritersSynonymous which is essentially like DesignUrs but for writers, and translators. As expected of something made by the protagonist, it was practically his ideal writing and reading app, with a good search bar, specific tagging, and a wide range of stories among other things. The payment system was a bit of a pain but given the company is relatively small with no backing Jia Hyson could deal. He's rich anyway.
Overall he's more famous on WritersSynonymous because of his great writing and his shitty habit of hiatus-ing but he also likes to look and buy interesting things from newbie designers. Gotta support his fellow artists after all ah.
However even though these apps are still going strong, generating a crazy amount of income for a start up company, it's still nothing compared to the big families. It makes sense to act surprised that Song Chuntao would be targeted by one of them, even knowing she herself was quite rich now.
When Song Chuntao explains her past with the Zhengs obviously Jia Hyson shows sympathy toward her.
Honestly even knowing the personal relationship between her and the Zhengs a normal person would still feel surprised.
After all, her family is clearly weaker and had fallen years ago, plus all this time the Songs had been struggling and minding their own business. Objectively and subjectively there was no need to attack Song Chuntao.
"So it turns out like this. To think the Zhengs turned out to be such vicious people who would kick people when they're down. And in such a despicable manner too." Jia Hyson sighs as he casually throws more and more stinky pots for the male lead to carry. After all, for these sort of dramatic romance CEO bullshit stories, misunderstandings are their lifeblood.
Slow burn romance can be a bit more frustrating to read but at least the relationship will not feel too rushed given the grievances they share. Plus...
Jia Hyson: 'I like when the male lead grovels hehe.'(◕‿◕)♡
Bebe: '눈_눈 This sadist.'
Song Chuntao nods vigorously. "I know right!?" She says excited. After all, a good friendship is one where they can bitch about people together and Song Chuntao has always felt stifled because she could never tell anyone her enmity toward Zhengs other than her parents. After all the Zhengs were too powerful, and they had a good reputation. If she tried to talk smack she would be scolded, making her angrier in her heart. To have someone agree with and support her made her feel incredibly happy.
Sefu, unwilling to let the harmonious atmosphere stay harmonious interrupts them. "We shouldn't be too quick to judge. The Zhengs have not shown any sign of this sort of unlawful behavior."
Jia Hyson smiles and waves the argument off, "We don't have the abilities to determine that we complete confidence Sefu. Not to mention they're influential in this country, we probably won't find much if any old evidence of their wrongdoings now unless they themselves were stupid or paranoid enough to hid it somewhere we could hack into. I don't know the Zhengs personally and I believe that Chu Chu is telling the truth. Even if there's lacking evidence I choose to believe Chu Chu."
Song Chuntao looks touched. "Thank you Farrell."
Sefu side-eyes her then snorts but doesn't say anything more. Jia Hyson chats with Somg Chuntao happily for a while longer before offering her a ride back to her house to which she, only after a second of hesitation, accepts.
In order to avoid any potential paparazzi, he offers her his sunglasses. That plus her new outfit made her look more like a rich celebrity strutting out of the hotel than a young businesswoman doing the walk of shame. Even though she got some envious looks, especially when she was walking side by side with a handsome exotic foreigner who looked just as wealthy, and a few snapshots, no one recognized her identity averting the crisis.
Not to mention, there was the infamous 'evil spirit' following behind the pair. Everyone knew about Prince Farrell but to the reporters, it was his favorite bodyguard, the villainous scar faced man that really made them shudder. Their seniors had told them that if you take a photo of this evil spirit bodyguard your cameras will break! How scary was that?! Do you know how expensive cameras were?! They say even the data on the computer, only the photos with the evil spirit's face will be strangely blacked out of glitchy. It was too terrifying!
Evil spirit Sefu: '...' Hurt.
Bebe: 'Hehe.' (∩❛ڡ❛∩)
Exchanging contact information and talking about possible places to meet up next week, Jia Hyson sends Song Chuntao back home. She is a busy woman after all so they can only arrange to meet a day or two a week. And this was pushing it for her. It really makes one wonder how could she have possibly pretended to be Zheng Jinhai's secretary, a very busy job in itself, on top of running her own company? Who can really say but Song Chuntao. It must be the power of vengeance and sexual tension.
After waving goodbye and kissing her on the cheek, Jia Hyson gets into his car's front seat and lays back with a sigh. He didn't have much else to do today so he wanted to go back to the hotel room, snack, play with his phone, watch tv and catch up on his beauty sleep.
However first he must tease his vinegar pot.
"Isn't she quite lovely and fierce?" Jia Hyson comments, breaking the silence in the car. Sefu, who was driving, silently frowns and clenches the wheel tightly.
"Not particularly." Sefu rasps. The woman was pale and full of soft squishy curves like a jellyfish.
And as for fierceness... hah, as a Samotrelian they fight the wild animals using primitive weapons and their bare hands. How can it compare to some woman bitching about her enemies without having done anything substantial to them other than falling into their trap?
"Aiyah, Sefu, you have no vision. Chu Chu is beautiful and soft, but that gaze in her eyes when she talks about the Zhengs... it is very much a gaze befitting a warrior. It's quite rare to see such a deep resolve for vengeance yet she's still pure and unwilling to break the law to fight them. Even though her path is so much more difficult and full of pits she still remains so valiant and strong."
Personally, Jia Hyson really doesn't care much about that sort of thing. However it is true that such an ability to remain so clean despite being so heavily pitted is impressive to him, after all he knows this is the sort of resolve he definitely is lacking in among other things. If he had such determination and resolve he definitely wouldn't have wavered on the morally right path ah. Even though he doesn't put much stock into his deficiency, people can't help but admire and envy the things they lack so he was partly genuine in his praise.
Sefu of course takes the praise as something far less platonic in meaning. "You've only known that woman for less than a day." He grits out, "My prince, it is unlike you to be so easily bewitched. Let this lowly servant investigate her identity further to make sure she is not dirty." And if she isn't.. he can always find some dirt to smear her anyway.
Jia Hyson leans against the window, watching the passing streets getting busier as the sun rises, a smile on his lips. When Sefu glances at him, his heart shakes a little at such a sight. Silently he can't help but think his prince is a thousand times more lovely than that bitch. As for fierceness…
"Don't be so cynical Sefu, I believe I have a great sense of character. After all, I trust you don't I?"
Sefu: '…' Oof, his kitten has fiercely attacked his conscious.
Jia Hyson: 'Hehe.'
"..What do you want to do when we reach the hotel?" Sefu promptly changes the subject guiltily. Even if he was aware now the organization he had joined when he was a child was not, as he had once thought, a group of oppressed individuals banding together to overthrow the evil royals, it wasn't like he could leave. It wasn't like a gym membership where the only thing stopping you from cancelling is guilt. There were severe consequences.
It was alright if they let him off with death, but.. Sefu couldn't leave his prince. Especially knowing that his death would solve nothing.
And also, Sefu steals another glance at his prince with dark eyes, there was a large part of him that hopes for the day that the royals would be captured. Not for any radical rebellious belief ingrained into him since young, but for a disgustingly lecherous and depraved selfishness that was entirely of his own.
"Hm," Jia Hyson hums, vaguely aware of the direction of his bodyguard's thoughts yet at the same time completely unaware of the details, "I just want to stay in and be idle. It's been a while since we can do so. My room will probably need to be cleaned so I'll hang out in your room."
So lazy, so presumptuous, so wilful and yet this casual order and violation of his own space made Sefu warm and ticklish inside. It's these sort of days where they would stay together quietly, reading and doing their own things together, such simple domestic things, that Sefu desires to monopolise the most.
Even if such intimacy is a habit from childhood on Farrell's part, where he can so easily lie on the same bed as Sefu, even laying on Sefu's body bonelessly as he reads comics on his phone, it's enough for him to delude himself to think it something more.
With a faint smile he picks up a little more speed, eager to get back to the hotel. "That sounds good. Shall I arrange for the concierge to bring snacks?"
"We just ate!" Jia Hyson laughs, but then after some thought changes his mind, "I want to try the, ah, local chips and snacks and such." He grins, a fun idea in his mind, "Give five random staff 200 yuan and tell them to get an assortment of local snacks and drinks for two ah. Tell them the winner will get ten times, no, a hundred times whatever they paid for. They have to bring the receipt as proof too ah."
Generally snacks can cost about 1-2 yuan, a bit more depending on quality and such so 200 yuan is actually quite a bit just for cheap snacks. However that prize money... the average monthly wage is around 7,200 yuan ($1,047). If the winner really spent all 200 yuan, they would instantly win 20,000 yuan! Just for buying some snacks! Given the people are working in a top class hotel, their wages are not bad but it's still not enough to stop themselves from salivating at the opportunity.
This was another thing Jia Hyson likes to do that had made him so popular in his original and current life. In a way he was playing with people callously with money for fun but no one was getting hurt, the impromptu competitions were quite fun and the money he was throwing around was both a lot yet not enough to be criticized to harshly for.
Jia Hyson: 'I have money, and I like to flaunt it. Is that so wrong?' ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Not only was Prince Farrell known as a sexy and funny prince, he was also known by netizens as a small god of wealth. Who knows which person shall be blessed next? This sort of odd form of charity was very exciting to talk about okay?
Sefu, used to these sudden strange requests that always delighted his prince so, nods amiably. "Easily done."
"Make sure it's really random ah, just tell the manager and point at five people who pass by in uniform or something. Since we're inconveniencing their work schedule offer to give them a little compensation. If one of them is really blind and can't play then just pick another, don't be stubborn." Jia Hyson chatters on. "Ah, it's such a shame that I can't watch their reactions. But the younger generation always like to stream and video themselves, they'll probably put this on Weibo so I won't miss out too much. Maybe I should sponsor a reality tv show or something. I feel like I could be very good at it. Chu Chu's business mainly does fun techy stuff right? I should ask her if she's interested in my ideas."
"If she isn't interested in your ideas then leave her." Sefu says supportingly, "My prince is the most amazing and creative prince I know. It is merely that he lacks the discipline to work on his ideas to fruition."
Jia Hyson pulls a face, "You," He sighs, "Why must you always add criticism after praise? I have discipline. Watch me, I'll make a big reality show that will be super popular!"
"I'm looking forward to it." Sefu chuckles hoarsely. "When do you want to start?"
"Uh.. Well, not now of course." Jia Hyson purses his lips, thinking seriously, "I, I have to think about the theme and I have to write a proposal and find a director person and, um.." Actually it did sound like an awful amount of work to do something he was technically already doing on a smaller scale. And it wasn't like he needed anymore money and fame.
"Forget it, let's just shelve the project for a rainy day. I want to watch the new drama Chu Chu told me about." He sighs. It really was a good thing being so wealthy, he didn't have to work a dime, just go socialise and drink with some dull people and promote his amazing homeland. The power of Easy Mode was almost too scary.
Bebe: '…' Bebe can hear the billions of hardworking hosts vomiting and crying blood out of anger for it's spoiled silly host.
Who asked the systems to assign Jia Hyson a character that was not only OP rich, but neither had to work hard or do politics to achieve his goals. Even the blessing of strength was bestowed onto him. He really had to do nothing but lie down and occasionally go save the male lead once the plot starts.
If he was truly lazy he actually needn't have met the protagonists at all, just hire some people to protect Zheng Jinhai at the appropriate times.
However that would really be too bland and he quite liked his choice to insert himself as a supporting male lead. After all, the story really was a little too generic in characters for his taste, in fact for a lot of stories this was a big problem. After a while people will inevitably be bored with slim beautiful shous and peach blossom eyed girls. Male leads and supporting leads especially can suffer from being generic, always the overbearing CEO type. It's always good to have some diversity both in personality and appearance.
And improving the plot does bring extra points so.
Jia Hyson: 'Hehe just showing my face gives me points for diversity. Just making a few jokes will give points for humor. Just talking shit about the male lead will give points for drama. ╮(╯∀╰)╭ Being a host is so damn easy.'
Bebe: 'Does Host mind if Bebe quotes that?'
Jia Hyson: '?, sure go ahead.'
And that's how Jia Hyson started his journey on becoming the number three enemy of system hosts everywhere. Who was number one and two? That is a different story altogether ah.
Sefu smiles dotingly at the prince. Even grown up he was still so stupid and childish. He really likes it. "Of course, of course ah," He appeases, enjoying the way the prince turns toward him and smiles brightly, his eyes curving into golden crescent shaped slits in pleasure. "Whatever you want my prince."
Sefu was greedy. Not a good man at all. If he could have his way, he will save his prince and his family from completely falling and still take have a chance to take a bite of his cake too.
And he will have his way.