* * *
"What!!? I don't want to go. South Africa? Are you kidding me?" Hanlu whine, his voice rang across the room. Just like his older brother said yesterday to him, he went to work as promised but he didn't expect Mo Laotian would suddenly send him off to South Africa for a week!
Hanlu had always been Laotian's slave and never complained before but it's not like he'll forever follow the older Alpha like he did when he was younger!
Hanlu absolutely refused to go to South Africa. Alone for a week? In a foreign country without Ian and Lan around him? No. No. No. Absolutely no!
"I am not kidding." Laotian monotonously replied crossing his legs together as he sat on his chair. Actually, the Geotech engineers could do it alone but wanting to punish Hanlu for what he did to Daniel's birth-control pills, Laotian decided to let Hanlu come with them as well.
"Well, I am not going!" Hanlu replied firmly, one week is too long for him. As much as he wants to help his brother. He can't go leave Ian now, they just got back together.
". . ." looking at Hanlu's stubborn reply, Laotian internally sigh and thought of an idea.
"Hmmm, Okay. I understand. I'll let Tian Zi do it instead." Laotian mentioned and attempted to pick his phone but before he could fully grasp on it, Hanlu charges towards him and snatch his phone away making Laotian raised his brow. The Alpha knew Hanlu would be against it but he didn't expect he would react like this.
"What are you doing? You can't send that brat in South Africa alone!" Hanlu said frowning, Mo Laotian's mobile phone on Hanlu's palms raising it away from the older Alpha.
For years, Hanlu and TianZi had been competing against Mo Laotian's affection so Hanlu was surprised to hear his older brother was going to send Tian Zi instead of him. Tian Zi already gained points in Laotian's heart with what had happened two years ago and Hanlu can't allow anything more than that to happen or else the little brat would find yet another thing to tease him for.
Mo Tian Zi was more than ten years younger than Hanlu but that didn't stop the older Alpha from accepting the challenge. When Tian Zi was younger, it started with small things like who could make Laotian say thank you or say please but as the young Alpha grew up, the challenge also leveled up. Hanlu was couple miles ahead but he was never the kind to underestimate his rivals.
"He won't be alone. This would be a great opportunity for TianZi to experience first-hand in business. It would be a great exposure." Laotian replied picking another phone but that too was snatched away by Hanlu with his eyes now wide open.
"I won't allow it! If you want him to experience first-hand business then he can do it on other branches not the main." Hanlu insisted making Laotian raised his eyebrow again. "And besides, he doesn't know anything about business. He's easily distracted and he's the baby in the family. You can't let him work! He's only 22." Hanlu added.
"I started my Hotel when I was 21,"
"But you're different. Tian Zi is stupid! I won't allow him near the main or he'll destroy it like the last time." Hanlu insisted again. Last time, in order to help a friend of his to secure a contract for a newly developed security system, Tian Zi meddled with the companies current security system so Mo Laotian would be forced to decide into changing a new system for the company.
Unfortunately, the virus Tian Zi made to destroy the Empire's security system was too strong for his friend's program and everything ended up in a disaster. The company classified files and the employees' security was vulnerable for almost two weeks before they could find a suitable system to install into the company database again.
That event was the reason why Tian Zi went missing for 6 months. Actually, the young Alpha could have just fix everything but fear took over him and run off into hiding. And just like that, the three brothers played hide and seek for half a year.
That time Laotian wanted to find Tian Zi with a plan to market his skills and enter a new market, but Daniel happened so he forgot about him temporarily. Up until recently, Laotian had planned to force Tian Zi into creating a program that they could sell but just a while ago Tian Zi talked to him asking for advice about wanting to build his own company.
Of course as the older brother, Laotian also wanted the young Alpha to work for his own money and not just depend on him and his inheritance.
And in order to help him, Laotian wanted Tian Zi to experience what it's like to work on the field. How it was to talk to people about business and build connections. How to propose a project and to convince people to invest and to finally secure a contract.
Laotian wanted to punish Hanlu but he was okay either way since he could still find another way to do it. But hearing his selfish request, Laotian suddenly started feeling a headache coming. He knew the two had been in a competition since way back and Laotian ignored it thinking it was also their way of bonding but looking at it now, that might not be the case.
"So what do you suggest? It's only right that I let Tian Zi go instead of you." Laotian spoke slightly massaging his temples. "You said you didn't wanna go."
"Arrrg! Okay. Okay, I'll do it but I'll go back as soon as I'm done with the job." Hanlu groans in frustration. He can't let Tian Zi gain more affection from Laotian and takes his place. It was always exciting to be part of his older brother's activities and that never changed, Hanlu will forever be Mo Laotian's second hand no matter what.
"Okay. You will go this afternoon." Hearing Hanlu's reply, Laotian lips twitch into a smile for a quick moment before his expression went stiff again. He was glad Hanlu took his bait.
"What? I can't just leave like that." Hanlu whine again. He was already thinking of taking Ian into a date before he leaves but now he was leaving this afternoon? Isn't that too rush?
"If you can't then, I'll let Tian Zi do it. And you will go handle the renewal of the contract with the main endorser." Laotian mentioned again making Hanlu sigh helplessly.
"Geeze! You're so mean! I told you I don't want to handle that!" Hanlu groans then walked to the couch before fishing out his mobile phone out of his pocket.
"Are you going or not?"
"Yeah! Yeah! I will. Now give me time to say goodbye to my wife." Hanlu mumbled waving his left hand then dialed Ian's number. Laotian on the other hand smirked in glory knowing that the job Hanlu was taking isn't something he could manage to secure within a week long. There was just no way one week was enough for Hanlu to suffer.
Getting back to the files on his table, Laotian notices Hanlu getting up from the couch and out of room frowning unable to call his 'wife'. With the door shut close, Laotian leaned back and watch the time. He so wondered what Daniel was doing at this moment. He had been with him for straight three days but it wasn't enough.
"Sir, Ms. Long and her artist have arrived." As Mo Laotian was still thinking about his wife, one of his secretaries called from the intercom and informed him chasing Laotian out of his fantasies. Frowning in irritation, he glances at his watch again despite knowing full well what time it was.
"Make them wait. I will come and meet them when it's time." Mo Laotian replied glaring elsewhere. With the command relayed, the secretary nodded despite her boss not seeing and immediately ended the call. She then pressed a number and it immediately connected to the person she needed to talk to relay what had been ordered by Mo Laotian.
"Ms. Long, Ms. Chime. Please come with me to the waiting room." The receptionist said facing the two woman in front of her after the call she had taken. She had been working in the Mo Empire for 4 years and she knew full well who the woman she was talking to.
"What waiting room? Shouldn't you be sending us to meet your boss? We came here early despite our busy schedule." The woman on her white floral dress griped with a glare. The receptionist only smiled professionally and extended her arm to point at where they needed to go.
"I apologize Ms. Chime but the boss instructed us to send you to the waiting room temporarily. He is a busy person and this time isn't your schedule. Please understand." The receptionist smiled again and proceeded to walk leading the two in the waiting room but instead of following, the two woman only glared at her.
"Ms.? Don't you know who you're talking to? She's a very important person and you can't just make her wait. Did you even properly tell your boss who's here? We came here despite our busy schedule and your boss said to make us wait?" Ms. Long said gawking at the poor employee.
"I must apologize, Ms. Long, Ms. Chime. But my instruction was to send you to the waiting room." the receptionist bowed making the two speechless. Without talking anymore, the two followed the receptionist but not without glaring at her again.
The second the receptionist left them at the room, Veronica Chime threw her purse at the couch and suppressed herself from screaming. She had been coming to the company for years but this was the first time she was sent to the waiting room. She is Veronica Chime and people always treat her like a Queen. She does not deserve to be treated like this.
"Calm down. The second you sign that contract, you will retain your fame. Believe in yourself, you climbed up to the top not just because of Mo Hanlu so just relax and let's wait. I'm sure Mo Hanlu is just busy." Veronica's manager and long-time friend cooed and urge Veronica to sit.
Ever since Mo Hanlu's break-ups had been known to the public, her offers had reduced in a massive amount. Although she was offered the main character in a high rated movie as a parting gift, for Veronica it wasn't enough. She wanted to be a movie star and she planned to use Mo Hanlu until she reach her goals but as her relationship with the Alpha last longer, she realized being with Mo Hanlu would secure her future.
Veronica was very proud to have caught Hanlu's interest and she had been flaunting it to everyone. Although Mo Hanlu had been known to have many more men and women beside him as his lover, Veronica was confident that the Alpha liked her as she was known as his favorite. Veronica didn't have a very pleasing personality and Mo Hanlu knew that but that didn't cause the Alpha to break up with her.
It just proved that Hanlu likes her despite her personality and she truly believed it.
Mo Hanlu likes to dote on her. He would buy her clothes, pieces of jewelry, cars, and even houses just to make her happy. She was like a Queen. People respected her and treated her like she was going to be one of the Mos. Her projects were never-ending and people always want to associate with her.
Veronica didn't want to lose all that. If she could still secure a contract to the Mo Empire despite the break-up, it would mean that she still had a chance.
"Yeah, I know. It's just that I've been really stressed lately." Veronica grumbled as she sat on the couch. She was going to be 30 this year and in her line of work, young and fresh ones always take over the old ones like her.
She had rein for many years and she wanted to rein, still. Without Mo Hanlu, she could just kiss her dreams goodbye!