Yuan stumbled around the room until he accidentally pressed the red buzzer above his bed. It triggered an alarm that went off all over the house, and shortly after, the butler, a middle-aged man, and Xiangu rushed into the room.
"Quick! The pills," Xiangu said to the butler, and he ran over to Yuan's bedside drawer. He pulled out a small container containing tiny white pills. A maid ran upstairs with a glass of water, as if they had been expecting the situation.
Xiangu made Yuan take two of the pills and helped him get into bed. Yuan lay down for a while, and after a few minutes, the headache died down, and he felt relieved.
"These are the papers," Xiangu said, dropping a large file beside Yuan on the bed. "If it wasn't important, I wouldn't ask you to do this, but you need to get familiar with the deal." Yuan simply nodded and picked up the files.
"The meeting is tonight. I will let you know when it's time." Xiangu said and excused himself. The butler and maid left before Xiangu, who closed the door gently behind him.
After they left, he sighed deeply and sat up straight. He began glancing through the files that Xiangu had handed over to him. The document contained details about some sort of proposed business deal. From the look of things in the papers, the business involved the illegal movement of a large quantity of drugs into the country for the financial benefit of the men involved, including Zhi Yuan.
He leaned back against the headboard, his fingers rubbing his temples as if to ward off the headache that threatened to return.
What kind of business was he into? He thought as he kept flipping through the pages. Xiao Mei had mentioned that he was a criminal, but he had not taken her seriously earlier on. He knew he couldn't avoid the meeting because Xiangu had made it sound so important, and he didn't want to end up regretting it when he finally regained his memories.
The images of the accident continued to haunt him, intermingling with his efforts to understand and familiarize himself with the terms of the business deal he had supposedly made with a bunch of men.
How could he have lost his memory? Why was he unable to recall the incidents leading up to the accident everyone is talking about? Everyone said he had an accident and ended up in a coma, but Yuan couldn't relate to it, and it just didn't feel comfortable that he was trying so hard to remember, yet it only felt like his memories were playing tricks on him.
He would feel it tickle the back of his brain but still wouldn't remember anything.
As his eyes scanned the papers, a name caught his attention, "Mr. Cheng Li." He was one of the key investors, someone who had shown great interest in partnering with him and working on the project that he had invested a large sum of money in.
Yuan's brow furrowed. Although the name didn't trigger any specific memories, he felt a sense of familiarity, as if he should know this person.
He tried his best to memorize the plans in the papers as best as he could, but he didn't have much time. Before he realized it, Xiangu opened the door to inform him that it was time for the meeting. Xiangu helped him pick out a black suit, and he wore it without a word, although he would have preferred another color.
Oddly, there were no other colors in his wardrobe except black; he only had white shirts, but mostly, everything was black, and he didn't have to ask why to understand.
Xiangu led him downstairs to the car park lined up with all kinds of cars. The sight of the cars reminded Yuan about his conversation with Xiao Mei that morning.
"Did I really gift Xiao Mei the Audi RS7?" He asked. For some reason, he felt attached to that car, and he is still struggling to understand how rich he is to gift someone a car like that.
"That's your favorite car, boss; you never gifted anyone. I asked the driver to use the car to bring you home, and since she was at the hospital too, she must..." His words trailed off. Yuan wasn't listening anymore, he smiled sheepishly at the thought that Xiao Mei had played a prank on him and gotten away with his car.
"Is there a problem?" Xiangu asked, "if it's because the car has not been found then I would..."
"Relax, Xiangu, I don't need it for now," Yuan said. They picked a red sports car and drove off with Xiangu in the driver's seat.
The hotel wasn't much of a hotel, but a club. It was grand, and the building was breathtaking. The flashy lights and the loud music brought the place to life as young, adult, and even underage patrons danced around all day.
A waiter led them upstairs to the VIP section where they served champagne, and they sat in a fancy box that overlooked the town. Three men in tailored suits were already seated when they arrived; Yuan recognized one of them immediately as Cheng Li because of the picture that had been attached to the file. Their eyes locked on Yuan as he made his way to his seat with Xiangu.
"Mr. Zhi Yuan," the middle-aged man with a bald head seated beside Cheng Li greeted him, rising from his seat, "it's a pleasure to finally meet you in person." Yuan nodded in acknowledgment.
Under the straight face, he was panicking. He was nervous, and his palms were sweaty, but he couldn't make it obvious. Xiangu had told him that these men were like wolves waiting for him to show any kind of weakness for them to pounce on him.
According to Xiangu, they had heard the news about the accident and would definitely be watching him so they could find something to prove that he wasn't fit for the lead role in the business deal.
Yuan couldn't help but wonder why his past self, before the accident, would prefer to work in an environment like this and with people like these men?
The men began their conversation over glasses of champagne. They discussed how to smuggle the drugs into the country, marketing strategies, and profit potentials. Yuan's experience in this field should have given him an edge, but it was like grasping at mist.
"So what do you think about the shipment process, Yuan?" Cheng Li asked. "I was thinking we should get the minister on our side; that would make transportation really easy, and we wouldn't have to worry about the safety of the goods."
Yuan could hear his heart pounding in his chest; he was aware of the prying eyes fixed on him. The men scrutinized his every move, seeking any sign of weakness. He cleared his throat and attempted to speak,
"Uhm... I... I..." He stammered, suddenly unable to form a sentence. He glanced over at Xaingu, but he knew Xiangu couldn't help him when he saw the expression on his face. He had to deal with this one alone.
"Are you sure you are alright, Yuan? Maybe you still need some time; after all, you just left the hospital." One of the men said. He didn't sound sympathetic; instead, he sounded like he was mocking Zhi Yuan.
The investors responded with nods and murmurs, their eyes locked onto him. Yuan felt their gaze like a spotlight, exposing his uncertainty. He masked his unease with a well-practiced smile, hoping to project an air of confidence he did not truly feel.
He tried to remember the information that had been in the file that Xiangu had given him, but his brain had gone blank; he couldn't remember anything. The pages of the documents in his head seemed to blur, and he struggled to connect the dots. He struggled to sound, act, and sit like Zhi Yuan—the successful business magnate he was supposed to be, but he had no idea who he was trying to emulate; all he knew was his name, nothing more.
His facade was cracking. A bead of sweat trickled down the side of his face, and his fingers tapped nervously on the table. The investors exchanged glances, suspicion growing in their eyes.
And then it happened—a shift, a flicker in his consciousness. The pieces began to align, memories trickling back like water finding its course. He remembered—the accident, the rain-slicked road, the blaring horn of a truck.
The memories of Zhi Yuan flooded his head. Xiangu had been in the car before the crash. He remembered the business deals; he remembered everything.
Yuan straightened in his chair, his gaze focused, his voice unwavering as he responded to questions with precision. The investors exchanged astonished glances, witnessing a transformation before their eyes.
Xiangu watched the events unfold, a bit taken aback by how swiftly his boss had recovered. For a moment, he thought Yuan was simply pretending to have lost his memories. He watched the wimp he had walked into that hospital room to meet that day transform into his boss, Zhi Yuan.
He exuded an aura of command, as he spoke. His attitude was cold, aloof, and in his eyes, a mad glint danced around. The investors were no longer suspicious; they were now afraid and kept their heads down.
A female waiter walked in with a bucket filled with ice and a bottle of champagne on top. Yuan paused mid-sentence the moment his eyes landed on her. An image of the man in the news who had been involved in a car accident flashed before him, a memory that didn't belong to him.
He was on his knees holding up a ring to this woman that had walked in. Yuan's demeanor shifted. His shoulders slumped, his eyes grew distant. The lady walked up to him to refill his glass, she was so engrossed with her task that she didn't notice the tension her presence filled the room with.
Yuan took a deep breath, and her scent, which smelled like spring, filled his nostrils, sending a shockwave through Yuan's senses. His heart raced as he locked eyes with the woman.
The room seemed frozen in time for him. Yuan felt all kinds of emotions swirling within him—confusion, longing, and a gnawing sense of something unfinished. Questions swirled in his mind. How did he know her? Why did her presence stir such powerful emotions within him?
Everyone in the room noticed the change except the slender woman with long brown hair, holding the bottle of champagne.