At half-past ten in the evening, the night was like thick ink, swallowing the entire sky.
A black Lexus sedan was steadily driving on the highway toward Jinling City, the slight friction of its tires against the road resonating in the tranquil night.
Outside the car window, occasional distant lights flashed by, like meteors in the night sky, brief and brilliant.
Inside the car, the ambient light emitted a soft amber glow, adding a touch of warmth to this enclosed space.
Ito Ayako, the newly appointed head of Ito Corporation's Great Xia branch, sat in the backseat, hands folded on her left knee, holding an unlit slender cigarette between her fingers, listening to the report from the vice president, Nohara Jun, sitting next to her.
Ayako's appearance was exceptional, resembling a finely carved work of art, her brow revealing an air of spiritedness, and her eyes were deep and bright, as if she could see through everything.
