13 :: Harmonica ::

Lu Shengyi

Three days ago (after the examination)

In the BMW, I stare at my hands and the angry horde that I have somehow summoned in my wrath. Earlier, I was only thinking of the possibility of calling upon a horde to overrun my enemies, but I didn't mean to cause a stampede in the university halls. The furious students have swarmed every part of the university in search of Shan Hanyu but to no avail. Some of the students roam out into the parking lot and then into the greenish grass compound.

The university is swamped with students, which I presume are all in the 'area of effect' of where I was standing earlier. Subconsciously I must have triggered a 'wish' thought through the powers bestowed upon me by the devil. I don't know how much power I have in me from the deal I made with Devil Cullen. But if this is just a mere percentage of my powers, I cannot imagine what it would be like to invoke my full power.

I have two more days before the examinations conclude. Before more students appear, I tell Uncle Dou to start moving. Appearing to not know a single bit of what has just happened, he chuckles.

"Miss Lu, your university students are indeed very interesting."

I smile sheepishly. The truth of what has just happened would blow his mind, so I would rather save him from undergoing such a shock. As the vehicle zooms through the empty streets and stops at a red light, I wonder to what extent will my power enable me to get hold over the market.

As I don't need to read my marketing textbooks or course materials to remember what I have studied, I explore various marketing models in my head. The 7P's of marketing, Porter's five forces, the BCG matrix and many other models drift into my head as I decide what I need for my next course of action. To get an edge over Fu Technologies, I need to find out what their market offering is, as well as explore their strengths and weaknesses. I will need to analyse the market to determine how competitive the industry is.

Fu Technologies has the benefit that it has been around longer than Shengyi Corporation has, thus having a grip over the market. I do a mental calculation of its overheads incurred and its probable losses should we slash our prices like how Cullen Fu has done. He is trying to beat me into submission. If only I could accumulate all my power and crush him in one single stroke. But that won't be fair practice, would it be?

I think it's impossible to beat them for now, but I will hang on until Shengyi Corporation has the opportunity to shine.

The BMW makes a screeching sound and comes to a halt at the drop-off point just below the industrial site where Shengyi Corporation and Fu Technologies have their main offices.

Uncle Dou opens the door for me and I step out uttering my thanks. It's been so long since he has been working for me as a chauffeur, yet he still does this for me. Nevertheless, I cannot feel more than thankful.

As I walk up the stairs, I notice, from the corner of my eye, Cullen Fu staring at me with a devious look on his face, and I pay him no heed.

I disappear from his likely range of vision and close the door after me hastily. My heart beats rapidly, and I stay there for a few moments till I feel my pulse return to normal. Dewey and his new (hot) executive assistant look at me, floored.

"Did you just run a marathon, Shengyi?" Dewey asks.

I look back at them sheepishly. Mila, Dewey's assistant smiles broadly at me and vanishes momentarily to return with a cup of filtered water. On the first look, the water looks clear in the cup. But then I swear I see Cullen Fu's reflection at me in the water, making me flustered.

Am I seeing things? When I look into the cup for the second time, it is just a normal cup of water. Sweat pools around my forehead and I immediately grab the cup and down its contents, trembling.

"Miss Lu, are you alright?" Mila sounds concerned.

"I'll be fine. It's just hot outside," I lie. I grab a magazine lying on the coffee table and bury my face in it. But then I see a familiar face printed on the page in front of my eyes, and I shriek again.

"Arrgggghhhh!"

Mila gets to me with her long legs before Dewey can. "Miss Lu!"

"Why is there a magazine with Cullen Fu in it?" I shout, panicking.

Mila shrugs and turns to Dewey for help.

"It was me, Miss Lu. I bought the magazine to find out if Cullen Fu has any shortcomings that we can be prepared to use against him."

I consult my conscience if this is alright to do. Is it ethical to even use one's weaknesses against them? But in the olden days, didn't the martial strategists like Zhong Kui - no, Guan Yu (what am I thinking to be so muddled!) use such tactics against their enemies? Yet, I feel this tinge of guilt as if I am hurting Cullen Fu!

"Oh," I just say in the end, and replace the magazine on the desk. Fortunately, there is a resting room in the office. I excuse myself from Dewey, saying I need a rest.

"We'll work on the proposal to Jianxin World first, while you take a power nap," Dewey reassures me. I nod and close the door behind me, pondering on the illogicalities behind what had just happened.

It seems that every single time I face Cullen Fu, some weird things are bound to happen almost all the time. The first time we are alone at the bar, I collapsed. Then, at the restaurant, I imagine wild things happening between us, yuck. I could have sworn the times I saw light flashing, he must have had something to do with it.

Maybe, our forces just clash so much that instead of sparks, it causes fire instead? Moreover, I already know what to expect from that womaniser, heart-breaker. Yet, why am I throwing myself into a fiery pit of snakes?

I assume that a nap will do me some good, instead, I was so wrong.

Dream-------

I find myself falling, and this is typical of a dream psychologically. I have done a semester of psychology in my second year of university, and psychological views interpret it as feelings of vulnerability. In other words, I am stressed and something is overwhelming me.

But this time, what can stress me to the point that I am having falling dreams? I have never encountered stress in studying or in business ever since I was reincarnated into my twenty-one-year-old self. I have a fortune, a chauffeur, an advisor and partner, a house of my own and a photographic memory that I don't need to bother myself with studying more than once.

Unless the source of my stress is Cullen Fu. I am disgusted why I have imagined him kissing me the other day. But every single time he looks at me, I seem to be under a trance. HIS trance. Ugh, Ugh. Super ugh. Maybe I need a helmet like Magneto's helmet to block out psionic attacks from him. He could be controlling my mind!

I fall to the bottom of the steps with a thud. As I know I am still dreaming, not a single bone in my body aches with pain. I clamber to my feet and walk about the area. It appears to be mainly red with some black tapestry. I wonder if I am in a dreamscape like in the roleplaying games I would play in the computer room after classes as a teenager.

"Shengyi."

A voice is calling my name. I find myself drawn to the source of the voice, and approach closer.

"Shengyi."

But there is nobody around, I realise. The entire area is vacant, and I am the only one existent in this dreamscape. Many objects exist, but not a single soul.

When the voice calls out to me a third time, I toughen up and walk bravely towards the end of the room. There is a box with my name written on the top of it. I feel pleased that even in a dream, I am getting rewarded!

The box is a mystical and classy black and the engraving of my name is done in a thick script.

Open it, a voice calls to me in my mind. My angel.

I shudder in fear as the words 'my angel' permeate my ears. If Devil Cullen wants me to have the box, can it mean anything good? I gather all the energy in me and attempt to run as fast as I can from the box, but my legs turn to jelly. A silhouette materialises in front of me, revealing Cullen's smiling face as he holds the box towards me. All of a sudden, it flies open, and I am staring at the most beautiful harmonica I have ever seen.

"Angel, this is my present to you," he whispers and everything fades to black.