94 Danger Is His Life

It was the day of the fair and it was already nearing its end. Because of the bombing incident that took place before the fair, safety measures were taken and Ji Li Zhao who was supposed to start the ceremony ended up as the one closing the event instead.

"President Ji, welcome back" a man around the same age as him said as he entered the podium and gave his hand out for a handshake.

Ji Li Zhao flashed him a smile before he accepted the handshake. He was the special guest HILL Conglomerate invited. He leads Scarlet, a leading company when it comes to movie productions. He was one of the people who helped Ji Li Zhao stabilize his company and made him well known for his looks. "President Brigham"

"I'm glad you could make it today, Li Zhao" Mike Brigham said with a smile on his face. He scanned the area and couldn't help but notice the plentiful banners out in the open with Ji Li Zhao's name on it and a heart drawn beside it.

As expected, many eager fans of Ji Li Zhao's beauty came as well for this rare opportunity.

"How could I miss such an important event?" he asked as he and Brigham walked towards their seat for the closing program. "How's your wife faring?"

"Not good" Mike answered truthfully as he shook his face with a sullen face. "She's having difficulty with the pregnancy. I'm getting terrified every day as her condition worsens"

"I pray she'll get through it"

Hearing his comforting words made him sigh. He loves his wife and he fears that she would disappear at the expense of giving birth. He wouldn't want that because he knows for himself, that he couldn't raise a child around and offer him love. "This is why I told her pregnancy is a dangerous affair. She insisted on it even though the Doctor already warned us"

"Children, huh" Ji Li Zhao mused with a smile. Hou Wei Yan's face with a child in her arms suddenly came across his mind and he can't help but yearn for such a thing to happen. Of course, he would want the child to look more like Hou Wei Yan than him. "Someday, I hope I could have one as well"

"Then why don't you start looking for a girl? There's plenty of woman out there vying to be your wife" he said as he glanced around. Ji Li Zhao glanced around as well and as his gaze swept through the crowd, squealing instantly resonated across the venue.

He could only smile at them and return his attention to Brigham. "That position is already reserved for someone"

He knows plenty of women view him as their idol, but his heart already belongs to someone.

"Hm?" Mike Brigham mused as he gave him a knowing smile. Looks like Ji Li Zhao gained a girlfriend during his stay in China. "Looks like I will be meeting a Mrs. Ji soon"

"Soon" he muttered as he turned his attention to Xiong Chongan who gave the signal to the MC to commence the closing program. As the program began, a bullet was loaded into a gun barrel.

"Target Sighted" the one getting targeted was none other than Ji Li Zhao who stood emotionless beside Mr. Sullivan himself as the latter started a conversation with him.

The sniper heaved a sigh before he positioned himself once more, ready to fire and kill the mighty Emperor. "Sorry, Mr. Ji. This is just a job"

As these words came out of his mouth, a certain genius was already smirking as he watched carefully on his screen everything that was transpiring. He couldn't help but agree with his statement. Indeed, it's just a job. "Yeah"

"Just a job" he muttered and as soon as this left his mouth, a signal was sent and a bullet was fired.

It didn't hit Ji Li Zhao though for before the snipers could fire, five beasts began their move. Yan Zhu smirked after he confirmed the death of his target. "Sniper one, down"

"Sniper two down" his twin said from her earpiece as she too smirked at the clean shot she made. As ordered, the bullet went through the head making them unable to pull the trigger that could kill Ji Li Zhao.

Laurens frowned after he fired his rifle because what he wanted was to strangle them himself. But of course, he cannot do as he pleases so he did his job well and shot with terrifying accuracy. "Sniper three down"

"Sniper four down" Brett also reported as he placed down the rifle and allowed his subordinates to begin the clean-up.

"Sniper five, acquired" Ye Zhe mumbled with a smirk on his face, a gun was already engaged in the sniper's head. They need one sniper to take all the blame for killing the others and Ye Zhe knew well who to acquire. Their best choice is the nastiest of them all and he already had plans once they reach the headquarters. "Proceeding to next phase"

"Director Sullivan" Ji Li Zhao asked in concern when he saw Sullivan glancing all over the place. He was already pointing to him the exact location of the snipers making Ji Li Zhao chuckle inside his mind. "Are you okay?"

"Ah, yes, President" Franklin Sullivan muttered as he nervously looked away.

"You look pale" Ji Li Zhao taunted before he went close to his ears with a smirk on his face. "You look so anxious. If it rains bullet you might get targeted because of it"

Franklin Sullivan felt his heart stop at what he said. Before he could blurt out anything, it suddenly rained with bullets causing everyone to run away in panic. Xiong Chongan who was beside Ji Li Zhao immediately threw himself to cover him up as he carefully glanced around the area.

Ye Zhe, who was now the one holding the rifle smirked before he rampaged again and hit everything in the walls near the Directors and Ji Li Zhao except of course for Director Sullivan who looked around, petrified at the obvious failure of his plans.

"Get the President out!" Xiong Chongan yelled out to his subordinates stationed at the back. This was all their plan so he needed to make sure that Ji Li Zhao's life is in danger. "Deploy the First Tier Guards!"

"President Brigham! Please follow us!" he added as his subordinates helped the other Directors and guests to a safer place. Soon after, the firing stopped but everyone was still in a state of panic. The first-tier guards immediately took action to control the guard while the Directors and Guests were sent inside a safe building.

Meanwhile, Ji Li Zhao straightened his posture and immediately summoned Stefano. "Send the evidence"

"Yes, President!" he answered without haste as he broke away from the formation and helped Xiong Chongan finish everything they need in imprisoning Franklin Sullivan.

.....

The Annual Fair Festival held by HILL Conglomerate is an important event for many people and almost everyone is highly anticipating this event. The sudden attack that happened during the event immediately became the headline of the news in both America and China.

"Breaking News...President of HILL Conglomerate, Ji Li Zhao, and his associates were gunned down during their Annual Fair Festival this morning. Police Investigation discovered four corpses of snipers scattered in different buildings. The NBI is chasing down one man believed to be a fifth sniper who gunned down the others" a newscaster reported creating a ruckus in the streets as it got broadcasted all over the news. "Furthermore, the pieces of evidence they gathered all point to Franklin Sullivan, one of the Directors of HILL Conglomerate, as the mastermind of this attack. Mr. Sullivan was taken to the police station and will be placed on a trial next month"

One passerby of an electronic shop couldn't help but shake his head at this news."This is why big-shot companies are terrifying. They never stop having inner conflicts and would even kill one another for wealth!"

"Oh My God! My future husband nearly died?!" the one who was accompanying him shouted in grief.

"Future husband?" he asked in astonishment and mockery. "Aren't you hallucinating a bit too much?"

The woman immediately glared at what he said. Hallucinating or not, she still views Ji Li Zhao as her idol so hearing this news sent great grief to her heart. "Hey! Back off! That man right there is an idol amongst idols"

"Yeah, right. You like him because he has his looks and wealth. Typical" he muttered as he began walking away. Angered by his provocation, the woman followed him in hurried footsteps.

"What's wrong with admiring such beauty?" she argued before she began swiping in her phone and showed him just how heavenly her idol is. "Look at this. Mr. Ji looks so handsome here!"

The man took a peek at the photo and couldn't help but feel overwhelmed as well. His black hair looked divine under the warm light of the backdrop and his ash gray eyes shone beautifully like he stole a star and placed it in his eyes. But knowing the woman accompanying him would tease him if he agrees, he chose the best choice that would annoy her instead. "He looks normal"

"It's insulting to hear that from you" she grumbled before she glared at him when he didn't stop badmouthing Ji Li Zhao to annoy her. "Stop badmouthing him! He has a huge fanbase, they'll come after you if they hear of this"

He could only click his tongue as he finally stopped his blabber about the esteemed Emperor for he already heard countless times just how terrifying his fans can get.

.....

"Bro Zhao!" a little brunette repeatedly called out. Her voice slowly got louder and louder by the second. "Bro Zhao!"

The noise that repeated all across the place made him open his eyes and to his surprise, Hou Wei Yan's face was only an inch away from his. "Wei Wei"

"Look! Look!" she excitedly exclaimed before she helped him up. Once he was up, she immediately placed a paper in his lap. "I finished my drawing!"

He smiled at what she gave him. It was still a mess but he knows she will improve soon. She was always vigorous at everything she does and she easily learns whatever she was taught. He carefully observed what she drew and saw two stick man figures holding hands. Although he could already guess who it is, he couldn't help but ask for confirmation. "Who is this?"

"That's you and me" she answered cheekily making his heart palpitate at her smile.

To divert his attention, he pointed at a black seemingly dot-like figure at the corner of the paper."Then what's this?"

"Obviously," she said with confidence. "That's Little Panda!"

"Oh" he muttered, unsure which part of it is Little Panda. He secretly glanced at the brilliant bird who looked seemingly hurt at what Hou Wei Yan drew.

"I know my drawing is lacking" Hou Wei Yan suddenly said taking him and Little Panda by surprise. The moment a tear fell from her eyes, the little traitor immediately flew in the air to escape responsibilities. What he did make Ji Li Zhao have different thoughts about him. "But is it really hideous?"

Ji Li Zhao smiled at her before he leaned close and wiped her tears away. After he did this, he gently ruffled her hair and made her come close to him. "It's beautiful"

Once he caught, Hou Wei Yan's attention, he pulled the book that they enjoy reading and placed the paper on its back. "It just needs a little tinkering"

Hou Wei Yan looked at him in bewilderment but she immediately brightened up after he winked at her and began drawing. He used her initial drawing as his guide and began enhancing her drawing as though working with magic.

"Wow! Bro Zhao!" the little girl exclaimed excitedly once he was done with the drawing. "This looks amazing!"

After seeing her smile, he unconsciously smiled as well and urged her to come close to him once more. "Come here. I'll teach you how to draw"

Without hesitation, Hou Wei Yan obediently sat in front of him with a cheeky smile adorning her beautiful yet chubby cheeks. "Can you draw me, Bro Zhao?"

"Mn" he hummed before he nodded his head. Once Hou Wei Yan finished adjusting herself, he began drawing her on a new piece of paper. As time pass by, Hou Wei Yan who was quite a mischievous young lady in front of Ji Li Zhao began distracting him by either picking up a flower and twirling it in front of him or brazenly staring at him with a cheeky smile. Unable to take it in anymore, he sighed and ordered her to stop moving. "Don't move around too much"

"Sorry, Sorry" she sheepishly answered as she returned to her original pose and began to patiently wait for her portrait.

"Wow!" she exclaimed as soon as Ji Li Zhao finished his drawing. Without hesitation, she pounced at him and squished his cheeks in hers. "Bro Zhao! Bro Zhao is really amazing! I look so beautiful here that I want to marry you even more!"

"Wei Wei" he called out as his face began to flush. As soon as Hou Wei Yan parted, he immediately coughed and hid his blush with a smile. "Wei Wei is always beautiful"

Hearing this made her ecstatic and her heart skipped a beat at his smile. She then sat beside him and gazed at the sky. "But I can't compare to Bro Zhao. I look like an octopus next to you"

"Don't be silly" he muttered as he carefully observed her. Her beautiful chocolate brown hair swayed alongside the wind and her eyes that have the same hue as the majestic tree that shades them shone as she gazed at the sky. He smiled at her before he picked up another paper to begin properly teaching her how to draw. "What should we draw next?"

Hou Wei Yan immediately drew close to him once he said this. At this moment, Little Panda had finally returned bringing a wide smile to her face. "Let's draw Little Panda!"

He smiled widely as soon as she had a vision of their drawing. While he was busy drawing Little Panda, a voice suddenly drifted in his ears and called out for him. Unable to take it in, he looked behind them and saw a familiar face. It was Xiong Chongan and his face made him bolt up from his slumber.

As soon as he woke up, Xiong Chongan's face came into view. "Boss, we're ready to go"

He coolly looked away before he turned back to him after he successfully dismissed his face from his dreams. "Did you contact Big Brother?"

"Yes" Xiong Chongan replied as they went out of the car and headed toward the plane that awaits them. "Young Master Cao Shi is already in Paris when I contacted him last night"

"Mn" he hummed as he slowly descended the plane's stairs. Because of how busy he was, he didn't receive a report from his wife so he assumed that everything was fine. Now that he was free, he needs to know if everything was fine indeed. "How's my wife?"

"The Madame is doing okay" he reported calmly before he gulped down. "But she encountered a fight while you're on the meeting"

"What?!" Ji Li Zhao exclaimed in surprise making him halt midway towards the entrance of the plane.

She encountered a fight and they didn't bother to report to him?!

"Young Master Hou chased after his roommates' brother. Madame saw him in front of Yi Lan and chased after him without Fang. They encountered a fight after they got hold of the child" he reported nervously. They know they should have reported but because he was in the presence of potential enemies that sided with Ji Boqin, they can't help but hide it from him, afraid that he would accidentally lose his composure and reveal his civil status.

Of course, Ji Li Zhao knows just how possible this is and he cannot blame them for it. So he sighed and continued walking up. "Injuries"

"A peel of skin on her hands and a knife wound on her right leg" he replied back to what Mao Chen reported to him.

This report suddenly surprised him. He thought Hou Wei Yan would talk her way out of trouble because she was in the presence of her little brother and a child. "She fought them?"

"Yes" Xiong Chongan answered. "1 vs 12"

"Send me the clips" he remarked without haste. He knows she's knowledgeable in fighting but he wasn't able to see for himself just how strong she is. Xiong Chongan nodded his head making Ji Li Zhao sigh in relief. As soon as he entered the plane, Einstein's face immediately came to view. "Makio"

"Boss" he called out as he bowed his head in respect.

"You came for Shino" Ji Li Zhao said without hesitation. Noticing his silence, he smirked and took a seat in front of him. "I can tell"

Makio bit his lower lip before he mustered enough courage to face his boss. "Boss, did she tell you something?"

"Mn" he hummed as he sternly looked at Makio. "That's not what you really want to know, right?"

"Why did she leave?" he truthfully asked, unsure if he would manage to squeeze out a confession from Ji Li Zhao. Normally, Ji Li Zhao wouldn't talk about issues like this, but he made an exception because he doesn't want both parties to hurt each other anymore and cause trouble in his organization.

"She told me you cheated" he remarked making Makio look at him in bewilderment. The look on his face only verified the assumptions he made. "But that wasn't really the case, was it?"

"What do you mean?" Makio asked, unsure whether he heard him right. Why in the world would he cheat when Ieiri Shino is his world? "Cheated? Me?"

"I know you don't have such guts" Ji Li Zhao mumbled with a smirk. He knows Makio wouldn't do such a thing knowing just how vulnerable Shino is. Besides, he was a witness to just how much he loves Shino. A guy like him who is madly in love wouldn't possibly cheat unless something happened to their relationship. "But she told me you cheated on her with conviction"

"I did not" he answered with conviction. The moment he learned of her life story and her history with cheating men, he vowed to himself that he wouldn't do that to her and hurt her. Before he courted her, he pledged to her that he would stay loyal to her and he did! He never betrayed her not even once! Even though she left him and that shattered him, he still remained loyal to her like a fool in love!

"She left on 1st day of June" Ji Li Zhao suddenly blurted out which took Makio's attention. "Do you remember something that happened on that day?"

"We fought that day" he truthfully answered.

Ji Li Zhao sighed at his answer. He already knows that they fought but he needs to know other details that may help them solve why Ieiri Shino left. "Aside from that"

"My cousin decided to stay with me"

"Hm" Ji Li Zhao hummed once more before he looked out the window. "After the fight, what did you do?"

"My cousin arrived drunk so I let him in before I went out. I tried to chase after her but I failed" Makio answered as he recalled the night Shino left him in pieces. He could remember vividly what happened that night and he carried such heavy memory with him for 8 years. "So I decided to stay outside to think things through and returned the next morning"

"She saw you with another woman in your house" Ji Li Zhao said taking him by surprise once more.

"What?" he asked in shock. Why would he bring another woman in!? As a member of Palisades, he followed strict protocols and was always vigilant of spies. He of all people would never allow a random person in their home. "How can that be?"

Hearing his answer made Ji Li Zhao sigh. "I could already guess what happened"

"No way" Makio muttered in disbelief as soon as he recalled what he said. His cousin and his girlfriend must have made up while they were away and consummated at his home. Shino who wanted to talk to him returned home and was shocked to hear their noises. She must have immediately assumed that it was him and another woman and left without thinking things through. With this thought in mind, he can't help but get angry at her. "She left me over a mistake?!"

"Makio" Ji Li Zhao called out sternly making him shut up and sit back. "You know her better than any of us. Although she appears strong, she's truthfully vulnerable, especially in matters with regard to her love life. You know how headstrong she is. She's always doubtful of others and easily deduces a conclusion using her intuition"

"..." he knows this very well that's why he could only remain silent.

Ji Li Zhao looked at his vulnerable and conflicted state. "Don't approach her recklessly. Take it slow and make her understand that this is all a misunderstanding"

"Okay" Makio answered, now seemingly lifeless.

"Cao Yingjie looks a lot like you, did you really not notice?" Ji Li Zhao suddenly asked making Makio return back to life.

"No" he answered with a sullen voice. That's right, Cao Yingjie looks like him but he didn't even acknowledge such a fact. He must have been crazy to miss such a piece of the puzzle! "I was drawn by his abilities"

"He's one bright child" Ji Li Zhao praised with a smile. His honest smile made Makio smile as well. "How's the monitoring system of the siblings?"

"Still underway, Boss" Makio answered with a sigh. He was working with it alongside the investigation of the bombing incident so he didn't make much progress yet. Aside from that, he discovered something new in their defense system. "Their system was changed after Madame left the household. Looks like they got hold of quite a strong person"

"Also, they became overly cautious with their recruitment so getting in more spies is quite an obstacle right now. The ones we managed to take on our side are currently deployed elsewhere thanks to President Hous orders" he added making Ji Li Zhao turn serious. There are plenty of mysteries he needs to uncover now because of what Xing Mei Yi asked him.

"I don't need a lot of spies. One is enough to guard the children"

Makio nodded his head in understanding. That's right, their safety should come first before the information. "Understand, Boss"

"Commission someone already inside. I'm sure someone is willing to cooperate with us" Ji Li Zhao ordered sternly.

"Yes, Boss"

After a short pause, he looked at Makio seriously. "Also, if Wei Wei fights someone. Let me know immediately even if I'm in a meeting"

"Ah" he exclaimed before he sheepishly smiled. How could he forget just how much their boss loves Hou Wei Yan. "Yes, Boss. Forgive me for not doing such an obvious thing"