Chapter 35: The Blood Moon Rose

Li Sina's display of combat prowess left Mr. Li visibly astonished. He had not expected such lethal capability from someone of her petite stature. It now made sense why his boss had insisted she be included in this assignment.

"Mr. Li, she's the one," Yao Jing affirmed, nodding towards Li Sina.

"Excellent!" Mr. Li's face lit up with a smile. "Wu, you have a keen eye. You've chosen the best among the ones I brought. Li Sina will ensure your safety impeccably."

Turning to Li Sina, Mr. Li continued, "From this moment on, you are Mr. Wu's bodyguard. You're not new to this. You know what the most critical duty of a bodyguard is, right?"

"To protect the employer's safety. The employer's life is more important than my own," Li Sina replied expressionlessly.

"Precisely!" Mr. Li nodded approvingly. Then, he looked back at Wu Zhiming and said, "Mr. Wu, if there are no further questions, Li Sina can start immediately."

"No issues," Wu Zhiming waved his hand dismissively. "You can leave now."

"Understood, understood!" Mr. Li responded before turning to exit.

Yao Jing rose to follow him, likely to discuss contractual details and formalities.

Wu Zhiming turned his attention to Li Sina, a smile playing on his lips. "Take off your sunglasses; let me see you properly."

"I believe you wouldn't want to see what's under the sunglasses," Li Sina replied calmly.

"Why not? From your nose, eyes, and mouth, I can tell you're quite attractive," Wu Zhiming insisted.

Li Sina shook her head slightly. "I'm not a beauty."

"You're being modest," Wu Zhiming chuckled. "The eyes are the windows to the soul. I like to understand people by looking into their eyes. So, take them off."

After a brief hesitation, Li Sina slowly removed her sunglasses.

As she did, Wu Zhiming's smile widened. "Much better this way."

"Aren't you... surprised?" Li Sina asked, her voice carrying a hint of disbelief.

"Surprised about what?" Wu Zhiming replied, meeting her gaze.

Underneath her left sunglasses lens was a cold, emotionless glass eye, framed by noticeable scars. It was clear she had lost her real eye and was using a prosthetic.

Her right eye was perfectly normal, large and striking. If both her eyes were the same, Li Sina would be considered an attractive woman, perhaps around a seven out of ten. Not quite as stunning as the nine-out-of-ten Song Sijing, nor as breathtaking as the perfect ten Yao Jing, but still someone many would find desirable.

Such a beautiful woman losing an eye and becoming a bodyguard hinted at a story filled with pain and hardship.

In the past, Li Sina had worked as a bodyguard for others who, like Wu Zhiming, requested she remove her sunglasses. However, unlike him, they reacted with shock and proceeded to bombard her with questions that dredged up painful memories.

Each time, Li Sina felt deeply uncomfortable but had no choice but to answer.

This discomfort was why she rarely stayed with any employer for more than a month.

"I have a question," Wu Zhiming stated.

Hearing this, Li Sina felt a bitter smile forming within her. It seemed she was wrong; Wu Zhiming wasn't different—he was just slower to ask.

"Go ahead," she replied, mentally preparing to repeat the familiar, painful story once more.

"Why did you strike first? And why did you take on all four of them alone?" Wu Zhiming asked.

Li Sina was taken aback by the question. It wasn't what she had expected. She had been ready to recount the story of how she lost her eye, but Wu Zhiming's inquiry was entirely different, catching her off guard.

"Because…" she hesitated, trying to gather her thoughts. "Because I needed to prove myself. I needed to show you that I could protect you against any threat."

Wu Zhiming nodded thoughtfully, appreciating her candor. "That's a good answer. But you should know, I never doubted your capability, even before you started fighting."

Li Sina looked at him, a mixture of surprise and curiosity in her eyes. It was rare for her to encounter someone who saw beyond her appearance and reputation so quickly.

"I believe in assessing people by their actions, not just their words or looks. You acted decisively and efficiently. That's exactly what I need," Wu Zhiming explained.

Li Sina felt a sense of relief. Perhaps working for Wu Zhiming would be different after all.

Chapter 35: Blood Moon Rose

When Li Sina heard the question, she was kinda surprised, but she still answered Wu Zhiming truthfully: "Out of the five of us, I just joined the company, so even if I didn't wanna go one-on-four, they would've teamed up to take me out. Four against one is just too much for me to handle. So, I took the initiative, knocked out two quickly. The other two, even if they teamed up, couldn't really threaten me. That way, I got the upper hand and snagged the job."

"You know why I picked you?" Wu Zhiming asked.

"Because I won," Li Sina replied.

"Nah, it's 'cause you got the sharpest mind among them," Wu Zhiming said, pointing to his head, then walked out.

Li Sina put on her shades and followed Wu Zhiming closely.

"You know they got eye reconstruction tech now?" Wu Zhiming asked as they walked.

"I do," Li Sina said.

"Why not get one?" Wu Zhiming asked.

"A synthetic eye costs over a hundred mil, can't afford that right now," Li Sina replied.

"This is my card. Take a day and get yourself a synthetic eye," Wu Zhiming handed his Royal Orchid Duke card to Li Sina.

Li Sina was totally stunned this time. Despite being good-looking, she'd met employers willing to splurge on a one-night stand, but none had offered such a fat sum right off the bat.

"Can't take your money. I mean, besides the salary," Li Sina shook her head, not taking the card.

"With just one eye, your strength's gotta be affected. I don't want a handicap by my side," Wu Zhiming said lightly.

"Defective..." That was harsh, but Li Sina didn't care, 'cause she already saw herself as one.

"Take it. I know you're strapped for cash. I asked you why one-on-four earlier, and there's something else you didn't mention. You need this job with a twenty-grand monthly salary, so you had to beat the other four. Figure you're broke 'cause of your eye. So, let me cover it first, and we can deduct it from your paycheck later. You're pretty handy, lots of places I can use you. Then I'll throw in some extra commission later, try to get you squared away in your lifetime," Wu Zhiming finished, stuffing the card into Li Sina's hand, then turned and left.

Li Sina stood there, staring at Wu Zhiming until he disappeared. She lowered her head and looked at the Royal Orchid Duke card in her hand. Her body trembled slightly, a tear fell on the card. She wiped her eyes and walked into the nearby elevator.

At the top floor of the Wu Group building, Wu Zhiming walked out of the elevator with a big smile.

"Do you know who I just ran into?" Wu Zhiming asked, smiling, as he approached Dong Jian, who was making tea.

"Who did you run into?" Dong Jian put down the teapot, curious.

"The Blood Moon Rose!" Wu Zhiming walked up to Dong Jian, picked up the teapot, and took a sip.

"Burnt myself!" Wu Zhiming yelled, putting down the teapot and spitting out the tea in his mouth.

"Just boiled water," Dong Jian said.

Wu Zhiming opened his mouth, panting, and walked over to the fridge to grab a bottle of chilled mineral water and chug it down.

"Blood Moon Rose, the one from the extraterritorial battlefield?" Dong Jian asked.

"Exactly!" Wu Zhiming nodded and said, "I met her once three years ago on the extraterritorial battlefield. Her mask was broken at the time, so I saw her true face. Didn't expect that three years later, she'd become a top-tier bodyguard, and with one eye missing!"

"I heard that Blood Moon Rose was a killer on the extraterritorial battlefield, but disappeared for several years. Must've been the eye injury that caused her strength to plummet, so she took a temporary break. Being a top-tier bodyguard is probably just a disguise," Dong Jian said.

"Back then, Blood Moon Rose stunned a lot of people when she showed up. I always wanted to recruit her, but never got the chance. Didn't expect that this time, with a monthly salary of two hundred grand, I'd snag her," Wu Zhiming chuckled.

From the moment Li Sina appeared in front of him earlier, he felt she bore a striking resemblance to Blood Moon Rose he'd seen once before. So, from that moment on, every word and action Wu Zhiming said or did was to confirm Li Sina's identity and... secure her.

When he found out Li Sina was a newcomer at Golden Shield Security, he deliberately raised the reward to two hundred grand!

Everything Li Sina said, he had actually anticipated. A newbie competing with veterans for a hefty paycheck would inevitably become the primary target for elimination. When four top-tier bodyguards went after Li Sina alone, Wu Zhiming could see through her.

Sure enough, Li Sina took the initiative to face four opponents. Though she still held back, her strength was exposed enough to further confirm Wu Zhiming's suspicions. To finally confirm the other party's identity, Wu Zhiming said he wanted Li Sina to take off her glasses.

When Li Sina took off her glasses, Wu Zhiming was a hundred percent certain that this woman was Blood Moon Rose, who had made a name for herself on the extraterritorial battlefield three years ago.

"So, when you were sure she was Blood Moon Rose, you generously gave her money to get a bionic eye installed, which could both move her and bind her!" Dong Jian said firmly after hearing Wu Zhiming's description.

"Exactly!" Wu Zhiming nodded and said, "I have money, but I'm not a fool. I can't do the stupid thing of paying out a billion in salary in advance."

Upon hearing Wu Zhiming's words, Dong Jian smiled and said, "I used to not believe in luck, but I have to admit, young master, you're really lucky. Lady Mistress helps you recruit a bodyguard, and you happen to meet Blood Moon Rose. It's a coincidence that you also know Blood Moon Rose's true identity... something Blood Moon Rose probably won't ever find out. That the person you, who's more famous than her on the extraterritorial battlefield, need her protection!"

"All that's in the past. Now, our main focus is on using our wits, occasional fighting is just for fun and to cultivate our sentiments," Wu Zhiming smiled and shook his head.

"Understood!" Dong Jian nodded, then said, "By the way, young master, Greedy Wolf reported that there are some annoying people around Lady Mistress."

"Annoying people?" Wu Zhiming raised an eyebrow and said, "Tell Greedy Wolf to take care of them when they make a move."

"I understand," Dong Jian smiled and said, "Doing good deeds is most afraid of not being recognized. Lady Mistress will definitely know and be moved by everything you've done for her."

"Look at you, do you think I'm that scheming?" Wu Zhiming waved his hand and then turned to leave.

"Get some money ready for me this afternoon. I'm taking Yao Jing to buy a car," Wu Zhiming said.

"Yes, young master!"