A New Gift

All eyes were on Scarlett as she stepped out of the office. She hadn't kept them waiting long - ten minutes, perhaps less. The center of attention emerged, a natural ease about her, yet with a subtle hint of spring in her demeanor. One look was enough to convince everyone that a small fish can't compete with a shark. It wasn't Amelia who couldn't win over Scarlett, but rather no one dared to cross Lucius Zhou first.

The wisdom of seeking protection from powerful allies has been known since time immemorial. How could these high achievers not understand?

That evening, Scarlett and Ryan visited a local roast duck restaurant. As they entered their private room, Mia was already there, politely chatting on her phone about her inability to attend tonight's appointment, promising to treat the caller to a meal the next day.

After ending the call, Ryan walked in, saying, "It's a rare sight to see our boss Chan being so generous. I am overwhelmed by this honor."

With a twitch of her eyelid, Mia retorted, "Don't think that calling me 'Boss Chan' gives you the right to take advantage. Why do you think I invited you here? To give you the opportunity to treat us to dinner."

At the large round table, Ryan found a seat and said with surprise, "I mean, you're a business owner now. Can't you be a little more generous?"

Mia responded, "Good steel is used on the knife's edge. Didn't you see that I'm treating someone to a meal tomorrow?"

Ryan smirked, "Right, always taking advantage of your own people."

After sitting down, Scarlett poured three cups of sour plum juice, leaving one for herself and passing the other two to them. She began, "You think when she treats people to dinner, she's the one paying? More like she invites, and others pick up the bill."

Mia said, "Scarlett understands me well." She then rolled her eyes at Ryan, "You wasted those years hanging around with me at university."

Ryan replied, "And you have the gall to say that. Ever since I got to know you, I've been paying double for meals. My parents have always suspected that I have a girlfriend. The problem is, even if I had one, it wouldn't matter. You're like a car that's always parked but never driven."

Mia retorted, "What's gotten into you? Hormonal imbalance?"

Scarlett chimed in, "The person he wanted to crush wasn't crushed, so he's venting his frustration on you."

Upon hearing the details of the day's events, Mia opened up, "It's about time! You've been holding it in for so long, it's good to let off some steam."

The dialogue is generally understandable, but the phrase "a face that screams 'harmless livestock'" might be a bit confusing to some readers. The term "harmless livestock" is not a common idiom or phrase in English, and its meaning might not be immediately clear.

Ryan added, "Some people just have a knack for appearing harmless."

Scarlett continued, "But they are ruthless and vicious behind the scenes, right?"

Ryan laughed, "You've really been nursing a grudge, haven't you?"

Scarlett calmly took a sip of her sour plum juice and said, "When you're not in a position of power or skill, you just have to endure it."

Mia added, "Once you're almost certain of your success, there's no need to hold back. Strike a heavy blow when they least expect it and leave them helpless. That's Scarlett's strategy."

Ryan sighed, "I feel for myself, I've got a belly full of sharp words but no chance to speak them."

Mia continued, "Relax, you're not like Scarlett. She was invited by Issac Ding, but you sought him out. Don't stir up trouble, especially before your emotions are steady." She put extra emphasis on the word 'emotions', causing Ryan to sigh openly and say, "It's hard to find a good woman, let alone a good man."

Scarlett and Mia had known about Ryan's sexual orientation for years. It was that he wasn't interested in women.

On Scarlett's first day at work, Mia and Ryan were more nervous than she was. Once they knew everything was going smoothly, they were able to relax.

During dinner, Mia said, "Lucius Zhou is influential. Just today, five or six companies have visited, all willing to collaborate deeply. Some are even openly inviting me to dinner. It both excites and scares me."

"No need to fear. If Lucius Zhou gives us opportunities, we can gain from him. If he's unwilling, do you think it would be possible?", Scarlett replied.

Mia looked worried, "That's true, but I worry about you..."

Scarlett interjected, "Regardless of whether he's a businessman or a stingy person, I'll double the return on a fair basis. That way, he's happy, and we all have a much better life."

Mia sighed softly, "I feel sorry for you, it's like sending a lamb to the slaughter."

"It's still better than being the target of a pack of hyenas.", Scarlett replied.

Ryan added from the side, "And the wolf is in sheep's clothing."

Lucius Zhou was undoubtedly a formidable figure, easy to climb on but hard to get off. But Scarlett's current situation needed such a daunting figure to help her out. Otherwise, she would be forced into a corner even before she could establish her career.

At the end of the meal, the three of them raised their glasses to toast Mia's company's debut on Nasdaq, to Ryan's pursuit of Issac Ding, and to Scarlett's safety. At first glance, all of these seemed like tough wishes to fulfill.

...

The next day when Scarlett went to the office, her colleagues greeted her warmly and even offered her breakfast as if they'd known her for a decade. Naomi was sitting quietly at her desk, unusually silent, as if nothing had happened the day before.

Scarlett brought breakfast for Ryan as usual, and was picked up by the Zhou family at ten o'clock as usual. When she saw it wasn't Lucius Zhou himself, she sighed in relief. When Issac returned from his business trip, she had to ask about the insurance again.

When she arrived at the Zhou family's home, Uncle Chan greeted her politely and led her to the second floor. Scarlett walked into the dark living room with the curtains drawn as usual. She knocked on the door of a room and called, "Jack, are you awake?"

To her surprise, Jack's voice came quickly, "Come in."

Scarlett pushed open the door and found the room bright with Jack sitting in front of her holding an iPad. He looked up at Scarlett, still standing cautiously outside the door, and challenged, "What are you afraid of?"

Scarlett curled up her lips, walked in, and replied, "I was worried you were still asleep."

Once inside, finding nothing out of the ordinary, Scarlett was about to close the door when a figure suddenly appeared. Without a clear look at who or what it was, her instinct made her reach out, her hand going straight for the figure's throat.

The touch was soft, her hand almost forming a fist. Upon closer inspection, it was a puppet designed to look like a zombie, slightly taller than her, dressed in traditional Chinese attire that resembled the clothing of ancient Chinese officials. Its face was ghostly white with a bright red tongue sticking out.

It was rather eerie.

Without uttering a sound from beginning to end, Scarlett lifted the puppet by its neck and turned towards Jack, who was watching unblinkingly. She asked, "A new gift?"

Jack, who had witnessed the whole scene, replied a moment later, "You're braver than I thought."

Scarlett casually shoved the puppet aside and said nonchalantly, "If I wasn't holding this, I would've thrown it away."

Hearing this, Jack noticed the cake-sized box in Scarlett's other hand. She put the box on the table and gestured him over, "I brought you a gift too."