Chapter Ninety-One: Indulgence in Pleasure

"Father, do you think he will agree to it?" After Zhu Lan's departure, Shangguan Changming turned to his father, Shangguan Xuande, with a note of uncertainty.

Shangguan Xuande nodded. "He will. What we are offering is something he simply cannot refuse."

Changming nodded as well; after investigating Fantasy Technologies, it was immediately clear to him that the company desperately needed a sales network. The Shangguan family, conveniently, possessed exactly the kind of distribution system Fantasy Technologies required. Under these circumstances, it was absolutely impossible that the company would not be tempted.

"But Father, I’m still worried. After all, will that person really allow our proposal to go through?"

Shangguan Xuande frowned. "What’s the situation with Changsheng?"

Changming shook his head. "Not good. He’s already being edged out. His position is precarious, and there’s a rumor he’ll be transferred to the logistics center next month, no longer working on the front lines."

"Hmph, do they mean to drive our family to the very edge before they’re satisfied?"

"Father, should we have the Huang family make a move?"

Xuande shook his head. "No need. The Huang family’s card is not necessary yet. Fantasy Technologies is enough."

"Fantasy Technologies? Father, I still don’t understand why you chose them. They’re just a novice, completely inexperienced. If it weren’t for those few secret government projects, Fantasy Technologies might have already ceased to exist."

Xuande sighed. "Changming, your vision is still too short-sighted."

Changming furrowed his brow. "Please instruct me, Father."

"Fantasy Technologies may have risen quickly and be seen as upstarts, but they possess things that many others do not. Do you really think those few projects alone are the reason the military protects them?"

"I don't understand what you mean, Father."

"Though the military keeps their secrets tightly guarded, some things have leaked out. What Fantasy Technologies is researching has the military very interested."

"Something that can catch the military’s attention? That’s no trivial matter!"

Xuande nodded. "The military is guarding this secret with extreme caution. Not only that, but many people don’t understand why the military supports Fantasy Technologies so openly, even to the point of confronting the Standing Committee."

"Father, you mean…?"

Xuande nodded. "The Standing Committee is beyond our reach now; our only option is the military. The Long March has some merit but lacks the influence to sway the higher-ups, and now with Changsheng's troubles, we must forge a new path before things get worse."

"Father, I understand. I’ll have Qiaoning reach an agreement with Fantasy Technologies as soon as possible."

"No rush. Right now, Fantasy Technologies is still negotiating with the military. We mustn’t involve ourselves just yet."

"Is it about the War Club?"

Xuande nodded. "If Fantasy Technologies and Qiaoning’s War Club can get off the ground, it will greatly benefit our satellite project. It would mean Zhu Lan holds something significant enough for the military to make real concessions."

Changming nodded. When he first heard his daughter Qiaoning mention the War Club, he had little interest. But after his father learned of it, he sent Qiaoning to make contact and, if possible, facilitate the club's establishment.

Now Changming fully understood his father's intentions.

The War Club was a dangerous proposition; for the military to agree was almost unthinkable. But under the current circumstances, there was a real chance they'd relent. Whatever Fantasy Technologies held must be truly remarkable.

The next day, Shangguan Qiaoning arrived with several companions to meet Zhu Lan.

"Zhu Lan, let me introduce you. This is Xie Ting, this is Luo Wenjing, and this is Li Guangda."

Zhu Lan frowned, but Kong Yan quickly transmitted the trio’s dossiers to him. After reading through the information, Zhu Lan became grave; all three were prominent figures in Lancheng.

"Young Master Xie, your presence does me too much honor."

"Mr. Zhu, your reputation precedes you—even out west, your name is well known."

"You flatter me."

"Zhu Lan, today let me treat you to Lancheng’s finest feast!"

"Is that so? Then I’ll look forward to it."

The group left the hotel, where cars were already waiting outside. On the way, Zhu Lan, Qiaoning, and the others shared small talk in the same car.

Their destination was a classical wooden building with an air of antiquity.

"Miss Shangguan, what a rare guest!" called a woman, swaying toward them in a cheongsam, her manner strikingly seductive.

"Young Master Xie? You’re here too?"

She eyed Zhu Lan. "This young man looks unfamiliar—is this your first visit to our establishment?"

Zhu Lan frowned. He disliked women who were overtly coquettish; nine times out of ten, they were brimming with schemes—a fox spirit in human form, all cunning and guile.

"Sister Luo, arrange a room for me. I want to entertain my friends."

"Of course—the Yulan Room is free. Let me lead you there," she replied, guiding them upstairs.

"Don’t mind her, Zhu Lan," Qiaoning explained in a gentle whisper, noticing his frown. "Sister Luo is just always like that."

Zhu Lan nodded and followed.

Without needing instructions, waiters began bringing an array of exquisite dishes soon after they sat down. The Yulan Room was spacious, its central table large enough for thirty, yet only five were present. It took dozens of servers over ten minutes to finish laying out the courses, filling every inch of the table.

Zhu Lan counted carefully—there were one hundred and eight dishes in all.

"Zhu Lan, let me introduce you—this is Lancheng’s specialty version of the Manchu-Han Imperial Feast. It may not be entirely authentic, but it’s one of the West’s most famous specialties."

"Mr. Zhu, let me toast you. Your accomplishments have truly amazed us," Xie Ting said, pouring a glass of wine for him.

Zhu Lan said nothing, raising his own half-glass and offering a nod. "You’re too kind, Young Master Xie."

"Come, let’s eat—such a spread is a rare sight!"

Laughter and conversation filled the room as they dined. Qiaoning and the others regaled Zhu Lan with stories of local customs and amusing events.

The meal was thoroughly satisfying. No business was discussed; all conversation remained light and casual.

Zhu Lan naturally understood Qiaoning’s intentions, but he didn’t mind. He ate and drank as he pleased.

Afterward, Qiaoning took Zhu Lan to an opulent nightclub. The group caroused until late into the night before finally dispersing.

Zhu Lan shook his head; he’d had more than a little to drink.

"Boss," Kong Yan said softly, setting a cup of tea beside him.

"Oh, thank you, Kong Yan," Zhu Lan replied, picking up the tea, shaking his head to clear it, and taking a sip.

"No need, Boss."

"Bring Kang Nuo in to see me," Zhu Lan said after the tea had cleared the haze of alcohol. He gave the order to Kong Yan.

She nodded, and soon Kang Nuo entered. "Boss, what are your instructions?"

"Go and invite this person here—politely," Zhu Lan said, tossing a slip of paper onto the table.

Kang Nuo glanced at it, set it back down, and didn’t pocket it. "Understood. I’ll see to it immediately."

"No rush—tomorrow morning is soon enough. Check the address first; there may be an error. You don’t need me to teach you the rest, do you?"

Kang Nuo shook his head. "Don’t worry, Boss. I’ll handle it."

Zhu Lan nodded, waving him off.

"Anything new at the company?" he asked, settling into the sofa.

"All is well. Manager Lan has everything running smoothly—no security gaps, and efforts to root out industrial spies have reduced their numbers in recent days."

"Is that so? How is Azure Base?"

"Already completed—fifty-four hours ahead of schedule."

"Red Queen is calling in, Boss," Kong Yan announced, pausing mid-sentence.

"Put her through on the TV," Zhu Lan replied, straightening up to face the eighty-inch smart television in front of the sofa.

With current technology, the TVs in luxury hotels were already internet-enabled smart sets, able to connect to thousands of channels worldwide—even obscure local stations in Africa, if one had the time to search.

Kong Yan approached the television, extended a nano data cable from her hand, and connected it to the network port. The screen lit up, and soon Red Queen appeared.

"Boss, you don’t look well."

"It’s nothing, just had a bit to drink. What’s the matter?"

"Azure Base is completed, Boss. Shall we proceed to phase two of the experiment?"

"How’s the review of Song Tingxian going?"

"Completed. He can be transferred into Azure Base. The eight others with him have also passed except for three, who failed the screening. I’ve already sent them back to Biotech; Luo Wuyan has taken over. Fourteen new candidates are undergoing evaluation, expected to finish in thirty-one hours."

Zhu Lan nodded. "Is all the equipment installed?"

"Installation is finished. We’re running final checks—it’s ready for early use."

"We’ll address this when I return. Any external developments?"

Red Queen said nothing at first. The screen shifted to an aerial view of forest, with several special red markers appearing.

"Boss, the military has deployed a surveillance system here. The entrance to Azure Base is now at risk. I recommend we remove these monitoring devices."

Zhu Lan frowned at the sight of the military’s surveillance layout. "Don’t remove them—let them stay. Just seal off the entrance and ensure the military doesn’t notice anything unusual."

"But Boss, if we do that, the military will eventually discover the entrance to Azure Base."

Zhu Lan was silent, thinking for a moment. "No, leave them. Otherwise, we lose the initiative. When I return, I’ll find a way to have the military withdraw their monitors."

He was well aware that the military’s surveillance threatened Azure Base. But after previous incidents rendered this area a blind spot—and given the forest’s vastness—the military had ramped up monitoring after realizing the importance of Fantasy Technologies. Though they hadn’t told Zhu Lan, he had long since discovered it.

If they removed the monitors, it would alert the military, who might suspect covert infiltration and send troops to scour the woods—a much bigger problem.

Machines like Red Queen could be managed, but if soldiers entered, they’d have to be killed, or else the base’s existence would soon be discovered. The entrance, designed too large in the beginning, had been camouflaged as much as possible, but close inspection would still reveal anomalies.

Thus, Zhu Lan always interfered with the monitors, making the military believe the forest’s terrain was interfering with signal transmission. In reality, most footage sent back was falsified by Red Queen, with any images related to Azure Base suppressed and replaced with harmless scenes.

So, the military’s cameras captured nothing but endless forest and the occasional wild animal—no sign of anything unusual. But now, with the military increasing their deployment, Red Queen was urging Zhu Lan to remove the monitors and secure the base completely.

(To be continued...)