Chapter 102: The Upright Bodyguard

The next day, at the Central Building, Liao Yuan handed the preliminary script for *Signal* to Tian Xingde. The latter flipped through it, glancing at the synopses and character profiles for each episode, and his eyes lit up. "A television script? A crime thriller? No, wait..."

As Tian Xingde read on, he grew increasingly astonished. "Using an old walkie-talkie as a catalyst to bridge the past and the present to solve long-standing cold cases... this is excellent, truly excellent. My, this is no ordinary crime drama!"

"Yes, it leans more towards fantasy," Liao Yuan nodded.

The more Tian Xingde read, the more brilliant he found it. His expression grew excited. He closed the script and smiled, "President Liao, you truly have a remarkable talent. Setting aside everything else, the premise of a walkie-talkie connecting the past and the present alone is brilliant! It seems you are an expert in suspense literature. First *Ghost Blows Out the Light*, now *Signal*—you are truly formidable! I personally enjoy this type of suspense-driven film and television. It seems I’ve hitched my wagon to the right person, haha!"

Liao Yuan smiled faintly. "President Tian, have you considered the targets?"

"I had a detailed discussion with President Liu yesterday and screened several well-known directors in the industry. Originally, I was quite anxious, fearing your script might not be compelling enough, as our targets are rather proud and rarely take an interest in mediocre work. But now, I see my worries were entirely unnecessary."

Tian Xingde laughed, "President Liao, rest assured. With President Liu’s connections and such an outstanding script and character design, as long as these directors aren't blind, they will surely take the bait."

Just then, Fu Xiaoci arrived at the office. She was dressed in a strikingly beautiful outfit today: a silver-grey dress with a short hemline that revealed her fair legs, accented by delicate lace. A pair of white high heels made her figure appear tall and slender, perfectly outlining her exquisite curves.

Her arrival caused all the men in the room to stop their conversations involuntarily.

Fu Xiaoci brushed a strand of dark hair from her ear, her eyes shimmering like waves as she looked at Liao Yuan. Her elegant gaze was as pure as water, as if it were speaking. Noticing the silence in the room, a subtle, confident, and triumphant smirk played on her lips.

Without a word, she walked to Liao Yuan’s side and gently flicked her hair, letting it brush against his neck. A faint, lingering fragrance remained where it had grazed him. She lifted her head, her eyes brimming with deep, autumnal emotion. Every gesture and smile of hers was graceful and charming, possessing both the winsome allure of a young girl and the refined elegance of a mature woman.

*What a little temptress!* Tian Xingde marveled inwardly.

Yi Zheng, the operations director who had been sitting in the corner working on a project plan, couldn't help but stop typing and look over twice.

However, Liao Yuan simply brushed aside her hair and frowned, "What are you doing?"

"..."

Fu Xiaoci was stunned. *What am I doing? Don't you know?*

She could no longer keep up the act. Frustrated, she stomped her foot, tossed her handbag onto a nearby chair, ran to the water cooler to fill a cup, and gulped it down. As she rubbed her temples in annoyance, she glared at Liao Yuan. "When are we leaving?"

Liao Yuan replied with an "Oh," then asked, "Leaving now. Is the car ready?"

"Yes, it's ready!" Fu Xiaoci huffed.

Liao Yuan looked at her, bewildered, but after a moment of deep thought, he had a sudden realization. *Maybe she's on her period,* he thought.

Liao Yuan nodded and then asked, "Are Little Liu and the others there yet?"

"My car only has two seats. I told them to take a taxi to the University City to stake out the location first."

Fu Xiaoci took a deep breath to suppress her irritation, walked over to Liao Yuan, did a little spin, and smiled. "Boss Liao, how do I look today?"

Liao Yuan inspected her seriously and said, "It's alright, but the skirt is a bit short."

Fu Xiaoci: "..."

Tian Xingde watched Liao Yuan in amazement, muttering to himself, *I never realized our boss was such a disaster in the world of handsome men!*

Fu Xiaoci surrendered to her fate and said dejectedly, "Let's go, it's hot outside."

Liao Yuan checked his watch and said to Tian Xingde, "President Tian, we’re heading to the University City. Once President Xu arrives, you two can discuss the script. Once you’re sure there are no questions, it won't be too late to start the bidding."

After Liao Yuan and Fu Xiaoci left, Yi Zheng, who had been hiding in the corner, couldn't help but walk over and ask, "It feels like President Fu is being a bit one-sided."

Tian Xingde stroked his chin and smiled, "Matters of the heart between men and women are beyond words. Outsiders will never understand."

Just then, Gu Shuilian and Xu Beihong arrived at the office. Hearing Tian Xingde's remark, they both asked, puzzled, "What is beyond words?"

"Nothing."

Tian Xingde shrugged, lifted the script in his hand, and said to Xu Beihong, "President Xu, this is the script the boss has prepared. President Liu has already helped us schedule many targets. Shall we discuss it on the way?"

...

Donghai Yangpu University City, along a tree-lined path.

Liu Hai, with a briefcase tucked under his arm, instructed the two sturdy men beside him, "Your duty is to ensure the safety of President Liao and President Fu. Do not let anyone within a meter of them, understand?"

"Understood," the two bodyguards nodded.

"Especially President Liao. He has been swamped with trivial matters lately. If anyone approaches, form a protective perimeter immediately. If necessary, you are authorized to use force to resolve the situation. Understood?"

"Understood!"

Liu Hai nodded in satisfaction.

Just as he was about to give further instructions, his eyes lit up as he spotted a girl standing in front of a flower bed nearby. She was not tall, perhaps around 1.6 meters, and was wearing a typical Japanese-style student uniform. She stood quietly by the flower bed, tending to the blossoms with a gentle smile on her face.

The girl possessed a static beauty. The more Liu Hai looked, the more satisfied he became. He took the initiative to walk over. "Student, are you here alone?"

"Yes, alone," the girl replied with a sweet smile.

Liu Hai immediately pulled out a business card and eagerly handed it to her. "I am the administrative manager of Little Yellow Fish Cultural Brokerage. My name is Liu Hai. This is my card. You have a truly excellent look and fit the criteria for our company's talent development. Are you interested in joining the entertainment industry?"

The girl glanced at the card but didn't reach for it. Her smile faded, her brows furrowed, and she complained, "What is this? A tiny company? What a waste of all the expressions I just made!"

With that, she turned and walked away without looking back.

Liu Hai: "..."

*Damn it! Are girls these days all this materialistic?*

One of the bodyguards behind him stepped forward and asked, "President Liu, do you want me to beat her up?"

Liu Hai: "???"

*What kind of people are these?!*