Beginning with the Ubume Bird-Chapter 617 - 3 A Short Parting

"Judy, no matter what you used to call me Mr. Chen. To treat me like this today, your dear mother’s spirit must be restless."

The speaker was a man in his forties, with a brown, impeccably tailored suit, a meticulously groomed backcombed hairstyle, a pronounced nose bridge, and distinct facial features. He was very well-preserved. But a hint of malevolence weaving through his brows spoiled the overall good impression he might have otherwise given.

Judy sat in the office chair, dressed in a rose-red suit with big wavy curls, with a jeweled cigarette holder cradling her lit cigarette. Her every pout and smile exuded a rich, syrupy allure, akin to a fiery fine wine aged over the years.

"If you like hearing it, I can still call you Mr. Chen today, and I don’t mind saying it a few more times. But we must separate personal matters from business, and you’ve embezzled twenty million from the company to pay your gambling debts. Huamao’s lawsuit has been submitted to the judicial authorities, and now the shareholders’ meeting won’t let you off—I can’t do anything about it, Mr.~Chen."

Judy didn’t even bother to look up at him, her eyes fixed on the newspaper in her hands, as she spoke with a nasal, mocking tone.

"It’s only twenty million; why make it so well-known? I, Chen Zhengcong, am quite well-respected in Hong Kong. Countless high-ranking officials come asking for my Feng Shui services. I can fill that gap in the company’s funds very soon."

"I don’t think so."

Judy slapped the newspaper onto the table: "Who would hire a rapist to consult Feng Shui for them?"

On the front page headline of the newspaper, in stark blue letters, it read, "Feng Shui Master Rapes Young Girl!" accompanied by a large photograph that took up half the page, depicting a scene too disturbing to look at.

Chen Zhengcong’s face suddenly turned ghostly pale, and he gritted his teeth, "Bucktooth Ming dared to play me. I clearly gave the newspaper money, telling them not to write nonsense..."

"You gave them money, but I gave them more."

Upon hearing this, Chen Zhengcong looked at Judy in disbelief and, in a fit of rage, rushed at her: "You!"

But before he could lay a finger on Judy, Li, who was quick to react, gripped his arm and pressed him face down onto the table, forcing Chen Zhengcong’s eyes to stick directly to the photograph on the newspaper.

"You set me up! I didn’t do it!"

Chen Zhengcong shouted uncontrollably.

"Did I tie you to the bed? I thought you liked schoolgirls, but it turns out you’ve always had a thing for women over a decade older than you. Now the situation is out of control, whichever side takes it to court, you’re going to spend the rest of your life in jail."

"Don’t go too far!" Chen Zhengcong’s Adam’s apple bobbed up and down: "The will clearly states I have a 20% share in Huamao! It was Ruxin who promised to give it to me! I didn’t sue you out of mercy, and that’s why you have today!"

"Maybe you want to say that louder? Shall I hold a press conference for you, huh?"

Judy narrowed her eyes: "You weren’t married, you would have lost the lawsuit for sure. You approached my mother under the guise of Feng Shui and deceived her into making a will. But I had to safeguard my mother’s reputation. Why do you think I let a Feng Shui scammer be Huamao’s GM for over a decade? It was to shut your filthy mouth. Do you think anyone would believe you now? You’re nothing more than a rat crossing the street – it’s your own greed."

Judy snuffed out the cigarette butt: "Li, let him go."

Upon hearing this, Li released her grip and retreated, but Chen Zhengcong still looked pained, likely suffering from a severe sprain.

A check fluttered lightly in front of Chen Zhengcong.

"Here is five million. I know you still have some recordings and tapes of conversations with my mother. Hand over all this messy stuff to me, take the money, and leave Hong Kong. I will arrange for a smuggler to send you to Singapore. If you want to go down together, Huamao might lose some face, but I promise you’ll spend the rest of your life in jail playing Dragon Head and Phoenix Tail. Think it over."

Chen Zhengcong’s lips trembling, he shot Judy a venomous look, picked up the check from the table, and walked out.

Judy watched him until he had descended the stairs, then turned to Li and said, "Call Zhan Guzai, once Chen is out to sea, find an opportunity to finish him."

"Got it."

Judy clapped her hands together, her mood uplifted: "Ah, there have been several murders in Hong Kong lately; a number of Feng Shui masters died under mysterious circumstances. Do you think Chen will be run over by a car the moment he steps out? It would save us the trouble."

Judy’s phone suddenly rang, and she bent down to answer it, brushing her hair back, and with a smile said to the other end, "What’s up, Xiu?"

"The, the school sent home the report card; they need you to sign it."

A soft, tender voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Have you been slacking off lately? Has your performance slipped?"

"No, I got an A in all my subjects."

"Good, I’ll come home later, and we can have dinner together."

Judy hung up the phone, stretched lazily, and said to Li, "We’re having dinner at home tonight."

It was Judy’s habit to work only two days a week, arriving at the office at ten o’clock. Her office contained a piano and indoor golf. In spring and summer, she would occasionally open the French windows to enjoy the breeze and red wine. She left work at seven sharp, diligent and disciplined. And she never included playing golf, wine-tasting business meetings, or flying on her own plane in her reported working hours, which was a model of modesty among Hong Kong’s wealthy businessmen.

"Chairman Yang, someone asked me to give this box to you."

Just as Judy took the elevator down to the first floor, an assistant approached with a silver box in hand.

"What the hell is this..."

Judy cut herself off mid-sentence when she saw the style of the box, and despite wearing high heels, dashed over to take it. She frowned, shook it, but heard nothing. Biting her lip, she opened it to find it completely empty.

"""

"..." Judy’s face turned very ugly, "You deadbeat."

"Chairman, he said he’s waiting for you at Dalong Bay."

Li’s face was a mix of emotions as she looked at the box, softly saying to Judy, "Dalong Bay isn’t far from here, I can drive you there."

"Roar! He took a box of gold from me originally and now he’s come back with an empty box to find me, and I’m supposed to go see him? Who does he think he is?"

"So, are you going or not?"

"I want to see what he has to say this time."

"..."

Li sighed, holding her forehead.

Around seven o’clock, it was already very dark. Dalong Bay was an undeveloped beach covered with weeds and scattered stones.

Cha Xiaodao and Li Yan stood side by side on the hilltop, looking out at the highway. A deep red Porsche slowly approached and with their vision, they could even clearly see the facial features of the people in the car.

"Which one is your old flame, the driver or the passenger?"

"The passenger."

Cha Xiaodao, bored out of his mind, picked up seashells from the shallows. Suddenly, he turned to Li Yan with a sly grin. "But look, she’s only coming now, after seven o’clock. You lost."

"She’s accustomed to working at Huamao’s headquarters until seven o’clock every Thursday and Friday. That 20% Awakening Degree was originally your share from the South Seas. I was only joking with you." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

Cha Xiaodao threw the seashells away and dusted off his hands. "Alright, alright, enough. I’ve got this covered, okay?"

After speaking, he walked away by himself.

The car stopped at the side of the highway barrier, and Judy got out of the car. She immediately spotted Li Yan standing amid the rocks, beckoning to her, and cursed furiously, "Bastard."

She took off her high heels, running barefoot towards Li Yan over the cold seawater.

The sea floor was sandy or covered with smooth stones, nothing that pricked the feet, but it was uneven. Li Yan was standing on high ground and Judy had to be pulled up by Li Yan before she could barely get onto the rocky platform. She hadn’t steadied herself yet when she slapped Li Yan’s face with her fair hand.

Li Yan was smacked without reason but showed no shock. Instead, he stood tall and shouted, "Nice strength, Judy! Hit me more if you like it!"

Judy chuckled, but immediately forced a stern face. "What’s the meaning of giving me an empty box?"

"No, it’s because there were too many people, I was worried about your reputation, so I used a token to ask you out."

"Roar, so that means no greeting gift after not seeing each other for three years?"

"How could that be?"

Judy stretched out her hand. "Where is it? Give it to me."

"Then you have to promise to stay calm, and definitely don’t get scared."

"Ha, I’ve seen all sorts of great things. You try to scare me."

"Then close your eyes."

The moment Judy closed her eyes, dark clouds rolled in overhead and a strange fluctuation spread out from Li Yan’s body.

"Alright, open your eyes and take a look."

When Judy opened her eyes, a giant red whale, immense and completely red, arched majestically over their heads under the full moon.

Several jellyfish as tall as a person danced around the rocks, their beautiful bell-shaped bodies fully expanded. Even real gold wouldn’t compare to the bright color of the Dragon Mane Jellyfish.

Fish of green, pale white, and deep blue brilliance swam out of thin air, and Shuiguang Worms gathered to form a silk-smooth, beautiful aurora, affected by every hue of the burning clouds.

Judy covered her mouth tightly, her eyes full of disbelief, while Li, by the roadside, also took off her sunglasses, completely unable to comprehend the scene before her.

A deep red flame suddenly appeared amidst the dark clouds, the fire and clouds entwined, creating a magnificent fiery cloud display of purple and red flames bursting in mid-air, reflecting off the sea’s spectacular underwater scenery, while hundreds of Pig Dragons opened their huge mouths to the sky, colorful bubbles surging forth.

A deep red dragon glided in and out of the sea, its back hung with colorful seashells, and the odd sound of the tide was a beautiful symphony recorded by nature.

Suddenly, the red dragon swung its tail, raising a wave tens of meters high into the air, which at its peak, was instantly frozen by piercing cold, then shattered into the finest dust of ice, reflecting incomparable golden hues under the glow of the fiery clouds.

Li Yan stood behind Judy, resting his hand on her shoulder, and softly asked, "Do you like it?"

Judy turned around, wrapped her arms around Li Yan, and stood on her tiptoes for a kiss. Li Yan instinctively blocked, but in the end, they both fiercely kissed each other.

"""