novelraw Chapter 146 : A Pitiful Woman
Chapter 146 : A Pitiful Woman
At the Peace Palace, in the secretarial office.
Little Dong was about to head home after tidying up her things when she noticed her boss still sitting at her workstation, fiddling with her phone and occasionally glancing at the desktop computer screen.
"Sister Zhao, are you still busy? Do you need me to stay and help?"
Upon hearing Little Dong's voice, Xu Zhao put down her phone and rested her chin on her hand, addressing her colleague: "No need. I won't be here much longer either. Go ahead and clock out."
She thought to herself: That Shen the dog should be settling down now. If this keeps up, the small savings I've accumulated over the past two years might all be wiped out.
'What a pitiful woman!'
'Ah, I wonder what's going on with those Omegas. They couldn't possibly be using this unconventional method to deliberately bankrupt Shen, could they?'
At this thought, Xu Zhao couldn't help but chuckle at her own idea.
Besides herself, who else could understand the story behind Shen Han's salary deduction incident by the Empress?
Perhaps noticing the complexity in Xu Zhao's smile, Little Dong curiously asked: "Sister Zhao, you're not playing games and trolling people, are you? Why does your smile seem so sinister?"
Xu Zhao gave her a sidelong glance, unamused: "Do I look like that kind of person? Hurry up and leave, or I might just make you stay for the night shift."
Little Dong puffed out her cheeks and quickly fled the office.
Xu Zhao shook her head with a smile, took off her glasses to rub her brow, and then began to shut down her computer.
On her screen, there was a surveillance feed synchronized with the special task force. One of the Alphas providing the video had been slumped over his desk for quite some time.
If it weren't for the occasional movement of his gaze, Xu Zhao would have thought he had taken off his glasses and tossed them on the table.
Xu Zhao sighed inwardly: Although I was the one who processed the 150,000 deduction, don't blame me. I'm just following orders.
After tidying up, Xu Zhao picked up her briefcase and headed to the Empress's office.
Gu Junwan had just finished her day's work.
She was standing gracefully by the floor-to-ceiling window, gazing at the city lights gradually illuminating the night. Her golden phoenix eyes held a gentle yet powerful light that seemed to pierce through the darkness.
Today, the Empress wore a well-tailored shirt paired with a light-colored skirt, accentuating her beautiful figure.
Any understated and simple attire always seemed to bring out a unique elegance when worn by her.
As Xu Zhao entered the office, she caught sight of her Empress's beautiful silhouette.
In the lamplight, the young woman's figure was slender and her back straight. Her slightly curled raven hair cascaded over her shoulders, softening the Empress's typically cold aura from the day, adding a touch of gentleness and languor.
"Your Majesty, shall we return to the villa now?"
Hearing her assistant's voice, Gu Junwan turned around with a smile: "Let's go. You've been working hard lately. Come back with me for some nourishing soup, and stay at the villa tonight."
Xu Zhao happily agreed and went to the desk to tidy up documents for her Empress.
At this moment, Gu Junwan spoke calmly: "How are things on Shen Han's end?"
"The Yongle Gang has rented a secluded warehouse and has already gathered over ten people. They're still waiting for a drug dealer codenamed 'Old Ice.' This person is considered the second-in-command of the gang and has been hiding abroad. His return this time is likely an attempt to seize power under the guise of avenging Yan Bo."
By this point, Xu Zhao had finished organizing the documents.
"Your Majesty, please rest assured. The special task force and Shen Han's team have already synchronized information. They're just waiting for 'Old Ice' to arrive before they round up the entire group."
After reporting on official matters, Xu Zhao began to discuss another issue.
"Regarding the deductions, after you ordered those three cuts, no more Omegas came forward. Shen Han has also had the money returned in full."
Gu Junwan nodded and walked to the desk to carefully put away the fountain pen Shen Han had given her.
Xu Zhao knew how much her Empress treasured that pen. Every time she tidied the desk, she paid special attention not to carelessly touch it.
As they were about to step out of the office, Gu Junwan suddenly asked softly: "Xu Zhao, do you think what I did was inappropriate?"
Although the Empress didn't elaborate, Xu Zhao understood her meaning.
With the mentality of 'better you than me,' Xu Zhao answered very seriously: "Absolutely not!"
"Your Majesty, think about it. When something makes you uncomfortable, it's good for both you and Shen Han if you express your feelings and attitude appropriately."
"She'll understand what matters to you and will try to avoid such things in the future. That's a good thing!"
Gu Junwan thought for a moment, then agreed: "That's what I thought too."
Xu Zhao maintained a neutral expression, but inwardly gave herself a thumbs up for her quick thinking.
She knew her Empress too well. The other wasn't really asking because she felt she had done something wrong, but because she wanted to hear affirmation and agreement from Xu Zhao!
Although it might be a bit unfair to Shen, as a mere assistant, how could she possibly sway the Empress's decision?
The Empress could be quite fearsome when jealous!
The Empress and her assistant, now comfortably enjoying soup at the villa, were still unaware that Shen Han's 'donations' were due to a misunderstanding caused by the deep bite mark Gu Junwan had left that night.
Not all the Omegas at Jinxi Entertainment City actually liked Shen Han.
Many people contributed generously, hoping that she wouldn't lose heart due to a temporary setback.
Why should someone who never bullied the weak and even dared to kill drug lords be toyed with by the rich?
It took Shen Han quite a while to learn the whole story.
For a moment, she didn't know whether to feel sad or touched.
What a terrible misunderstanding!
She had only been bitten by her wife, yet it had sparked such indignation among her 'coworkers.'
And because of her 'coworkers'' sympathy and care, her wife had become jealous and docked her pay.
It's not the sudden silence in the air that's scary, but the sudden concern from Omegas!
Two days later, this small salary deduction incident had been pushed to the back of Shen Han's mind.
Now she had a very important matter that needed constant attention. This issue not only related to the special task force's operation but also concerned the lives and deaths of many people.
Shen Han received information that the drug dealer leader known as 'Old Ice' from the Yongle Gang had successfully infiltrated the 546th Street District.
However, he hadn't gone to the warehouse to meet with his subordinates, and his current whereabouts were unknown.
Shen Han didn't dare to be careless with such a snake lurking in the shadows.
She requested a few days off from Ren Hui and led her tactical team in a thorough investigation of possible locations where 'Old Ice' might be hiding.
When Ren Hui heard that Shen Han wanted time off, he approved it without a second thought.
He almost wanted to send her off with gongs and drums!
In Ren Hui's eyes, that Manager Shen was a hot potato.
He had originally thought that after the incident with the drug lord Yan Bo, Zhou Nuoman would make demands and take Shen Han away.
To his surprise, not only did she not leave, but she stayed here and caused him a heap of trouble!
If it weren't for Zhou Nuoman's promises regarding various benefits and interests, he definitely wouldn't continue to clean up after that troublemaker.
Now, quite a few people in the upper echelons of the group had become dissatisfied with Ren Hui.
Although he still held the title of Vice Chairman of Jinxi Entertainment City, his actual power had gradually been eroded, constrained by the third-ranking manager surnamed Zhang.
Ren Hui couldn't wait for Shen Han to leave quickly and stop causing trouble in his territory.
But soon after, he would realize that his thoughts were far too hasty. Even when she wasn't nearby, she could still cause him trouble!
Of course, that's a story for later.
On this day, Shen Han was in a single room of an apartment building, discussing the subsequent arrest plans with her team members.
Suddenly, a phone placed on the table began to ring.
Seeing that it was Zhou Nuoman calling, Shen Han immediately said to one of her team members: "Activate the monitoring program."
A few seconds later, she answered the phone: "Manager Zhou, good afternoon. Is there something I can help you with?"
On the other end of the line, Zhou Nuoman's voice came through unhurriedly: "Captain Shen, are you looking for Old Ice?"
Shen Han pondered her words and asked directly: "Do you know where Old Ice is hiding?"
She had originally thought the other party would take this opportunity to negotiate some conditions with her, but to her surprise, Zhou Nuoman replied directly: "Yes, I not only know his current location, but I also know that he has a transaction tonight."
"Old Ice has just smuggled himself back from abroad, bringing a batch of new drugs. If you want to catch him red-handed, tonight is the best opportunity."
After a moment of silence, Shen Han spoke: "Tell me your conditions, Manager Zhou."
She wasn't some greenhorn new to society; naturally, she could understand the hidden meaning in the other's words.
If Zhou Nuoman didn't want to negotiate conditions with her, she could have easily passed this information to the special task force's liaison through her father.
Zhou Nuoman chuckled softly: "It's convenient dealing with smart people. I have two conditions."
"First, I want to be involved in tonight's operation from start to finish."
"Second, I want to know your true identity."
Upon hearing these two demands, everyone in the room was a bit stunned.
The thinking of business people was truly hard to comprehend. Was this the root cause of the wealth gap?
Shen Han gripped the phone and advised: "Since you know who Old Ice is, you should also understand that our operation tonight will be extremely dangerous. I don't recommend you participate in it."
"As for my identity, I need to consult my superiors before I can respond to you. This condition actually doesn't hold much meaning, and I also don't recommend you insist on it."
As soon as she finished speaking, Zhou Nuoman's unyielding response came through.
"I know that capturing Old Ice is a very dangerous operation, but you and your team will protect me as much as possible, won't you, Captain Shen? If something unfortunate were to happen, I'll bear the consequences myself."
"Whether the second condition has any meaning or not isn't for you to decide, so I insist on both of my conditions."
After saying this, Zhou Nuoman also thoughtfully reminded: "Captain Shen, there are now three hours and forty-five minutes left until Old Ice and his people conduct their transaction. I hope you can give me an answer soon. If we delay any longer, many arrangements won't be made in time."