Redeeming The Golden Ticket To Life

****

Inside Hu Corporation Office-

"Boss, today you nailed it at the Military base camp," Ming Li spoke up in an aegyo manner.

I subconsciously shivered listening to that tone and pitch.

"Ming Li! You are a grown man, please behave as you speak," I spoke through clenched teeth.

"Boss, how did you know that it would work? How did you know that the program code and our deal with other countries would work in favour of us and would, in turn, become our leverage against the military officials?" he asked while being perplexed.

"It's the value of that security code. I guess someone finally informed the Army Chief about the actual selling point of the security code. If it goes to any foreign country then the government here will lose their leverage in international negotiation. The question is who is the person who informed them of the real value of the security code?"

'It is truly something to ponder. Is it Feling?'

While I was a little lost in my thoughts Ming Li fiddled with today's newspaper.

"Don't you have your own office space? Why do you always try to lounge in my office space? Move out, will you?" I criticised the couch potato in my office.

"Woah!"

"What? Aren't you leaving yet?" I asked while being annoyed.

"Boss! I think you should take a look at this before you take any other steps!"

"What is it? Speak out clearly," I urged as I was reaching my limit to tolerate him.

"Boss, I am serious, take a look at this."

He walked towards me and flipped open the daily newspaper to a relevant page and placed it on my table. 

The headlines read-

"The Biggest Military Corruption Uncovered"

The people responsible are the elites of the social and power hierarchy. The government in its bid to crackdown on severe internal corruption, today released a press statement -

We were made aware of these heinous crimes for some time now. The government placed them under surveillance to acquire more concrete proofs on their misdeeds. Finally, two days back the investigating team got all the information related to the whole operation. So we moved in to make arrests. In the country's legal detention system, they were interrogated about their deeds and other contracts related to them.

The information provided was strictly scrutinised for any discrepancies. After confirming the validity of the data and the total numbers determined, we made them appear in court and face civil judgments or the crimes they committed against their nation. 

The total amount has been rounded off to approximately three hundred billion U.S. Dollars.

The chief culprit behind this has been identified to be party leader Hao Xuping of the capital province and the Military officer Lt. General-"

"So how are we related to it?" I asked.

"Boss, do not be naive, I have a strong feeling that it has all been directed by madam, that is, your wife Ms Shui Bai Chang. Even Matt agrees with me on this."

"When did you guys even talk about all this?" I asked him, perplexed.

"Boss try to remember, did anyone from Military p**is Madame off recently?" he asked me with absolute confidence in his voice.

"Mmmhmmm, recently huh?" As I think about it, I remember recent events two days back, when Bai Chang revealed her medical prowess as well as one of her squad members returning hurt from some kind of mission.

(Boy, did something serious happen after all that drama?)

"When did you talk to Matt about all this?" I asked him.

"It was Matt who informed me about this as he found the trace of our system over the path of distribution of this news. It is a clear case of someone making us a meat shield while they shot bullets from the blindside."

I think deeply into all these and try to piece together the puzzle.

First, a few days back a member of her squad got injured. When I looked into it, it had something to do with Feling. So there would be paybacks from Bai Chang. The thing is I am not aware of her game plan. Let it be, I will figure something out as we go along the way!

"Ming Li, keep your eyes peeled for any development in this case as well as ask Matt to make this case his personal property. I think my wife is on an annihilation mission. So ask him to be prepared for all types of cleanups and PR as well as keep important contacts on his fingertips."

"Yes boss," he nodded his head in agreement and then asked, "boss, if some day madame destroys the world, what would you do?"

"Do you need to even ask? if she destroys the world I will stand by her side and help her count the spoils of the war and as well as clear the battlefield for her!" I replied naturally.

Ming Li stood there and simply gawked at me.

"What? Don't tell me you won't do the same for Matt. You will ditch me in a heartbeat to accompany him to any joust of your choosing."

"Boss, this is expected of me but I never pegged you as a romantic man, after all, four years ago you never played the game this closely," he pointed out the key points wisely.

"Exactly, we can't repeat the same mistake from my past. I got one chance for atonement and pursued a happily ever after. I will take all necessary steps to achieve my happily ever after with Bai Chang this time."

He kept his silence for a while, as he stared at me for quite some time. I don't know what he saw there but he must have seen my conviction. As instead of pursuing me to reconsider he simply held his silence.

"Okay, let's move on to our next agenda, that is our international business trip regarding this security code".

"Boss, Country A and Country E have quoted a good price for the security code, they would like to meet us face to face to see the effectiveness of the codes. "

"Okay, set up a meeting with them. First, we will go to Country A. Then we will move to Country E and the rest of the continent. Keep Country R at a bay and keep Country C on bait. Do not promise them anything but provide them with a sense of reward for their collaboration with our company. Make sure to keep them in check otherwise they will climb on our heads and play with us. Treat all of them as nothing more than enemies with a purely platonic trade relationship.

Am I clear?"

"Yes boss, I will get on this plan right away. I will let you know your schedules in about another quarter of an hour after."

[Bam]

Ming Li left the office as he closed the door behind him.

I picked up the newspaper and re-read the article about the corruption scandal.

"Wife, what are you playing at?" I think aloud.

As I contemplate the future actions, I look towards the customised mobile phone provided to me by Bai Chang. It has been three days since I have been banished by her. I still have another four days to go.

I picked up my phone and dialled a number.

[Ring Ring! Ring Ring!]

The other side keeps on ringing, I wonder if he will pick up the call.

Just as I was about to disconnect the call the other side picked up the call,

"Hello," a soft voice answered the call from another side.

"Hello, it's me here. How are you? How is your Mumma?" I asked.

(Yes, on the other side of the phone is my son, the little ancestor of my family.)

"We are fine," he answered curtly.

"Did something happen lately," I asked him softly?

"We are good together, could you please not come home. I don't like you paired with my Mumma. I can't choose my genes but I feel I have the right to choose my relationship with my Dad. And I choose separation. I and Mumma are good so stop poking your nose in-between us-"

"Hold on, hold on! Why are we on gunfire today? What did I do wrong this time," I asked while perplexed about the whole situation.

Only silence answered my queries. I look towards the phone, we are still connected.

"I am being punished for what I did last time?" I asked my son gingerly.

"I talked to Mumma about that time and she was not happy with you, or grandparents, about how you approached the situation. So be sure to face some fire next time we meet face to face." He heartlessly replied.

(Is he really my son? Why is he, driving wedges in between our married life.)

"Do I get a second chance to amend mistakes?"

"Depends on your choices!"

"You are aware that you are a kid right, Why is it every time I talk to you, you sound more adult?" I was exasperated.

"Mumma said that it is Shui family's secret not to be revealed to outsiders," 

[Tu Tu Tu Tu]

He hung up on me.

But what he means by it is a Shui family secret.

It seems I have to go all out this time to protect them from shadows.