Apex Predator - Chap 2
Shen Dai finished collecting his set of experimental data and was able to leave early from work.
He had a single-person dormitory room at the Research Institute, and on the nights where he worked overtime he would sleep there. But at least once a week he would try to make a trip back home.
After the house had been auctioned off, he rented a flat for his grandmother in the suburbs. Though it was far and inaccessible, it was cheap and clean, and cleanliness was what his grandmother cared most about.
From the train he then switched to the public bus. After alighting, he passed a small wet market on the walk home. At this time they were just about to close. Along with meat and vegetables he picked up a bouquet of pink-violet peonies.
Their petals were fine and delicate, with the overlapping layers both encasing the bud and bursting outward in a show of vitality.
When they were still living in their old house, his grandmother kept a garden filled with all kinds of flowers. Each season had its own beautiful scenery. This had been his ethereal utopia when he was younger.
In this flat, she could only plant a few pots on the balcony, and even then, the plants still needed to jostle with other objects for breathing space.
The flat was relatively new and the building fairly well-maintained. The stairwell was suffused with a warm light, and as he climbed up he could hear the noise of the television gradually becoming louder. It was the sound of the Kunqu opera his grandmother adored.
As soon as he opened the front door, the smell of dinner reached his nose. Shen Dai immediately felt all tension leave his body.
“A-Dai?” his grandmother poked her head out from behind the frosted glass door of the kitchen with a smile on her face. “You have good timing, I’m just about done with the last dish.”
Shen Dai returned her a warm smile. “Grandmother”, he greeted her. Putting down the meat and vegetables, he went to fetch a vase. After filling it with water, he trimmed the stalks of the peonies and placed each one inside. Finally, he used his hand to sprinkle some water on the petals.
When he placed them on the table, they instantly brightened up the entire home.
His grandmother came out of the kitchen, a dish in her hands. “How much were they?” she immediately asked.
She put the dish in her hands down to give herself a spare hand to feel the petals of the peonies. “They’re so fresh and so pretty.”
“They were just about to close, so it was only ten yuan a stalk. I picked out the freshest-looking ones.”
“That’s quite a good deal.”
His grandmother admired the flowers. “Do you still remember that patch on the east side next to the wall where I used to plant peonies?”
“Of course I do.”
Shen Dai went into the kitchen to bring out the dishes as well as fetch the bowls and chopsticks. He started to dish out the rice and soup.
“Grandmother, please have a seat.”
His grandmother smiled as she admired the peonies, before taking a good look at Shen Dai.
“You’re looking a little pale.”
“You need to get more sunlight!”
“You shouldn’t stay cooped up all day in the laboratory!”
“Don’t worry about it.”
The two of them started to eat while discussing idle matters about life and work.
Seeing the white hair on his grandmother’s temples as the light shone through it, Shen Dai couldn’t help but feel a little forlorn.
His grandmother had been born into a family of scholars. Although they had not been obscenely wealthy, they could have been said to be well-off.
If not for her selfish and imprudent son, she would now be living in a villa with a garden with a sizable inheritance and pension. She would have been able to spend her days gardening, reading, sunbathing, enjoying the rest of her life in peace.
Throughout the difficulties they were going through she retained her elegance and grace. In periods of hardship, she would look for the little joys in life, trying as much as possible to not be a burden on this grandson of hers.
But Shen Dai already knew that the betrayal by her beloved son, the effects of ageing and her physical ailments had already taken a toll on her heart, only she was unwilling to reveal how she felt.
If what You Xinghai had said was true, it would solve many of their problems. He anxiously wished to offer himself up as a sacrifice. There was nothing that he wanted more than to provide his grandmother with a comfortable life in her old age.
A whole week had passed since his meeting with You Xinghai, during which time he had not received a single word of news.
His mood vacillated from nervous apprehension to disappointment, mixed in with an inexplicable feeling of relief. To put it this way: his mood was delicate.
Even so, he wondered if he hadn’t conjured up the whole thing. Perhaps his lack of money had driven him insane? Had You Xinghai somehow changed his mind? Or maybe the engagement was no longer possible?
In any case, the whole matter was very strange, maybe not having any follow-up at all might be considered normal.
He was in the laboratory working the day a colleague from the Human Resources department came over to look for him.
With an inquisitive look on his face, he informed Shen Dai that headquarters had requested for him to go over.
“Engineer Shen, are you seeking a transfer?”
“Not at all,” said Shen Dai, a little bewildered, “Did they say what this was about?”
“Of course not. Otherwise, why would I be asking?”
His colleague pondered over it, “Normally headquarters doesn’t concern itself with the human resources affairs of the research department. Why don’t you go over there first? There is someone at the reception waiting for you.”
“Alright.” Shen Dai went back into the laboratory to tell his colleagues he was leaving, then made his way to the company headquarters building.
He debated giving his professor a call to ask what was going on but decided to find out more about the situation before asking.
The Xingzhou corporation headquarters building cost a total of a hundred million yuan to build. It gave one the impression of being a great pillar supporting the sky. Shen Dai only ever came to this building to eat at its cafeteria, otherwise, he rarely set foot in other offices and research departments.
He entered the lobby. There were already three or four people standing at the reception desk. It was hard to tell who was a visitor and who was waiting, but as soon as he approached, a young man in a suit came over to greet him.
“You must be Engineer Shen? Pleased to meet you”
”Pleased to meet you.” The two people shook hands. Shen Dai asked, “How should I address you?”
“My name is Cheng Ruoze, I’m the assistant to the President.” Cheng Ruoze made a gesture for Shen Dai to go ahead before him and casually put his hand on Shen Dai’s shoulder. He appeared to be pressed for time, taking large strides as they walked along. “Let’s discuss this while walking.”
“Oh, alright,” Alphas were generally tall, so Shen Dai was obliged to walk faster to keep up. “Assistant Cheng, might I ask why I…”
”This way.” Cheng Ruoze used his personnel access card to open the doors of a private lift.
The interior of the lift was beautiful and ornate, lined with thick and soft wool carpet. Just a glance and you could tell that it was meant exclusively for the use of the company’s top brass.
Shen Dai pushed aside his reservations and entered. He was about to ask for an explanation again but was interrupted.
“To be frank, even I am not clear on the exact details of this matter, I was only given orders to come fetch you.”
Shen Dai frowned. He truly did not have the faintest idea of what he was about to face next.
Scientists like him would first latch onto a hypothesis and follow a trail of clues. They would use methods like trial and error to make inquiries and draw conclusions. But since he wasn’t given any clues, it was impossible for him to make an analysis.
From his peripheral vision, Cheng Ruoze suddenly noticed the pheromone-blocking patch that was on the back of Shen Dai’s neck. He did not conceal his shock and pulled away for half a step.
“You’re… an Omega?”
Shen Dai nodded and smiled.
“I’m so sorry,” said Cheng Ruoze, mortified.
Cheng Ruoze covertly scrutinised Shen Dai from head to toe. Tall, and slender, with fair skin and refined features, the young man before him came across as gentle and refined, as well as calm and collected.
Draped loosely over his shoulders was his lab coat, which accentuated the proportions of his body. He had perpendicular shoulders and a waist which you could sometimes see peeking out from under the fabric – a little wider, and it would have been too much, a little narrower, too frail. And just like his external appearance, people would find his manners to be perfectly adequate. A little less could be seen as being too detached, a little more, too disingenuous.
As the lift rapidly ascended, Cheng Ruoze could feel his heartbeat becoming a little uncontrollable. How could he not have known that there was such an Omega within the company?
In day-to-day interactions between strangers, Alphas and Omegas were advised to refrain from any physical interaction beyond shaking hands. For this reason, the way that Cheng Ruoze had touched his shoulder just then had been highly inappropriate.
But Shen Dai had not been offended, he was aware that his outward appearance was not fragile and delicate like the majority of Omegas, rather, he seemed to resemble a Beta. Moreover, the scent of his pheromones was very weak. Once he had applied the pheromone-blocking patch, it became almost undetectable.
Since he was young he had been mistaken for a Beta countless times. If anything, it had worked to his favour, especially in the workplace.
The lift reached the twenty-eighth floor. As soon as its doors opened, one could see a magnificent hand-knotted carpet which stretched all the way across to the large black ebony wood door of the office.
Shen Dai drew in a deep breath. “Could it be Chairman Qu who wants to see me?” Was it possible that he was about to receive a promotion? But it was not as if he had gotten any new achievements of late.
Cheng Ruoze regained his composure. “This way please.”
Shen Dai followed him into the office. As soon as he saw the person inside he was stunned. The ebony wood door – How could it not have occurred to him? Unconsciously, he put his hands into the pockets of his lab coat.
People often told him that his name reflected his personality. He would frequently receive compliments, such as being “calm and collected”, or “cool-headed”, or “unshakeable”.
From his point of view, he never really felt that he had any particular techniques for staying calm. He only wished that people would rely more on their intellect and less on visceral reactions. But that didn’t mean that he wouldn’t get anxious from time to time.
“President Qu, I’ve brought Engineer Shen,” said Cheng Ruoze, before turning to his watch, “The next meeting will start in twelve minutes.”
“Alright.”
Cheng Ruoze took his leave and closed the door behind him. The man, who was sitting at the sofa reading a document, looked up. The two people’s gazes met and collided in the air.
This was a man who was so stunning he could light up an entire galaxy, who was so gorgeous he could seamlessly blend into the backdrop of any film, or get in front of the lens of any camera, who had a face so captivating that it could inspire countless fantasies. Not only was he the possessor of a high nose and a broad forehead, but also a pair of eyes that contained an infinite sea of stars. The features of his face were so sharp and perfect it could cut glass.
Though his posture was relaxed, he retained an air of belligerence. It was as if he were only suppressing his own violent nature, like the placid surface of the sea, only no one would dare underestimate the turbulent undercurrents surging underneath. That was because he was an S-class Alpha, endowed with superior pheromones since birth: A proud son of heaven standing on top of the human food chain.
This was the man who was the heir apparent to the Xingzhou corporation – Qu Moyu.
Shen Dai looked at him, dumbfounded. It had been a long time since he had been able to see this person up close. He could still smell the faint traces of the ebony wood from his memory, though, it might be only his imagination. After all, it was considered basic courtesy to wear a pheromone-blocking patch at the workplace. If someone was wearing one, you would only be able to smell their pheromones when standing close to them, and even then, the scent would be just barely perceptible. In any case, Shen Dai at this moment was still peering from out the doorway.
He was trying to calm his nerves as quickly as possible when he noticed another person in the room. A middle-aged Alpha man with glasses was sitting at the other end of the sofa. He appeared to be on standby. Shen Dai surmised that he was a lawyer for the company. Though what his role was exactly wasn’t clear, it had to be at least a position in senior management.
Qu Moyu leisurely sized Shen Dai up. His gaze was calm yet inscrutable. He smiled warmly, ”Engineer Shen, come and take a seat.”
Shen Dai’s throat was trembling. He walked over and bowed. ”Good afternoon, President Qu.” He also gave the other man a respectful nod before sitting down.
His eyes darted across the sofa. Next to Qu Moyu’s hand was a dossier containing his personal details which even had two photographs of him glued to the cover.
Why would Qu Moyu be looking for him?
“Shen Dai.” Qu Moyu tapped his slender finger on the dossier, clearly enunciating each syllable.
“Dai refers to ‘Mount Tai’, doesn’t it?”
“It does.”
”It’s not a bad name. Who gave it to you?”
”My maternal grandfather.” Shen Dai was so overwhelmed with emotions that he couldn’t calm down. “He was a traditional painter. He loved painting mountains.”
“Mount Tai is the head of the Five Sacred Mountains, the place where the Emperor used to pay his respects. It’s a very powerful word. It seems that your grandfather had great expectations of you.”
It was difficult to believe that an Omega could bear the weight of such a heavy name. But the strange thing was that somehow, Qu Moyu felt this name and the man in front of him were very well-matched.
“That might be.” Shen Dai smiled sheepishly, “He just liked Mount Tai, that’s all.”
Qu Moyu gazed intently at him. ”And the incident that occurred in the laboratory three years ago had no negative impact on your work?”
“None at all. It’s fine.” Shen Dai suddenly felt his face burning up. “You, you still remember it.”
“I have a good memory.”
“Back then…” He stammered, “Thank you President Qu for helping me.”
Shen Dai could never forget that day. At the most pathetic, frightening and desperate moment of his life, Qu Moyu appeared from nowhere and rescued him. Not only that, he arranged to keep all the information about the incident under wraps and dealt with the inconvenient details that followed.
It was only after he had recovered from the trauma that he started to recollect what had happened. The most powerful memory was the entangling of their pheromones. A mixture of desire, intense heat, compulsion, torment, restraint, and unfulfilled yearning that slowly began to take root in his heart.
From that day, he paid particular attention whenever he saw or heard anything about Qu Moyu. He didn’t know if that counted as being secretly infatuated with him. Admittedly, he had occasionally entertained some unrealistic fantasies, but the strongest feeling of all was admiration. This man was too lofty, too far from reach, too perfect. Never ever did he imagine that he would get a chance to be this close to him again.
”You are an outstanding researcher for our company. It was just something that needed to be done.”
”I’ve asked you here today for two reasons, the first is for us to be formally introduced, and the second is so I can understand if you have any requirements.”
”…Requirements?” Shen Dai asked, bewildered, “President Qu, I don’t quite understand. The professor did not mention anything to me recently.”
”What I’m referring to are the requirements you have after marriage. For instance, your living expenses, your living environment, your personal habits, your dietary preferences, your religious beliefs, the type of car you prefer and so on and so forth. So long as it’s not too unreasonable, you may ask for whatever you like.”
Shen Dai could only hear a buzzing in his head.
He wasn’t slow, some might even say that he was rather perceptive, but he was unable to react to these words for a long time.
Qu Moyu discreetly glanced at his watch. He leaned over slightly. It didn’t seem like he was losing his patience but he lowered his voice.
”Engineer Shen, President You informed us that you personally agreed to be engaged to me. Am I to understand that this information is incorrect?”
1. This had been his ethereal utopia.. | Ethreal utopia was originally Peach Blossom land (桃源)
2. “Dai refers to ‘Mount Tai’, doesn’t it?” | The Dài (岱) in Shěn dài (沈岱), refers to Dài zōng (岱宗) the other name for Mount Tai / Tàishān (泰山)
