Apex Predator - Chap 32

Shen Dai sat to the side and stole a glance at Qu Moyu’s reaction as he ate the wontons. Based on the slight rise of his eyebrows and the way he was chewing slowly, it seemed that he found the taste satisfactory.

“How is it?” asked Shen Dai softly.

“It tastes great. This wonton is really fresh. What did you put in it?”

“Aside from shrimp and pork, I also added some shiitake mushrooms and nori. When I was little, I used to experiment with my grandparents to find out what tastes better. Adding nori was my idea.”

“Do you know how to prepare other dishes?”

“Plenty, but I stopped after I started working. I used to really love cooking.”

Thinking back to his vibrant teenage years, Shen Dai could not help but feel sad. The age of twenty had been a turning point in his life, before which he had not experienced any significant worries. Despite not having a family that was intact, the love and acceptance his grandparents had shown towards him had not been lacking in the slightest.

Fearing that they could not make up for any regret he might have from not having responsible parents, they had devoted considerable energy and financial resources into nurturing him, providing him with a comfortable living, a good education, and supporting him in any hobbies he had an interest in.

But after the age of twenty, all that was left in his life was the top priority of making money.

As he was folding the wontons today, Shen Dai indulged in a brief moment of nostalgia, recalling fond memories from his past. In his youth, he had fantasised about cooking a homemade meal paired with exquisite wine for the one he loved, and spending time together doing things like listening to music, playing games, visiting exhibitions, exercising, traveling, discussing movies, art, literature, or even a comedy variety show that they had just watched.

Due to his grandparents’ influence, he had developed a keen eye for observing and appreciating the subtle details in life. A flower, a painting, or a tea set – these were things that he could spend hours admiring.

But now it seemed that he had already lost that kind of ability. Now that he no longer had to worry about making ends meet, he thought that it might be something he would like to rekindle again.

“Great. I’ll have to sample your skills again when I have some time.”

Shen Dai’s lips curved up slightly as he lowered his head to take a bite of the wonton, finding that it was the most delicious one he had ever tasted.

After they had finished with their meal, Qu Moyu asked Shen Dai to take a lift with him in his car. On the journey over, he brought up the subject of needing Shen Dai‘s cooperation in the transfer of some assets after the Lunar New Year.

The discussions regarding the merger had been going on for a year, and were only now seeing significant progress. This had also been clearly explained to him from the beginning: needing him to cooperate with them at specific points to facilitate the advancement of the merger. As for what it was, he had never asked, in any case, he knew nothing about matters concerning capital markets. It was only now that he finally had the opportunity to inquire: “What specifically do I need to do?”

“In simple terms, You Xinghai intends to transfer high-quality assets, such as mining and prospecting rights, to a subsidiary company in order to divide the liabilities. You will need to replace the current legal representative and have this company transferred under your name. In fact, our marriage has limited legal bearing on the merger. While it’s not entirely non-binding, its impact is limited. However, it still establishes a foundation of trust, which will allow everyone to carry out the subsequent merger process with greater confidence.”

Shen Dai nodded, having only understood parts of what he had just heard. He gathered that he was expected to act as mediator and facilitate the deal as a third-party guarantor. The ten million could thus be considered his intermediary fee. He mused, a little self-deprecatingly, that the fee he received was far too low for such a significant transaction.

“Then, once you obtain those qualifications, do you plan to take over all of You Xinghai’s mines?”

Qu Moyu shook his head: “I’ll keep one or two at most. As for the the others, I’ll either sell them or seek external cooperation, otherwise there would be no way for us to shoulder the costs. Since some of the mines have been left undeveloped for a long time, or do not comply with the national land and resource planning or environmental standards, they are likely to be reclaimed by the government. The amount of work required to make them viable is just too great, and the cost-effectiveness would be too low to justify keeping them.”

“If you only intend to keep one or two, then my suggestion would be to prioritise the one in the Tarim Basin. During my internship, the Professor took us to survey a few mines within the country. That was the one we determined to be the best.”

“Yes, we’ve already carried out an initial assessment and it was classified as an A-grade mine. Once the merger is complete we’ll conduct a more in-depth study.” And then he asked, giving Shen Dai a glance, “When the time comes, what do you think if we send you to carry out the evaluation?”

Shen Dai was stunned for a moment. “I’m not an expert in evaluation. Doesn’t it involve Geological Exploration?”

“It won’t just be limited to that. If we decide to develop this mine, we will need to conduct Geological Exploration not only on the mine itself but on its surrounding environment. Once that is complete, I would require an outline on the investment and construction side of things for how exploration and mining activities would be carried out in phases. You would also be in charge of evaluating the degree to which the mineral resources can be exploited, as well as its value in terms of commercial use. This task would require the coordination of experts from various fields, and I believe that you are capable of leading this team.

Qu Moyu was presenting him with an opportunity that, if carried out successfully, would no doubt be a huge boost to his career. The knowledge and data he would gain during this period alone would be enough for him to publish one or two more papers.

Having always been one to seize any huge chances that came his way, Shen Dai replied with a determined look, “I want to give it a shot.”

Qu Moyu looked at Shen Dai, a trace of a smile in his eyes. He had always held great respect for go-getters and those daring enough to take risks. It was rare to find an Omega who possessed such a drive to confront challenges. “Do you still recall Yan Mingxiu from your previous encounter?” he asked.

“I do.” Thinking about it, Shen Dai couldn’t help but feel a little apologetic.

“We have invested two hundred million yuan into a customised filtration pipeline from Longke Heavy Industries, which is currently in the stages of testing. It is expected to improve the filtration process by at least thirty-four percent when compared to the one used at the Gansu mine. However, there is no suitable location at present within the country to implement it. My hope is to be able to obtain an optimal mine from You Xinghai to make this filtration pipeline operational.

“Got it. If I’m given this opportunity, I won’t let you down.”

Qu Moyu returned him a satisfied nod.

The more they interacted, the more he was discovering this person’s various strengths and merits. He was intentionally cultivating Shen Dai, not because he was his spouse, but because he recognised his value as a useful individual, and as a companion in bed who could be easily appeased with petty favours. Only a despicable ruler would use the company’s interests to further personal relationships. But it was not the same with Shen Dai. As a technical talent, having him as “one of his own” would be of great assistance to him, and he could even become one of his key subordinates in the future.

In the past he had always refrained from mixing business with personal matters, but they had already established an intimate relationship, and Shen Dai possessed the skills he required. Since he had complete control over him, didn’t it only make logical sense to invest further into developing this individual?

Upon reaching the basement of the company, Shen Dai peered out of the window of the car. Once he had determined that there was nobody around, he prepared to get down.

“Wait a minute,” Qu Moyu called out to him.

“Is there something else?”

“You’re going to go just like that?” He raised his chin slightly, an alluring smile contained within his eyes, adding, “It might be a whole other day till you see me again.”

Before Shen Dai could even realise that it was a flirtatious remark, Old Wu tactfully opened the door and got out of the car.

Qu Moyu patted his leg. Shen Dai felt his heart start to race. He shifted himself over. Hesitant to dirty the inside of the car with his shoes on, he had no choice but to sit kneeling sideways on Qu Moyu’s lap, at the same time taking the chance to wrap his arms around his neck.

“Let me smell you,” said Qu Moyu, as he held Shen Dai’s hips, feeling the sensation of that slender yet forceful waist twisting lightly in his hands.

Shen Dai obediently turned his neck, unreservedly presenting his most vulnerable spot to his Alpha.

Pressing the pointed tip of his nose against the pheromone blocking patch, Qu Moyu breathed in the light fragrance of the epiphyllum as it drifted from that nape, drinking his fill of the Omega pheromones that had been deliberately released towards him.

This was a kind of vague and indistinct fragrance, unaggressively keeping to itself in a corner. It required one’s full attention for just a slight taste, and yet was surprisingly rich in flavour.

Not to mention that when this Omega went into heat, this floral perfume would turn rich and intense in a sudden outburst, making people restless with desire.

“It’s almost spring. Won’t you be going into heat soon?” he asked.

“I’m not sure,” replied Shen Dai, a little embarrassed.

“You’re not sure?”

“Yeah, it’s not a regular occurrence for me, and it happens less frequently in a year compared to others.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to get your gland checked?”

“I think it’s just fine, it’s less troublesome for me this way.”

“But I like it when you go into heat,” said Qu Moyu, suddenly biting the back of Shen Dai’s neck lightly, only about an inch away from where his gland was.

Shen Dai let out a soft cry. His body instinctively curled up, not because it was painful, but because this act of biting his neck was too full of symbolic meaning. He couldn’t help but think about being marked. To remain composed in such a moment would have been difficult for any Omega.

Qu Moyu caught his chin between his thumb and fingers and forcefully kissed his lips, then as if pondering something, he remarked, “You’re certainly energetic enough when you’re in heat.”

To an Alpha who was unwilling to give away their mark, an Omega’s heat was a feast of indulging in sensual pleasures. During this period, an Omega would become overly flirtatious and obedient, capable of providing an Alpha with maximum physical and psychological satisfaction.

But to an Omega who was frantically craving to be marked, this period was one of losing all sense of civility and reverting to primal instincts. A period of sheer torment from the pain and pleasure of being forced to submit to one’s carnal desires.

Shen Dai could only respond to this with silence. He already knew that Qu Moyu disliked how he “wasn’t energetic enough” in normal times.

Qu Moyu, on the other hand, was completely oblivious. He playfully bit Shen Dai’s ear, chuckling, “During the annual holiday, I’ll take you wherever you want to go, and let you go into heat once, alright?” Then, in a low whisper, he murmured, “Over the break I plan on getting a good rest, and also getting it on with you.”

Immediately Shen Dai felt his face burn up, “I’ll…I’d like to go to South Africa…”

“Alright, then we’ll go to South Africa.”

“No I meant, that mine in South Africa…”

“We’ll have time to see it,” said Qu Moyu, giving Shen Dai a pinch on his waist. “Okay, Time for work.”

Nervously getting down from the car, Shen Dai straightened his now-slightly dishevelled clothes and hair, and then hurried towards the public lift without looking back. His face must have already been red, if not completely flushed. And at the same time, there was an uneasy feeling in his heart.

Qu Moyu had not given any thought to what his heat might mean to him at all. He would suffer greatly, being unable to get an Alpha’s mark, but what else could he do? In any case, it was not like Qu Moyu had ever taken him into consideration in the first place.

But by now he was no longer so easily wounded. Whenever he made his mind up to do something, any hardships or obstacles he met along the way were all within his expectations. He would not give up so easily – unless what he encountered was something far beyond the limits of his endurance.

There are few investment-specific terms used which are incidental to the plot but can be interesting to read about if you enjoy finance:

1. You Xinghai intends to transfer high-quality assets | High-quality assets (优质资产) These are assets that fulfil at least two out of three of the following requirements: a large potential for value appreciation, good liquidity and low risk. Examples include property, gold, and apparently Mining rights. (Source)

2. …he knew nothing about matters concerning capital markets. | Capital Markets (资本市场), Venues that facilitate the transfer of savings and investments between buyers (capital suppliers e.g. banks, investors, Xingzhou Corporation) and sellers (those seeking capital for their own use, e.g. businesses, individuals, You Xinghai) through the exchange of financial assets. Examples include the stock market and the bond market. (Source)

3. Tarim Basin | The place specified was 塔里喀木. I could not find a place corresponding to this name and assumed that it was referring to 塔里木盆地 (Tarim Basin) located in the Xinjiang Region.

4. Geological exploration 地质勘探 The process of finding commercially viable mineral resources (Source)

5. I plan on getting a good rest, and also getting it on with you. | 我想好好休息，好好干你 Play on words, if you want to translate it in a vulgar way, it can be something like “…I plan on getting a good rest and doing a good job of fucking you / fucking your brains out.