"Is this our new CEO? She's absolutely stunning."
"You're right. She's breathtaking. She outshines all those so-called celebrities."
"Definitely, my idol has become the CEO. But who's that man next to her? How dare he be so close to my goddess? He's as good as dead!"
These enthusiastic exclamations echoed around them, creating an atmosphere comparable to a grand star-studded concert.
Wan Caixuan, observing the spectacle, maintained her composure. She was accustomed to such reactions, and her earlier sense of dejection from Lin Xiao's indifference was slowly dissipating. It wasn't that she lacked charisma, but rather, Lin Xiao wasn't your average individual.
"Please proceed, President," someone prompted.
Wan Caixuan nodded, shooting a somewhat smug glance at Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao looked slightly perplexed by Wan Caixuan's triumphant gaze, but he continued with his duty, escorting Wan Caixuan into the research and development facility.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, Lin Xiao halted. Swiftly scanning the vicinity, his gaze fixed on a corner not too far off. A shadowy figure flitted across Lin Xiao's field of vision before promptly disappearing.
"What's wrong? Is something amiss?"
Lin Xiao's abrupt stop and the intensity of his gaze unsettled Wan Caixuan, especially with the memory of yesterday's attempted assassination still vivid in her mind.
"You can relax president Wan, I’ll take care of it." Lin Xiao leaned over and whispered into Wan Caixuan's ear. His breath tickling her ear stirred subtle waves within her heart.
This was the third time she had been this close to Lin Xiao, first during the assassination attempt, when he had shielded her, then while sleeping on his shoulder, and now. However, the first incident had been so fraught with tension, and during the second one, she was asleep, making this the first time she was consciously this close to a man.
"Just... be careful," Wan Caixuan, concealing the unusual glint in her eyes, advised Lin Xiao.
Lin Xiao nodded, departing from the throng of people. He quickened his pace, heading toward the spot where he had seen a certain figure disappear.
The individual was cautious, but their hurried exit had left a trail of clues. To the ordinary observer, these traces might go unnoticed, but for Lin Xiao, they were an overt display of the person's whereabouts.
Following these leads, Lin Xiao pursued doggedly and soon, the figure came into view again. A spark of anticipation lit up his face, but abruptly, he froze in his tracks, making a swift sidestep to the right.
With a deafening bang, a gunshot echoed, leaving a bullet hole where Lin Xiao had stood moments before.
Looking up, Lin Xiao spotted a black-clad figure about ten meters away in the dense foliage of a tree, a sniper rifle in their hands aimed at him. It was the one who had just fired.
"So, the ones who slipped through the net have returned," Lin Xiao called out, addressing both the sniper in the tree and another figure in black not too far ahead.
They were the survivors of the group that had attempted to assassinate Wan Caixuan, a group that Lin Xiao had nearly wiped out.
The sniper, now exposed in the tree, and the other figure in black were taken aback when they realized that Lin Xiao had dodged the bullet. They had meticulously planned this trap for Lin Xiao, with one person leading him here for the sniper to ambush. However, their careful scheme had been effortlessly sidestepped by Lin Xiao.
Without uttering a word, both the figure in black before Lin Xiao and the sniper in the tree squeezed their triggers, aiming for Lin Xiao's head.
Quick as a flash, they turned to retreat. They knew well Lin Xiao’s capabilities. Even if they were both armed, they were no match for him.
Their prior ambush was their single opportunity. So, after this failure, they wisely chose to withdraw.
"Trying to flee? I allowed you your escape once. This time won't be the same!"
Lin Xiao easily evaded the bullets fired at him. Then, in a mere heartbeat, he rushed the nearby figure in black and launched a forceful kick.
The figure was sent flying by Lin Xiao's blow and landed on a jagged shard on the ground, impaling his heart. After a few desperate struggles, life abandoned him.
Without pausing, Lin Xiao made a beeline toward the location of the sniper.
Upon seeing Lin Xiao closing in, the sniper turned ashen with terror and started running away. But escape was futile against Lin Xiao, who caught up in a blink of an eye.
The sniper, his heart hardened, yanked a small knife from his waist in an attempt to resist. But before he could make his move, Lin Xiao had him pinned to the ground in a split second. A crisp crack followed as Lin Xiao snapped both his arms.
"Speak up. Who sent you here?" Lin Xiao demanded, pressing down on the sniper's head, his expression icy.
"Hahaha..." The sniper fixed Lin Xiao with a look of pure hatred and burst out laughing. "You want to know? Dream on! Go ahead and kill me. Kill me! Haha. Do you really think I'd survive a failed assassination? Don't be so smug. I'll be waiting for you in hell."
"Really? And what organization do you belong to?"
"Haha, you won't trick me into talking. But I'll tell you this much, we're just foot soldiers in the organization. The next time, when the main members show up, you'll likely be joining me."
With those words, the sniper raised his broken hand without waiting for Lin Xiao to respond and plunged his dagger into his own throat. Blood sprayed everywhere, the sniper's body and surroundings gradually becoming drenched in red.
Upon seeing this, Lin Xiao's brow furrowed. Faced with failure, the assassin had chosen suicide—an act indicative of a level of discipline found in only a few organizations worldwide.
"Shadow, Blood Blade, Punishment, Divine Retribution..."
Several renowned assassin organizations worldwide flashed through Lin Xiao's mind. However, these assassins bore no distinctive insignia, making it impossible for him to determine their affiliation.
"Whatever comes, I'll handle it," Lin Xiao decided, shaking his head to dismiss the thought. These assassin organizations might be as annoying as a bad rash, but they didn't pose a significant threat to him.
Having swiftly cleared the scene, Lin Xiao returned to Wan Caixuan's side.
Seeing Lin Xiao return, Wan Caixuan eyed him with concern. Lin Xiao softly reassured her, "Don't worry, the situation is under control."
Relief washed over Wan Caixuan. Though she was the CEO of a multi-billion company, she was still a twenty-year-old girl. The constant threat to her life had her on edge.
Once Lin Xiao had defused the situation, Wan Caixuan was able to focus again. She began a thorough inspection of Brilliant Aya Chemicals’ research facility.
She started with a meeting with the facility's management team, discussing research development. Then, she moved on to talk with the rank-and-file staff. The inspection kept her busy for over two hours, and it was close to five in the evening by the time she wrapped it up.
