Mr.Gao's Life

Mr. Gao, a man whose usual demeanor leaned towards the severe, found himself in an unusually buoyant mood as he strolled down the bustling city street. This lightness, however, was quickly dispelled by the insistent voice of his subordinate, Mr. Li, who had been relentlessly pursuing him for the past ten minutes.

"Mr. Gao," Mr. Li panted, his face flushed with exertion, "Old Man Gao has invited you to Mount Hua! He wants to discuss… something."

Mr. Gao's mind immediately conjured images of his elderly relative's incessant nagging about his marital status. "Absolutely not," he declared, waving a dismissive hand. "I'd rather wrestle a tiger."

Just then, his phone buzzed. It was Mr. Ling, the enigmatic CEO of Enrichers, the man whose connections seemed to stretch to the highest echelons of power.

"Mr. Gao," Mr. Ling's voice was smooth and persuasive, "I trust you're well?"

"Perfectly fine, Mr. Ling," Mr. Gao replied, his tone cautious.

"Excellent," Mr. Ling continued. "I'm calling about the renewal of our… medicine formula contract. Old Man Gao holds the key, you see. A little… persuasion… might be necessary."

Mr. Gao's eyes widened. This was no longer a matter of dodging awkward family gatherings. This was business. Big business.

"I'll… see what I can do, Mr. Ling," he said, his mind already calculating the potential benefits of securing this deal.

He hung up and turned to Mr. Li, a newfound determination hardening his features. "Mount Hua it is," he declared.

Meanwhile, Mr. Ling, blissfully unaware of the chain of events he had set in motion, was enjoying a romantic dinner with his girlfriend, the daughter of the city's wealthiest tycoon. They dined on exquisite delicacies, the atmosphere thick with affection and… something else.

As Mr. Gao dialed Old Man Gao's number, a strange transformation began to take place at Mr. Ling's table. His girlfriend's laughter turned into a choked gasp, her eyes widening in horror. Foam began to bubble at the corners of her mouth, her body convulsing violently.

Mr. Ling, his face pale with shock, reached out to her, but it was too late. She slumped back in her chair, lifeless.

Miles away, Su Luqi, browsing through a seemingly endless online catalog of luxury goods, let out a soft, satisfied chuckle. "One down," she murmured, her eyes gleaming with a cold, calculating light.

Lu Siyan emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp, his mind slightly calmer. He found Su Luqi sprawled on the sofa, her phone illuminating her face with an eerie glow.

"What are you smiling about?" he asked, curiosity piqued.

"Oh, just… business," she replied, her voice laced with a playful lilt. "But speaking of business, sugar daddy, I'm afraid I can't let you go to Mount Hua."

Lu Siyan's eyebrows furrowed. "What? Why not?"

Su Luqi's expression shifted, the playful facade melting away, replaced by a mask of concern. "It's dangerous," she said, her voice low and urgent. "Trust me, I know. I was once stranded there, lost and alone. I barely made it out alive."

She recounted a harrowing tale of treacherous cliffs, dense forests, and… something else. Something she couldn't quite explain. Something that sent shivers down Lu Siyan's spine.

"But the gold…" he began, his voice hesitant.

"Forget the gold," Su Luqi interrupted, her eyes pleading. "It's not worth it. Please, Siyan. Stay here. With me."

Lu Siyan hesitated. He wanted to believe her, to trust her. But the lure of the gold, the promise of a new life, was strong.

"I… I don't know," he mumbled, his mind a battleground of conflicting desires.

****

The path up Mount Hua was treacherous, a narrow, winding trail that clung precariously to the mountainside. Mr. Gao, a man more accustomed to boardrooms than mountain trails, huffed and puffed his way up, his face flushed. He cursed under his breath, muttering about his elderly uncle and his ridiculous demands. He'd rather face a room full of his company's most demanding clients than endure another one of these "urgent" meetings.

As he navigated a particularly steep incline, he nearly collided with a young woman who was sprinting down the mountain, her face flushed with exertion. She was a vision, a whirlwind of motion and grace, her long, black hair whipping in the wind. Her eyes, however, were wide with a mixture of fear and fury.

Mr. Gao, a man who prided himself on his impeccable manners, would have normally offered an apology. But something about the raw, primal energy radiating from her captivated him. He found himself staring, mesmerized by her athleticism, by the way the sunlight caught the droplets of sweat on her brow.

Before he could even utter a greeting, the young woman stopped abruptly, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. "You!" she exclaimed, her voice sharp. "What are you doing here?"

Mr. Gao, taken aback by her aggression, stammered, "I… I'm here to meet with my… grandpa."

"Oh, so you're one of them," she muttered, her voice dripping with disdain. "Another one of those… predators."

Mr. Gao, a man used to being treated with deference, felt a surge of indignation. "What in the world are you talking about?" he demanded.

The young woman laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "Don't play innocent with me," she spat. "I know your type. You think you're some big shot, some powerful man. You think you can do whatever you want."

Before Mr. Gao could even register what was happening, the young woman launched herself at him, a flurry of fists and kicks. Mr. Gao, despite his years of indulging in the finer things in life, was no stranger to a fight. He retaliated, his movements surprisingly agile for a man of his age. The two of them engaged in a whirlwind of motion, their bodies a blur of movement.

Mr. Gao, fueled by a mixture of anger and adrenaline, managed to gain the upper hand. He was about to subdue the young woman when a gruff voice boomed through the air.

"Enough!"

Old Man Gao, his expression stern, stepped between the two combatants. "What in the blazes is going on here?"

The young woman, panting slightly but still defiant, turned to the old man. "Grandpa," she said, her voice trembling with indignation. "This… this beast tried to… to…"

She trailed off, unable to bring herself to utter the word. "He tried to… to force himself on me!" she finally choked out, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and fury.

Old Man Gao's face contorted in rage. "You… you… you degenerate!" he roared, his voice booming through the mountainside. "How dare you!"

He raised his hand and delivered a resounding slap to Mr. Gao's face. Mr. Gao stumbled back, his ears ringing. He felt a surge of dizziness, a wave of memories flooding back.

He remembered the incident, a hazy blur of alcohol and a sudden, overwhelming lust. He remembered the woman, her face a mask of terror, her eyes filled with the same fear he was seeing now. He remembered waking up in a cold sweat, the memory of the woman's terrified screams echoing in his mind. He had been drugged, he realized with a chilling certainty. Drugged and…

He looked at the young woman, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and a chillingly cold fury. She looked… familiar. Too familiar. He remembered the incident vividly now. He had tried to… to…

He shuddered, the memory too painful to bear. He had been a monster. And this young woman… she had saved him from himself.

"I… I'm sorry," Mr. Gao stammered, his voice barely a whisper. "I don't know what came over me."

The young woman glared at him, her eyes filled with a chilling intensity. "You deserve worse," she hissed. "You deserve to suffer."

Mr. Gao, humbled and terrified, could only nod in agreement. He had learned his lesson. Some desires, he realized, were best left unfulfilled. And some women… were not to be trifled with.

The AI, after a moment of stunned silence, finally piped up. "Talk about a wild ride," it whispered. "I think I need a drink."