CHAPTER 7: SLOW DOWN, YOU'RE GETTING OLD

He lowered his voice a notch and continued,

"The Zhao heir himself, here in T City. It is quite unexpected, and of course there's been a turbulence in the waters lately. Everyone is scrambling to figure out why he's here and if there might be a chance to get in contact with him and collaborate."

Tang Lin was about to be amused and annoyed by his ability to consistently change the subject out of nowhere yet again, but she couldn't.

She did not manage to hear much of what he said later. The name he had mentioned had sent an involuntary jolt through her body.

She didn't know him personally, but she knew him somehow.

Schooling her expression to remain neutral and giving nothing away, she flicked some imaginary dust off her dress.

"Is that so? I was not privileged to receive such high quality information. I do not usually follow the social news sources of Beijing's elite families, so I would not know."

Tang Lin did her best to keep her voice level and unhurried.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to continue my rounds."

Dr. Ming nodded and stepped aside, giving her a slight nod of his head.

"Of course. It was a pleasure as always chatting with you, Miss Tang."

As she stopped away from him, she couldn't help but notice a subtle shift in the atmosphere of the room.

Around the entrance of the hall, a good number of staff members gathered, their postures upright and alert.

She subconsciously paused due to the subtle changes.

Security personnel that had previously been nowhere to be seen suddenly seemed more visible, numerous and attentive.

Something, or perhaps someone remarkable had arrived.

She turned to quietly accept a glass of champagne from a passing waiter.

Under the guise of taking a sip, she allowed her eyes to scan the entire room in seconds. 

In a quieter corner, she glimpsed Mr. Chen, the auction house's owner, engaged in earnest conversation with someone.

It was a slender man dressed impeccably in a traditional Chinese suit, his back turned to her.

The deference that Mr. Chen displayed was telling.

It was clear that whoever his companion was, they were very high up on the pyramid if even Mr. Chen had to be so respectful to him.

As if he sensed her curiosity, the unknown man turned slightly, allowing Tang Lin to have a partial view of his profile.

Her fingers wrapped around the champagne flute tightened a bit. 

It's him! The voice in her mind screamed.

She immediately turned away, focusing on a display of scrolls carrying ancient calligraphy.

Her heart rate picked up, and she began to take measured breaths in a bid to calm down.

It really is time to leave.

She thought, scanning the room again in search of her assistant.

"Miss Tang," A thin, elegant man in a well tailored suit approached, stopping a few steps from her.

"Good evening."

Tang Lin stopped to offer a polite smile and nod in acknowledgement.

"Mr. Chen sends his compliments and asks if you would join him in his office. A client he holds in high regard has specifically requested your expertise."

A client he holds in high regard.

A frown flitted across Tang Lin's face, almost as if it was an illusion.

With that statement and the tone with which he said it, he was basically pressuring her to know her place and what is good for her and follow him to attend to this high profile client.

Unwilling to let a messenger interfere with her work process, she quickly calmed down.

She also briefly checked her watch as she considered the invitation.

She had taken her medication precisely forty-three minutes ago. That should keep her stable for at least two more hours.

No matter how long this meeting would take, it should not exceed an hour, right?

"Very well," she agreed, barely sparing him another glance.

There were all kinds of people in every industry.

The kind that no matter how much you worked to prove yourself, they would still act oblivious.

Even worse, she was a woman. There would always be people who moved about her with their noses up in the air like she was any less deserving compared to her male counterparts.

It looked like he was one of such people.

Being that she did not know for sure if he was acting on his own accord or this condescension was passed down to him from his superiors, she paid him no mind.

She would never go out of her way to make a scene, even if someone came knocking on her door.

She was best at avoiding completely undesirable situations.

When the man turned around and gestured "please", she set down the undrunk glass of champagne in her hand on a tray held by one of the ushers.

She followed the man through a low-key door and down a corridor lined with museum-quality artifacts that most visitors likely never saw.

As she walked, she could not help but feel like there were people lurking in the nooks and crannies of the passage.

But when she tried to look more closely, they seemed to fade away.

She lightly shook her head.

Maybe she was being too sensitive.

Not long later, the man leading the way stopped in front of a sturdy door.

After a moment of what she thought was him steadying himself, he knocked. Twice.

Then he opened the door, stepped aside and motioned for her to go in.

After which he shut the door again.

She glanced behind her and noticed he did not join her inside.

Oh.

She should be perfectly safe, right?

Noticing the presence of two people, she moved forward and bowed slightly in greeting.

"Good evening, Master Chen."

In the magnificent office, the Mr. Chen in question, one of T City's highly respected art dealers, rose from behind his desk.

Rising right after him was a man that made Tang Mei's eyes constrict immediately.

Him again?