In this cyberpunk era, why are you still playing the traditional villain?

He was very confident that Xie Qingyan's private investigation would yield no results—after all, if Luo Zhikang were not considered, only she and Jiang Chengcheng knew about the "Over-Limit Project".

At most, Su Lin could be added, but even the gossipmonger Gu Yi was completely unaware of this.

Under such circumstances, she would definitely take the initiative to come to him.

Not to mention that I provoked her addiction, this bad woman is just like that by nature. She'll at least try something first, whether there's a chance or not, but she'll never let go of any potential opportunity.

Just in time, she'd been waiting for him to shut down for a while... Thinking this, Xu Shi leisurely reconnected the call a second before it automatically ended.

"Hey?"

"...Not busy this time? You don't need someone else to answer the phone for you?"

There was a moment of silence before a response came from the other end: "I was afraid of disturbing your enjoyment again, my dear fiancé."

It was clear that Xie Qingyan was still holding a grudge about what happened last time, her tone laced with sarcasm.

"You didn't bother me before, it just made me more excited."

Xu Shi teased, "Speaking of which, I should thank you, my dear fiancée."

"...Let's get straight to the point."

Xie Qingyan felt like he'd punched a cotton ball, and reluctantly changed the subject to get straight to the point, "Do you really have something worth cooperating on? If you do, why don't you tell me in detail?"

To be honest, based on her understanding of Xu Shi, she didn't think he could pull out any truly valuable treasures.

The investigation also found no clues, which made Xie Qingyan believe that it was just Xu Shi's casual remark.

However, his recent changes cannot be ignored... After much thought, Xie Qingyan decided to confirm it first.

"of course."

Xu Shi did not deny it, "However, it's not appropriate to talk about such things over the phone."

"If Chairman Xie is interested, how about we go out for dinner tonight?"

Chairman Xie?

He calls himself Chairman Xie?

There would be no problem with others calling him that, but Xie Qingyan felt inexplicably uncomfortable being addressed that way by Xu Shi.

After all, this guy used to call her Qingyan in a cheeky way... The sudden change in address to be so formal made her feel a little uncomfortable.

However, she didn't hesitate too much and readily agreed, "Okay, I will be on time, and please don't be late, Mr. Xu."

……

7 p.m., District 17, "Babylon" restaurant.

This is considered a landmark building in Night City. From the outside, it gives the impression that it is only a stone's throw away from the "Rust Fog," or even vaguely shrouded by it.

However, the diners inside didn't have this feeling. Looking through the specially treated floor-to-ceiling windows, all they could see was the unobstructed view of the City of Night Sin.

A slow-rotating system is also installed on the floor, allowing diners to enjoy a panoramic view of everything outside the window while dining.

This is also a favorite dining spot for the city's elite, but today it was booked out by Xu Shi, making it seem rather deserted.

Before long, Xie Qingyan arrived on time—a black floor-length dress paired with a silver-gray fur shawl, exuding an elegant and graceful aura while making her breathtakingly beautiful.

Upon seeing his long-lost fiancée, Xu Shi was momentarily stunned.

Wow, I knew she was pretty, but I never felt she had such charm before.

But upon closer reflection, it had actually been a long time since their last meeting... Thinking of this, he sighed silently, then stood up and smiled at the other person, "Long time no see."

His reaction surprised Xie Qingyan, who clearly hadn't expected him to be so serious.

Whether it's true or not, it's still the Xu Shi I remember.

So, after a quick glance, she chose to return the smile.

"Well, long time no see."

(End of this chapter)

Chapter 65 Happy cooperation

Although it had been many years since they last met and there had been some disagreements between them, Su Lin and Ye Shanshan, who were standing on either side, felt that the meeting between the young master and young lady was not as tense as they had imagined.

It was just a very ordinary greeting, tinged with a touch of joy at the reunion.

Knowing that the two were childhood sweethearts, the scene even seemed a little heartwarming; the perfect couple was simply wonderful.

However, everyone present knew in their hearts that things were not that simple.

As expected, Xu Shi did not immediately shake Xie Qingyan's outstretched hand.

"Making the woman raise her hand is not gentlemanly behavior."

Xie Qingyan's tone was light, but with a hint of barb, "Or is it that our Chairman Xu is actually a pure-hearted young man who's too shy to even shake hands?"

I knew you were up to no good... Shaking hands with others is fine, but Xie Qingyan's special ability is already prepared and waiting. Knowing who he's trying to hook, he's still happy to get involved.

This left Xu Shi feeling quite helpless, putting him in a dilemma. But since the other party had marked the way, it wasn't right for him not to accept it.

Moreover, upon closer reflection, whether or not one possesses superpowers in this situation doesn't really matter; taking one of her attacks wouldn't be a problem.

It's better to get a feel for it beforehand, so you can know yourself and your enemy and be better prepared for the future.

"In terms of innocence, she really is quite a big one."

So he replied half-jokingly, "But it's not to the point that I'm embarrassed to shake hands... It's just that I haven't seen you in so long, and I want to take a few more glances."

And as expected, the moment he grasped Xie Qingyan's fingertips, the situation unfolded exactly as predicted.

He originally wanted to try and see if he could activate his ability first, but it was like a stone sinking into the sea, and he could no longer establish a connection with his superpower.

He also experienced a brief feeling of powerlessness... Could this be considered a suppression based on rank? A genuine A-rank "upgrade" is still stronger than his A-rank.

It seems that, at least for now, it will be difficult to influence her with my abilities.

This made Xu Shi feel a little regretful, but he didn't show it on his face. He simply withdrew his hand politely and said, "Please take a seat, Chairman Xie."

"Okay."

Xie Qingyan smiled slightly and gracefully sat down.

But upon closer inspection, there was a hint of surprise in her eyes, and her gaze towards Xu Shi became more complex than before.

Their thoughts were all hidden in these subtle facial expressions.

Needless to say, the level of a candlelight dinner is exceptional – “Babylon” is exclusively for the upper class, and the chef’s meticulously prepared delicacies are so enchanting that the aroma alone is enough to make one swoon.

Xu Shi and Xie Qingyan enjoyed their meal together in perfect harmony, chatting and laughing as they went about their business. The atmosphere was quite pleasant.

It seemed that no one intended to be the first to bring up the serious matter.

To be honest, the two of them didn't have much in common, and it had been so long since they had seen each other... Looking back, all that was left were those old stories that they had almost forgotten.

For example, what happened in high school, and what happened before that, you may remember me but not necessarily, and vice versa.

Even so, neither of them seemed to stop. They both appeared to be trying to repair their relationship, awkwardly but earnestly trying to close the distance between them.

It's often said that there's no need to eat a meal to discuss business, but the technique of using foreplay to create an atmosphere is often indispensable.

It wasn't until halfway through the meal that Xie Qingyan took a sip of red wine and his expression turned serious.

"Speaking of which, wasn't it Chairman Xu who ordered the hacking of those unmanned hospitals belonging to 'Prism'?"

She seemed a little drunk, and her tone was very lively, like an innocent little girl... She had been like this ever since she arrived here, completely lacking the seriousness and anger she had when she first encountered this incident.

But Ye Shanshan, standing behind her, knew in her heart that this was Xie Dong's most terrifying state.

Although she usually appears easygoing and gentle, she would never speak in such a cute tone—this is actually a sign that she is about to lose her temper. Once she gets serious, the aura she exudes is so powerful that even someone who has followed her for many years would not even want to think about it.

"If you have a problem with me, you can say so... There's absolutely no need to protest in this way."

"What are you saying, Chairman Xie? When have I ever had a problem with you?"

Xu Shi, of course, wouldn't admit it. He smiled and refilled her glass of wine, saying, "You're my fiancée. What good would it do me to harm you?"

"Speaking of which, I forgot to ask, has that matter been resolved? Have they caught who was behind it?"

Xie Qingyan pursed her lips; the answer was that it hadn't been completely resolved.

Despite the pledge, the technical team under "Prism" won't suddenly become exceptional. Even if you put a knife to their throat, or even dig out their brains and put them in a petri dish, they still can't beat them.

But she would never compromise with "Black Rabbit" because of this, and she would never actually pay the ransom obediently, otherwise she would lose all her reputation... Her choice was to tough it out. She replaced the equipment that was seriously poisoned, and sent technicians to keep an eye on the equipment that was in better condition around the clock. If anything went wrong, she would deal with it immediately. She also transferred staff from other hospitals to be stationed there to prevent the previous situation from happening again.

This would undoubtedly require a lot of manpower and resources, but she had no choice but to do so in order to stabilize the situation. Although she had sent a lot of people to open the boxes for the culprit offline, she still hadn't found anything after so long.

Get angry when you think about it.

Although Xu Shi denied it, she knew in her heart that he was most likely behind it all, and now he was pretending to be a good guy. He deserved to die.

If I catch you, you're in big trouble.

"This is truly... I deeply sympathize with you."

Xu Shi chuckled inwardly. "He's in my basement, how could you possibly find him..." But he maintained his facade of concern. "The 'Snake Ring' has experienced something similar before, and I had to make quite a few personnel changes to keep it under control."

"Mr. Xie, please feel free to ask if you need anything. Given our relationship, I would be happy to provide assistance."

"You said it yourself, so don't go back on your word later."

Xie Qingyan nodded with a smile, but inwardly cursed.

If she could, she would turn the man in front of her into a hedgehog right now.

But not yet, so she didn't continue the topic. "Speaking of which, Chairman Xu mentioned before that he had an 'even better plan.' Would you mind telling us about it?"

Judging from her tone, it seemed like a trivial matter, something she mentioned casually, and not even as important as the inquiry she had just made.

But the most important things always seem to be said in this way.

"my pleasure."

Xu Shi nodded slightly, immediately sent over the prepared information, then crossed his hands on the table, observing his fiancée's reaction.

Xie Qingyan browsed the information calmly, seemingly unaffected, but her unconsciously rapid breathing betrayed her.

Although Xu Shi only showed her some general outlines and did not mention the core parts at all, it was enough to shock her greatly—she knew very well that the benefits and influence brought by the "Overlimit Plan" were absolutely immeasurable.