章 6: Networking Nightmares

At half past seven in the evening, Scarlett and Mia made their way to a secluded hotel nestled in the outskirts of the city. Scarlett was dressed in a sleek ensemble of black, from her shirt and pants to her flat pointed shoes, while Mia contrasted her in a white off-the-shoulder mini dress, teetering on eight-centimeter high heels. As they exited their car, Mia naturally linked arms with Scarlett, and they walked in unison towards the hotel.

"Help me navigate these heels," Mia whispered to Scarlett.

Scarlett responded with a hint of amusement, "Take off your sunglasses, sis. The path ahead is smooth."

Mia complied, removing her sunglasses and casting a curious glance at Scarlett's all-black attire. "Why are you dressed like a bodyguard?"

"To accentuate your boss status," Scarlett replied, her tone light.

Mia, her gaze fixed ahead, said, "My dad dared to belittle my new company, which is less than a month old. When I received his invitation, he said I'd be disappointed tonight and even tried to persuade me to close shop before it even started. He's just afraid I'll suddenly become wealthier than him."

Scarlett responded, her voice devoid of emotion, "Your father is competitive. He wants you to depend on his wealth, not the other way around."

Their banter continued as they made their way inside the hotel. Halfway through, Mia's attention was drawn to a group of middle-aged men engaged in lively conversation. She halted, her gaze fixed on them.

"What's wrong?" Scarlett asked, following Mia's gaze.

"The man in khaki pants is Danial Dong, the vice president of Sheng Yue Group. Sheng Yue is the leading company in the cultural and media industry. If I could get my foot in the door with them, I'd have no worries about the future," Mia revealed.

Scarlett encouraged her, "What are you waiting for? Go introduce yourself to your future benefactor."

They waited for the right moment before Mia confidently approached Danial. Mia, a media major in college, was a natural conversationalist. Scarlett had never been concerned about her social skills, even believing that Mia's influence had rubbed off on her.

From a distance, Scarlett couldn't hear their conversation, but it seemed to be going well. However, someone whispered something to Danial, and he abruptly left, leaving his assistant to continue the conversation with Mia.

Scarlett, unable to decipher his attitude, chose not to approach. Instead, she found a spot to sit and wait. As Mia returned, visibly upset, Scarlett stood up and asked softly, "That was quick. What happened?"

Mia was seething, "If it weren't for my dad's repeated warnings not to cause trouble for him before securing a deal, I would have slapped that guy!"

Scarlett glanced at Danial's assistant, who was actually looking in their direction, specifically at her.

Mia, still irritated, grabbed Scarlett's arm, "Ignore him."

Scarlett looked curious, "Why? Did he have any indecent intentions toward you?"

Mia couldn't help but blurt out, "He may not be handsome, but his thoughts are sure bold. He's got his eyes on you!"

Scarlett's eyes widened, "Me?"

Mia grumbled quietly, "When Danial was around, he pretended to be such a nice guy, but the moment the boss left, his true colors showed. So shameless..."

Scarlett didn't take it personally and tried to console Mia, half-jokingly saying, "Don't be mad. It's just business, not personal."

Mia glanced at her and scoffed, "Easy for you to say, with nine deals canceled in a month."

Scarlett bit her lip, acknowledging to herself that they both had their limits. They could bend, but only so far. They could kneel on one knee, but both knees would be reserved for mourning.

Determined to settle the score, Mia spotted Danial again as they rode the elevator up. He was engaged in conversation with a group of industry bigwigs on a couch. "You go and mingle," she told Scarlett. "If you get a chance to promote yourself, don't miss it. I'm going to introduce myself."

True to her fiery personality, Mia didn't hesitate. Scarlett wasn't worried about her causing a scene, until she caught sight of a familiar, anxiety-inducing figure. The man stood well over six feet tall, towering above the crowd. As soon as he appeared, the group on the couch stood to greet him, immediately offering him the prime seat. When he turned to sit down, Scarlett recognized him: it was Lucius Zhou.

Mia had initially approached the group to confront Danial, but Lucius Zhou's presence disrupted the previously friendly atmosphere. Everyone's attention shifted to him, showering him with compliments.

Aware of Lucius' status in the city, Mia still felt compelled to give him her business card, or she'd seem clueless. As she handed it over with a smile, she said, "Mia Chan. It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope we can work together."

Lucius barely acknowledged her, not even glancing at her card. Danial handed him a lighter, and he took a drag of his cigarette, seemingly indifferent to Mia's presence. Embarrassed, she quickly retrieved her card, nodded, and whispered, "Sorry to bother you."

The awkwardness and humiliation were palpable, but Mia just wanted to escape. However, someone in the group couldn't resist poking fun at her. "You seem a bit too eager, handing out business cards to everyone. Does Mr. Zhou accept just any card?"

Another chimed in, laughing, "If the business card doesn't work, maybe she should try a hotel room key. Might be a better setting for conversation."

Amidst the laughter, Mia felt like she was about to explode. Just when she wished the ground would swallow her up, a familiar voice sounded behind her, "What a coincidence, Mr. Zhou. Fancy seeing you here."

Mia turned, her face pale, to see Scarlett. Unfazed, Scarlett locked eyes with Lucius sitting on the couch.

The others in the group quickly sized up Scarlett and then looked to Lucius for his reaction. Though his expression remained unchanged, he asked her, "What are you doing here? Do you have some side business besides your regular job?"

Scarlett smiled, "Not me, but my best friend here just started her own media company. We came to learn from the industry veterans."

The mere fact that Lucius had spoken to Scarlett set everyone's minds racing with speculation. Without waiting for his response, someone volunteered, "Oh, a friend of Mr. Zhou."

Danial even went so far as to offer his seat to Scarlett, motioning for her to sit next to Lucius.