Time turned over a year, and entered February of the 140th year of the new era. The winter atmosphere is still strong, and the city of Cousser can be seen with large and small snowdrifts. The sky is just starting to brighten, and it is Saturday, so many office workers who are resting at home choose to continue to lie in bed.

Luna was resting, but her eyes were open by now. Not yet awake, she propped up her upper body and leaned on the erected pillow to cushion her brain.

There was a knock on the door, and the voice of a middle-aged maid came from outside the room.

"Miss, are you awake?"

"Wake up, Aunt Mobiki."

"So, I'll go get the bath water ready."

Sending the maid away, Luna sat for a while, then fell down a little bit. She also felt that she could no longer lie in bed, so she lay on the bed, using this posture to slowly collect bras, panties and pajamas, and maintained the habit of sleeping naked for nearly ten years. With them together, she slumped out of bed, put on her slippers, and shook the door open.

After a few steps, Luna walked into the bathroom. As soon as Mobiki adjusted the temperature of the water in the bathtub, she turned around when she heard footsteps: "Miss, you came at the right time, the water has ...... Oh! ”

Mobiki was startled, and Luna, who was naked^, threw the things in her hand into the basket and got into the bathtub.

"Miss, why are you ...... What kind of system is this? ”

"Alright, alright, let's get out, Auntie."

Mobiki complained a few more words before walking out of the bathroom. Luna wouldn't put her clothes in the bathroom if she wanted to take a morning shower, as she found it troublesome to take them off soon after putting them on. Anyway, there is no one else in the house now, my father didn't come home yesterday, and the two remaining male servants drove to buy groceries, every Saturday morning. As for the people around her who often revolve around her, knowing that her private life is actually quite sloppy, how will she react, so she doesn't bother to care.

Luna, stretching out in the bathtub, soaked in her eyes for a while, got up and stepped out of the tub, and sat down on the marble pier in front of the mirror. In the mirror, her dull gaze is resting on the pale pink hair that just rests on her shoulders.

Is it better to tie it up, or is it better to put it down naturally? In normal times, Luna thinks anything will do. But today, she had to put some thought into it, because it was her father's order.

That's right, it's the order.

*****

Four years ago, Widkan, who had accumulated enough strength, bought a building in Kuaiser and moved the hospital there, and the whole family settled in Kuaiser. With the word of mouth in the past, coupled with the star doctor Luna, after four years, Widkan has gained a firm foothold in Kuaiser, and it is time to consider expanding the size of the hospital.

The problem was that his hospital was surrounded by all kinds of shops and residential areas, and there was no room for further expansion, so he had to open a branch. This is more expensive than an expansion.

In October last year, Widkan landed a plot of land on Leedsfield Avenue on the Third Ring Road. It was a former shopping mall that went bankrupt during the last financial crisis, leaving behind a large area of dilapidated buildings. The demolition of the building was completed around mid-March this year. Now, he can submit documents to the government to buy the land. The next step is to design the new building, negotiate with the construction team, start construction, purchase equipment and recruit manpower, and a series of tasks that require money to start. A conservative estimate is at least 500 million amphire.

If Widkan had been given a few more years, he would have been able to save that number. But time is running out, and if he misses this opportunity, his hospital may not be able to expand again in ten years.

Widkan has two options: a bank loan, or a joint venture. He is more economically conservative, and the previous financial crisis has left him with lingering fears. If possible, he didn't want to owe the bank a huge amount of money for the time being. It's best to find someone to work with, but he must prepare a reason that will make the other party willing to pay.

Widkan has calculated many times that he can come up with 200 million, and the remaining 300 million will have to find a savior to help. His idea was that the other party would purchase the land and build the building, and he would be responsible for the equipment and personnel himself. His hospital has a unique set of equipment selection and personnel training, which cannot be compromised in any way, otherwise the cart will be turned upside down. As for land and buildings, you can slowly earn them back.

Of course, in exchange, he allowed the other party to make certain demands. Naming, dividends, employee discounts, and even some degree of technical and personnel support can all be discussed.

Since November last year, Widkan has traveled all over Kuaiser, including some surrounding cities, and has looked for many people. Department stores, advertising giants, transportation bigwigs, etc., have not set things to death. Either the other party did not agree with his idea, or he couldn't accept the other party's conditions, so he wasted months in vain.

As soon as the New Year passed, Widkan changed his mind and decided to seek help from several other hospitals in Kuaiser. It's also a last resort, and it's hard to imagine which hospital would help a competitor. Even if there were, the lion must have opened his mouth and made some messy demands.

In the first two hospitals, Widkan touched a nose of ash. The matter was not negotiated, and he was humiliated by the other party, and every time he swallowed his anger and left. It's no wonder that in the eyes of those big hospitals that have been in business for decades, he is just a hairy boy.

But just when Widkan was disheartened, he received an email from the White Cross Hospital, a large general hospital known as the top medical hospital in Kuaiser. The other party invited Widkan to choose a convenient time to go to the White Cross General Hospital.

Widkan never dreamed that the White Cross would invite him. He pushed an appointment, arranged the itinerary, and spent the whole day fully preparing. On the third day of receiving the invitation, on February 2, Vidkan changed into his best outfit and drove to the White Cross General Hospital. At 10 a.m., he met with Dean Headley Zolluz in the Dean's Office and was able to present his plans for the future.

To Vidkan's surprise. After listening to his introduction, Headley only asked for a few details, and without any objections, agreed to provide enough money to take the land and turn it into a hospital building, and promised that Widkan would win the bid. In return, as long as the repayment is made according to the actual bid, the bank interest rate is good. This was hardly a condition, and Vidkan was flattered for a moment.

"Really, really...... Thank you very much, Mr. Zoluz, then, about the cooperation, ......"

"Ah, please wait a minute, I'm not done yet."

The middle-aged man in his 50s waved his hand lightly and smiled to calm Vidkan.

"These are not actually conditions, Mr. Sarudo understands, right? So, I have one more thing, if you can agree, then I don't have any more opinions. ”

There is really no free lunch in the world, but fortunately, Widekan is not unexpected.

"Tell me."

Headley smiled a little embarrassedly, hesitantly, looking unspeakable.

"How do you say this...... It's my personal selfishness. Although I am suspected of taking advantage of the fire to rob, I am also a father after all, and I have to think about my children. ”

"What do you mean ......"

"Let's get it straight. Let Ling Ai marry the dog, this is the condition. ”

Vidkan's hands clenched into fists, but quickly let go of them. Come to think of it, he wasn't surprised by this condition.

Ever since the good news spread the word "Angel", Luna has been surrounded by "flies"—Widkan's collective name for the young people he despises—flying around. Proposing marriage, Widkan refused more than once. To this day, he has exhausted his efforts and gritted his teeth to persevere, just for two things - his daughter and his career. Luna, who is regarded as the pearl of her palm, how can she marry casually?

But, but this time, maybe it really can.

Headley's son, Cavendish Zolluz, is 26 years old. As a doctor, in terms of strength and talent, he surpasses Luna. He could have become the youngest recipient of the Order of Yatuk before Luna. But the young man had no interest in fame and wealth, never even took a career level assessment, and is still only a "junior internal medicine doctor". And those who know him well know that his abilities are far from being summed up in these six words.

Such a young man with both ability and integrity, Widkan would not be unaware. That's why he doesn't think it's a bad thing.

"I think I can make it happen."

"Thank you so much, Mr. Sarudo."

These last two sentences are the reason why Luna now has to get a haircut.

Valentine's Day in a few days. Widkan had already agreed with Headley to let Luna and Cavendish spend the day together. Once you have the foundation to meet for the first time and take advantage of the special atmosphere of Valentine's Day, you can quickly get closer. This is the task that Widkan has given to Luna.

"I want you to think about it." On the night of his visit to Headley, Widkan gave his opinion at the dinner table at home, and finally added this sentence.

Although my father was no longer critical of his medical skills, because he was impeccable. However, her childhood experience has allowed Luna to keep her rebellious heart to this day. When she hears that she is going to have a relationship with a man she has never met, Luna's disgust swells up, and ten thousand unwillingness is written on her face. And Widkan used only that one sentence to persuade, or rather order.

Luna knows Cavendish but that doesn't mean she's willing to be friends with them. For a girl who has buried herself in her studies for more than ten years, having a boyfriend, dating, getting married, such words have nothing to do with her, and she doesn't understand the meaning. This kind of thing should come naturally, and it should be good with fate.

"Naturally, there will be then." When asked about her life's events, she replied.

Luna also has no affection for the White Cross Hospital. In the past, she took several doctors to the White Cross Hospital to participate in an academic exchange meeting, and walked through the physical examination process by the way. The chief physician who received them seemed to be enthusiastic, but in fact he was arrogant, relying on the big hospital to look down on them. After the meeting, several male doctors came over to talk, and the hippie smiling face made Luna want to vomit in disgust.

Luna understands that her father's hospital is at a critical juncture, and understands her role, but that doesn't mean she agrees to the amicable approach. If my mother hadn't divorced my father, I would have messed up the matter.

*****

"What do you think, Miss?"

It was Luna Derby, Luna's maid, a young man her age, who was carefully tending to Luna's down jacket. As the maid who prepares the costume for Luna, Crant prefers that she wear a mink coat to the appointment. However, Luna likes pink, while mink coats don't have pink, which becomes the reason why Luna doesn't like to wear mink.

Inside the down jacket, Luna unnaturally wears a tracksuit with blue edges on a white background. These two clothes don't match at all. Taking off your down jacket to reveal a tracksuit always feels weird.

"Miss, how can anyone wear a tracksuit under a down jacket? And the color is not right, let me help you find another one. ”

"No need, Crane. I always feel a little cold, and it's good to wear this. ”

To make up a casual reason, Luna insisted on leaving her tracksuit. After all, this is not her ideal blind date, and she expresses her protest and dissatisfaction in this way. The tracksuit, the down jacket on the outside, and the face without makeup, make up Luna's first impression.

Looking at herself in the dressing mirror, Luna could only sigh. Anyway, she did what her father said, and as for how the other party felt, she didn't care.

Seeing that Luna was dressed, Crane pushed open the door. Outside, the Haoma sedan was on standby, the car had started 30 minutes earlier, and the air conditioner was trying to adjust the temperature to the optimum. Inside the car, another maid and driver, Alex Sundell, sat in the driver's seat, waiting to leave.

Krant opens the car door for Luna, and before Luna gets into the car, he doesn't forget to tell her. Pay attention to the meter, don't come back too late, Luna replied vaguely, and the car drove off.

"Where are you going, miss?"

"That shopping centerpiece on Beverly Street."

*****

Even if you look at the whole country, the bustling Beverly commercial street is second to none. All kinds of fancy places attract wealthy people from all over the world. There are three places that are world-class standards.

The first is the landmark 40-story sky hotel, the Hilton Mansion. It is open 24 hours a day and aims to give customers a taste of the flavors of each region. Floors 1 to 3 are general restaurants, and floors 4 to 30 are specialty restaurants, where each floor is a special area where the specialty food of a certain country or region is collected. The remaining floors are occupied by guest rooms.

Secondly, there is Luna's destination, the heart of the shopping at Coaiser, that's right, that's the name. After the mall broke into the list of the world's top 50 shopping malls for 10 consecutive years, he felt that the word "center" was no longer enough to describe his mall, and that "core" sounded good enough. Quirky names aside, if you want to experience what a top-notch shopping experience is, come here. The 25-storey department store will leave you dizzying.

The last one, a golf course located in the northern suburbs of Cousser. It's a standard playground for the wealthy, with nine 18-hole courses and is only allowed to play by members of the Kuaiser Golf Club, with a membership fee of 2 million Ang per year. The venue is not very large, but the internal environment is very in place, and it is also a good scenery to introduce the local beauties of Kuaiser to serve the guests. Of course, no one cares about the fact that there are still some land problems left over from the stadium, as well as the other identities of those beauties in the second half of the night.

Although Luna's family has some money, they are far from rich. When Luna's car stops outside the shopping center, she can't help but retreat. Besides, she doesn't like to go shopping or eat in fancy restaurants.

The car stopped in a temporary parking area outside the mall. Luna looked in the car's mirror, took one last look at her distressed face, and then looked at Alex.

"Miss, you seem to be a little reluctant?" Alex asked.

"How can you be willing......"

"Then why force yourself?"

"How else?"

"If you don't want to, we can go back immediately, and I'll find a way to explain to the master."

Luna isn't the one to talk about her identity, but she never flinched. Alex's words backfired, pushing her in the back.

"I don't need you to worry about it, I can handle it."

She pushed the door and got out of the car, trying to find a place with fewer people to wait. After waiting for a while, a man walked up to her.

A light blue suit with a white shirt shows no wrinkles from the inside out. Above the neckline, there is a handsome, sunny face with a polite smile. Sticking out of the cuffs are white and soft hands. With a slightly leaning forward upper body and straight arms, it forms a personable image.

In this rather cold weather, you can also pay so much attention to the instrument. With a pair of eyes on both sides, Luna was robbed of all attention out of curiosity.

"Hello, Miss Luna Sarudo, and the contemptible Cavendish Zoluz. I have heard of Miss Lady's name for a long time, and I am really fortunate to see it today. It's really different, and the temperament is extraordinary. ”

A few words that make Luna's heart flutter. This is her biggest weakness - she is not sociable. Cavendis's expression and tone were in sync, and Luna immediately sensed that this person was very different from the usual men who talked to him. And the identity of a woman is destined to be pleased by words of praise.

After a few seconds, she politely reached out and put her hand on Cavendis's hand.

"Luna Sarudo, your praise is hard to deserve, Mr. Zoluz, it's a pleasure to meet you."

This round, Luna is considered to be defeated. Just answering without returning the salute is tantamount to telling the other party "I accepted your words". Psychologically, Luna took a step back, she didn't know that she would step back little by little until she was completely influenced by the other party.

Luna didn't realize it, but one person did, and the person was still sitting in the driver's seat, watching through the window as Luna and Cavendish walked side by side into the mall. Alex gritted his teeth, worried and angry, and didn't start the car until the security guard in front of the mall let him drive into the parking lot.

It can't go on like this, it goes on like this......

Cavendis's smile appeared in Alex's eyes. Based on his past experience, he judged that there was definitely something wrong with that smile, but it was the best weapon to capture the young lady. The young lady is very bad at socializing, usually busy with work and study, and is still resistant to accosting. But today I came to meet with people, and it is easy to be seduced and deceived.

The thought of this made Alex's whole body tremble.

As soon as the car stood in the parking space, Alex got out of the cab, locked the door, and almost ran. Just about to accelerate, he accidentally collided with someone and sat on the ground.

"Ah, I'm sorry." Alex said.

"It's fine."

The other replied calmly. Alex saw that the person he hit was actually wearing a thin white coat with no buttons in the middle, a gray shirt inside, long hair, and a male voice, with a ...... face Is this man in poor health? It was so white that there was hardly a trace of blood to be seen. The man was looking at Alex with concern, but Alex shuddered.

"Are you alright?" The long-haired man asked.

Alex nodded, and the long-haired man smiled slightly, and there were two other men beside him. One of them leaned into his ear and reminded, "Captain, let's go." ”

"Hmm."

The long-haired man nodded in reply, waving goodbye to Alex. The three walked out of the exit of the parking lot. Alex looked at it for a moment, and quickly remembered his purpose—he was going to spy on Miss, no, that Cavendish too.

*****

From the Precious Jewellery Fair, to the personal wine tastings of renowned winemakers, to the 15th floor of the indoor luxury car test drive. Within an hour of their meeting, Luna arrives in another world, one she never knew existed.

The dazzling sights are one after the other. She hadn't recovered from the last surprise yet, and the next shock came head-on, and exclamations and approvals ran out of her mouth uncontrollably. At first, Luna was still taking care of her face, but after half an hour, she was completely out of control. Especially with Cavendish's humorous commentary, she was even more happy.

"Where did all this come from?"

At an exhibition held at the "Curiosity Hunter Club", Luna asks as she looks at the array of strange objects that she can't name.

"The world is very big, and many unimaginable things are actually happening all the time." Cavendish replied. "Sometimes, it's not a bad thing to get out of the house and get in touch with the world."

"...... said That's right. ”

Luna didn't notice that her smile was brighter than ever, even more beautiful than when she was with Jessica and her mother.

"If Miss Sarudo doesn't dislike it, you can always ask me to be your guide." Cavendish wasted no time in saying.

"Hmm. I want to buy something next time I have the chance. ”

"It's better for me to give it to you, just as a thank you gift for accompanying me out."

"So, isn't it okay?"

"It doesn't matter. In fact, before I came out, I was also very apprehensive. After all, I always see you offstage, and it feels ...... How to put it, it's a bit unattainable. But after actually meeting, I found that you were very approachable and just like ordinary girls, so I was relieved at once. ”

Luna wasn't stupid either, and she understood the meaning - the man had been watching her, where she couldn't see. Her cheeks flushed slightly, avoiding Cavendis's gaze.

"Thank you...... A pat on the back. ”

"Alright, let's go get some food."

"Hmm."

The two of them finished shopping and set off towards the floor where there was a food court. Not far away, another man was watching her out of Luna's sight. Alex, in the midst of a sea of people, found Luna in just ten minutes. From the constant panting movements, it can be seen that he used physical strength to find it.

The panting action somewhat masked Alex's trembling and anger. That Cavendish is good at rhetoric and demagogy, but Miss is the most indifferent to this. I don't know what the two of them are going to do next. As a young lady's driver, it is never allowed to have some ...... Something that shouldn't have happened happens.

*****

After a small accident in the parking lot, the long-haired man and his two entourages walked into a hotel near the shopping center. Ask the hostess at the front desk. Two minutes later, they came to the door of a room on the fifth floor, the door was unlocked, and an attendant pushed the door open, and three people walked into the room.

Two people, a man and a woman, are sitting on the bed and talking. Seeing the three of them come in, he immediately got up and bowed to the long-haired man.

"It's been a long way to come here, Mr. Baird Fern." The man said.

"You're Ivor, so you're Rhea?"

"Yes, my master sent the two of us to report to you." Rhea replied.

Baird nodded. One of the attendants stood outside the room to observe the situation, and the other stood behind Baird. Baird turned around and sat down at the table and knocked on it.

"Let me see."

A low, hoarse voice, like a trachea being half-tightened. Coupled with Baird's bloodless but smiling face, it's too mad to look at. Suppressing his fears, Ivor took out a wad of paper and a small black box from his briefcase and placed them on the table. Then he stood aside with Leia, like a student waiting for the teacher to speak.

Baird took the stack of paper and scanned through the text and pictures, page after page, for a total of six pages. Ivor and Rhea had been sorting out their things for three days, and he had read them in three minutes, without any change in expression on his face, indicating that the content on it had not moved him.

Putting down the papers, Baird opened the box again, and it contained something like a glass ball. The center of the ball glows with emerald green. It is not simply emitted, but it is refracted repeatedly by mirrors, and there is a crystalline substance the size of a sesame seed at the light source.

Baird put the orb in front of his eyes and spun around it a few times, taking a closer look. The two men looked at him expectantly, but the result they were expecting didn't happen, and Baird was still disappointed.

"That's what you guys do?"

He was low but serious, speaking at such a slow pace that he almost didn't let the two of them sit down.

"But, but, the master has done his best, this is the best sample at the moment." Ivor replied boldly.

Instead of judging Ivor's defense, Baird took out a piece of paper from the pocket of his white coat, which was also covered with words and pictures. He told the two men to see. Rhea stepped forward and took it in his hand and looked at it with Ivor. After only one visit, they were amazed that the content on it was more than a grade higher than theirs.

"This is the result of the Arctic Nation Sirada research group, they have entered the final experimental stage, and they are just short of finding the right guinea pig."

Baird said, leaning a little lower, half-lying in his chair, his eyes half-closed.

"Look at you again, are you going to waste the precious materials and data left behind by the 'Viper'?"

A few words and powerful facts left the two speechless. After a moment of silence, Baird picked up the orb in his hand and flipped it on the palm of his hand. This rash action made the two of them worry about whether he would throw the ball away. Fortunately, Baird just toyed with it and put it back in the box.

"I'll take this. Go back and tell Talanath that I'll give him another three months, this is his last chance. When the time comes, he'd better bring me something decent. ”

"Yes, yes, yes."

Rhea and Ivor replied in quick succession, hurriedly cleaned up, and escaped from the room.

"A bunch of crumbs."

As the two left, Baird said contemptuously. He took off his white coat, threw it on the hanger, and said to the attendant standing next to him: "You can also go back to your room, rest for a while, and go out in the afternoon." ”

The attendant didn't answer immediately, but thought about something. Baird looked at him again before he spoke.

"Captain, is that good? The progress has been delayed, and if we continue to give them opportunities, our gap will get bigger and bigger. ”

Baird smiled nonchalantly. He opened the drawer under the bedside table, took out a bag of tea leaves, poured it into the teacup, then picked up the teapot, washed his hands and poured a pot of water, and put it on the stove to boil. The attendant looked at him and felt inexplicable.

"Captain, what are you?"

"I like to drink tea, and even though I can't taste it now, I can't change my old habits."

Baird sat down, pinched the lid of the teacup, and let the rim of it circle along the rim, reminiscing about the past.

"People like us like to drink coffee after work, but I hate the smell, the smell of additives. I still prefer tea, and even during those days on the run, I try to make sure that there is tea to drink. ”

"What are you talking about?"

"Did you know that tea is not for eating, it can make the tasteless boiled water become fragrant and elegant, and taste refreshing. Although the tea leaves are eventually thrown away, in order to taste the taste, it is also necessary to let it lie in a precious tea bowl and soak it in good water. ”

Hearing this, the retinue seemed to understand. Matching Baird's words, he asked rhetorically.

"You mean, Taranath is the best tea, don't you?"

A knowing smile appeared on Baird's face. "Talanath is cunning and has a fight with Cruz. He won't put a lot of effort into making samples, he must be thinking about saving money for himself. ”

But what did he make the sample for on his own? With their technology, they shouldn't be able to reach ......"

"I guess it's for another purpose. Perhaps, the same purpose as Old Man Black. Because it's too cumbersome to find, a replacement is needed. ”

"Could it be?"

"That's right, it's the Star of Mystery, the replacement for Istis."