604 One Goal (1/2)
It was only when the tight security stopped Long Jian at the place's gates that he remembered that Dragon Palace Homes was one of the most, if not THE most, exclusive villages for the elite in the country. The unimpressed security guards who carried themselves like active soldiers refused to let him in without invitation from any of the exclusive village's property owners, all of them the elite of the most elite in their own fields. Fortunately, someone from Dragon Palace Home #10 called and informed them that he just received permission to enter.
From there, he had to go through several other security checkpoints. His destination, Dragon Palace Home #10, was the largest property in the village and also the farthest. When he finally reached it, he had to go through an even tighter check from the property's own security team.
'What is this? A top-secret military compound?' he inwardly grumbled as the guards performed a body check on him while checking every nook and cranny of his car.
He was in a hurry to meet Iris and Jin Liwei, feeling a tremendous impatience with all of these security checks which he thought were unnecessary. Security checks at airports weren't as strict and were easier and faster than this.
When he was finally cleared to enter the property's massive gates, he felt relieved, already imagining himself meeting his youngest sister and her powerful fiancé soon. He mentally practiced what he was going to say. The time he served as Deputy COO at Long Industries honed his conversation and negotiation skills, effectively increasing the effect of his natural charisma.
Despite this, he still felt uncertain whether he would be able to persuade Iris and Jin Liwei to help his mother. He didn't have much of a relationship with his youngest sister after all. She didn't have a duty to help him, especially since their mothers were enemies. He also didn't expect for her to help him. However, he still hoped that she would at least listen to him. His target was Jin Liwei, but he knew that the man wouldn't help him without Iris' approval. So Long Jian still needed to appeal to his youngest sister.
”I'm already here. Might as well go ahead and try. I don't have anything to lose by trying. I'm desperate right now. Mother is in a very bad situation,” he muttered while driving the long, long…looooong driveway. ”Where the fuck is the mansion? Did I get lost?”
He drove and drove and drove but hadn't arrived at his destination yet. To his dismay, it took him a full twenty minutes to drive between the property's massive gates to the actual mansion.
TWENTY FUCKING MINUTES!!!
Good thing he drove and didn't walk. If he did, perhaps it would already be dawn by the time he arrived at the mansion.
Back to the present, Long Jian felt mentally and physically exhausted as he looked around the majestic and luxurious grand foyer. His eyes stopped at the huge portrait hanging on top of the twin grand staircases which showed the images of his youngest sister and her fiancé with their one, two…three cats. Huh? Three? He heard that the couple only had two cats after overhearing a few of Iris' fans who were also employees at Long Industries. Iris and Jin Liwei got a new one?
If he remembered correctly, the cats had ridiculous names, something related to food. He was 100% certain that it was his sister who thought up such stupid names. Peanut and Popsicle or something like that. Looking at the portrait of the three cats, he wondered what stupid name his sister gave the third one.
'I bet it's another food name. Maybe Pancake or something.'
Long Jian felt a little sorry for the cats. Jin Liwei shouldn't have allowed Iris to name them. Poor animals.
”Please follow me,” the butler said, interrupting his thoughts.
He followed the butler through a series of long hallways. Every part of the place was decorated with more framed portraits of the couple, their cats, and Long Hui's son. He remembered that the boy was Iris and Jin Liwei's godson and that the couple was sheltering the child and the mother, Long Hui's bodyguard ex-girlfriend. This damaged the relationship between Long Hui and Iris.