Hui Tian Ch52

Chapter 52

Veto Power

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Bai Sheng.

There was no need to look at any evolution insignia; Antonio recognized this terrifying S-Class at first glance.

There had always been rumors that this man surnamed Bai had a very ambiguous relationship with Shen Zhuo. While he didn’t know the exact truth of it, Antonio was very clear on one thing: he wasn’t afraid of any S-Class, but no one could defy the laws of causality.

“…We just had a little misunderstanding, but that misunderstanding should be cleared up now.”

Antonio took a half-step back and squeezed out a polite smile, flashing four sharp, snow-white teeth. He waved his men over. “A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Bai.”

The caliber of Antonio’s subordinates was clearly far superior to ordinary gang members. They immediately swarmed in from outside the bar, first loading the dying Latino man in the pool of blood onto a stretcher. They then swiftly cleared out the unconscious gang goons, even splashing water to clean the floor and righting the tables and chairs.

In the blink of an eye, the surroundings returned to normal, as if the bloody shooting had never happened.

“Well then, we’ll take our leave first.” Antonio casually unbuckled the platinum watch from his wrist and tossed it to the terrified bar owner as compensation for the night. He then nodded politely to Bai Sheng. “I look forward to our next meeting.”

However, before he could even turn around, Bai Sheng let out a laugh. The sound was lazy and drawn out:

“Don’t go. Leaving right after saying hello? How embarrassing would that be?”

“…” Antonio roared internally: Are you XX trying to buy me a drink or something? Don’t push your luck, kid! He then asked in a gentle whisper, “Is there something else?”

Bai Sheng, with one arm still around Shen Zhuo, blinked at him with a placating smile. “Nothing, man. Let me buy you a drink.”

The group moved to another bar at the far end of the beach, where the lighting was dimmer and the atmosphere even livelier. When Bai Sheng said he was treating, he meant it; he had the bartender pour a round for every single one of Antonio’s men. He then ordered two strong specialty cocktails, leaned against the bar, and smilingly clinked glasses with Antonio.

“Are we cool?”

Antonio had suffered a massive loss but had no other options. “We’re cool,” he said resentfully, then tilted his head back and downed the strong liquor in one gulp.

Bai Sheng smiled, drank his own, and patted Antonio’s shoulder. “Have fun; put it on my tab.” Setting his empty glass down, he turned and squeezed into the crowd.

Not far away, Shen Zhuo was sitting with several female Chief Supervisors at a high table. They were likely discussing work, and for some reason, the atmosphere was unusually harmonious. As Bai Sheng walked over, he heard Amatullah’s voice:

“…Why are you so interested in that Cameron from the Security Council? I know him, though Cameron is probably just an alias. No one knows his real name or background. Rumor has it he participated in some classified Security Council research twenty years ago, but it fizzled out, so he changed his name, entered politics, and climbed his way up to his current high position…”

Catching sight of Bai Sheng, she stopped mid-sentence. “Yo, handsome!”

Shen Zhuo turned his head, and immediately felt a hand drape over his shoulder. Bai Sheng asked with a beaming smile, “Why are you ignoring me, Supervisor Shen?”

Their eyes met. The chaotic lights of the bar cast shadows across Bai Sheng’s profile; he wore a cynical smile on his lips, but the look in his eyes was heavy and profound.

Shen Zhuo smiled. He pressed his palm over the back of Bai Sheng’s hand resting on his shoulder and said softly in Chinese, “Not here. Let’s go over there and I’ll have a drink with you.” He then stood up, acting completely natural.

The other three female Supervisors acted as if nothing was out of the ordinary, pretending they hadn’t noticed the undercurrents surging between the two men. Amatullah simply tapped the table as a reminder: “Ten o’clock later, don’t forget.”

“I know. I’ll notify Antonio shortly,” Shen Zhuo replied concisely.

He reached back and patted Bai Sheng on the spine, like one might soothe a thick-furred alpha wolf.

The music overhead was deafening, the dance floor bathed in neon lights, and the crowd brushing past them was twisting in ecstasy. Shen Zhuo’s original intention was to lead Bai Sheng to a quiet, unnoticed corner, but as they passed a fire exit, Bai Sheng suddenly exerted force, dragging him out the back door and slamming him against the brick wall.

The back alley was cold and deserted. The uneven bricks shimmered faintly, and the muffled sound of the rising tide echoed from the distant sea.

“What were you chatting about that made you so happy?” Bai Sheng asked with a smile, trapping Shen Zhuo in the gap between his embrace and the brick wall.

The posture forced Shen Zhuo to tilt his head back. “Headquarters built a new high-pressure sealed containment unit to transfer a batch of Evolution Source Meteorites, and the escort plan is extremely complex. Since several supervisors happen to be here, we’re meeting at ten to discuss the arrangements.”

“That’s not what I asked.” Bai Sheng placed a hand on the side of Shen Zhuo’s waist, his palm burning hot. He leaned in and whispered into his ear:

“What were you laughing and chatting about with that colleague before I got here? Let me in on the joke.”

Behind him was the hard brick wall, and in front was Bai Sheng’s scorching embrace. Even his hips were forcefully pinned in place.

At a distance where not even a sheet of paper could slip between them, there was no hiding any physical reactions; even the pulsing of their blood was clearly palpable.

“…The Latin American jurisdiction and the Asian jurisdiction have always had major conflicts of interest. Antonio has cast a veto vote against my proposals three times, and I’ve been looking for a chance to teach him a lesson. That brother of his is the illegitimate son of his father and a mistress. They have no real affection, but it concerns his personal face.”

Shen Zhuo raised a hand to rest on the solid hollow of Bai Sheng’s neck, pulling the man slightly closer to him. His deep, beautiful eyes seemed to hold unshed water as he spoke softly, “Many things that happen on the surface between Chief Supervisors actually have hidden motives behind them. Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.”

They stared at each other at close range. After a long moment, Bai Sheng narrowed his eyes slightly and finally asked the question he truly wanted to know:

“When he was trying to take you away, why didn’t you call for me immediately?”

The opponent was a powerful Evolutionist, while Shen Zhuo was merely human. Any other human in that situation would have naturally called their boyfriend over for backup. The phrase “What exactly am I to you?” almost slipped out, but the S-Class’s Adam’s apple bobbed slightly, and he swallowed the words back down.

“I thought you weren’t there.” Shen Zhuo looked directly into Bai Sheng’s pupils. “I thought you had your own matters to attend to.”

Bai Sheng fell imperceptibly quiet for a second.

Shen Zhuo turned his head, his lips gently brushing against the corner of Bai Sheng’s mouth. He murmured soothingly, “It’s fine now, hm?”

“…”

Bai Sheng lowered his head and captured those cool, thin lips, immediately deepening the kiss and parting his teeth. Gripping Shen Zhuo tightly, he suddenly lifted him entirely off the ground. He wedged a knee between his thighs, while one of his long hands practically spanned the side of Shen Zhuo’s waist, using the posture to pin the suspended man against the brick wall.

Freeing his other hand, he gripped Shen Zhuo’s chin. His movements were urgent and forceful, compelling the usually aloof beauty to open his jaw wider and accept the invasion.

It was as if he were desperate to prove the nature of their relationship, or perhaps to assert some kind of claim.

The subtle sounds of friction were drowned out by heavy breathing. Saliva that couldn’t be swallowed in time dampened the corners of their mouths, leaving a moist sheen reflecting the moonlight when they finally parted. Shen Zhuo gasped heavily, his lips wet and flushed. Unable to touch the ground, he could only bury his face in the crook of Bai Sheng’s neck, pressing his hands against the man’s shoulders to barely maintain his balance.

Behind them, the bar was a boiling cauldron of noise, yet in the silent back alley, they were pressed tight against each other, the air thick with hurried pants.

After a long moment, Shen Zhuo let out a hoarse laugh. “…Put me down, you bastard.”

The thorn of doubt in his throat hadn’t been fully resolved, but the tension had finally loosened somewhat through the kiss. Bai Sheng was finally willing to let go. He turned his head, took Shen Zhuo’s earlobe into his mouth, and muttered, “I’ll come find you tonight.”

“We’ll talk about tonight later. Go say hi to Amatullah first, and remind her to come find me at ten for the escort materials,” Shen Zhuo said lazily. “Otherwise, if we take too long, she’ll think we’re hiding out here doing God knows what.”

Bai Sheng laughed. “And what about you?”

Shen Zhuo’s face was flushed blood-red, his eyes shimmering with moisture. He pursed his swollen lips and gave a concise answer: “I’m going to find some ice.”

Bai Sheng couldn’t help but chuckle out loud. He leaned down to kiss the bridge of Shen Zhuo’s nose, then pulled away and walked back into the bar. Shen Zhuo stood in place for a moment before entering the bar’s restroom through the back door. He washed his face with cold water, vigorously wiping away the droplets. Aside from his overly rosy lips, he finally looked relatively normal.

He turned and left the restroom, waving a waiter over to ask for a piece of ice. Chewing it casually, his gaze pierced through the crowd and accurately landed on a figure by the bar who was just preparing to leave.

Shen Zhuo casually raised his voice:

“Antonio!”

Antonio took a deep breath and whirled around, his teeth grinding. Before he could even organize his words to vent his pent-up frustration, all his anger was blocked right back into his throat by Shen Zhuo:

“Are you still sulking over this?”

“That’s my fucking brother for God’s sake, you were absolutely—absolutely—” Antonio realized with sorrow that he seemed to have repeated this exact phrase many times tonight. The problem was, he didn’t know what else to say.

“You cast three veto votes against me, and I took one of your brother’s legs. Very fair.” Shen Zhuo casually rested a hand on the edge of the bar, snapped his fingers to order him a drink, and raised an eyebrow. “I won’t veto your financial budget proposal next year, alright?”

Antonio weighed the options in his mind for three seconds and flatly refused: “No deal! That kid was born to my old man’s favorite mistress, you need to add more money!”

“Then just tell your old man’s favorite mistress to make you another brother. Why get so angry?”

Antonio’s weathered face flushed red. “What the fuck are you talking about? I’m a decent man, I…”

Shen Zhuo leaned in, patted his shoulder, and hooked the corner of his lips into a teasing smile.

“We’re adults. It’s rare to have such a beautiful night; are you sure you want to waste it clashing with me?”

Beside them, the dance floor was lost in wild revelry. The bar’s strip lighting was dazzling, illuminating Shen Zhuo’s profile from below. The Chief Supervisor—who was usually cold, sarcastic, and unsmiling in council meetings—now had his eyelashes slightly lifted, his eyes brimming with a trace of a smile. Antonio could even see his own reflection in the man’s pupils.

“…” The back of his tongue went a bit dry, but terrified that it was just his imagination, he kept his tone tough: “Then what do you want?”

Shen Zhuo glanced at him, smiling slightly without saying a word. He simply took the whiskey the bartender pushed over and downed it in one tilt of his head. Then, he pinned a hotel room card beneath the empty glass and slid it across the bar to Antonio.

“!!”

In an instant, Antonio’s heart leaped in his chest. He stared blankly at the room card, unable to utter a single word.

—Holy sht, it’s not my imagination; is he really into me?

I mean, it’s common for high-ups to fool around, but could a massive stroke of luck like this really fall into my lap? Is this a mistake?

Then again, what exactly is his relationship with that guy surnamed Bai? Does he think my charm is just that irresistible too? Should I accept the invitation immediately or test the waters a bit more?

Shen Zhuo paid absolutely no mind to Antonio’s spectacular array of expressions. He stood up, adjusted his collar, and at the exact moment he brushed past him, tilted his head slightly, his soft voice accompanied by the rich scent of alcohol:

“A quarter past ten.”

Then he strode into the partying crowd, the DJ’s music deafening.

In the distance, Amatullah cast an inquiring look from across the room. Shen Zhuo calmly flashed an ‘OK’ sign, indicating that he had absolutely delivered the meeting notice.

·

They didn’t delay for too long. Before 9:30, Shen Zhuo briefly said his goodbyes to the female supervisors and left the bar with Bai Sheng, entirely unfazed by their teasing gazes.

Fortunately, he had the foresight to book two rooms. Shen Zhuo returned to his own room, changed into a crisp shirt, tie, and trousers, and quickly replied to a few work emails. By ten o’clock, Amatullah and the other two supervisors knocked and entered. The first thing they did was look around the room:

“Is Mr. Bai not here?”

Shen Zhuo was practiced and emotionless: “Evolution Source Meteorites are no different from military arms. Escort plans are a Level-One Secret of the International Supervision General Administration. No outsiders should be present.”

“…”

Amatullah turned her head and whispered behind her hand, “Now he’s an ‘outsider’ again.”

The other two supervisors exchanged subtle, knowing looks.

“Mr. Bai is in the room next door. If you want to try and poach him from Shenhai, feel free to try after the meeting is over.” Shen Zhuo knew exactly what his colleagues were plotting. He stood up, handed out several copies of the escort plan materials, and said flatly, “I sincerely offer you all my best wishes.”

Amatullah twitched her lips in dismissal, then suddenly realized it was 10:10. “Where’s Antonio?”

“Probably late.”

“He wouldn’t skip out just to be petty, would he?” Amatullah wondered aloud.

Perhaps it was a trick of the light, but for a split second, she felt as if Supervisor Shen’s lips curled up slightly, though it vanished like an illusion.

“He won’t,” Shen Zhuo said nonchalantly.

Sure enough, just as the words left his mouth, the sound of approaching footsteps echoed down the hallway. The person stopped outside the door but didn’t knock immediately, pausing for a moment.

Amatullah: “?”

Outside the room, Antonio—who had deliberately arrived a few minutes early to show he cared—let out a breath. He repeatedly chanted Eastern mysticism in his head, telling himself, ‘this isn’t something I can resist either,’ and finally finished psyching himself up. He nervously adjusted his collar and cuffs, then took out the room card and tapped it against the lock.

Red light.

He tried again. Still a red light.

Demagnetized?

Antonio couldn’t have possibly guessed in a million years that the card Shen Zhuo gave him belonged to Bai Sheng’s room from the very beginning. Excitement and nerves had robbed him of his usual sharpness. He reflexively cleared his throat and, acting the gentleman, raised his hand and knocked lightly twice.

Knock, knock.

Inside the room, Amatullah, not understanding the delay, casually pulled the door open.

Outside stood Antonio, dressed in a full suit with his hair perfectly styled, holding an expensive bottle of champagne. He found himself staring blankly at a room full of his colleagues.

But that wasn’t the most terrifying part.

Everyone’s eyes dropped to his hand. If he had shown up with a bazooka resting on his shoulder to openly assassinate Shen Zhuo, it might have actually been better. The problem was, he was holding up a single, vibrantly red rose.

A deathly silence enveloped the entire hotel room. After a long pause, Amatullah, wearing a sleepwalking expression, raised a hand and pinched the bridge of her nose.

Antonio opened his mouth in vain, then closed it. He repeated this motion several times, completely failing to squeeze out a single word, until Shen Zhuo coughed lightly. His tone was calm and entirely unsurprised:

“Supervisor’s Manual, Global Edition, Rule 3.26.”

“……………”

In a flash of pure enlightenment, Antonio already knew exactly what he was about to say.

“When a Chief Supervisor casts a veto vote, it must be confirmed that the dissenter has no conflict of interest, no personal grievances, and especially no romantic entanglements with the proposer. Otherwise, their veto power shall be revoked.”

“I sincerely request that you all bear witness,” Shen Zhuo said coldly. “From this moment on, any veto vote cast by Chief Supervisor Antonio will be universally invalid against Shenhai.”

“…”

Antonio shattered into a million pieces, from his facial expression straight down to his heart and soul. He glared at Shen Zhuo, wishing to God that he was actually holding a bazooka right now. After a long time, he finally squeezed out a voice of pure disbelief:

“All of this… just for that?!”

Shen Zhuo slightly raised one eyebrow—a look of cold confusion that clearly meant, ‘Well, what else?’

“No, I don’t agree!” Antonio made a dying struggle. “This doesn’t count as a personal entanglement! This doesn’t meet the sufficient exemption standard to revoke a veto vote!”

“Ahem,” Chief Supervisor Amatullah interrupted at the perfect time, awkward yet polite. “It counts. He has physical evidence.”

“What physical evidence?! I clearly haven’t even—”

Before Antonio could erupt with his soul-baring interrogation, everyone’s gaze shifted back to the terrifying red rose in his hand. Their expressions said it all.

“…”

Just then, with a click, the door to the adjacent room opened.

Antonio instantly realized a truly horrifying fact, but at that moment, he couldn’t react at all. An arm suddenly clamped around his throat from behind. With unimaginable, terrifying strength, he was forcefully dragged backward for over ten meters before—Crash!

The massive impact shook the hallway as Antonio’s back slammed brutally into the wall.

Immediately after, Bai Sheng grabbed him by the collar with one hand and hoisted him suspended into the air.

“Buddy,” Bai Sheng had a smile on his face, but the look in his eyes was enough to send a freezing chill straight up anyone’s spine. “Were you hoping to have a private chat with me?”

In that split second, Antonio’s first reaction was humiliated rage—after all, the competitive instincts of an S-Class male ran deep in his bones. But in the next moment, the glint of cold steel materializing in Bai Sheng’s palm reflected in his eyes. He instantly recognized what it was and sobered up completely from head to toe.

He didn’t want to have a private chat with an Alpha wolf whose mate was being threatened. He just wanted to politely, smoothly, and swiftly get the hell out of there. The faster, the better.

“…I’m sorry. Even though I’m not entirely innocent, I swear I didn’t know you were his boyfriend.”

Antonio offered up the rose and the wine with both hands, speaking with great difficulty under the crushing pressure against his throat: “A gift for you. No need to thank me. I hope you and your boyfriend have a wonderful night.”

·

Meanwhile, inside the hotel room, Amatullah slowly turned to look at Shen Zhuo. Her expression was more than a little complicated:

“…You know that if he hadn’t brought that rose, or even if he had brought literally any other kind of flower, he could have argued it was normal socializing, which wouldn’t meet the sufficient exemption standard to revoke a veto vote… right?”

Shen Zhuo gave a polite shrug of his hands, indicating he obviously knew.

“Then why did you still…”

“Just a little wager for fun,” Shen Zhuo replied without a ripple of emotion. “It’s not like I had anything to lose.”

Amatullah was speechless for a moment, then gave him a thumbs up.

Footsteps echoed from the hotel corridor. Bai Sheng had sent Antonio packing and returned to the doorway of the room.

His emotional self-control was truly frighteningly mature. In just that brief span of time, he had completely calmed down. Judging purely from his exterior, one couldn’t detect a trace of emotion. He turned to the female Supervisors and put on a polite, inquiring expression:

“Would you ladies mind if we…?”

Amatullah had no desire to stay in the same room as an enraged peer. She stood up decisively: “We’ll be taking our leave. See you tomorrow.”

The three supervisors filed out of the room. Just before closing the door, Amatullah turned back and mouthed words at Shen Zhuo, clearly meaning: Please keep the noise down tonight, whether you’re fighting out of bed or settling the score in it.

The door clicked shut, leaving only the two of them in the sprawling room.

Bai Sheng placed the bottle of wine and the flower on the entryway counter, his strength controlled perfectly. He then turned to Shen Zhuo:

“Do you have anything you want to say to me?”

Bai Sheng was usually always smiling, carrying a frivolous, teasing, or entirely carefree demeanor. When angered, his terrifying intimidation was obvious, transmitting the threat to the other party very clearly and directly.

He rarely looked like this—devoid of a single trace of emotion, like a bottomless pool of deep water.

Shen Zhuo kept both hands tucked in his suit trousers, leaning the small of his back against the edge of the desk. He had changed into a sharp, crisp shirt and trousers, looking absolutely identical to the impassive Chief Supervisor from earlier in the day. He studied Bai Sheng thoughtfully for a moment, but didn’t casually say, “I thought you’d be able to see what just happened,” or, “Wasn’t it obvious at a glance?”

Instead, he asked a question in return:

“Have you been holding onto some doubts that you wanted to ask me about?”

Though it was phrased as a question, his tone was as flat as a statement. Bai Sheng stared fixedly at him: “Yes.”

“…”

The two maintained eye contact, one standing tall, the other leaning back. It felt as if even the fine dust floating under the lights had frozen in place. After a long while, Bai Sheng spoke in a low voice, enunciating every word:

“At the award ceremony tomorrow, if you’re going to publicly introduce me… what exactly is our relationship right now?”

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