Chapter 303 - 302: Brewing Trouble
"So, what's the plan brother?" Luo Mian asked as soon as he re-entered the latter's office.
"Will you knock the door next time before you enter? Where are your manners?" Luo Tian reprimanded his younger brother.
"Bro, don't teach me those sh*t. We know we ain't prim and proper sons of aristocrats. Oh, I forgot! Sorry. That description was on me because I was still young when our parents died. You're the well disciplined one."
"Are you a woman? Stop ranting like one, will you?" Luo Tian had enough of his younger brother's continuous talking.
"Sorry."
"Don't forget that you're in my office. My place my rule." He reminded him.
Luo Tian walked towards the couch and Luo Mian followed him there.
A bottle of The Balvenie-- 50 year old Scotch whisky was already placed on top of the coffee table with two clean glasses for them to use.
Luo Mian watched as his brother carefully poured himself a drink.
He was about to pour a glass for his brother but Luo Mian refused it making him to be suspicious.
"No thanks brother. I had enough shots at the bar earlier." Luo Mian explained his behavior.
"So, what's the plan?" Luo Mian asked for the third time already.
"We will still continue what we have started. Why should we stop just because the pawns we have set had suddenly gone missing?" Luo Tian calmly said as he sipped his drink and closed his eyes as he slowly felt the alcohol burning down his throat.
"But isn't it dangerous brother? They disappeared without a trace. Who would do it if not Nathan? He's the most capable man in the whole ci- region." Luo Mian corrected himself.
"But why would he use the authorities in doing so? As far as I have known, after he resigned from service, he didn't reconnect with the military. And he's now in Beijing, not in Tokyo. The Japanese army had no jurisdiction or influence in our system in the country." Luo Tian stated.
"What are you implying brother? Do you mean that it's not him?" Luo Mian asked with a crease visible on his forehead.
"Exactly! Another person must have been behind this. I don't know what his or her relationship with Nathaniel Bai but I'm sure this person is connected with him. Protecting him." Luo Tian said.
"Or what if this person is also connected to the Lings and the Jins? Their stocks had plummeted down the past days. They're already bankrupt." Luo Mian asked.
Luo Tian put down the glass on the table as he looked at his brother.
"With the stocks, it could be Nathan who did that. But for their disappearance, someone who was connected with the authority could do that."
"Then, shouldn't we be worried brother?" Luo Mian asked with a frown.
"Ah Mian, as I said...why should we? No one could stop us from ruining him."
Luo Tian was confident with his plan.
"Don't mind about Nathan. Mind your own plan with his sister. Any improvement?" Luo Tian asked to change the topic.
"No. She's stubborn. She's not easy to fool." He chuckled dryly.
"Then, think about how you got her before. Think about how you made her agree to be your woman. Then go back on that method." He suggested.
Luo Mian scratched his head awkwardly as he tried to avoid his brother's gaze.
"That's the point. I happened to make her pregnant that's why we end up together. But because of her busy career, we lost the baby on the early stage of second trimester and then I met Angelina. Then the rest is history."
"And you didn't tell me that I almost had a nephew or a niece?" Luo Tian angrily looked at his younger brother.
"It's not a big deal, is it?" He simply evaded his brother's anger.
"Fine!" Luo Tian said as he stood up from the couch and walked towards his desk.
"Prepare our men this week. We will attack their branches and disrupt their operation." He added as he slumped on his swivel chair.
"Our men are ready as always brother. I have also started gathering those women whom he had gotten involved with in the past. I have talked to some of them and they're ready to go public and reveal what kind of man he actually was." Luo Mian replied.
"Then, let's start our media play next week." He finally said before he wrapped up his day.
Meanwhile on the other side of the city, Ana was talking to J in her drunken state as she decided to drown herself in alcohol for the night.
Jin Jie was starting to have a headache looking at the stubborn woman sitting in front of him.
"Since when did you become alcoholic?" He asked as he tried to snatch away another shot of tequila from her hand.
"Since yester- *hick!* -day, I guess." She slurred.
"Look at you. You're acting like a spoiled brat." He scolded her.
"Hehehe." She only laughed.
"Get up and go to your room so you could rest. Drinking will never be the answer to your problem." He added.
"Why are you *hick!* here? You should be with *hick!* Eve or Eunji or whatever name she wanted everyone to call her. *Hick!*"
"How can I leave you if you're like this? Are you really going to continue hurting each other? Letting Eunji to believe a lie. That's crazy Ana." J said.
J didn't believe that Eunji and Ana were not sisters or even twins.
"It's not *hick!* a lie." Ana blurted out.
"What? What do you mean?" He frowned.
"Since you're *hick!" a good boy, I'll *hick!* tell you." She said.
"But don't tell her. Let her find it out herself." She said seriously as if she was sober.
J could only nod his head in agreement making Ana to smile. His curiosity got the best of him.
Ana sighed and she started to recall everything.
J listened to her from start to finish. He could not believe that Ana immediately sobered up when she started narrating the story that Eunji didn't know.
"No way!" J could not believe what he had just learned from her tonight.
"Don't you dare *hick!* tell this to her. Or I'll *hick!* crash your balls myself!" Ana seriously threatened him.
Now he was torn between the two women. Should he tell Eunji? Or should he keep his promise to Ana?
"Is that man the main mastermind of this chaos?" He asked out of curiosity.
"Shh! Don't even bother asking. I don't want to spoil everything." She then stood up from the bar stool and then stretched her upper body like a lazy kitten and then left him alone in the counter.
If what Ana had said was true then the more that he had no rights to be with Eunji or Ana's side.
J took the unfinished shot of tequila and he gulped it down himself.
He didn't mind the taste of the alcohol as it burned his tongue.
On Celine's side, after she was done with her night skin care routine, she found herself standing in front of Sam's bedroom.
She didn't know why she was there though.
Ever since she became her personal assistant, she had always been by her side. Because of her busy schedule, Celine had arranged Sam to be around with her twenty-four seven and that became a habit even after she had become her manager.
That's when she realized that she had grown dependent of the younger woman.
Celine scratched her head in frustration and she turned around as she was about to leave and go back to her room but before she could even do so, the door suddenly opened revealing Sam who seemed to have just gotten out of the shower with her hair still wet.
"Yuki? What are you doing here?" Sam asked in a surprise tone.
"Ahm...Can't sleep?"
Sam chuckled as she looked at Celine.
"Are you asking me or are you talking about yourself?" She asked her.
"No. I'm talking about myself. Sorry for the confusion." She said.
"Ahm. Okay? Wait for me in your room then. I'll just go and grab some water. I suddenly got thirsty after I got out of the shower." She said.
Celine obeyed Sam and she went back to her room and wait her there.
A few moments later, Sam came knocking on her door with a cup of hot milk on her hand.
"Is that for me?" She asked as soon as she saw it and Sam nodded.
"Thank you." She said as she reached out on the cup.
"Careful, it's still hot." Sam reminded her.
But Celine didn't mind it as she gulped them down in one go. The temperature was just right to her liking. It was not hot actually.
Sam then redied a glass of water and gave it for Celine to rinse the remaining milk in her mouth.
After she was done, Sam kept the cup and the glass on the table inside her room and then went into the dressing table and opened its drawer.
She took a few massage and essential oils to help Celine have a better sleep for tonight.
"Lay down." She instructed.
Celine looked at the small bottles in Sam's hands and she said, "I don't think giving me a massage now is okay. I might wake up late again and we might miss the call time."
Sam was so good on giving her massages at night that she would usually wake up late the following morning.
"You're right. Then, just a rub of these essential oils then?" She suggested.
"That... would be fine."
And like on cue, Celine then lay down on the bed and waited for Sam to do her magic on her temples.
Sam's skillful hands gently massaged her temples giving Celine a calming feeling.
"Brother called. They'll be leaving Beijing a few days before the boys' birthday." She suddenly said with her eyes closed.
"He asked me if I could celebrate the birthday with them in this secret location." She continued.
"Then, what did you tell him?" Sam asked.
"I declined. Director Feng's very strict when it comes to work." She said making Sam to sigh.
"It's sad that the official filming will start next week." Sam commented.
"Yeah. And next week happened to be their birthday week." She said in disappointment.
Sam paused what she was doing making Celine to open her eyes.
"What's wrong?" Celine asked with a frown.
"If you really wanted it, we can ask for a two week off from filming. We're scheduled to finish everything within six months. Asking for an off as early as next week won't harm it. As long as you're serious to show your all for the rest of the filming days just like what you always do."
"But I am the lead of this drama. For sure, they would surely have a say about me. That I'm like this and I'm like that." Celine reasoned.
"Since when are you given the second lead as your role in a drama or a film?" She paused as she sighed deeply and continued, "And they will always have a say about you even if you have slapped them with your capabilites and skills... That you're worthy of being the lead. That you fitted on the role."
She then playfully poked her forehead as she looked at her in disbelief.
"You have played every role excellently and you have been very focused all through out the filming duration. Your work ethic and professionalism as an actress were second to none! You didn't even ask for a sick leave and continued filming even if you were on a thirty-nine degree fever!" She emphasized.
"Stop! Geez! Of course this is my bread and butter and you know me. I don't want to do things in a half-hearted manner." Celine decided to shut her PA/manager.
"I know. But do give time for yourself and have fun just this once. I'm sure Director Feng won't mind giving you that when she personally picked you for the role."
Celine could only sigh as she listened to Sam.
"Don't worry about it. I'll handle them. Okay? For the meantime, close your eyes and sleep. It's already one in the morning and we have to leave by four so we could catch up with the call time which was on five." Sam reminded.
"Then you better stop rubbing my temples and lay beside me so you could have a sleep, too." Celine blurted out.
"Don't worry about me, okay? I still have other things to do, young miss." Sam gently slapped Celine's forehead as she teased her.
"Then, let me help you. Let's just catch some sleep during our trip. I've heard it's going to be an eight hour bus ride." She suggested.
"No. You better sleep. Your health is more important." Sam insisted.
"But--"
"No buts here Missy!" Sam sighed as she cut her off.
"Fine! But you better sleep during the trip, okay?"
"I will. Now close your eyes and sweet dreams."