14: Industry leaders actually like to be "passive"?

Bai Wanning clearly heard it, a slight curve forming on her lips, revealing a mocking smile as she pushed the door open.

"CEO Lu, it seems seeing you now is truly as hard as ascending to heaven." She spoke nonchalantly, walking to the chair opposite him and sitting down casually, a hint of sarcasm in her tone, "I thought you'd at least say thank you for climbing to a high position using my popularity, but I guess I was too naive."

Lu Gui, sitting behind the desk, was in his thirties but well-preserved, looking almost like he was in his early twenties at first glance.

However, at this moment, his eyes, which should have been astute and calm, were fixed intently on Bai Wanning, his jaw trembling slightly, making him appear a few years older than his actual age.

"Bai Wanning, what exactly do you want?" he roared, his emotions almost out of control, "Don't forget, I am your boss!"

He had never imagined that an eighteen-year-old girl would dare to disregard his authority like this, even challenging him to his face—it was an utter disgrace!

Bai Wanning rose indifferently, glancing down at the spittle on his desk, her brows furrowing slightly.

Should she kill him now?

The thought did indeed flash through her mind.

In her previous life, she had a brief encounter with Lu Gui during the mid-Apocalypse. At that time, she still held a glimmer of hope for him, fantasizing that he would remember their past connection and offer a helping hand.

Who would have thought that this man would try to sell her to an old man as a wife while she was unconscious!

Fortunately, at that moment, she regained a little consciousness and, with all her might, escaped from that nightmare.

Lu Gui, fearing her return for revenge, hid himself very deeply; in her previous life, she never saw a trace of him again until her death.

But now, this culprit stood before her, even daring to spit at her?

Killing intent, like a vine, climbed into her heart, only to be forcefully suppressed by her in an instant.

She couldn't touch him yet.

Lu Gui still had value. She wasn't here to exact revenge this time but to make this man willingly hand over all his assets.

Bai Wanning knew the layout of this office building like the back of her hand. In her previous life, the sudden Apocalypse catastrophe began with a tsunami.

That was a moment she would never forget: towering waves, like a collapsing sky, swept away countless buildings and lives, submerging cities for months without recovery.

And it was this tsunami that became the fuse for the zombie virus to rage across the globe.

Some said it was because a certain country dumped radioactive waste into the deep sea, while others said it was the spread of a mutation of some unknown species.

But no matter the explanation, they were all just conjectures; no one could truly explain the truth of it all.

In her previous life, Bai Wanning had no reason to care about these things. In this life, she had even less interest in delving into the answers.

The only thing she cared about was how to survive in this doomsday storm, where no one was destined to escape alive.

Living in the city center was not safe; it was densely populated, and once disaster struck, the hope of escape was slim. But the suburbs were also not ideal, as they were always the first areas to be swallowed by the sea.

In her memory, there was a high-end residential project called “Ancient North Grand Court,” which was one of the few areas not directly hit by the tsunami.

It was a luxurious residential building, with several landscape penthouses built on the top floor.

Precisely because of its superior terrain and sturdy construction, it stood firm during the tsunami in her previous life. By the time the waves reached this point, they had been significantly weakened by the city's edge, thus sparing it.

However, the top floor of this building was priced at a staggering 290 million, and even just renting one unit would cost tens of millions.

How could Bai Wanning have that much money!

If she used all the funds Lei Qian gave her to buy a house, how would she procure the supplies and resources needed for the Apocalypse?

So, Lu Gui's survival was crucial now; he was her ATM. Only if he lived could she get the money.

"Of course, I remember you're my boss, CEO Lu," Bai Wanning said coldly, a mocking smirk on her lips, "But you've forgotten. If you still remembered you were my boss, you should at least have shielded me from the storm, not used me to highlight the glamour of your new favorite."

"Bai Wanning! I..."

"Don't waste your breath." She interrupted him unceremoniously, looking at him indifferently, "I'm not here to listen to your excuses today, nor am I interested in how you try to justify yourself."

As her words fell, she raised her hand, elegantly splaying her five fingers, and softly spoke the number to him: "580 million. Mental anguish, physical torment. This money will be your compensation."

"580 million? You might as well go rob a bank!" Lu Gui's face changed, so angry he almost wanted to smash the water glass on the table.

He could somewhat guess Bai Wanning's intention, initially thinking that if she was willing to settle privately, a mere one or two million would resolve the matter.

But he never expected that this woman would demand five hundred and eighty million the moment she opened her mouth!

Was she crazy?

He admitted Bai Wanning had suffered a bit, but wasn't she perfectly fine? She could even return to her peak; why was she making such an outrageous demand, extorting such a huge sum from him!

"One and a half million at most." Lu Gui said coldly, roaring as he picked up his checkbook. He just wanted to get rid of this plague as quickly as possible.

However, just as he was about to put pen to paper, Bai Wanning suddenly smiled faintly, her voice sweet yet tinged with a hint of coldness: "This five hundred and eighty million isn't just compensation."

She paused, her gaze sharp, "It's also... my hush money."

"You think you can threaten me with this trivial matter?"

"Oh no, I'm certainly not that naive." Bai Wanning's tone was soft, like a murmur, yet also like a knife piercing the heart.

Lu Gui breathed a sigh of relief, just about to sneer, when Bai Wanning slowly frowned, "Too bad..."

"Too bad what?" Lu Gui subconsciously repeated.

"Too bad, what if I told your wife about your... special preferences?" She spoke each word distinctly, her tone as cold as an ice blade, "Are you still hiring college students to sleep with you? Does your wife know your lover is a man?"

She pouted, her tone sarcastic, "I bet those paparazzi tabloids would be very interested, especially in a certain industry big shot who likes to be 'passive' in bed."

Boom!

With a loud crash, Lu Gui suddenly stood up from his chair, pulling the leather chair behind him down, where it hit the floor with a heavy thud.

His face instantly turned pale, the arrogance and indifference in his eyes completely collapsing at that moment, leaving only panic and fear.