It's the next day, the alarm rang loudly from across his bed. He turned and tossed on the bed until his eyes cleared up, he realized he had just twenty minutes left before the train took off. He jumped out of the bed with his boxers still trapped on his waist.
He stared at the phone screen he held in his hand, a message from his boss at the restaurant waiting for his feedback from the new recipes he made a few days back, they turned out to be the new favorite for the customers.
He dialed the number, "Hello?"
"You are released from our suspension." His head chef said.
"No. I quit." He hung up. For once he felt superior to his mates and others involved in the company.
The number called, he picked it up arrogantly, "What?"
"Where are you?" The voice wasn't the same.
It was him, Mr Jade. "Be at the office before 9am." He hung up.
Li walked out of the house immediately, he reached the office he opened the door. He stood still, he realized he just interrupted a directors meeting without proper reasons. He waited for a while. "I'm sorry." He slowly stepped backward until he decided it wasn't time to shut the door quietly.
He observed the floor he stood on, he walked through the staircase. He reached the next floor, he walked past the doors until he noticed the names on the doors were fit for the owners of the offices. He stumbled across a door with his name on it. It had a title of executive assistant already written boldly on it.
He saw no one, just an office with a desk and some files already waiting for him to start. He turned the pages to and fro. Li turned to his right admiring the fancy tea cups and just to add, he had an assistant now. He realized he had an option when he saw a document underneath the files. It was a contract.
He read the document, he stopped reading when he saw the last requirement. "To be my secret boyfriend?"
Li hated his job, his social class, his source of income and even his talents. He felt like he wasn't enough anyway, he ignored the text message. This turned out to be exactly how he envisioned his life to be. He smiled at the thought of being the head of operations himself.
He stared at the paper once again. He waited for a while, "Secret boyfriend?"
"Li?" Zhao Ming called.
"Yes-sir?" He stared at Zhao.
"How are you?"
"Good."
Zhao walked closer to him trying to be friends with his personality. "Do you like the contract? Do you agree?"
"No. I mean I do but I don't know about the last part."
"That's the best part of the contract. It's an exclusive contract. Do you prefer the kitchen or the corporate world?"
Li replied, "I love it here but I don't know."
"Sign the contract. It's between the two of us. No one needs to know about it." Zhao stepped closer to him, he held his hand softly, "Sign it Li." He stared at him seductively for a moment. He kept his eyes on his lips.
Li moved back, "I'm sorry. I need to leave, I need some time to think about this option."
Zhao held his hand, "Li if you walk out, don't bother walking back into this building or any of the Jade industries ever again."
"Are you serious? Zhao you can't force me into doing anything I don't want. Stop it, leave me alone." Li uttered.
"I can and I will. I want you Li. I want all of you Li. And guess what, if you walk out of the building, prepare to walk out the city over all. We own the city and majority of the clans submit to me or my father, my family's included."
"And if I sue?"
Zhao smiled a bit. He laughed out loud, "Li? Are you serious? Come here. Don't act like that. Come closer to me, I'll come with the privileges you never saw coming. Trust me. You'll love me as much as I love you."
"Love me? Don't love me." Zhao held him close to his body. He kissed his lips softly, he removed the jade bracelet he had on his wrist. He placed it on Li's wrist.
Li wanted to give in but maybe one last time. "Zhao I want to leave. I'll live the city if I have to."
Zhao replied, "Oh wow. And with what money and whose permission with the money? Return the money you got."
Li didn't want the money out of his sight. He wanted his hands full without having to pay for anything at all. Li thought of his decision, pay for the sacrifice with his body or he got kicked out of the city and back to the outcast of the city.
He stared right back at his tattoo, he turned back to the mirror right in front of him and then back to Zhao. "I'll take it."
"Good. That's very good. Let's go." He smiled back knowing he had his way.
Li asked, "Excuse me? Why are you smiling? What's so funny?"
"You. You are funny. You make me laugh. Infact you've been making me laugh for a long time, maybe three months past now."
Li froze. This man is so weird. "Wait. You mean, you've been watching me for three months before coming to me today?"
"Of course! And then I stole your address from your formal bio. So cheap and easy!" He said overjoyed.
"Cheap and easy? How much did you pay?"
"Ten thousand yuan. It's quite cheap really."
"You call that cheap? Ten thousand yuan?!" Li nearly yelled out.
"Exactly, cheap. Come to think of it, what about yours? What will you do with your first month salary and bonus?"
So it wasn't free money? Li thought to himself.
"Of course I'll use it wisely."
"Wisely? Well get ready. We'll see later tonight. Get to work, you've got contracts to sign and meetings to attend. Bye!" He walked out happily.
Li Wei walked off to the desk and he sat.