Boonie Bears: Another World Fantasy

"It's rare to see you get the short end of the stick, young lady."

As soon as I turned on my headset, the old butler's humorous voice came through.

At this moment, An Han looked out the window of the dining table with a somber expression, and said indifferently:

Are you spying on me?

Peng Fei, feeling somewhat embarrassed, was about a body length away from her. An Han's "purpose" was clear; she had deliberately booked a double seat by the window. The male waiter in charge of taking orders bowed and scraped to An Han, almost becoming her personal servant.

People nearby gradually turned to look at the two of them, their intense gazes almost burning Peng Fei to ashes.

Everyone was astonished at who this person was who could get so close to the young lady of the Sunset Group.

Peng Fei deliberately kept his face low, as if doing so would slightly reduce the chances of him trending on social media tomorrow...

"Why not stay there and socialize? Marry a great man from Shenzhen if you meet him." Karl seemed to be teasing her, he'd brought this up countless times, and he always knew what An Han would say next.

"Don't even think about it, Carl."

She glanced at the menu expressionlessly and handed it to Peng Fei across from her.

"It's rare for us to have a meal together, so you can order first."

While exchanging menus, he gave her a somewhat awkward wink, as if to say: Why did you have to book such a prominent spot?

An Han rested her chin on her hand, her bright pink nail polish sparkling. She blinked rhythmically and replied, "It's nothing, just treat it as a normal meal."

Peng Fei had engaged in such special conversations countless times before. Even back in elementary school, An Han and he had already learned to communicate simply by blinking.

At that time, she was still very introverted and didn't like to talk, let alone take the initiative to talk to other boys.

So many years have passed, and now she has emerged from her cocoon like a butterfly, reaching a height that everyone looks up to.

"Are you with Peng Fei now?"

"Um……"

An Han didn't know how Karl kept track of her movements, but she didn't want to think about it. All she wanted now was to see him again after so many years and find out how he had managed these past few years…

"Carl, see you tomorrow," she said softly.

"Miss, about that matter—"

The headset was switched off with a "snap," and An Han took it off without hesitation.

……

Karl, sitting in front of the large screen, shook his head, poured the freshly brewed coffee into a cup, and instantly, steam billowed out. The live feed on the screen illuminated his graying temples.

She was always so independent and did things her own way.

But thinking of the girl's indelible scars from the past, Karl was overwhelmed with self-reproach. Perhaps she could have a freer future of her own, instead of becoming an appendage of the setting sun.

It's time to let go, Carl.

Let her do what she wants.

……

After a quick meal, the two did not intend to go back immediately, but instead went to a nearby park to watch the sunset together.

After finally escaping the envious and jealous gazes of the crowd, Peng Fei groaned inwardly. In this familiar environment, he recalled how he and Zhao Lin had broken up on the rooftop a few days earlier, facing a similar scene.

Across the artificial lake, on the isolated opposite bank, the traces of Typhoon L1 still linger in Shenzhen. Construction crews continuously move to and fro in the hardest-hit areas of the city center. The steel buildings, severed in half, resemble rotting, skeletonized giant monsters, shrouded in deathly silence. The only visible signs are the glaring sparks of welding. The crimson sunset hangs over the ruins, like a giant, bloodshot eye, silently watching everything that has happened.

This city has suffered too much.

Perhaps feeling the oppressive atmosphere on the other side, An Han turned her back, resting her hand on the iron railing, unwilling to look any longer. The breeze across the lake gently ruffled her long, loose hair, a few strands playfully brushing against Peng Fei's cheek. A casual glance revealed the girl bathed in golden light, her dark black halter dress tinged with a muted gold.

"What are your plans for tonight?" Peng Fei suddenly asked.

Her smile remained, and she spoke softly:

"Wherever you go, I will go."

Peng Fei laughed too; he had heard those words countless times.

She was trying to prove to him that An Han was still the same An Han, unchanged, even though her identity and status had almost become the labels that defined her.

Two black swans drifted across the lake, their necks intertwined, before disappearing into the water, as if using the vast lake as their stage.

An Han saw it, but her eyes held a different emotion.

"Where have you been all these years...?" She wanted to know, so she wouldn't easily give up on this persistent desire.

“After high school, I heard less and less from you, and my father forbade me from having any more contact with you.”

Knowing she would ask that, he shrugged easily and joked:

"Traveling alone, going hiking, and then it's about making money and finding a job."

Peng Fei intentionally concealed some of the truth. He was actually exploring matters concerning the Western Regions with Zhao Lin before arriving in Shenzhen. He never expected to run into An Han, his childhood friend, here, nor did he expect that An Han, whom he hadn't seen for so long, would look so different…

"And what about you? How did you get to this point?" Peng Fei stared at her, anticipating how she would recount her transformative story. Not far away, the headquarters of Sunset Group stood tall on the opposite side of the city center, its all-glass mirror design making it the most dazzling building in the area.

She subconsciously looked back at the two black swans, only to find that they had already disappeared.

An Han understood, of course, that Peng Fei was just giving her the runaround. After all, to him, she was no longer the same person she used to be. The current her was both a stranger and a familiar figure.

Yes, the An Han of the past is dead.

"Can I talk about this later tonight?" She pursed her lips, and her unique sexiness suddenly surged up.

Peng Fei's heart fluttered, but he pretended to be nonchalant and said:

"Want to grab a drink?"

He knew that An Han rarely drank alcohol and had a low alcohol tolerance, so he was just asking tentatively and didn't expect her to agree.

"can."

Seemingly seeing through Peng Fei's little scheme, An Han unusually did not refuse.

She clung to Peng Fei's right arm like a clingy cat.

Not far from the two, a sharply defined triangular head slowly emerged from the lake. Its murky eyes were fixed on An Han.

At the same time, fragments of a black swan's carcass, stained with blood, also floated to the surface.

……

"Goodbye, Sister Lin!"

Xiao Ke, her mouth full of barbecue and salad, mumbled her farewells, slung her backpack over her shoulder, and waved frantically at Zhao Lin.

This young girl received a call from the editor-in-chief halfway through her meal and was forced to go back and submit materials.

Editor-in-Chief Wu is really torturous.

But Xiao Ke seems to have inexhaustible energy; she is always full of vitality and energy.

Wasn't she always like this?

On the street, the streetlights flickered. Watching the girl's receding figure, Zhao Lin gripped the digital camera in her hand and saved the file.

The power struggle with An Han is still vivid in my mind, and this camera witnessed it all.

If Zhao Lin hadn't held back her trump card until the very end, she wouldn't have been confident enough to gain the upper hand in the interview just now.

That's right, from the very beginning, she planned to "blackmail" An Han.

Even if it means risking their future and career.

……

an hour ago.

"Miss An, do you know Zixing?"

Zhao Lin's words were startling, and An Han, who had been absent-minded, was suddenly stunned by these two words.

A look of surprise flashed across her dilated pupils, but it only lasted for a moment.

"know."

An Han spoke lightly, but her heart was in turmoil.

Purple Star? How could she possibly know? It was something she had only heard of but never seen. Inside Sunset, there was a secret supply chain dedicated to producing it, but An Han had never figured out its exact location, and only knew that Purple Star was a special chemical reagent... Setting up a dedicated production line to produce it would be completely unprofitable for Sunset, which was only responsible for construction and industrial product manufacturing.

Zhao Lin's expression subtly changed. She glanced in Xiao Ke's direction and continued:

“The interview is over, Ms. An. Now it’s time for a private chat. Would you mind staying a little longer?” Zhao Lin glanced at the door, hoping the two bodyguards wouldn’t come in so soon.

Having said that, An Han naturally wouldn't let go of this opportunity to talk to Zhao Lin, especially since she seemed to possess some information that even she herself didn't quite understand.

As expected of a reporter with exceptional work skills.

"Purple Star is an internal secret of the Sunset Group. How did Reporter Zhao obtain this information?"

Zhao Lin smiled. An Han's intentions were very clear; she was already suspecting that there might be a mole within the organization.

She kept An Han in suspense for a moment, whetting her appetite.

"When L happened, it was also the same day that Miss An's father had his accident. Sunset Group never even considered having you inherit this position, did they?"

She easily exposed the fabricated lies in the public opinion, leaving An Han speechless.

"Sunset has portrayed you as an heir who has been in charge of the group for a long time, but that's just a facade. The truth is, you have no experience in managing a company and are merely a figurehead."

Zhao Lin deliberately emphasized her words.

"You're just a pretty face, an appendage of the setting sun, a puppet without any real power, so you don't know what Purple Star is."

Before she could finish speaking, An Han clenched her fist and grabbed Zhao Lin by the collar.

"Young reporter, don't go too far."

Her tone was threatening, but it didn't frighten Zhao Lin.

"Sister Lin?!" Xiao Ke wanted to come up and help, but Zhao Lin stopped her verbally.

"Save the recording, Xiao Ke, don't lose it..."

This also reminded An Han, who was in a state of excitement, that she reluctantly let go of her hand and sat back down.

"The purple star was left behind by the black hole that suddenly appeared above Shenzhen on L day," she said, emphasizing each word.

"It's a residual substance..."

"It's the same question as before, how did you know?" An Han interrupted her, asking impatiently.

"After that, I secretly entered the quarantine area once."

"This stuff is everywhere there..."