Chapter 156 - Infiltrating Pineapple Group

When work piled up, the days flew by quickly. Scarlet talked about her insecurities with Jedd77 that night after she came back from a photoshoot and felt much better knowing that there would be someone in the world that would miss her and wonder where she was if she screwed up on the mission. It was a rather twisted feeling but Scarlet wanted someone to feel as if they could never move on from her.

As her depression got worse with the demanding workload and expectations of others, Scarlet found herself experiencing more mood swings and darker thoughts she tried very hard to keep out of her mind. Her smile was still as beautiful as before in front of the cameras but her eyes had slowly lost their shine. The photographer that day must have noticed it too because he stopped the photoshoot halfway and told Scarlet to wear coloured contact lenses.

She might be able to fool the people around her who didn't see her or know her as an individual but she couldn't hide it from a professional who spent more than half his life studying people's souls and hearts by looking at them from a lens. Thankfully, the photographer didn't rat her out and kept her secret. The haunted look in her lifeless eyes scared her so much that the singer was glad those photographs wouldn't be published.

The teen writer wondered how long she would remain as the news headline if she died trying to achieve justice. For many years, she worked very hard to get dirt on Anastasia and finally, the opportunity presented itself. Ming Yang took the bait and invited Scarlet to a private party that the Pineapple Group hosted for their top executives as an annual casual meeting to maintain a good relationship with their business partners. Ming Yang usually went with a hired escort but this year, he wanted Scarlet to be his plus one at the event.

The CEO sweetened the deal a lot by giving Scarlet the opportunity to perform her songs for his guests at the gathering and promote her upcoming work to his business partners. Pamela thought that it was fantastic and Ming Yang played the card of an enthusiastic rich patron and fan very well. Even Raven couldn't find a reason to refuse such a good deal.

The business partners that will be attending were well-known in their fields. While not many of them were from the entertainment circle, there were many directors and presidents of other companies that worked closely with Pineapple Group. Scarlet caught a glimpse of the names and recognised some of them as people who were on her investigation list. The teen singer didn't have a reason to refuse the invitation but she still told Ming Yang that she needed time to discuss it over with her agency and stalled for time to give him her reply.

Honestly, Scarlet was afraid. She didn't dare to tell Jasper and Elfie about the invitation in fear that they would do something to mess up her meticulous plans. She knew that both the hacker and CEO were trying their best to approach Anastasia from a different angle without putting anyone in too much risk but Scarlet wasn't that patient. She had the golden opportunity before her now and while she was afraid that a repeat of the incident where she would be hunted by goons for holding onto Collin's evidence, Scarlet was determined to take that risk alone again.

Jedd77's words that night gave Scarlet courage to accept the invitation after a week of deliberation. The girl even made preparations in case something went wrong. Scarlet scheduled a post on her Human Observation Diary to be published if she didn't make it back in three days. That post contained everything that the world needed to know about Anastasia. If she couldn't bring the mafia boss down, she would at least cause a huge stir with her death.

Many people were afraid of dying but for Scarlet, death wasn't as scary as being forgotten. For a very long time, Scarlet lived like a doll with the Liu's. It was only after she became a true daughter of the Wilde family that Scarlet felt like a real human. The story about Pinocchio made Scarlet smile.

"I wonder if the blue fairy will make me a real Wilde princess if I succeed," the singer mused.

She looked over to the dress that Tina helped to pick out for the event. Pamela also blocked the day off for Scarlet when she told them she wanted to accept Ming Yang's invitation. Raven didn't seem happy but he relented and offered to be her driver and escort. Ming Yang wanted to pick her up at her residence but Scarlet didn't feel too comfortable about revealing her location so they agreed to meet at the venue separately.

The event was going to be held at a country club resort a little way out from Beijing city. The teen writer was nervous about it and looked into the large dressing mirror. She had rehearsed the lines many times in her head and perfected that smile in the mirror for the greeting and first impression she wanted to make on her targets. There were name cards in her clutch and all Scarlet had to do was capture everyone's attention at the party like how she always dominated the stage.

"It's going to be alright," Scarlet said and looked over at her phone.

For a moment she hesitated to join the chat room. It was late. Will Jedd be angry that she didn't listen to his advice and still chose to go ahead? What he didn't know couldn't hurt him but for some reason, Scarlet wanted to tell him about her decision just to know his reaction. Would he scold her or sigh in disappointment at her disobedience?

Frost: Hello

Jedd77: Busy day again?

Frost: No busier than the normal. I thought about what you said the other night.

Jedd77: Oh? Care to refresh my memory? We had many conversations over many nights, I can't remember everything…

Frost: I'm going to take the lady up on her offer and meet her clients. My manager and I decided that it would be a good opportunity for me to expand my contact network.

Jedd77: Does she still make you feel uncomfortable? Will you really be alright?

Scarlet paused. She expected a more intense reaction from Jedd like how she imagined Jasper and Elfie to be. For some reason, his concern didn't feel suffocating but it didn't feel like someone who said it like a programmed response out of courtesy. His genuine concern made Scarlet feel confused on the inside.

Frost: Are you worried about me?

Jedd77: Well yeah… isn't it normal to worry for a pal? Besides, it's not as if men cannot feel threatened. If she tries anything funny you should run as fast as you can. Screw chivalry and male pride, scream for help.

Frost: … Just what are you imagining?

Jedd77: Well, that's just the worst-case scenario. If they offer you drinks, make sure to take one that's not unattended and not passed by them. I don't know about you but I know of many r.a.p.e date drug cases at all these parties. People who are crazy in love can do just about anything. You're a very decent guy so I worry about your chastity.

Scarlet was speechless. While it was true she was pretending to be a male, isn't it a little odd for another male friend to be worried about another male friend's v.i.r.g.i.nity or something? Jedd was a real mystery sometimes and Scarlet couldn't understand how he came to that conclusion.

Frost: What are you talking about? Thank you very much but my chastity is fine, you don't have to worry about that. Besides, they are not that kind of person… I think.

Jedd77: You think? You're fresh meat for cougars! What do you think will happen if you put fresh meat in front of starving carnivores? You're not going to stand a chance.

Frost: … you have a really wild imagination. Have you been reading too much manga again? Those things only happen in stories… they're not going to happen to me. Also, this is a business meeting. Why would anyone try to drug me at a business party?

Jedd77: I don't know but if there are rooms at the party venue like a hotel's ballroom then you should be careful. Also, don't look down on the power of manga! According to the plot developments, 8/10 times something like this happens, it's a flag of destruction and r.a.p.e.

Scarlet shivered. Jedd was a NEET through and through. If she doubted it before, she now didn't. How could anyone know so many weeb terms if they weren't a NEET or otaku? Still, the night was spent debating with Jedd about possible scenarios of nasty cougars kidnapping a poor young and handsome business heir like him. Most of the scenario settings were ridiculous and it made Scarlet laugh if anything. However, one of the scenarios struck a little too close to home when Jedd talked about being trapped in a broom closet.

Frost: Hypothetically speaking, what should someone do if they are being pursued and hid in a broom closet when their pursuers are closing in with guns in their hands?

Jedd77: Really? We're going in that direction? I suppose you can do one of two things in a situation like this if you are the main character.

Jedd77: The first is to jump out of the closet and declare yourself an official proud member of the gay community

Frost: And the second?

Jedd77: Arm yourself with a broom and wait for the chance to smack the gun-blazing bad guys in the face before running for it. Of course, the more things you can find in the broom closet to buy time and throw them off guard, the better. For example, throwing buckets on their heads, pouring detergent on the floors to make them trip etc… hypothetically, this would give you enough time to get away or smack them unconscious.

Scarlet smiled as she read it then yawned.

Frost: Thanks for the tip, movie director. I'll be sure to survive like the shameless main character and tell you all about the cougars if they exist. Gotta sleep now…

Jedd77: Good night, hotshot! If you score some numbers please introduce me a sugar mummy lmao

Frost: Dream on

Jedd77: Hahaha! Alright, good night and sleep well.

That night, Scarlet had a good rest and dreamt of a different ending to the same nightmare for the first time in years. Instead of getting shot by Anastasia's henchmen, Scarlet made her escape with the help of brooms, detergent and buckets.