182 PERSONAL NOT BUSINESS

Hu Lei did not waste time. The only remaining part of the promotional event was handing out the festival awards and perhaps promoting the movie a little more. Therefore, she did not feel like she was irresponsible for leaving prematurely. Anyway, as Lan Jie said, she was not essential.

Though she was looking forward to having a little more fun, there were a few more planned events in the next two weeks even if the scale was smaller. There would be more opportunities for fun. She met up with Beatrice after she finished the collection of the fans' information. After a difficult struggle, they found a taxi and went back to pick up their vehicle at Illusion Entertainment.

"What happened?" Beatrice asked as she drove out of the parking lot.

They had not had the chance to talk about it while in the taxi. Plus, you never knew who was listening when in a public vehicle.

"It is nothing. Just a few flies buzzing around." Hu Lei smiled with a strange look in her eyes.

She had not been fooled by Wang Yue's façade when she had approached her in the morning. However, she had thought that the actress would be able to hold back her feelings. Unlike most people, Hu Lei was not bothered by people who wore masks. Masks were sometimes necessary for self-protection.

If Wang Yue had been able to hold back her feelings of animosity, she would not have taken any action against her. They could have maintained tentative peace and even gotten along. However, the woman had to be catty on her live stream. If Hu Lei ignored such direct provocation without scaring her a little, wouldn't people think that she was a paper tiger?

Beatrice looked at Hu Lei, but she could not decode her expression.

"Would you like to go home now?"

"No, drive me to Zhong Industries. Then, you can take the rest of the day off." Hu Lei smiled mischievously as she hatched a plan in her mind.

She had never gone to visit Zhong Feng in the office since she had come back. When she remembered the feeling of being with him back in Etude Technologies, she felt nostalgic. Also, it would be nice to give him a little surprise.

When Beatrice drove away, Hu Lei collected her thoughts and walked to the entrance of skyscraper. Though she was only wearing relatively casual clothes, her aura made one assume that she was a seasoned professional. She walked with confidence to the doors.

The security guards did not stop her since she looked like she belonged. It was not their job to know the identities of people entering and leaving the building. They only needed to prevent potential dangers from getting in.

Unfortunately, there was the obstacle of the primary front desk. An amateur would try to walk with bravado past them, but Hu Lei was not a fool. These people had nothing much to do except to watch the people walking through the doors. They would recognise anyone unfamiliar immediately.

"Good afternoon, I am here to report about the progress of the southern construction project." She said directly and clearly.

The three people looked at her with suspicion. She did not look the part of a person coming to the headquarters. Usually, people who came from the different branches of Zhong Industries would dress exceptionally because they hoped to be transferred to the main hub.

"Ha-ha, I know my clothes are up to standard. I came straight from the field. There are few urgent matters which need approval from above." She spoke in a partly self-deprecating and partly warning tone.

The message was clear. Delays could not be afforded. Since Hu Lei had 'forgotten her company ID' in a rush, she had to register her details at the front desk before she was allowed to pass through. She gave the name San Shi casually and spoke a little more corporate nonsense before walking away.

She smiled to herself. The easiest security measure to fool was one that depended on human beings. Usually, people would judge depending on what they saw and heard. As long as you presented yourself appropriately, you could go anywhere.

She found an elevator without much difficulty and pressed the button to the highest floor. It was common sense that the Big Boss would be in a lofty place far from the mortals. Hu Lei smiled when she thought about Zhong Feng's face when he saw her.

When the elevator doors opened, she found that the place looked deserted. It was completely quiet, even the AC had the barest of hums. If it was not for her good hearing, she would not have heard it. However, after walking a little from the lift, she found that there were two receptionists. She had to admire their ability to work noiselessly.

"Can I help you?" The woman at the entrance asked politely.

Hu Lei had been distracted, so she had not made anything up yet. It was unlikely that they would believe her flimsy excuse about the southern construction, though it really did exist. She considered her options for a moment.

"If you have no business here, you should leave." This would not be the first time someone had attempted to come close to the young president for their own means. It was their job to prevent this from happening.

"I have an appointment with the president." Hu Lei answered in an upright and undeniable tone.

The woman and her companion looked suspiciously at her but called Zhong Feng's secretary. After a short discussion, she put down the phone.

"There is no appointment noted down for this hour. What is your name? Perhaps the schedule is wrong." Obviously, this information was not only for checking if there was an appointment. She needed to know how the strange woman had managed to enter. She must have left her details at the main front desk.

Hu Lei smiled. "You have misunderstood. The appointment is personal not business. If you could direct me to the office, I will be out of your hair."

The two people frowned at the words because they knew their president. How could this woman have personal business with Zhong Feng? They knew all his associates and even women who were rumoured to be connected to him. They had never seen this woman before. Moreover, if he did not even give the beautiful Bei Gong miss the time of the day, how could this commoner measure up?

Before they could respond and chase her away, they found that Hu Lei was already walking deeper into the building. They could only blame themselves for being too inattentive and assuming that no one would have the guts to just walk to the president's office.

"Put the security team on stand-by." The woman told the younger man beside her.

"Shouldn't they come up directly?"

"What will you do if she is telling the truth?" The receptionist retorted.

Even though it seemed unlikely, there was a confidence in that girl. It made her think twice. She followed Hu Lei with unclear thoughts.