Milady's Fine Gentleman 158 SOLITUDE

Inside an empty house where only barking of a distant dog could be heard, a bundle of what could be taken as a disheveled man was lying limply onto the mattress laid on the barren floor. Half his body was vertically covered with a thin blanket from his right neck up to his right calf, and both feet uncovered. There were empty cans of beer scattered all over the floor, and at the left side corner of the room two gadgets – a cellphone and a laptop – were left charging.

It was around three in the wee hours of the morning. Chen Linyun had been staying in their dream house in the meantime. The moment he left Apartment 301, he felt that his world had crumbled. He lost all the motivation he had to continue living.

Chen Holdings was doing fine without his supervision. Mo Wenbin, Si Yazu and Zhou Xin, his business partners, were there to oversee things. All his other acquired companies were also doing well since he had left the management of those to the original set of directors.

That left him with nothing else to be busy about.

What irony could life play, when he had already achieved all the greatness in life with all the status and respect and acknowledgment of high society and financial market and still wake up every single day in an extremely big but empty mansion without a family - a wife and a kid – to share all the greatness with?

At this moment, Chen Linyun could enjoy such dry, dark humor.

Most of the time, his face was twisted with remorse for what he could have done more, or have done less, or have not done at all.

Were they too fast and to reckless – him and Xue Jinxu? Would it have played differently if they took the time and had taken it more slowly? Would it end the same?

Although the lady said that she will be back, when will that be? During this time apart, what could still occupy him and make him see any light? He, who had dedicated all his life for her. Without her, his life was empty.

Every turn he took, every nook and cranny reminded him of Xue Jinxu.

'She would not even think of me, most probably. She didn't want to be reminded of me.' He was deep in contemplation but always about Xue Jinxu. He closed his already droopy eyes and fell into slumber.

The next time he opened his eyes, it was flooded with yellow light. He sat up straight and tried to shield his sensitive newly-woken eyes from the afternoon sunlight with his hand forming a visor.

'What an uneventful day. What an uneventful life.'

Chen Linyun stared at the horizon. He stood up, and roamed the perimeter oh his estate. He stood at the mini bridge over a pond of koi fishes.

The caretaker of the house, Mr Ahn who lived in a small square space beside the mansion went inside to clean his mess. Afterwards when he went to return to his wife in their small living space, he still saw Chen Linyun standing on the bridge, staring at the horizon. His whole aura shouted dejection and an overbearing sense of solitude and melancholy. He pitied the master of the house, but could not do anything for him. He respected his privacy and went to his own small house where his wife was waiting.

Chen Linyun lingered at the bridge more. Earlier he was staring at the horizon, now he was gazing at the colorful koi fishes underneath him. They looked lively, so opposite of how he was.

'I have to divert my attention.' He thought in his mind. His mind stayed strong, and that's what's keeping him from totally breaking down. However, his body and his resolve had been too weak to even want to lift a finger.

He took a deep sigh. 'Mind over matter.'

'Somebody has to pay the price of what happened to my family.' He squinted his eyes and clenched his fists. 'I have all the time in the world to do that.'

He went back inside his house. The vast space with all the previous clutter had been cleaned spic-and-span by the caretaker.

Chen Linyun grabbed his laptop, and some documents from his bag. It was the files Xue Jinxu had stolen from Shi Fan Hai. 'The cost of our baby, she said.' He tightened his grip around the papers, crumpling the edges in the process.

He sat down and got to work.

For days and nights, he worked in his laptop.

What was he doing?

He was studying the petroleum industry, especially the trading and sourcing. He was researching on the market data, and the global news and happenings that affect the prices of oil. Graphs after graphs and news after news flashed on his laptop's screen.

At some instances, the usual eerie silence was broken down by news clips he played loudly from his laptop. The empty mansion momentarily came to life during these times.

After a few weeks of research, he booked flights to Singapore, US, and Middle East to meet influential people and leaders of corporations in the petroleum industry. He also attended conferences, seminars and workshops and actively broadened his horizons and connections. The file that Xue Jinxu gave him had a list of Shi Corporation's suppliers and other connections. He used it properly to make his own strong connections.

In no time, he had gained relevant and substantial amount of information about the petroleum industry, and could easily pass as an expert.

However, being an expert wasn't his end-goal. Instead, it was just the preparation for his plan. His retribution had not fully started yet.

'Somebody has to pay the price.' It had become his barren life's new mantra.

Chen Linyun's persona was filled with such darkness. He had become such a vengeful spirit with blood shot eyes only set on the end goal.

'I don't' have anything more to lose, but so much to gain. I had lost everything already.' He thought grimly, and that thought had been fueling his grudge and his plan of revenge.

'Eye on the target. Somebody has to pay the price.'

Chapter end

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