Emma walked behind Haoran into a very grand office room with large floor-to-ceiling windows. In the middle of the room were a luxurious desk and a display cabinet with various awards and a collection of antique vinyl records.Behind the desk, on a large chair that looked more like a throne, sat a man in his 50s who looked quite similar to Haoran, with partially white hair and a stern face devoid of a smile that was always on his son"s face. The man looked up when he saw Haoran enter with Emma.
"Who do you bring with you?" Mr. Lee asked his son. He raised an eyebrow and studied Emma.
"This is my girlfriend, Emma, Father." Haoran turned to Emma and gave her a signal to approach his father. The girl nodded and walked over to Mr. Lee.
"Good day, Mr. Lee. My name is Emma." She took out something from her bag and handed it to Mr. Lee. "I heard you collect antique vinyl records. Incidentally, last week I found this in an online antique market and immediately thought of you."
Mr. Lee frowned and accepted the gift from Emma. He opened the wrapper and scanned the vinyl record in his hand. He chuckled when he saw the name of the singer and alb.u.m t.i.tle.
"How much do I have to pay you?" asked Mr. Lee, glaring at Emma.
The girl shook her head and smiled. "It"s a gift. Think of it as a gift for our first meeting, Sir."
Emma then reached out her hand and invited Mr. Lee to shake hands. Because this girl had given him a gift, Mr. Lee"s att.i.tude became more relaxed. He shook Emma"s hand and looked into her eyes.
Emma smiled broadly as she squeezed the man"s hand. "Haoran said that you invited him to attend Ren Hanenberg"s presentation at s.p.a.ceLab in a few days. I am also very interested in s.p.a.ce and would love to attend. Would you mind if I go with you both?"
Edward Lee seemed to blink a few times and then answer. "No, I don"t mind. You may join us..."
Haoran, who had been watching Emma"s interaction with his father, suddenly heaved a sigh of relief. He did not know that Emma had investigated his father and found out that he collected old records and took the time to bring the man a present.
He just realized that Emma prepared a backup plan to win Haoran"s father"s heart if she failed to control his thoughts.
What a smart girl, thought Haoran proudly.
"I also heard how Haoran hasn"t seen his mother for a long time. Don"t you think it"s unfair for him? I think that after returning from Switzerland, we can stop by Shanghai to meet his mother." Emma continued speaking while staring closely at Mr. Lee. "You must agree and not cancel it for whatever reason."
Haoran gasped at Emma"s words. His eyes were rounded, and his body suddenly froze when he heard the words coming out of Emma"s lips in a commanding tone. His gaze then directed at his father, who blinked his eyes several times and a moment later nodded stiffly, like a robot.
"Very well. Haoran may visit his mother after the trip to Switzerland," Mr. Lee said in a flat tone.
"Thank you." Emma took her hands off Mr. Lee and then stepped back. She breathed a sigh of relief. She was happy that she could indeed use her telemancy to control Mr. Lee. She quickly locked her command in the man"s mind and ensured that he would not go back on his words.
"Emma ..." Haoran whispered in a tone of disbelief. The girl smiled sweetly and pulled his hand out of Mr. Lee"s office.
"Our business here is finished. We better go home," Emma said. Haoran, who was still dumbfounded, subconsciously walked after her.
***
Far far away in s.p.a.ce, a medium-sized s.h.i.+p traveled in the speed of light across the Milky Way galaxy. On the wide control bridge, several men with similar-looking short-hair, dressed in military uniform, were working to control the s.h.i.+p and discussing their travel plans.
"How far are we now?" Suddenly, a young man walked into the bridge with casual steps and asked the officers about their progress. All the officers who saw him come immediately rose from their seats to show respect.
A serious-looking man who seemed the most senior among them nodded respectfully at the young man who had just entered. This newly-arrived man did not have short hair like the rest of them, and neither did he wear a military uniform. However, it was clear that he had a high position because everyone on the bridge looked at him with reverence.
The young man had white hair down to his shoulders and a really handsome but expressionless face. His light blue eyes shone like bright topaz, showing high intelligence. He had a high nose and thin lips that made him look ruthless because his face showed no expression.
"We have pa.s.sed the third black hole. At current speed, we will arrive on the planet in three months from now," the officer replied respectfully.
"Good. I can"t wait."
The young man walked closer to the huge window on the bridge and watched the s.p.a.ce outside the s.h.i.+p. For the first time, his face beamed, and a smile curved upon his lips. The ruthless impression immediately disappeared, replaced by the innocent look of a child.
It was as if the devil turned into an angel with just a smile.