Chapter 2 

Spring in Shanghai, even the plane trees shed their catkins.  

When the taxi stopped in front of the skyscraper, Lin Koukou had just finished flipping through the latest issue of *Headhunter Circle* magazine. She stepped out of the car, sent a message to Sun Kecheng, then looked up at the towering building.  

Its glass facade soared into the clouds, and through the revolving doors passed a steady stream of impeccably dressed urban elites.  

The Huangpu River, Lujiazui—this was prime real estate, where every inch of land was worth its weight in gold.  

Even the four major headhunting firms in the industry wouldn’t dare set up shop in such an expensive location. Yet Crossroads Headhunting did—  

This boutique firm, with fewer than twenty employees, was an anomaly in the industry.  

They specialized exclusively in high-end executive recruitment, refusing any position with an annual salary below a million. Despite their small team of headhunting consultants, their annual performance rivaled that of top-tier firms with two to three hundred employees. Numerous institutions had courted them with lucrative offers for financing or acquisition, only to be coldly turned away…  

Lin Koukou had an indelible impression of this company.  

Because during her years at Horizon, Crossroads had been their biggest stumbling block.  

If Horizon approached a client, Crossroads would compete for them. If Horizon engaged a candidate, Crossroads would poach them. If Horizon ventured into a new industry, Crossroads would swiftly follow, carving out a share of the market.  

At first, Lin Koukou thought it was just coincidence.  

But over time, she realized Crossroads was deliberately targeting Horizon, dead set on opposing them at every turn!  

Especially their partner, Pei Shu—  

Just the thought of his name left a bitter taste in her mouth.  

*Pei Shu*—his name meant “forgiveness,” but the man himself was anything but.  

Pei Shu was notorious for holding grudges.  

Once, a candidate who had accepted an offer from a client company ghosted him and never showed up for the job. Pei Shu promptly blacklisted the candidate, ensuring half of Shanghai’s HR departments shut their doors on him.  

If Lin Koukou stole a deal from him, he’d retaliate twofold.  

Even a careless remark from a director of the Headhunter Association—dismissing Crossroads’ high-end recruitment strategy as having poor prospects—earned a permanent spot in Pei Shu’s little black book. Regardless of the director’s status, Pei Shu never missed an opportunity to drag him out for public ridicule in media interviews.  

…  

Money over people, vengeance multiplied.  

That was Pei Shu—a headhunter ranked in *Headhunter Circle* magazine, leading Crossroads’ elite team of fewer than twenty, dominating the hunting grounds with unmatched prowess. A true force to be reckoned with.  

And yet…  

Lin Koukou and he were like oil and water.  

Strictly speaking, they had never met. But operating in the same city, within the niche world of high-end recruitment, their indirect clashes were too numerous to count. Their personalities and styles were polar opposites, and their enmity ran deep.  

There was even an industry rumor that Pei Shu had declared he wouldn’t set foot anywhere Lin Koukou was present. The only thing Lin Koukou knew for certain was that they had never appeared at the same public event—whether it was an association gathering or a private get-together among friends.  

She had heard whispers: *They say Pei Shu swore he’d never go anywhere Lin Koukou is.*  

So now, Lin Koukou was curious—  

Did Pei Shu know Sun Kecheng had invited her to Horizon?  

A new message popped up on her phone. She glanced down.

Just then, Sun Kecheng replied: “Wait a moment! I’ll be right down to get you.”

Lin Koukou responded with a single word: “Okay.”

But after sending it, she reconsidered. Instead of waiting downstairs, she tucked her phone away, confirmed her appointment at the lobby, and headed straight for the elevator.

—She wanted to see for herself what kind of company Crossroads really was.

When she left Horizon, Lin Koukou had signed a one-year non-compete agreement.

Now that the term had ended, many established headhunting firms, including the Big Four, had timed their offers perfectly, some even reaching out months in advance to recruit her.

Her inbox was already flooded with invitations.

But the one that caught her eye immediately was from Crossroads: what could be more intriguing than an olive branch extended by a former rival?

The elevator ascended to the 39th floor, which was entirely occupied by Crossroads.

As soon as Lin Koukou stepped out, she saw the words “Crossroads Headhunting” emblazoned on the wall ahead.

Through the open door to the left, the receptionist was murmuring into a phone. Hanging up, she looked up at Lin Koukou with a smile and asked, “Hello, how may I assist you?”

Lin Koukou confirmed her appointment.

After verifying, the receptionist promptly escorted her to the meeting room, though she couldn’t resist sneaking several glances at Lin Koukou along the way, as if trying to see past the oversized sunglasses obscuring half her face—to determine whether she truly had “three heads and six arms,” as the rumors claimed.

Lin Koukou found it amusing: after a year away from the industry, just returning to Shanghai, she already felt like some rare specimen, worthy of such scrutiny?

She followed the receptionist into Crossroads.

It was clear the company was far from strapped for cash. The interior design was tasteful, with numerous meeting rooms of varying sizes, all featuring glass walls that lent an air of transparency while also exuding a sharp, modern edge—much like the impression the firm left on the outside world.

But Lin Koukou hadn’t expected that halfway to the meeting room, before even arriving, she’d witness an office door being forcefully shoved open. A tall, young man strode out with visible irritation, while an older man trailed behind him in a fluster.

“She’s already downstairs. Don’t be like this,” Sun Kecheng pleaded, practically ready to kneel before this obstinate partner. “I’m doing this for the company’s long-term growth. You haven’t even met her—what if you realize she’s not so bad once you interact?”

Pei Shu didn’t look back. “There’s no ‘what if.'”

Sun Kecheng grabbed his arm, persisting. “The company is just the two of us as partners. Her joining won’t affect you at all. Hell, she might even help you make more money—”

Pei Shu ignored him and kept walking.

Beyond lay the open office space.

His two top performers, Meng Zhixing and Ye Xiang—one male, one female, both senior headhunting consultants at the firm—had been waiting outside. The moment he emerged, they fell into step beside him down the hallway.

Meng Zhixing held out a proposal and whispered, “Zhongguang Group sent over a collaboration offer—”

Pei Shu barely glanced at a single line on the first page before replying coldly, “If they can’t commit to a 30% upfront payment, tell them to get lost.”

Ye Xiang immediately stepped in, murmuring, “The candidate for Jin Cheng Law Firm’s position isn’t satisfied with the client’s proposed salary—”

Without breaking stride, Pei Shu snapped, “Three-legged toads are rare, but two-legged candidates aren’t. Find someone else.”

Without hesitation, his words came at an extremely rapid pace.

As if every extra second spent speaking was a waste of his life and money.

Meng Zhixing and Ye Xiang immediately knew—today, the Boss had swallowed explosives. They couldn’t afford to touch a nerve. After asking their questions, they quickly made themselves scarce, not daring to utter half a word more.

Lin Koukou saw it from afar. Though she couldn’t hear clearly, her slender brows couldn’t help but arch slightly.

Even if they had never met before, just based on this domineering, authoritarian style, she could already deduce the other’s identity—

Who else could it be but Pei Shu?

Dressed in a perfectly tailored smoke-gray suit, cinched at the waist, with long, straight legs and an impeccable silhouette, he gave off an air of aristocratic charm at first glance. Yet his handsome face was listless, brimming with an aloofness that kept others at arm’s length. His eyes and brows were weary, and the corners of his lips carried a hint of icy mockery.

A face full of deathly ennui.

The demeanor of a difficult, high-maintenance ancestor.

Lin Koukou’s first impression of this man was truly… indescribable.

Meng Zhixing and Ye Xiang had already fled, but Sun Kecheng couldn’t.

Walking behind Pei Shu, he pleaded earnestly, “You’ve always wanted to take on Direction, but hasn’t Lin Koukou already left Direction? Now’s the perfect opportunity for us to unite all the forces we can.”

Pei Shu replied, “I can handle Direction alone. I don’t need anyone else meddling.”

Sun Kecheng was at his wit’s end. “But I’ve already sent the invitation. Can’t you two bury the hatchet, whatever grudge you have?”

“What grudge that is, you don’t need to know.” Pei Shu finally stopped walking and turned around, delivering an ultimatum to Sun Kecheng. “In short, if she comes, I leave. We’ll just go our separate ways.”

Sun Kecheng choked up, rendered speechless.

The entire office outside fell into silence.

The receptionist, standing in the hallway, overheard the conversation and didn’t dare take another step forward.

Only Lin Koukou, after a brief silence, suddenly laughed and leisurely remarked, “There’s actually such a good deal?”

Hearing her voice, Pei Shu’s brows instantly furrowed.

Sun Kecheng was also stunned.

Both turned their heads and finally noticed Lin Koukou standing at the corner.

Sun Kecheng had met Lin Koukou twice before, both at large-scale events, and only in passing without any deep interaction. Moreover, her appearance had changed so much over the past year, and with the oversized sunglasses she wore, he hesitated, unsure if it was really her.

Pei Shu, however, grew cold the moment he saw her.

Clearly, though he had never met Lin Koukou before, he understood her far better than Sun Kecheng. Just the sight of that sharp jawline was enough to confirm her identity.

A glint of dark light flickered through his narrowed eyes as Pei Shu stared at her, repeating one of her earlier words: “Good deal?”

Lin Koukou casually removed her sunglasses, revealing her strikingly beautiful face.

Standing where she was, she provocatively curled her lips at Pei Shu. “I come, you leave—isn’t that perfect? The spot’s already cleared. I’ve saved up a bit over the past two years, just enough to buy in and partner with Mr. Sun.”

Pei Shu: “…”

Sun Kecheng was dumbfounded, pointing at Lin Koukou, unable to speak for a long moment. “You… you…”

Lin Koukou smiled faintly, extending her hand to shake his. “I came up without waiting for you to fetch me. I hope Mr. Sun doesn’t mind?”

The Kynam Incense Beads on her wrist swayed slightly.

Pei Shu caught sight of them inadvertently and slowly frowned.