The Police Report / Recollections of Meeting Her – Part 2
Tuesday, continued…
Hou Yi couldn’t stop thinking about the woman who was now his wife. Six months had passed since his arrival in Melbourne, Australia, after a series of business meetings in Tokyo. He had traveled to meet with the lawyers at ANX Lawyers, a firm based in Melbourne, to discuss preliminary matters related to a new commercial development. This project was part of a major expansion for Hou Enterprises, moving into sectors the company had never ventured into before—particularly those outside its traditional focus on manufacturing, retailing, and investment.
After disembarking from the plane and clearing customs, Hou Yi was reminded of how much time had passed since he last left Melbourne—about five or six years ago, after completing his MBA. He missed the friends he had made here, friends who treated him as an equal, not as the privileged heir to Hou Enterprises. Here, he was respected for his own work and merit, not because of his family legacy. Unlike his peers, who sought the sheltered, protected life of the wealthy, he came to Australia because it allowed him the freedom he craved. Moreover, Australia was increasingly becoming a key market for Hou Enterprises’ future expansion.
The one thing Hou Yi didn’t want was to run into another so-called “princeling”—Lu Jinhu. Lu Jinhu, who had always taken it for granted that he would become CEO of his family’s company, Lu Corporation, upon his father’s retirement, had done nothing to earn the position. For the last five years, he had made Melbourne his base of operations, even getting engaged to an Australian woman. However, his engagement had done little to curb his womanizing ways when he returned to City T, a habit that deeply disgusted Hou Yi.
Hou Yi knew that despite his own parents’ deep love and adoration for him, they had never blindly treated him as flawless. They had taught him the importance of hard work, honesty, respect for others, and, most crucially, the sanctity of marriage as a lifelong commitment. He had been raised to understand that everything he achieved, no matter how privileged, had to be earned.
Lu Jinhu, on the other hand, seemed to live in a world where he could do no wrong. His parents indulged his every whim, excusing his lack of respect for his fiancée and enabling his irresponsible behavior. Rumors about him circulated in City T—rumors of drugging and assaulting women, particularly those of lower social standing. His family used their wealth and influence to silence the victims or ensure that they couldn’t take legal action.
A month ago, during a visit to City T, Hou Yi overheard Lu Jinhu boasting to his friends about his plans. He revealed that once he had taken all he wanted from his Australian fiancée, he would discard her, ensuring that she left with nothing. He also casually mentioned that he would drug her and then make her available to his friends for sex—planning to film it, ensuring she was the only one visible, so that he could use it as blackmail to prevent her from taking any legal action.
Hou Yi found this behavior utterly reprehensible. It was a direct violation of the woman’s dignity, not just as his fiancée but as a person. He had wanted to confront him right then and there, but the charity event they were attending kept him from doing so. What bothered him most was that he didn’t know the woman’s details. He wished he could track her down to warn her, to help her protect herself from the nightmare that was being planned.
Shaking off the dark thoughts, Hou Yi forced himself back to more pleasant matters. As he would be staying in Melbourne for the night, he decided to reach out to his friends here. He quickly typed a message: “Hi everyone, in Melbourne overnight for company business. Anyone free to catch up for a meal and/or a drink?”
He paused for a moment, his mind wandering back to his first brief meeting with Anna. He glanced over at her and saw that she was still talking to Officer Mu, her face a picture of strength, though he could tell she was struggling to hold back tears. She was determined to face this, but Hou Yi knew she needed his support.
As he started to stand and move toward her, Anna caught sight of him from the corner of her eye. She shook her head gently, signaling to him that she didn’t need him right now. If she did, she would let him know. Hou Yi understood her unspoken message. He nodded and sat back down, trusting that she would call on him if she needed him.
