I had just hung up with Lan Ya when my Sheng Hao phone suddenly rang. The number looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't quite place it.
This was a new phone, and I hadn't saved many numbers. The caller ID only displayed a string of digits.
After a moment's hesitation, I pressed the answer button.
A familiar voice came through.
It was Crown Prince.
Of course, he had no idea I was Li Hua. He was definitely calling Sheng Hao.
"This is Sheng Hao, may I ask who's calling?" I said.
"You're Sheng Hao? Do we know each other? Your voice sounds so familiar."
Despite my efforts to disguise myself, he could still recognize me.
"And who might you be?" I asked.
"I'm Young Master Kang. Are you sure we don't know each other? Your voice is very much like someone I know."
"I've lived abroad for a long time and only recently returned with the chairman. You said you're Young Master Kang; have you been abroad too?"
"No, I'm here in Ruili. Your voice really sounds like someone I met here."
"Young Master Kang, did you call just to tell me this? I'm sorry, I don't know you. I'll have to hang up now."
"Don't hang up, don't hang up, I need to talk to you."
"Talk to me? We don't even know each other. What do you want with me?"
"It's like this, Brother Hui gave me your contact information. He was supposed to gather us all tonight to meet, but he suddenly had to go to the provincial capital this afternoon. So, he gave me your number and asked me to contact you. I've booked a private room at the Ruili Restaurant, and we can meet there to talk."
Just as I was about to find an excuse to decline, he hung up the phone.
That damned Crown Prince, still so overbearing.
I put on my mask and sunglasses and went upstairs to the senior's room.
The senior saw me return and asked, "Is everything arranged?"
"I haven't gone to find him yet. He found me. He wants me to go to the Ruili Restaurant tonight to chat," I replied.
"This must be Brother Hui's arrangement," the senior said.
"Yes, Brother Hui was supposed to introduce us tonight but had to leave due to an emergency, so he asked me to meet him," I explained.
"Then we'll play along. We'll ambush him at the place where you're dining, and we'll ambush you too, so he'll be convinced you're not Li Hua."
"That's a great idea, killing two birds with one stone!"
I turned to Wen Siqiang, who had just entered, and said, "Call Young Master Wu and tell him the situation has changed. Go to the Ruili Restaurant to ambush Crown Prince. I'll communicate the specific plan with him."
Wen Siqiang nodded and went to make the call. I quickly went to the mirror to check my appearance. I was about to meet Crown Prince. If he could recognize my voice, and my appearance also matched, then even with ten mouths, I couldn't explain myself.
I scrutinized my reflection. I was truly amazed by the senior's disguise techniques. This wasn't me, but it wasn't not me either. If anyone needed to definitively identify whether I was Li Hua or Sheng Hao, it would probably only be someone very close to me.
For example, my parents, or Jing Lei, Lan Ya, the senior, or Wen Siqiang. As for Crown Prince, I was appearing as Sheng Hao. No matter how much I looked like him, as long as I denied it, he couldn't do anything.
After all, Li Hua had caused such a stir this afternoon and gone to Fujian, which everyone knew. He couldn't possibly be unaware of this.
There were too many unknowns for the evening meeting. I could only take it one step at a time.
I rearranged my hair, tidying up the stray strands and securing them with a bit of hair wax.
Li Hua was a disheveled person. His long hair was always casually draped over his head, he wore casual clothes, and a pair of leather shoes. At first glance, he looked like a decadent youth.