The Lane family was one of the magazine's publishers' board members. She wanted Hawk to write a letter of recommendation. "Quite ambitious, aren't we?" Hawk smiled faintly. "A small matter, no problem." With that, he stood up, grabbed a pen and paper, and swiftly wrote a recommendation letter in a few minutes, handing it to Adriana: "Is this okay? If not, I can go home and ask the old man to write one for you."
"It's perfect, perfect!" Adriana took the recommendation letter, smiling with delight. She was quite self-aware; for such a small matter, a recommendation letter from Hawk, the board member's son, was enough. If she were to ask Hawk to involve old Mr. Lane, she would be overstepping her bounds.
"Okay." Hawk nodded. "Then, goodbye." He turned to see Adriana out.
"Wait a moment." Adriana tugged at Hawk's sleeve.
"What is it?" Hawk asked, puzzled. "Is there anything else?"
"I haven't properly thanked you yet!"
"Wasn't that earlier?"
"That was just out of politeness." Adriana tossed her long hair, exuding charm, her eyes like seductive silk. "The real thanks haven't begun yet! You've solved something that's been bothering me for a long time. How should I thank you?"
Out of politeness? Was this the legendary "polite boarding" of the entertainment industry? He learned something new. As for how Adriana would thank him... Hawk pondered for a moment and said, "Then let's just say, 'acknowledgments'!"
Under the night sky. Manhattan remained brilliantly lit. The neon lights twinkled, exceptionally enchanting. Lights illuminated the entire city, traffic flowed like a river, thousands of streams of light converging into an eternal spring of light, weaving freely through the crowds, dazzling and colorful. Truly worthy of being called the city that never sleeps. And off the coast of New York, due to tidal gravity, the sparkling waters saw endless waves crashing against the shore, again and again.
***
The next day. The fiery red sun rose from the horizon, radiating dazzling golden light. As time passed, fragmented golden light gradually dappled across Hawk's and Adriana's faces. Adriana showed no signs of waking up. The torn Victoria's Secret lingerie and black fishnet stockings on the bedroom floor amply illustrated the extent of their exhaustion.
Hawk turned his head to glance. Adriana was still asleep. One smooth, long leg was exposed from beneath the covers. He smiled softly, his hand slipping under the duvet, wrapping around Adriana's slender waist, burying his face in her hair, and taking a deep breath, his nostrils filled with her intoxicating fragrance. He couldn't resist pressing Adriana to "eat breakfast" again...
After washing up. "I should go. I've been missing all night; my family must be worried." Adriana put on women's clothes stored in Hawk's apartment. A black suit jacket with a deep V-neck, revealing a white shirt underneath that accentuated her full figure. Below, a black pencil skirt and black stockings, her buttocks perky, her legs shapely and long, exuding the allure of an office lady. Supermodels truly were supermodels; walking clothes hangers, any outfit looked perfect on them. Adriana, carrying her Prada bag, bid Hawk farewell.
"Give me your phone." Hawk's voice was filled with an undeniable command: "Let's exchange contact information. Keep in touch when you have time." Adriana, of course, wouldn't refuse. Firstly, the Lane family was a top American power. If she could maintain this connection, it would greatly benefit her and her family. Secondly...
Standing downstairs at the Steinway Tower, Adriana couldn't help but gently rub her toned abdomen, blushing slightly, and murmured, "How could he be so amazing? It's like he's on drugs, even crazier..." If she knew that Hawk had already "performed" twice before her, she would probably be even more impressed!
After Adriana left, Hawk was already fully dressed. A perfectly tailored dark gray cashmere suit, paired with a light blue shirt, no tie, the top button casually undone, exuding both an elite aura and youthful vitality. At this moment, he was one of the most dazzling students in Columbia University's economics department, known on Wall Street as the "Financial Storm Eye" – Hawk Lane.
Columbia University campus. Ancient stone buildings intertwined with modern glass curtain walls. The air was filled with the mixed scent of books, coffee, and crushed autumn leaves. This was a temple of knowledge and capital, and also an arena of status. And Hawk Lane was undoubtedly the natural protagonist on this stage.
"Hey, Hawk! Can I copy your notes from last night's investment club meeting?" A blonde, blue-eyed, curvaceous girl smiled as she approached, her tone familiar.
"No problem, Emily. I'll email them to you later." Hawk responded with a gentle, polite smile.
"Lane, are you really going to 'condescend' to attend the finance tea party this afternoon? I heard you debunked a senior's model in just ten minutes last time." An Arab-looking girl, carrying a thick economics textbook, asked with a mix of admiration and teasing.
"Academic exchange isn't important. I just really like Professor Emilia's pastries." Hawk winked, eliciting a low chuckle. The charm of the persona he presented was not in exaggerated flamboyance, but in his effortless composure, profound knowledge, and innate elegance. Much of this stemmed from his experiences and academic life in his previous life. Coupled with the immense wealth and mystique represented by the Lane name, he became the focus of countless eyes on campus. Girls privately discussed which brand of suit he wore today, while boys speculated about his family's investment movements. He moved through the crowd like a steady yacht gliding through a bustling sea.
The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Hawk politely declined several classmates' invitations for lunch and walked steadily towards a small, private lounge on the top floor of the business school building. This was one of the Lane family foundation's "safe houses" on campus.
Pushing open the door, Andy was already waiting inside. Andy had changed out of her business suit, wearing a comfortable but exquisitely textured off-white cashmere sweater and slim-fit trousers, her long hair casually tied up, revealing her elegant neck. "The campus prince is back?" Andy looked up, a smile playing on her lips, her gaze both sharp and gentle. "Looks like it was a good day; at least a triple-digit focus index."
Hawk took off his suit jacket, casually draped it over the chair back, and walked towards her. "How's the public opinion manipulation for Bates Capital progressing?"
"According to plan." Andy handed him a cup of coffee, her fingertips brushing his hand inadvertently, leaving a subtle sensation. "Several mainstream financial media 'anonymous sources' have begun to hint at Bates Capital's risk exposure in certain gray projects in East Asia. Evidence of Bates Capital's dealings with gangs and overseas criminal organizations has started to appear online."
Hawk nodded, took a sip of coffee, his gaze resting on Andy's face. Without the intense professional tension, she now exuded an intellectual languor and deep charm. "How are the two girls?"
"Ja-yoon," Andy's tone grew serious when she mentioned the name, "she's adapting. Her learning speed is astonishing, especially in combat techniques and weapon usage, far exceeding expectations. But life skills... she's like a newborn beast. I've arranged basic lessons for her, starting with recognizing money and taking the subway. She spends most of her time in the apartment's shadows; her vigilance has never dropped. As for Shi-ah..." Andy's expression softened. "She's very happy. Like a true child discovering a new world. I bought her a complete set of art supplies, and she spent all day drawing the view outside the window, and... you. It's quite abstract, but you can tell it's her 'Mr. King'."
Andy opened her tablet, displaying a boldly colored, childishly drawn picture: a black figure in a long trench coat standing on top of a tall building, with the city lights sparkling like stars in the background. Hawk looked at the drawing, pursing his lips: "Hmm... my most handsome face was perfectly avoided by her." Andy responded with a beautiful eye-roll.
"Protect that innocence; it's her most precious part, and possibly her most powerful weapon in the future."
"Understood." Andy put down the tablet and walked to the window, looking down at the campus. "Bates must be in a frenzy by now." "And they seem to be acting on someone's orders, attempting to quickly transfer core assets through several offshore shell companies. The methods are crude, leaving many loose ends."
"That's exactly what we want." Hawk walked behind her, his voice deepening. "Let them panic, let them make mistakes, expose all their 'loose ends.' In one month, I want the name Bates Capital to completely disappear from Wall Street's map." He reached out, his slender fingers gently caressing the back of Andy's neck, revealed by her tied-up hair. Her skin was delicate and warm.
Andy's body stiffened slightly, then relaxed. A deeper trust and understanding flowed silently between them. She didn't turn around, simply leaned back slightly, letting her back press against his chest. "Be careful. Get more bodyguards during this time. Be wary of them lashing out. But it won't be much longer."
"I know." Hawk's hand slid from her neck to her shoulder, slowly turning her around. Their distance instantly closed, their breaths audible. Sunlight outlined his sharply defined jawline, his light-brown eyes as deep as an abyss. Andy didn't resist, only raised her eyes, now glistening with a hint of moisture, to look at him. The air seemed to condense. She wasn't an inexperienced girl, but Hawk's aura, a mix of absolute power and fatal attraction, could always easily dismantle her proud self-control. She tilted her head slightly, not backing down, but rather like a queen ready to face a challenge: "Orders?"
Hawk's lips curved. He didn't answer, just suddenly lowered his head...
"...Hawk... this is..." Andy gasped between kisses, trying to remind him that although this was a hidden safe house, it was still on campus.
"Safe house! Very safe!" Hawk's voice was thick with emotion. Andy's last line of defense crumbled. The suit jacket, cashmere sweater, shirt... were peeled off one by one, silently sliding onto the thick carpeted floor. Sunlight streamed through the blinds, casting their shadows onto the ground. After the storm, a desolate tranquility.
In the following days, the sky over Wall Street was ignited by an invisible fire. The Lane Group's vast financial machine – Lane Capital – under the command of the business genius Andy, operated efficiently and ruthlessly.
**Step one, the public opinion storm escalated:** What had initially been "anonymous hints" in financial media began to turn into named investigative reports and in-depth analyses. Bates Capital's past, meticulously concealed ties to gray areas in East Asia and even criminal organizations, like Pandora's Box opening, saw a continuous flood of shockingly detailed "evidence" thrown into the public eye. On social media, labels like "Bates Capital: blood-stained" and "financial mob" spread wildly, inciting public anger and fear.