Malibu, a private beach
At almost the very moment Samuel left that sealed chamber, night had just begun to touch the Pacific coast.
Far from the roar of the highway, at the entrance to a secluded beach, three luxury cars stood motionless as sculptures. Sophia Rockefeller stepped out first, drawing in a deep breath of the cool, salty air, a look of relief settling on her face. She turned and reached a hand naturally toward Mason inside the car.
Mason took her hand and stepped onto the fine sand. In stark contrast to the neighborhood still echoing with the shift in power and the remnants of violence, here there was only the soothing rhythm of waves washing ashore and the soft sea breeze caressing his face. In the distance, city lights traced a glittering skyline; nearby, moonlight and starlight broke into shimmering silver scales on the dark expanse of the sea.
Sophia kicked off her shoes, her bare feet sinking into the cool sand as she led Mason toward the water's edge. The fine grains flowed between her toes, cool and grounding.
"Just now..." she began, her voice soft against the sound of the waves, "...it felt like a strange, bewildering dream."
Mason nodded. "Yeah, it really does feel a bit unreal."
"Being with you, Mason," Sophia turned her head, moonlight catching in her eyes, "it seems 'unreal' is becoming the new 'normal'." She changed the subject, her tone lightening. "Enough of that!"
She suddenly began to hum softly, the melody carried away on the wind. After a few bars, she sang the words:
"Cause all I need is a simple life,
Just you and me under starry light.
No chasing fortunes, no worldly prize,
Just the sunrise reflected in your eyes.
Yeah, it's a golden hour, forever kind of feeling,
With every beat, my heart starts healing...
You're my peace in the chaos, my calm in the storm,
With you, darling, I am reborn..."
She sang with casual emotion, the sea breeze lifting strands of her hair.
Just then, Mason's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and saw the name flashing on the screen: Lily.
Mason pressed the answer button.
"Hey, stranger." Lily's voice came through, carrying her trademark lazy, husky tone, now laced with deliberate sweetness. "Long time, no talk. Forgot about me?"
"Hey, Lily. What's up?"
"Of course something's up." Lily gave a light laugh. "To 'thank' you for fishing me out last time... I've prepared something special. My place, tonight, candlelit dinner, just you and me. Learned a few new dishes, guaranteed... to your taste." She deliberately slowed her speech. "And, I've run into a little 'trouble' lately. Maybe only you can help me... face to face, have a 'deep' chat. Coming?"
Mason frowned. "Uh, it's like this, I'm not really available right now..."
"Oh?" Lily's voice held a note of amusement. "Seems I called at a bad time? No problem, just let me know when you're free. I'll... wait." With that, she hung up.
Mason put his phone away and walked back to find Sophia standing with her arms crossed, looking at him with a knowing, half-smiling expression.
"Seems Mr. Mason has quite the busy schedule," Sophia said, her tone even, but Mason caught a hint of tension. "'Candlelit dinner'? 'Deep chat'? This Miss Lily sounds very... enthusiastic."
"She probably just wants to express her gratitude."
"Does expressing gratitude require a 'candlelit dinner' and an 'I'll wait'?" Sophia blinked. "Mason, should I remind you, you're now the boss of 'Razor,' an honored guest of the Rockefeller family, not some clueless kid who can be summoned for a 'deep chat' by a woman with a complicated background?"
"I didn't agree to go."
"Oh, so I interrupted your deliberation process?" Sophia took a step closer. "Let me think, this Miss Lily probably doesn't just want to give a simple thank you, does she?"
"Uh, it's not what you think..."
"Then what is it?" Sophia tilted her chin up slightly. "Am I not good enough to you," she deliberately used the word, her cheeks flushing slightly, "among all these... 'suitors' of yours?"
As she spoke, she suddenly raised her right hand, waving it in front of Mason with a mix of pique and shyness. Mason was taken aback for a second, then recognized it—this was the very hand that, in his room that day, had been nervous and clumsy, yet had unexpectedly brought him such comfort.
The action made Sophia's face instantly turn crimson, but she still stared stubbornly at him.
Mason felt his own face grow warm as he raised a hand to rub the back of his neck, letting out a low chuckle.
"You're plenty good, Sophia," he finally said, his voice softening. "Don't listen to her nonsense. There's no candlelit dinner."
Sophia gave a soft "hmph," turning her face towards the ocean, but the slight upturn of her lips betrayed her satisfaction.
"Almost forgot the main thing," she turned back, her voice much lighter. "About that most crucial 'catalyst' herb, there's news. The last known trace of the 'Seven-Leaf Salvation Lotus' is in an almost completely isolated ancient temple in southwestern China."
Mason's brow furrowed slightly. "Is that so? Will they sell it?"
Sophia shook her head. "That's the strange part. We tried making enormous donations, offered astronomical prices, but the abbot of that temple is incredibly stubborn. He said... this object is a temple treasure, only to be given to a predestined person, not sold to the unconnected. It waits for one who can 'see its true color.'"
Mason fell silent for a moment, the sea breeze ruffling his clothes.
"Let me think about it for now," he said, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon.
Mason then reached into his pocket and drew out an exquisite, small sandalwood box. In the moonlight, the grain on its surface held a soft, warm glow.
"Sophia," he said, offering the box to her. "For tonight. Thank you."
The box was gently opened. Under the moonlight, a pill that shimmered with a faint golden luster rested on a velvet cushion. A peculiar, exquisite fragrance wafted out—a blend of a forest after rain, morning dew, and an indescribable essence of vitality.
"This is... the Returning Sun Pill?" Sophia's eyes widened slightly.
Mason said, "Mn. Consider it my thanks for everything you did for me tonight."
Sophia immediately closed the box, pressed a hand to her forehead with a bitter laugh, then decisively pushed it back into Mason's hand, her expression turning serious. "Mason, do you even realize what level of item this is? Put it this way: if this were placed in the world's top circles today, the value of this single pill would drive any family to madness. The old European royalty, the Middle Eastern sheikhs, the Silicon Valley tech titans—do you know how many of them would trade half their fortune for something like this? My uncle's medical team is still trying to analyze those 'miracle markers' in his system. If they knew it was this pill's doing..."
"I know," Mason interrupted her, placing the box back firmly into her palm and closing her fingers around it. "But I also know that if you hadn't arrived in time tonight, things wouldn't have gone so smoothly. I'm like that. I remember clearly who treats me well. For those who lend a hand when I'm at my lowest, when I'm able, I repay it twofold."
He paused, his gaze drifting toward the deep sea. "This world is too vast, too complex. I've seen too much calculation, exploitation, and betrayal. But Sophia, you're different. You helped me not just because I'm a guest of your family, not just for some exchange of benefits. I can sense that genuine goodwill, like how you could sing without a care while walking on the beach tonight—that's what's most precious. So, please, accept it. Okay?"
Sophia looked into Mason's earnest eyes, then down dumbly at the sandalwood box in her hand. Her throat tightened, and her eyes grew slightly hot. From childhood, almost everyone around her had an agenda—to flatter, to curry favor, to covet everything behind the Rockefeller name. No one had ever been like Mason, willing to give such a priceless gift for the simplest of reasons: because she had been good to him.
"Mason..." Her voice caught slightly.
Just then, Mason's phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out. The screen displayed: Raymond Garcia—"Razor's" real name.