The Lazarus Protocol: (A Dystopian Sci-Fi Corporate Thriller) (The SynCorp Saga Book 1) by David Bruns & Chris Pourteau

Author:David Bruns & Chris Pourteau [Bruns, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hip Phoenix Publishing, LLC
Published: 2018-09-10T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 15

Ming Qinlao • Shanghai, China

It was after midnight when Ming returned to her apartments adjacent to Qinlao HQ. Although she’d barely left her office the entire day, her muscles ached like she’d run a marathon. No, a marathon would at least have provided the benefit of some post-exercise endorphins. With this ache, there was no runner’s high—just the promise of more pain tomorrow.

With all the effort of maneuvering around Auntie Xi’s corporate intrigue, Ming had neglected her daily regimen of re-building muscle mass. Her lunar routine kept her from suffering as Lily had during her visit, but Ming’s own rehabilitation required constant attention to reacclimatize her to Earth.

Leaving the lights dim, she collapsed onto a barstool in the kitchen and let the chill of the stone counter seep into her sore forearms.

Lily.

Ming had received no word from her since ordering her returned to the Moon. For Lily to be angry with her—or worse, disappointed in her—hurt Ming’s heart. She’d wanted to reach out a hundred times, but she stayed silent. Lily deserved to be left in peace. She turned her arms over, letting the cool stone soothe their other side.

For all her efforts to secure the contract for the Moon project and prove herself as the leader of Qinlao Manufacturing, Ming still felt like an impostor in her father’s stead, a little girl playing at Papa’s work.

She’d found refuge in Ito’s teachings—translated them from personal combat to business, encased herself in emotional armor. She approached her outings with Danny Xiao as perfunctory tactics to achieve a larger goal. She endured his fumblings in the bedroom by splitting her emotional self from the physical. Sometimes she imagined herself still on the Moon with Lily, not selling herself to the highest bidder for the sake of the company. If Danny’s reaction was any indication, her acting had gotten better with practice.

Ming had adopted a similar routine in her daily work life. She didn’t allow herself to feel but simply absorbed knowledge in hope of gaining an edge as CEO. She parried arguments of we can’t do that with facts supporting how it can be done. More facts, better facts.

And yet she couldn’t escape the feeling that, each day, she drew further away from her goal. Her aunt was winning. It was just a matter of time.

Ming attempted to exhale the stress from her shoulders. The only answer she knew was to work harder. She had two more briefs to review tonight to prepare for the next board meeting. Popping a stim tablet, she relished the bitter taste on her tongue. She needed to review the briefs before she fell asleep on the sweet, cool surface of the counter.

Through the open doorway to the office, she spotted the LUNa City rendering on the wall. Her life here on Earth had become a lonely one. Ito was the closest thing Ming had to a friend, and there was always the necessary distance of servant from mistress. Her playacting with Danny served only to accentuate how empty she truly felt.

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