The breeze along the Huangpu River intensified, whipping their hair as it carried the humid scent of the great waterway against their faces.

  "Can you really trust Phakphum, Mr. Gawin? He’s not exactly the reliable type," Ohm questioned.

  Ohm knew a man like Phakphum was a hungry fox, ready to snap at his master's throat the moment the winds of interest shifted. To Gawin, assigning Phakphum such a vital task was like walking around with a time bomb strapped to his chest.

  Gawin smirked, glancing briefly at Adisorn, who sat as still as a statue beside him. For a split second, a spark ignited behind Gawin’s thick frames before he offered a playful grin.

  "I don't know... maybe it's because I know his type so well. I’ve always had a taste for risk."

  The phrase his type hung meaningfully in the air. It was clear Gawin wasn't just referring to Phakphum in Bangkok, but to someone sitting right there in their circle.

  "Highly talented, ambitious people usually share one trait," Gawin explained, taking a casual bite of his Qingtuan. "They won't let a target slip away until they are absolutely certain they are the true victor."

  Adisorn, listening intently, offered a faint, mocking smile. He didn't even turn to look, but he knew exactly who Gawin was talking about. Gawin knew he was playing with a venomous snake and he was confident he had the antivenom ready for whatever came next.

  "But be careful..." Adisorn’s voice dropped to a low baritone. "A starving fox sometimes eats without discretion even the hand that feeds it."

  "I’m well aware of that," Gawin replied, his dimples appearing as his mood seemed to lighten. "But a fox isn't as hard to train as a cobra. With a cobra, you never know when it will strike... until you feel the venom reaching your heart."

  Under the brilliant sunlight of the Huangpu, their eyes met for a fleeting second a spiritual clash so intense the others could feel the static in the air.

  The tension broke when Rosé returned with ice cream, handing them out to everyone except one.

  "Sorry, I didn't get one for you," Rosé said flatly, her eyes piercing Adisorn with blatant distrust. Adisorn merely adjusted his sunglasses, unfazed by the slight.

  Seeing this, Gawin offered his own ice cream to Adisorn. "Here, take mine."

  "It’s fine. I don't particularly have a craving for it," Adisorn declined.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  "Consider it a celebration for closing the M&A deal," Gawin insisted with a sincere smile. Adisorn paused for a moment before reaching out to take it, turning his gaze toward a massive container ship gliding peacefully down the river.

  "In that case, let this ice cream serve as my thanks for what your father did for me back then," Ohm added, handing his vanilla cone to Gawin to replace the one he’d given away. Gawin accepted it with a grateful pat on Ohm's shoulder.

  However... the touching moment lasted only seconds.

  Ohm flashed a devious grin, turned to Phueak, and before the younger man could react, took a massive bite of Phueak’s ice cream vanishing half of it in an instant. He handed it back with a straight face, as if nothing had happened.

  "That's just foul," Phueak grumbled, staring at his mangled ice cream with mourning eyes, though he still miserably finished what was left.

  Soft laughter echoed in the riverside breeze, dissolving the lingering tension.

  "I don't know what everyone is thinking right now," Gawin began, looking out at the expanse of water. "But thank you for being a team. Whether this mission succeeds or not, the risk was worth it. It reminds me of my first day as CEO of Wonder Package... surrounded by the Board's doubts about whether I could survive."

  "Well, obviously. Back then, everyone thought you were a pampered kid who couldn't handle the heat," Ohm added with a hearty laugh. "If Kanni hadn't helped you with that ruse, the directors would have kicked you out of that chair long ago."

  Gawin’s eyes shimmered with a warm, tender light at the mention of the partner who held his heart. "Speaking of her... I’ve always been grateful. It’s because of her that I made it through."

  That smile forced Adisorn to steal a glance from behind his dark lenses, sensing a similar drive the person waiting for his own return.

  "But in high-stakes work, sometimes you have to leave sentimentality behind," Rosé warned sternly, before shooting a pointed look at Tum. "And try not to put your body on the line like you did that day, Mr. Tum."

  Tum choked on his ice cream, his face flushing red. "Uh... I just wanted to find out who ordered Rong Ru to tail me!"

  "But what if she actually took you to bed? What then?" Rosé shot back. Phueak nearly coughed up his own treat.

  "There was a take-to-bed situation? Mr. Tum almost got hauled off by a lady?"

  "It wasn't like that! And even if it were... I wouldn't have gone!" Tum protested amidst the group's laughter.

  "But seriously, we need to be careful," Ohm said, turning serious. "I feel like Ming Zhi is tailing us. I spotted someone following me all the way to Ros-Lom."

  "So, do they know we're working together?" Phueak asked excitedly.

  "They knew the second we stepped off the plane," Adisorn interrupted, a fox-like smirk appearing as he stared vacantly ahead. Tum and Ohm exchanged worried glances.

  Gawin smiled at Adisorn's words, meeting his gaze. "From here on... their target will be firmly on us." Gawin paused, looking deep into the eyes hidden behind Adisorn's lenses. "Bring everything you've got... I’m ready to counter."

  Gawin knew exactly what Adisorn was thinking. The cobra was hood-flared, waiting for the moment to strike. And Gawin was the snake charmer, ready to subdue it with a superior game in the final act.