Infinite Paradise
Chapter 36 - 26 Annie, I am your fan in both sports and stocks.

Chapter 36: 26 Annie, I am your fan in both sports and stocks.

At eight o’clock that evening, a limited edition pure black Bugatti drove into Dallas’s Beautiful Park. Within the park, there was a venue built to commemorate the centenary of Texas’s independence, as well as a history museum, aquarium, art gallery, and various opulent buildings. Many rich people chose to hold celebratory banquets here to display their status. Naturally, the guests at the scene were celebrities from all walks of life, or influential figures in society, such as stars, tycoons, local officials, and so on.

Le Cheng had actually attended this kind of high-society ball before. So when he stepped out of the Bugatti, he confidently walked into the clubhouse, guided by attendants.

The clubhouse, resplendent and brightly lit, resembled the palace of a king from ancient times, so luxurious that even the floor tiles reeked of money.

Le Cheng had been to the most impoverished corners of the world, as well as the most opulent locales. And the disparity between these two extremes often exceeded that between heaven and hell.

It’s like some people are born in Rome, while others are born as cattle and horses.

By now, there were already quite a few guests at the venue, men and women, with dapper gentlemen in suits and flamboyantly dressed ladies and dignitaries, all exuding high society and allure.

Soon, a man in a suit approached Le Cheng.

This man appeared to be about thirty-five or thirty-six, dignified in bearing and elegant in temperament. He greeted Le Cheng with an enthusiastic smile, feeling exceptionally amiable.

"Mr. Le Cheng, thank you for attending the ball. I am the organizer of tonight’s dinner, Louis Coking."

From the name, it sounded like this guy would be used to spending a lot on games.

"Louis... Why do I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere before?" Le Cheng looked at him, puzzled. The reason for this feeling was that they must have had brief contact before. But Le Cheng had neither retained this memory nor directly erased it; it had been relegated to the corner of his mind, and it must have been more than three years since, because he would never forget if it had happened recently.

"Is that so? That’s quite an honor," Louis laughed, "I’ve also heard a little about Mr. Le Cheng’s feats. It’s rare to be recognized by you. We should definitely communicate more in the future."

Le Cheng smiled without saying a word; perhaps this man was a client from some past business.

Having lived in the United States for ten years, he couldn’t survive on freebies alone, and working was out of the question, so to make a living, he occasionally took on special jobs, such as assassinating someone’s competitor for them.

Because he had a success rate of one hundred percent and was called the never-setting sun of the assassination world, although he generally charged a premium, he was much loved by his clients. Often, he didn’t need to work for half a year, for when he did, he earned enough for the other half.

Seeing no women by Le Cheng’s side, Louis asked, "Mr. Le Cheng, haven’t you brought a female companion?"

Le Cheng spoke truthfully, "I prefer to play with other people’s companions rather than my own."

"Ha ha, you’re quite the joker." Louis was amused by Le Cheng’s humor, then turned and gestured to someone. Soon, a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes, her voluptuous figure accentuated by her dress, approached.

At high-class parties like this, it was usual to attend in pairs. Most men would bring their own companions, but some would forget or lack one, so organizers would arrange for female company in advance to avoid leaving male guests without partners feeling out of place.

These female companions were not ordinary escorts. Besides being young and beautiful, they often came from not-so-modest backgrounds: many were models, fashion icons, magazine cover girls, or even first, second, or third-tier celebrities.

"Mr. Louis, is this handsome gentleman my partner for tonight?" the blonde beauty approached them, her eyes, full of anticipation, fixated on Le Cheng’s face.

"That’s right, Annie, you’re in luck today."

Le Cheng suddenly realized that the blonde also seemed familiar. It wasn’t until she came closer and he saw her ample bosom tightly encased by her dress that he reacted, "It’s you, Teacher Annie!"

Annie paused slightly, "You know me?"

"Of course." Le Cheng took Annie’s hand, his voice filled with excitement, "I saw Teacher Annie on the screen four years ago. You are the leading lady of ’Desire Flower Street,’ aren’t you? Back then, your acting left a deep impression on me. I remember every move you made, and to be honest, Teacher Annie, I am a big fan of yours!"

Annie: "..."

Louis: "..."

As an actress who had sought to make her mark, Annie had indeed acted in that kind of movie, but now she had rebranded and climbed the ladder to become a popular 1.5-tier star. Furthermore, in the entertainment industry, such a so-called dark past is commonplace and not something most people are embarrassed to mention, but... being directly confronted with a past indiscretion in such a gathering could make anyone, including Annie, feel awkward.

"Cough cough—"

After a brief silence, Louis cleared his throat, breaking the awkwardness with a laugh, "Since you know Annie, there’s no need for introductions... Annie, this is the famous Mr. Le Cheng. You must have heard of him."

"Le Cheng?!"

Upon hearing this name, Annie’s pupils contracted sharply.

In Texas, there might be many people who don’t know who the governor is. However, except for those completely disinterested in news or those with particularly poor memory, nobody would be unaware of who Le Cheng was. Especially during the days following his arrest, both in real life and online, there were overwhelming news reports about him, causing quite the stir in Texas.

Unfortunately for Annie, she paid attention to the news and had an excellent memory, so realizing that the man in front of her was the rumored pervert killer made her feel a sudden twinge of fear inside.

Louis, seeming not to notice her reaction, continued, "Mr. Le Cheng, since you don’t have a companion, why don’t you let Annie be your dance partner? And if you get tired later, you can also go upstairs to the guest room to rest. What do you think?"

"Of course, I’d be delighted to discuss the philosophy of life with Teacher Annie."

"Then, I wish you a pleasant evening."

Louis raised his glass in a toast to Le Cheng and then turned to leave, ignoring Annie’s pleading eyes.

As the host of tonight’s banquet, he never once mentioned the matter of the player.

Since the other party didn’t bring it up, Le Cheng was content to relax and immediately started his starstruck journey, grabbing his idol’s hand and smiling, "Teacher Annie, let’s go dance."

"Okay... alright."

Although Annie was fearful, she dared not resist. She was very aware of her own status; on the surface, she was a glamorous and popular actress, but, in reality, she was merely a tool in the hands of capitalists. They could elevate her to a shrine or grind her into nothingness.

However, as Annie came to know Le Cheng more, she found that he was nothing like the murderous maniac she had imagined.

In all sorts of news reports, Le Cheng was described as a vicious and inhumane pervert, not only for his bloody and cruel methods but also for allegedly eating human flesh raw, causing those unaware to be filled with fear and aversion towards him.

But upon actual contact, Annie’s view completely changed. She discovered that Le Cheng was far from being violent and perverted. His speech and manners were, on the contrary, exceptionally refined. Not only was he better at social dancing than she was, but he also could speak eloquently on topics ranging from astronomy and geography to entertainment philosophy, as if there was nothing he didn’t know.

Moreover, with his unique looks and the charm that he emitted from time to time, Annie even felt that Le Cheng was the most perfect man in the world.

If she were five years younger, at this very moment, she would probably have already fallen for him, lying in bed willingly, waiting to be pampered.

Although she also harbored such thoughts now, she still had the reserve of an adult.

Suddenly, someone bumped her shoulder gently. Annie turned her head and locked eyes with a high-society lady. The stunning woman was about to apologize when she caught sight of Le Cheng by Annie’s side; her expression shifted dramatically, and she quickly averted her gaze with complexity and moved toward the far end of the dance floor, clinging to her husband.

"How rude of her."

"What happened?"

"She got scared and ran away as soon as she saw your face, all thanks to those journalists’ reckless reporting," Annie felt indignant for Le Cheng. Had it not been for those reports deliberately vilifying him, she believed the high-society lady would not have acted this way.

Le Cheng smiled and said, "Maybe she wasn’t scared, just recognized me, that’s all."

"Hm?"

"A year ago, I spent two delightful weekends with her and her close friends. It seems she still remembers me, but given her husband’s presence, it’s awkward for her to acknowledge me... Actually, I don’t mind at all, playing with three is fine, I’m just afraid her husband won’t be pleased."

"... "

Annie, unable to hold her composure, flung herself into Le Cheng’s arms.

"Teacher Annie, are you tired?"

Annie lifted her head, her eyes ablaze with fiery passion. She was already restless in her heart, and after hearing those words, her inner desires became utterly irrepressible; seizing the opportunity, she said, "Mr. Le Cheng, I’m a bit tired, let’s go upstairs and rest."

"Alright, Teacher Annie, let me assist you upstairs."

Le Cheng gladly agreed, then proceeded to help his idol up towards the accommodation area on the upper floor.

The two found a random room on the seventh floor, closed the door, and soon, the room echoed with the intense gasps and moans of a woman.

...

On the first floor, a waiter quietly approached Louis and whispered a few words.

Louis’s eyes lit up, instinctively looking up with a gradual smirk forming on his lips.

Well, well, isn’t this easy to handle?

The legendary pervert murderer was made compliant by a simple honey trap; his willpower is astonishingly low, or is it that he has no resistance whatsoever to his admired idol?

Annie turned out to be Le Cheng’s idol, which was a complete coincidence. While Louis marveled at his unwitting selection of a perfect tool, he also gloated over Le Cheng’s downfall.

Wealth, beauty, status—there’s always one that hits the player’s weak spot.

This is the power of capitalism!