Chapter 1 LuLu Life

1997.

Hong Kong.

Central District.

Lu Feng adjusts her corporate CEO suit. Black coat, lined with dark purple to her preference. She stares into the mirror at the reflection of her face. Pale white skin, golden yellow eyes, subtly glowing in the shadow of the night. Hair short shoulder length, clean cut, but strands of dark purple-wine hair are still free from her corporate image she has established. The domain she has built, over the past five decades she has strived for.

"Ms. Feng, the press is standing by." Marie informs her from behind, breaking the moment of silence in the unlit room.

Lu touches her fair pale skin, then dabs on some cosmetic, and putting on dull black contact lens. "Tell them, I'll be there in two."

Marie bows her head slightly and quick, then leaves as she adjusts her glasses.

Lu staring at her reflection, "Assure the 'Herds', I'm the Herd that gives." She says to herself. Turns around with clicks of her heels.

She heads outside.

× × × ×

Early evening.

The sun sets behind the clouds of the day still lingering.

Lu walks beside her Executive Assistant, Marie Lang. Her assistant is in a sleek formal black suit, holding the document binders to her chest. Lu glances at her hazy tea-green ponytail, which is a bit loose.

"Marie, get your hair checked."

Marie flicks out her handheld pocket mirror, and tidies up her appearance quickly on the spot. Then she glances up at the skies, still daylight, but the clouds are thickly crowded.

"This evening will have minor rain during the night, Ms. Feng."

"Keep an eye on the sky, I don't want my skin burned in front of the cameras." Lu and her assistant approach the press spot in front of her LuLu Corporation's inner park area.

"Keep smiling, Ms. Feng. Keep smiling." Marie whispers to her, as the two approach the flashing photographers, all tripod cameras facing Lu.

"Why won't they just shoot indoors, for Kindred sake..." Lu grits her teeth slightly while saying that but keeping the corporate smile to the many eyes.

Lu passes along the lines of press cameras, bowing her head slightly, with a gentle smile, and her mouth shut, lest her fangs be exposed to the eyes that have advanced at finding fine details on the screen.

"Victoria Times." Marie informs her.

"The skies?"

"Sun will be gone in 20 minutes."

As Lu and Marie arrive at the main spot, the Victoria Times press crew turn their cameras to Lu Feng.

The usual angle, the two chairs, the news anchor doing the talking, and Lu is the guest and gives the answers.

The Victoria Times female journalist welcomes Lu with a practiced smile.

“Thank you for joining us here in your company’s park, Ms. Feng.” Bows her head slightly.

“Always happy to welcome you.” Lu, also bows, returns a calm measured smile, keeping her lips together.

Too many cameras.

Too many chances to show her fangs accidentally.

“It was difficult to arrange this outdoor interview with you. I heard from your staff, that you’re busy every day, often working through the night. Do you ever sleep?”

Lu chuckles politely, “I work hard because I care about my people. And, of course, I also think about their health and well-being, and also, everyone in Hong Kong.”

“Hmm, now that you mentioned it, which brings me to your charitable work.” The journalist glances through her notes.

“LuLu Corporation has donated considerable sums to hospitals, clinics, and blood banks. Why? Why in health care? When everyone is eyeing on the Silicon Valley.”

Behind the camera crew, Marie raises two fingers, signaling Lu to keep her answer short.

“When I was little, I was terribly sick,” Lu begins. “I could hardly leave my bed, day and night.”

She lowers her eyes, covers her mouth, and pauses as though the memory is too painful to revisit. Such a dramatic act.

“It was… difficult.” She looks up again, her voice steadying. “Even after my recovery, I could never forget what I went through. I promised myself, that if I ever had the fortune in my hands, I would, no, I will help others who are in pain as I did back then.”

The journalist gives a fake sympathetic nod. “That’s quite moving, and very honest and thoughtful of you, Ms. Feng." She glance down at her paper for a second.

"But why blood banks specifically? Many wealthy donors put their money toward cancer research or other major diseases, like Malaria.”

“Because blood is essential,” Lu replies, putting her hands together like a praying gesture to emphasize her next words, “A patient may survive a critical illness or an operation only because someone else donated blood. And to my shock, hospitals are always in demand of that, even right now, as we are speaking.”

She turns to the cameras another composed smile.

“If I have the fortune to help, why shouldn't I? People need blood, and I can provide the means to collect it.”

“I see.” The journalist turns toward the camera. “A remarkable commitment to Hong Kong’s health care. Thank you for speaking with us, Ms. Feng.”

“My pleasure.”

Lu smiles once more, careful to keep her teeth hidden.

× × × ×

Back in her executive office, Lu tosses the newspaper onto her desk.

The bold headline reads: “LuLu Funds Blood Bank Again.”

Lu tosses her contact lens case to the side, stares out at the nighttime skyline of Hong Kong.

“Ms. Feng, the blood bags will arrive in two days. The hospitals we donated to have also agreed to open blood donation clinics.”

Lu turns around with a grin, openly exposing her fangs. Marie doesn’t flinch. Just another day of corporate life.

“Great!” Lu jumps onto her plush chair and swivels excitedly back and forth.

“Finally, I can feast exclusively on the finest blood of the Blue Bloods! Ha!”

“As you requested, the blood bank has strict requirements: no high cholesterol, heart disease, or cancer. Donors must have exercised regularly for the past year, and their dietary habits must be documented. Of course, donors with your preferred B blood type must give blood in a separate room.” Marie adjusts her glasses.

“Yes! Yes! Do you even know how hard it was for me, as a Kindred, to make this happen?! Oh, by Cain, feeding on A, O, and low-quality B blood has been an unbearable struggle for decades,” Lu says dramatically.

“Now that we’ve got your dark side sorted out, Ms. Feng...” Marie sets her document binder on Lu’s desk.

“Ms. Feng, the staff are asking for a raise.”

Lu’s joyful expression freezes, shattered by baffled shock.

“Huh? Say that again?” Her golden-yellow eyes fly wide open. The shadows of the night subtly creep up behind her, lending her eyes a faint glow.

“The staff are asking for a raise. They want their salaries, their pay grades, RAISED, Ms. Feng.” Marie emphasizes each word.

Lu blinks a couple of times in silence. Then, “By the Kindred’s sake! I already raised their pay high enough, way above the average wage in this city! I’m practically giving away free money here! And I don’t even get paid, for crying out loud!”

Marie tilts her head slightly and stares at Lu. “Ms. Feng, that was five years ago. Prices have gone up, minimum wage has gone up, and so have our day-to-day expenses on the human side.”

Lu scratches her head, jumps out of her chair, and checks the flip calendar. “Oh, it’s 1997? Already?! So noodles don’t cost five Hong Kong dollars anymore?”

“They’re twenty dollars.”

“Hell of Cain, that’s absurd!” Lu gasps in frustration, clutching her chest.

“You don’t have a living heart, Ms. Feng.”

“Shush! I’m trying to think! Damn capitalism is bleeding me dry.”

"I also need a raise, Ms. Feng." Marie adds.

Lu turns to her, looking betrayed.

"You're my Ghoul, and you're receiving the highest grade in my domain here!"

"My kids, they're entering the Ivies, I need a little bit of higher wages, Ms. Feng."

Lu stares up like her soul leaving out of her dead body.

"Right, I forgot you have a life. While me, as the Baroness of Hong Kong domain, have to smack her rotten head to get more capital before my people suck my profit dry. Oh, how the time has changed into irony."

"Well, you could always hire someone else to take in my place, Ms. Feng." Marie raises an eyebrow, with a slight smile of teasing.

"Fine! Just leave for today. I'll figure something out from my dark side of the world. In the meantime, get the HR and get the staff in order before they bombard me in my office with complaints in their tongues."

"Already, done, Ms. Feng. Good night." She turns her heels and leaves the executive office.

Lu swivels back to her chair, rubbing her temple.

"Times are changing too fast. Too fast.... How can a Kindred survive in this period of frantic changing." She turns to her large glass window view of the Hong Kong city.

At the far distance horizon, she can tell what that flowing thing is.

A red, and a yellow stars on it.

A flag of China raises at the public podium, with fireworks blasting to the night skies.

"Great, now the Time has come for my domain."

× × × ×

In the silence before dawn.

Lu Feng is in her underground sanctuary, just beneath her corporate headquarters.

She finishes her nightly workout, dropping a 50kg dumbbell from her hand. She always keeps her body and mind sharp and alert.

She sticks her metal straw into a blood bag and gulps down the blood. The widescreen television plays late-night horror slop movies in the background.

She checks the digital clock on the wall.

'5:00 AM'

"Time flies fast these days," she remarks, heading to the shower.

She never needs to sleep. Only when recovering or passing the time does she sleep in her dark, secluded room, containing nothing but a single bed.

After washing up, she puts on her usual clothes and black contact lenses.

She heads into another room, where ancient relics, gold, silver, and forgotten coins from obsolete currencies are displayed behind protective glass.

But those aren't what she's checking on.

Grabbing the handle, she slides open her private wall-mounted armory, revealing guns, ammunition, and knives.

She picks up a pistol, inspecting it and working the slide a couple of times, then returns it to its place.

Her heels clicking against the floor, she heads toward her private elevator to begin her day as the CEO of LuLu Corporation.

Lu steps out of the elevator and back into the world of the living. 

LuLu Corporation, her domain.

It's early morning, but her employees are already arriving and greeting her.

"Morning, morning. I appreciate all your hard work for our LuLu." Lu greets them, bowing her head slightly to each employee she passes.

She reaches her office at the end of the hallway and presses her finger against the scanner. The lock clicks, and she swings the door open.

× × × ×

It's broad daylight outside.

Lu's office windows are blacked out, preventing sunlight from entering. Only the bright white office lights illuminate the room.

"After last night's handover, the mainland will send people here to inspect our corporation's internal operations, Ms. Feng." Marie reads from the report in her binder.

"Should we consider moving the company to Shenzhen? Our affiliates and sponsors have told us that the city there is more welcoming and less intrusive when it comes to our internal operations," Marie adds.

Lu sucks the B+ blood from her bag through a sharp metal straw. She listens, nodding absently while enjoying its rich taste.

"Ms. Feng, are you listening? The mainland is coming," Marie stresses.

"I am." Lu tosses the empty bag into a concealed metal bin and returns her straw to the shelf by her desk.

"The Kindred haven't tapped into mainland China yet, Ms. Feng?" Marie closes her binder and places it on the small, round marble tea table.

Lu shakes her head, looking down at the company documents awaiting her approval. Many contain forecasts of changes affecting LuLu Corporation.

"The mainland is too heavily controlled. Too many eyes and too many Party agents who could expose us." Lu runs a pale hand through her hair.

She stands up and paces around for a moment.

"I might have to call House Londinium for assistance with this."

Then a knock comes at the door.

"Yes?! Come in!" Lu calls, gesturing for Marie to unlock the door.

A well-dressed man in a corporate suit enters the office.

"Ah, my number two. Tai, what is it?"

Lu's second Ghoul bows his head slightly and approaches her desk.

"Ma'am, Barons from several Houses have contacted us. They wish to discuss their assets and investments following the handover. They've also expressed concern about the relics kept within your domain."

Lu grits her teeth, her fangs showing openly in frustration.

"When? Did they say anything—"

"Tonight, ma'am."

Lu's chest rises and falls as she exhales.

"Prepare the meeting for tonight, and make sure the amenities are ready for them."

"Oh, and—"

"What now?!" Lu turns toward him, annoyed by the growing amount of work she has to deal with.

Tai produces a finely crafted envelope bearing a seal marked in red ink.

"From Baroness Snow of House Voss, ma'am. She's at the Victoria Harbour Ritz."

Lu snatches it from him.

"Is that all?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Then get back to work, Tai. And thank you."

He leaves the room as Lu breaks the envelope's seal with her fingernail. She unfolds the letter while returning to her chair.

'Dear, my burning star Fledgling of the House—'

She tears it into four pieces and snaps a spark from her finger, burning the letter without a trace.

Marie stares at her, dumbfounded.

"Ms. Feng, you could at least have let me read it for you."

"Marie, if you'd lived as long as I have, you'd know what this bitch is saying after reading just a few words of this mockery."

Marie adjusts her glasses.

"Baroness Voss? Should I arrange a red carpet for her?"

"No. Snow wants us to come to her. She's never the one who seeks. She only expects others to come to her graceful feet."

× × × ×

Lu Feng attends LuLu Corporation's internal meeting. Marie opens the glass door for her.

As she enters, only four department directors are seated in their places.

"Where are the others?" she asks openly as she takes her seat at the center of the table.

The four directors glance at each other.

"We don't know, Ms. Feng."

"You don't know? None of you know where the other six directors are?"

Lu sharply turns her attention to Marie, who looks equally confused.

Marie steps forward. "Why wasn't this reported to HR or their respective departments?"

The four directors exchange glances again.

"Marie, head to each department and look into this matter! Six department heads are missing, and not a single person in this company has batted an eye?! For crying out loud..."

Marie hurries out of the room, her heels clicking rapidly down the corridor.

Lu lets out an angry growl but forces herself to remain composed.

"Now, please, let's start the meeting. Mr. Chang?"

× × × ×

By the time the meeting ends, Lu is already out of her seat.

As she leaves the boardroom, sunlight pours through the glass wall.

Lu covers her face with several sheets of paper, leaving only her fingers exposed to the sunlight. The longer the light lingers on her skin, the more the warmth turns into an uncomfortable heat.

She brushes off the discomfort and keeps the papers raised as she crosses the sunlit corridor. Several female employees do much the same, shielding their faces to avoid tanning their fair skin.

Employees walk between departments. Those who notice her greet her with slight bows, and Lu returns their greetings with a polished smile.

Marie catches up, almost breathless.

“Ms. Feng, about the six department directors—”

“Lay it on me.”

Her smile disappears as the two walk together through the corporate complex.

“I spoke to HR. These aren’t six random absences.” Marie lowers her voice. “The first vanished nearly a week ago. Since then, another has disappeared almost every day.”

Lu’s pace slows by half a step.

“Vanished?”

“Their departments, staff, and families have heard nothing. I checked their attendance and their last confirmed sightings.”

Marie hands her a sheet of paper.

“I spoke to their coworkers, all six came to work as usual, behaved normally, and were seen leaving company grounds without incident. None have been seen since.”

Lu quickly scans the contents and tosses the paper back to her.

“Are you saying someone, or some House, is interfering in my domain?” Lu asks in a low voice.

Marie glances at a group of employees crossing ahead and waits until they pass.

“There’s evidence of tampering with the records and security systems, Ms. Feng.”

Lu stops beside a wide glass wall. Sunlight stretches across the floor. She steps back into the shade.

“Was it the staff?”

“No, Ms. Feng, it looks deliberate. Some security footage has been spliced, and HR documents are missing or forged.”

“Ma’am.”

Tai catches up from a connecting corridor, carrying a security folder.

“I checked the gate records.”

Lu stops in her tracks just short of the late afternoon sunlight streaming in.

“And?”

“Ma’am, only the missing directors have no recorded departures.”

Lu resumes walking, passing through the sunlight without flinching from the intense heat on her fingers.

“Any unauthorized Barons operating here?”

“None that we’re aware of.”

“And the Gaulians? Any sign of those outcasts in the city?”

“No reports of them in Hong Kong, ma’am.”

Lu slows her pace. Beyond the glass, employees cross the sunlit atrium, chatting as though nothing is wrong.

“Then someone is moving through my domain without my consent.”

Marie glances at her.

Lu turns sharply toward her private elevator.

“Marie, bring me all six profiles. Families, last sightings, everything. Find what connects them. And keep the staff from spreading rumors.”

“Your meetings tonight?”

“Get everything ready as scheduled.”

“Understood, Ms. Feng.”

The private elevator opens.

Lu steps inside and removes her black contact lenses, revealing her golden yellow eyes, glowing subtly.

She quickly glances at her wristwatch.

'4:00 PM'

“I have to get this done quickly.”