Chapter 151: Is There Truly No Way Out?

This time, there was no police escort. Lee Hyori and her entourage returned to the hotel in a convoy of Rolls-Royces.

Carrington had still not shown his face, and Lee Hyori completely lacked the mood to call him now. Originally, she had felt that the young man possessed good bearing and was an elegant gentleman, but now he appeared utterly wretched, no different from his grandfather who had served as the Governor of Hong Kong back in the day.

Mason was still accompanying Lee Hyori, continuously trying to curry favor. Unfortunately, Lee Hyori had no heart to entertain him and simply stared out the window without responding.

As the convoy pulled up to the hotel, they happened to run into Xiao Ma and his group.

By now, they had essentially offended everyone who shouldn't have been offended. Therefore, Lee Hyori didn't harbor any thoughts of turning things around; instead, adopting a young lady's mentality that things couldn't possibly get any worse, she got out of the car ahead of time and called out, "You..."

However, she didn't say anything further.

Zeng Xiaoxian, Feng Chenchen, Knightley, Xiao Ma, and the others, who had just alighted from their vehicles, all turned their heads to look at her.

Xiao Ma asked with curiosity, "Something the matter?"

Lee Hyori had no intention of apologizing. Still unaccustomed to not being fawned over by men, she hesitated and remained silent.

Seeing this, Xiao Ma turned and walked away, too lazy to bother with them.

Uncle Hua hurriedly spoke up, "Please wait a moment."

"What is it this time?" Xiao Ma stopped and turned back again.

Lee Hyori hesitated. "Don't get the wrong idea..."

"I haven't misunderstood anything. Get straight to the point," Xiao Ma interrupted.

This left Lee Hyori somewhat irritated once more.

Uncle Hua quickly chimed in, "Nothing else, just wanted to ask if you have some time to go up to the penthouse for a drink and clear up the misunderstanding..."

"I have time, but I don't drink." Xiao Ma turned and walked away.

Uncle Hua was extremely anxious, wanting to step forward and say something more, but Lee Hyori could not bear such treatment. With a cold expression, she grabbed Uncle Hua back, a flash of anger crossing her face once again.

Upon returning to the penthouse, Lee Hyori hurriedly dialed Deputy Director Oliver and said earnestly, "Please, you must help me buffer this and see if there's any possibility of clearing up this misunderstanding."

Deputy Director Oliver's tone was grim. "There is basically no possibility left. You've completely messed things up this time. The reason I agreed to intervene last time was because Olivia's hostility wasn't that severe. Although she was the one who ordered the investigation into your Lee family, that issue had a background to it, and she was merely following someone else's instructions. Olivia harbors neither hatred nor friendship with your Lee family. Under those circumstances, given the inherent contradictions and passive resistance between administrative officials and political officials, I still had a little leeway to maneuver."

After a brief pause, Oliver continued, "But now there is basically nothing I can do. You have a direct conflict with her, Olivia, and she has seen right through your attitude and style. Given her character, she will deal with you directly, not to mention that she is carrying out such an official mandate. In this situation, my intervention is useless; it would be equivalent to me making enemies with two big shots at the same time."

"Is there truly no other way?" Lee Hyori appeared extremely agitated.

"May God help you. Do not contact me ever again." Oliver hung up the phone.

A little later, Lee Hyori received a call from her father. "Hyori, you really messed up this time. I told you long ago that you have drive, but your style and temper are not suitable for going out to handle things prematurely. Yet you refused to listen. This time, you actually caused such a huge mess in the Lee family's final stronghold. How this will be handled hasn't been decided yet, but even I have been chewed out like a grandson. Stop messing around blindly and quietly wait for the family to make a decision."

Lee Hyori valued whether she could go out and accomplish things very much, and she wanted to quibble about it for a moment, but she could hear quite a bit of scolding and mockery from other family members on the other end of the line. It seemed she really had stirred up a huge disaster.

Her father had no heart to say anything more and hung up the phone without even a single "goodbye."

This caused Lee Hyori to let out a bitter laugh.

So her greatest backing had always been the support of her family and her father, knowing that the Lee family's heritage and wealth were still there after all.

Faced with the current situation, Lee Hyori felt deeply wounded, with a sense of being driven into a corner with nowhere to go.

That's right, her emotions always fluctuated so violently. For so many years, she had commanded the wind and rain, being almost invincible across all occasions. She particularly remembered when she was still a child, when her father took her to many small countries where government dignitaries personally greeted her and held her affectionately to play—that feeling.

Compared to the present, the contrast was too hard to adapt to. She had never imagined she would fall over something like this.

She regretted letting her temper run so wild to this point, and she regretted turning a deaf ear to her father's instructions.

Yet there was nothing more she could do. She remained holding the phone just like that, in a daze.

"Miss?" Uncle Hua called out with a trace of heartache.

When Lee Hyori regained her senses, her first reaction was a resurgence of bitter hatred toward Xiao Ma and the others.

"It's all their fault. If they hadn't provoked me several times and made me emotionally unstable, none of these subsequent events would have happened," Lee Hyori muttered to herself.

Uncle Hua almost spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Yet Uncle Hua truly didn't know how to advise her anymore. If she were willing to listen to advice, how could she have ended up in this current state?

Uncle Hua carefully began to think. As a matter of utmost urgency, finding an entry point at this level was already useless. They had to bypass it and target Scotland Yard's superiors—namely, the Home Office. But that would be even more complicated, and they needed to carefully consider how to make the approach.

Communicating with Scotland Yard was relatively much simpler. Firstly, because they were the direct operational authority; secondly, because they were a transparent public agency; thirdly, because they were administrative officials who had been in the same posts for years, were in touch with the grassroots, and understood many unspoken rules; and fourthly, one could openly inquire about their preferences and various gossips to make a targeted approach.

Based on these factors, communicating with Scotland Yard was the most direct and effective method, which was why Deputy Director Oliver had been contacted in the first place.

However, the Home Office was at a completely different level, involving that agency and political dignitaries. If the Lee family were to casually inquire about their affairs or preferences, it would be no small matter and would inevitably trigger an investigation by the Security Service.

The Security Service was not a police force, and their operational procedures were not transparent or public; they operated under a completely different set of rules. Therefore, if things weren't handled properly, the resulting trouble would be even greater. Because of this, the family's original consensus had been: start with Scotland Yard, absolutely not the Home Office.

"Uncle Hua, is there truly no other way?" Lee Hyori asked again.

"Perhaps there is," Uncle Hua hesitated. "But it needs to be handled with caution, and we can't afford any more mistakes. Furthermore, if we want to approach the Home Office, we still need a go-between and contact person."

Lee Hyori was stunned for a moment, then turned to look at Mason beside her.

Mason indeed wanted to please her, but he could only offer an awkward shake of his head. "My family has long since declined, but Carrington's family has connections in the Home Office. If he is willing to help, perhaps it might work."

Things had come to this, and this was the only way left. Carrington, that fellow, had acted ungratefully earlier and disappeared inexplicably. But now, Lee Hyori deliberately chose not to dwell on that issue and hurriedly started contacting Carrington again.

Julia loved horse racing.

After a race ended in the stands, during the half-hour intermission, she stood up and walked around, accompanied by her bodyguards.

The people in this section were especially fond of gossip, and as soon as the intermission arrived, they everywhere discussed the commotion that had occurred shortly before.

Julia, who accidentally overheard half of it, paused and stopped in front of a group of society matrons.

"Your Excellency... Your Excellency..."

These people all recognized her and hurriedly stopped talking to greet her.

Julia gave a slight nod and asked with curiosity, "What were you all chatting about?"

Treating it like a joke, these gossiping women described what had just happened.

Julia's expression turned peculiar. Upon hearing that a young and handsome Easterner had a conflict with Lee Hyori and Olivia, Julia knew who had arrived without needing to give it much thought.

"Why is he here again, and what is he up to?" Julia muttered to herself as she walked away, then leaned close to a bodyguard and said, "Tell Teresa to come see me."

The bodyguard hurriedly began to make arrangements.

The final horse race was the climax of the event. Shortly after it began, Teresa arrived, sat down beside Julia, and asked, "You're looking for me?"

"He's here. Find out where he's staying." Julia spoke offhandedly while watching the horse racing.

Teresa frowned slightly in thought. If that fellow had come, why didn't he come with Julia?

"Alright, I'll look into it." Teresa walked away while making a phone call.

A short while later, the highly efficient Teresa walked back. "He is indeed here. He entered the country using the identity I gave him and is staying at the Ritz Hotel."

Julia nodded and said in a low voice, "Arrange it. We'll go see him after this event ends. There's no need to notify him."

Teresa thought with a peculiar expression: He's at it again so soon, unable to keep himself in check.

Having finished her mental musings, Teresa nodded and said, "I'll make the arrangements right away."

With that, Julia's attention while watching the horse racing became somewhat absent-minded, taking on a rather ambiguous air.

No one knew the reason why Carrington had left earlier; anyway, he was too embarrassed to say it himself. Now, Carrington had hurried back to the hotel to see Lee Hyori.

Lee Hyori was still somewhat absent-mindedly lost in thought about something.

Uncle Hua was softly and gently communicating with Carrington regarding the matter concerning the Home Office.

At that moment, Lee Hyori's bodyguard knocked on the door and entered, reporting, "People from the Security Service have come to the hotel and are conducting investigations everywhere."

Lee Hyori was startled and asked, "What kind of move is this?"

Carrington laughed knowingly and said, "If they really are people from the Security Service, it basically means the Home Secretary is going to check into this hotel."

"She needs to stay in a hotel while in London?" Lee Hyori was dumbfounded.

Carrington explained, "Different times call for different security protocols. If something happens that leads their evaluators to assess the official residence's security coefficient as insufficient, they might make such a choice. This hotel originally belongs to their family anyway, so choosing this place is the most normal thing in the world."

Lee Hyori and Uncle Hua licked their lips. After exchanging glances, they felt this was an opportunity.

Carrington also chimed in, "This is indeed an opportunity. I know the Assistant Minister; he's a friend of my father's. If I make a special trip to the Home Office, it will inevitably arouse some suspicion. It's better here. We can just take advantage of this 'chance encounter' opportunity. I can take you down later, and after 'accidentally' running into the Assistant Minister, we can just say 'hi' and show our faces. That way, it will be convenient for him to come communicate the fine details with us during the Minister's stay and formulate a plan."

Lee Hyori couldn't help but feel that he was both handsome and capable. "How confident are you about this plan?"

Carrington nodded and said, "My confidence is quite high. Actually, I've long found Director Olivia an eyesore. Not just me; Director Olivia and the Minister also have some lingering grievances, and she even has a strong conflict with Teresa from the Homeland Security Bureau. With the Assistant Minister mediating on the side, it's entirely possible to turn around and slap Olivia hard."

At this, they were once again filled with confidence.