Chapter 1

“Apologies for the interruption,” the pilot’s voice crackled over the airplane intercom. “We are due to begin our descent down to Hong Kong International Airport in a few minutes. The weather in Hong Kong is at a pleasant 23 degrees Celsius, and we anticipate that we will land in Hong Kong in about half an hour and will disembark shortly after.”

Charlotte fluttered her blonde eyelashes open, and lazily listened to the rest of the pilot’s landing debriefing. She stretched her long legs, covered in gray sweatpants, in the exit row of economy class. ‘At least my model agency got me exit row seats in economy with some leg room,’ Charlotte thought to herself with mild annoyance. She was a beautiful girl, and she knew it. She stood at around five foot nine inches, and often flaunted her glistening, forty-inch long legs with short mini-skirts and tight dresses. The light blush she applied on her face accentuated her high cheekbones and gorgeous face. The only trouble she had in her native France was that the model agencies considered her body, which boasted 34C-28-31 breast measurements and firm peach-shaped buttocks, to be too voluptuous for the high fashion runway world.

“Why don’t you try going abroad? I know that Hong Kong has a lot of demand for foreign models. Maybe you’ll find more success over there. We also have offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai as well.” Her manager in the fashion agency, QM Modeling Agency, tried to lay out the possible options Charlotte had. “Otherwise, you may have to start doing less high fashion work, and do more swimwear modeling and possibly some Maxim-style shoots.”

Charlotte was always drawn to the wondrous possibilities of Asia, and now that she had fulfilled her obligations to her parents and recently completed her university degree in physics at Cambridge, Hong Kong seemed like a good start.

Her model agency set up girls like Charlotte in co-living apartments in the Sheung Wan neighborhood. It was a twenty minute walk from the Central district, where high-powered businessmen and their financiers and lawyers deliberated on and decided on multi-billion dollar decisions, and where the big fashion labels unleashed their creative juices. Central district was also where the hard partying areas of Lan Kwai Fong and SoHo neighborhoods were located, where tipsy party goers would partake in the festivities, and live out Hong Kong’s reputation to ‘‘work hard, play hard.’

“Hey Billy, can you take a look at the financials of QM Modeling Agency, and let me know if you think it’s a good investment?” Luke instructed his investment analyst, Billy, over the phone, as he sat in his Central office.

Luke Lee had dropped out of Stanford, and founded his own company before selling it to Alphabet, Inc. for a cool $300 million six years later. Flushed with cash, he enjoyed his mini-retirement for a few months - partying with friends, traveling the world, and hooking up with different girls - before reading up on a group of monks in the Himalayas who could allegedly perform amazing feats. Intrigued, and a bit bored with his hedonistic and materialistic lifestyle, Luke entrusted his assets to his wealth managers at Credit Suisse, and set off to the Himalayas to live with and learn under these mysterious monks for three years.

After three years of living in the Himalayas, one of the elder monks took Luke aside before the morning ritual of walking meditation in the unprotected elements of the Himalayan cold. “Namaste, Luke.”

“Namaste, Master Nan,” Luke replied with some surprise, before remembering to bow before Master Nan.

“It’s a nice day today, huh?” Master Nan commented, as his eyes looked up to his right at the rising sun, shining its magnificent rays over the snow-covered Himalayan mountains. Master Nan and Luke, along with the other monks, were clothed only in monk robes made of yak fur. Through their training in meditation, breath control, martial arts, and willpower focus, these monks possessed enhanced abilities allowing them to perform superhuman feats. For example, they were able to control their physiology, including their body temperature. As a result, neither Master Nan nor Luke felt the slightest discomfort as they conversed in the freezing cold of the Himalayan mountains.

Luke paused for a moment. It was odd for Master Nan, or any monk, to talk to anyone before the morning ritual. Something was up. Luke responded deferentially, “Yes, Master. There is nothing quite like the morning rays shining on top of the snow-capped mountains.”

“How many years have you stayed here?”

“Approximately three years, Master.”

Master Nan turned to face Luke with kind eyes, “Your presence here has been a gift to us, and we would love for you to stay indefinitely. However, we both know your path leads you back to the secular lifestyle for a few more decades. You have much to contribute to the secular society, especially in this region.”

Luke sighed. Deep in his heart, he knew Master Nan was right. Luke relished the peace and quiet in the Himalayas, and he didn’t have to deal with all the shallowness, materialism, and bullshit of modern-day society. He also knew what else Master Nan hinted at. While commentators proclaimed the twenty-first century to be the “Asian century,” there was still a lot of work left to be done to overcome the damage wrought by the white colonialists in the Asian region, especially the Asian minds.

After staring at his sandals for a few moments, Luke looked up at Master Nan and nodded. “You’re right, Master Nan. But I will miss you and everyone here.” Luke clasped his hands together in a prayer position in front of his body and bowed deeply.

Flash. Charlotte struck another pose and tilted her head further to the right, as a team of photographers kept snapping their cameras at Charlotte.

“Perfect!” Yelled the head photographer in an Italian-accented English. “Lift up your chest a bit, and look at the camera with a seductive look.”

Charlotte followed the instructions and arched her bountiful C-cup breasts forward, artfully exposing her cleavage for the photographers to capture. She was dressed in a beautiful, red Vera Wang dress, which featured a plunging neckline and a dangerously high slit which stopped just underneath her right hip, exposing the bare, smooth skin of her forty-inch long legs. She looked seductively at the camera lens held by the main photographer, who looked like a gay Italian fashionista.

Less than a week after arriving in Hong Kong, word quickly spread of the French beauty’s arrival and Charlotte’s schedule was quickly booked out by modelling jobs from top fashion labels. She was currently modelling for Vera Wang’s latest Spring collection, which already surpassed her wildest dreams of what she could achieve in Hong Kong. ‘Hong Kong is so dynamic with so many opportunities!’ Charlotte mused to herself as she struck various poses in front of photographers and assistants who attended to her every whim and need.

Luke stood in the back observing the photoshoot. He had come to this industrial building in Causeway Bay to conduct some onsite due diligence in QM Modeling Agency before making an investment in it. After meeting with the senior management and major shareholders of QM Modeling Agency three floors above, Luke excused himself and wandered down to the photoshoot area to get a look for himself.

After returning back to Hong Kong from the Himalayas, Luke continued his daily meditative and martial practice. It was a mix of disciplines he combined from his time in the Himalayas and Taoists masters he had studied under over the years. His practice in the ancient Eastern arts gave Luke the ability to control his body and mind in ways mere human beings could not. In essence, Luke Lee possessed enhanced abilities and attributes. One of the effects of these enhanced attributes was that Luke’s body naturally emitted pheromones at a higher rate than the normal human male. Any human females near Luke breathing in his pheromones would subconsciously be drawn and attracted to Luke, like a female animal biologically drawn to mating with the alpha male during mating season.

“Charlotte, why don’t you slip one of the straps off your shoulder? Let’s try a really sexy look.” Vera Wang and her team had told QM Modeling Agency and the photographers that they wanted their Spring collection to be sexier than usual.

While Charlotte was no prude, having had her fair share of sexual experiences growing up in France and in the UK, she couldn’t help but blush a little bit, as she slipped off one of the straps of her dress before striking a pose at the camera.

‘Wow, she is gorgeous,’ Luke thought to himself as he stood in the background observing Charlotte pose in front of the team of photographers and assistants.

Charlotte felt a strange warmth emanating from between her legs as she felt the gaze of an alpha male, Luke, intensify on her. ‘Oh my, it’s getting fuzzy down there,’ Charlotte thought to herself confusedly, ‘What’s going on?’ Unbeknownst to Charlotte, another effect of Luke’s enhanced attributes was that, in addition to giving off powerful pheromones, females would swoon and get turned on if Luke’s sexual attention was focused on the female.

Charlotte tried to remain professional, as she swapped various poses in front of the flashing cameras, but her whole body was feeling a hot flush. “Excuse me,” she stammered to the head photographer. “Can we take a short break please?” The photographers were glad to take a break, and quickly gestured for everyone staffed in the photoshoot to take a breather. “Phew, is it really hot in here?” Charlotte asked the people around her as she walked to the back of the photoshoot where bottles of water were located.

“I think it’s you who is driving up the temperature here.” Luke joked as he offered a bottle of water to Charlotte. “You must be thirsty.”

As Charlotte held out her hands to graciously accept the bottle of water from Luke, their hands briefly touched, causing sparks of electricity to flow between Charlotte and Luke. She breathed in the air of pheromones from Luke, causing her to get even warmer between her legs. ‘Who is this guy?’ Charlotte thought to herself, ‘His presence is so ... masculine.’ “Merci beaucoup. I am Charlotte by the way.” Charlotte introduced herself, keen to know more about this mysterious and handsome Asian man with such a masculine aura.

“Hi Charlotte. I’m Luke.” Luke and Charlotte shook hands, and Charlotte once again felt pulses of electricity course through her. “Great work out there by the way; I’m sure the photos will turn out great.”

Charlotte’s face blushed a deep crimson red. She was used to men flirting with her, but for some reason, she felt like a shy girl who wanted nothing more than to please Luke. “Thank you for your kind words, Monsieur Luke. I’m sure you’re used to girls far prettier than me, though.”

“Nonsense - you’re doing great work.” Luke didn’t believe in constantly flattering and complimenting women on their beauty, but he didn’t see the harm in genuine compliments.

Charlotte smiled. “And what brings you here to our modeling studio?” She didn’t want the conversation with Luke to end.

“Oh, I’m doing some research on QM Modeling Agency.” Luke’s eyes glazed in thought for a moment before looking at Charlotte. “Actually, do you mind if we keep in touch? I’d love to ask you some questions about the agency, perhaps over dinner?”

“Of course! I would love that!” Charlotte tried her best to not sound overeager.

“Great, what’s the best way to reach you?” Luke took his phone out in anticipation of Charlotte’s reply.

“Umm, do you use WhatsApp?”

“Yeah, that works with me. Here, type your number in.” Luke handed his phone to Charlotte, who promptly typed her phone number in.

Charlotte handed Luke’s phone back to him, “I probably should get back to work - the photographers are all waiting. It was really nice to meet you, and please text me about your questions and dinner!”

Luke smiled and waved her goodbye. “Of course, enjoy the rest of your day.”

Luke sat in his office in Central, eyes closed deep in thought, when his junior analyst, Billy, knocked on his door.

“Hey Luke - do you have a minute?”

“Yeah, what’s up, Billy?”

Billy walked into Luke’s office and handed him a printout of his analysis conducted on QM Modeling Agency. “I just wanted to give this analysis to you as requested. They’re quite profitable, but modeling agencies generally are quite people-centric and are subject to ‘key-man risk,’ so if the agents leave to another agency, they’ll likely bring the models they represent with them. So it’s pretty important to keep the agents and models happy if you plan to acquire this agency.”

Luke nodded his head in agreement. “Thanks a lot, Billy. I’ll take a look later tonight, and let you know my thoughts tomorrow morning. Have a good one.”

After Billy closed the door to his office, Luke sat back in his chair and relaxed. Transitioning from the peace and tranquility of the Himalayas to the frantic busyness of Hong Kong was a lot to get used to, but Luke’s daily practice enabled him to remain grounded and centered. Luke chose to come back to Hong Kong, a place where he spent a portion of his childhood, as it still represented the best mix of East and West, and a place where he felt he could make the most impact. ‘And what kind of impact am I looking to make?’ Luke wondered to himself. ‘I’m not fully sure, but sharing my perspective with the world seems to be a good start.’ And with that thought in mind, Luke picked up Billy’s printout and flicked through his analysis of QM Modeling Agency. In addition to wanting to put his money to work with businesses he could interact with - as opposed to just buying stocks of companies thousands of miles away via a computer screen - QM Modeling Agency represented an opportunity for Luke to get a foothold in the fashion industry. The fashion industry often led popular culture, and therefore represented an interesting opportunity for Luke to push the culture forward. It also didn’t hurt that modeling agencies had a great supply of gorgeous women.

‘Speaking of gorgeous women, let me send Charlotte a message for dinner.’ During his three years in the Himalayas, Luke abided by the monks’ precepts and abstained from sexual relations with women. His three years of sexual abstinence, while painful and challenging at times, gave him the focus and energy to develop his practice of the ancient Eastern arts. His practice gave Luke an unprecedented amount of control over his body - including his ability to alter the size of body parts with mind control - in addition to other enhanced attributes, such as emitting pheromones which enhanced attraction from females. Luke also recovered from injuries much quicker than the average person. He had Master Nan’s blessing to re-integrate himself back in the secular society, and Luke was especially eager to become intimate with beautiful women again.

“Hey Charlotte, this is Luke. I was just thinking of you. Are you free for dinner tonight or tomorrow?” Luke sent Charlotte a message.

His phone buzzed about five minutes later. Charlotte responded, “I was worried you had forgotten about me! I’m free tonight actually :).”

Luke smiled, as he typed back, “Great, let’s meet at the Lobster Bar at Shangri-La at 7:30 pm tonight.”

Charlotte was dressed in a red turtleneck paired with figure-hugging white pants and three-inch heels from Jimmy Choo, accentuating her natural feminine curves in a tasteful manner. She wore her Van Cleef diamond earrings, which further underscored her sharp European features and sparkling, blue eyes. Conversation among high-powered businessmen, financiers, and lawyers paused as heads turned to take in the French beauty gracefully striding in the restaurant.

She spotted Luke sitting at the corner table, and smiled at him. “Bonsoir Luke, sorry I’m a bit late.”

“Not at all, you’re actually right on time.” Luke reciprocated her hug and kisses on the cheek, as per French custom. “Please, take a seat. What would you like to eat?” He gestured for the waiter to hand her the menu.

Charlotte’s nose breathed in Luke’s pheromones and musky scent, and her inner thighs squirmed while her body flushed with arousal. ‘It’s that feeling again,’ she thought to herself. ‘I wonder if all the hot Asian men are like this.’

Luke noticed Charlotte’s signs of arousal with a hint of satisfaction. Ever since he had returned to secular society, he had noticed how women acted differently around him. He had always enjoyed a measure of success with the ladies before he ventured off to the Himalayas, but he was pleasantly surprised at how women would find excuses to flirt with him and otherwise be near him after returning to secular society. He was still unsure what was the best or most appropriate way to use his newfound powers of attraction, but he figured going on a date with a beautiful French woman like Charlotte wasn’t a bad idea.

Conversation between Charlotte and Luke flowed, and they both enjoyed each other’s company. Luke was intrigued by Charlotte’s perspective, especially when it related to art, culture, and fashion, while Charlotte was fascinated by Luke’s story.

“Wow, so you’re telling me after you sold your company, you lived with the monks in the Himalayas for three years?” Charlotte was engrossed in Luke’s story, as she sipped on a glass of Blueprint Cabernet Sauvignon 2017.

Luke nodded. “Modern industrialized society, the way we know it, doesn’t actually have a long history. The Industrial Revolution only began about 250 years ago in England - which is nothing when you compare it to the 3,000 plus years of Chinese civilization and millions of years of human evolution. So what we think is ‘normal’ in today’s civilization probably does not feel natural to us as human beings.”

“And that’s why you wanted to challenge your habits and assumptions by trying a different mode of life?”

Luke smiled and nodded again. Despite being a beautiful model, Charlotte possessed a quick intellect and was a pleasure to converse with. He chewed on the last morsel of steak and placed his fork and knife together on top of his plate, signifying to the waiters that he was finished with his dish. He gazed at Charlotte’s oceanic blue eyes, surrounded perfectly by her fair complexion and beautiful cheekbones. Her shapely breasts, under her red turtleneck, protruded invitingly outwards from her body at Luke.

Charlotte noticed Luke staring at her and felt the area between her legs squirm again. She was wearing a white thong underneath her white pants, and she was afraid that her vagina’s flowing juices would cause a stain of embarrassment. Charlotte’s eyes locked on Luke for a few seconds before she flirtingly smiled and suggested, “So should we get dessert here?”

Luke raised his eyebrows. “Actually, I live just around the corner, and I have some cheese, ham, and crackers I need to finish in my fridge. They’re quite good, and we can also have some wine to pair them with.” He then added a qualification, “You can stay for an hour or so, not too late, as I want to get an early start tomorrow.”

Charlotte nodded her head, almost too quickly, before she caught herself and cleared her throat. “Yeah, we could chill at your place for a bit. I also have a few morning appointments, so probably shouldn’t stay too late anyway.”

“Wow, great view,” Charlotte commented as she stepped out of the restroom and looked out at the panoramic view of Victoria Harbour from the floor-to-ceiling windows of Luke’s living room.

“Thanks - make yourself at home,” came Luke’s voice in the kitchen as he prepared the spread of ham, cheese, and crackers.

Luke came out from the kitchen and placed the food on the dining table. He turned and admired Charlotte’s silhouette as she stood in front of the scenic view and basked in the moonlight of Hong Kong. Luke had always found long legs attractive, and Charlotte’s legs were impossibly long and combined with her tight shapely ass, were exquisitely proportioned. Luke felt his erection hardening underneath his pants, as he thought of ploughing his manhood into Charlotte.

As Luke eyed lustfully at Charlotte from behind, her panties immediately began to get soaked again. Luke’s enhanced abilities of attraction were at work on Charlotte again. She had just used a few paper towels in the bathroom in an attempt to dry her panties, but now they were getting soaked again. ‘What’s happening to me?’ Charlotte thought to herself, as she shivered in desire. She placed both of her hands on the windows to balance herself, not knowing that Luke was a few steps behind her.

“Are you okay?” Luke strode a few steps forward to Charlotte.