Chapter 367 : Green Plum Meets Wine 18 (1/2)

“You want to ask me how I chose that ore, don’t you?” As Long Run hadn’t gotten to the point after so long, Shi Sheng ignored his darkening face and spoke on her own initiative. “I picked it randomly. My luck was probably great then, which was why I could pick such a good one.”

‘These people are so tiresome. They always beat around the bush and make things harder than it has to be.’

[……] ‘Do you think everyone’s as straightforward as you are, to pull out a sword at the slightest disagreement?’

A hint of surprise flashed in Long Run’s eyes. ‘She’s quicker than most people.’

“If your luck’s so good, then demonstrate by picking one for me.” ‘Would I believe nonsense like that? Think I’ve been living my life fooled by others? You think I’ll believe you just so happened to pick an Emperor Green?!’

Shi Sheng raised a brow. “Are you paying me?”

Long Run, “…” ‘You’re asking me to pay you for picking my ore?! What kind of logic is this?!’

“Since that’s not the case, why should I pick for you? People get paid for selling their skills, y’know? You want a free show[1]?”

“Pfft—” Yu Jiu couldn’t hold back his laughter anymore.

He covered his mouth with the back of his hand in an attempt to stifle his laughter, but his quaking shoulders gave him away.

Long Run glared at Yu Jiu. ‘How disrespectful!’

But Long Run didn’t have a chance to speak, before he heard the girl’s rebuke. “What’re you laughing at?!”

Yu Jiu coughed. “Mr Long, are you finished? If there are no more questions, then we’ll be heading off.”

Long Run, “…” ‘I didn’t even ask anything yet!’

But Yu Jiu didn’t give him a chance to speak, as he beckoned towards Shi Sheng. “Xiaoxia-meimei, let’s go.”

Shi Sheng got up and walked towards the door.

“Stop!” Long Run gave a low snap, his eyes seeming about to spit fire.

He hadn’t been this enraged in years.

Yu Jiu frowned and turned to speak to him. “Mr Long, I won’t give a damn about who you plan on recruiting, but you’d best not have any designs on my Xiaoxia-meimei.”

“Other people would grovel and beg to join my family, yet you two scoff at the chance?!” Long Run had been angered so much that he started laughing.

“As a carp jumps over a dragon’s gate[2], eh? But even so, it’s still a carp. Even if it leaps past the dragon’s gate, it’s still a fish. It will never be a true dragon. Besides…” Yu Jiu looked at the girl that had nearly made it to the door.

“My Xiaoxia-meimei is no fish, so she doesn’t need a stepping stone like you. Mr Long, think carefully before you act.”

Though Yu Jiu’s immature face was all smiles, his eyes caused Long Run to receive a shock. Those were the eyes of a predator that had spotted prey and gleamed with hungry light.

‘Just how old is this kid… How could such eyes appear on a young man?’

But when Long Run looked again, the youth remained a youth. His eyes were lowered, covering the ripples in their depths.

“Goodbye, Mr Long.” ‘You’re dreaming if you think you can have any ideas about my little green plum!’

Veins bulged up on the back of the hand clutching on to his cane. He trembled with anger as he the two leave.

‘My Long Family was called a stepping stone?!

I was planning to take a look at how capable that lass was, and possibly even allow her to study at my side. Who knew she’d be this ignorant and arrogant?!

Newly born calves are truly unafraid of tigers ah!

But in this world, you can’t just care about your own opinions!’

After Shi Sheng and Yu Jiu left, Long Run dialled a number.

“Give me the details on those two brats.” ‘No one’s ever dared to oppose me this much!’

The person on the other end made a sound of affirmation. The Long Family did things swiftly and efficiently. The dossiers soon made their way to Long Run’s hands.

There wasn’t anything that stood out about Yu Jiu’s. He was Yu Xingyun’s only child and had been out of the country in recent years, having never returned till now.

Although the Long Family had connections overseas, it wasn’t as easy for them to get information there as it was within the country.

The other dossier was on Sheng Xia.

She was adopted at the age of ten by Gu Yan, but no information on her prior to that could be found.

‘No information on one after he left the country… And none on the other from before she was adopted…’

“Investigate! I want to know the details!” Long Run threw the dossiers onto the floor. “I don’t believe a couple of brats are enough to overturn the heavens!”

His aide hesitated. “Mr Long, if we investigate Yu Jiu any further, Yu Xingyun is sure to find out. This…”

The Long Family and Yu Family had businesses in sectors that overlapped. Had Yu Xingyun not returned, the domestic market practically belonged to the Long Family.