Chapter 50: Gangland Grudges Part 5

  This round is over, the waiter comes in to pour wine for everyone. Manya toasted Su Luo three cups in a row, and Su Luo also politely returned three cups. When it was the turn of the other two, Lu Zhen'er couldn't drink, so she replaced wine with tea, and nodded at Long Xiao together.

  The men and women who were being held at the door naturally all let go, and they also came in to sit together for a while, exchanging pleasantries. Then Man Ye stood up and said that there was still something that he really had to attend to, Su Luo said then don't keep you, we'll get together another day.

  Uncle Wan also said that one day he will definitely invite you to his place to play, although it's not as big as the Jade Emperor's, but it's not bad either.

  Su Luo naturally agreed. Both of them had the intention of getting along, so they immediately hit it off.

  They exchanged contact information, and Man Ye asked them to stay, but Su Luo and the others insisted on sending him off at the door. Afterwards, they bid farewell with a handshake.

  "Then I'll leave too, you guys play." Su Luo didn't want to return to the private room anymore, so she also took her own people and left. As for Long Xiao and the others, whether they continued playing or dispersed on the spot, she wasn't interested in managing them.

  Manye is a man of action, and before long, Su Luo received his invitation.

  During this time, another thing happened, although it was not big, but it also caused discord between her and Long Xiao's people.

  It's like this.

  Someone with connections found them and said that they had acquired a batch of good items, all of which were bronze and jade artifacts from the Spring and Autumn period. However, they were having trouble finding a way to get them out of the country, and they didn't dare to sell them on the black market domestically for fear of getting caught and suffering consequences. They hoped that Qing Long could help find a good buyer for them, and they would be willing to give him a certain percentage as a commission fee, or if Qing Long was willing, he could directly buy them at a low price and then decide whether to sell or keep them himself.

  Su Luo was good at antiques, and she also had several top-notch appraisers under her. She wasn't afraid of being cheated, so she readily agreed. Originally, this area was all handled by her people, but because the other party had connections with Long Xiao's side, it wouldn't be good to completely brush them off. Moreover, in recent years, due to her excellent management, the income of several direct subordinates had far exceeded that of Long Xiao's side, and many people under her had opinions. They were all from the same gang, and the gap between rich and poor was never good, so she brought them along whenever possible, including this time.

  Since they wanted to get a share of the profits, they couldn't just do nothing. Su Luo handed over the task of contacting the seller and arranging the meeting to them, thinking that it was such a simple matter that it wouldn't go wrong, so she didn't ask about it. It wasn't until the day of the transaction that she discovered she had overestimated them.

  The time was set for the evening, which is nothing, but the place was an abandoned factory, with no lighting at all, pitch black, and walking required careful attention to avoid steel bars, bricks and debris on the ground, lest a fall would result in disability.

  Su Luo was stunned as soon as she got out of the car and saw this scene, her anger had nowhere to vent, so she thought about how to scold that brainless person who chose this place when she got back. Was he addicted to watching police dramas? A group of people appearing in such a place in the middle of the night was simply afraid that others wouldn't know they were doing something shady, and what's more, they were trading cultural relics. What if they had bumped into each other or collided? If it weren't for their foresight in bringing professional lighting equipment and appraisal instruments, they would probably have to rely on touch.

  That's all right, but it's not over yet.

  They had been in the factory for less than five minutes and hadn't even waited for the other party to arrive when an old scavenger came clattering in.

  Su Luo was so angry that she couldn't help but scold, even if it's just a small thief, they should know to leave someone to keep watch. Such a big transaction and there isn't even anyone keeping guard on the outside, what if the police come? Or what if someone secretly plots against them? It's truly laughable. He was still standing in front of her, guaranteeing that everything had been arranged perfectly, that it was absolutely safe, but it was all just a joke.

  Of course, now is not the time to pursue responsibility.

  The old man let out a miserable cry as he was frightened by so many people, then turned around and ran away. The hemp sack on his shoulder fell to the ground with a thud, and bottles and jars rolled everywhere, making an especially piercing sound in the night.

  This was beyond everyone's expectation, and many people didn't react in time.

  The brain-damaged little ringleader responsible for this matter also realized his mistake, eager to make amends, and drew out the knife from his waist to charge at the old man. Su Luo subdued him with a single grab, knocked him unconscious, and handed him over to Lin Jingwen. Lin Jingwen dragged him away to a corner without making a sound. The others, seeing this, did not dare to act rashly and waited for Su Luo to speak up.

  "Hey, old man, don't run away. We're not bad people." Su Luo signaled the others to stop and chased after the old man herself. As a woman, she was more likely to put people at ease, and she intentionally softened her voice, making it less cold and harsh than usual.

  As expected, Old Han heard it was a young girl's voice and turned his head to take a look.

  Because the lights they lit up in the house allowed for a clear view of her face. Although Su Luo was relatively tall and had an air of elegance between her eyebrows, she absolutely wouldn't be mistaken for a man, just a cold beauty.

  The old man relaxed his vigilance a bit, but still didn't dare to run outside the factory. Su Luo patiently explained: "Old man, don't be afraid, sorry to scare you. We are developers from out of town and came to investigate whether this land has investment potential. Because time is tight, we can't wait until tomorrow, so we had to come at night. Are you familiar with the situation here? Can you tell me about it?"

  The old man looked at her with a good tone and appearance, looking so pretty, dressed so stylishly, indeed like a business person, and finally felt at ease, stuttering to say: "Old head I'm just a waste collector, don't understand anything, only know that it's been empty for several years."

  "Is it lively around here? Are there many people usually?" Su Luo continued to pretend to ask about the situation, chatting with the old man for a while. The old man also told him everything he knew and could say.

  As they were about to leave, Su Luo wanted to help the old man pick up the bottles that had fallen on the ground and put them back in the sack. The old man anxiously tried to stop her, repeatedly saying: "No, no, it's dirty, I'll do it, I'll do it."

  Su Luo looked at his cracked hands and hunched back as he picked up the bottles one by one, feeling unbearable in her heart, and without thinking about the dirt, she went to help him.

  She's a bit of a cleanliness freak, and everyone knows it. Lin Jingwen was the first to come over and help, and others soon joined in, and they quickly finished cleaning up. The old man kept thanking them profusely, but Su Luo just said it was no big deal, that they were the ones who had caused him trouble.

  She didn't have any money on her, so Lin Jingwen subtly hinted at it and took out a small stack of 100 yuan bills. She handed them over to the old man, who refused to accept them no matter what. Su Luo lied to him, saying that he had helped him a great deal, and if he hadn't told him about the situation here, he might have invested millions and would have definitely lost money. This small amount of money was just a thank you, and it was what he deserved, already a small amount, so the old man could only accept it after declining repeatedly.

  A group of people left the abandoned factory and also advised the old man to go home, then immediately contacted the other party to say that the transaction was temporarily cancelled, and then waited for further notice, fearing that they would run into the old man.

  Although Su Luo was born into this kind of family and had been accustomed to the sight of killings since she was young, even having her hands stained with blood, she wasn't someone who viewed life as worthless. She had her own principles.

  For those who are also on this path, she can fight to the death for power and money, but for innocent people, she will try not to involve them as much as possible, even if it means losing some benefits. So when the little brother drew his knife, she would stop him, and afterwards, in order to dispel the old man's doubts, she took pains to fabricate so many lies, because otherwise, the old man wouldn't be able to stay, and might say something he shouldn't outside.

  At that time, I didn't think much of it when I picked it up, but on the way back, Su Luo suddenly felt weak all over, and his mind was filled with those messy bottles and some unknown things on them. He regretted why he didn't just order his younger brother to do it, and why he had to show off his ability himself, really too impulsive.

  She's not like ordinary girls, going out with a bag, tissues and everything in it, can't wipe directly on her body, that would be even more uncomfortable, can't ask little brother for help, too embarrassing, can only hang empty-handed, try not to touch other parts of the body, then hope the car arrives soon.

  Damn it, this place is especially far from the gang's hideout. I've mentally whipped that brainless little brother to death countless times, but still can't solve her hand-washing problem.

  Lin Jingwen, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but secretly laugh at her awkward posture. He had originally intended to pretend he didn't know what was going on, but seeing her expression was genuinely painful, with her eyebrows furrowed so tightly they could have squashed a fly. She hadn't been this troubled even when she was stabbed by a knife before. His heart softened for a moment, and he couldn't bear it anymore, so he called out to stop the car.

  Someone had left a case of mineral water in the trunk before, which hadn't been used much usually, but now it's just what they needed.

  He took water and got back on the car, instructing his younger brother to drive.

  Then he pulled Su Luo's hand and twisted open the bottle cap.

  Su Luo nodded, and as he poured, she scrubbed hard. Both of their bodies were straight as they sat, without any conversation, quietly washing bottle after bottle until the carpet in the back seat could no longer absorb it, only then did Su Luo feel clean.

  Why didn't they get off the bus to wash? Because they couldn't let the younger brothers know, the prince's face is very important. So the two of them washing their hands also did so with their backs to the people driving in front.

  Su Luo washed her hands, and Lin Jingwen let her wipe them dry on his body. Only then did she recover her thinking ability, planning how to proceed with the next transaction, and what punishment that brainless person should receive.

  But in the end, the deal didn't go through. The other party changed their mind at the last minute, probably thinking that they weren't sincere and couldn't be trusted, so they went to find another house. Su Luo didn't force it, after all, they were the ones who had lost out first.

  But others may not think so.

  Her people thought it was Long Xiao's side that didn't make things clear, which led to the temporary mistake. She also penalized a few responsible people, and Long Xiao had no opinion, so he just apologized for a few sentences, seeing her insistence, he let it go.

  However, these people did not realize their mistakes and instead had a lot of complaints in private, leading to the people on Long Xiao's side thinking that the main reason for this transaction's failure was her.

  If the prince wasn't too soft-hearted, an old trash collector wouldn't be a problem at all, it would be solved in no time, and nobody would come to ask for justice, everything could be done cleanly. After all, a woman is still a woman, she can never become a great hero.

  When this reached Su Luo's ears, she almost laughed out loud. It seemed that these people still hadn't realized where the problem lay. If things continued like this, there would eventually be a day when they'd suffer losses. Hopefully, it wouldn't drag down the entire Qing Long with them.