?

  Xiao Yunyi looked at Aphrodite with some confusion, she didn't understand why this blonde beauty came to her home at night. But still very politely said: "Really an honored guest, please come in! Don't just stand at the door and talk."

  Aphrodite entered, seeing the living room sofa with a pile of clothes that had just been dried and brought back, next to which was an ironing board that hadn't started ironing yet, not knowing where to sit. Feng Junzi said: "The living room is messy, let's go to the study."

  Xiao Yunyi: "You all sit down first, I'll go make some tea."

  Feng Junzi: "Take two cups, use my teapot."

  "Want to use your teapot?" Xiao Yunyi was about to say something but stopped and instead took out a purple clay teapot from the study to brew tea.

  Aphrodite walked into the study, and Feng Junzi raised his hand to gesture: "Miss Weina, please sit down, don't be polite!" She slightly furrowed her brow but still sat down, because apart from the swivel chair in front of the computer desk, there were no other chairs in the study. Feng Junzi was pointing to a reclining armchair in the corner by the door on the right-hand side, which looked very casual and relaxing.

  After sitting down, Aphrodite took a look around Feng Junzi's study. On the left-hand side of the entrance was a row of white bookshelves that stretched for nearly four meters and almost reached the ceiling. The bookshelves were open and consisted of a series of compartments for storing books. Across from the bookshelves, on the other side of the room near the window, stood an extremely large computer desk made of birch wood, with the computer screen still lit up. On this side of the entrance was a reading recliner, and between the recliner and the computer desk was a glass tea table.

  Although it seemed normal, this was his study after all, so Afutena unconsciously used her magic to scan the room. As soon as she activated her magic, she turned her head to look at the wall beside the door and felt a chill run down her spine. The cold air seemed to pierce through her bones, and she saw an Eastern-style sword hanging on the wall, complete with a scabbard and tassel. On the hilt of the sword were two ancient characters in seal script - "Tian Xin". However, Afutena didn't recognize them, so she quickly withdrew her gaze and turned to look at the tea table on her right side.

  This didn't seem serious at first, but then she heard a series of roars in her mind, shaking her body so much that if she hadn't been leaning on the recliner, she would have almost fallen over. Her gaze passed through the glass panel of the coffee table and saw a traditional Oriental Go board placed on the shelf under the table, with something on it that made her heart ache - a black, foot-long sceptre with two dragons engraved on it.

  On the left wall hung the Tianxin Sword, and under the tea table on the right was placed the Hei Ruyi. Aphrodite sat in between, having just used her magic to scan the surroundings with her puppet eyes. The sharp killing intent of the Tianxin Sword and the dragon soul's pressure from the Hei Ruyi enveloped her divine sense, giving her an intangible feeling that she couldn't move carelessly. Feng Junzi led her into the study room, making such a move without changing his expression, Aphrodite also began to wonder if this person had really forgotten about the past or was intentionally pretending to have forgotten?

  She withdrew her puppetry in surprise, no longer using any magic, and everything returned to normal. The sword was just a sword, the Like was just a Like, like ordinary craftwork on display, without any murderous aura or pressure. Aphthita couldn't help but press her hand to her chest and take a light breath. Feng Junzi sat down in his swivel chair with a smile and asked, "Is Miss Vina tired?"

  Aphrodite: "I've been feeling a bit under the weather these past two days, but it's nothing serious."

  Feng Junzi: "Maybe it's just not used to the local environment, I also don't adapt well when I travel to other places for work for the first two days, but after getting used to it, it's fine... Miss Weina came to find me at night, is there something urgent?"

  Aphrodite looked up at him with a probing question in her eyes: "Can't you come to find Mr. Feng without anything happening?"

  Feng Junzi put away his smile and said calmly: "Of course, I can, and I welcome you. As the ancients said, 'Is it not a joy to have friends come from afar?' But I also know that Miss Weina's status is noble, and we don't have much interaction between us. If it weren't for my good memory or if you didn't leave a deep impression on people, otherwise, if you suddenly knocked on my door, I really wouldn't recognize who you are."

  Aphrodite: "Haven't we met before? Are you surprised to see me?"

  Feng Junzi: "We've met before, I remember it was at the charity dinner at the Shangri-La Hotel, and Miss Vienna was stunning. ... But as the ancients said, 'No one enters the Temple of Three Treasures without a reason.' If you have something to say, then speak up. However, let me make one thing clear: some things are better left unsaid."

  Aphrodite: "What needn't be said?"

  Feng Junzi: "I heard that you represent the Roba Alliance Financial Group to find investment projects in Zhixu Country. I understand your group's situation, it's very large, making a lot of money all over the world, playing with capital turnover business. No matter what you bring to where you go, when you leave, even the land can be scraped clean, maybe using ten or twenty years or more time, but the ending is always the same. Am I right?"

  Aphrodite: "Mr. Wind's words are biased, investment is indeed for profit, but we also bring prosperity and civilization to the world, you should be able to see that."

  "Feng Junzi: 'I see it, capital, technology, experience, these are all good things, needed and wanted by many places, but not what you want to give. The purpose of giving up all this is absolutely not for the benefit of others, as long as there is a glimmer of possibility, everything will be squeezed out to the last drop for self-benefit. True prosperity and civilization have always been created by each country itself, never an exception from ancient times to the present! ... If you can't occupy this land and its resources for yourself, then in the end you'll only take away more things that don't belong to you... What I'm saying 'you' doesn't refer to Miss Vina personally.'"

  Aphthita: "We only take away the value that we ourselves have created. Mr. Feng's words are clearly unreasonable."

  Feng Junzi smiled: "My words are indeed unreasonable, and there is much to learn from you. However, the civilizations of other corners of the world should learn on their own, not in the way you hope they will accept, otherwise they will all fall into a controlled fate or chaos and decline without exception. If prosperity and wealth in one place align with your interests, you are willing to see it prosper, but if chaos and decline in another place are more beneficial to you, you will try every means to make it chaotic and declining, taking everything away in the end. Can you come up with a counterexample? In this thousand-year history of the world, pick any example you like, as long as it can refute me."

  Aphrodite's heart tightened secretly, this person was indeed a stubborn and unyielding outcast. Although he wasn't talking about God, whether or not he still remembered the past when he still had power, nothing had changed at all. As soon as they met, Aphrodite hadn't even expressed her intentions yet, but Feng Junzi already said something that made her very unwilling to listen. She looked at Feng Junzi and said: "It seems like the more we talk, the further apart we become. Mr. Feng, what words don't need to be spoken?"

  "Feng Junzi: 'If you're here representing the Roba Alliance Financial Group, hoping I'll work for you and help you find opportunities to plunder wealth in this country or invest in profitable projects, then don't bother speaking. My abilities are limited, a large group like yours should invite someone more capable.'"

  Aphrodite was stunned for a moment, and suddenly realized something. It turned out that Feng Junzi was unwilling to work for the Roba Union Financial Group. If Aphrodite had come to invite him, he would have shut the door before she even opened her mouth. At this point, Aphrodite's mind turned around, and she suddenly thought of a good idea - if she wanted to control or buy Feng Junzi in the secular world, asking him to work for the financial group was a great idea, because that was his profession. How come she hadn't thought of it before?

  She didn't expect Feng Junzi to have thought of it beforehand, saying a few words that were not very pleasant to hear, and preemptively rejecting the possibility. To outsiders, it might seem a bit comical - Zhixu country's small bookworm Feng Junzi actually dared to speak ill of Roba Alliance Financial Group, such a large multinational corporation, right in front of Aphtheana, and even declared beforehand that he would not serve them. But Aphtheana couldn't laugh, she sighed and said: "Mr. Feng misunderstood, I'm not here representing the financial group for any official business."

  Feng Junzi asked with a hint of embarrassment: "Oh? That would make me seem petty-minded. Are you here to...?"

  Aphrodite: "I'm here to deliver an invitation to Mr. Wind, inviting you to a family dinner party on Saturday."

  Feng Junzi: "A family dinner party? Then it's impossible for Miss Weina to be the host, what kind of person has such a big face? Can you let someone with such a noble status personally deliver invitations, is the Pope not enough?"

  Aphthita was startled and involuntarily sat up straight: "How did you bring up the Pope?"

  Feng Junzi: "Just kidding, Miss Weina, why are you a bit tense? Who exactly invited me?"

  Aphrodite: "I'm currently a guest at the Luo Garden, and Miss Luo Xue is hosting me. I also happened to want to meet Mr. Feng, so I took the opportunity to come over. Please keep this invitation well, Mr. Feng!" She took out the invitation from her bosom and placed it on the tea table, coincidentally blocking the black ruyi in view.

  Feng Junzi: "So it wasn't the Pope who was a little girl, inviting me to dinner and still wanting to send an invitation card, who did she learn this from?"

  Aphrodite: "It's meant to be polite and solemn, that's how traditional Western noble banquets have always been."

  Feng Junzi picked up the invitation and smiled: "We also do this when we get married and have a wedding banquet here, as soon as we receive the invitation, we have to contribute. Saturday night at Luo Garden? Good, I'll definitely go! ... Don't need to wear a dinner jacket with a fake hairpiece, right? I don't have those!"

  Aphrodite looked slightly embarrassed: "Mr. Feng is joking!"

  At this time, Xiao Yunyi walked in with a teapot and cup, put the things on the tea table and smiled: "Does Miss Luo want to invite you to dinner? Can I bring my family members? I've always heard that you say Luo Xue is quite lovely, but I haven't seen her yet, nor have I been to Luoyuan.

  Feng Junzi handed the invitation to Xiao Yunyi: "You see for yourself, it says Mr. and Mrs. Feng, are you going or not?"

  Xiao Yunyi: "Of course I went, otherwise people would think you don't have a wife, how embarrassing!"

  Feng Junzi: "I can lose anyone but I cannot lose you."

  Xiao Yun gave him a white eye and said to Aphrodite: "A small household has nothing good to entertain noble guests, this pot is the best purple gas red cloud sand, this tea is Feng Junzi's hometown Zhao Ting green snow tea, it can't be drunk elsewhere, you try some."

  Aphrodite lifted a cup of tea and took a light sip, the fragrance refreshing her heart. She looked up to see Feng Junzi's face also becoming blurry. Feng Junzi also picked up a cup of tea and took a sip, sighing: "Unfortunately, my Lingju Hu is broken, otherwise brewing Green Snow Tea can still have the effect of clearing fire and clarifying the mind, which can regulate your unadaptation to the local environment."

  Xiao Yunyi: "Unaccustomed to the local customs? Are you referring to Miss Vienna?"

  Feng Junzi: "You and your grandfather have studied the art of diagnosis by observation. Miss Vienna, take a look at her - I think she has a gloomy complexion, with signs of liver qi stagnation and chest oppression."

  Xiao Yunyi: "Really, Miss Vienna? Let me help you take your pulse."

  Aphrodite hastily shook her head: "Thank you, no need! It's just that these past few days have been a bit frustrating, but once they're over, it'll be fine."

  At this time, Feng Junzi stood up and took out a small white porcelain bottle from the bookshelf and placed it in front of Aphrodite: "This is the soil of Kunlun Jiuzhou, which can cure all kinds of disobedience! ... Thank you, Miss Vina, for coming to deliver the invitation. This bottle of medicine is my little gift. No matter where you go in Zhixu Country, if you find it difficult to adapt to the local water and soil environment, take out a small amount and mix it with water to calm your mind."

  Aphrodite picked up the porcelain bottle and asked: "This is something from the soil of Kunlun's nine states?"

  Xiao Yunyi: "It's just soil, but it's very clean and safe to take. This was given by one of Feng Junzi's classmates, a total of two bottles. His classmate had traveled all over the Zhixu country, taking soil from mountains and rivers everywhere, mixing it with dew collected in a golden ladle, using pure fire made from wood resin, and finally baking it into a fine powder. This is an ancient Chinese medicine recipe. Feng Junzi also has trouble adapting to local water and soil when traveling, so he always carries some with him, and it's very effective... Old man, you're really generous!"

  "Feng Junzi: 'What's the big deal, it's just a bottle of dirt. Talking like this will only make people laugh. Miss Weina, you're visiting for the first time, this is my little gift to you, please accept it.'"

  Aphrodite stood up: "Thank you, Mr. Feng, for this precious gift! Are you trying to make me feel at ease wherever I go? I accept it!"

  After Aphrodite left, Feng Junzi was about to sit down and continue writing on his computer when one of his ears was suddenly pinched by Xiao Yunyi: "Be honest with me, what's your relationship with Miss Vienna?"

  Feng Junzi: "Let go! What could she possibly have to do with me? We've only met in person. Besides, what's her status? A noble from the Tulip Kingdom, the daughter of a duke, and also the investment director of the Roba Alliance Financial Group - can you say she has any relation to me?"

  Xiao Yunyi let go of his hand: "That's hard to say, can you bear it?! It's late at night and someone comes to deliver an invitation to you. Last time Shang Yunfei delivered the invitation, you hid in the toilet and didn't see him. This time Miss Weina delivered the invitation, you invited her to the study, and before leaving, you even gave her a bottle of Kunlun Jiuzhou soil."

  Feng Junzi: "The name sounds good, but isn't it just a bottle of muddy water? No big deal, I'll just ask Shiye for another bottle! ...I think her complexion is indeed uneasy, what's the harm in giving her a bottle of medicine?"

  Xiao Yunyi: "Husband, you'd better be careful, I think she has ulterior motives."

  Feng Junzi: "What's good or bad about me? I couldn't have offended her!"

  Xiao Yunyi: "That's also hard to say, you've offended many people, with that mouth of yours and the words you just spoke, I could hear it from outside, who would feel comfortable hearing that?"

  Feng Junzi: "Why bother with her so much, no need to cook dinner on Saturday!"

  On Saturday afternoon, Bai Xiaochun arrived at the Luoyan early. Gu Xianzi had told him to come ahead of time as Luoshen had something important to discuss with him. Bai Xiaochun could vaguely guess what it was about. For someone whose life was coming to an end, Bai Xiaochun felt deep sympathy for Luoshen. He also knew that the matter Mr. Lu wanted to arrange now was his posthumous affairs. However, when Bai Xiaochun truly saw Luoshen, he was still greatly shocked.

  "This little shovel has been repaired by someone, and a more durable hook has been replaced. I hope it won't break so easily in the future. The special thing about this shovel is that it's one-of-a-kind. Today, handing it over to you is a token of trust, a symbol!" Luo Shuihan said this in a private reception room on the second floor of Luo Garden, holding the small shovel in front of Bai Shaoliu.

  "What does it symbolize?"

  Luoshui Han: "The condition that Hong and Quan once proposed to me was to give him 1% of the shares of the Heluo Group, but I agreed to give him 100 million cash. Now that Hong and Quan are dead, I've come clean - these two conditions can't be exchanged for my life, but I hope they can be exchanged for your forgiveness."

  Bai Shaofeng listened and understood, extremely surprised, asked: "Mr. Luo, are you going to give these to me? Why?"

  "There's a file, take a look." Luoshuihan pushed over a document from the desktop. Bai Shaoliu was silent for a long time after reading it, he didn't expect that Luoshuihan would entrust Luo Xue's safety to him in such a way!

  What was Luo Shuihan thinking? He gave Bai Shaoliu a 1% special priority share of the Heluo Group, which could be used to receive dividends from the Heluo Group in proportion and also had voting rights at shareholder meetings. However, there were two restrictions: first, it could not be transferred or sold, and second, it must be under the condition that Luo Xue was alive and completely free. This meant that after Luo Shuihan's death, as long as Luo Xue was still alive and had not been kidnapped, Bai Shaoliu could obtain 1% of the Heluo Group's annual dividends.

  This equity is worth over 10 billion, but due to its non-transferable nature, Bai Shaoliu only benefits from it when the Heluo Group operates normally and distributes profits. At the same time, Luo Shuihan also gave him something else - a private trust fund set up with 100 million cash, with Bai Shaoliu as the beneficiary.

  Luoshui Han entrusted the 100 million yuan in cash to a fund management institution for special account management. Bai Shaoliu can receive investment returns every year, but the principal cannot be withdrawn until ten years later when he can take back the entire principal. However, there is also a condition: the trustee appointed by Luoshui Han will only pay out if they confirm that Luo Xue is alive and completely free.

  Luo Shuihan gave Bai Shaofeng too many things, and the conditions were also very strange. After reading through this document, Xiao Bai looked up and asked: "Mr. Luo, you invited me to Luo Garden just to meet in person and then gave me such a thing, how did you know I would agree?"

  Luoshuihan: "I'm making a sincere request for you to agree, but even if you don't, I'll still do it. These are things I want to leave for you, and even if you don't accept them, that's fine, the money will just be left there for you to take or not."

  Bai Shaoliu: "Do you want to use money to buy protection for Luo Xiao from me?"

  Luo Shuihan smiled wryly and shook his head: "I don't think so, sit down and talk! ... Little White, when discussing things with you, I feel that it's not necessary to beat around the bush, being direct is best. You've also followed me for a period of time and attended many high-level meetings at the He Luo Group. Now, I'm asking you, if this matter wasn't happening between us, from an outsider's perspective, why would I do something like this?"

  Bai Shaoliu: "If that's what you mean, I can understand. The share you gave me is my ticket to participate in and understand the high-level decision-making of the He Luo Group. You want me to help Lu Xiang take care of this business, mainly to supervise other high-level executives of the He Luo Group."

  Luoshui Han smiled and nodded, with a hint of approval in his eyes: "So what about this fund?"

  "Even if it's arranged this way, you can't guarantee that the He Luo Group will never decline. With Mrs. Ai Si and her son Huang Ya Su around, Luo Xi might not be a match for them. A large company like this can also have its wealth transferred away slowly, and having shares would be useless at that point. But this fund is different, it guarantees me a substantial income every year, unrelated to the He Luo Group. Even if the He Luo Group goes bankrupt, I'll still have financial resources, and I can live without worrying about food and clothing, and do my best to protect Luo Xi."

  "There's one more thing, useful for others but perhaps redundant for you. It can guarantee that you won't be easily bought by ordinary people within ten years."

  Bai Shaoliu: "I didn't expect Mr. Luo to think so much of me, willing to pay such a great price. I'm just a small bodyguard, is it worth it? What if you've misjudged me?"

  Luo Shuihan: "I think I won't misjudge you, even if I do, I must take the gamble. In fact, no matter who I give these two conditions to, they will all try their best to protect Luo Xue, but I still want to find someone who is originally willing to protect her, and this person must have the ability to do so... You are the number one master of Wuyou, able to subdue the largest gang in this land. No matter how you did it, you're not just a person, you also represent a force... Moreover, I asked Gu Ying, and I know you're a cultivator with divine powers that ordinary people don't have. Who else would I look for?"