Shadow Heir II: Dark Glory - Chapter 40

“Today, I’m protecting him!”

Her tone was final and brooked no argument! Since childhood, Jiang Wanxing had never felt the need to explain anything to her childhood friends from the compound.

“I want to know why,” Bai Xuyang felt a tightness in his chest. In his eyes, Su Wuji was just a minor nightclub owner who had used framing methods to land a few of his club’s managers in jail. Such a small-time figure was completely beneath notice in the Capital’s elite circles. Yet, the goddess he had admired since childhood was standing on his side!

Su Wuji wore a hint of mockery. “Bai Xuyang, when it comes to the shares of Oriental Beauty Club, why was I able to take them? Do you really have no idea?”

For some reason, seeing Su Wuji’s smile sent an unsettling premonition creeping into Bai Xuyang’s heart.

He stated, “It’s simple. You used insidious methods to frame my people.”

“You are truly… a complete idiot,” Su Wuji cursed.

Bai Xuyang immediately rolled up his sleeves again, ready to fight.

Su Wuji sneered. “The Linzhou City Bureau arrested the three managers of Oriental Beauty because they drugged several female college students, took turns with them… and filmed photos and videos to control them into continuing to make money for them.”

Bai Xuyang frowned. “That actually happened?”

Although clubs like that operated under the guise of ‘business,’ they were inherently part of the gray area, and running them cleanly was almost impossible. However, the rule was usually that those who came to play were doing so willingly. Even if transactions occurred, it should be a private act between the client and the worker; the establishment itself had to remain clean. Drugging female college students and taking pictures was beyond despicable.

Hearing this, Jiang Wanxing shot Bai Xuyang a furious glare. “Those scoundrels you call friends are truly disgusting!”

Su Wuji said, “So, those friends you invested with never told you the truth. They just wanted to use you, the Capital Young Master, to crush me and then slowly take over all the nightlife venues in Linzhou.”

Bai Xuyang said solemnly, “They are my brothers. They wouldn’t lie to me.”

“Then go check the Linzhou City Bureau yourself. The statements, interviews, witnesses, and evidence are all there,” Su Wuji scoffed. “Young Master Bai, you could have easily investigated first, but instead, you came in and blindly smashed my club. Isn’t that a little too foolish?”

Faced with such direct mockery, Bai Xuyang remained silent, his momentum clearly suppressed! He wasn’t brainless, but as a compound child, he sometimes placed too much emphasis on fraternal loyalty. Furthermore, his goddess was standing right there, and he genuinely feared her.

Jiang Haobing, watching from the side, grew anxious. “Brother Xuyang, don’t believe his lies! This guy is definitely tricking you!”

Jiang Wanxing’s voice was freezing. “Jiang Haobing, if you continue to confuse right and wrong, I will break your legs!” She stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Haobing’s arm, and swung him hard! The latter was tossed several meters, landing on his rear end, and was in too much pain to get up!

Bai Xuyang pondered, then made a call, asking an acquaintance to discreetly inquire about the situation. He even put the phone on speaker, seemingly to prove Su Wuji wrong. The person on the other end was named Li Hongcheng, who had once been Bai Xuyang’s father’s bodyguard. After leaving the military, he was assigned to the police force in Linzhou. Currently, Li Hongcheng was the director of the Hubin Branch, Park Yanxi’s direct superior.

“Brother Li, I want to ask a small favor,” Bai Xuyang said, not mentioning his presence in Linzhou.

“Xuyang, don’t be so polite with me,” Li Hongcheng replied. “Anything I can help you with, just ask.”

“Oriental Beauty Club was invested in by a few of my friends, but they were arrested. I wanted to ask exactly what…” Bai Xuyang was smart enough not to mention that he was the major shareholder behind the scenes, with others holding a large portion of the shares on his behalf.

“Xuyang, don’t get involved in this,” Li Hongcheng said. “That club has many issues, and those friends of yours… You should cut ties with them as soon as possible.”

Cut ties as soon as possible! Li Hongcheng had made his stance clear!

Bai Xuyang was unwilling. “Brother Li, they are my brothers.”

However, Li Hongcheng was unmoved. “Xuyang, some people are not suitable to be your brothers; they will only drag you down.” Li Hongcheng was a man of principle and didn’t bend the rules just because the person asking was his old leader’s son.

Bai Xuyang gritted his teeth. “Brother Li, if my father made this call, would you still not help?”

Li Hongcheng said in a deep voice, “Xuyang, if it were your father, he wouldn’t make this call.”

Bai Xuyang fell silent, his face shifting between dark and pale.

Li Hongcheng added, “If you come to Linzhou, be sure to tell me. I’ll take you around Yunyan Lake and Lingjing Mountain.”

Even Jiang Haobing, who was still on the ground, understood the hidden warning in Director Li’s words, If you come to Linzhou, come to me. Sightseeing is fine, but don’t cause trouble!

“Understood, thank you, Brother Li.” Bai Xuyang hung up, his expression even gloomier.

“Do you have to hit a wall before you turn back?” Jiang Wanxing said irritably. “Bai Xuyang, why are you still so childish!” This was the third time Bai Xuyang had heard this assessment today. For an adult man, the word “childish” was truly damaging!

Su Wuji pointed at the bar entrance. “Hey, pay up.”

Bai Xuyang’s face was sullen. He said, “I also invested money in the Oriental Club. Those shares can offset your losses.”

“Offset my ass!” Su Wuji sneered. “I also paid money to buy your shares.”

Xiao Pang interjected, “Boss, Finance says we didn’t pay much; it’s practically the same as stealing it.”

Su Wuji: “…” Bai Xuyang was temporarily confused about whose side this eight-foot-tall simpleton was on.

He said coldly, “You stole my club, and I smashed your door. I’ll take the loss. Let’s call it even and done with.”

Counting it that way, it seemed Su Wuji had indeed benefited more.

Su Wuji gave a mocking smile. “Young Master Bai, if you don’t pay, don’t think about leaving Linzhou.”

“Or what?” Bai Xuyang was so annoyed he almost laughed. “If I want to leave, no one can stop me!”

Xiao Pang stepped forward and stamped his foot on the ground. Several floor tiles immediately cracked!

Bai Xuyang looked at the tower-like figure. “…”

Su Wuji irritably said, “Manager Xiao, deduct the cost of those tiles from Xiao Pang’s salary.”

Xiao Pang: “Boss, be a human.”

Watching the playful squabble between the master and servant, Jiang Wanxing’s expression softened, a touch of brightness returning to her pretty face.

Xiao Yinlei finally spoke up. “Young Master Bai, please don’t think our boss took advantage of you. In fact, after he took over Oriental Beauty Club, he personally paid compensation to the female college students who were abused. Here are the expenditure records.” Saying this, she placed her phone in front of Bai Xuyang.

Jiang Wanxing also walked over, looked at the transfer interface, and glanced at Su Wuji. Her gaze held deep admiration, along with a hint of an unnamed emotion.

She then turned, staring coldly at Bai Xuyang. “Stop the nonsense. Pay the money.”

“Fine, Wanxing, I’ll listen to you.” Bai Xuyang found a way to save face and turned to Su Wuji. “How much?”

Su Wuji: “At least eight million.”

Jiang Wanxing remembered almost paying three hundred thousand for an eight-hundred-yuan sofa and nearly burst out laughing. Su Wuji was clearly up to his old tricks.

Bai Xuyang was completely bewildered by the audacity. “This broken door and a few windows are worth eight million? That’s ridiculous!”

These are imported glass from Italy, custom-made by a famous Chinese master craftsman. The labor alone is…”

Before Su Wuji could finish, Jiang Wanxing nudged him and whispered, “Bai Xuyang is my childhood friend. Give him a small discount, or he won’t pay willingly.”

The subtext was clear: Charge him four or five times the original price, but if you charge too much, he might refuse to pay.

This felt very much like a husband and wife scheming together to fleece someone.

However, hearing Jiang Wanxing speak up for him instantly warmed Bai Xuyang’s heart, making all the unpleasantness of the day vanish. Lickspittles were like that; easily self-satisfied.

“Let’s say eight hundred and eighty thousand, for good luck,” Su Wuji said. “Since Wanxing has spoken, I’ll take a loss.”

“A ninety percent discount? Okay.” Bai Xuyang was somewhat surprised, feeling that the discount was substantial, and he also needed to give Jiang Wanxing face, so he transferred the money without further negotiation.

Then, Su Wuji received one million!

“I transferred you a million. Keep the change,” Bai Xuyang said blandly, looking up through his nostrils.

“Thank you,” Su Wuji chuckled. Only a fool would refuse! Which is more important, face or money? I’ve never had any face!

Jiang Wanxing clutched her forehead. She suddenly realized she had underestimated Su Wuji’s merchant cunning. This idiot, Bai Xuyang… She estimated that the cunning merchant had just made at least nine hundred thousand.

Jiang Wanxing instructed, “Bai Xuyang, you need to go straight back to the Capital and take Jiang Haobing’s car back.”

Bai Xuyang looked at her. “What about you? I’m free anyway. I can tour Linzhou with you.”

Jiang Wanxing said lightly, “I still have some things to do and need to stay a few more days. You should leave. I’m tired and want to catch up on sleep.”

This was how goddesses treated their lickspittles.

Su Wuji immediately asked, “Are you sleeping in my room again tonight?”

Jiang Wanxing quietly replied, “Mm.”

Bai Xuyang: “???”