Gu Anxi obediently said, "Oh," picked up an arrow, and took aim leisurely.
After about a minute, an arrow shot out.
Three birds, skewered in a line, fell from the sky. A staff mber ran to retrieve them, remarking, "These are perfectly aligned! They can be plucked and roasted right away."
Everyone was once again astounded. This was truly an incredible skill!
Just then, Chu Yan said nonchalantly, "This is nothing. Our Anxi is a ’KO’ in the car racing world. We just prefer to keep a low profile."
Wang Qin vigorously nodded. "Exactly! Anxi is capable of so many things."
Jiang Chaoge gracefully admitted, "I concede this round."
Wang Qin whispered, "I don’t quite get it, Anxi. She clearly lost, so shouldn’t she say, ’I lost this round’? Why use the word ’concede’?"
Wang Qin is quite cute, Gu Anxi thought. She didn’t mind Jiang Chaoge’s wording and tapped Wang Qin’s head lightly. "Chinese is vast and profound. Study it well. At critical monts, you can subtly turn the tables and save so face." Such a sharp tongue!
Lady Bo intervened with a radiant smile, playing the peacemaker. "Anxi, I told you before we left not to participate in these activities! See, you’ve upset soone again! Hurry and apologize to Sister Jiang. She’s seven years older than you. You mustn’t win against her in the future, understand?"
What a crafty move by Lady Bo! By saying this, if Gu Anxi lost any future contests, it would be attributed to her deliberately losing as instructed.
Jiang Chaoge had suffered a huge, silent setback but found herself unable to refute anything!
Infuriatingly, Gu Anxi actually did apologize. "I’m sorry, Sister Jiang. I shouldn’t have won against you. As long as you don’t covet my things, I definitely won’t cause you any trouble."
The expression on the PhD holder’s face was truly a sight to behold.
Bo Xichen, who overheard, was both amused and exasperated. He really wanted to drag her back and give her a good spanking. However, with so many elders and peers present, he could only pretend he hadn’t heard.
After Gu Anxi finished speaking, she paid no mind to Jiang Chaoge’s thoughts and ran over to present the three birds to Old Lin.
Old Lin chuckled as he looked at the three birds on the arrow. "Anxi, you’re being a bit naughty. These birds have owners. Gu Yuanshan is the host, so one of them likely belongs to the Gu family. Since Xiao Jiang and Gu Yuanshan are so close, another probably belongs to the Jiang Family. I’m not sure about the last one... but they all have owners. It’s not quite right to shoot them down for your grandfather, is it?"
Gu Anxi grinned. "Well then, Grandfather, do you think they’ll sll delicious when roasted?"
Old Lin pondered for a mont before slowly saying, "They probably would sll quite fragrant!"
Then, with a wave of his hand, he declared, "Have them roasted for . They’re a gift from my dear Anxi."
With that, he removed a jade thumb ring from his finger. "Grandfather didn’t prepare anything for this visit. This has been with for decades. You can have it to play with."
Lady Bo was astonished. This item... was the Old Master really going to give it to Anxi? This wasn’t an ordinary object; it represented the Old Master’s status. Many of his subordinates recognized it... The Old Master had no sons and had yet to find a worthy successor to entrust it to.
Lady Bo was deeply moved and exclaid, "Dad!"
Old Lin glanced up. "What? Can’t I even give away a small trinket?"
Then, he reached out and patted Gu Anxi’s head. "This child is remarkably brave and capable, much stronger than you were in your youth."
Lin Yun called out again, "Dad!" Then she went over and whispered, "Anxi, hurry and thank Grandfather!"
Gu Anxi, sharp as she was, likely guessed by now how precious this item was. She didn’t refuse and said solemnly, "Thank you, Old Lin."
This form of address made Old Lin laugh. This child was truly incredibly perceptive. What a sharp little thing! That PhD holder from the Jiang Family, despite her extra years of experience, was far less cunning than this little rascal.
Old Lin, feeling refreshed and in high spirits, asked Gu Anxi to accompany him for a horseback ride to relax. Gu Anxi had to oblige the elder’s request and spent the entire afternoon with Old Lin.
Bo Nianyao and Bo Xichen temporarily left to attend to their own affairs, while Lady Bo remained to chat with the other distinguished ladies.
The activities of the four great families of Beicheng were common knowledge. Previously, there had been so apprehension about whether the leading Family Head position might change hands. But now, having witnessed the Bo Family’s strength, who could have any doubts?
Thus, Lady Bo remained the center of attention, showered with complints. Being a very discerning and tactful person, she announced that Anxi would play a friendly ga of cards with everyone that evening.
Everyone understood the implication! It ant Anxi would subtly let the elders win so small sums for tea money.
The distinguished ladies were overjoyed. They praised Anxi as being truly versatile, skilled in both "civil" (mahjong) and "martial" arts—a true all-rounder. Listening to this nearly made Gu Mingzhu sick with disgust.
「During a break」
That gentleman from the Jiang Family was speaking with Gu Yuanshan; Shen Congwen was also present.
Jiang Bin, unaware of the relationship between Gu Anxi and Gu Yuanshan, naturally grumbled a few words. Gu Yuanshan simply pretended not to hear, took a sip of tea, and said, "These are trivial squabbles among the young ones. Why should Brother Jiang concern himself?"
Jiang Bin smiled. "Brother Yuanshan, you are right."
He lowered his voice. "Brother Yuanshan, I’ve secured the land adjacent to Qingcheng Jade Water Cloud Sky. The price was a bit steep, but it’s worth it."
That piece of land has a river connected to Jade Water Cloud Sky. They even put in extra effort to widen and deepen the river. The vast amount of water flowing in is like torrents of money rolling in. This thought greatly pleased Jiang Bin, the head of the Jiang Family.
Gu Yuanshan casually asked, "From whom did you purchase the land?"
Jiang Bin ntioned a na and then said, "Five hundred million for a piece of barren, remote land was a bit expensive, but we’ll recoup it quickly."
He pointed at Jiang Chaoge. "This niece of mine is incredible. She’s managed to extract Jing."
Gu Yuanshan, who knew more of the inside story, smiled politely. "Chaoge is indeed very capable."
Jiang Bin’s expression showed his confidence. "First, Chaoge will extract large quantities of Jing, and we’ll make a fortune. Second, we need to expedite the ecological fluid matter. The virus in C City will inevitably erupt. When that ti cos, if the Bo Family can’t handle it, we can."
He chuckled aningfully. "Then, we’ll also need Brother Yuanshan’s divination to supplent our efforts. At that point, the Bo Family will be finished."
Gu Yuanshan pondered for a mont, then looked at Jiang Chaoge. "Are you certain you can extract Jing?"
Jiang Chaoge replied with utmost confidence, "We’ve already taken samples downstream and successfully extracted Jing with one hundred percent purity. Uncle Gu, please rest assured."
Gu Yuanshan nodded.
Jiang Bin continued, "We’ve already purchased WK Company’s equipnt at a high price—it’s second-hand gear that Xiao Naijing finished using—and it provides direct access to Qingcheng. As soon as this banquet concludes, Chaoge will depart imdiately. Rest assured, there will be no delays."
To win over Gu Yuanshan, Jiang Bin unconditionally offered him a five percent share of the profits. Naturally, Gu Yuanshan was tempted.
After a mont of hesitation, he nodded in agreent.
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