Jiang Xinghai's expression turned grim.
'This palm-sized box in front of is so heavy. What on earth is inside it?'
He channeled a sliver of True Qi and sensed a sharp, murderous intent radiating from within.
"Such strong murderous intent!"
Jiang Xinghai raised his eyebrows and opened the box.
It was a broken piece of a dagger, about five centiters long and two centiters wide.
What's more, the fragnt was stained with blood!
"What is this...?"
Jiang Xinghai stared at the dagger fragnt and dialed his senior sister, Zhao Linglong's, number.
"Junior Brother, did you get it?"
Zhao Linglong's voice ca through the mont the call connected.
"So it really was a gift from you, Senior Sister. You were so mysterious about it. This broken piece of a dagger must be sothing special, right?"
Jiang Xinghai was filled with anticipation. 'My senior sister wouldn't be so bored as to mail sothing useless.'
"Junior Brother, that dagger fragnt might belong to your enemy, Mr. Long," Zhao Linglong said grimly.
"Might?"
Hearing this, Jiang Xinghai was alard. "Senior Sister, what happened? The blood on the fragnt... is it yours?"
"Ever since I arrived in the Imperial City, I've been using my connections to investigate that old man in the black cloak for you, but I couldn't find any trace of him. However, late last night, I was ambushed. The attacker wore a black cloak; it might have been your enemy, Mr. Long," Zhao Linglong said softly.
"Senior Sister, where did he hurt you? Is it serious?" This was Jiang Xinghai's greatest concern.
As for the identity of the black-cloaked old man, Mr. Long, he had already waited five years. Another day wouldn't make a difference.
"We're from Kunlun, junior and senior sister alike. So what if he managed to injure ? My dical skills are almost as good as yours, you know." Zhao Linglong's voice gradually relaxed.
But Jiang Xinghai could detect the complicated emotions in her tone. "Senior Sister, since he attacked you first, it ans your every move has been exposed. At the very least, it proves the black-robed old man who ambushed you last night was, in all likelihood, Mr. Long. For your safety, I'm heading to the Imperial City to join you right now."
'The suspicious, black-robed old man who attacked my senior sister last night must be extraordinarily powerful!' he thought.
'Regardless of whether he's Mr. Long or not, I can't afford to underestimate him!'
"Junior Brother, you can rest easy and focus on repaying your debt of gratitude in Jizhou. I'll find out Mr. Long's true identity as soon as I can. It won't be too late for you to co to the Imperial City then. Besides, after last night's battle, it's clear his strength isn't that different from mine. You don't need to worry about ," Zhao Linglong said solemnly.
Jiang Xinghai's emotions were in a tangle. "Senior Sister, you were on vacation, yet you've repeatedly put yourself in danger for my personal affairs. I really feel..."
"What happened to your parents isn't just your personal business to . I'm sure if my parents were in trouble, you wouldn't stand idly by, would you? Okay, okay, don't be so formal with your senior sister. You can just dote on a little when you co to the Imperial City," Zhao Linglong said with a lighthearted laugh before ending the call.
Jiang Xinghai took a deep breath, put his phone away, and once again examined the broken dagger fragnt.
The five-centiter fragnt was covered in blood, a stark reminder of the severity of his senior sister's injuries.
"Black-robed old man... Mr. Long!"
Jiang Xinghai put the dagger fragnt away, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked. "I believe we'll be eting very soon!"
"Minister Jiang, it's ti for lunch."
The new head of security, Xue Gui, had been waiting quietly outside the door.
Jiang Xinghai's state of mind gradually cald. "Xue Gui, what's the status of the arrangents for this afternoon's assessnt?"
"The n are all fired up and ready to go. Everything is prepared. We can begin the assessnt at any ti." Xue Gui snapped to attention and saluted.
"Confidence is good."
Jiang Xinghai clapped Xue Gui on the shoulder. "Co on, let's get so lunch."
「anwhile.」
In the northern district of Jizhou, inside the private reception hall of a costics company called ilian.
"President Shen, President Su, I'm a straightforward woman, so let's just say twenty million."
A middle-aged woman in a black slip dress looked at Shen Lingxue and Su Yanyun and said with a sigh of resignation, "The land, the factory, the office building, plus all the proprietary technology... it's really worth thirty million. But I'm in a hurry to get the cash, so what can I do?"
She was Bao Cuilian, the owner of the ilian costics company.
Maturity, elegance, a lingering charm, and even a world-weary cunning—all of these were plain to see.
"Fifteen million. That's our final offer."
Shen Lingxue and Su Yanyun exchanged a look and shook their heads.
"Fifteen million?"
Bao Cuilian picked up her wine glass and downed it in one gulp, her expression turning cold. "You just offered eighteen million, but the mont you heard I was desperate for cash, you dropped the price by three million. Is this so kind of ga? Are you trying to make a fool of ?"
CRACK!
She deliberately smashed the wine glass on the floor. "You should have done your howork. I, Bao Cuilian, have been out in the real world since I was sixteen. I've been clawing my way up for twenty years. Who dares to screw over to my face? And you two... hmph! So you're from the Shen Family? You really think I'm afraid of you?"
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