Chapter 351: Wavering
Chapter 351: Chapter 351: Wavering
"Yes! It’s because of that stone!" Little Red Carp replied. "The stone converted the Spiritual Power that your brother-in-law absorbed. By sensing that converted energy, I can tell his own Spiritual Power is completely unaffected. It means he isn’t hurt; he’s perfectly safe. As for anyone else, I just don’t know."
Hearing Little Red Carp’s words, Zhao Nuanyue nodded. "It’s already amazing that you can sense this much. It would be asking too much to expect anything more."
But knowing that Hua Yusen was safe, Zhao Nuanyue was relieved.
After hearing Little Red Carp, Zhao Nuanyang understood. ’So, my sister was worried about her husband after all.’
"Tsk, tsk. A daughter’s heart always flies the coop!" Zhao Nuanyang said, shaking his head with a mock sigh. "I work all day, my stomach is growling, and I come home to find no one even cares!"
Hearing her brother’s jealous words, Little Red Carp sided with him, accusing Zhao Nuanyue. "Sister put way too much salt in lunch, like she was trying to kill a salt merchant! She must have been totally out of it, just thinking about her husband!"
Zhao Nuanyue was not pleased to hear her brother and sister ganging up on her. She reached out and tapped them both on the head. "You two are right here with me, and I take good care of you, so what’s there to worry about? Your brother-in-law is out there risking life and limb, working hard for our future. What’s so wrong with me worrying about him? All you two know how to do is make jealous remarks all day instead of helping me cook. Nuanyang, go wash the vegetables. Little Red Carp, go peel the garlic."
Zhao Nuanyue chided her brother and sister sternly. Although the angry look on her face was feigned, it was still quite intimidating.
"Run! Sister’s mad because she’s embarrassed!" Little Red Carp paid no mind to Zhao Nuanyue’s scolding, grabbing her brother’s hand and bolting. "As punishment for not thinking about us, we’re not helping you cook. We’re going out to play!"
"Don’t you dare run! Get back here!" Zhao Nuanyue shouted after them, but a brilliant smile lit up her face, as if such playful chaos was a common occurrence.
"Haha, you can’t catch me, you can’t catch me!" Little Red Carp laughed, dashing ahead.
Scenes like this were a frequent sight in the quaint little courtyard.
Their life was simple, but it was filled with laughter.
Zhao Nuanyue muttered to herself as she washed the vegetables, but the smile never left her face. This was the life she had always dreamed of; the only thing missing was her reunion with Hua Yusen.
「Meanwhile, Hua Yusen had followed Gu Qingyu to Lu State.」 If they could seize control of Lu State, they would be in a position to launch a counterattack around Jincheng City. That way, they would have the power to fight back when facing the Li family’s retaliation.
Faced with attempts by both the Li family and Gu Qingyu to win him over, Liu Zhongjun was hesitant, unsure of what to do.
After Gu Qingyu arrived in Lu State, the Li family’s eldest son, Li Gongde, came as well.
One of Liu Zhongjun’s subordinates said in a low voice, "Mr. Liu, Gu Qingyu came in person. That shows far more sincerity than the Li family! Why don’t we just cooperate with Gu Qingyu?"
Liu Zhongjun considered this for a moment before saying, "We can’t act rashly. If we make a choice now and Gu Qingyu fails, our proximity to Jincheng City means we’ll be heavily impacted. It could lead to our irreversible ruin, so we must be cautious."
"But we’re sitting on the fence between the Li family and the Gu Family. Even if we eventually pick a side, once they succeed, they’re bound to have a poor impression of us," the man continued. "Mr. Liu, it’s time for us to make a decision."
Liu Zhongjun sighed. "You’re right. We do need to make a decision. Have Li Gongde come over tomorrow. I’ll discuss the details with him."
"Huh?" The man was taken aback. "Mr. Liu, we’re cooperating with the Li family?"
"Yes. The Wu Family is cooperating with the Li family, so if we do the same, we stand to gain greater benefits in the future," Liu Zhongjun said with a nod. ’We can’t stay on the sidelines any longer.’
The man asked curiously, "Mr. Liu, why not cooperate with Gu Qingyu?"
"Gu Qingyu?" Liu Zhongjun fell silent, pondering for a long moment before sighing. "Gu Qingyu is a talented man, a master at managing the big picture within the corporation. The Li family can’t compare to him in that regard. But it’s precisely because he’s so capable that the Chairman both relies heavily on him and is wary of him. It puts him in an awkward position."
What they had all overlooked, however, was that the Chairman’s health was deteriorating by the day. Perhaps he would not be in this world for much longer.
"Ah, that’s true," the man agreed. "Mr. Liu, whatever you decide, we will all support you."
"It’s thanks to the support of loyal brothers like you that we’re in a position to be courted by them at all. We can also use this opportunity to secure greater benefits for ourselves," Liu Zhongjun said. "But this is all to be done in private. It must be kept confidential."
"Yes, Mr. Liu." The man nodded. "The survival of our families and businesses is at stake. Of course I won’t breathe a word of this. I’ll follow your lead in all things, Mr. Liu."
While Liu Zhongjun and his men held their private discussion, Hua Yusen was in a guesthouse in Lu Zhou City, accompanying Gu Qingyu in the study as they worked late into the night.
"Elder Gu, you should get some rest. You’ll need your energy to handle things tomorrow," Hua Yusen reminded him. Elder Gu hadn’t rested well during the trip, and now that they were here, Liu Zhongjun, despite his warm reception, had yet to give them a straight answer.
Gu Qingyu took off his reading glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I can’t rest easy until we’ve secured Liu Zhongjun’s cooperation," he said slowly. "I’ve received word that the Li family has also sent someone—Li Gongde. I assume he’s also here to win Liu Zhongjun over."
"Ah, so that’s it." Hua Yusen was taken aback. "You know, I thought I saw someone from behind in the guesthouse earlier who looked a lot like Li Gongde. I figured I was mistaken. I never thought we’d have such ’fate’ as to end up staying in the same guesthouse."
"Heh, quite a ’fate’ indeed," Gu Qingyu sneered. "Li Gongde clearly saw I was staying here and chose this place deliberately. He wants to make it clear that he knows what I’m here for and that he’s confident he can win over Liu Zhongjun. He’s deliberately flaunting it in my face, trying to flex his muscles."
"That Li Gongde is unbelievably arrogant. Isn’t he afraid we’ll sabotage his plans?" Hua Yusen shot back. "If necessary, we could certainly stir up some trouble for him!"
"Don’t be so hasty. Let’s wait and see how things develop," Gu Qingyu said. "I’ve already sent people to feel out where Liu Zhongjun stands. We also have someone keeping an eye on Li Gongde. It’s not wise for us to make any big moves right now. After all, we still have our own work to attend to. Besides, our own camp isn’t exactly airtight—there could be spies from the Li family or others in our midst. For now, staying put is actually more advantageous for us."