"What? You want me to sleep with Li Qianfan? How can Iā" Ma Rongna stared blankly at Luo Huayin.
Though she said nothing, Luo Huayin could read her mind. "Nannan," she frowned, "before we met, weren't you prepared to be tortured by that scoundrel in various ways? You know, it's for the entire Ma family. And wanting to drown yourself was just an impulse. But if you think of your child, you'll never be willing to die. You'll live on, for your child."
"You're right," Ma Rongna nodded. "After I met you last night, I won't seek death anymore. I don't want my baby to lose her mother."
"Heh." Luo Huayin let out a cold laugh. "Is my nephew less important to you than that scoundrel? Or would you rather be tormented by a man who particularly likes nursing mothers (Ma Benyong told Ma Rongna this was the main reason a certain young master liked her. She, in turn, told Luo Huayin), than be treated like a human being by my amorous nephew?"
Ma Rongna didn't know what to say.
"Actually, I was just fantasizing." Luo Huayin smiled faintly and sat on the edge of the bed. "With my nephew's taste, how could he possibly fancy a commoner like you?"
"How could you say that!" The words wounded Ma Rongna's meager pride. Objectively speaking, Ma Rongna was one of the top beauties in Modu! Beautiful women had a certain pride in their bones. Yet Luo Huayin was saying that in Li Qianfan's eyes, Ma Rongna was just a commoner. Though Ma Rongna dared not retort, her eyes revealed her displeasure.
"Don't be unhappy yet." Luo Huayin took out her phone, found her photo album, and placed it in front of her. Pointing to a girl with a peaceful and contented face, she said, "Look, Li Qianfan's wife, Su Ziyu from Qingyun. Is she not more beautiful than you?"
"Look, this is Su Ziyu's assistant, Mo Hongti, also Li Qianfan's confidante. She's no less stunning than you, is she?"
"This woman is Chu Yazhi, doesn't she have a special charm?"
"This woman is Jiao Yin, prettier than you, right? But she's just Li Qianfan's maid!"
"Look at these two sisters, the elder is Su Zui, the younger is Shen Yun. Which of them isn't more beautiful than you?"
"This is Du Junlin, her beauty can rival mine."
"See this mature woman?"
"She is the famous Guanyin of Su'nan! In your elite circles, she's known as the Empress. Nannan, do you think you have the courage to look Su Nan'yin in the eye?" Luo Huayin asked Ma Rongna, pointing to Su Nan'yin's photo.
Even though it was just a photo, seeing it made Ma Rongna think of the idiom "feel ashamed of oneself."
"My nephew is absolutely surrounded by beauties. Any one of them could be a top beauty in Modu," Luo Huayin continued. "The reason I recommended you to him is because he likes aunties and sisters-in-law. Perhaps, like that scoundrel, he also likes nursing mothers. Hmph, and you still think sleeping with him is an insult? How ridiculous!"
Ma Rongna felt utterly humiliated.
"Forget it, I was just saying." Luo Huayin put away her phone. "Come, let's eat." Her casual remarks had dealt a significant blow to Ma Rongna.
It was almost midnight, and she still couldn't sleep. Li Qianfan was also awake. He was video-calling Jiao San. Not a video call like those between young lovers, but a serious business discussion.
"Jiao Yin, I've been negotiating with Deputy Chief Su for a long time, and we've come up with two plans." Li Qianfan, casually seated on the carpet in front of the bed, said to Jiao Yin on the video call, "One, I'll give you another two hundred million yuan as a reward for helping me kill Ma Qiang."
Jiao Yin, currently staying elsewhere with her team, said without thinking, "Tell me the second plan."
Li Qianfan continued, "The second plan is that Dark Blade is starting operations in Modu, and we're lacking a bureau chief."
When Dark Blade began operations in the four corners of the country, it naturally needed a branch chief to oversee the work in Modu. Li Nanfang, Su Nan'yin, Helan Tingmei, Du Junlin, and Li Qianfan himself couldn't possibly oversee operations in Modu. Clearing the claws of the fifth faction of the dark web in the four corners was Dark Blade's most important task. Furthermore, Dark Blade had only officially started a short while ago, and the workload at headquarters was immense, making it impossible for the main leaders to come here. The head of the Modu branch could only be selected from elsewhere or from among Gao Lingwang and others. However, the members of Dark Blade's second team had no interest in being the head of the Modu branch. Their ultimate goal in leaving their current positions was to follow Li Qianfan and make a fortune overseas! Li Qianfan had directly asked for their opinions during a dinner that evening, and they had given affirmative answers.
Li Qianfan wanted to secure the position of Modu branch chief for Jiao Yin. "Based on my absolute trust in you, I propose that you become the bureau chief," Li Qianfan spoke eloquently. "After Modu is established, all Dark Blade members will be your trusted subordinates. This will give them official positions and provide your trusted subordinates in the Eastern Land with legitimate work. Of course, if you agree, you'll need to find a puppet to act as the bureau chief in your stead. Also, your trusted subordinates must not be known to the Chief Executive or any other executives. Otherwise, if the third president of the dark web betrays Dark Blade, it cannot be concealed. This would be detrimental to us. At the very least, Dark Web would eliminate you and send a new third president to cooperate with the fifth president to reclaim the Eastern Land market and lead those loyal to Dark Web. It won't be too late to reveal your identity after you've cleared out all the troublemakers in the Eastern Land."
Li Qianfan spoke while Jiao Yin listened quietly. She could genuinely feel that Li Qianfan was sincerely thinking about her and the future of her confidantes. He also believed that she would never harbor any disloyalty. If Jiao Yin were to become the bureau chief of Dark Blade's Modu branch, not only would she be able to clear her name, but she could also lead all her confidantes to a legitimate life. Who would want to hide in the darkness forever when they could walk in the sunlight?
"Give me a few days. I'll consider it carefully and give you an answer." After a long pause, Jiao Yin made this request. She didn't mention the two hundred million yuan reward. While two hundred million was tempting, it was incomparable to the position of bureau chief of the Modu branch. If Jiao Yin were to become the bureau chief of the Modu branch, it would also increase her son's competitiveness when he ran for the position of the third generation young master of Dragon Ruins in the future! Of course, if Jiao Yin took over as the bureau chief of the Modu branch, it would also mean she was being reined in by the Eastern Land. To gain something, one had to pay an equal price, that was for sure.
"Alright, take your time to consider. There's no rush with this matter," Li Qianfan nodded, and they ended the video call.
Someone knocked on the door. It was already midnight. Who else could it be but Yaoyao? The child, wearing a white bathrobe and barefoot, crept in like a thief. What could be the reason? Other than money, nothing else could motivate Yaoyao this much. It was awkward to discuss spoils of war in front of Gao Lingwang and the others. She had intended to ask Li Qianfan privately tomorrow how much money she would get from this division of spoils. But she couldn't fall asleep.
"How could you give birth to someone like me, who's always after money?" Su Nan'yin, sitting on the edge of the bed, looked at Yaoyao, who was grinning and sitting on the carpet next to Li Qianfan, with a look of exasperation. She placed her left foot on Yaoyao's head. Yaoyao, unfazed, retorted righteously, "How can you give birth to a money-grubber like me? Instead of looking for the reason within yourself, you question me? It's simply unreasonable." Su Nan'yin was speechless. Yaoyao's words, though crude, made sense.
"You want money? Alright," Li Qianfan said straightforwardly. "You know very well how much we've gained from this trip to Modu and how much you'll get. Name your price, and I won't bargain."
Yaoyao's eyes lit up. "Really?" Li Qianfan raised his left hand, signaling that he could make a pact with her. *Slap.* After Yaoyao lightly slapped his hand, she said, "Give me another ten million, and I'll be satisfied." Li Qianfan was stunned. He had expected Yaoyao to ask for two hundred million. In fact, Li Qianfan had been prepared to give Yaoyao and Jiao San two hundred million each. After all, Yaoyao and Jiao San had contributed greatly to dealing with the Ma family. Especially Yaoyao. If she hadn't pestered Li Qianfan to go out that night, he wouldn't have encountered Ma Qiang's car accident. He wouldn't have had the opportunity to cripple the Ma family and gain five billion! Yet she was only asking for ten million. Not only Li Qianfan was confused, but Su Nan'yin also couldn't help but ask, "You're satisfied with so little?"
Yaoyao hugged her knees and looked up at the ceiling, saying softly, "Su Ziyu doesn't want anything at all." Su Ziyu didn't want anything because she wasn't involved. Yaoyao, who was involved, had to ask for a symbolic amount to prove that she was a major contributor to crippling the Ma family.
"Alright, ten million it is then," Li Qianfan patted Yaoyao's shoulder. "Go on, get some rest. You need to be energetic tomorrow to collect the money." Yaoyao got up and left happily.
"And you?" Li Qianfan turned to ask Su Nan'yin, "The compensation for defamation from the Yuan family is directly related to you. How much do you want?" Su Nan'yin thought for a moment and asked, "If I say I don't want anything, what will you use this money for?" Li Qianfan answered readily, "Besides investing ten billion to expand Guanyin Group and Qingyun's scale, most of it will be invested in Japan. Tomimoto and Du Tianci's finances are very tight." Su Nan'yin nodded. "Then I don't want it."
Li Qianfan asked, "Are you really willing to part with it?"
"Of course, I'm not willing to part with it." Su Nan'yin shrugged, extending her left foot, which was resting on the edge of the bed, towards Li Qianfan's face. "How about you give me ten billion then?" With a *slap*, he pushed her foot away. Li Qianfan lay down on the carpet. "Dream on. Turn off the lights and go to sleep."
The lights went out. The night grew deeper. The rain grew heavier. As dawn broke, a man's terrified roar suddenly shattered the darkness of the pre-dawn neighborhood: "Wife!"
Daylight arrived. With the piercing wail of emergency vehicles, the crowd gathered at the entrance of a residential complex instinctively dispersed. People were whispering, "Too tragic. I wonder what kind of beast the killer is!" Around four in the morning, a nursing mother was raped and murdered in her home.