The elderly Mrs. Nangong spoke with Nangong Yue for a few minutes before allowing them to return to their seats and letting Nangong Xia's family step forward to offer birthday wishes.
As Nangong Xia's family visited frequently, Mrs. Nangong did not treat them any differently.
A few minutes after the birthday banquet began, Mrs. Nangong left due to her poor health.
Long Xiao watched the retreating figure of Mrs. Nangong, who was being supported by others, and thought that she needed a kidney transplant. The blood they had drawn from everyone in the square earlier was likely for Nangong family to search for a suitable donor kidney.
Finding a well-matched kidney donor was difficult, and the chances were higher among relatives and friends.
After the banquet ended and they returned to their lodgings, Nangong Yu soon entered with the elder they had met previously, along with Long Xiao and the others.
Nangong Yu called Nangong Yue into a room alone, saying he had something to discuss with her.
Soon, a loud argument erupted from inside. Long Xiao and Lin Xuan wanted to enter and see what was happening but were stopped by the elder standing at the doorway.
Xiao Ming stepped forward to intervene, but Long Xiao pulled him back.
"Hold on, let's see what happens first," Long Xiao said in a low voice.
More than half an hour later, Nangong Yue emerged from the room with a dark expression.
Nangong Yu, who followed her out, glanced at Lin Xuan and Long Xiao, snorted coldly, and said, "Nangong Yue, don't be ungrateful."
Nangong Yue stood in front of Lin Xuan and shouted, "I disagree, and I will never agree, no matter how much compensation is offered."
"Mom, what's wrong?" Long Xiao stepped forward to ask.
Nangong Yue watched Nangong Yu and the elder walk away and said, "They want to transplant Lin Xuan's kidney to my mother."
"Mom, what happened to Grandma's kidneys?" Lin Xuan asked.
Nangong Yue told Lin Xuan that her mother's kidneys had both severely deteriorated, and if she didn't get a transplant, she wouldn't live for another year.
This was the first time Lin Xuan had seen her maternal grandmother since birth. It was also the first time Nangong Yue had seen her mother since being kicked out of the family.
They already had little emotional connection, and now they were suddenly asking for Lin Xuan's kidney. Neither of them was willing.
Long Xiao said, "Mom, actually, Grandma's illness doesn't require a kidney transplant."
"What do you know? Your eldest uncle invited the best medical team from the Island Nation, and they said they couldn't cure her without a transplant."
Every time there was involvement with people from the Island Nation, something bad happened. Long Xiao inwardly disliked those outwardly refined scoundrels.
"Mom, Long Xiao has good relationships with the three great physicians of Donghai. Why don't we ask them to examine Grandma?"
Nangong Xia said, "Lin Xuan, your mother and I are outsiders in Nangong Yu's eyes. No matter how good a doctor we invite, it won't be as good as the people from the Island Nation that he invited."
"Mom, you've already come to offer birthday wishes. Let's go back to Donghai for now. I'll bring Li Yizhen to see her in a few days. He can definitely cure Grandma's illness."
Xue Xingjian, worried that any further delay might bring trouble, proposed they leave early the next morning.
Nangong Xia said displeasedly, "Xue Xingjian, what do you mean? This is our home, what danger could there be?"
"Mom, didn't you see how aggressive Eldest Uncle was? What if they just try to forcibly take it?" Xue Kai said.
Xue Kai's reminder made Nangong Yue a little worried.
Xiao Ming appeared nonchalant and said, "Don't worry, with me, Xiao Ming, around, no one dares to touch the boss's wife."
Nangong Yue was very fond of Xiao Ming. She patted his head and said, "You're still a child. If they really make a move, you should run away quickly. It's good enough if you can protect yourself."
During dinner, Xiao Ming looked at the food served and said, "Boss, this food is too low-class. Let's go, I'll take you to get something delicious."
Long Xiao was also dissatisfied with the Nangong family. He nodded and said, "Let's go, if they don't give it to us, we'll get it ourselves."
They left the guest room as dusk was settling. Xiao Ming whispered, "Boss, keep up, I'm leaving now."
"Go ahead, I can keep up."
Xiao Ming picked up his pace, gradually increasing his speed, and then accelerated several times, soaring forward like a wisp of smoke.
Long Xiao quickened his steps to follow, observing Xiao Ming's footwork. After a few hundred meters, he noticed that Xiao Ming's steps were not just the 'Chimei Xiaoyao Bu' he had taught him, but also incorporated some peculiar movements.
In the past, Xiao Ming knew no footwork. After learning the basic steps of 'Chimei Xiaoyao Bu,' he had developed these strange steps. It seemed these were movements he had devised himself.
Xiao Ming's current speed was almost double what it was when he first learned 'Chimei Xiaoyao Bu.' Long Xiao, using 'Chimei Xiaoyao Bu' himself, could only barely keep up.
In a short while, Xiao Ming led Long Xiao behind a small cluster of buildings.
The two of them hid behind a large tree. Xiao Ming pointed to a building ahead and said, "The one at the far end is the kitchen. The villa in the middle is where the Island Nation people are staying."
Upon arriving at the residence of the Island Nation people, Long Xiao wanted to investigate who they were and if they had any ulterior motives.
"Xiao Ming, you go to the kitchen and get whatever you want to eat. I'll go check on those Island Nation people and see what they're up to."
"Boss, why don't I go with you?"
Long Xiao shook his head and said, "No need, it's more convenient for me to move alone."
Xiao Ming nodded and rushed towards the kitchen, while Long Xiao headed for the main villa.
Because the five-element qi in Long Xiao's dantian was very unique, he didn't need to enter the villa to observe its interior.
As long as he entered within a thirty-meter radius of the villa, he could see everything inside clearly.
He sat by the wall behind the villa, closed his eyes, and soon, the entire interior of the villa was projected into his mind.
A dozen Island Nation people were eating. The food was abundant, and there were five bottles of sake on the table.
Two of the Island Nation people were slightly drunk and speaking loudly, but Long Xiao couldn't understand their gibberish.
Just as he was fretting about not understanding, one of the Island Nation people said, "Mr. Kojima, Nangong Yu is so gullible. Once we cure the old lady's illness, he will definitely trust us."
"Heh heh, Nangong Yu would never dream that we would tamper with his mother's bedroom."
"Mr. Kojima, I heard Nangong Yu found a suitable kidney donor and wants us to transplant it to the old lady."
"Transplant, heh heh, the old lady won't live for more than three years after a transplant."
"Mr. Kojima, the kidney transplant was our suggestion. If we don't go through with it, will Nangong Yu become suspicious?"
"Of course he will, but if we take out that girl's kidney, throw it away, then cut open the old lady's abdomen and stitch it up, he won't be suspicious anymore."
"Hahaha, you're so brilliant. Then Nangong Yu will obediently cooperate with us, and it will be easy for our Daiwa Overseas Company to enter Nanhua City."
An Island Nation person, who had been quietly eating, looked up at the two conversing and said sternly, "This is the Nangong family's territory, this is Huaxia. You'd better not discuss these things in Chinese, lest someone overhears and ruins our plan."
"Mr. Watanabe, we understand. We grew up in Huaxia and studied in Huaxia. We're used to speaking Chinese. Huaxia is our second home."
"No, in the near future, this land will be our home. As long as we control the narrative, in a few hundred years, the people of Huaxia will consider themselves the outsiders."