Chapter 501: Chapter 390: Whose Conspiracy?
Abbas, guarded by several Earth Dragon Knights, trembled as he approached the table and sat down on the only available seat.
"What’s this, you fool? Have you no shame to poach from me?" Abbas said with a sideways glance at Kemos.
"It’s not about having no shame, it’s about showing this young man what kind of boss is worth his service," Kemos replied coldly.
"The kind of boss? Like you? Hahahaha! That’s the biggest joke ever! You claim to pay your subordinates a high wage, but set a ridiculously high standard that they could never achieve, hence they can never touch those wages! Is this your definition of generosity?" Abbas guffawed, and the soldiers behind him joined in the laughter.
"Recompense according to work, yet they still get paid. What about you? Look how much this young man has earned for you? How much did you give him in return?"
"I’m offering him an opportunity--a chance to join my Core Group! Would you dare to do the same?"
"Why shouldn’t I dare?! His outstanding talent is enough for me to entrust him with my most core business!"
"Hmm, your core business? What is it? Making horse saddles? Hahaha!"
"And yours? Your Core Group is what? Milking workers? Hahahaha!"
Kemos started his business by manufacturing saddles for the army, while Abbas started with dairy farming. Now, these small trades which seem insignificant have become topics of ridicule between them.
"Let’s go, Luo Yi. Breathing the same air as this bastard in one room disgusts me," Abbas said, pulling Long Yi.
"Oh! Okay." Long Yi nodded, prepared to leave.
Kemos also stood up and shouted from afar, "Remember, Long Yi! This is the place where you truly belong! That old pig can only ruin your talent!"
"Shut up! You damned old man!" Abbas yelled out.
Long Yi thought that after this incident, Abbas would definitely offer him something to comfort him; maybe it would be money or a store, but he would have to give something. To his surprise, after cursing Kemos, Abbas completely stopped talking about it!
Oh my God, a person can be stingy to this extent, it’s unheard of. Despite his strong ability to make money, Abbas believes that I should naturally devote myself to him?
In reality, Abbas had his own troubles at this time.
He was sitting in his secret treasury, facing a massive quantity of gold coins, jewelry, and beautifully crafted art pieces. Normally, his eyes would gleam at the sight of these treasures, but now, he looked worried.
"Luo Yi was tempted, he was definitely tempted. He didn’t pledge his loyalty to me right away, he must have been tempted! Damn it! This Luo Yi, can’t even stand a test! All he had to do was to immediately reject Kemos, and I would certainly value him! No! I can’t let this kind of talent go to Kemos! If he doesn’t want to swear loyalty to me, then he should not swear to anyone else either! I must think of a way! That’s right! I have an idea! I should, do this....."
Abbas muttered to himself as the Female Demon hidden amongst the pile of jewels heard his whole plan.
"That old bastard, he really is one. No wonder his business is gradually being taken away, he’s simply an idiot." Long Yi said.
"So, what do we do?" Ai Lin asked.
"It’s fine, weren’t we planning to leave? In that case, why don’t we turn the tables, play big!" Long Yi said with a smile.
Late that night, when everyone was sound asleep, Abbas’s housekeeper sneakily left the mansion. Soon, a large battalion of soldiers and Dragon Riders surrounded the Salt Department courtyard.
Several Dragon Riders jumped into the courtyard, and after a while of chaos, they came out shaking their heads.
"Luo Yi isn’t here?"
The housekeeper was stunned.
Just then, a drunken voice sounded from behind, "What are you guys doing?"
Everyone turned around to see a beet-red, alcohol-ridden Luo Yi looking at them perplexed.
"Luo Yi!" the housekeeper shouted, "Mr. Abbas suspects that you’re colluding with Long Yi, and planning to cause havoc in the Imperial City of the Black Dragon Empire, isn’t it about time to surrender?"
"Housekeeper, you... have you lost your mind? I... I have worked so hard and devotedly for Uncle Abbas, helping him make money without asking for anything in return, how could he say that? You must be jealous of my talent... no, I have to see Uncle Abbas! I... I won’t let you catch me!"
With that, Long Yi turned and dashed into a nearby alley.
The housekeeper was stunned, how could this scoundrel assess the situation so accurately and run off immediately? Could it be because he’s drunk?
"Damn it! Chase him!"
Everyone chased after him into the alley, but in this complicated labyrinth of lanes, Long Yi had vanished without a trace.
"He’s gone to see Master Abbas! Let’s go!" The butler said, furrowing his brows.
Everyone immediately rushed towards Abbas’s residence. Upon arrival, they could already hear Abbas yelling.
"You bastard, what are you doing, let me go!"
They rushed into the courtyard and saw Long Yi, struggling to drag Abbas, dressed in his pyjamas, out of the bedroom with a sharp kitchen knife at his throat.
"Uncle Abbas, tell me, was this butler acting on his own? Was he just jealous of my talent?"
Long Yi’s demeanor, to anyone observing, would be that of a drunk; after all, who could answer such disjointed inquiries?
However, Abbas immediately exclaimed, "Yes, it was all him! He implicated you as an accomplice of Long Yi out of sheer jealousy for your talent!"
Long Yi was taken aback, "Uncle Abbas... I...I haven’t explained what actually happened...how did you know?"
Every person present immediately understood what was happening, including the soldiers.
A soldier stepped forward, speaking in a steady tone, "Mr. Luo Yi, I think there might be some misunderstanding. However, according to our policy, we investigate every report. How about you come with us? We’ll go through the process and be back quickly. Is that okay?"
The statement was half true, half false. Going through the process was certainly true, but whether they’d be able to return after going through the process was another matter.
"Bullshit! Do you think I am a fool? I risk my life making money for you, and I turned this mess you’ve made into the most profitable business in the Black Dragon Empire. You bastard, not only do you not give me a dime, but you actually reported me out of fear that I might pledge allegiance to Kemos? Do you think I didn’t hear what you had to say? At first, I thought you were just talking, and as long as I continued to make money for you, you wouldn’t do anything to me. But now, it seems like money no longer motivates you."
As he spoke, Long Yi actually started sobbing uncontrollably. The hand holding the knife started trembling involuntarily, cutting into Abbas’s neck and causing blood to ooze. Fortunately, the layer of fat on Abbas’s chin spared him from immediate death. Nonetheless, the sight terrified Abbas.
"Luo Yi! Listen to me! You know I’ve always been the paranoid type. Now that you’ve shown me such unwavering loyalty, how could I not recognize it? I’ll announce your appointment tomorrow! You’ll be my right-hand man, overseeing all the family business! Would that be alright?" Abbas hurriedly said. As he spoke, his chin shook against the blade, but he could no longer care about the pain, knowing a misstep could cost him his life.
The older one becomes, the more they dread death. Abbas, desperate to survive, didn’t care about what he had just promised. As soon as he was released, that bastard would be dead before his eyes!
"Are you being truthful?" Long Yi’s grip on the knife loosened a little.
"Yes, absolutely! Who else would you believe if not me?" Abbas hastily replied.
"Bullshit! I don’t trust you at all! You’ve been lying to me all along! I found you the Fire Eye Giant Diamond, you didn’t pay me. I revived your general store, you didn’t pay me. I’ve elevated your salt business, you still haven’t paid me! You old bastard! You’ve been screwing me over! No! I want money! Money! Give me money!"
Long Yi, in a frenzy, started dragging the hefty Abbas away, and the kitchen knife moved back and forth on Abbas’s chin. Long Yi was heading towards the backyard of Abbas’s residence, an area full of rubble and overgrown, dry weeds more than a meter tall, never occupied or taken care of.
That was where his secret vault was located.
"Speak up, where’s your vault? I want money. Give me the money!" Long Yi, reeking of alcohol, yelled.
"Kill me if you must! I won’t let you touch my money, even in death!" Abbas defiantly spat out.
"You old bastard! What good is money to the dead! You’re an idiot!" Long Yi raised the knife and cut into Abbas’s thigh. Abbas instantly screamed in agony.
The nearby soldiers could only surround them from a distance, not daring to move closer. At this moment, almost everyone overlooked a crucial detail; Abbas was exceptionally obese and Long Yi, though seemingly unsteady, could drag him such a distance. This had already surpassed the limit of a typical person. However, in such a critical situation, nobody was focusing on this detail.
Abbas was terrified of death, but as Long Yi had said, what use was leftover money if he was dead?
Luckily for him, he was well aware of the principle of the hare having three burrows, and in this yard, he had more than one vault. If it meant giving him a small one and letting him take as much as he could carry, how much could he truly take?
"My vault is over there."
Abbas pointed to a small rock on the ground. The rock was inconspicuous among the rubble and weeds, possibly overlooked. Long Yi, dragging Abbas along, went over to it, and with one hand, managed to open a hidden door on the ground.
"Get in there!"
Long Yi swiftly kicked Abbas in, then jumped in after him. Little Zi, who had been waiting there, instantly locked the door.
Abbas stumbled down into the underground, but instead of a room full of gold and gems, he was met with an empty room.
"How is it?" Long Yi asked Little Zi.
"The first warehouse is already empty. The one next to it is too large, Ai Lin is waiting for you over there." Little Zi, pointing to a hole in the wall, said with a smile.
"My gold..." Abbas, dazed, looked around the empty space. Suddenly, he raised his head and glared at Long Yi who was crawling through the hole in the wall.
"You...you’ve been plotting against my vault for a long time!" (To be continued... If you like this novel, please vote for it on qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users can read on m.qidian.com.)
