Chapter 107: Chapter 106: The Sakura People Back Down
Gu Zhao had long expected that Yoshiyama Yuuki and Tsuchimikado Kazuya wouldn’t be able to break the Shangqing Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman.
’Are you kidding me?’ Gu Zhao had used the Five Thunders Order to activate his Innate Qi and now possessed nearly a hundred years of Dao Practice. How could a Talisman he cast be broken by mere mortals from Blue Star who possessed, at most, a sliver of Magical Power?
He had thought they would stubbornly hold out for a while longer before turning to him for help. He never expected them to cave in less than half a month.
"So?" Gu Zhao asked.
"So I’m just passing along the message," Yunyang chuckled. "Whether you want to keep them hanging is, of course, up to you."
Gu Zhao nodded. "Give me Wang Runheng’s phone number. We forgot to ask him for it last time."
"Haha, me too. I looked him up when I got back and found out he’s a pretty famous tycoon in Port City. Of course, there’s a world of difference between him and the very richest," Yunyang added.
Speaking of which, Yunyang asked curiously, "Why is Martial Uncle Yi Hong in seclusion in Yangcheng?"
"Because seclusion is more efficient in Yangcheng," Gu Zhao said. "You want to come?"
"I’m not going. Yangcheng doesn’t have authentic crumbled flatbread in beef soup," Yunyang refused. "And I can’t stomach that bloody white-cut chicken."
Gu Zhao flew into a rage. "White-cut chicken is not raw!"
"I never said it was raw," Yunyang laughed. "What are you getting so worked up about?"
"Worked up?" Gu Zhao scoffed. "You just wait. Sooner or later, you’ll be begging me to let you stay in Yangcheng."
"Don’t be ridiculous. I would rather die, I would rather jump off South Mountain, than ever stay in Yangcheng!" Yunyang declared, then hung up.
Gu Zhao looked at the phone number Yunyang had sent him and sneered. ’You said it, not me!’
He looked up and met the two women’s curious gazes. Gu Zhao held up his phone. "I have to make another call."
Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya made a gesture for him to go ahead. Jiang Shishi asked curiously, "Is it about your Cultivation?"
Gu Zhao nodded and told them the truth. "Remember last time when I met Taoist Yi Hong and then went to Port City for the Penglai Immortal Pavilion’s centennial ceremony? Well, I ran into a bit of trouble."
As he spoke, Gu Zhao dialed Wang Runheng. "Mr. Wang?"
"Mr. Gu! Hello, hello!" Wang Runheng’s tone was very respectful. "Thank you for calling. Did Taoist Yunyang tell you what’s going on? It’s like this..."
"Have those people arrived in Yangcheng yet?" Gu Zhao asked.
"They’re still in Yandu, but they’ve booked plane tickets. They can be here tonight," Wang Runheng replied immediately.
"No need to rush. We don’t even know if Martial Uncle Yi Hong will agree to see them yet," Gu Zhao said nonchalantly.
’This whole affair happened out in the open, and too many people knew about it. It would have been inconvenient to have people end up dead. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have used something as mild as the Shangqing Great Forbidden Dragon Binding Talisman on them.’
Wang Runheng let out two dry coughs. "I think Taoist Yi Hong might see them."
"Why?"
"Because they’ve brought a lot of things with them this time."
"What kind of things?"
"Thirty million in incense oil money, plus twenty priceless cultural artifacts. And not just ordinary pieces from common kilns, but important artifacts with real historical value," Wang Runheng said. "They’re very savvy. The items have already been donated to White Cloud Temple through official channels."
Gu Zhao sneered, but his disdain was mixed with a hint of gravity. "They really do understand how we operate, don’t they!"
Wang Runheng gave a wry smile. "Tell me about it."
"Alright, I’ll mention it to my Martial Uncle later. Wait for my call," Gu Zhao said coolly. Just as he was about to hang up, he suddenly added, "Wait, one more thing. You have business in Southeast Asia, right?"
"Yes," Wang Runheng said immediately. "I have branch offices in various countries in Southeast Asia, but most are in the big cities."
"I have two friends going to Southeast Asia soon," Gu Zhao said. "If they run into any trouble, could they give you a call?"
"Of course!" Wang Runheng replied instantly. "Are they traveling for pleasure? I can have my branch office receive them and arrange for a full-time guide."
"No, they’re touring Southeast Asia with a traditional music ensemble. They probably won’t run into any trouble, but they are two young women, after all. I’ll give them your number later, just in case," Gu Zhao said.
"No problem!" Wang Runheng said at once. "Southeast Asia can be unsafe, so a precaution like that is very necessary. Our company has its own security. Calling me might be more effective than calling the police."
"Then I appreciate it," Gu Zhao nodded.
"You’re too kind. It’s no trouble at all," Wang Runheng said humbly.
After hanging up, Gu Zhao looked up to see two pairs of wide, sparkling eyes blinking at him. He couldn’t help but ask, "What is it?"
Xiao Ya smiled, pressing her lips together, while Jiang Shishi said bluntly, "You seemed so commanding just now."
"Huh? Really?" Gu Zhao stroked his chin. ’Thinking back,’ he mused, ’I guess I did feel like I was looking down on Wang Runheng. Even though my words were polite when asking for his help, I felt perfectly justified and confident, not at all like an ordinary person who’d be intimidated when facing a tycoon. Maybe it was because he was at his wit’s end dealing with those two Sakura People, while for me, handling them was as easy as crushing two ants? Hiss! I’m not going to evolve into one of those "I don’t eat beef" types, am I?’
Gu Zhao shuddered. He took a deep breath to calm himself and realized his attitude wasn’t because of his power. It was because he instinctively couldn’t respect a capitalist who’d haggle over a few Copper Coins.
His respect for Wang Runheng didn’t even measure up to his respect for the server who had just poured his tea.
So he decided to follow his heart. ’This isn’t my problem, it’s his. It was his good fortune that I was there to save him. And it’s his blessing to be able to do a favor for me.’
Then Gu Zhao sent Wang Runheng’s number to the two women. "If you run into trouble abroad, give him a call. He said he’s more effective than the police."
"Wow, he’s that powerful? Who is he?" Jiang Shishi asked as she saved the number.
"His name is Wang, Wang Runheng. He’s a businessman from Port City who’s in real estate. He has operations in Southeast Asia," Gu Zhao said.
Jiang Shishi said reflexively, "A capitalist, huh? Are there any good guys in Port City real estate?"
Xiao Ya couldn’t help but laugh. She patted Jiang Shishi’s arm. "Don’t paint them all with the same brush. Not everyone is like... you-know-who."
Jiang Shishi snorted. "The biggest fish in the pond is rotten. You expect the little ones to be any better?"
"Let’s not talk about this. Hurry up and eat," Gu Zhao said, pointing at the table. "I was on the phone and you two didn’t eat either."
Jiang Shishi picked up her chopsticks. "Right, food! Let’s eat! After this, we’re going car shopping!"
...
After their meal, they went car shopping. Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya claimed they were there to help, but their main roles were providing company and haggling. After visiting several dealerships, they finally settled on a model.
With their combined efforts, Jiang Shishi and Xiao Ya managed to get Gu Zhao a ton of extra perks and freebies.
