It didn’t seem that the three Tang family elders were faking it, as an attempt to get him to reduce his demands. “Are you sure you don’t want her?”
Tang Mingqing took a deep breath and nodded. “We’re sure!”
Su Ping made another offer. “If five is too much, I can ask for less. How about four?”
The three elders looked at each other, but eventually shook their heads.
Even four items would be too expensive. Besides, since they had already said so, it was only a matter of time for Tang Ruyan’s cover to be blown. She had lost her value and function. Even four items to get her back would be too much!
“Three?”
They shook their heads. “Two?”
Shake, shake, shake.
The girl had turned even paler.
“Not even one?”
Su Ping pulled a long face.
The three Tang family elders trembled in fear as they noticed the anger in Su Ping’s voice. Tang Mingqing smiled obsequiously. “If it is alright with you, we can trade her with something else, like money or ninth-rank battle pets. What do you think?”
Finally, Su Ping realized what was strange about them.
“She’s not your real future family head, is she?” Su Ping asked.
Tang Mingqing looked embarrassed. He summoned up enough courage and answered, “She’s not.”
He had to admit the fact. Denial would not do because Xie Gange and Venerable the Blade were there and they were no fools. They could already tell what was wrong. Tang Mingqing thought he might just as well admit it.
II
11
Su Ping didn’t know what to say. What the hell? Turns out Tang Ruyan is a fake.
She was a fake but the Tang family had made such a big deal out of it. For those who weren’t in the know, they would have believed that Tang Ruyan was the real future family head.
“So, you’re saying that her life is less valuable than yours.” “…You can say so.”
Su Ping heaved a sigh at this answer. He looked at the girl who had turned colorless. He shook his head and said to Tang Mingqing, “Since she’s not, it is your fault that I’ve taken the wrong girl. Now tell me. How are you going to make up for that?”
Huh?
The three Tang family elders were stunned still.
They eyed Su Ping in disbelief. What a mind-blowing accusation.
Getting the wrong girl was our fault?
What a stunning buck-passing move! But, Su Ping was the one sitting down and they were the ones standing up. The ones sitting down had the right of speech, so they refrained from talking back.
They were aware that Su Ping was deliberately finding fault with them but there was nothing they could do. “Please tell us what kind of compensation you want.” Tang Mingqing produced a forced smile.
“Since you were so unhappy about giving away treasures, I want five,” Su Ping said casually.
Tang Mingqing felt his face was twitching. He’s not letting us off the hook easily, is he?
They had to give the five treasures whether they wanted Tang Ruyan back or not. Su Ping was a bandit! “Well, that would be eleven treasures in total. That is a lot…” Tang Mingqing mumbled. Besides, according to Su Ping’s three demands, he already requested three pieces and that would mean Su Ping was asking the Tang family to provide 14 items in total. He was practically getting all the top-level treasures in the Tang family’s collection.
Of course, they could fake the information and hide away the authentic treasures. However, Su Ping was not a fool. Also, he had pointed out that he had found out a lot about the Tan family from Tang Ruyan. They believed that Su Ping was aware of all the treasures in the collection and there would be no way for them to trick him.
“I’ll round it up. Ten pieces or none of you can get away.”
Su Ping made a counteroffer directly. He wasn’t in dire need of treasures. He was just teaching the Tang family a lesson. If they couldn’t satisfy his demands, he would not mind killing the hostages.
“But…”
Tang Mingqing didn’t know what to say to that unreasonable young man.
A cold glint emerged in Su Ping’s eyes.
Standing next to him, the Little Skeleton suddenly waved its blade and pointed at Tang Mingqing’s forehead. The point of the blade left a scratch on his forehead and blood was oozing out.
“Say yes or die!” Su Ping warned him.
Tang Mingqing as well as the other two Tang family elders were pale with fright. Tang Mingqing answered with a trembling voice, “I, I will say yes but I don’t know if our family head will agree to that.”
“Call him right now,” Su Ping requested.
The Little Skeleton dashed back to where Su Ping was and sat down on the couch beside him.
Freed from impending death, Tang Mingqing noticed that cold sweat had soaked his back. He smiled apologetically and took out his phone at once. Soon, the call went through.
“Sir, sir.”
Tang Mingqing found it hard to speak.
“What is going on?”
The man could clearly tell there was something wrong with Tang Mingqing’s tone. Tang Mingqing darted a glance at Su Ping before he gave an account of what had happened from beginning to end.
When the man on the other side of the call heard that the Feather Army and the Tactic Army were eliminated and that there was a legendary battle pet warrior in the store, he could no longer remain calm. There was a noise of something being knocked over.
A moment later, Tang Mingqing had finished the story.
Silence was the reply.
After an entire minute, finally, the man told Tang Mingqing to give the phone to Su Ping. He wanted to negotiate with Su Ping directly.
Tang Mingqing delivered the message. He didn’t have to do so, though, because everyone in the store had a good enough hearing to follow the conversation.
“I just need an answer, he doesn’t need to talk to me. Ask him. Yes or no!” Su Ping said. He was not in the mood to drag this along.
Embarrassed, Tang Mingqing had to repeat Su Ping’s words.
The man on the other side of the call could hear Su Ping’s voice. A moment of silence later, the man said ‘yes’.
Tang Mingqing breathed in relief and so did the two elders standing next to him. They could not help but feel glad.
“He has said yes.”
“Fine. Tell him to give me a list of your treasures and I must have it tomorrow.”
“Of course. I will tell him.”
A few minutes later.
All the details had been decided. The three Tang family elders were all detained in Su Ping’s store as hostages and they could only go back after the treasures were delivered to him.
Without further ado, Su Ping saw Venerable the Blade out. As for Xie Gange, he had to take off on his own. Su Ping didn’t keep any of the other family elders, except for the two from the Liu family. He told them to get someone there right away to clean up the street.
All the mess on the street had to be cleaned up by the Liu family and all the destruction had to be repaired by them.
The two elders of the Liu family accepted the task at once, hoping that by helping out, Su Ping could be less angry at the Liu family as a whole.
Only the two elders of the Liu family, the three from the Tang family, Tang Ruyan, and Yan Bingyue remained in Su Ping’s store.
The two from the Liu family were waiting outside for people from their family to arrive and clean up both the street and the buildings.
The three from the Tang family stayed inside and they did behave.
Su Ping was still sour-faced when he was with the three. He sent them to the test room and used that place as a temporary cell. After the three elders left, Tang Ruyan said to Su Ping with a white and bloodless complexion, “Now, I am of no value. You can execute me now.”
Su Ping cast a glance at her. “Why didn’t you tell me you were a fake? I would have let you go.”
Tang Ruyan curled her lips. How could she have said that? Besides, she remembered that she did say so but Su Ping never bought it. He thought she was just trying to get away.
“Never mind. Since you know you’re worthless, then do your job well and create some value. Now that the Tang family doesn’t want you, stay here and do odds and ends for me.”
Su Ping shook his head and heaved a sigh.
Tang Ruyan was surprised.
“Are you… not going to kill me?”
Su Ping was speechless. “Why would I? What? Am I a homicidal maniac?”
“But, I am of no use to you.”
“Who said that? You can serve customers for me, can’t you?”
IIII
Tang Ruyan replied with silence.
Serving customers?
Given Su Ping’s wealth, he could have easily hired tens of thousands of people to work for him. He didn’t need her.
“You can stay here for the time being. Joanna may get too busy in the days to come. You can run some errands. When I find a suitable employee, you’ll be free to go.” Su Ping chuckled.
Tang Ruyan pressed her lips together. She couldn’t describe her feelings. She took a deep breath and looked into Su Ping’s eyes. “If it’s fine with you, I can work for you, permanently!”
Yan Bingyue was taken aback. The fact that Tang Ruyan was willing to stay there was beyond reason.
But she could understand her.
She was useless to her family. Her family wasn’t even willing to trade her with one piece of treasure when one family elder was worth three pieces of treasures.
It was insulting to measure a person’s value with treasures. But she couldn’t even compete with a single piece of treasure.
Yan Bingyue felt she could comprehend Tang Ruyan’s choice.
“What?”
Su Ping looked at Tang Ruyan who was evidently moved by his words. He raised his eyebrows, “You must have misunderstood me. You’re not qualified enough to work for me now. I understand that you’re upset but don’t get carried away by your wishful thinking. I’m already kind enough to let you work for me temporarily.”
What?
Yan Bingyue was stunned still.
So was Tang Ruyan.
The warm feeling that had just filled her heart was shot down when reality taught her a lesson. She was so confused.
Yan Bingyue gazed at Su Ping. What kind of insensitive man was he?
“All right now. If you don’t have anything better to do, go out and help with the cleanup and keep an eye on the Liu family people,” Su Ping said, “Get in yourself.” He opened the scroll.
Yan Bingyue: “…” Under Su Ping’s gaze, she snuck back into the scroll.
Tang Ruyan was still standing there in a daze. Su Ping went into the pet room. The problems had been solved. It was time for him to consume the last material of the Solar Bulwark.