Chapter Ninety-One: Acquiring the Black Jade Stone

Chapter Ninety-One: Acquiring the Black Jade Stone

At that very moment, suddenly, Shen An seemed to have caught sight of something. It appeared to be underground, placed within a box. As Shen An gazed at it, the object radiated a brilliant glow, extraordinary in appearance.

He hurried forward, drew his black iron sword, and dug into the ground until the item was exposed. To his surprise, it was a stone.

"Black Jade Stone! I never expected to find it here," Shen An murmured. He recalled that when he first discovered the seal in the Chen family’s basement, the future had once said that certain materials would be needed to break it. Among them, the most difficult to obtain was the Black Jade Stone.

Now, the Black Jade Stone had been found.

"It seems Sun Li knew this was a valuable thing. I wonder why he hid it here? Could it be..." Shen An suddenly thought of that expert.

...

"I’ve waited too long, given you ample time, only to be told that circumstances have changed."

The voice seemed out of place, as if it came from a distant realm, hard to grasp.

"Master, one of my partners was killed. The item was with him. Please give me a little time. I will find it, and then your seal can be lifted, so you may reign supreme," Xu Tianming knelt on the ground, speaking respectfully in the direction of the unknown.

"Don’t disappoint me again. If it happens once more, I will not forgive you," the voice said, then vanished.

A long time passed before Xu Tianming dared to stand. He pressed a mechanism, and a massive stone door closed shut.

Xu Tianming emerged outside. A scantily clad woman hurried to him, eager to serve. He sat on the sofa, closed his eyes, seeming somewhat fatigued. The woman gently kneaded his shoulders.

After a while, Xu Tianming opened his eyes. "How many Explosive Essence Pills have been made?"

The man waiting opposite replied, "Only seventeen so far. Many ingredients are difficult to find," he said cautiously.

"Sun Li has proven useless, already killed by Shen An. Handle the matter so the Sun family doesn’t blame us. Sever all ties, make it clear he had nothing to do with us," he declared coldly, devoid of emotion.

"Yes, I understand."

"And what about Shen An? How should we deal with him?" Xu Tianming rubbed his temples, troubled.

"Make a gesture of goodwill, see what he needs, and what we can offer. This must be handled well. No more mistakes. We can’t expose ourselves yet, or we’ll be against every family."

His actions, his partners, everything had to remain secret. Otherwise, given that person’s attitude toward outsiders, irreparable disaster could result. If that happened, he would likely be the first to die.

Xu Tianming had no intention of revealing everything.

In a restaurant.

"Boss, one bowl of beef noodles."

The newcomer sat down and called out to the busy owner, who responded and quickly began preparing.

"Mu Linqiu needed to help with company affairs, so Shen An sent her back. This woman has a mountain of tasks but prefers to linger by his side. Doesn’t she know which matters are more urgent? Women are so one-sided in their thinking."

The steaming beef noodles were placed on the table, and Shen An began eating. Lately, he felt his time was growing ever shorter, never enough.

As he ate, a woman sat at the other end.

"Beef noodles, same as his," she said.

Shen An ate slowly, not hurried. Amid the steam, he looked up. "Is there something you want?"

Bai Weiwei shot him a glance. "What do you think? Now that Sun Li is dead, the Sun family is furious, investigating the cause. And just now, there’s plenty of evidence showing you and your people were seen on the street, then at the factory."

"So what? Can’t I go shopping with my people?"

Bai Weiwei smiled. "You could try saying that to them."

"When I arrived, the old man said you were helping us. Sun Li was the head of the Shadow Group, guilty of countless unforgivable acts. This time, you’ve done a great service—no one dares touch you," she said, as her beef noodles were served. She took a bite.

Her small mouth parted slightly, making her look quite alluring. Her lips, not large, looked as pretty as cherries.

"What are you looking at?" Bai Weiwei noticed Shen An staring and immediately asked.

"Your lips are very beautiful," Shen An replied.

"Just eat your noodles!"

Bai Weiwei blushed, uncertain what she was thinking. She lowered her head, silently eating. Whatever she’d meant to say was instantly forgotten.

After finishing their noodles, both paid separately.

"You really don’t know how to get along with women, so infuriating," Bai Weiwei said, genuinely annoyed. It was the first time she’d seen someone pay for their own meal.

"You weren’t invited. You came on your own," Shen An said with no awareness.

"You’re free now, aren’t you?" Shen An shifted the topic.

Bai Weiwei nodded.

"Then get to work."

Bai Weiwei suddenly stopped, looking at Shen An with complicated eyes.

"What are you staring at? I’m busy—there’s a mess in the company, so hurry up and help. Besides, I think your side said you’re supposed to work for me," seeing Bai Weiwei about to explode, Shen An quickly moved away.

"Work for you? Dream on," Bai Weiwei trembled with rage.

"Is ‘work’ not the right word? Is it ‘help me’? Suit yourself—whether it’s Eternal Night, work, whatever. Just do as you’re told, follow Mu Linqiu’s instructions," he reached out to pat Bai Weiwei’s head, but she dodged furiously and stormed off.

Watching Bai Weiwei vanish from sight, Shen An shook his head with a smile.

Then his gaze shifted to a distant corner.

"Come out."

With that, someone stepped out from the opposite corner.

"Mr. Shen, I am Du Shang, sent by Xu Tianming. I believe we need to talk," he said with utmost respect and courtesy, bowing deeply.

Shen An answered coolly, "Talk about what, and how?"

Du Shang smiled. "Our boss hopes Mr. Shen won’t implicate Zhicheng Pharmaceuticals. As a sign of goodwill, we’re prepared to offer you a request," he said confidently, certain that Shen An would make a demand.

Yet, after waiting, Shen An said nothing.

Du Shang was puzzled. "Mr. Shen?"

"Sorry, I was lost in thought," Shen An replied. "Compensation, is it? Fine, but this isn’t the place to talk. Let’s go elsewhere."

With that, Shen An strode off, paying no heed to the other man.

Soon, they arrived at a secluded spot, unnoticed by anyone.

"Mr. Shen, there’s no need for such caution. I’ve brought a jamming device; no one will overhear us," Du Shang said with a smile.