"It's not a misunderstanding!" Yang Jiangyu stated firmly, "Mr. Zhu, firstly, you caused trouble in my pearl shop, which shows you don't respect me. However, I see you're a regular customer, so I can forgive you. Secondly, you offended my friend, and you must apologize to my friend for that!"
Zhu Nengzhang didn't hesitate at all, quickly apologizing to Lu Chen, and then to Liu Li.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, both of you. I was so ignorant, I didn't know you were Ms. Yang's friends. Please, don't hold a grudge against a boor like me, okay? Okay?"
As he spoke, Zhu Nengzhang looked extremely anxious, as if he would be struck by lightning the moment he stepped outside if Lu Chen and Liu Li didn't accept his apology.
Seeing his cowardly appearance, Liu Li felt a sense of relief and said calmly, "Alright, since you've apologized, let's call it quits. However, Mr. Zhu, please watch your mouth in the future. Don't be so arrogant, understand?"
Zhu Nengzhang nodded repeatedly, indicating he understood. He looked at Lu Chen, the person in question, who hadn't apologized yet.
Lu Chen said expressionlessly, "I'm letting you off the hook because of Miss Yang. Otherwise, Mr. Zhu, just for daring to humiliate my girlfriend like that, I would have beaten you half to death and then hung you on the tallest billboard in the city so you could get some fresh air and sober up, lest you continue to be so rude."
Although he didn't understand why Yang Jiangyu had such a strong influence over Zhu Nengzhang, since that was the case, he decided not to make things difficult for him. He was also doing Yang Jiangyu a favor on the surface.
So, upon hearing this, Yang Jiangyu chuckled, "Boss Zhu, you're lucky. Let me tell you, Mr. Lu is no ordinary man; you just experienced his abilities. If you had truly offended him, if he hadn't been willing to let you go, he has plenty of ways to make you wish you were dead. So, you really should thank me."
These words sent a chill down Zhu Nengzhang's spine, and Lu Chen's body also trembled slightly.
These words were indeed quite meaningful, making it seem as if Yang Jiangyu knew some secret about Lu Chen.
Could it be that her visit last night was related to the Seven-Life Flower? Did she know about it?
Thinking of this, Lu Chen became even more vigilant. Possessing a treasure is a crime; if someone knew about the Seven-Life Flower and wanted to get their hands on it, Lu Chen knew he wouldn't be able to handle it for the time being. Thinking of the woman named Shangguan Wan, he felt a pang of sadness.
After his initial shock, Zhu Nengzhang seemed relieved, first thanking Lu Chen, then thanking Yang Jiangyu. As he pulled his two female companions, about to slip away, Yang Jiangyu glared at him: "Boss Zhu, you think you can just leave like that? This isn't something that can be resolved with just an apology; you need to show more sincerity."
Then, Yang Jiangyu's actions surprised both Lu Chen and Liu Li.
Yang Jiangyu had already overheard Lu Chen wanting to buy Liu Li a birthday present from the manager. She giggled and said to Liu Li, "Miss Liu, it's such a coincidence that we sisters have met again, I should take this opportunity to offer my own gifts!"
As she spoke, she began instructing the manager:
"Amei, bring me one each of those newly arrived Akoya cream-white and flame-red seawater pearl necklaces."
"And one South Sea natural seawater pearl bracelet, hmm, also cream-white, quite pure."
"And the natural Tahitian black pearl necklace, and the deep gold bracelet, bring those too!"
...
Necklaces, bracelets, earrings—six or seven pairs were laid out, their total value exceeding 500,000 yuan. Yang Jiangyu casually told Zhu Nengzhang to pay. Zhu Nengzhang didn't dare refuse at all and immediately signed the check.
"Miss Liu, these are all yours, as an apology from Mr. Zhu to you," Yang Jiangyu said calmly.
Liu Li was shocked and waved her hands repeatedly, saying she didn't want them. A gift worth 500,000 yuan at once—she couldn't accept it!
Yang Jiangyu smiled at Lu Chen.
Lu Chen laughed and put his arm around Liu Li's slender waist: "Sister Li, just accept it! It's not a gift from Miss Yang, but an apology from Boss Zhu. His words were so harsh, it's normal for him to apologize. Just accept it! Otherwise, Boss Zhu, feeling guilty, will feel bad!"
He then looked at Zhu Nengzhang: "Right, Boss Zhu?"
Zhu Nengzhang could certainly deny it!
In the end, Liu Li accepted it. The manager of the pearl shop personally packed it for her, using only the finest packaging materials.
After Zhu Nengzhang left with his tail between his legs, Yang Jiangyu looked at Liu Li and said politely: "Miss Liu, I have a favor to ask. May I borrow your boyfriend for a moment? It'll be quick; I want to talk to him about something rather private. Don't worry, he'll be back soon. You can sit here for about thirty minutes."
Lu Chen was taken aback. Wow, she asked Sister Li instead of me! She's quite good at handling people!
Liu Li had recovered from the shock of receiving a gift worth 500,000 yuan. She looked at Lu Chen and said, "Miss Yang, you can just ask Chen. I agree to his decision. If he agrees, I'll wait here."
Lu Chen didn't want to agree at first, but Liu Li had just accepted a 500,000 yuan pearl jewelry gift; it would be too unreasonable for him to refuse such a small request.
Suddenly, Lu Chen realized that Yang Jiangyu was indeed shrewd!
He agreed anyway and temporarily said goodbye to Liu Li.
So, Liu Li sat in the shop drinking tea, and Lu Chen followed her through the back door.
After entering through the back door, they took the elevator, which was actually going downwards—and it went down fifty floors!
This basement is incredibly deep!
At 3.5 meters per floor, ten floors would be 35 meters, and fifty floors would be 175 meters!
Damn, is this some kind of underground exploration? Lu Chen was inwardly amazed.
This place, located in the basement of the Sea Time Pearl Shop, should strictly speaking be considered a basement hall.
It was a large space, about two hundred square meters, simply furnished, with a round red sofa in the center, spacious enough to be a single bed, and very elegantly styled.
Apart from that, the walls and ceiling were completely dark, appearing to be glass walls, but nothing could be seen on the other side. This place was truly eerie.
Just as Lu Chen was pondering this, he saw Yang Jiangyu cheerfully kick off her shoes, her bare white feet leaping onto the sofa, and then languidly sprawling out on it.
She leaned against the sofa, reclining on her side facing Lu Chen, one hand supporting her cheek, then patted the empty seat in front of her with the other, smiling brightly at him, "Mr. Lu, come and sit down."
Looking at her sexy and alluring appearance, and the two long, slender, fair legs peeking out from under her skirt, Lu Chen felt even more uneasy. He thought, "Damn it, I absolutely can't be tempted! Although this beauty is more stunning than 90% of the girls I've dated before, she exudes a dangerous aura. I must control myself!"
So, he smiled calmly, sat cross-legged on the floor, and said, "I'll just sit here, it's quite comfortable. This thick carpet is like a Simmons mattress!"
The carpet on the floor was a very high-quality velvet carpet, and it was indeed very comfortable.
Yang Jiangyu appeared slightly disappointed, but she immediately giggled and nodded, saying, "Not bad, Mr. Lu. Judging from your posture, you're indeed a trained martial artist! Your single-leg cross-legged stance is very authentic; you must come from a prestigious family, right? A young master from a prestigious family, yet he's just a humble pastry chef—what a waste of talent!"
These words immediately startled Lu Chen.
Damn it, this woman can actually discern my background from my posture?
It seems she's not just a simple martial arts practitioner.
Martial arts practitioners use many postures for internal energy cultivation and regulation, including sitting, standing, squatting, lying down, and walking postures, and these postures are further subdivided. For example, among the most widely used sitting postures, one of the most widely used branches is the cross-legged posture. Martial arts practitioners generally adopt the cross-legged posture.
The cross-legged posture is basically divided into three categories: loose cross-legged, single cross-legged, and double cross-legged. The lotus position is simply crossing your legs casually, as long as your posture is upright; the half-lotus position involves placing one foot on your thigh, and the double lotus position involves placing both feet on your thigh.
The double lotus position is the most difficult.
The half-lotus position is the most widely used, with subtle distinctions made by different martial arts schools and families regarding its requirements, from posture and leg position to even hand gestures.
Lu Chen comes from one of the four major martial arts families in Jiaying Prefecture, a renowned martial arts center in Lingnan. His practiced single lotus position is naturally exceptional.
Therefore, Yang Jiangyu immediately recognized his extraordinary background.
Damn it! Pang Bei saw through him first, and now Yang Jiangyu has seen through him too. Although they don't know his true background yet, what if they find out later and attract Wan Qian…? What will happen then?
Lu Chen dared not think any further. He chuckled and waved his hand, saying, "What nonsense about being a young master from a prestigious family! Right? I do have some background in a martial arts family, but that family has long since declined, and I'm just a distant, marginal branch. Let's not dwell on it!"
Yang Jiangyu smiled faintly, not revealing her thoughts. She clapped her hands lightly, and soon, soft music drifted out. Combined with the tranquil environment, it instantly made one feel refreshed and incredibly comfortable.
"Pretty sophisticated, huh?" Lu Chen quickly recognized the music as Richard Clayderman's "Starry Night."
Then, the surroundings and the ceiling suddenly lit up, emitting soft, pale blue light.
Lu Chen was stunned. Although he came from a prominent family, he had never seen such a beautiful scene in a place like this. The room, both around the walls and the ceiling, was filled with vast expanses of seawater. The crystal-clear, pale blue water teemed with coral reefs, schools of various fish, and countless colorful shellfish.
Looking around, there were Pinctada martensii, scalloped mussels, and many others that Lu Chen couldn't name. Regardless, they were all clearly pearl-producing shellfish.
These shellfish ranged in size from as large as Lu Chen's fist to larger than his head. Thousands upon thousands lay scattered on the seabed, some tightly closed, others open, some even slowly moving.
Within the open shells, dazzling pearls shone, their colors varied: some as black as the night sky, some a brilliant red like wine, some shimmering with a pale golden light…
Surrounded by the sea, and above him, the sea itself made this underground hall feel like the depths of the ocean. Although this city is a coastal city, this street is more than ten kilometers away from the sea! To be able to build such a sea within the city is truly an extraordinary feat; it can only be described as a miracle.