lerbook Chapter 571 - 559: The World is Treacherous!
Chapter 571 - 559: The World is Treacherous!
"I developed Spirit Water No. 1 and Spirit Fruit No. 1," he began. "Yes, the very ones I was just discussing with Chang Yuanyi. Spirit Water No. 1 can directly improve a person’s health. Long-term use can eliminate various ailments and chronic diseases, extend one’s life, and even prevent aging. I priced them at 10,000 yuan a bottle and 10,000 yuan per half-kilogram, targeting the elites of Huaxia.
"Under the current scarcity marketing, the price has been driven up to 100,000 yuan a bottle on the black market. Over the past few months, by supplying Spirit Water No. 1 and Spirit Fruit No. 1 directly to the Forbidden City at full price, I’ve generated tens of billions in revenue.
"Furthermore, besides me, no one else can develop Spirit Water No. 1. Not in Huaxia, not anywhere in the world. It’s an absolute monopoly. All these accomplishments send a clear message: as long as I don’t do anything crazy, like committing treason, the state won’t touch me.
"So, this has become my death-exemption medallion, an imperial sword granting me authority. Chang Yuanyi investigated my background; he understands what the name ’Qin Fan’ signifies. Back then, he was even fantasizing about becoming the agent for Spirit Water No. 1 in East China. In that situation, you can imagine what I represent to him. He respects me, fears me, and desperately needs me. Conveniently, I needed someone in Jinling to solve my problems, so I gave him a chance.
"He’s very astute and knows how to conduct himself, which is why he earned the reward I just gave him: the agency for the entire region south of the Yangtze River. That’s a position countless people can only dream of, one they’d consider completely unrealistic.
"One last thing: my status. Yes, I may be young, but in the top elite circles of Jinling, everyone knows not to mess with this young man. That’s why they respectfully call me Master Qin. But none of that is important. My status is meaningless to you. All you need to remember is that you, Jiang Yino, are my woman, and that I, Qin Fan, will risk my life to protect you. That’s enough."
Despite saying so much, Qin Fan still glossed over many details. He omitted the truth of his rebirth and time on the Cangqiong Continent, replacing it with a vague story about enduring hardship for over a decade. He also didn’t mention the many things that happened after his encounter with Chang Yuanyi. It wasn’t that he wanted to hide anything, but there was simply no need to say more. What Jiang Yino now knew was enough; revealing anything else would only add another fleeting moment of shock.
She stopped walking again.
Jiang Yino stared at the handsome, still slightly boyish face before her, utterly dumbstruck.
If these words hadn’t been spoken in Qin Fan’s earnest, solemn tone, and if I hadn’t just witnessed what happened, I would have dismissed it all as an unbelievable fairy tale. How could a young man, not even twenty, possibly achieve all this? But now, I believe him. I believe that the person beside me is an unprecedented, heaven-defying prodigy.
Elder Ye Congjun, the relevant national departments, Spirit Water No. 1, its incredible effects, a direct supply line to the Forbidden City, tens of billions in revenue in just a few months, and the background and status of Chang Yuanyi—all of these were people and matters so far beyond her reach that it was no wonder she was frozen in stunned disbelief.
GULP. GULP.
After staring at Qin Fan for a full minute, she suddenly seemed to remember something. Her pretty face trembled, and she stammered, "Qin Fan, is Xu Jiayi’s disappearance... related to you? There’s no way she could get such a long leave of absence, and all her contact methods have gone dead!"
"It is," Qin Fan admitted without hesitation. Before she could ask more, he continued, "That time you passed out at Candy KTV, you weren’t just drunk. Xu Jiayi drugged you. She had conspired with Du Tiancong. She was responsible for drugging you so that Du Tiancong could take you away after you lost consciousness. Fortunately, I had arranged for someone to protect you in secret, so their scheme failed."
Hearing the truth, Jiang Yino’s face turned deathly pale. Her delicate body trembled with retrospective horror. She could never have imagined such a plot. All this time, they had blamed it on counterfeit alcohol and had never once suspected a conspiracy. But then again, how could a naive girl who had just stepped into the ivory tower of university even conceive of such a vicious scheme? Everyone understands the phrase "the world is a dangerous place," but how many can truly see through its dangers?
He didn’t try to soothe Jiang Yino’s emotional turmoil. As my woman, she has to learn to accept and face many things. Both now and in the future, my identity ensures that our life will not be one of simple peace and harmony. Compared to what might happen down the line, what does Xu Jiayi’s pathetic little plot even amount to?
"How could she? How could she do that? We’re classmates... we’re roommates! How could she do such a thing?" A girl’s mind is pure. Once she trusts someone, she does so with all her heart. At this moment, Jiang Yino was in exactly that state. She didn’t doubt the truth of Qin Fan’s words. After all, in this unfamiliar city, if she couldn’t even believe in Qin Fan, who was left to believe in?
Muttering to herself, she began to shake her head, her body trembling more violently. She didn’t dare to imagine what would have happened if that nightmare had become a reality. She was familiar with the name Du Tiancong. He had pestered her back in high school. She never thought his obsession would follow her to university and manifest as such a vile and deadly plot behind her back.
Trembling, Jiang Yino asked a question that terrified even herself. "Qin Fan, did you... did you kill Xu Jiayi?"
"I made them disappear from the face of the earth. Both her and Du Tiancong," Qin Fan answered. He deliberately chose a euphemism to soften the blow, but the meaning was terrifyingly clear.
Disappear from the face of the earth? Disappear from the face of the earth!
Jiang Yino wasn’t a fool. She knew exactly what those words implied. Her pale, trembling face was a mask of endless terror—terror at the foiled plot against her, and terror at Qin Fan’s casual declaration.
"Qin Fan, why would you solve things that way? I... I feel like you’re becoming a stranger to me! Qin Fan, which one is the real you? The thoughtful, cheerful, and considerate man I know? Or the unyielding Master Qin who commands the respect of young elites? Or... or the ruthless lord who made Xu Jiayi disappear?" Her voice cracked. "I’m so confused! So confused... I’m just so confused! Why has everything suddenly changed? Why is this happening? Why!"
Clutching her head, Jiang Yino shook it in anguish. She was, after all, still just a girl, not yet twenty years old. When the truth about Qin Fan’s accomplishments, his status, the past conspiracies, and Xu Jiayi’s fate were all laid bare, the girl—still in her innocent, formative years—couldn’t handle the shock of it all.