Chapter 875: That Could Really Spoil Everything

Mei Er's face went pale in an instant; she rushed forward in two steps, grabbed his sleeve, and her voice changed with urgency: "Boss Xiao, don't be impatient!"

Xiao Ningyuan stopped, turned his head to glance at him, then looked at the sleeve being pulled.

Mei Er quickly released her grip, her eyes bulging: "I didn't mean that! Absolutely not! Your goods are all treasures, the price is right! Very right!"

Xiao Ningyuan showed puzzlement: "Then why have you been negotiating for so long?"

Mei Er looped her arm around his, pulled him back to the sofa, personally lifted a wine bottle, poured half a glass of red wine, held it up with both hands before him, her face beaming: "Boss Xiao, don't rush, sit and have a drink first."

Xiao Ningyuan adopted a helpless expression, took the glass, tapped his lips, set it down, and idly began to fidget with his folding fan.

Mei Er finally breathed a sigh of relief and sat back beside Kui Yi.

The two resumed their conversation in He Lan language.

"Governor, this money‑making chance is once in a thousand years; we can't hesitate any longer."

"The goods are indeed more plentiful, but we still can't let them slip away."

"Our three‑year term on Taiyuan Island is ending soon; if he comes back to trade, this juicy piece will belong to the next incumbent."

Kui Yi nodded: "That's a good point. He has goods; we can work with anyone."

Mei Er's eyes spun rapidly: "So today, whatever conditions he proposes, we must find a way to accept."

Kui Yi straightened his collar and sat upright: "Fine, you go negotiate with him."

Mei Er looked at Xiao Ningyuan and said seriously: "Boss Xiao, the Governor says this deal is huge; verbal promises aren't enough, we must sign an official contract."

Xiao Ningyuan nodded: "Of course. A deal this big must have a contract. I'll draft one and deliver it to you both tomorrow for review."

"No, no, no," Mei Er waved her hand quickly, "Boss Xiao, you've misunderstood; we'll write the contract ourselves."

Xiao Ningyuan leaned back against the sofa's headrest, tapped his fan twice in his palm: "What, Mr. Mei Er, do you distrust me? Fear I'll slip something into the contract?"

Mei Er hurriedly replied: "Of course not! Boss Xiao, please don't take this the wrong way. You're a Jingcheng magnate; handling such a large trade proves your integrity, why would I doubt you?"

He leaned forward, his tone exceedingly sincere: "It's just that we're both He Lan people; this contract naturally needs to be written in two scripts."

"Boss Xiao, you don't speak He Lan language, but Cai Tong is bilingual; it's appropriate that we draft the contract."

"When he finishes, you can review it yourself, and if anything is amiss, just tell us."

Xiao Ningyuan pondered briefly, then nodded: "That makes sense; we'll go with what Mr. Mei Er says."

Mei Er exhaled a long breath.

Xiao Ningyuan asked: "How long will it take to draft?"

Mei Er thought, then held up three fingers: "Three days. After three days, please return to the Governor's office, and we'll sign face‑to‑face."

Xiao Ningyuan nodded, closed his fan, and stood: "Very well, three days then."

"But there's one thing we must clarify first: my business rule is that the down payment must be at least thirty percent."

"On the day the contract is signed—that is, when the down payment is delivered—you must have it ready."

Upon hearing this, Mei Er hurriedly translated it for Kui Yi.

The two resumed speaking in He Lan language.

Kui Yi asked: "Thirty percent down payment? How much is that?"

Mei Er picked up the plain paper on the table, ran his fingers line by line over the numbers, his lips moving rapidly as he calculated silently.

He set the paper down: "Governor, a thirty percent down payment requires at least nine million taels."

Kui Yi furrowed his brows: "Nine million taels? Do we have that much liquid silver?"

Mei Er shook his head: "Not enough. Right now we can only muster six million taels, which is twenty percent."

Kui Yi stared at the paper: "Tell him we'll only pay twenty percent down. You must negotiate that!"

Mei Er clenched his teeth, lifted his head, deliberated for a while, and said: "Boss Xiao, about this down payment, I'd like to discuss it with you."

Xiao Ningyuan paused, his fan‑hand trembling slightly: "Discuss what?"

Mei Er swallowed, mustered courage: "Thirty percent is really too much; could we perhaps pay only twenty percent first?"

Xiao Ningyuan's expression gradually darkened.

At the same time, in the second‑floor council hall.

Xiao Er placed Tuan Tuan on the floor, turned around, and closed the door.

The room was dark, but the curtains were left open; moonlight made the mask on the table by the window clearly visible.

Tuan Tuan ran to the table, one little hand gripping the table edge, the other clutching a small round bun.

She widened her eyes at the mask: "Wow! So ugly!"

Xiao Er walked to her side, crouched down to examine it, and whispered: "Miss is right, it's indeed ugly."

Tuan Tuan asked: "Uncle Xiao Er, this is the one we need to take, right?"

"That uncle who doesn't wear clothes—once he has this, he won't kill Lu Lu anymore?"

"The uncle who doesn't wear clothes?"

Xiao Er thought of Ma Li An's appearance and couldn't help laughing: "Exactly, miss."

Tuan Tuan stretched out a little hand and reached over.

"Don't move!" Xiao Er hurriedly grabbed her hand: "There are bells behind! They ring at the slightest touch!"

He lifted Tuan Tuan, circled to the side of the table, crouched, and pointed to behind the mask.

Tuan Tuan looked in the direction his finger indicated.

The mask hung on a small wooden rack; behind the rack, dozens of thin strings were tightly tied, each ending with a tiny copper bell that glimmered with a faint cold light in the moonlight.

"These red‑haired goblins are pretty clever," Tuan Tuan tilted her little head, "They even hung so many bells."

Xiao Er whispered: "Because of these bells, the person who came to take the mask lost his life last time."

Tuan Tuan frowned, lowered her head, untied the little Embroidered pouch at her waist, pulled out a small clump of cotton, clenched it in her palm, and whispered: "All the little bells, you must obey, don't move!"

After speaking, she released her little hand, and the cotton ball fell to the ground.

A faint glimmer flashed, and the cotton Tuan Tuan vanished instantly.

In the next moment, dozens of bronze bells trembled slightly together, then froze in mid‑air.

Xiao Er placed Tuan Tuan on the ground, extended a finger and gently nudged the nearest bell.

The bell did not move a hair, not even a wobble, as if an invisible hand had seized it, preventing any sound from issuing.

"Miss, you're amazing!" they praised, then carefully lifted the mask from the wooden rack, stood up, and slipped it into their bosom.

On the case only an empty little wooden rack remained, standing lonely in the moonlight.

Xiao Er furrowed their brows: "Miss, it can't be empty here."

"If tomorrow they can't see the mask and can even guess with their toes that we took it, that would be a serious disaster."