Chapter 57

Ling Yue: "..."

Except for her and Ye Xiu Lan, almost everyone was shocked; Ye Yilin hurried over, and before she even reached him, she shouted: "Grandfather, are you still alive?"

Old Master Ye gave a light cough, hadn't had time to speak, when a golden blur rushed at him: "Woof woof woof!"

It's a genuine dog bark; what else could it be if not Treasure?

"Woo woo woo, master, hurry up and praise Treasure— is Treasure especially great?"

Old Master Ye looked at Treasure, couldn't understand its words, but could sense the dog's emotion from its tone: "Is Treasure asking the master to praise it?"

He scooped up the dog: "Hey, Treasure is awesome!"

Ye Third Uncle stared in shock at the resurrected person and dog—I'm still here, and you dare to ignore me so blatantly?

Immediately, he came to his senses: "You lied to me!"

Ye Xiu Lan: "I'm not lying to you—how would I know the mastermind is you?"

What a shocking reversal! Ye Second Uncle watched his own lively old master, laughing until he cried, then with a thud knelt on the ground, fearing this matter would involve him, hurriedly saying: "Father! Father, I didn't participate in this matter; I'm innocent!"

Ye old master gazed at him, his eyes deep: "I know you didn't participate, but do you dare say you bear no resentment toward me?"

"Second Uncle, Third Uncle, have you forgotten what happened before? I gave you shares and dividends for your own good; if the Ye clan were to fall into your hands, I guarantee it would definitely go bankrupt within five years!"

"By then, would you even dig my old bones out of the grave?"

These sincere words brought Ye Second Uncle to tears streaming down his face; he regretted pounding the ground, wishing he could kick his former self to death.

Only Ye Third Uncle said: "Winner takes all, loser is just a bandit—you speak so righteously, but isn't it just because you favor that grandson, wanting to give him the best? We are not your sons at all!"

Ye old master hugged the golden retriever, his fingers trembling with anger, panting continuously: "You're talking nonsense!"

"Grandfather." Ye Xiu Lan produced a quick-acting heart pill; Ye old master swallowed it outright, then turned to the two unfilial sons: "Do you realize, this CEO position is something I begged Ye Xiu Lan to take!"

"He has such talent; if he could succeed in anything else, why would he cling to this old man's bit of family business? While you lot stare at that little thing, he's already set his sights on the whole world—it's this old man who begged him to soar the Ye clan to new heights!"

"If you just honestly rely on your shares and dividends, isn't that better than anything?"

"Third Uncle, I thought you were silent and reserved—who knew you harbored evil intentions? You dare scheme against your own father; what can't you do? People like you are just stupid and toxic—do you think having the Ye clan means you have everything? How could I have produced such a stupid and toxic thing as you?"

He said this while sighing to the heavens; after venting, he felt relieved: "Second Uncle still has some hope—I'll take back your shares, but you keep your dividends; as for Third Uncle, our father-son bond ends today—I have no son as heartless and cruel as you."

Ye Third Uncle showed no remorse, his resentful glare fixed on him: "You're just biased; sometimes I suspect we aren't your sons—Ye Xiu Lan is your son!"

"Nonsense!" Ye Yi Lin got angry: "What nonsense are you spouting?"

Ye old master was even more startled, realizing he was indeed serious; a wave of dizziness overwhelmed him, and he collapsed onto the dog: "Xiu Lan, quickly drive him out for me—good heavens, what sin have I committed!"

Isn't he just looking after his grandson and granddaughter, who lost their parents young, keeping them by his side—how did he end up like this?

"Alas, what misfortune has befallen the family!"

Ling Yue stared at the other party, utterly shocked.

"How wonderful it would be to not have to struggle, toiling away at the company, and simply make money by playing at home—yet Ye Third Uncle actually despises it; perhaps only when he is utterly penniless, scrambling for scraps with the beggars under the overpass, will he realize what he has lost."

That evil Daoist who aided the tyrant was also taken down by Ling Yue in a single move; the opponent begged for mercy, and he was actually quite curious—looking like he might know a few moves, but how could his skill be so lacking?

Daoist: "QAQ"

"Grandma, I'm kneeling before you—please don't kill me; I'm willing to turn myself in, I will surely reform!"

Ling Yue only learned after careful questioning that there is an official regulatory department, though it hasn't shown its face in a long time; the Daoist also heard from his seniors during his wanderings in the martial world—his fraudulent travels.

Ling Yue looked at Ye Xiu Lan, who nodded at her: "Leave it to me."

Ling Yue's mind was in a tangle; for now she had no plan to meet the other party, but given her current reputation, they might have already noticed her—so why haven't they come to find her?

Ling Yue didn't know, and she stopped thinking about it.

Ye Xiu Lan neatly handled everything; after all arrangements were settled solidly, he prepared to go to the company in the afternoon.

Ye Yi Lin, staying at home, linked arms with Ling Yue's hand. 52gGd., and couldn't help but complain: "My brother is like this—truly like a robot, working as an assassin, his mind filled only with line after line of code."

Ling Yue, upon thinking, couldn't help but laugh out loud.

That metaphor is way too vivid!

"Miss Ling."

Ling Yue turned her head, meeting the man's gaze; for some reason she kept feeling waves of guilt, and then looking aside, Ye Yi Lin pattered up the stairs: "Brother, Sister Ling Yue, I'm going upstairs to check on grandfather!"

Ling Yue was momentarily speechless.

There's no need to be so hasty.

Ling Yue faced the other party openly and frankly, when suddenly she heard Ye Xiu Lan's voice: "Are you leaving?"

Ling Yue nodded: "I've watched the drama… cough cough, everything's settled, I should head back."

Ye Xiu Lan walked over slowly: "I feel like you've forgotten something."

Ling Yue felt a pang of embarrassment—what could she have forgotten? Just then Ye Xiu Lan stepped close, pulling out a card from his pocket: "The card holds sixty million; the password is the first six digits of your birthday—this is the consulting fee for this time, you forgot?"

Ling Yue: "!!!"

In that instant, she swore she saw her own shocked expression in the man's eyes, her eyes widening with a sudden whoosh—sixty million, the consulting fee!

Ling Yue no longer felt that talking to him was a waste of time; she took the card, couldn't help patting his shoulder: "Mr. Ye, if anything like this comes up again, remember to call me—I'll give you a ten percent discount!"

Ye Xiu Lan gazed at her steadily for a moment, then suddenly curled the corner of his mouth: "Good."

Ling Yue turned and immediately covered her face, wondering if she had some kind of speech disorder—why does every time she speaks… end up so embarrassing?

Ling Yue covered her face (/? ＼*).

She carefully put the card into her bag, happily curved her eyes, hopped and skipped along the stone path in front of the manor, unaware that a pair of eyes behind her softly watched her.

In the room, Ye Yilin slapped her head, caught sight of her grandfather's affectionate gaze toward the little fool, and fell silent instantly.

Ye grandfather: "What's wrong?"

Ye Yilin: "... I forgot to tell Sister Yue something; I'll go out and check, has she left?"

Ye Yilin hurriedly chased downstairs, only saw her brother's lonely back; the feeling of affection hadn't arisen for a few seconds before he caught her red-handed: "Are you going to work this afternoon?"

Slap!

What broke?

Oh, that's the love I just sprouted; don't sympathize with capitalists! No humanity!

She gritted her teeth in hatred and said to her brother: "Brother, I think your tough-as-nails look means staying single for a hundred years wouldn't be a problem!"

Ye Xulan's eyes flickered slightly: "Dating will only slow down my money-making speed."

Ye Yilin stared at him in shock: "You're a devil, right?!"

In front of the capital zoo, a dust‑weary middle‑aged man, carrying a brightly checkered woven bag, lifted his head slightly; upon seeing the sign, his tightly wound nerves finally relaxed a bit.

He approached the guard: "Hello, may I ask if Ling Yue is here?"

Ling Yue?!

The guard immediately widened his eyes: "You're looking for our zoo director? What's your name?"

Jiang Zhengping was taken aback; the zoo director, looking around, saw that a huge tract of land belonged entirely to the other party—how wealthy must one be? He said earnestly: "My surname is Jiang, Jiang Zhengping, she invited me——"

All right, I understand.

Jiang Zhengping looked at him with a face full of question marks; the guard had already dialed a number, and from behind the small pavilion he only caught a few muffled words. Soon a uniformed round‑faced girl came out and warmly greeted him.

At the same time, Ling Yue received a call from Yuan Yuan, changed lanes, and headed for the zoo.

Everything couldn't be going more smoothly!

She saw the dust‑weary Jiang Zhengping, glanced at him, and immediately knew his strength was formidable.

Jiang Zhengping still felt a bit shy, the kind of inferiority that arises when someone from a small city sees all the newfangled things in a big city: "I am Jiang Zhengping."

He had only a few dry sentences for self‑introduction; as soon as he finished, his stomach growled, and Ling Yue said: "You haven't eaten yet?"

She summoned Xiao Liu, who led the person to wash up and, incidentally, enjoy a big meal.

After everything was arranged, Jiang Zhengping lay in the zoo's single‑occupancy dormitory: soft bedding, clean room, and supporting facilities—computer, TV, night light, various daily necessities—so refined his eyes grew sore.

Jiang Zhengping dared say that even in a martial arts hall he had never been this comfortable; after all, it was just a bunch of old gentlemen—not sloppy, but not refined either, at most decent enough to look at.

Recalling today's experience, he couldn't help but get up, practice a set of moves in his pajamas in the dormitory until he fell asleep, his heart full of anticipation.

Next door, Xiao Liu tossed and turned all night; the next day, while feeding the animals, he ended up with two dark circles under his eyes, unable to figure it out and unwilling to accept it.

The next day, the birds outside the window were about to sing when the tightly shut window was suddenly pushed open with a bang, startling the birds into flapping their wings and flying away.

At six in the morning, Jiang Zhengping got up dressed properly; his internal clock from years of martial arts training was already ingrained in his bones.

He first found an open space to practice his lessons; each move and stance exuded vigorous vigor.

Coincidentally, right ahead was the panda enclosure where Tuan Tuan stayed; early in the morning, hearing the commotion, the panda crawled out of its room, biting a tender bamboo shoot and waddling over to see who it was, disturbing the bear's sweet dream!

Upon seeing Jiang Zhengping, Tuan Tuan's eyes shone brightly, and through the glass it made endearing noises.

It recognized him: "Master Jiang!" The demon king had said he would invite a super‑awesome master for it!

Too far away, the panda Tuan Tuan pressed against the glass, its cute round face nearly flattened, struggling to wiggle its rear: "Honk honk honk, Master Jiang, look at me! Look at Tuan Tuan!"

The overly intense gaze made Jiang Zhengping's motion falter, as if he truly felt it; he turned his head, leaned his upper body back, yet his stance remained rock solid: "What is this?"

Unable to hold itself up, the panda Tuan Tuan fell to the ground, its chubby little body wobbling, its pair of heavily darkened eyes staring fixedly at the humans.

The natural, high‑class black‑and‑white coloration instantly won over Jiang Zhengping's heart; excited, he recognized it and took a couple of steps to Tuan Tuan: "This is… a giant panda!"

"There's actually a giant panda in the zoo? A national treasure!"

As a Chinese person, who doesn't like giant pandas, who doesn't love the national treasure? Jiang Zhengping is no exception, but his city's zoo has no pandas; to see one he must travel far to the neighboring provincial capital.

The moment he saw the panda Tuan Tuan, Master Jiang was captivated by its natural beauty—it was truly gorgeous.

"Fluffy and soft, really cute."

Tuan Tuan's semicircular ears twitched; Master praised its cuteness! Aiming to become a kung‑fu panda, Tuan Tuan immediately decided to put on a performance for Master.

"Honk~"

It lifted its upper body, clenched its paws into fists, swung, then stumbled, and the chubby black‑white lump plopped into a seated‑on‑its‑rear pose.

At the instant it sat down, the panda Tuan Tuan hadn't yet reacted, blinking in confusion as it lifted its round face; upon seeing the master it admired, it burst out laughing.

Jiang Zhengping laughed and couldn't help but exclaim: "Good heavens, is this what big‑city pandas are like? So talented—even its seated‑on‑rear pose is perfectly round!"

Tuan Tuan: _

"Bad master, no body‑slamming attacks!"

When Ling Yue arrived, Jiang Zhengping was doing a palm‑press with Tuan Tuan through the glass—one person, one bear actually assuming a horse stance and clapping palms—and seeing this, Ling Yue's anxious heart suddenly steadied.

"Master Jiang."

Ling Yue went straight to the point, giving a detailed rundown of Tuan Tuan's situation and enthusiastically praising its eagerness to learn martial arts; the only one hearing these words, Jiang Zhengping, blinked bewilderedly, lifted his head, and gazed at the sky.

"Director Ling, what… did you just say?"

Ling Yue: "From now on, your student will be it—the panda Tuan Tuan."

Master Jiang: "!!!"

He looked repeatedly at the giant panda, making sure he hadn't misheard, and his hairs stood on end: "You want me to teach a giant panda martial arts?!"

Ling Yue nodded and said only one sentence: "A monthly salary of 100,000, with food and lodging provided."

Jiang Zhengping: "⊙﹏⊙"

"I'll teach!" he said, wiping his face, unable to describe his feelings, and he didn't notice Ling Yue's worried expression.

Ling Yue thought: "Tuan Tuan is actually quite sharp—it gets things instantly."

The more Jiang Zhengping listened, the more baffled he felt, wondering if this was all just a bunch of nonsense.

Ling Yue thought and gave him an idea: "You can livestream while teaching Tuan Tuan."

Seeing his doubtful expression, Ling Yue laughed: "When I was choosing a teacher for Tuan Tuan earlier, I had been following you; I know your situation—it's not that you lack ability, but that your teaching approach isn't quite right."

She almost broke it down piece by piece to explain: "You're facing netizens—ordinary people with zero martial‑arts background—and because other countries have been hogging the limelight with karate and taekwondo these past years, few now understand our Chinese martial arts."

Jiang Zhengping's eyes widened wide; he wasn't stupid, so he naturally understood Ling Yue's meaning: "I get it!"

Ling Yue nodded: "Teaching netizens and teaching a panda are really no different—you have to explain things slowly, pick fun topics; you say karate and taekwondo have quick‑learn moves, so doesn't our Chinese martial arts have any quick‑learn techniques?"

Jiang Zhengping: "Of course there is!"

Originally he had been laboring under a misconception; feeling grateful, he bowed to Ling Yue: "In martial arts you might not be as good as me, but in livestreaming you are absolutely master‑level! Thank you, I now know how to livestream from now on."

He boldly said: "I'm going to livestream pandas learning martial arts!"

Ling Yue doesn't mind helping him: "My tiger‑whale livestream already has an account; I'm about to go live, and then I'll drive traffic for you."

Jiang Zhengping nodded, thinking it should be the zoo's official account; having a few hundred thousand would already satisfy him, until he saw Ling Yue's computer homepage, the backend showing the character count.

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands… billions!

He couldn't even breathe, like a rigid statue, staring blankly as Ling Yue opened the livestream room.

Just as the broadcast started, a flood of donation comments inundated the entire livestream page, characters stacked, lines pressed together, pink, red, green, yellow all mixed together.

He knew that with tiger‑whale livestream, such colored fonts only appear after donation‑enabled livestreams. So these must be fans who have donated to her?

Ling Yue skillfully turned off the donation feature.

In a daze, Jiang Zhengping heard Ling Yue's voice: "I'm about to start the livestream, Master Jiang you can watch on your phone; the livestream room is called Pet Consultation Livestream."

After saying that, Ling Yue focused her gaze on the screen.