Chapter 14: Is Crown Getting Into Securities?

"What is it?"

After Lu Chen returned to the room with Wang Jingli, he tossed him a Cigar.

He sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, slowly toasted the Cigar, and looked at him with some confusion.

Logically speaking, Wang Jingli shouldn't have appeared at the hotel at this time.

At this hour... either he had been waiting for a long time...

Or Crown was monitoring him...

No matter which it was, it wasn't a good thing for Lu Chen.

"Mr. Lu, you are Crown's most important client, so of course I came specifically to deliver 'The Yearning for the Fields' to you."

After Wang Jingli closed the door, he sat on the sofa opposite Lu Chen with a hypocritical fake smile on his face.

A flash of keen light crossed his eyes; he casually took a Cigar from the Cigar box and slowly toasted it.

He clearly wasn't just here to drop something off and leave.

It seemed there was something going on.

Lu Chen smiled and toasted his own Cigar, having no intention of asking.

He simply took a stack of Hong Kong dollars out of his portable space, placed it on the coffee table, and tapped it lightly.

"This..."

A trace of hesitation appeared on Wang Jingli's face, and a bit of struggle flashed in his eyes.

After a long while, he still didn't reach out to take it, though his hand holding the Cigar trembled slightly and his breathing grew heavier.

He seemed to have something to say but was holding back.

It seemed... there really was something going on!

And something big!

Otherwise, how could the ever-avaricious Wang Jingli see Hong Kong dollars and not make a move?

After all, he had already made his intentions so obvious just now.

Lu Chen silently took out another stack of Hong Kong dollars, placed it on top of the previous one, tapped it again, and pushed it forward slightly.

"Mr.... Lu, this isn't right..."

The struggle in Wang Jingli's eyes became more apparent, and even his breathing became slightly rapid.

However, he still didn't reach out.

It wasn't until he took a puff of the Cigar that he recovered.

"This money isn't enough to buy the intelligence I have this time; it is very important and concerns you."

"Oh? Then what do you want?"

Lu Chen took a puff of his Cigar, leaned back on the sofa, changed the position of his crossed legs, and a hint of amusement flashed in his eyes.

It seems Crown is making some big moves this time!

Wang Jingli smoked his Cigar in silence, the struggle in his eyes becoming even more evident.

After a long silence, he finally looked up and said hoarsely.

"I want a promise from you, plus one million pounds."

A flash of determination crossed his eyes, and his tone was filled with an unwavering finality.

Even his body tensed up subconsciously.

"What kind of promise do you want? One million pounds is no problem, but..."

A flash of gravity crossed Lu Chen's eyes; it seemed Crown might have identified that the Moissanite wasn't a natural diamond.

Otherwise...

Wang Jingli wouldn't be acting like this.

But... that's not right!

If they really had identified it, would my sinking ship be worth Wang Jingli boarding?

Lu Chen really couldn't figure it out for a moment.

Right now, his only leverage against Crown was the Moissanite; there was nothing else...

What is Wang Jingli up to?

"If the intelligence isn't worth it, please head out and turn left."

Wang Jingli fell silent at once, smoked his Cigar in silence for a while, and only after a good while did he loosen his tie.

He stood up, poured a glass of whiskey from the liquor cabinet nearby, and downed it in one gulp.

Returning to the sofa, he ignored all etiquette, crossed his legs, took a heavy puff of his Cigar, and coughed twice.

"They're crazy! They've all gone crazy!"

"Director Wei Er received a test report from Wudu Shiyanshi yesterday, but it was sealed; I saw a corner of it..."

A flash of sharpness crossed Lu Chen's eyes, and his heart sank instantly.

That shouldn't be...

Logically speaking, it's only the 50th year now!

Testing technology for Moissanite wouldn't be possible until at least the 53rd year...

But that lab report... what was going on with that?

A cold sneer appeared at the corner of Lu Chen's mouth; could Wang Jingli be playing him?

"Then what did you see? That made you think of coming to me?"

Lu Chen relaxed his whole body and took a light puff of his Cigar, though his toes were still trembling slightly.

No matter what Wang Jingli said, it seemed he was just listening to a story.

"I just want to save my life..."

Wang Jingli gave a bitter smile, lowered his head to smoke, and continued in a hoarse voice.

"The truth of that report doesn't matter; what they want is securitization. When the bubble bursts, that is when I die..."

"Don't ask anymore, Director Wei Er will probably schedule a meeting with you tomorrow."

"Oh? Is Director Wei Er so certain that I will definitely agree to the Crown's conditions?"

The corners of Lu Chen's mouth curled up slightly, and even the slight trembling of his toes stopped for a moment.

He only frowned slightly, and then a smile appeared on his face.

A flash of astonishment crossed Wang Jingli's eyes, and he took two more puffs of his Cigar.

"I'm not clear on that, but there is nothing Director Wei Er cannot accomplish. The last person... who refused him is already feeding the sharks in the ocean..."

"Your words are not worth 1 million pounds."

Lu Chen smiled and did not comment on Wei Er's methods.

He only squeezed the Cigar until it was slightly deformed.

"It's worth it, absolutely worth it! Miss Luosha! She participated too!"

Wang Jingli's body trembled slightly, as if he had been frightened.

"Director Wei Er went to visit Miss Luosha's Zhuangyuan this afternoon, carrying a wax-sealed document bag, and when he came out, he said the securitization matter was settled..."

"When he returned to the bank, Appraiser Laimu had also returned from the Daozhufu..."

"He told me that all subsequent documents must pass through my hands..."

Wang Jingli covered his face completely, his body trembling slightly...

"I don't know the specific contents, but I know... I'm dead for sure..."

"One million pounds, it's yours. Go get a new identity, return to Wei Er's side, and do whatever he says."

Lu Chen forcefully stubbed out the Cigar and took a check from Wei Er's compensation out of his portable space.

He placed it on the coffee table and pushed it gently toward Wang Jingli, but did not let go.

"You cannot let Wei Er detect a single trace of abnormality, do you understand?"

"I understand, I am the Crown's most loyal and most greedy Manager Wang."

A flash of wild joy crossed Wang Jingli's eyes; he wiped his face and said solemnly.

"Very good, stay alive and wait for my news. By the way, prepare 2 million Hong Kong dollars for me at the Crown tomorrow."

Lu Chen released his fingers with satisfaction and gave the instruction in a soft voice.

"Understood, it can be allocated between ten and eleven o'clock tomorrow morning; you can come to collect it at any time."

Wang Jingli carefully put the check away and spoke directly.

Lu Chen nodded slightly, and Wang Jingli did not say anything else.

Instead, he got up to tidy himself in the bathroom before leaving, but when he closed the door, something seemed to flash in his eyes.

Lu Chen did not pay it any mind and sat on the sofa, lost in thought.

It was only after a long while that he returned to his portable space, stared at the wooden box for a while, and after unconsciously fiddling with the Small Box for a bit, he went to sleep!

No matter what the Crown wants to do, only by resting well will he have the energy to deal with it.