Chapter 86: What kind of person are you, exactly?

Lin Yue...

Su Mei suppressed the inexplicable irritation in her heart, squeezed out a charming smile on her face, and prepared to try another approach.

But Lin Yue seemed not to see her; he set down his teacup, turned his head to look at Wang Gongtou beside him, and asked seriously:

"Wang Gongtou, you say, for that newly reclaimed land south of the city, is it better to plant corn or potatoes?"

"Ah?"

Wang Gongtou was stunned by his sudden question, then instinctively replied:

"Well... of course potatoes are better! They're drought-resistant, high-yielding, and easy to store!"

"Hmm, that makes sense."

Lin Yue nodded in deep agreement, then turned to look at the bewildered Su Mei, an apologetic smile on his face,

"Miss Su Mei, I'm really sorry, I zoned out. You... where did we leave off?"

"Pfft—"

Su Mei felt like a mouthful of old blood was about to spurt out.

She suppressed the urge to overturn the table and squeezed out a smile uglier than crying:

"I... I said, these young ladies are gifts from our chairman for you..."

"Oh, gifts."

Lin Yue suddenly realized, shifted his tone, pointed at the window, and said admiringly:

"Miss Su Mei, look at today's weather—it's great. Pleasant breeze, bright sun, cloudless skies—perfect for an outing."

Su Mei:...

She felt she was about to die of anger.

After all these years in the profession, what kind of man hasn't she seen?

Greedy, lustful, brutal, hypocritical—

No matter what kind of person the opponent is, she's confident she can grasp their vital point in a few words and toy with them in the palm of her hand.

But she had never met someone like Lin Yue.

Impervious to blandishments, immune to coercion.

If you talk romance with him, he talks farming.

If you try to seduce him with beauty, he earnestly discusses today's weather with you.

This feeling is like punching with all your might, only to hit a wad of cotton—so stifled she wants to vomit blood.

"Lin... Lin Yue..."

Su Mei took a deep breath, decided to stop beating around the bush, and got straight to the point.

"Actually, I came this time not only to present this modest gift, but also to discuss a more important matter privately with you, City Lord."

As she spoke, she swayed two steps toward Lin Yue, her seductive peach-blossom eyes fixed on him, her gaze seemingly speaking of endless charm.

She refused to believe any man could resist her such proactive advance!

As long as they could be alone together, she had a hundred ways to make this young City Lord become her subordinate!

However, Lin Yue seemed not to notice the hint that would make any man's blood surge.

He suddenly slapped his thigh, as if recalling something important, and said ruefully to Wang Gongtou:

"Oh no! Wang Gongtou, look at my memory—I almost forgot the important matter!"

"Our newly built residential blocks are still missing a batch of solar water heaters, aren't they? Hurry up and send people to install them!"

Wang Gongtou, too sharp as ever, seeing Lin Yue's act, immediately knew he was feigning, and likewise put on an "oh, I see" expression, cooperating:

"Oh dear! If you, City Lord, hadn't reminded me, I truly would have forgotten! I'll go arrange people to install them right away!"

Having said that, he bowed to Lin Yue, then pretended to be earnest and hurried out of the reception hall.

For a moment, the spacious reception hall held only Lin Yue, Su Mei, and the ten beautiful women still kneeling on the floor.

"Lin Yue..."

Su Mei's smile could no longer be held.

She looked at this man, who solemnly discussed solar water heaters with his subordinates, and for the first time doubted her own charm.

"Miss Su Mei, I'm truly sorry."

Lin Yue finally turned his gaze back to her, his face bearing a perfectly appropriate apology.

"City affairs are busy; I've neglected my honored guest, and I hope you'll forgive me."

He said this while rising, then walked over to the ten women and looked down at them.

His gaze was calm, even... indifferent.

Such a gaze made those ten already nervous women tremble even more, lowering their heads further.

It also intensified Su Mei's uneasy feeling beside them.

"Qian Laoban's intentions, I have accepted."

Lin Yue spoke slowly, his voice low yet carrying an undeniable authority.

"These young ladies, having come to my Xuanwu City, are now residents of Xuanwu City. From today onward, their past has no relation to the Heavenly God Group."

He paused, then shifted his tone,

"However, Xuanwu City does not support idlers. Whether they can survive here and thrive depends not on their looks or figures, but on what contribution they can make to this city."

"Han Ya."

Lin Yue shouted toward the doorway.

"City Lord."

Han Ya's figure appeared at the doorway in an instant.

Take them away, first hand them over to Doctor Sun for a full physical examination, then assign them to different posts according to their respective specialties.

Yes, City Lord.

Han Ya nodded, then coldly said to the ten frightened women:

Come with me.

Su Mei watched helplessly as her carefully prepared "grand gift" was taken away; throughout the process she couldn't even insert a word.

As for Miss Su Mei...

Lin Yue reseated himself in the chief seat, picked up the cup of tea that had grown somewhat cool, and said slowly:

If there's nothing else, you may go back.

Give my regards to Boss Qian, and tell him I 'like' his gift.

He stressed the two words "like" heavily, the mocking intent obvious without need for explanation.

Su Mei stood rooted to the spot, as if struck by lightning.

She had actually lost just like that?

She hadn't even spoken a few sentences before being escorted out in an almost humiliating manner.

After a long while, she finally came to her senses from the overwhelming sense of defeat.

She slowly lifted her head to look at Lin Yue, then forced out a smile uglier than crying,

"In that case, I'll not disturb you further."

"Farewell."

Having said that, she did not linger, turned and followed the Black Tortoise Guard out of the City Lord's Mansion.

Watching her retreating back, a cold smile finally appeared on Lin Yue's face.

Qian Wanjin...

"Since you've sent me such a big 'big gift', I ought to properly 'thank' you."

……

Half an hour later, outside Xuanwu City.

Su Mei sat inside the luxurious RV, her face as still as water.

She placed an encrypted call to Qian Wanjin.

"Boss, the mission... has failed."

Her voice carried, for the first time, a hint of fatigue and defeat that could not be concealed.

"Oh?"

On the other end of the line came Qian Wanjin's voice, slightly surprised but still calm.

Su Mei then reported everything that had happened today in Xuanwu City to Qian Wanjin in full detail, without embellishment or making any excuses for her failure.

After hearing her report, the other end of the line fell into a long silence.

Just as Su Mei thought Qian Wanjin would explode in anger, a low, restrained laugh suddenly came from the receiver.

"Heh... hahahahaha!"

Qian Wanjin's laughter grew louder and louder, eventually turning into unrestrained hysterical laughter, containing no trace of anger but instead filled with an indescribable excitement!

"Interesting! Too interesting!"

"This Lin Yue is a hundred times more interesting than I imagined!"

"Su Mei, although you failed this time, you are not without gain."

Qian Wanjin's laughter gradually subsided, his voice tinged with a cold resolve.

"This Lin Yue is absolutely not someone we can deal with using conventional means."

"All our previous probes probably looked to him like children playing house."

He paused, then muttered in a near-dreamlike tone:

"In that case... let's change the game."

"I'd like to see exactly where the reverse scale of your dragon lies!"