34: There's more than one person with a brush.

"Seventh Miss Sheng, are you representing your Sheng family, or is this personal?"

Lu Fan faced Sheng Aiyi directly. Since he had decided to go big, he needed to thoroughly investigate his counterpart.

"I represent only myself. To be frank with you, Mr. Lu, I've already sold off the Paramount Hall business."

"Now I'm looking for new commercial ventures."

Sheng Aiyi laid her cards on the table.

She had truly reached the point where a tiger on flat ground is bullied by dogs.

Not only had she been pushed to the brink within her family, but she had also lost the Paramount Hall she had built from scratch.

"Since Seventh Miss Sheng is so forthright, I won't beat around the bush either."

Lu Fan took out paper and pen, quickly listing items. In less than ten minutes, a list was placed on the coffee table.

"I have absolute price advantages for the materials listed above. Look them over, then decide on our collaboration."

Sheng Aiyi picked up the list, analyzing as she read.

[White Sugar]

This could work. Military supplies are easy to sell.

[Windproof Lighter]

Too expensive, limited market. But to give him face, it could work.

[Pencils + Writing Paper]

This could work. There are many educated people in the Shanghai, and copying and writing are essential.

Upon seeing the fourth item, Sheng Aiyi grew uneasy.

[Bleaching Powder (Calcium Hypochlorite)]

This is for water purification, a controlled substance.

The war in the north has already begun. This is highly sought after on the black market—high price, easy to sell, definitely a good item.

Continuing down the list, she grew increasingly unsettled.

[Compressed Biscuits]

One piece can sustain you for a day.

My goodness, what is this? Once it hits the market, Jinling would go crazy, begging me for supply.

[Multivitamin Tablets]

Another hot commodity. Can absorb as much as available, and extremely profitable.

The more Sheng Aiyi read, the more excited she became. The more she read, the more she felt that putting aside her pride to gamble was the wisest decision of her life.

Suppressing her inner desire, she read through the list in one go.

It was fine until she looked, but once she did, she was utterly stunned.

[Medical Gauze and Bandages] [Wound Disinfectant Iodophor] [Hemostatic Agent] [Disinfectant Solution] [Refined Animal Fat] [Salt]

These are explicitly designated military supplies, currently red-hot commodities.

Holding these is like sitting on a gold and silver mountain. Even a pig would find it hard not to prosper.

With these supplies, her rise would no longer be difficult, and revenge seemed within reach.

After reading the list, Sheng Aiyi's breathing grew rapid.

It was as if she saw her great-grandfather in heaven blessing her.

Sending her a lucky star to help her escape hardship and return to glory.

Sheng Aiyi wanted to immediately sign an agreement with Lu Fan and start collaborating.

But her upbringing as a scion of a prominent family and keen insight made her sense the risks behind this list.

Almost everything on the list was strategic material. Handling one or two items wouldn't be a big problem.

After all, with the Sheng family's halo and her social finesse, no one would deliberately target her.

However, putting all these items on the market together would definitely bring problems one after another.

Because she would be encroaching on certain people's turf.

"It seems Seventh Miss Sheng has grasped the intricacies. It's an opportunity, but with risks."

Lu Fan didn't hide it. Since he wanted to dump goods, he needed to understand his partner's background and make them aware of the risks.

Hiding things would eventually backfire,Not conducive to long-term cooperation.

"This is indeed a business with both risks and opportunities."

Sheng Aiyi deeply understood the stakes. Her brow slightly furrowed as she fell into thought.

Time passed silently in the quiet, night growing deeper.

Lu Fan put out his third cigarette. Seeing Sheng Aiyi hadn't responded, he unceremoniously gave her the cue to leave.

"Seventh Miss Sheng, you can go back and think it over. Find me anytime once you've decided."

He wasn't Liu Xiahui. Facing a beauty like Sheng Aiyi, he could hold back now, but that didn't mean he could later.

If she tried a seduction tactic, he'd damn well go from hunter back to prey.

Sheng Aiyi brushed her long hair and slowly stood up: "Alright, Mr. Lu! I'll give you an answer by tomorrow night at the latest!"

Before leaving the room, she glanced back at Lu Fan subtly: "Good night~~"

"Good night~"

Lu Fan closed the door and returned to his bed. Facing Yamamoto Yushin soon, he needed to rest well.

Because the diamond trade was the main event of this crossing.

But things didn't go as planned. He tossed and turned in bed, unable to sleep—insomnia.

The reason? Men understand.

In the long night, he wasn't the only one sleepless.

Yamamoto Yushin sat quietly in the tea room, brow furrowed.

The signing negotiation was imminent, but the heavy stone in his heart hadn't lifted.

Regarding this suddenly appearing English Viscount, he couldn't figure him out, and background investigations yielded no breakthroughs.

This involved huge funds. Any slip-up, and he'd be unforgivably guilty.

Then came the sound of the sliding door opening. A sharp-looking man with a small mustache appeared.

Yamamoto Yushin recognized the visitor, and the worry on his face mostly dissipated.

He quickly stepped forward, stood straight, and bowed deeply, speaking earnestly.

"Group Leader Momota Shizuka, troubling you to come so late at night."

Momota Shizuka bowed in return: "President Yamamoto, my apologies. Official duties delayed me."

"No trouble at all. The Tokkō, as the Empire's vanguard in expansion, is very busy."

"Group Leader Momota handles myriad affairs with great responsibility. Your coming is already a great favor. I'm the one troubling you."

Yamamoto forced some politeness, then got straight to the point: "Group Leader Momota, any major breakthroughs on that person's background?"

Momota Shizuka frowned slightly, looking troubled.

"Not yet. This person appeared very strangely, as if out of thin air. Verification is quite difficult."

Hearing this, Yamamoto's spirits sank to the bottom.

But he still forced himself to invite Momota Shizuka to sit, serving tea as a host.

Momota Shizuka sat down, speaking somewhateasyly: "President Yamamoto, you really don't need to be so tense."

"This Louis is at most a fake foreign devil. What does having a title matter?"

"This is the Far East, not Europe."

"If he dares stir trouble, my Tokkō will show him what hell is."

Momota Shizuka was quitedomineering, but these words didn't dispel Yamamoto Yushin's concerns.

He took a sip of tea, suppressing hisFrustration, speaking gravely: "Group Leader Momota, you don't know."

"This diamond trade concerns the Empire's next plan. It's of great importance."

"If anything goes wrong, I'll become a traitor to the Empire."

Hearing this, Momota Shizuka feltSomewhat surprised, quicklyFollow-up questions: "What exactly is going on?"

Yamamoto Yushin took a deep breath and told the truth: "After thorough investigation by theFoundation,"

"the high-quality diamonds in this person's hands, we can resell to the Eagle at high prices. Conservatively estimated, profits over 40%."

Yamamoto Yushin looked directly at Momota Shizuka: "Do you know what such business means if itExpand?"

"Understood! Once such trade begins, it can greatly alleviate the Empire's financial pressure."

"Providing moreFavorable protection for the upcoming plans."

As aSenior member of the Tokkō, Momota Shizuka had some insight into problems.

He lowered his head in thought, then slowly looked up after a while, eyesfierce light.

"President Yamamoto, leave it to me. Tomorrow, I'll go with you to meet this English Viscount."