Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 806: Chapter 50: I’ll Just Watch You Quietly

This is the first rain after New Year’s Day.

The temperature in the south dropped by six or seven degrees due to the rain, finally bringing a touch of winter.

Shi Shijie wrapped himself tighter in his long gray trench coat and got out of the car. He informed the driver of the waiting time and then pressed the doorbell of Zhang’s house.

A servant quickly came out and led him all the way to the study of the old lady, Zhang Li Lanfang.

“Mr. Shi, I won’t go in. The old lady is waiting for you inside.” The servant left politely: “I’ll get you a cup of tea.”

“Thank you,” Shi Shijie replied, “It’s really not necessary to be so polite.”

Shi Shijie has been with Zhang Family Corporation since the generation of Zhang Qingrui’s father and has remained until now, currently serving as the general manager of the corporation. Visiting the Zhang house is as common as everyday matters for him.

He knocked on the door first. After hearing the response from the old lady inside, Shi Shijie straightened his clothes and pushed the door open. He walked directly to the front of the desk.

Since the old lady’s fall several months ago, she had been resting quietly at home. Apart from a big birthday celebration long ago, she hadn’t appeared in public for a while—of course, in recent years, the old lady has mostly stayed reclusively.

There were still many who wanted to visit daily, but they were turned away by the servants one after another.

“Madam, you look much better.”

“Shijie, you’re here, sit down,” Zhang Li Lanfang smiled.

“Where’s Miss Ren?” Shi Shijie pulled out a chair and sat down while asking.

“That girl went to school, said she’s preparing for final exams. She just transferred departments, her studies are a bit behind, so she needs to work hard, lately she’s been coming home later.”

In the old days, a person like Shi Shijie would be considered a family retainer; a trusted and loyal confidante.

Modern people are impetuous and profit-driven, making it rare to find someone as dedicated and loyal as Shi Shijie—which is why he can hold a high position within the corporation.

Conversely, it also highlights Zhang Family’s current lack of capable personnel.

Shi Shijie is on the verge of reaching the board of directors of the Group.

Thoughts flashed through Zhang Li Lanfang’s mind, but her face remained calm. She closed the Buddhist scripture she was reading, pondering for a moment.

Shi Shijie, who was adept at reading the old lady’s intentions, immediately said, “Madam, is there some troublesome matter?”

Zhang Li Lanfang shook her head, “Trouble isn’t exactly trouble, it’s just something that caught me off guard… or one could say life’s events are uncertain.”

“Madam?”

Zhang Li Lanfang moved the Buddhist scripture away to reveal a photograph underneath. She pushed the photo forward, and Shi Shijie, understanding, quickly picked it up to glance at it, revealing an expression of surprise.

“Isn’t this young man Miss Ren’s…?” He looked at the old lady in shock.

He recognized the young man in the photo, having even investigated his background—the young man in the photo was named Luo Qiu, a classmate of Ms. Zhang.

The class was quite unique, with only Ms. Zhang and the young man in the photo attending normally. The old lady found this young man suspicious, so she secretly conducted some investigations.

However, the class was later canceled, Luo Qiu dropped out, and it seemed he never contacted Ms. Zhang again, rendering the investigation inconclusive. If not for the old lady suddenly taking out this photo to jog his memory, Shi Shijie would have almost forgotten the young man’s existence.

“Madam, why is this? Is the young man in contact with Ms. Ren again?” Shi Shijie furrowed his brows.

“If it were just that, it would be easy to handle,” Zhang Li Lanfang said helplessly, “Yesterday, an old acquaintance of mine approached me, saying he found the descendants of a lost relative, and asked me to help investigate some matters.”

“Him?” Shi Shijie looked at the young man in the photo again—though the surroundings didn’t look local, possibly abroad, it was hard to determine the exact location.

The photo was taken from the side, like a candid shot.

“My old acquaintance has confirmed it,” Zhang Li Lanfang counted the prayer beads on her wrist, “Look into it thoroughly, especially about his father. According to my old friend, Luo Qiu’s father died unexpectedly, but the records are not detailed, so look into it.”

Shi Shijie nodded, but asked doubtfully, “Madam, if we genuinely investigate the background, wouldn’t it be better for Aqi to handle it?”

Behind the scenes, the Zhang Family has very complex forces. On the surface, the Zhang Family is in business, an industry developed by the old lady after joining the family. Behind the scenes, as a descendant of the Li Family, the old lady has her own enterprises, not fit for public display, but the Li Family’s annual profits are far richer than the Group.

The Aqi mentioned by Shi Shijie is now the one managing the Li Family’s business operations, possessing a vast intelligence network.

“His father was a public official,” Zhang Li Lanfang said calmly, “Have you forgotten?”

“Oh… I remember now, he was a policeman,” Shi Shijie nodded, “Coincidentally, our group plans to donate some funds to the bureau recently. I’ll talk to their leader.”

“You may inquire, but don’t make a fuss,” Zhang Li Lanfang cautioned, “My old friend’s identity is somewhat special, not convenient to disclose.”

Shi Shijie was taken aback, then solemnly nodded—if the old lady described it as ‘special,’ naturally it wasn’t an ordinary person.

“Go on, notify me as soon as you have any news.” Zhang Li Lanfang waved her hand.

So Shi Shijie nodded and left—he originally planned to return to the company for a meeting today, but after considering the old lady’s instructions, he instructed the driver to call the company and cancel the meeting after getting in the car.

“…Also, schedule me a meeting with Director Chen, saying I’d like to invite him to dinner.”

“Understood, Mr. Shi.”

…

Inside the study, Zhang Li Lanfang was still counting her prayer beads, silently reciting the Guanyin Heart Sutra. After finishing a section, she picked up the phone.

“Madam, what can I do for you?” It was an old and rather somber voice.

“Aqi, I need you to handle something for me,” Zhang Li Lanfang said calmly.

“Please, do tell, Madam.”

“In some time, an old friend of mine might return to the country.” Zhang Li Lanfang paused, then continued, “His identity is a bit special, but if he enters, he should have his ways. However, prepare for me nonetheless.”

“Alright, I’ll prepare a special channel right away. Let me know when your friend arrives, and I’ll send someone to receive him immediately.”

“Hmm, go ahead.” Zhang Li Lanfang nodded, then asked, “Is there anything special recently?”

“Madam, everything in our business is normal, and I recently received a new order. I was considering whether to accept it. Originally, I wanted to gather more information, then consult you before making a decision.”

“Tell me about it,” Zhang Li Lanfang said.

“The order came from a Japanese individual,” Aqi said quickly, “He claims to have a special map that can lead directly into the main burial chamber of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor and wants to collaborate with us to excavate it.”

“Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor?” Zhang Li Lanfang was exceptionally surprised, “Someone is actually targeting it… Is the map genuine?”

“Unclear, our people are still verifying it, but several experts say the map could date back to the Qin Dynasty. However, the structures on the map do not match any known layout of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor.”

“Hmm…” Zhang Li Lanfang pondered.

Aqi added, “Madam, there has long been a state order, both overt and covert, not to actively excavate the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. How should we handle this order?”

“If the map is real…” Zhang Li Lanfang’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.

Being a descendant of a tomb-robbing family that has existed since ancient times, the wealth accumulated by the Li Family is beyond imagination… though continuing such a business has mostly been to preserve the technique, and there are even ancestral rules.

But as a descendant of a tomb-robbing family, there is a certain attachment to the unsolved mysteries of the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor. Many generations of the Li Family have dedicated efforts to excavating it.

Of course, even if the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor is eventually successfully excavated, and some precious secret treasure unearthed, it’s not important to Zhang Li Lanfang—what matters is solving the problem that countless generations of the Li Family have poured their efforts into.

“Aqi, bring me the map to have a look,” Zhang Li Lanfang slowly instructed.

The Li Family had deeply explored the Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor back in the Song Dynasty, passing down a vast amount of information—this information even exceeds what the official authorities hold.

This is a secret—Zhang Li Lanfang thought it would remain hidden until she turned to dust, finally passing it to Zhang Qingrui without ever seeing the light of day.

But now…perhaps it’s worth a try.

In one’s lifetime.

…

…

The aged nun pushed open the door of the monastery room, carrying a bowl of freshly made fish soup.

Inside the room, a young nun was sitting by the bed, taking care of the unconscious little girl they had found under a tree after yesterday’s evening storm.

“She hasn’t woken up yet? How is she, Charlotte?” The elderly nun placed the fish soup on the table beside the bed.

The young nun, Charlotte, shook her head: “She still hasn’t woken up, Delan Mammy.”

“Poor child.” Delan Mammy placed her hand on the little girl’s forehead and slowly closed her eyes: “May the Lord bless her.”

At that moment, the sleeping little girl suddenly showed a pained expression, and beads of sweat appeared on her neck.

“Is she having a nightmare?” Charlotte said with some concern, grabbing the little girl’s hand, as if to give her some courage to get through this ordeal.

Delan Mammy sighed, “I don’t know why the phone isn’t working, otherwise we could call a doctor. It seems she has a fever; her forehead is very hot.”

“Who could be so cruel?” Charlotte said a bit indignantly, reaching to touch the silver collar around the little girl’s neck and the remaining piece of chain.

“You should feed her some fish soup,” Delan Mammy said softly. “I’ll see if there’s a way to get some help to take her to the village clinic.”

Charlotte nodded.

Delan Mammy left the room. Charlotte took a spoon and brought the fish soup to the little girl’s lips, but no matter what, she couldn’t get her to swallow it.

Feeling helpless, Charlotte drank the fish soup herself, then leaned down and pressed her lips against the little girl’s lips, gently passing the soup into her mouth.

This was no easy task; it took over ten minutes to feed her a whole bowl of fish soup this way.

Perhaps it was a mere illusion, but after drinking the soup, the little girl’s complexion seemed to look a lot better.

Charlotte brought a basin of warm water, soaked a towel in it, and then lifted the little girl to wipe her face and neck. Her clothes had already been changed to a clean set last night.

But just now the little girl had another nightmare, and broke out in a cold sweat. It wasn’t good to stay wet. So Charlotte unbuttoned the little girl’s clothes, starting to wipe her back.

No skincare products were needed, nor anything applied; the skin of a girl this age was smooth and delicate, like a freshly shelled egg.

The warm cloth gently swept across the little girl’s back.

Charlotte looked at the nape of the little girl’s neck, the soft line between her small earlobes and neck, and for some reason, her heart suddenly began to race.

Her breathing became a bit heavy, and her throat slightly dry.

Charlotte shook her head, took a deep breath, and slipped the cloth under the little girl’s arms, letting her rest in her arms, and began wiping the front of the little girl.

The silver chain dangling from the collar around her neck now lay against the girl’s chest, clinging tightly, yet Charlotte couldn’t take her eyes off the two small pink points on the little girl’s body.

Her breathing grew heavier…the girl’s body, as if imbued with perpetual magic power, was seemingly causing Charlotte to lose her reason.

Unable to suppress the instinctual urge, Charlotte couldn’t help but lean down and kiss the little girl’s shoulder gently, tongue moving across her shoulder like a tender suck.

Her hands long since abandoned the soft towel, and stroked over the girl’s body.

Why…does the body…?

Charlotte abruptly lifted her head, then fearfully released the girl, looking at her own hands…trembling slightly.

Swiftly making the sign of the cross over herself, she clasped her hands in prayer, eyes closing, “Lord, please forgive your sinner.”

Then Charlotte bit her lip, hurriedly dressed the little girl, covered her with the blanket, and dared not look at her, rushing out the door.

She needed to go to the chapel, to pray and reflect, otherwise, she felt she could not be forgiven…how could she do such a thing?

Oh, God! I must have been tempted by the Devil!

…

Unbeknownst to Charlotte, after she hastily left, a strange rift suddenly opened in the room—a warped space.

A woman dressed in a black and white maid’s uniform stepped out of the rift, standing by the bed: the maid from the club.

Glancing at the still-unconscious little girl, the club’s maid showed no expression, her eyes coldly observing like those of a statue.

“Harming the master, I did not say I’d let you off…”

The maid placed her hand on the girl’s forehead, “Star of the Morning Dawn…the sin of pride, since you’ve chosen to fall here, then fully feel your father’s glory.”

The maid’s palm suddenly ignited with black flame, imprinting a black lotus mark on the girl’s forehead, which sank into her skin, disappearing.

“Enjoy your vacation.”

Having said this, the maid retraced her steps, the rift vanishing behind her, leaving the girl sleeping peacefully.

She seemed to have stopped having nightmares.

…

Hey! Hey…hey!! Hey—!!!

Inside an abandoned building, Bucky wore a crown styled with olive branches, clutching his own wrist, swinging his arm continuously.

Worn on his swinging hand’s finger was a silver ring.

Hey—!! Hey—!!!

His arm swung one after another, with over an hour passing, and Bucky’s body was already soaked in sweat.

“What are you doing here?”

Suddenly, an emotionless voice came from behind Bucky, startling him to turn quickly around—to face the club’s maid.

“Didn’t…didn’t you tell me to practice?” Bucky swallowed nervously, “So I thought, maybe shouting with more momentum would have a better effect.”

The maid plainly said, “You only need to practice the Meditation Technique to enhance spiritual power that I taught you. The activation of the Blessing Ring and Gospel Crown requires only spiritual power.”

“I…is that so.” Bucky nodded, always feeling wary that this beautiful-looking maid might suddenly tear open my body again, turning bloody.

Humph! Even if your appearance surpasses Lucifer’s, don’t think you can deceive me!

Then, the maid waved her hand, and a chair appeared out of the Void, which she sat upon, a cookbook materializing in her hand.

Bucky, sharp-eyed, noticed it seemed like a cookbook? Cookbook…cookbook???

The maid opened the cookbook, looking down at it, “Meditate, my master is away on business, and until you show some improvement, I’ll watch over you and aid your soul harvesting.”

But I’d rather practice alone…

Bucky felt his back ache under the maid’s gaze…don’t they know this would be stressful?

Suddenly.

“Oh, by the way.” You Ye looked up, speaking calmly to Bucky, “Every day for breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, and dinner, I’ll leave, and you can move freely…starting today. There’s one hour and thirty-seven minutes until afternoon tea.”

Oh! Praise the Lord!