The atmosphere in the reception room was subtle.
Vikram bent over and personally refilled Fu Haoran's Darjeeling Spring Tea.
Her fingertips trembled slightly, and the tea almost spilled out of the cup.
He really didn't know how to start a conversation with this wealthy patron.
If he were sitting across from Britain Briton or United States, he could talk at length and boast without even needing to prepare a draft.
But he couldn't quite grasp the situation with this Asian face in front of him.
They were terrified that if they said the wrong thing, the Sharma Family's last shred of dignity would be utterly destroyed.
Just then, the crisp sound of high heels clicking on marble echoed from the stairwell.
Anya walked down slowly.
She wore a haute couture silk sari studded with rhinestones, the neckline was very low, and her full breasts pushed up the front of the dress, the rhinestones sparkling under the light.
With Hermès bag draped over her wrist and diamond earrings swaying gently with her steps, her makeup was impeccably refined, exuding an aura of "high-society elite."
She carried a glass of gin and tonic, walked gracefully to the sofa, and wore a standard Western social smile.
She appeared to be there to help with the hospitality, but in reality, her eyes scrutinized Fu Haoran from head to toe.
She wanted to find out just who this wealthy patron was, the one who made her father bow and scrape before her.
"Mr. Fu, where are you from?" Anya spoke first, her fluent London -accented English deliberately downplaying her India, her intonation perfectly controlled.
" University of Tokyo."
Fu Haoran answered decisively, but his answer instantly froze Vikram.
His inherent Brahmin pride made him look down on the people of neighboring countries from the bottom of his heart.
But his bank account was frantically reminding him: either endure it or get out.
Nineteen-year-old Anya didn't have these concerns.
Like most young India, she firmly believes that India's overall national strength far surpasses that of its neighbor University of Tokyo.
The food at University of Tokyo is dirty and messy, and people are impatient and don't know how to enjoy life.
Mumbai is twenty years more developed than Shanghai.
India is the world's largest democracy and a future superpower; half of Silicon Valley's CEOs are India.
What University of Tokyo? Western media reports are nothing but negative; there's never a positive story about it. You can imagine how terrible this country is.
Anya's sense of superiority surged instantly, and her smile became even sweeter.
"Does Mr. Fu India often?"
"The first time." Fu Haoran said calmly.
"The rainy season is coming soon in London, and I'll be going back to school next month. Mr. Fu, do you often go to London? I can show you around my alma mater," Anya asked again, her sense of superiority barely concealed.
In her eyes, the ability to integrate into London's high society is the sole criterion for judging whether a person has class.
"I'm not going."
Are you going skiing in Austria this winter?
"Not interested."
Are you going to Saipan?
"No."
After several rounds of conversation, Anya had a better understanding of the situation.
He's not from United States, has never been to Europe, and is a true- University of Tokyo East Asian.
The last vestige of caution in my heart instantly transformed into undisguised contempt, churning within but not showing on my face.
"No wonder he's dressed so shabbily; he doesn't even have a decent haute couture piece."
"It's just a cheap manufacturing country built on a large population; how can it compare to India?"
"The profound knowledge they gained from the orthodox civilization of the British Empire is something they will never understand in their lifetime."
"He's just a nouveau riche who's never seen the world. My father actually groveled before a University of Tokyo; he's utterly disgraced the Brahmins."
"Western media have all said that University of Tokyo's products are of poor quality and they only know how to plagiarize. What kind of vision can they have?"
While rolling her eyes inwardly, Anya's smile grew even sweeter.
She reached into her handbag, took out a velvet box, and gently pushed it in front of Fu Haoran.
"Mr. Fu, it's a pleasure to meet you. Here's a small gift; I hope you like it."
The box was opened, and inside lay a gilded silver coin.
This is a commemorative coin of the British Governor-General of India from the Victorian era. The coin features the Governor-General's portrait and colonial coat of arms, and the edges are polished to a high shine, making it a carefully collected antique.
"I bought this at Sotheby's in London. It's a genuine piece from the British colonial era; you can't find many like it in all of India." Anya's lips curled into a slight smile, her tone full of pride. "Only those who have truly been exposed to the pinnacle of Western civilization can understand its value."
He said it was a gift, but all he was really thinking was showing off.
In Anya's eyes, this silver coin left behind by the colonists is a symbol of her family's status, a ticket to the upper class, and a cultural heritage that University of Tokyo can never touch.
Fu Haoran glanced at the silver coins, his face expressionless, and he didn't even reach out.
Upon seeing this, Anya felt an overwhelming sense of joy.
"As expected of a nouveau riche, they have no understanding of cultural heritage. They probably don't even know which way Sotheby's's doors face."
Suddenly, Fu Haoran spoke up, "How much does this cost?"
Anya paused for a moment, then forced a standard social smile, "It wasn't expensive, I spent eight thousand pounds at the auction. The main reason is its special collectible value; you can't find many colonial silver coins of this quality in all of India."
Fu Haoran glanced at the silver coin again, but still didn't take it.
I don't really like this.
"To be precise, I'm not interested in anything from their modern colonial period."
His tone was calm, but every word pierced the heart. "A group of robbers robbed your house, killed your family, and left behind a few commemorative coins. A hundred years later, you hold up these coins and tell me it's cultural heritage."
"That's not called depth of knowledge, that's called a lack of memory."
Anya's smile froze on her face instantly.
She opened her mouth to refute, but after thinking for a long time, she couldn't utter a single word.
Every word the other person said was correct.
The portrait on this silver coin is that of the British governor who colonized them for nearly two hundred years.
The air froze instantly; the awkwardness was palpable.
Thank you for your kindness. I didn't prepare any gift, but you should like this.
As soon as he finished speaking, Fu Haoran reached out and unfastened the holster buckle at his waist. With a flick of his finger, a gun was placed steadily on the solid wood coffee table.
A muffled thud.
The matte black gun barrel was thick and menacing, a whole size larger than the silver coin.
The 12.7mm barrel gleamed with a cold light, and the anti-slip texture on the grip was clearly visible. Even through the coffee table, one could feel its heavy weight and the piercing sense of oppression it exuded.
It was the RSH-12 assault revolver, Russia -made large-caliber weapon capable of penetrating light body armor and flipping over car doors with a single shot.
The air in the reception room froze instantly.
Vikram's smile froze instantly, and his body stiffened immediately.
Anya instinctively shrank back, her eyes filled with astonishment.
Fu Haoran tapped the gun barrel with his fingertip, his tone indifferent. "A small gift, take it."
Anya caught it instinctively, then froze completely.
The weight of the item landed heavily in my arms, the cold metallic feel seeping through the thin sari.
She was taken aback at first, thinking it was just a model.
It wasn't until her fingertips touched the cold rifling inside the barrel and smelled the faint scent of gun oil that she belatedly realized what was happening.
This is a real gun, a loaded, large-caliber real gun.
"Ah!"
Anya screamed, her hand trembled, and she threw the gun directly to her father beside her.
The arrogance and sense of superiority I felt just moments before vanished instantly in fear.
Vikram caught the gun in a flustered manner, his fingertips trembling uncontrollably.
He had handled guns before, but those small-caliber handguns were nothing compared to this deadly weapon.
He chuckled dryly and gently pushed the gun back in front of Fu Haoran, bowing even lower. "Mr. Fu, this... this gift is too valuable, and it's even a personal item of yours. We can't accept it, we absolutely can't accept it!"
Fu Haoran waved his hand, put the gun back in its holster, and said in a calm tone, "It doesn't matter. It's just a weapon. Its value has never been in its price, but in its power."
power.
When those two words reached Vikram's ears, they took on a completely different meaning.
His back was instantly covered in cold sweat, and his mind raced.
Power? What kind of power?
Is Mr. Fu implying that the weapon in his hand can determine the life or death of our entire family?
They can feed us, but they can also shoot us dead?
Anya's boasting just now probably offended her sugar daddy completely!
The more he thought about it, the more frightened he became. He glared fiercely at Anya, who was cowering in the corner, his eyes full of warning.
Anya lowered her head and dared not utter another sound, not even having the courage to look up at Fu Haoran.
She finally felt the pressure from the young man in front of her.
That aura of not taking weapons seriously and not caring about life and death was something she had never seen in the pampered elites in London.
Her proud family background, collection, and elite status were as fragile as a piece of paper in the face of this hard revolver.
To ease the awkwardness, Vikram quickly bowed and cautiously asked, "Mr. Fu, what brings you here in person? Please tell us, and we will certainly take care of it!"
Fu Haoran put down his teacup and got straight to the point.
Two things.
"First, triple the amount of grain we purchase—rice, wheat, and corn—we'll buy as much as we can, at the same price as previously agreed, and have it all ready within a week and shipped to the designated port."
"Secondly, in addition to the Ganges turtles and fish mentioned in the previous agreement, I will also buy the water hyacinths and locusts that are rampant here. I'll take as many as you have, and I need to be quick."
Without a second thought, Vikram nodded immediately. "No problem, Mr. Fu! I guarantee it will be done on time and to the highest standard! There won't be a single mistake!"
Anya, standing next to her, was completely stunned, then her expression turned to one of utter bewilderment and disdain.
Ganges turtle? fish?
Those things that feed on floating corpses in the Ganges and whose bodies are full of heavy metals and bacteria were banned from import by the University of Tokyo a few years ago due to food safety issues!
There are also water hyacinths, which are blocking the Ganges River and almost drying it up; locusts are even more of a scourge that everyone hates.
What did he want with all this junk?
Even pigs wouldn't find it dirty enough to feed!
"He's just a nouveau riche with no taste for the world; all he can do is engage in these low-class, worthless businesses."
Anya rolled her eyes inwardly, but dared not utter a single word.
Fu Haoran looked at Vikram and added casually, "Once this batch of goods is settled, I'll open a new business for you."
Anya scoffed inwardly.
What new business can a shoddy food business possibly offer? Are they planning to open Ganges specialty shop in India?
That's absolutely hilarious.
But Vikram's eyes lit up instantly, he bowed even lower, and his voice was filled with ecstasy. "Thank you, Mr. Fu! Thank you for giving me this opportunity! I will definitely handle this perfectly and will not let you down!"
He knew all too well that this wealthy patron, with his official United States connections and the ability to readily pull out a large-caliber pistol, was talking about a "new business" that could completely turn the Sharma Family around.
Seeing her father's almost fawning manner, Anya's resentment surged up again, and she couldn't help but ask, "Mr. Fu, what is this new business you mentioned?"
Fu Haoran didn't hide anything, his tone calm. "The integrated photovoltaic, energy storage, and charging project, and also electric tricycles."
ha?
Anya thought she had misheard and froze on the spot.
One second they're in a shady business buying rotten fish and shrimp from the Ganges, the next they're in the new energy industry?
Is this really the same person?
Anya didn't know was that Fu Haoran wanted to cooperate with them entirely because the system had given him a new task.
[A colonizable Hive World detected: India ]
[Environmental Assessment: The social order is loose, the lower class is large, and the caste system naturally stratifies the population, with only a wall separating the Lower Hive and Upper Hive. The corruption rate is extremely high, and supervision is virtually non-existent, making it suitable for foreign capital to take root.]
[Colonial Difficulty: A (Hard) (Evaluation: India and spend India in India, don't even think about taking a single penny home)]
[Main Quest: Establish Colonial Footprints]
[Mission Objective: Establish a complete industrial closed loop in this Hive World and achieve sustainable profitability]
[Specific requirements: Control at least three supply chains spanning agriculture, energy, and logistics, with a valuation of no less than US$1 billion]
[Establish ground bases in at least three states, each with independent acquisition, processing, and transshipment capabilities.]
[By pushing at least one local representative to the local council level, a barrier to political asylum is formed]
[Task Rewards: 100,000 Universal Points, 10 Free Attribute Points, Hive City Freight Channel unlocked, allowing cross-time and space transportation]
[PS: Don't be a coward! What governor of Warhammer doesn't colonize and expand? Blue Star is a chaotic place with abundant resources, it's practically a natural colony Garden of Nurgle! By controlling India, you can not only have a constant supply of corpses and food, but also supply the Hive City with resources. It's a huge profit! High difficulty? High risk means high reward, that's what a governor should do!]
Fu Haoran looked at the System Panel, a faint smile playing on his lips.
He came to India only to collect corpses and food.
But now, the plans have changed.
But Fu Haoran knew very well that India was considered difficult by the system.
The chaotic rules, the massive underprivileged population, and the utterly shameless nature of this place...
But Fu Haoran dares to take on businesses that others wouldn't.
A governor of Warhammer should have ambitions for colonial expansion.
As for Brahmin arrogance? A relic of colonization?
Faced with absolute strength and tangible benefits, it's nothing but a joke.
The Sharma Family before us is the first step in the plan.