Discovering a Secret

More than ten minutes later, Chen Lie's communicator rang. He picked it up and saw that it was Chen Gequn calling, so he immediately answered.

"Hello, Chen Lie. I was in a meeting earlier and didn't see it. Your mother said you were coming to Cloud River today. Have you arrived?"

Chen Gequn's voice came through the communicator.

"I'm outside Spirit Wind Group. Dad, bring out the Psionic Crystal Card for Yaoyao. I'll take it back for her."

"Alright, wait for me. I'll be right out!"

With that, Chen Gequn hung up.

About ten minutes later, Chen Gexing walked out of the Spirit Wind Group building.

"Chen Lie?"

"Dad!"

The moment Chen Lie saw Chen Gequn, he hurried over.

When Chen Gequn saw Chen Lie, he immediately grabbed his arm and led him into the Spirit Wind Group building.

"Come on, go rest in the reception room for a while."

Chen Lie let his father lead him into the Spirit Wind Group building.

Once they reached the reception room in the first-floor lobby, Chen Gequn took out an exquisite box and handed it to Chen Lie.

"This is the Skyshattering Fist Crystal Card I bought for your sister. This martial arts crystal card is in extremely high demand. I went through a great deal of trouble to get someone to obtain it for me. Take it back to Yaoyao."

"Alright." Chen Lie accepted the Psionic Crystal Card.

"Actually, you didn't need to come. I'll be going back in a few days anyway."

"Going back? Is something wrong?" Chen Lie asked.

Chen Gequn said, "Didn't your mother tell you? Your second uncle wants to use my military merits to exchange for a Blood Mist Flower for Chen Ye. He wants me to go back and discuss it face-to-face."

"What is there to discuss about that?"

"I should still go. Your second uncle has brought it up several times already. It wouldn't be right to keep avoiding him."

Chen Lie nodded. He knew his parents could not simply disregard family ties, even if relatives like his second uncle were worse than neighbors.

"By the way, what are you doing in Cloud River?" Chen Gequn asked after a moment.

"I have something to do. I came with a friend," Chen Lie said.

"Do you still have money? Do you want me to give you some?"

"No need, I still have some."

"Alright. How long are you planning to stay in Cloud River? Should I find you somewhere to stay?"

Chen Lie said, "No, I'm heading back today."

"Be careful on your way back. How did you get here?"

"My friend's cousin flew us here in an airship."

Chen Gequn asked Chen Lie a few more questions, then had him sit in the reception room for a while.

About half an hour later, Chen Lie felt that he had stayed long enough in the reception room, so he told Chen Gequn he was leaving.

Chen Gequn said to Chen Lie, "I'll walk you out."

Chen Lie nodded, and the two left the reception room together.

Just as they stepped outside the reception room, the elevator doors in the first-floor lobby suddenly opened with a ding. A girl around sixteen or seventeen years old walked out.

As the girl passed by Chen Lie and his father, Chen Gequn greeted her.

"Young Miss."

"Mm."

The girl did not even turn her head as she walked straight past Chen Gequn.

"Hm?"

Suddenly, the girl caught sight of the person she had just passed from the corner of her eye and found him familiar. She backed up.

"Wait, you? Why are you here?"

The girl pointed at Chen Lie.

Chen Gequn could not help asking, "Young Miss, do you know my son?"

"He's your son?"

The girl's face was full of disbelief.

At that moment, Chen Lie looked at Chen Gequn and said, "Dad, you don't need to see me out. I'll leave on my own."

"Alright then. Be careful," Chen Gequn said.

Chen Lie nodded, then walked out of the first-floor lobby of the Spirit Wind Group building.

"Hey, wait!"

Seeing Chen Lie about to leave, the girl hurried after him and caught up with him outside the Spirit Wind Group building.

"Something wrong?"

Chen Lie turned back and asked. Wasn't this the girl he had met at the Mind Reader Association? Her name seemed to be Shen Feixue.

"Uh... well, the three martial arts treasures you asked for are too many. They're all scarce treasures that aren't easy to find. Could you ask for one less?" Shen Feixue said.

Chen Lie said, "If you can't find them, forget it. There's no need to haggle with me."

Shen Feixue was delighted. "You agree?"

Chen Lie shook his head. "I don't accept haggling in any form. If you can't gather the three martial arts treasures I listed, there's no need for a trade."

"What's with you?"

Shen Feixue put her hands on her hips, looking thoroughly annoyed.

"One spiritual power treasure in exchange for three martial arts treasures—anyone would think you're getting a bargain.

Yet you came to haggle with me. It makes me seriously doubt your sincerity in this trade."

"If it weren't for you, that spiritual power treasure would have belonged to Sister Miaowei sooner or later. You're getting two martial arts treasures for nothing, and you still say we aren't sincere?"

"Fine, keep your martial arts treasures. I'm not trading anymore!"

With that, Chen Lie walked around Shen Feixue and left without another word.

"Hey, stop right there!"

Seeing Chen Lie truly intend to leave, the girl chased after him again and called out.

But Chen Lie did not look back. He went to the bus stop and boarded a flying bus.

"How dare he ignore me!"

Shen Feixue burned with rage. Since she was little, when had anyone her age ever ignored her like this?

"You brat, just you wait!"

As she spoke, Shen Feixue took out her communicator and made a call.

"Sister Miaowei, I discovered a secret."

A pleasant, crisp female voice sounded through the communicator. "What secret?"

"That brat Chen Lie we saw at the Mind Reader Association earlier—I found out where he comes from."

"What did you find? How did you find out?"

"I saw it with my own eyes, right at the group building!"

"The group building?"

"Mm. I saw it myself. Chen Lie's father is actually an employee of our group."

"Really? That's wonderful. With that connection, our trade with Chen Lie will be much easier and more convenient."

The girl's delighted voice came through the communicator.

"Uh, he just said he isn't trading anymore. He wants to cancel the deal with us."

"Cancel the trade? Why?"

"I just told him that exchanging three martial arts treasures for the Star Soul God-Tempering Vine was too much, and that we would give him two martial arts treasures instead. But he said we weren't sincere and wanted to cancel the trade."

"You really are something. I don't even know what to say about you. Are you still at the group?"

"I am."

"Alright, I'll be there right away. Wait for me!"

Shen Feixue put away the communicator after the call ended and waited outside the Spirit Wind Group building.

Before long, a supercraft landed in the plaza of Spirit Wind Group. The moment it touched down, the cabin door opened, and Shen Miaowei stepped out.

"Feixue?"

"Sister Miaowei!"

When Shen Feixue saw Shen Miaowei, she gave her a sweet smile and walked over.

Seeing Shen Feixue, Shen Miaowei could not help shaking her head. "You, honestly. I don't even know what to say to you. Does our Shen Family lack a single martial arts treasure? Did you really need to go haggle over it yourself?"

"Hmph, this has nothing to do with a single martial arts treasure. His attitude toward me was far too arrogant, and he wasn't respectful at all, as if he hadn't even seen me.

Even when I chased after him and called out to him, he merely asked, 'Something wrong?' in that indifferent tone. He didn't take me seriously at all."

Shen Feixue spoke indignantly.

Shen Miaowei thought for a moment. "Is he arrogant because of his talent? Aren't geniuses all like that?"

Shen Feixue sneered. "What genius? His father is an employee of our group, which makes him practically a servant of our Shen Family. If this were a few hundred years ago, the son of a servant like him would have to kneel and kowtow when he saw me, greet me properly, and call me his master."