Doot doot—
The call connected.
"What is it?" A cold, hard voice came through the phone.
"Great-Grandfather, Mr. Lu has arrived. He said... he said he wants to speak with you."
The person in charge swallowed and handed the phone over.
"So it's young friend Lu. It's been a long time. I trust you've been well."
Old Wu's laughter came through the receiver, gentle enough, yet to Lu Chen it now carried an unmistakable thickness of insincerity.
Heh. This old fox really put on one face before people and another behind their backs. No wonder no one ever liked him.
Lu Chen could not be bothered with hollow pleasantries and went straight to the point. "Old Wu, at this point, I won't waste words. Wu Jingzhi has only offered a way to compensate the worshippers, but he kept saying there would be follow-up measures. It's been three days now. Where are those follow-ups? Where's the movement?"
"Don't get angry, young friend Lu. Why not come to Wu Manor? We can talk it over slowly."
"No time. Say it over the phone, and make it quick." Lu Chen's tone was impatient, giving the other side no chance to beat around the bush. "I have only one thing to say: if you don't give me a proper explanation, I'll go exchange the Cinnabar Iron Pardon. Then we'll see just how much the Wu family weighs—whether you can withstand it or not."
A threat!
A naked, undisguised threat!
Sure enough, the other end fell silent.
"Then perhaps young friend Lu should tell me directly what he wants." After a moment, Old Wu's voice came again, now heavy and gloomy.
"Fine. You said it. Zeng Rou told me before that your Wu family has forty shops in prime locations across the country. I happen