Jiang Youli then took out her phone, opened Weibo, and saw the trending news about Long Junyu.
Surveillance footage from an underground casino was going viral on the internet. The 4K resolution clearly recorded Second Master Long's high-stakes gambling:
In the first clip, Long Junyu slammed a diamond-encrusted Patek Philippe on the gambling table: "For this round, I'm betting my newly acquired Akhal-Teke horse!"
In the second clip, Long Junyu had his arm around a third-tier starlet as he signed an IOU for tens of millions: "Don't worry, our Long family has thirty mining pits in Myanmar..."
By now, the hashtags Second Master Long Casino Drama and Exposing Long Family Myanmar Mine Slave Labor had already climbed to the tenth and ninth spots on the trending list, respectively, detonating public opinion.
"Is this your doing?" Old Master Jiang asked her.
Jiang Youli shook her head. "Not me. Didn't I escort Grandpa Luo back yesterday?"
Old Master Jiang understood. "If it wasn't you, then it must be Eldest Young Master Qi's doing."
Jiang Youli had also guessed that Qi Huan made a move, though she was a bit surprised by his haste. This could deal with Long Junyu, but it wouldn't be enough to shake the entire Long family. After all, the Long family could choose to sever the limb to save the body.
Old Master Jiang said, "Whether Qi Huan did this for his Qi family or to eliminate a hidden danger for you, sending Second Master Long to prison is a good thing regardless. It's just that now, a blood feud has been completely forged with the Long family. Before, it might have only been a personal grudge with Second Master Long, but now it has truly escalated into a feud between families."
Jiang Youli knew her grandfather was worried that the Jiang family wouldn't be able to withstand the Long family's retaliation. "Grandpa, you're wrong. Long Junyu would never have let me go. He would have kept looking for opportunities to get back at me until I became an enemy of the entire Long family."
"Never mind..." Old Master Jiang looked at his granddaughter and said with a heavy tone, "Eldest Young Master Qi dealing with Second Master Long can be considered a reassurance for our Jiang family, proving that he is willing to stand on the front lines to shield you."
"Your second uncle and aunt's family has already moved out of the Jiang residence. Too much has happened at home recently, so I plan to go abroad to recuperate for a while. I'm not sure exactly when I'll be back." Speaking of this, Old Master Jiang earnestly entrusted her, "Youli, I have handed the Jiang family over to you. For this, I even gave up the second born's family. From now on, Grandpa hopes you can truly expand and strengthen these Jiang family businesses."
Jiang Youli nodded. "Grandpa, don't worry."
...
After leaving Old Master Jiang's place, Jiang Youli first made a trip back to the East District villa to put away the equity transfer agreement.
"Did your grandfather look for you about the company's equity?" Zhang Susu asked when she saw Jiang Youli return.
Jiang Youli waved the agreement in her hand. "Yes, it's all sorted."
Zhang Susu said in relief, "That's good... You know about Second Master Long's situation, right?"
Jiang Youli nodded. "Grandpa told me."
Seeing her reaction, Zhang Susu knew she wasn't the one who did it, but to the Long family, it made little difference. They would definitely feel that it had something to do with Youli. So she said, "Your days in Jing City will be much more difficult than before. You haven't just offended Second Master Long, nor just the Long family, but also many people who have ties to the Long family's interests and worry that you might threaten their own. But it doesn't matter. You have your dad, your maternal grandparents, your uncles, and that child Xiao Huan, who will all protect you well."
Jiang Youli didn't feel any panic at all; instead, she was eager to give it a try.
"Alright, are you going to treat Xiao Huan now?"
"Yes."
"Go on." Zhang Susu then looked at 001. "Remember, you must protect Youli well at all times."
001 said expressionlessly, "Understood."
...
Meanwhile, on the other side.
A tense and oppressive atmosphere permeated the Long family's ancestral hall.
Old Madam Long's face was livid. She stood glaring furiously at her disappointing second son, Long Junyu. The walking stick gripped tightly in her hand continuously struck the floor tiles, letting out dull thuds.
"You bastard! It was so hard just to pay off the massive debts you owed in Macau last year! I never expected you to be so unrepentant and repeat your mistakes by going to an underground casino to gamble heavily!" Old Madam Long's voice trembled with rage, her face full of disappointment and fury. "If that were all, fine. But our Long family hasn't even managed to divest those thirty mining pits in Myanmar yet, and now someone has exposed them! Great, now our family business is severely damaged, and our reputation is ruined!"
The more Old Madam Long spoke, the more agitated she became, her eyes practically shooting fire.
"Do you know who sold you out? It was your favorite mistress! Besides playing with women and gambling, what proper thing can you even do!" Old Madam Long cursed, pointing her walking stick right at Long Junyu's nose.
By now, Long Junyu was already scared pale, kneeling and shivering all over on the cold floor of the ancestral hall.
He couldn't figure out how anyone could have investigated all his shady, under-the-table dealings so clearly.
Facing Old Madam Long's furious scolding, he kept his head down, not daring to say a word, his heart filled with fear and remorse.
Just then, the butler hurried over, reporting to Old Madam Long in a panic, "Old Madam, this is bad! We just received news from Myanmar that Interpol has begun issuing arrest warrants for the supervisors of our mines over there!"
Hearing this news, Old Madam Long swayed and nearly lost her footing.
She took a deep breath, forcefully suppressing the fury in her heart, glared viciously at Long Junyu who was still kneeling on the ground, and gritted her teeth, "Look at what you've done!"
If they couldn't resolve this matter properly this time, their Long family would suffer a devastating blow!
Long Yuan, who had been silent on the side, frowned deeply and said, "Grandma, the only plan now is to hand Second Uncle over."
Long Junyu said in horror, "My good nephew, I am your own second uncle, and you actually want to hand me over..."
"Enough! Isn't this all the disaster you caused? This time, no one can wipe your mess for you!" Old Madam Long said, resentful of his failure to meet expectations.
"Mom, Mom... I know I was wrong. I won't mess around ever again. Don't throw me under the bus..." Long Junyu crawled over on his knees and hugged Old Madam Long's legs.
Old Madam Long shook him off in heartache. "If we don't throw you under the bus, is the Long family supposed to pay for your mistakes? You're not worth that much!"
After saying that, she had the butler take Long Junyu away.
Old Madam Long calmed down and looked at her grandson. "Yuan'er, what do you think of this matter?"
Long Yuan said, "It wasn't Jiang Youli. She doesn't have the capability yet."
"Then it must be that crippled boy from the Qi family." Old Madam Long also felt that the little wench Jiang Youli didn't have the grand ability to dig up the Long family's deepest secrets to this extent.
Although that little wench had come to their door the other day, boasting that she had blackmail material on the Long family, she was probably just bluffing and riding on someone else's coattails, relying on the backing of the Qi family!
"That cripple Qi Huan actually dares to use our Long family to curry favor with Jiang Youli!" Old Madam Long's withered hands gripped her cane in a death hold, her cloudy eyes brimming with murderous intent. "Yuan'er, tell me, how do you plan to repay Qi Huan for this grand gift he has given us?"
