Su Ning became interested.
But no matter how she pressed the system, it refused to speak, mysteriously indicating that once the host completed the task, she would naturally know what the reward was.
Damn it, her appetite was completely whetted.
How much money was left again?
Thirty-five bucks.
She looked up at her surroundings. Everyone was dressed sharply and spoke with an air of distinction. They would readily say things like, "I have quite a few connections in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas to open up channels," or "There's a sulfur mine in the north where we can extract raw materials"...
But then she looked again at the desolation around her.
Su Ning fell silent. These thirty-five bucks would be hard to spend for the time being. Her heart itched as if scratched by a cat's claws, and naturally, her expression wasn't looking too good.
And then she was misunderstood.
Amidst the lively noise around them, Chen Huaiqian, who had been lowering his presence from the very beginning and avoiding the spotlight, had unknowingly stepped to Su Ning's side:
"You... don't need to worry."
Ah, worry about what?
Su Ning tilted her head in surprise. Was she worried about not being able to spend a mere thirty-five bucks? On second thought, being so anxious right now meant she had fallen right into the system's trap of keeping her in suspense!
"They are acting tough right now, but at least until the fertilizer is produced and they truly see the massive profits, they won't make up their minds to get into any conflict with you."
The weather was still very cold.
Chen Huaiqian wore a very thick long coat and an iron-gray scarf. Right now, he had his head lowered, half of his face buried in the scarf, making it impossible for others to see his expression clearly.
But his voice was calm.
"They won't release the hawk until they see the hare; this is the nature of people in the vanity fair."
"Rest assured."
Su Ning didn't listen carefully, nor did she want to analyze the meaning behind his words, so after giving a vague response, she smoothly changed the subject:
"By the way, that Chu Yan, where did Mayor Chen arrange for him to be?" This genius, who was only briefly mentioned in the original novel, was exactly the person needed to contribute to her fertilizer production enterprise!
"Chu Yan?"
Mayor Chen asked in return. Su Ning almost thought he was an important person with a bad memory and had forgotten about this guy. Fortunately, this guess was quickly overturned.
"I gave him a nominal position in the government and didn't manage much else," Chen Huaiqian explained. He originally wanted Chu Yan to return to the university to continue his studies, but Chu Yan showed a strong reluctance.
In the end, he had to let him self-study.
"...As Miss Su said, although Chu Yan is introverted and speaks little, he is indeed an out-and-out genius. A tree that stands out in the forest will surely be destroyed by the wind; no wonder he was envied and hated by those with ulterior motives."
He paused slightly.
Chen Huaiqian sighed softly:
"With his personality and talent, he is like a gemstone buried deep in the mud. Without someone like Miss Su to pick him out, he would only sink forever in the mud without a chance to shine."
It was indeed like this in the original novel.
Su Ning thought to herself.
But Chu Yan couldn't be blamed. He was born into a completely impoverished family that had aimed for the imperial examinations for generations. Being able to fluently recite the Four Books and Five Classics and write eight-legged essays was what the elders considered a good, beloved son.
But Chu Yan simply had no talent in this area.
If placed in modern times.
He would be the purest of the pure, a science student who wouldn't even have to think twice before choosing physics, chemistry, and biology when dividing academic tracks!
His parents had many other children, so naturally, they couldn't be bothered with Chu Yan, who in their eyes had no future and no talent. Growing up in such a situation, how could his personality not be introverted?
He finally made it to university.
His talent was revealed, and he should have gained external recognition and become confident, but he ran into bad teachers and classmates, who framed him and caused him to be expelled from the university.
After this blow, he became even more withdrawn.
What a pitiful child.
Recalling this, Su Ning even felt a faint sense of pity. From now on, he could just work hard for her. Boss Su would absolutely not mistreat any valuable employee.
"I will go and ask Chu Yan."
Saying this, Chen Huaiqian joked, "The treatment I give is still pretty good; he can get paid without working. Maybe he won't want to come to Miss Su's side."
"Why do you need to ask for his opinion?"
Su Ning said in surprise:
"I need Chu Yan's abilities... so he only has the path of accepting it; there is no option to refuse."
…………
In the dim room.
Someone came in and casually pulled open the thick curtains. The light poured in generously, illuminating the interior scene completely.
It also made the owner blink in discomfort.
"People need to get more sun to be healthy." The Secretary-General rolled up his sleeves, busy securing the curtains, while not forgetting to nag: "Where is the person taking care of you? Why are they gone again? Chu Yan, your temper is just too good. Let me tell you, this won't do..."
"I was the one who asked them to leave."
Chu Yan said softly, turning his head to avoid the light, his slightly long hair sliding to the side.
"I'm not used to having other people around."
"Then you're doomed."
"?"
The Secretary-General leaned in with a smile: "Do you know that Miss Su has gotten her hands on the fertilizer production line?"
As soon as the words fell.
"I know." Chu Yan spoke extremely fast. After realizing it, he subconsciously wanted to lower his head again, his voice dropping: "Many people are discussing this matter, which is why I know."
It was true that many people were discussing it.
But you never participate in anyone's conversations. You've been with the person arranged to take care of you for so long, yet you don't even know their name.
The Secretary-General sighed inwardly.
"Miss Su is going to set up a fertilizer factory, and she specifically called your name, wanting you to go over and work for her... You can't even adapt to one caregiver, and there will definitely be a lot of people in the factory. Why don't you just decline..."
"I can adapt."
Another quick reply, but this time Chu Yan didn't lower his head. He stubbornly looked at the Secretary-General, his eyes seemingly infected by the sunlight, shining brightly. "I can adapt. Aunt Hua will be here in a moment, you can ask her, we actually get along quite well."
"Her surname is Cao, Aunt Cao."
The Secretary-General couldn't help but correct him, shrugging, and pulled out a jade ornament from his pocket, handing it over:
"Alright, I won't tease you anymore."
"As someone Miss Su personally requested, even if you are unwilling and don't want to go, it wouldn't work. But going there might not be bad either; Miss Su still values talented people."
"Here, this is what she sent."
The jade ornament was small and exquisite, shaped like a ruyi, about half the size of a palm.
Its texture was lustrous and clear.
"Keep it well. This thing is worth about a thousand bucks. If there's an emergency, you can sell it for a good price. The meaning is also quite nice—may everything go as you wish."
Chu Yan didn't speak.
But in his heart, he retorted: No, he would never sell it.
He had just reached his hand out and then quickly pulled it back. The Secretary-General was caught off guard. Just as he was wondering, he saw Chu Yan carefully wiping his palms and couldn't help but say:
"This is jade, not some cheap trinket that will fade with a little hand sweat. Besides, Miss Su didn't just buy one for you alone. She's in a good mood and is on a major shopping spree."
Chu Yan took the ruyi and closed it in his palm.
That was different.
After the Secretary-General left, he opened the drawer, swiftly pressed a few spots on the wood grain, and a hidden compartment popped out. He carefully placed the ruyi inside, right next to a stack of green foreign currency.
…………
"This one, this one, and this one."
"Would you like them wrapped up?"
Su Ning shook her head. "Except for these three, wrap up the rest for me."
After saying it, she felt an absolute rush of exhilaration—she finally got the chance to say that classic line!
"Right away."
The manager of the jewelry store couldn't help but marvel. She truly lived up to her reputation as the legendary Miss Su. The tray held over a dozen pieces of gold, silver, and gemstone jewelry, each carrying a hefty price tag. Even your average wealthy person would carefully pick and choose only their absolute favorite.
Who bought fine jewelry like they were picking out vegetables at the market?
Su Ning casually picked up a lustrous pearl earring, toyed with it for a moment, and tossed it back down. She instructed Lin Sen to pick out a few pieces to gift to the Su family and pack the rest away.
When you have too much jewelry, it loses its novelty.
In the beginning, she had been thrilled to own so many beautiful, precious pieces. But once she realized how easily she could get them, she gradually grew numb to the thrill.
She only had one head.
Two wrists.
There was only so much she could wear at once. As a result, countless pieces were banished to the back of her closet the moment she brought them home, completely forgotten by Su Ning.
The real reason for today's massive shopping spree was—
"System, when will my shop finish upgrading?"
"Very soon."
The reward for completing the ten-million quest was an upgrade to the system shop. Not only would her monthly quota of three random items jump directly to five, but Su Ning would also get one chance a month to request a specific item.
Which meant—she could finally buy the robot.
