"..."
Zhang Cang held a wine cup filled with green bamboo wine, stiffly turning his neck. His expression was as blank as Bambi, a fawn who had wandered into the jungle, and his wide-open mouth resembled a dark, dry well.
Either he's drunk.
Either he's gone mad.
Otherwise, why would their boat have hit a whale in the river?
whale.
Whales!!!
[I'm so sorry, I was enjoying my meal at the bottom of the lake, but you are all so adorable that I couldn't resist coming up to talk to you. Look at your tiny arms, tiny heads, oh, and tiny fins, good heavens—forgive my rudeness, gentleman.]
A gigantic whale surfaced, a plume of white steam billowing from a hole in its back, its elegant tone carrying a hint of smugness:
Look at me! My friend Milu gave me an amazing magical item that made me tiny and small. Oh my gosh, now I can get closer to you all and join your parties... If you'd like, you can jump on my back for a wonderful adventure—
The people on the ship then realized that the large black object on the whale's back was not the "barnacles" they had always thought it was, but a miniature city model. Black volcanic ash covered the city's surface, and one could still see some traces of the city's former prosperity.
Miniature size?
Zhang Cang looked at the enormous whale but didn't dare ask how big its true form was.
But he still couldn't accept the fact that there was a whale swimming in a freshwater lake.
"Are you serious? A talking whale is sitting on the bow of our boat, inviting us to have a drink, and all you care about is whether the whale can survive in freshwater?"
Jiang Mingyue pushed up his glasses. Compared to Zhang Cang's unease, he seemed slightly calmer: "Don't you think something's not quite right?"
Wang Lan, standing to the side, took a sip of her drink, trying to calm herself down:
"The whole banquet was weird. I just saw a child wearing a bib riding around on a pig, and someone turned his two legs into a tail right in front of me. Oh, and there were a few drunkards dressed like underworld officials singing a summoning song on the shore... Let's just say we should be grateful that Professor Yu Ran has enough nitroglycerin pills."
The elderly professor sitting next to me had dark hair, a lean build, and a very kind smile. He was squatting down to take pictures of the lava whale, and upon hearing this, he turned his head and smiled, appearing quite comfortable with the situation.
"It's clear that Miss Xu is very popular here."
"She's just too popular. It seems like everyone, whether human or non-human, likes her."
Jiang Mingyue took out a fist-sized blue gem from her pocket, her expression somewhat helpless:
“Just now, a lady with a human head on her head swam by in the water. When she heard that I knew our boss, she gave me this.”
It was a very pure blue gemstone. Even with some mud on it, its bright luster was completely undiminished. Its cornflower-like clarity was enough to place Jiang Mingyue on the list of the world's richest people.
Even Jiang Mingyue, who had experienced many storms, couldn't help but feel slightly dazed.
That's incredible.
Diamonds, treasured in one world, are just common stones in another, and can even be given as a first-meeting gift.
"Wait, wait, let me sort this out."
Zhang Cang covered his head, turned to look at the dragon girl flying in the sky, then at the elf playing the harp by the river, and finally at the giant whale chatting happily with Professor Yu Ran:
"Don't you guys find it strange? The boss sent us here, but we haven't even seen her yet. And it's been about six months since the boss last showed up, hasn't it? Could it be..."
His pupils suddenly contracted, and he exchanged a somewhat startled glance with Jiang Mingyue and Wang Lan. Instantly, an unbelievable guess slowly surfaced in his mind:
"Could it be..."
Jiang Mingyue and Wang Lan exchanged a glance, their expressions somewhat subtle.
—This guy finally guessed it.
In fact, before receiving the invitation, the two had discussed Ren Honghe's strange behavior more than once in private.
Unlike the officials, Ren Honghe always contacted them directly. It could be said that they were the people who knew Ren Honghe the most, apart from the two bodyguards. Therefore, they remembered some details that Zhang Cang would not usually notice.
First, the timing of Ren Honghe's disappearances and reappearances is 80% consistent with Ms. Xu's activity patterns. Second, whether it's new seeds that Honghe Seed Industry has not yet launched or new technologies that Honghe Technology has not yet introduced, all of them can be traced in Ningcheng.
"Ren Honghe" has the highest level of authority within Honghe Technology. The highest authority below this level does not belong to Zhang Cang, Jiang Mingyue, or Wang Lan, but to this Ms. Xu.
In other words, if Xu Milu suddenly decides to sell Honghe Technology, she can happily sit on a throne of billions in assets. And if Honghe disappears one day, the only connection she has left in the world will be Xu Milu.
Despite the numerous speculations within Honghe Technology about the relationship between the two, including but not limited to "Ren Honghe and Xu Milu are related by blood," "Ren Honghe and Xu Milu are lovers," "Xu Milu saved Ren Honghe's life," "Ren Honghe is pursuing Xu Milu," and so on, Jiang Mingyue and Wang Lan honestly admitted that no one could completely trust the other person to such an extent.
My dear reader, there's more to this chapter! Please click the next page to continue reading—even more exciting content awaits!
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