Chapter 70 Emergency! Something's happened at Qingming Pavilion!
Upon hearing this, Ye Lan and Qian Qingling glanced at Fu Yun, both showing a hint of surprise in their eyes.
Night Blue asked, "Now?"
Fu Jun nodded: "Yes, is it convenient?"
Qian Qingling glanced at the flow of people in the shop, and before Ye Lan could respond, she couldn't help but ask, "With so many buyers, aren't you going to greet them?"
Fu Yun gently shook her head and patiently explained, "There are limited spaces at the counter, and Lu Zhisheng and the other two are already inside, so I don't need to join in the fun. Since you two are here today, I'll discuss the follow-up arrangements with you."
Qian Qingling looked towards the counter and indeed there were no more space station personnel left.
"I see." She looked at Ye Lan: "Old Ye, what do you think?"
Ye Lan remained silent for a moment before replying, "Then we'll do as Young Master Su says. We don't have much free time, and we don't know when our next proper meeting will be."
Qian Qingling wholeheartedly agreed: "That's right. We've finally made some progress recently, and we must strike while the iron is hot. Otherwise, if we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to find any more clues. We only managed to find some free time today, and our time will only become more limited from now on."
Fu Jun was somewhat moved: he was just a businessman, and Ye Lan and General Qian had taken time out of their busy schedules to attend the opening ceremony, which was already a great honor for him.
Even setting aside their partnership, they are quite loyal as friends.
He felt a little guilty: "You've really gone to a lot of trouble, squeezing in time to come all this way despite your busy schedules. We'll have many more opening and celebration events like this in the future, so you two won't need to make a special trip next time. I know you mean well. It's not easy being in such an important position, with so many things to handle. It would be really wrong of me not to understand."
Qian Qingling and Ye Lan were both slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and then a faint smile flashed in their eyes.
Ye Lan joked, "I always thought you were arrogant and unruly, but it seems that's not all that. You're actually quite shrewd despite your rough exterior."
Fu Yun: "..." That's not arrogance, that's confidence and composure, a sure thing.
Qian Qingling glared at Ye Lan, her eyes seemingly filled with reproach.
It was clearly because she was angry that her words were too direct and that she was afraid she had hurt Su Xiaolangjun's feelings.
Ye Lan twitched the corner of her mouth and rolled her eyes at Qian Qingling to express her dissatisfaction with her prioritizing romance over friendship.
Qian Qingling received a protesting look from Ye Lan and looked away somewhat guiltily. She then glanced at the crowd and quickly changed the subject: "Young Master Su, this is probably not the place to talk."
Upon hearing this, Fu Yun immediately put the content of their previous conversation out of her mind and got down to business: "This place is indeed inconvenient. Do you have any places you would recommend for the meeting?"
Qian Qingling suggested, "Let's go to my place! It's not far from here."
Ye Lan did not object, which clearly meant she agreed.
Since everyone in the General's Mansion was Qian Qingling's man, Fu Yun naturally had no objections.
Seeing that Ye Lan and Fu Jun had no objections, Qian Qingling immediately smiled, her expression one of delight: "Let's go!"
Before leaving, Ye Lan glanced at his subordinates waiting not far away and instructed them, "Lin Xing, take a few men and guard this place. If there is any unusual activity, send someone to the General's Mansion to find me."
Lin Xing quickly cupped her hands in acknowledgment and replied, "Yes, Your subordinate obeys."
Ye Lan then followed Fu Yun and Qian Qingling away.
In the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the three of them arrived at the general's mansion.
Fu Yun entered the main hall and took a seat. Qian Qingling arranged for people to stand guard at the door and instructed the servants to serve tea and pastries.
After Qian Qingling dismissed the servants, only Fu Yun, Ye Lan, and she remained in the main hall.
Fu Yun took the initiative to speak: "Before we talk, I'd like to ask if Commander Ye is aware that I asked General Qian to find stonemasons?"
Ye Lan raised an eyebrow slightly: "What?"
Fu Yun pondered for a moment before answering truthfully: "If the Empress hadn't mentioned this matter to you, I wouldn't be able to discuss it with you. The Empress previously instructed that this matter should not be easily revealed to anyone other than her, as it might cause a disturbance. On the other hand, if she has already instructed you to assist me in accomplishing this matter, then it's fine, and we can speak frankly about everything we know."
He paused, then added apologetically, "I know you are an upright person and would never do anything to harm the Empress, but this matter is extremely important. The Empress conveyed to me that I cannot let anyone else know about this plan except for her. Therefore, I hope you can understand my cautious approach."
Previously, Ye Lan had mentioned that the Empress had sent her to assist him, but she did not specify whether it was only responsible for opening the shop, or whether it also included the more secretive matters of the martial arts arena and mining.
Upon hearing this, Qian Qingling's expression turned serious. She looked at Ye Lan with a questioning gaze, anxiously awaiting her answer.
Ye Lan replied calmly, "His Majesty mentioned this matter to me, but did not specify what use you would have for the stonemason."
“However…” Ye Lan’s lips curled into an enigmatic smile: “His Majesty said that if you commit an unforgivable crime, I can execute you on the spot.”
Fu Yun: "..." Not even a chance to defend myself? As expected of the ruler of a country, so cold and ruthless.
He was both amused and exasperated: "You can rest assured, I will not do anything as heinous as murder or arson. I will definitely be a law-abiding citizen."
Ye Lan curled the corners of her lips, remaining noncommittal.
Seeing this, Qian Qingling quickly smoothed things over, saying, "Of course we trust Young Master Su's character."
Fu Jun chuckled and nodded, not dwelling on the matter, and went straight to the point: "I need stonemasons because I need them to help me find something. If we find it, it will be of great help to the Empress. As for what it is, you'll understand once we find it."
Ye Lan said, "Since it is such an important item, why not release a notice for people to search for it? Wouldn't it be easier to find it if there were more people?"
Fu Yun shook his head and said, "That won't do. If some things become known to ordinary people, it will cause a lot of trouble. So it's best to keep this a secret in the early stages. Not letting others know the real reason is also to avoid unnecessary trouble."
Qian Qingling asked, "Is this why you told me to only find trustworthy people?"
Fu Yun nodded in response: "That's right. Only by knowing the inside story can we prevent unpredictable accidents from happening."
For example, they might secretly take what they dug up and run away, disappearing without a trace.
If it's someone you know, you can trace them back through friends and family, but if someone you don't know runs away, it's much harder to find them.
"You didn't hire a stonemason to find some hidden treasure cave, were you planning to find some kind of treasure?"
Ye Lan suddenly said something in a low voice.
Fu Yun: "..." This statement doesn't seem to make any mistakes. Although the items are different, they essentially mean the same thing.
Fu Yun was at a loss for words, unsure whether he could convey this meaning to General Qian and Commander Ye.
What if they think I'm being delusional and refuse to lend me the stonemasonry?
Isn't this plan to make money the fastest going to fall through?
After a moment's thought, he carefully replied, "You can't say that. Finding treasure requires luck, but what I'm looking for requires strength."
Although the detection capabilities belong to Xiao Ba, his words are not without merit, since no one except himself knows of Xiao Ba's existence.
"Strength?" Ye Lan asked, "Do you know where what you're looking for is?"
Fu Yun said, "Of course, otherwise I wouldn't have told you all this with such certainty."
Before Ye Lan and General Qian could raise any further questions, Fu Yun said, "If you trust me, then give me a chance. If I fail to find it the first time, I will not continue. Would you be willing to assist me then?"
Ye Lan and Qian Qingling exchanged a glance, and then saw the emotions in each other's eyes.
"Alright then." In the end, Ye Lan made the decision: "I will trust you this time. I hope you will not let us down and will not waste the labor of our stonemasons. Old Qian and I will take turns to assist you. I suppose His Majesty will visit in person from time to time. Don't disappoint His Majesty then."
Fu Jun was overjoyed upon hearing this: "Really? Are you all so busy that you can manage to schedule it all?"
To be honest, Fu Yun was a little worried if General Qian and Commander Ye weren't there to keep things under control. If some people were tempted by the money, it would be a disaster for someone as weak and sickly as the original owner of this body who couldn't even kill a chicken.
Don't end up losing your life before you even complete the mission.
As for the Empress, as the ruler of a country, she was busy with state affairs, and being able to go once or twice was already the limit.
Therefore, whether the Empress attends or not will not have much impact on him.
Ye Lan waved her hand: "Since your affairs are of great help to His Majesty, then you should naturally pay more attention to them. As for other less important matters, just delegate them to your subordinates."
"Old Ye is absolutely right. Nothing is more important than His Majesty. Young Master Su, please go ahead and do it. We will do our best to assist you."
Fu Yun felt a surge of gratitude: "That's great. With one of you here, we can definitely avoid a lot of trouble."
It's strange, isn't it? Didn't General Qian's deputy say that General Qian didn't have time to get involved in this matter? Why did he suddenly change his mind today?
Could it be because Ye Lan made the suggestion?
Mr. Fu, you just don't understand, do you?
Fu Yun: "?"
[You really are a clueless CEO when it comes to romance. You can't even figure out these subtle nuances. It's probably because General Qian is worried that you'll develop feelings for Ye Lan if you spend too much time with her!]
Fu Yun: "!" How is that possible?
Putting aside the fact that Ye Lan isn't his type, even if she were, he wouldn't take away Lu Zhisheng's love.
But General Qian didn't know that!
Fu Yun felt exhausted: "Alright, stop arguing. They'll only ever be my friends, and it has nothing to do with romantic love."
It would be wonderful if you could stay true to your original intentions. But I'm a little worried. You're surrounded by two such outstanding women every day. What if you fall for them?
"No." Fu Yun said firmly, "I've met hundreds, if not thousands, of female business elites over the years, and I'm used to it. To me, a business partner is a business partner, and no other feelings will develop."
Okay, okay, then I'm relieved.
"Don't be too happy yet."
Perhaps noticing Fu Yun's distraction, Ye Lan suddenly spoke coldly: "The reason we went with you is to keep an eye on you. If there is anything amiss, we will not let you off the hook just because we are old acquaintances, but will punish you according to the law."
Fu Jun didn't mind: "I understand. After all, this is a very important matter. If you all get involved, you'll have responsibilities on your shoulders. You not only have to be responsible for the people, but you also have to adhere to the principles of being an official. I understand."
Ye Lan was quite satisfied with Fu Yun's cooperation: "It's all the better that you think that way."
As she spoke, she picked up the teacup beside her, took a small sip, and asked casually, "Besides this matter, it seems you have something else to discuss with Lao Qian?"
Fu Yun hummed in agreement, then looked at Qian Qingling with a questioning look in her eyes, implying that Ye Lanqing was unaware of the fitness training camp.
Qian Qingling said, "I have mentioned this matter to Lao Ye, so please feel free to speak."
Fu Jun was relieved and her tone became much more relaxed: "I have some good news to tell you about the fitness training camp."
Before Fu Yun could finish speaking, and before Ye Lan and Qian Qingling could ask what the good news was, a series of urgent knocks sounded at the door: "Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Qian Qingling's expression hardened, and she said coldly, "What is it?"
"Reporting to the General, something has happened at Qingming Pavilion."
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