money player

“Clear.”

“Clear.”

After checking the front of the antique shop and ensuring its safety, the three of them went to the back of the shop where people lived.

Intelligence had been gathered before the operation; the shop owner, Hassan, and his wife were living in the shop, ordinary people in a tactical sense, and not difficult to deal with.

The three searched the back room until they reached the second room, where they drugged Hassan and his wife on the bed in the bedroom, packed them into a sack, and began searching every inch of the room.

After an hour-long search, a Hattam micro-inlaid wooden box, about 15 inches in size, was found under the bed, containing nearly £8000 in cash.

A waterproof bag containing 17 stacks of £5 banknotes was found on the bathroom ceiling.

I found loose banknotes of various denominations in a hidden compartment at the front of the hall, totaling about 3000 pounds. Adding the loose banknotes in the cash register, the total came to around 3100 pounds.

Gold coins and bars, weighing over 50 ounces in total, were found inside several unassuming antique ornaments.

After packing up all their spoils, the group disappeared into the drizzling London night.

An hour later, in a privately dug air-raid shelter outside London, Hassan and his wife were imprisoned on torture chairs, while Badger and Red Dragon lit a campfire and roasted beef skewered with No. 5 bayonets over it.

As the aroma of the roasted meat reached its peak, Honglong glanced at his watch. "Twenty minutes left."

“That’s enough.” Badger cut a slice of beef with his dagger and put it in his mouth. “Do you get a vacation this time?”

"I have a day off before leaving London."

“That’s great, I’m going to meet the Queen of Cooking.”

Rosa Lewis, the culinary queen and lover of the late Edward VII, often met with him at the Cavendish Hotel, which Lewis owned.

The Cavendish Hotel appears to be a high-class hotel, but in reality, it is London's most exclusive "gentlemen's club-style brothel," catering to members of parliament, aristocratic officers, American politicians, and the wealthy.

“Cavendish is not a place for you. The Messina brothers just got a batch of Belgian girls, you can go and try them out.”

With beef slurped in its mouth, the badger mumbled, "I don't like Belgian girls. Are there any French girls?"

"It seems so."

"OK, let's go to Queen Street during the holidays, it's on me."

"Thank you, but no need." Honglong took out a photo from his pocket and gently stroked the longevity lock on the photo with tender eyes. "I can't let her down."

Badger glanced at the photo. "How long until your second child is born?"

"It won't take more than a month."

The badger raised its bayonet in salute, "Good luck."

"good luck."

"I'll use the torture later, don't interfere."

"Thank you." The red dragon's greedy gaze caressed the longevity lock again, then he put the photo away, picked up the cross on his chest and kissed it. "God bless my child's safe birth."

Hong Kong.

In the chairman's office of the Golden Company, Cheryl had a cigarette in her mouth and a telegram from London in her hand—Hassan confessed that he had learned of the five major agents in Tehran.

Havala, an unofficial and informal value transfer system, is centered on completing the transfer of funds without the cross-border flow of physical currency.

Its operation relies entirely on a vast and tightly knit network of "Hawara agents" and the unbreakable bond of honor and trust among them.

Hassan was the main agent in London within the Hawara system, primarily connecting other agents in Iran to facilitate fund transfers between the UK and Iran for clients.

A client in London who wants to send money to Iran simply gives the money to Hassan and agrees on a code for withdrawal. Hassan will then contact an agent in Tehran and inform him that "a person named XX will be looking for you, and the token is XX. Please give him XX amount." The person withdrawing the money can then use the code to collect it from the agent.

In this transaction, the funds in London were not actually transferred to Tehran; it was merely a transaction between two agents that resulted in an inflow of funds, which could be reversed in the future to settle the debt.

With Iran facing a shortage of foreign exchange and goods, the Mossadegh government has implemented land reforms, welfare programs, and rural infrastructure development, with basic necessities, agriculture, light industry, and import substitution becoming the focus of the economy.

At this time, Iran is a hotbed for investment, with huge investment opportunities in areas such as basic necessities, agriculture and land development, light industry and basic manufacturing, trade and logistics.

In practice, establishing flour mills, oil presses, sugar mills, canneries, cotton processing plants, weaving mills, garment factories, soap, laundry detergent, match, candle, and basic medicine factories, as well as cement plants, brick and tile factories, glass factories, and steel bar factories in Iran would all face a situation of supply falling short of demand, and there would be no worry about selling the products at all.

Moreover, the practice of issuing IOUs in Iran is not widespread; the main principle of commerce is still cash on delivery, where the amount of goods sold will be returned in equivalent rials.

Currently, the premise is that you can protect yourself. A dog will eat shit no matter how far it travels, and a coward will be bullied no matter where he is.

Cheryl put down the telegram, picked up the pen on the table, ticked the word "funds security" in her notebook, put down the pen, took two puffs of her cigarette, threw away the cigarette butt, slowly got up and went to the window. She stood quietly for a while and said, "Call Lin from the pyramid scheme company and ask him to have lunch with me."

"Yes," the secretary replied.

Taipei.

Tang Yiying took a bath towel and helped Xian Yaowen dry off, then helped him get dressed. The two left the dressing room and went to the living room.

The living room was furnished somewhat awkwardly. In the center was a mahogany eight-immortal table with a blue and white porcelain tea set on the table. In the position of the main chair of the eight-immortal table, there was a pair of small-leaf sandalwood armchairs carved with cloud and dragon patterns. In the position of the guest seats, there was a pair of large rosewood armchairs with relief carvings of pine, bamboo and plum blossoms. In the corner stood an antique shelf displaying porcelain and jade from the early Qing Dynasty.

Beside the window lattice is a flower stand with a wind-listening vase on it, which sways gently in the breeze.

Sin Yiu-man sat down in the main chair on the left and asked Tang Yi-ying, "When did you change the layout? It wasn't like this when I came last time."

Tang Yiying fiddled with the blue and white porcelain tea set in her hands and replied, "I received it the day before yesterday. I like it very much, so I brought it here."

As she spoke, she gestured toward the armchair under Xian Yaowen's seat, "The two chairs are not a pair. The chair you are sitting on has a design on the bottom, which was bestowed by Emperor Shunzhi to Prince Zheng, Jirhalang. I can't say for sure about this one; it may have come from the main hall of the Cining Palace back then."

"Da Yu'er's?"

"Who?"

Xian Yaowen slightly pursed his lips, "Empress Xiaozhuangwen."

Tang Yiying seemed to realize something, "Don't listen to the nonsense in the novel. Empress Xiaozhuangwen never used the name Dayuer. Dayuer sounds like a common Chinese name. Not to mention that the Manchus were not allowed to use common Chinese names back then, even if they did, it would be a transliteration, such as Hailanzhu or Bumbutai, which both have the meaning of nobility and auspiciousness. Dayuer has no corresponding cultural connotation in the traditional Manchu naming system, so it is impossible for anyone to use it."

"Oh, I really don't know that." Xian Yaowen glanced at the armchair under Tang Yiying's seat. "According to you, yours is Dorgon's?"

“I’m not sure, but I can say that one of its former owners was a prince with an iron hat.” Tang Yiying placed a blue and white porcelain cup in front of Xian Yaowen. “This set of twelve blue and white porcelain cups with the twelve flower goddesses from the official kiln during the mid-Kangxi period is a masterpiece. It can sell for two or three hundred thousand yuan if a buyer likes it.”

"Taiwan dollars?"

“Naturally, it’s in Taiwan Dollars. The Twelve Flower Goddess Cups in blue and white porcelain are not rare. They have been produced by official kilns in every dynasty since the Kangxi era. Even in the Republic of China era, private kilns in various places were also producing them.” Tang Yiying picked up a cup. “This cup is most suitable for Longjing tea. Sir, please have some tea.”

Xian Yaowen chuckled and raised his glass in a toast, "It's too extravagant to use a glass worth hundreds of thousands. It's better to keep it safe and save it for someone who is destined to have it."

Tang Yiying smiled gently, took a sip of tea, and said, "Given your current status, it would not be inappropriate for you to use any cup."

Sin Yiu-man glanced at the cup in his hand. "What I said earlier was just a lie. What I really felt was disgust. This cup has been passed down for hundreds of years. Who knows how many people have used it, and who those people were?"

Setting down his cup, Sin Yiu-man continued, "When it comes to food, the newer the better."

Tang Yiying chuckled, "So that's what you think, sir. I'll get you a different cup."

As she spoke, Tang Yiying went to the storage room and returned shortly with a wooden box. She placed it on the table, opened the lid, and said, "This is a hand-painted piece by Wang Yeting. It's a rare masterpiece from the Republican era. If it's kept for several more decades, its value will probably skyrocket."

Sin Yiu-man glanced at the cup and said, "What if no one hypes it up?"

"Antiques are valued in prosperous times, and gold is valued in chaotic times. If this saying still applies, the Twelve Flower Goddess Cups in blue and white porcelain could never become worthless. The hype surrounding them is just icing on the cake."

Tang Yiying said confidently, "Sir, you have a good eye. You've seized the right opportunity to do antique business. Right now, people in Hong Kong and Taiwan are not at peace, and the value of antiques is underestimated, which makes it convenient to collect fine pieces."

As she spoke, she sighed, "It's just a pity that I can't go to the mainland to pick up the goods, otherwise, sigh."

“Things are unpredictable, and there may be opportunities in the future.” Xian Yaowen took out the September Chrysanthemum Cup from the wooden box, examined it briefly, and handed it to Tang Yiying. “Last year, the State Council of the Mainland issued the ‘Interim Measures for Prohibiting the Export of Precious Cultural Relics and Books.’ The scope of the export ban is rather vague, and most antiques can be legally imported. If you are interested, I can help you arrange it.”

Tang Yiying stared blankly at the cup in Xian Yaowen's hand. After a moment, she came to her senses and asked, "Sir, can you make arrangements?"

“Yes, that’s fine.” Sin Yiu-man nodded confidently. “There are many cultural relic acquisition stations and entrusted shops set up in various cities in the mainland to uniformly acquire cultural relics scattered among the people. The price is determined by the government and private individuals are prohibited from reselling them at high prices.”

However, some private antique shops are still operating, but their business is limited and they are all eager to sell their inventory at high or low prices as their businesses are about to come to an end.

Furthermore, former bureaucrats, old-timers, and formerly middle-class families, facing economic hardship, had to take out their antiques, calligraphy, paintings, jade, and other valuables and exchange them for cash through private transactions, by entrusting merchants, or on the black market to make a living.

Before the complete centralization of the purchase and sale of antiques in mainland China, this is a window of opportunity for acquiring antiques. You can send someone to Guangzhou to establish a trading company specializing in antiques, recruit people in mainland China to collect goods from major cities from south to north, and ship the portion of the collected goods that is allowed to be exported to Hong Kong, while storing the portion that is not allowed to be exported in Guangzhou.

Sin Yiu-man paused for a moment, then said, “The name Su Li-zhen still carries some weight in mainland China. When you decide to do this, go back to Hong Kong and talk to Bao-shu, then you two can go see Li-zhen together.”

"Is it really necessary to go to such lengths?" Tang Yiying chuckled. "Couldn't it be resolved with just a word from Master?"

"This concerns personal interests, so it's best if you two clarify things yourselves." Xian Yaowen glanced at his watch. "How long has it been since you and your sister last saw each other?"

"It's been some time."

Did you buy groceries this morning?

"I bought some."

"I'm not drinking tea anymore, I'm going to the yard to pick vegetables."

Tang Yiying was stunned. "I've hired a chef. He'll be here in a bit."

"Give them the money and send them home." Xian Yaowen took off his suit jacket, unbuttoned his cuffs, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and adjusted his armband. "Since it's the first time I'm meeting my sister-in-law, I'll cook."

A genuine smile shone in Tang Yiying's eyes. "Okay."

Like the Xian residence, the Tang residence also had a pavilion in the courtyard. Xian Yaowen took his seat at the stone table in the pavilion first, while Tang Yiying followed behind, carrying a vegetable basket, placing it on the stone table, and then returning to the house with a glass.

Xian Yaowen took red amaranth from the vegetable basket and placed it on the stone table. He picked up a handful and pinched the old roots with his fingernail. "Do you have any sweet potato flour at home?"

"Have."

"The red amaranth you bought is too old. Red amaranth will turn black when it comes into contact with iron, so it needs to be stir-fried quickly. The old leaves take a long time to cook and are not suitable for stir-frying. I plan to make red amaranth pancakes."

"Red amaranth cake? Where is this recipe from? I've never seen it before."

Xian Yaowen recalled for a moment and said, "It may not be a local practice, but rather an individual practice. In the central Zhejiang area, there is a way to make pumpkin pancakes. The pumpkin is cut into strips, mixed with sweet potato flour, and then cooked in a pan. If it is not pumpkin season, some families may use red amaranth instead."

Tang Yiying pressed on curiously, "Where did you know that?"

"I have someone collect and record the cooking methods of various places, and I plan to compile them into a book called 'Food Record'."

"How did you come up with the idea to do this?" Tang Yiying asked in surprise.

Sin Yiu-man smiled faintly and said, "In this life, eating and drinking are the most important things. Even if I take good care of myself, the age at which I can eat without restraint is at most sixty. In my short forty years, I don't want to wrong myself."

"That's true." Tang Yiying sighed softly, "According to Master, I only have a dozen or so years left to enjoy life."

"Time flies, and we've been lovers for a long time. I don't want you to live a life of hardship. Once I leave Taipei, you can finally take off the headband that's been binding you."

Tang Yiying trembled. "What do you mean?"

Xian Yaowen's gentle gaze rested on Tang Yiying's face. "You'll soon be at the age where you experience hot flashes and night sweats. Once you stop menstruating, you might lose the desire for that kind of thing, or you might have a stronger desire without the pressure of pregnancy. Whatever the case, I can't give you enough, so I'm giving you freedom. You can sleep with other men."

Tang Yiying stared in disbelief, speechless, and asked, "You want to sever ties with me?"

“No.” Sin Yiu-man waved his hand. “I’m just letting you off from some obligations you should have fulfilled. As for our relationship, we can just stay in our adulterous state.”

Tang Yiying felt a little relieved, but she was still uneasy. "I thought I was not your concubine, but at least a mistress."

“Well, in some ways, you can indeed be considered my concubine.” Xian Yaowen paused. “Let me put it this way, you can think of me as being quite magnanimous, willing to put myself in your shoes, and allowing you to mess around outside.”

“No man would want his woman to cheat on him, you…” Tang Yiying hesitated.

“You should know my situation.” Xian Yaowen put the selected red amaranth aside and took out chrysanthemum greens from the vegetable basket. “There are nine in the family, plus Huo Zhixian, who is my marriage partner, making ten. And there are five or six more that you don’t know about, involving interests that cannot be given up. The number will likely increase in the future.”

Besides, I've always been a womanizer, going wherever I go. If I were a teapot, I wouldn't be enough to fill the ever-growing number of teacups.

Xian Yaowen put down the chrysanthemum greens in his hand and stroked Tang Yiying's cheek with the back of his hand. "Ying'er, you are not a well-behaved person. I'm giving you your freedom. Be yourself again."

Upon hearing this, Tang Yiying was stunned for a long time, and all her thoughts condensed into one sentence: "Will the master still come to stay overnight at my place?"

"Yes, I will." Xian Yaowen's throat tightened. "Just overnight stay, nothing else."

Tang Yiying rubbed her cheek against Xian Yaowen's hand and said emotionally, "Master, you are so kind."

Xian Yaowen withdrew his hand, waved it, and said nothing, focusing only on picking the yellow and rotten leaves from the chrysanthemum greens.

After the topic was dropped, the two were silent for a moment before Tang Yiying spoke again: "How does Master plan to talk to Shunjun?"

"We'll discuss it however we see fit. My idea for financing the Manchus is a win-win situation. We'll use their resources to generate profits, they'll share in the gains and enhance their prestige among the Manchus, and the Manchus who receive the financing will be the lucky ones, encountering a great opportunity for asset appreciation."

"Is the master absolutely certain of success?"

What do you mean?

"Laying eggs".

“Hmm.” Sin Yiu-man nodded. “Firstly, I have confidence in myself, and secondly, even if the investment fails, I will grit my teeth and swallow the bitter pill, and use my own money to subsidize the investors.”

"The master's invincible body cannot be broken?"

"Yes, Manren Financing is the beginning of a series of financing plans, and failure is not an option."

"I understand." Tang Yiying nodded, then hesitated slightly before adding, "Can't the master get financing from the Bank of Taiwan...? Is the cost too high?"

"No."

"Don't put all your eggs in one basket?"

"Ah."

Sin Yao-wen did not explain that Chiang Ching-kuo was most likely behind the Taiwan Bank's channels, and that he might have become a pawn for Chiang Ching-kuo to achieve some goal, and that he was currently a silent pawn.

He didn't care whether he was a pawn or not. In the arena of interests, everyone plays both the role of a player and a pawn at the same time. As long as the interests he pursues are guaranteed, he can be muddleheaded when necessary.

On the chessboard of the Bank of Taiwan's embezzlement, Chiang Ching-kuo, without revealing his true identity, is merely a pawn, manipulated without much effort. Once he reveals his true identity, he becomes the chariot and horse, and Taiwan is very likely to be tied to Chiang's war chariot. Great opportunities and great crises go hand in hand.

He's here to make money. Politics is just something to play around with; let others play it if they want, but don't drag him into it.

"What happened after the Manchus? Capital from Jiangsu and Zhejiang?"

Xian Yaowen waved his hand, "Jiangsu and Zhejiang capital is like a frightened bird. Most of them are clutching their pockets tightly, ready to flee to other places at any time. Now is not a good time to raise funds from them. We have to wait until the situation becomes clear and until they panic."

What's the panic?

"Realizing that they were running out of resources, they were eager to change."

"Why is it that in Hong Kong..." Tang Yiying pondered for a moment, "the opportunity had already arisen last year?"

"Correct."

Hong Kong.

Wearing a women's suit, Liu Wanqing leaned against the car, her eyes fixed intently on the gate of the Causeway Bay Tram Depot across the street.

The development plan for six tenement buildings on Tai Yuen Street in Wan Chai is on track, with funds largely recovered. Golden House Real Estate only invested HK$50,000 to initiate the project, and the company account now has HK$890,000 in three-month working capital, enough to fund a substantial development project.

Her eyes were fixed on Russell Street, which her father had once mentioned; she wanted the land at the Causeway Bay tram depot.

She muttered to herself, "No time for National Day, and Double Ten is a bit rushed. It seems like there's no time to instigate a bloodbath between the left and right factions' unions, and also to clear myself of any wrongdoing... Who benefits? Who is the most suspicious? It's not easy to clear myself of all suspicion. Should I think about it more carefully?"

After a long while, she sighed softly, "It seems like I can't handle this alone."

After a long silence, she said to Zheng Lanjian, who was standing beside her, "Cross the sea to Shanjin Tea House."

Tang Residence.

After selecting the vegetables, Tang Yiying carried two buckets out of the kitchen. One bucket contained a three-pound snakehead fish, and the other contained small clams. A cleaver was leaning against the side of the bucket, with two small clams clinging to the blade, oblivious to their impending doom.

Sin Yiu-man took out a kitchen knife, glanced at it, and said disdainfully, "Have you never even used a kitchen knife before? It's rusted like this."

Tang Yiying chuckled and said, "I fired a gun, but I didn't use a knife."

Where's the whetstone?

"No."

"No wonder he grew up in the palace." Xian Yaowen said with disdain, his eyes wandering over the stone benches in the pavilion, looking for a suitable place to sharpen his knife.

After a short while, he chose a spot, put the cleaver into the bucket, scooped up water and poured it on the cleaver, then scooped up another handful of water and went to the sharpening spot. He poured the water on the stone bench, scraped the blade with his thumb, and after getting a feel for it, he rubbed the side of the cleaver against the stone bench.

Tang Yiying picked up her teacup, her burning gaze fixed on Xian Yaowen's face, her mind replaying the "tightening spell."

Admittedly, she didn't have much affection for Sin Yiu-man. Initially, relying on him was her best option. He was young and strong, and could not only satisfy her but even make her beg for mercy. He was rich and influential, and he pulled her out of her predicament and provided her with protection. She was like a drowning person finding a lone boat, clinging tightly to the gunwale and unwilling to let go.

Before she could even finish planning her little scheme, he had already paved a shortcut for her. He kept his promises little by little, without any discounts, and even exceeded her expectations. He was so good to her that she gradually felt at ease and her loyalty grew stronger.

Then, a thunderbolt struck: he actually allowed her to have relationships with other men. She was shocked and skeptical. If she really had a relationship with another man, would she be in immediate danger?
She glanced at Xie Tingyun briefly, then quickly looked away. This woman was always eavesdropping, even at that time she had guards protecting her. How much trust did he really have in her?
Do all women receive the same treatment?
Her gaze returned to Xian Yaowen, her heart churning with turmoil.

Xian Yaowen combines the standardization and precise angle control of American sharpening with the casualness and practicality of Chinese sharpening, skillfully sharpening the kitchen knife in his hand, with rust gradually being removed by friction.

His mind was clear and free of all thoughts; he focused on sharpening the knife and did not consider Tang Yiying's thoughts at that moment.

He had long since figured out Tang Yiying. Regardless of her temperament in the past, at her current age, she had become a self-centered person with a very mature view of relationships. Relationships were just an embellishment of life, not the whole thing.

Even if she meets another man who can make her yearn for love again, she won't let feelings affect her career. That's why he felt at ease removing the reins and erasing the last trace of resentment that might affect their friendly working relationship.

To put it bluntly, the filter that made Tang Yiying so alluring to him has shattered. Without that filter, she's just an old woman, and there's no need to maintain the relationship.

At this moment, all he cared about was that Tang Yiying could hook up with another man as soon as possible. That way, Tang Yiying might feel a little morally guilty, and he could comfortably take less of the profits.

Of course, he knew that even if Tang Yiying had such thoughts, she wouldn't act on them too quickly. She would observe and test the waters, and only take action when she was sure that he really didn't care.

Perhaps, nothing will ever happen.

After grinding away the rust on the blade, he wiped it with water and, seeing its gleaming white sheen that reflected a person's face, nodded in satisfaction and continued sharpening the blade.

He placed the cleaver diagonally on the bluestone, his wrist steadily pressing down on the back of the blade, and began to grind it back and forth.

The rough bluestone bit into the blade, the rustling sound steady and monotonous. Fine white iron filings mixed with water seeped out from the edge of the blade and slowly flowed down the whetstone.

With each push, the force increased slightly, while the angle remained unchanged, until the blade gradually thinned and sharpened, and a cold light slowly seeped from the edge. When the fingertips gently brushed the blade, feeling only a cool and sharp sensation, without the slightest dullness, the knife was truly sharpened anew.

As his thumb swept across the blade, Tang Shunjun appeared in the courtyard. Her gaze swept towards the pavilion, landing first on Tang Yiying. Her delicate brows furrowed slightly as she wondered why her older sister had asked her to meet.

Although she and Tang Yiying are sisters, their personalities, values, and life paths are completely opposite. They appear to be harmonious on the surface, but are distant in private, more polite than affectionate, and respect each other but do not open up to each other.

They were never on the same wavelength from childhood. They never opened their hearts to each other, let alone talked about anything. Their social circles and friends did not overlap at all, and they had almost no deep contact after adulthood. In the past, they would only meet during holidays and family occasions.

She had heard that Tang Yiying had come to Taipei, but pretended not to know and had no intention of being a good host, for she was afraid that her three children would be tainted by this aunt's bad luck.

As she recalled the past, her gaze slid towards Sin Yiu-man. The moment her eyes met his handsome face, she was stunned. This man must be the legendary Sin Yiu-man. How could someone so good-looking be involved with Tang Yi-ying?
After thinking for a while, she still couldn't understand what Xian Yaowen and Tang Yiying were talking about. Without giving her time to think further, she realized that the bodyguard's woman had probably noticed her. She composed herself and walked towards the pavilion.

A moment later, she approached Tang Yiying, who had been startled by the footsteps, and slightly curtsied in a very standard and restrained salute. In a dignified and composed tone, she said, "Sister, it's been a long time. How are you?"

"It's alright. I can make a living by trading antiques in Taipei, though it's not easy." Tang Yiying's voice was indifferent, as if she were talking to a familiar but not close family friend. She gestured for Tang Shunjun to sit down. "My sister, on the other hand, has always been settled in Taipei. She's much better off than me."

Tang Shunjun sat down opposite Tang Yiying, glancing at the scraps of vegetables left on the stone table, then at the bucket on the ground, before gently looking away. “Just live a simple life. With your talent, you can stand on your own two feet anywhere.”

These words sounded like praise, but carried a hint of detachment.

Tang Yiying wasn't annoyed. She smiled faintly and said, "There are no servants at home. I'll go pour tea for my sister. Would Longjing tea be alright?"

"Thank you for your help, sister."

Tang Yiying rose and took a step, her toes landing lightly and steadily, her strides extremely small, each step smooth and silent, the hem of her cheongsam swaying only slightly, without the slightest sway. It was a gait she had developed since childhood wearing platform shoes, and even now, in high heels, the inherent elegance remained.

This is the proper demeanor of a princess, something she had abandoned for a long time, but today, in front of her younger sister, she picked it up again, unwilling to show weakness.

She was considered a rebel within the family; everyone said she had disgraced the family, while her younger sister was the family's respectable member. The two were incompatible, constantly at odds. (End of Chapter)