The Martial Lord of the Troubled World

Chapter 2 Foreign Merchants
The rain started suddenly.

Large raindrops pelted down, hitting the car windows and splashing up a gray mist.

"Drip-drip-"

The car, its windshield wipers swishing frantically and its headlights flashing orange, slowly drove through the black gate, continuing forward until it finally stopped in front of a beautiful Western-style garden villa.

Fu Juemin pushed open the door and got out of the car. A servant was already running up to him with an umbrella and escorted him to the eaves.

Several servants were gathered at the entrance, and two stone lions crouched on the left and right sides in the rain, silently watching everything.

"Young Master, where have you been?"

An elderly man with a gaunt face, who looked like a butler, handed Fu Juemin a hot towel while complaining, "Your injury hasn't fully healed yet. The doctor told you to rest. You can't afford to be disturbed right now..."

"Let's go out for a walk."

Fu Juemin wiped his hands with a towel and casually asked, "Uncle Chen, where's my father?"

"In the study."

The old butler bent down and carefully brushed the water droplets off Fu Juemin's suit. "A foreign merchant from the country of Verede arrived early this morning."
The master and the second master are talking to them.

"Foreign merchants?"

Fu Juemin's expression shifted slightly. "I'll go take a look."

Without waiting for the old butler to persuade her further, she tossed the towel back to the servant and turned to walk into the house.

As the richest family in Luanhe County, the Fu family naturally built a spacious and grand mansion.

The living room alone occupies several hundred square meters, with the floor covered with imported colored tiles that are so shiny they reflect light like a mirror.

The ceiling between the first and third floors was completely opened up, and a huge crystal chandelier hung down from above, illuminating the entire room in a magnificent manner.

As soon as Fu Juemin stepped into the living room, he saw the two men walking towards him.

One was blond with a full beard, wearing a tight-fitting tuxedo; the other had slicked-back hair, round-framed glasses, and a beige plaid suit, looking like a lackey.

The two were speaking in Verito.

The language was very similar to English in his previous life, and his predecessor had learned a few phrases, so Fu Juemin could barely understand it.

"Sir Lawrence, the Fu family isn't the only merchant family with boats in Luanhe County. Let me show you some other businesses."

"I don't care, you have to get this sorted out for me!"

"Yes Yes Yes"

Judging from their conversation and the bearded foreigner's gloomy expression, it seemed that the business deal had not been finalized.

Fu Juemin had no intention of talking to the two men. They exchanged a brief glance and then passed each other.

He walked through the living room, all the way to the door of a room at the end of the left-hand corridor, and then stopped and knocked.

Hearing the voice inside saying "Come in," Fu Juemin pushed the door open and went in.

Upon entering, one is greeted by antique shelves on three sides, filled with various porcelain, bronze, and jade pieces. In front of the bookshelf on the west side stands a large desk with a green glass-shaded lamp and a hand-cranked telephone.

In the reception corner next to the executive desk, two people were sitting. One was fiddling with the purple clay tea set on the coffee table, while the other was sitting with his legs crossed, puffing on a cigar.

Fu Juemin walked over and respectfully greeted, "Father, Second Uncle."

The one fiddling with the tea set was Fu Guosheng, Fu Juemin's adoptive father.

Fu Guosheng had jet-black hair, a handsome face, wore a brocade long gown, and a gold chain pocket watch, exuding the air of a Confucian businessman.

As for Fu Juemin's second uncle, Fu Guoping, he looked exactly like Fu Guosheng—broad-shouldered and burly, with a full beard, he looked exactly like a rough and heroic figure.

"Lingjun is back."

Before Fu Guosheng could speak, Fu Guoping put down his cigar and spoke to him with a smile.

Fu Guoping married eight concubines, but all of them were daughters. Therefore, he treated Fu Juemin like his own son from a young age. Fu Juemin's previous life also had a close relationship with his second uncle. From childhood to adulthood, whenever he got into trouble, he would almost always ask his second uncle for protection.

"Where did you go today?"

When Fu Guoping asked, Fu Juemin honestly replied, "I went to watch some acrobatics at the intersection of West Market Street, had roast goose at Furui Restaurant for lunch, and went to the dock in the afternoon."

Fu Juemin paused suddenly as he spoke, and then recounted what had happened at the dock.

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Guoping scoffed with a disdainful laugh: "Bullshit demons!"

It must be some kind of trouble caused by those gangs fighting over territory at the docks.

The Black Shark Gang has grown powerful in the past two years, and countless people secretly want Wu Xiaoyun dead, even fabricating the story of the water monkey capturing people...

However, one thing is true.

Fu Guoping dusted off his cigar ash. "The docks are bound to be in turmoil these next few days. Lingjun, you shouldn't go there anymore."

Fu Juemin's eyes flickered slightly, and he nodded slowly.

Fu Guoping then took out another box and handed it to Fu Juemin.

"Keep this safe, I'll have the kitchen stew it for you later." Fu Guoping took out a wooden box containing an old ginseng root wrapped in red cloth, as thick as a baby's forearm.

Fu Juemin stared blankly at the ginseng in the box. "Second Uncle, I'm still young, I don't need to take such tonics."

"You need to supplement your diet when you're young. Ordinary people can't even buy a single root of this 300-year-old ginseng. Your second uncle went through a lot of trouble to get his hands on it."

"You've just recovered from your injury, so this is a good time to use it to recuperate."

"Thank you, uncle."

Fu Juemin reluctantly accepted the gifts. At this moment, Fu Guosheng, who had been silent all along, raised his head and said indifferently, "Since you've taken the benefits, hurry up and leave. Your second uncle and I still have things to discuss."

From the moment Fu Juemin entered the study, Fu Guosheng didn't say a word to him, and immediately told him to leave.

Fu Guosheng has always treated him this way.

The main reason is that the predecessor was the only son of the Fu family, and he lost his mother at a young age. He was spoiled from childhood and had a free-spirited, unruly and undisciplined personality.

This time he almost lost his life. Although the main fault did not lie with him, he shouldn't expect Fu Guosheng to give him a kind look.

Fu Juemin, clutching the wooden box, was about to leave when he couldn't help but ask, "Father, what did that foreign merchant, Vilido, want from you just now?"

Fu Guosheng glanced at him, then lowered his head to blow the foam off the tea. "That foreigner wanted to use our Fu family's waterways and boats to transport his own goods, but I didn't agree."

"Dad thinks the price is too low?"

"That's not it."

Fu Guosheng shook his head, "The foreigners are offering very high prices, almost three times the normal amount."

"Then there's something wrong with the foreign goods."

Fu Juemin seemed to be thinking about something, so he didn't ask any more questions and turned to leave.

"Tsk."

As soon as Fu Juemin stepped out of the study, Fu Guoping, who was on the sofa, couldn't help but say, "Brother, Lingjun is quite something. Just like you, he could tell at a glance that the foreigner had a problem."

"He's not stupid, he just never uses his intelligence for good."

Hopefully, this experience will change his personality.

Fu Guosheng picked up his teacup and took a small sip, saying, "That ginseng you gave Lingjun wasn't cheap, was it? I'll have the accountant give you 50,000 silver dollars later."

"It's just a ginseng root, not made of gold."

Fu Guoping waved his hand, "Why are we talking about money among family?"

Fu Guosheng didn't say anything, but after thinking for a moment, he changed the subject and asked, "How's the investigation going?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Guoping slowly put down the cigar in his hand. "I've checked the family background of that girl from Shenggong Girls' School, as well as her friends, teachers, and relatives. There's nothing wrong with it."

On the day Lingjun had his accident, she was rehearsing a play with several female students at the drama club. The note that lured Lingjun out of the city was probably written by someone imitating her handwriting.
But who did it has not yet been found.

"There are only a handful of people who have both the guts and the ability to do this."

Fu Guosheng tapped the table and said calmly, "Invite all the young masters and ladies from the Huang family, Hu family, Lin family, etc., and test them one by one. You'll eventually find some clues."

"it is good."

Fu Guoping nodded.

Fu Guosheng picked up the purple clay teapot, and poured amber-colored tea into the cup in front of Fu Guoping. "Send two people over to keep an eye on Lingjun for me. I'm afraid those people will try to harm him again."

Fu Guoping took a small sip of tea and smiled, "Doesn't Brother have Li Tong under his command? I've heard that he's a member of the Great Martial Family and he's not even afraid of bullets."

"You know Li Tong's personality."

Fu Guosheng said, "He doesn't care about anyone else's life or death except for me."

"Too."

Fu Guoping smacked his lips, put down his teacup, and said, "There's something else I'd like my elder brother to help me decide."

"what?"

"It's still about the docks."

Fu Guoping rubbed his temples, his face full of exhaustion. "Lingjun was here just now, so I couldn't say much. Wu Xiaoyun of the Black Shark Gang actually lost his life while trying to help me."

Since the seventh day of last month, I've lost more than a dozen brothers because of this water monster, and we haven't even caught a glimpse of the beast.

Fu Guoping slapped his thigh hard: "If even I can't do it, then I'm quitting this job at the Civil Affairs Bureau! Whoever wants to do it can do it!"

Fu Guosheng gently scraped the side of the purple clay teapot with his fingertips, pondered for a long time, and said, "First, prepare some live pigs and sheep, and throw them into the river for a few days to see how it goes?"

"Feed it?"

Fu Guoping was taken aback at first, then smiled wryly, "This method might end up being a trap."

He hesitated for a long time, and finally let out a long sigh:
"Well, that's all we can do for now."

(End of this chapter)