Ch. 1541..1550
Chapter 1541: 1541, just wait and see.
“You’d better apologize quickly, and once you do, I’ll be on my way, so as not to block the path and keep everyone from leaving,” Tan Rou said.
Mia tried to persuade her companions, “Elinka, please just apologize to Miss Rou; she is not unreasonable. As long as you apologize, she won’t make things difficult for you.”
Some hesitated because they had witnessed Tan Rou’s abilities, but Elinka disagreed, speaking defiantly, “I’ve never apologized to anyone in my life, and who is she anyway? Why should I apologize to her? I’m going to tell my father, let him seek an audience with His Majesty, and have this foreign woman thrown out.”
Tan Rou thought to herself that Elinka’s father probably wouldn’t be able to see the King, as he was still asleep at the moment.
“Then go ahead, but I’ve heard His Majesty hasn’t been seeing many visitors lately. I’m not sure if your father will be able to see the King,” Tan Rou said with a smile.
“My father can’t see the King, and you think you can? Who do you think you are?” Elinka shouted, lacking the comportment of a lady—a clear sign her home training had been lacking.
Mia and Elinka were friends, and Mia didn’t want Elinka to offend Tan Rou, so she said, “Miss Rou, Elinka is just like that, please don’t take it to heart. We were wrong today, and I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
Having said that, she bowed deeply, “Miss Rou, I’m really sorry. I hope you can forgive us.”
Tan Rou always abided by the principle of “the specific wrongs must be addressed specifically,” and if it hadn’t been for Mia’s good attitude today, she would never have let the matter go easily.
“Fine,” Tan Rou said reluctantly, “in consideration of Miss Mia, let’s call it even for today. But I must warn you to not trouble me easily in the future, or I won’t let you off so easily.”
Elinka, like a live bomb, ignited, “You won’t let us off? Do you know who my father is? My father is the Marquis Waldner, owner of the largest diamond mine in the country! Just wait here, I’ll send someone to inform my father right away, and he’ll come and teach you a lesson!”
At that moment, one of the ladies nearby said, “Elinka, isn’t your father being confined? How can he come out and teach this woman a lesson?”
On impulse, Elinka had been bluffing, trying to scare Tan Rou, but before she even finished her threat, her secret was out.
Tan Rou immediately realized that last time, the King had confined several nobles, and it was likely Elinka’s father was among them.
She chuckled, “It seems your father is quite busy lately, probably without time to come looking for me. Let’s leave it at that for today’s apology. I’ll leave you an address, and if next time your father wants to trouble me, please have him go there. I will welcome his arrival with open doors.”
Then she called out, “Does anyone present have some paper? I’d like to borrow some to write an address for this young lady.”
It’s the same in any country: watching a spectacle with a love for drama, and immediately seven or eight people got paper and pen for Tan Rou. She picked a good piece of paper and wrote down the address with her own pen for Elinka.
As she wrote the address, Elinka continued to make threats, “You little brat, just you wait! Once my father is out of confinement, he’ll teach you a lesson!”
After finishing the note, Tan Rou didn’t hand it directly to Elinka but instead quickly flashed to her side and stuffed the note inside her collar.
Having done that, Tan Rou left, and no one at the scene saw how she did it. By the time they realized, she was already far away.
Elinka felt that Tan Rou’s action was an insult to her dignity, furiously taking the note out, stomping on it on the ground twice before letting her maid pick it up.
Elinka ordered, “Tell me her address, I must go there and teach her a lesson myself!”
After reading it, the maid said with difficulty, “Miss, she is staying in the princess’s chamber, and it seems we cannot go there.”
Chapter 1542: 1542 Rift
“Damn it, damn it!” Elinka stamped her feet furiously, “I’ll never let her get away with this!”
Mia looked at Elinka and shook her head slightly, perhaps it was time for a change. She couldn’t keep hanging out with these ladies; she had to make something of herself, just like Miss Rou had done.
“Mia, why don’t you speak up for me?” Unable to confront Tan Rou, Elinka turned to Mia, “Whose side are you on anyway? Didn’t you see her bullying us?”
Mia spoke with great integrity, “Elinka, it was clearly us who bumped into her first. It’s only right that she demanded an apology, so stop being angry. Besides, you haven’t suffered any loss, have you? I was the one who apologized just now.”
“What do you mean by that?” Elinka said unhappily, “Are you implying it’s my fault for causing trouble? Don’t forget, we confronted her on your behalf.”
Mia regretted mentioning Tan Rou to them, “Can’t I regret it now? Haven’t you seen her strength? She could take us all down by herself. Last time, in the lab building, she took on seven or eight grown men by herself, and even the armed guards were no match for her. Do you think we stand a chance against her?”
Elinka refused to believe in Tan Rou’s strength, “If you’re scared, don’t drag us into this. We’re not afraid at all. It was just that we were outnumbered this time. Next time, when we have more people, I’ll make sure she can’t find her way home!”
Mia couldn’t get through to them, “If you want to teach her a lesson, leave me out of it. I have other things to do. I’m leaving.”
Elinka blocked her way, “Mia, what’s this supposed to mean? Are you siding with her? Don’t forget, we’ve been friends for years. My aunt married your uncle; our families are relatives!”
Mia said, “I don’t intend to take her side, but we were indeed in the wrong today; apologizing to her was the right thing to do. So, Elinka, stop making trouble. If you keep this up, we don’t need to be friends anymore.”
Elinka was furious, “Fine, fine, if you don’t want to be friends with us, then don’t. We did all this for you, and in the end, you blame it on us. Where’s the sense in that?”
The noble young ladies nearby tried to appease Elinka and Mia, “Let’s not fight anymore, we’re all friends. Why argue like this?”
“I didn’t want to argue with her, she insisted on arguing with me,” Mia replied, “And as I’ve already said, Tan Rou is far too strong for us. Even if we call in reinforcements, not even the gun-carrying patrol soldiers might be able to defeat Tan Rou.”
“Fine, since you keep siding with her, we don’t need to be friends anymore!” Elinka, overcome with anger, turned and left, “If any of you want to be friends with Mia, then don’t you dare speak to me again!”
Mia remained silent as the noble young ladies looked at each other and finally decided to follow Elinka.
They too thought Mia was in the wrong. Initially, they had targeted Tan Rou to avenge Mia, but in the end, Mia apologized to Tan Rou and advised them against provoking her.
A joke, indeed. They were doted-on noble daughters, and even in this country where women’s status was lower, they were loved dearly. After suffering such an insult today, they wouldn’t let it go easily. Once their fathers’ confinement was over, they would surely band together to settle the score with Tan Rou.
They couldn’t believe that a lone foreign woman could pose such a threat.
Watching Elinka and the others leave, Mia could only shake her head helplessly. She turned to her maid and said, “Let’s go.”
The maid asked, “Miss Mia, are you really going to sever ties with Miss Elinka and the others?”
Mia smiled and said, “It’s not that I want to break it off with them, but they want to break it off with me. Let it be, those people are spoiled by their families, lacking the ability to assess the situation. I don’t want to associate with them anymore; it might reduce my IQ.”
With the young lady having made her stance clear, the maid had only to comply, “Yes, I understand.”
Chapter 1543: 1543 robbery
Delayed by them, Tan Rou had wasted a lot of time, which meant she had to endure even more sun exposure outside.
Next time she went out, she would have Samiyi arrange for a car. That way, she wouldn’t run into trouble. After all, the King already knew about Agira being with Kas, what else was there to hide?
Just when Tan Rou was about to take a shortcut to Kas’s place, she suddenly sensed someone following her, but she didn’t stop, continuing on her path.
This alley was rather secluded, but the buildings on both sides were tall and the alley was narrow, so no sunlight got in.
However, such an alley easily gave rise to unexpected events, like now, when two men with covered faces appeared in front of Tan Rou, and soon another three emerged from behind her.
Tan Rou said calmly, “Why are you blocking my way?”
Hoodlum number one said with a laugh, “Recently, the brothers have been a bit short on cash and wanted to ask you for a loan.”
Tan Rou sneered, “Are you planning to repay the loan?”
All the hoodlums laughed out loud, “Hahaha, we’ll pay you back when we have money, but we’re never going to have any.”
“I don’t have any money either,” said Tan Rou. “So I can’t lend it to you.”
“Stop talking nonsense. We just heard those young ladies say that you’re with the princess; how can someone from the princess’s side not have money?” hoodlum number two said.
Hoodlum number three shouted, “We just saw you take out a pen to write, that pen looks expensive, and you also have a watch with diamonds on your wrist, so you must be rich.”
The pen was a gift from Zhuang Liu, a high-tech pen newly produced by their company that could not only write but also record audio, serve as a locator, and in an emergency, it could turn into a sturdy mini knife.
“How is that any of your business?” Tan Rou said, “Besides, that pen isn’t worth much, I picked it up from the ground because I thought it looked nice to write with. As for the watch, I rented it, and the lease ends tomorrow.”
Hoodlum number two said, “It doesn’t matter; we’ll just snatch the watch, it can definitely be sold for a good price.”
Of course, it could be sold for a good price, the watch didn’t look that high-end, but in fact, it was worth an eight-figure sum. Tan Rou rarely wore it out and usually wore a modified watch. She didn’t expect that wearing this watch today would get her into trouble.
“I’m really sorry, but I truly can’t give you this watch,” Tan Rou said, hands in pockets, putting on a relaxed demeanor, “If you want one, earn the money and buy it yourself. I see you’re all able-bodied, so as long as you work hard, you’ll eventually be able to buy your own watch.”
Hoodlum number one laughed loudly, “Girl, you’re too naive; why work when robbery is faster? Let me tell you the truth, we brothers have stolen quite a few things around here. You’re unlucky to have bumped into us today.”
Tan Rou had seen robberies before; when she was in high school, she would get cornered every now and then, but it had been so long since she had encountered so many robbers at once that she wasn’t used to it.
“Oh,” Tan Rou said as she took off her watch, “Here, I’m giving this to you. Send someone over to take it.”
The men didn’t move as they had just witnessed Tan Rou take action, so they were somewhat apprehensive.
“You go,” hoodlum number one nudged number two’s shoulder.
Number two pushed number three, “You go take it!”
Number three called out to number four across the way, “You go take it.”
Number four didn’t want to either, “If you want to go, then go, I’m not going.”
Tan Rou said with a smile, “The item is right here, if you don’t come and take it, I’ll have to leave, I’m in a hurry.”
The hoodlums hesitated for a moment, then decided to go over together.
Tan Rou thought it was good that they were coming over together; it saved her the trouble of dealing with them one by one.
As the hoodlums approached, Tan Rou quickly snatched the watch back, and with a backhanded punch, she hit the one closest to her so hard that he doubled over clutching his stomach, and with a spin, she kicked another one in the chest, sending him reeling as if he was about to vomit blood.
Then, grabbing the clothing of the other two hoodlums with one hand each, she banged their heads together, knocking them out cold.
Only one was left…
Chapter 1544: 1544 membership fee
For the last gang member, Tan Rou didn’t rush to take action. She pressed her hand on his shoulder and grabbed his arm, immobilizing him.
“Big sister, spare me!” Gang member number one cried out, “I know I was wrong, please let me go!”
Tan Rou asked, “Do you still want my watch?”
“No, no,” gang member number one said, “You could give me all the courage in the world, and I still wouldn’t dare to take your watch!”
Tan Rou pushed him against the wall, then asked, “How long have you been in this line of work?”
Gang member number one answered, “For over half a year.”
Tan Rou asked again, “How many things have you robbed?”
Gang member number one, with a mournful face, answered, “How would I know that?”
Tan Rou pressed his arm a bit harder, “Will you talk or not?”
“I really can’t remember!” gang member number one said, “Each time we target wealthy people, especially those wealthy tourists who come here from abroad. And I just lied, we don’t stay in one place, we always change locations after each robbery.”
Tan Rou laughed, “Heh, you guys are pretty smart.”
Gang member number one pleaded, “Big sister, let me go, I won’t do bad things anymore.”
Tan Rou suddenly asked, “There are several of you, all healthy and able-bodied, why not do legitimate work?”
Gang member number one answered, “Doing legitimate work earns money too slowly, we need a lot of money.”
Tan Rou still thought he had some expensive obligation, “What, does your family have medical bills?”
“I am an orphan,” gang member number one said somewhat sadly, “Actually all five of us are orphans, we grew up together, didn’t go to school much, so we can’t do high-paying jobs. We also want to improve our lives, so…”
“So you became robbers?” Tan Rou continued for him.
“No, no,” gang member number one hesitated for a while before saying, “Actually, we want to live a good life, but it’s too hard to find, so we thought… thought…”
Tan Rou, growing impatient, said, “Out with it!”
“Thought about joining the Dawn Society!” gang member number one exclaimed, “As long as each of us collects two hundred thousand, we can join the wonderful Dawn Society!”
The Dawn Society? Tan Rou didn’t expect to hear about the Dawn Society during the daytime too.
“What is the Dawn Society?” Tan Rou let go of gang member number one, “If you explain clearly, I will let you go.”
The gang member on the ground, hearing that this woman would let them go, immediately got up and said, “I know, I can tell you, just let me go!”
Tan Rou said, “Send a representative to talk to me. If I understand what the Dawn Society is, then I will let all of you go. If you can’t explain clearly, I’ll disable you right now.”
Originally, this group of gang members didn’t believe this woman could beat them, even thinking that if all five of them teamed up, they would surely scare her. But unexpectedly, even all five of them together couldn’t withstand even one punch from her.
“The Dawn Society is a very mysterious organization,” gang member number one, who was chosen as the representative, told Tan Rou, “There, you can live the most beautiful and happiest life, with endless cakes and milk, no need to work, and no discrimination from others. So, we just want to go there to live.”
Tan Rou asked, “What does this have to do with your robberies?”
Gang member number one explained, “The Dawn Society member in charge of this area told us that if we want to join the Dawn Society, we have to pay an entrance fee of two hundred thousand.”
Tan Rou thought he was out of his mind. Had they really had that much money, they would already be living a good life, so why even bother joining the Dawn Society?
“Aren’t you afraid they’re cheating you?” Tan Rou said helplessly, “And don’t you think they sound like con artists?”
“Of course not!” gang member number one said very confidently, “The Dawn Society are not con artists. I’ve been to their headquarters; it’s gorgeous there, the walls are even made of gems. It’s just that they didn’t let us see the route when they took us there, or else we would have found it by now.”
Tan Rou finally understood why the Dawn Society was so rich; it was because of the huge entrance fees. But why hadn’t Tan Rou and Samiyi been charged when they joined?
Chapter 1545: 1545 Unpleasant Dawn Society
“Are you sure that after you pay these 200,000 yuan, you can join the Dawn Society?” Tan Rou asked again, “Maybe this is all a scam, and that place is fake, after all, you can’t necessarily tell whether the gems on the walls are real.”
The hoodlums were incredibly stubborn, no matter what Tan Rou said, they just wouldn’t believe her, and they were adamant about paying the money to join the Dawn Society.
Seeing that no communication was possible with these people, Tan Rou dropped the subject and asked bluntly, “So how much money have you put together now?”
Hoodlum Number One counted and said, “There are five of us who want to get in together, we made this clear to the management early on, and they agreed. So far, we’ve managed to gather the membership fees for two people.”
Tan Rou thought to herself that they had already robbed so much money; it seemed very necessary to send them to prison. She wondered whether the penalty for robbery would be heavier than that for premarital pregnancy.
“Goddess, we’ve told you everything we know, please let us go!” the hoodlums wailed, “We really don’t know anything else.”
Tan Rou didn’t let them go and asked again, “Do you know of anyone else around here who wants to join the Dawn Society?”
“We don’t know many people,” Hoodlum Number One said, “because we usually don’t interact. The Dawn Society doesn’t allow members to meet in private, claiming it could blow our cover. But we five are the exception; we’re a team and must always stick together.”
Tan Rou sneered, “Hmm, you guys are quite united.” But she wouldn’t let them off just because they had a sense of unity.
“How about this, each of you gives me the name of someone you know, say it and I’ll let you go. However, who you name must be real, because I will check. If I find out you’re lying, I’ll definitely come for you, and then I’ll cripple you!”
The hoodlums seemingly didn’t doubt the foreign woman’s strength, and one by one they shared the names of people they knew.
“And there’s Abiya from the Hamillen Hotel,” a hoodlum said.
Tan Rou thought the two names sounded very familiar; wasn’t Hamillen Hotel the one where she and Zhuang Liu stayed? And Abiya, that name was even more familiar; Zhuang Liu had just given him a beating yesterday.
“Then, do you know who the manager of this area is?” Tan Rou just heard them mention a manager, and if this person was a manager, they might have access to more secrets.
“Don’t know.” This time the hoodlums truly weren’t lying; they really had no idea who the manager was. The manager met them only at night and always wore a mask like the sun, so they couldn’t recognize him.
“What kind of distinguishing features does the manager have then?” Tan Rou asked further.
Hoodlum Number One thought for a while, “The manager is quite tall, and a bit chubby.”
That description was too vague; if Tan Rou just stood out on the street, eight out of ten people would be chubby and tall.
“Alright, I’ve got it,” said Tan Rou, brushing the dust off her clothes and putting her watch back on from her pocket, “I’m not giving you the watch, but you can go now. Don’t ever rob again.”
“Yes, yes, yes,” the hoodlums scrambled away, not forgetting to take their two unconscious pals with them.
Tan Rou didn’t rush to leave, she followed them until she was sure they had stopped to rest, then she immediately made a call to the police. Then she watched the police take them away; they didn’t get a chance to resist, probably because Tan Rou had hit them hard.
With the small-time hoodlums taken care of, but Tan Rou still wasn’t at ease. She had thought that the Dawn Society was so wealthy because it attracted many wealthy members, but it now seemed that their money was gained through exploitation.
One person paying a membership fee of 200,000 yuan, they just had to recruit a few people to cover their expenses. Perhaps the Dawn Society had other businesses too, with their business income plus membership fees, no wonder they were rich.
The Dawn Society claims to be so wonderful, but now it appears not only is it not wonderful but also extremely cruel, for its apparent beauty is maintained through oppression. With a membership fee of 200,000 yuan, who knows how many people it has coerced into crime.
Chapter 1546: I’ve known since 1546
Tan Rou felt it necessary to go back and discuss the Dawn Society matter with Samiyi, especially since the night after next was the time the Dawn Society had scheduled to meet, and both she and Samiyi needed to be present. This time, she had to give a precise answer.
As she walked, Tan Rou arrived at Kas’s flower shop, where this time Agila was also present, arranging flower pots at the entrance.
Seeing Tan Rou approaching, he greeted her cheerfully, “Sister Tan Rou, you’re here!”
Tan Rou noticed that Agila was much more lively than before. Previously, Agila’s face was always etched with a sorrowful expression; he rarely smiled and usually walked behind everyone. But now, Agila’s face was constantly brimming with happy smiles.
“Mm, I’m here to see your dad,” Tan Rou said as she patted his head, asking, “Agila, are you happy here?”
Agila hesitated a bit, “Very happy. But I also miss my mom a little, it would be nice if she could also come here. Yesterday, I went to the amusement park with my new friends, there was a huge Ferris wheel there, I had never seen a Ferris wheel before, it’s so beautiful! In the future, I want to go to the amusement park with both mom and dad.”
Tan Rou knew Samiyi would not be able to come; she had her own official duties to attend to, and she guessed the chances of her meeting Agila would be quite rare in the future, but she didn’t want to shatter the child’s fantasy.
She said to Agila, “Your mom is a bit busy lately, once she’s done with her work, she’ll come to see you.”
Agila was smart, he knew that his mother was not likely to come and see them, but he still followed along with Tan Rou’s words, “Mm, when she does, Sister Tan Rou should come too, and we can all go play together.”
“Okay,” Tan Rou replied. Then she asked, “Is your dad inside the flower shop?”
“No, he went to the warehouse, but he should be back soon,” said Agila.
Looking inside, Tan Rou said, “Then I’ll wait for him here.”
Before she could finish speaking, Kas came over with a large bunch of flowers. Seeing Tan Rou, he asked, “Miss Rou, are you here to get the box? I haven’t moved it yet, you can take the box with you.”
Tan Rou intended to have Kas give the cherries inside the box to Agila to eat, guessing Kas was too embarrassed to take them. However, it didn’t matter, she could directly give the fruits to Agila herself.
“Let’s go inside to talk,” Kas suggested, “It’s quite hot outside.”
The flower shop was very cool, otherwise, in such hot weather, the flowers would surely wilt.
Once they sat down, Kas brought over a silver box, a cooler designed to keep its contents fresh at a lower temperature. It was a rechargeable model that, once charged, could be used for twenty-four hours. Although time had passed, it was still quite cool.
As Tan Rou opened the box, the large and shiny cherries immediately caught Agila’s attention. He asked, “Sister Tan Rou, what is this?”
Tan Rou smiled and said, “This is something tasty. Go get a bowl for washing fruits, and we’ll wash some to eat together.”
“There’s no fruit washing bowl downstairs, I’ll go get one from upstairs,” Agila said.
Tan Rou handed him a bag, “Take a bag and put some in it. This way, you can wash them clean and bring them down. You need to wash these fruits gently, wash them one by one, okay?”
Agila was eager to help, “Sister Tan Rou, I will be very careful.”
After Agila left, Kas finally asked, “Do you have something to tell me?”
Tan Rou nodded, then took out a letter from her pocket, “This is a letter from the King to you, there’s no need to be nervous. He has known about your situation for quite a while, and he also guessed that Agila is with you. He doesn’t wish to trouble you, and it would be best if you didn’t provoke him either.”
Kas was initially startled, but after listening to Tan Rou’s words, he became very confused, “What does that mean?”
“It doesn’t mean anything,” Tan Rou shoved the letter into his hands, “This is a letter from the King to you, just open it and see for yourself. He said you just need to read it without writing a reply to him.”
Kas furrowed his brow in thought for quite a while before saying, “Okay, I understand.”
After carefully reading the letter, Kas said to Tan Rou, “Thank you, Miss Rou. I understand what His Majesty the King means. Please relay to him that I will do as he has requested.”
Chapter 1547: Story from ten years ago (1536 missing transmission)
“Ten years ago, my doctor discovered there was a problem with my body, and they had no way to cure it. They could only use medication and treatment to slow the speed of my death. I was very worried at the time; what would happen to Laka and Samiyi if I died?” the King said, “At that time, I wanted to find a suitable successor to the throne to take care of these two children.”
“Could it be Prince Busodi?” Tan Rou asked subconsciously.
“Hmm,” the King nodded lightly, “Yes, he is my cousin, so our relationship is closer than with others. After considering for a long time, I also secretly informed Busodi of this matter, but when I spoke to Busodi about it for the first time, the excited expression on his face is something I’ll never forget for the rest of my life.”
“After that, I began to hesitate,” continued the King, “I wondered whether Busodi would truly take good care of Laka and Samiyi. Perhaps he wouldn’t do anything to Samiyi, because she is a princess. But it’s different for Laka. Laka is the real heir to the throne, and the first thing Busodi would certainly do as King is to get rid of Laka.”
“Your Majesty, with all due respect, I feel that the turmoil today has been caused by you,” Tan Rou said, “If at the time you had not told Prince Busodi about your illness, but had told Prince Laka or Princess Samiyi, they would definitely not be in the situation they are now.”
“The Prince was still young at that time, the perfect age for learning, and if you had trained him then, he would probably be capable of standing on his own by now.”
The King expressed his regret, “Back then he was only in his teens, and not particularly bright. I didn’t know when I might die, so I couldn’t place such a heavy responsibility on him. As for Samiyi, after all, she’s a girl, and according to our country’s tradition, it’s impossible for her to succeed to the throne.”
Tan Rou asked, “Then why did you change your mind later on?”
“Because I discovered Samiyi’s love affair with the gardener,” said the King, “When I found out about it, I was so angry that my chest hurt for several days. I immediately had the gardener locked up, intending to make Samiyi break up with him, but instead, Samiyi told me she was pregnant with the gardener’s child, and if I dared to have the gardener executed, she would also die alongside him.”
“I immediately had a doctor check on Samiyi,” continued the King, “It turned out that the child was already five months along, and was a very healthy boy. So I wanted to keep the child.”
“Oh,” Tan Rou understood what the King meant, “The princess’s son could also be considered a little prince, and you plan to put him in line for the throne, right?”
“Not entirely,” the King explained, “My first choice after Busodi would be Samiyi, with the child coming after her. Everyone says that I am very harsh on the child, only letting him plant flowers and tend gardens, not allowing him to learn, but in fact, I have always had people secretly protect him and teach him some knowledge.”
“I also know about him sneaking out of the palace. But he is too clever and cunning; the people I sent to follow him lost track of him once he left the palace.”
Tan Rou did not offer any comment on this; after all, the King’s family dynamics and communication were very strange. It would be impossible to say they didn’t love their family members, but it also seemed they loved them in a bizarre way, considering not a single person went to search for the child when he was lost. It was simply outrageous.
“He ran off to a foreign country,” Tan Rou said, “I found him at the airport and spent 500,000 US dollars to bring him back.” Boss Tan kept raising the price, from 100,000 to 200,000, and finally to 500,000, even though she had mentioned it several times, she still hadn’t received a penny to date.
The King’s expression became very serious, “Did you really bring him back?”
“I did,” Tan Rou produced a photo that Kas had given her, meant originally for Samiyi to see. After Samiyi had seen it, Tan Rou saved the photo, never expecting it would come in handy now, “Do you recognize him?”
The King squinted at the photo, and upon seeing it was Agila, he promptly said, “Give me your bank account number, I’ll transfer the money to you immediately.”
Tan Rou was somewhat surprised, “Really?”
The King said, “I am the King, I do not speak falsely.”
Chapter 1548: The boss of the 1547 Hotel
“Mm, as long as you know.” Tan Rou emptied the remaining cherries from the box, “These cherries are all for you and Agila. If you can’t finish them, you can put them in the fridge, they should stay fresh for about two or three days.”
When Kas saw she was leaving, he said, “Agila has already gone to wash the cherries. Why don’t you finish eating before you go?”
“No need, I still have plenty of cherries where I’m staying,” Tan Rou said as she closed the box. “Alright, I’m off then. Tell Agila for me that I’ll come to see him again next time. If he goes to some fun places, please make sure he tells me.”
Kas said, “Thank you for your concern for Agila.”
Tan Rou smiled, “Caring for a friend’s child is something I should do, and besides, Agila really is quite lovable, otherwise I wouldn’t have brought him back with me.”
Suddenly, Kas said, “I’ve already started to gather the money, please give me a little more time…”
“No need,” Tan Rou waved her hand, cutting him off. “His Majesty the King has already transferred the money to me. To thank me for bringing back Agila, he even gave a little extra.” And that ‘little extra’ wasn’t a small sum at all—it was several hundred thousand US dollars.
If it had been before, Kas would have been extremely shocked, but he had already received a letter from the King, in which everything was made very clear, so Kas was now very calm.
“Alright then, please thank His Majesty the King for me!” said Kas. “If possible, I would really like to meet with His Majesty again.”
Tan Rou couldn’t easily make promises on behalf of the King; she could only pass on Kas’s thoughts, “Mm, I’ll mention it to His Majesty, but whether he will see you or not, that’s his decision.”
“Thank you, Miss Rou!” Kas thanked her once again.
Tan Rou, holding the box, walked towards the exit. She waved her hand, “I’m off then, I’ll come again next time.”
Just as she left, Agila came down with the washed cherries, “Sister Tan Rou, Dad, the yummy cherries are washed.”
Kas said, “Miss Rou has already left. She’s quite busy and couldn’t sit down to eat cherries with you. But she asked me to tell you that she will come to find you again next time, and if you go to some fun places, you must tell her about them.”
Agila was a bit disappointed by Tan Rou’s departure, but hearing that she would come back made him happy again, “Mm-hmm, I’ll definitely go to lots of fun places.”
After leaving the flower shop, Tan Rou went straight to find Zhuang Liu to return the box, and since the box wasn’t light, she didn’t want to drag it back to the palace. Sigh, it seemed she would need to be driven after all; walking was indeed both tiring and hot.
If she wasn’t staying for such a short time, Tan Rou really would have liked to get a driving license here. Her license from home wasn’t valid here because the traffic rules were all different, as Jiao country drove on the left.
Yesterday’s visit to the Hamillen Hotel had been quite troublesome, and it made Tan Rou not even want to step into a hotel anymore. Forget it, she would just be here for a moment, and then she would leave immediately after delivering the stuff.
As soon as she entered the hotel, Tan Rou saw Zhuang Liu standing by the front desk talking to the fat owner from yesterday, seemingly in good spirits.
Zhuang Liu turned his head toward the entrance as though he sensed Tan Rou’s arrival, and sure enough, he saw the person he was hoping to meet.
“Tan Rou, you’re here!” Zhuang Liu said, very pleasantly surprised.
Tan Rou smiled as she spoke with Zhuang Liu, “I came to get the box and also to find you.”
Zhuang Liu frowned, a little bit sourly saying, “Did you just come to find me as an afterthought?”
Tan Rou caught his implication and immediately corrected it, “I wanted to come find you for dinner, and I just happened to pick up a box on the way. This box belongs to our family and shouldn’t fall into other’s hands.”
Even though the wording was different, the meaning was the same, and Zhuang Liu felt much more at ease, “Mm-hmm.”
The chubby owner joined the conversation: “You must be Miss Tan Rou, right? I was just hearing about you from Mr. Zhuang Liu. Didn’t expect you’d come by so quickly.”
Tan Rou recognized this person as the owner from yesterday, “Oh, you’re the one who helped us out with our issue.”
The fat owner introduced himself, “I’m the owner of Hamillen Hotel, you can just call me Mr. Hamillen.”
“Hello, Mr. Hamillen,” Tan Rou greeted politely.
Chapter 1549: 1548 boss is overly enthusiastic
“I’m really sorry about what happened yesterday—I’d like to apologize on behalf of my staff,” Hamillen said with evident embarrassment. “After the incident, I reflected deeply. A hotel is a place that should serve guests, not employ people of questionable morals, which would not make our guests happy. Therefore, I assure you that nothing of the sort will happen again.”
“Yeah, I understand,” Tan Rou responded indifferently. Anyway, they weren’t planning on living in this country for long, nor to stay in the hotel for an extended period. Perhaps she would even decide to move out with Zhuang Liu in a few days.
After a brief greeting, Tan Rou was ready to leave with Zhuang Liu, but the boss stopped them. “Just wait a moment before you go, I have something more to tell you both.”
Zhuang Liu said, “Oh right, Tan Rou, I was just talking to the boss about nearby scenic spots. He recommended quite a few interesting places, so when you’re free, we can go and visit them together.”
Tan Rou indeed wanted to go out with Zhuang Liu. “Oh, thank you very much, boss.”
Hamillen said, “Miss Zhuang Rou, could you wait a little longer? I’ll introduce you to some scenic spots around here.”
“Zhuang Rou?” Zhuang Liu laughed. “Boss, you got the name wrong. Although she’s my wife, our surnames are not the same. My surname is Zhuang, and her surname is Tan.”
“Oh, oh, oh.” Hamillen seemed to suddenly realize his mistake, “I’m so sorry, I got the name wrong. Your names are different from how we usually hear them, which is why I accidentally called you by the wrong one.”
“It’s okay.” Tan Rou was about to leave, but after the boss called her by the wrong name, she suddenly felt like staying a little longer, curious about what else the boss might say to her.
“Boss, you’ve already talked about the scenic areas with my husband, but I haven’t heard about them. Since my husband isn’t the best at describing places, I’d trouble you to tell me about them again,” she said.
Despite being a hotel manager, Hamillen acted like someone with nothing else to do. He intended to tell them about the sightseeing spots and even took out a variety of snacks from behind the counter. “Come on, let’s sit down and take our time talking about it.”
Tan Rou asked with puzzlement, “Don’t you need to be here to oversee things, boss? What if someone comes in to check-in?”
To her surprise, the boss said quite assertively, “Don’t worry about it. Someone else will be coming to work soon. If someone wants to check in, they can wait here for half an hour.”
Tan Rou really wanted to make a comment. With such a carefree attitude, how did he manage to keep his hotel running? But the hotel did have good business, which was evident from the bustling crowd yesterday, showing that many people were staying there.
Hamillen laid out all the snacks on the living-room sofa, then warmly invited Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu to join him, “Come on, have a seat and enjoy some food.”
The scene suddenly seemed familiar to Tan Rou. On her first day here, she had also been invited to eat and had met Kas. Was this warm hospitality a signature style of the hotel?
She didn’t think too much of it, figuring that nothing untoward would happen with Zhuang Liu present.
“Thank you, boss.” Tan Rou popped a nut into her mouth—its flavor was indeed nicer than many she had tasted back home. “Mm, the nuts are delicious.”
Hamillen said proudly, “Our country’s technology may not be as advanced, but some of our agriculture is. Take nuts, for example—I doubt any country’s nuts can compare to those from ours.”
Although J-country’s nuts were quite renowned, Tan Rou, who usually preferred fruits, hadn’t taken an interest in nuts and thus hadn’t tried them in J-country. But after tasting them now, she had a fresh idea: it didn’t matter if she didn’t like them herself; she could still bring some back for others to enjoy.
“The nuts are delicious. When we go back, we can bring some for grandpa, grandma, and our parents,” Zhuang Liu suggested.
“Yes, you read my mind,” Tan Rou agreed.
Since they had spoken in J-country’s language, Hamillen understood them and offered, “If you want to buy nuts, you can buy them from me. I’ll provide you with high quality and affordable nuts.”
Chapter 1550: 1549 Introduction to Scenic Spots
No wonder the boss was so enthusiastic toward them—it turns out he wanted them to buy something. However, Tan Rou least liked to hear someone pushing their products on her; she only believed in what her own eyes saw. Still, she didn’t outright reject the kindness of the boss.
“Okay, when we head back, we’ll come to you for some nuts,” Tan Rou said noncommittally.
Hamillen seemed to catch her dismissive tone, and he chuckled, “Miss Rou, I am not here to sell nuts; I run hotels, and I own more than one, so I don’t need to rely on selling nuts for a commission.”
“These nuts are from my supplier, and the ones that get delivered here are all the best in the kingdom, even better than those at the royal palace. I consider you my friends, and that’s why I wanted to introduce you to the nut vendor. Rest assured, I won’t make a dime from this.”
Tan Rou saw sincerity in his eyes, so she believed that he was telling the truth, but she couldn’t understand his point—how could anyone sell goods without needing a commission? If everyone were like this boss, what would become of salespeople in the future?
“Mr. Hamillen,” Zhuang Liu quickly interjected, “she didn’t mean it the way you think.” Zhuang Liu hurriedly explained, “What we said is just as it sounds, because right now we can’t go back yet. If we buy the nuts now, by the time we get back, they would probably have gone bad, which is why we thought we’d wait till we’re about to leave to buy them.”
Just as Hamillen was about to respond, Tan Rou added, “Zhuang Liu is right, we really meant no offense. Don’t worry, we will definitely come to you because you also mentioned your hotel is here. Surely, you wouldn’t deceive us—for the sake of one deal, losing a whole hotel wouldn’t be worth it.”
“We definitely intend to buy the nuts,” Tan Rou continued, “Rather than buying from strangers, it’s better to trust someone. With Mr. Hamillen’s large hotel as assurance, we will be very comfortable.”
Hamillen emphasized once more, “Exactly, I really didn’t want to make money off you. Look, I even waived the room charges for you, why would I care about this little referral fee? Besides, with so many hotels, the daily income from just one covers the cost of a ton of nuts, so why would I care about this little bit?”
“Exactly, exactly, you are right,” Tan Rou said with a laugh, “We really didn’t mean it like that; maybe it’s a cultural difference, our expression and your understanding had a misunderstanding.”
“Ah, as long as we clear things up, that’s good,” Hamillen generously said, “Next, let me introduce some local attractions to you. Don’t worry, these are not for a fee; I have such a large estate, I really do not care about these referral fees. Plus, the places I’m recommending are not charged locations, they are free attractions around here, though some activities may require a small fee.”
Tan Rou was wealthy but she still liked cheap and fun travel activities, “Sure, introduce us to more, and we’ll record them on our phones.”
Afterward, Hamillen introduced them to attractions for more than an hour. He had a lot to say, which made Tan Rou feel like she was in a class. Well, just consider it a travel class, she thought.
However, they really heard a lot of good information from Hamillen. He spoke very logically, from distant to nearby, from free to fee-based, introducing them to about a dozen attractions big and small. This made Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu feel too embarrassed to interrupt him.
“I feel bad taking up so much of your time; I’ll stop here for now. If you want to explore more later, just come to me and I’ll introduce more,” Hamillen said after taking a sip of water. “I hope you have a great time in my country!”
Tan Rou and Zhuang Liu nodded, chatted a few more words with Hamillen, and then carried their bags upstairs.
Halfway up, Tan Rou suddenly decided to look back at the boss. It wasn’t a big deal until she did—and was startled. Because the boss was standing in the living room, smiling amiably while watching them.