bookbashuk Chapter 395 Funds Delivered
Chapter 395 Funds Delivered
Accompanied by Allen and the other two, Liu Lingyin found a well-regarded Western restaurant and had an extended afternoon tea. As for why it wasn't dinner, well, Brighton has long summer days in July and August!
In Brighton's long summer days, it's still bright at seven or eight in the evening, so calling this time afternoon tea wouldn't be out of place. The Western restaurant the four of them chose had an excellent reputation, and the window seats offered a glimpse of the golden-tinged sea in the distance. Good food is always the quickest way to bring people together and the easiest way to start a conversation.
At the dinner table, the conversation naturally turned to the culinary delights they encountered during their travels. Alan shared authentic home-style dishes and even some unusual culinary creations from across Britain, while Tristan, with the discerning palate and pride of a Frenchman, described the rich aromas of Parisian street cafes and the fragrance of Provençal stews. Ryoga Echizen, with his more diverse travel experiences, casually mentioned Spanish paella or California burgers, each bearing the mark of his free-spirited and unconventional nature.
But what was most captivating was undoubtedly Liu Lingyin's vivid descriptions of Chinese cuisine. From the piping hot and spicy Sichuan and Chongqing hot pot to the exquisite and elaborate Cantonese morning tea, from the smoky barbecue stalls on the streets to the private restaurants that required reservations months in advance, she not only described the flavors but also shared some of the cultural and interesting anecdotes behind them. Allen listened, his mouth watering, Tristan's blue eyes filled with longing, and even Echizen Ryoga slowed down his movements while playing with an orange.
"I must go to China sometime!" Allen declared resolutely.
“Agreed,” Tristan said, gracefully wiping his mouth.
"Sounds...not bad." Ryoga Echizen's lips curled up slightly, which was considered a very high evaluation.
Liu Lingyin smiled and said, "Then it's a deal! I'll be your tour guide, and I guarantee you'll eat until you're stuffed!"
After a hearty meal, the sunset painted Brighton with an even richer, golden hue, transforming the entire city into a scene reminiscent of a classical oil painting. The four continued their exploration as if to digest, with Liu Lingyin embarking on a "sightseeing + shopping" spree. Colorful Brighton-themed fridge magnets, postcards printed with images of the royal palaces, soaps supposedly made from Brighton seawater, hand-knitted wool shawls… she lingered enthusiastically at various tourist stalls and shops, buying anything interesting or delicious without hesitation.
"These matcha pastries look good, I'll buy a box and try them!"
"Ah, this seashell wind chime sounds so nice, I'll buy one!"
"This set of handcrafted ceramic teacups is so exquisite, it would be perfect as a gift for Yukimura Seiichi..."
"This crafted short sword bookmark seems quite suitable for Sanada. Hmm, I'll buy it!"
"This crystal red rose brooch would suit Atobe Keigo quite well."
…………
As she shopped, she muttered to herself about who would receive the gifts, her hands soon overflowing with paper bags and boxes of all sizes. As for whether she had too much stuff? Liu Lingyin glanced at her tall, well-built cousin and two "gentlemanly" friends beside her, a carefree smile spreading across her face—free, reliable, and good-looking labor; when else would she take advantage of it?
Allen readily took on most of the heavy loads, Tristan also smiled and shared the burden, and Ryoga Echizen, though grumbling about the "trouble," also picked up a few of the lighter-looking food bags. The four of them walked and stopped, chatting and laughing, their hands full of "spoils of war" becoming an interesting sight on the street.
Having visited almost all the planned attractions, and with the sky beginning to turn a mesmerizing golden-red hue, their itinerary for the day had only one final stop left—the Seven Sisters Park, located just outside Brighton and renowned for its magnificent white cliffs.
“Alright, Miss Shopaholic,” Allen said with a smile, weighing the heavy haul in his hands. “Shouldn’t we settle these ‘treasures’ first? We won’t be able to climb White Cliff easily with all of them in our hands.”
"Oh right!" Liu Lingyin clapped her hands. "Luckily we drove here."
They returned to the parking lot near the hotel and carefully placed all the items they had purchased that day—including the carefully selected souvenirs from Liu Lingyin—into the trunk. With their burden lifted, the four of them felt a sense of relief.
Allen got into the car, started the engine, and rolled down the window, letting in a cool evening breeze carrying the salty scent of the sea. Upbeat rock music played from the car stereo as the car drove away from the gradually brightening neon lights of the city, heading along the coastal highway towards the pure white cliffs standing between heaven and earth. Outside the window, the city's hustle and bustle faded away, replaced by increasingly expansive views of the sea and sky and pastoral scenery, foreshadowing another completely different nature adventure about to begin.
The atmosphere inside the car was relaxed and pleasant, filled with the satisfaction of a fulfilling day of sightseeing and anticipation for the magnificent scenery to come. Liu Lingyin leaned against the window, gazing at the faint white outline appearing on the distant horizon. "Seven sisters, here we come." After carefully placing her shopping "spoils" in the corner of the room, Liu Lingyin saw off Allen, who had repeatedly reminded her to lock the doors and windows and get some rest, and her companions Tristan and Echizen Ryoga. The moment the door gently closed, the room fell silent, save for the faint sound of the waves outside. The excitement, the exertion, and the slight mental strain from the day's adventures washed over her like a receding tide, causing her to yawn widely and a few tears welling in her eyes.
According to her own biological clock and daily routine, this was the golden time to fall into deep sleep. Although she had taken a nap in the afternoon, the drowsiness was still real and intense. She looked at the soft bed, her eyes almost glued to it, wishing she could immediately pounce on it and meet with Morpheus until dawn.
However, just a second before she changed into her pajamas and was about to turn off the lights and go to bed, the screen of her phone on the bedside table suddenly lit up with a soft "ding" sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet room.
Liu Lingyin paused, sighed inwardly, and reluctantly reached for her phone. Unlocking the screen, she saw a message from an unknown number, followed by two text messages from Atobe Keigo.
She first opened the text message from Atobe; it was concise yet instantly dispelled most of her sleepiness:
"You unglamorous woman, were you having too much fun, or did you fall asleep again? You dared not reply to my subsequent text messages."
Wow! We really had a blast.
"You unglamorous woman, Johnson, whom I mentioned before, will arrive at your hotel around X o'clock to pick up your medication. This man has a powerful background and considerable wealth. Since he's the one actively seeking the medication, don't be polite about the price. The principle: quote the maximum market premium, and as for the discount... a symbolic 99% will suffice. Remember, it's him who needs your medication. You handle the transaction details yourself, and contact me anytime if you encounter any problems."
With just a few words, Atobe's proud yet protective nature leaps off the screen.
Liu Lingyin couldn't help but chuckle as she looked at the "99% off" sign. What kind of grudge or resentment could this young master, Atobe, possibly hold such a grudge?
The last bit of drowsiness was replaced by a subtle excitement of the impending "justified slaughter of the fat sheep."
Liu Lingyin, who was about to reply to the text message, suddenly remembered the time difference between the two countries, so she decided not to reply and would call Atobe again tomorrow.
Judging from the time, the unread text message should be from Mr. Johnson.
I opened the unread text message and checked its contents. Sure enough, Mr. Johnson would arrive at the hotel in ten minutes.
Liu Lingyin, please be prepared.
With Atobe Keigo's prepared statement, which seemed to offer support, Liu Lingyin immediately felt more confident. She quickly retrieved several specially made sealed bottles and wooden boxes from deep within her suitcase, containing various pills and powders she had carefully prepared. She then took out a portable notepad and began calculating the quote she would receive later, based on Atobe's profile of "Johnson" and his potential needs.
After an unknown amount of time, her phone rang. Liu Lingyin waited for the phone to ring a few times before drawing a conclusion.
It was confirmed that it was Johnson, and he had already booked a private room in the hotel restaurant, hoping that Liu Lingyin would do him the honor of accepting the invitation.
Liu Lingyin, who wasn't hungry at all and just wanted to sleep, took a deep breath, patted her cheeks to make herself look more awake, quickly checked her clothes, picked up her backpack full of equipment, opened the door and went out.
Upon arriving at the private room Johnson had reserved, a stunningly beautiful woman in a tight-fitting outfit stood at the door, her toned abs drawing envy from Liu Lingyin.
But asking her to exercise is out of the question. She loves abs, but she really has no interest in exercise!
With her dislike of exercise, she can forget about ever getting abs in this life, the next life, or the life after that.
The beautiful woman was initially taken aback when she saw Liu Lingyin, probably not expecting the supposedly highly skilled pharmacist their boss had invited to be so young! After all, Asian faces do tend to look younger compared to Europeans. However, seeing the envious look in Liu Lingyin's eyes as she gazed at her abs, her fondness for Liu Lingyin instantly surged.
The beautiful woman smiled brightly at Liu Lingyin and said, "You must be Miss Liu. I'm Emily. It's a pleasure to meet you!"
Liu Lingyin nodded and smiled in response: "Hello! I am Liu Lingyin, it's nice to meet you, Emily."
"Our boss is already waiting for you inside, let's go in together!"
"it is good."
Liu Lingyin followed Emily into the house and saw that there were already two European men inside, one sitting and one standing.
The leader was a young, handsome white man sitting relaxed. His face was strikingly handsome, and although he smiled, his eyes were sharp as a hawk. He was in excellent shape and wore a well-tailored dark gray suit without a tie, which made him look casual yet imposing. His whole body was full of explosive power, truly befitting a mercenary leader.
This young man must be the fat...big spender that Atobe Keigo mentioned—Johnson.
Half a step behind him stood a burly Black man, dressed in a black suit, exuding a sharp and capable aura. His eyes were calm yet wary, and he stood there silently, his powerful presence enough to intimidate ordinary people.
This aura made Liu Lingyin pause slightly, but after carefully sensing it, she felt that it was still far inferior to the aura of a ferocious beast like Xiao Hong.
She wasn't afraid of the ferocious beast Xiao Hong was, so she cared even less about those less than Xiao Hong.
Although Liu Lingyin only paused slightly, she quickly regained her composure and walked naturally toward the two people inside the door.
Johnson and his two companions were mercenaries, so keen observation was second nature to them. They certainly noticed Liu Lingyin's stamping foot, but they greatly admired how quickly she recovered.
After all, the unrestrained and powerful aura emanating from Jin would make even some black people who frequently engage in violent fights wary, let alone ordinary people. Yet this Asian girl, who was clearly underage, only paused slightly before returning to normal. Was she relying on something? Or was she truly skilled and daring?
In any case, upon seeing Suzune Oyanagi enter, Johnson immediately stood up and warmly greeted her.
“Miss Liu Lingyin, I didn’t expect you to be so young! Becoming a pharmacist at such a young age, your future is limitless!” Johnson said, his voice deep and magnetic, his English with a standard London accent. His gaze fell directly on Liu Lingyin’s face, filled with admiration and a hint of barely perceptible expectation.
"Thank you for the compliment, Mr. Johnson." Liu Lingyin stepped aside, a polite and composed smile on her face, as if she was not affected by the other party's powerful aura at all.
The transaction took place in the small reception area of the room. Johnson was clearly an efficiency-oriented person, and after a few pleasantries, he got straight to the point, stating his needs—an antidote for his incompetent subordinate, and... some "special needs" (involving certain gray areas) that were not convenient to say outright but which Atobe had hinted at.
Liu Lingyin listened patiently without asking any questions. She simply laid out the several medicine bottles and wooden boxes she had prepared and clearly and concisely introduced the main ingredients, symptoms targeted, usage and dosage, and price of each medicine.
When Johnson heard the price, which was dozens or even hundreds of times higher than that of comparable drugs on the market, even though he was used to all sorts of things, his eyes twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Miss Liu, this price…” Johnson tapped his fingers lightly on the sofa armrest.
Mr. Johnson,
Liu Lingyin's smile remained unchanged, her tone gentle yet firm.
"You may already know about the effects of my medicine from Atobe-kun. It's definitely worth more than its price. Of course, you can verify its effectiveness first. I can give you the medicine first, and you can pay after you've used it."
As she spoke, she opened a tiny jade box containing only three vermilion pills the size of a grain of rice. "These are for saving your life. Keep them for now. If they don't work, you won't have to pay a cent."
Johnson gave Liu Lingyin a deep look, and without hesitation, reached out and took it.
The subsequent negotiations at the dinner table involved the two bargaining over their meal.
Liu Lingyin fully embodied Atobe Keigo's "no need to be polite" spirit. Like the world's most astute antique dealer, she meticulously explained the uniqueness and "indispensability" of each medicine to the most discerning and wealthy collector. A discount? Oh, of course! Considering Atobe-kun and Mr. Johnson's sincerity, then… 99% off!
Johnson: "..."
Having been in business for many years, this was the first time he had encountered a seller (excluding himself) who had taken the "tightwad" spirit to such a refreshing and unconventional level.
Emily and Kim, who were behind him, couldn't help but twitch at the corners of their eyes. It was as if they could see their boss swindling money from people, except this time it was a little girl who was swindling money, and their boss was the one being swindled. But why did they feel so happy watching it?
Is it because of their resentment that their boss always uses various excuses to swindle money from them that they not only show no sympathy when they see their boss being swindled by a young girl, but also secretly applaud him in their hearts?
All I can say is, boss, you got screwed over like a miser, serves you right. Hahaha... what goes around comes around!
Ultimately, despite feeling the pain of a miser being precisely ripped off (especially after Liu Lingyin "casually" recommended several self-defense and warning powders with miraculous effects but equally "miraculous" prices), Johnson gritted his teeth and signed a check for an astonishing amount, taking with him several specially made containers filled with precious pills and powders, considering his potential future needs.
After the deal was completed, Johnson and his men left with heavy steps, and the pained expression on his face would probably take some time to fade.
In contrast, Emily and Jin walked with a lighter step. Emily even winked at Liu Lingyin as she left. (＾＿－)≡★
Back in her room, after closing the door, Liu Lingyin looked at the light yet heavy check in her hand and finally couldn't help but laugh so hard she collapsed onto the sofa.
Young Master Atobe was right. When dealing with certain "suckers"... no, I mean, high-quality customers, you really can't be too polite. And that's how she got a "travel allowance" that would allow her to live quite comfortably for the foreseeable future.
Satisfied, Liu Lingyin carefully put away the check, only then feeling an overwhelming wave of sleepiness wash over her again. This time, there was no further disturbance. She threw herself into the soft bedding, and almost the instant her head touched the pillow, she drifted into a deep, sweet dream, a small, sly smile still playing on her lips as she thought she had successfully "ripped off" her customer.