“Y-young expert, do you remember me?” Qin Menglu was in glee.
Qin Menglu just ate a simple meal and was about to leave. She never thought she’d witness Chen Zhengzhong driving out a man who was the just the expert she was looking for.
“Waiter, put him on the restaurant’s black list. Don’t let him enter ever again.”
“Also, make the two ladies VIP guests. Let them enjoy a 20% discount.”
Chen Hai sent a secret message to his dad when he was upstairs, explaining clearly what was going on between him and Li Mo. And Chen Zhengzhong was doing all of this to hail his son and kick down Li Mo.
But Chen Zhengzhong never even began to fathom Li Mo was the expert Qin Menglu was desperately searching for.
“E-expert?” Chen Zhengzhong was struck dumb, totally.
Chen Zhengzhong was crystal clear on how highly Qin Menglu valued this expert, calling three times a day to check in on his progress and even came in person today to join the search. Chen Zhengzhong knew that if he found the expert first, his career would reach an all time high.
“I do.” Li Mo nodded.
“Excuse me, I’m terribly embarrassed, but today’s matter…”
Li Mo smiled, “You needn’t apologize, this event didn’t affect me at all.”
”Chen Hai jumped to his feet and pointed at Qin Menglu, “Who are you? Don’t think good looks will get you everywhere. Let me tell you, this establishment is under Chen jurisdiction. I don’t care who you are, but if you are sensible, beat it!”
Chen Hai never saw Qin Menglu, so it was impossible for him to know this young miss was what allowed his dad to bring food on the table and the clothes he wore.
Bam!
Chen Zhengzhong cuffed him as he bellowed, “Take the girls and get the hell out!”
Chen Hai was terrified as he touched his face while fleeing.
Wang Lin followed after him. Huang Yao watched Li Mo and after hesitating a bit, stood behind him.
Chen Zhengzhong berated, “You leave also.”
“I-I am with him.” Huang Yao pulled on Li Mo’s clothing.
Qin Menglu pointed at Chen Zhengzhong, “You leave!”
“DIrector Qin, today I…” Chen Zhengzhong was so scared he was white all over.
“Get out!”
Li Mo asked Qin Menglu, “Why were you looking for me?”
Qin Menglu turned to Huang Yao, but stopped herself from saying anything. Master Qin, Qin Zhen, condition was a well kept secret. They looked high and low for Li Mo for this, but others didn’t need to know, mustn’t know.
Thinking for a bit, Qin Menglu replied, “I want to buy the water essence you gave me before, at any price.”
“The remaining essence in the spiritual spring isn’t endless. What is left isn’t enough to extract its essence.”
“What? You can’t refine the water essence?”
Qin Menglu was in shock.
Li Mo nodded. He took half of the spiritual energy in the spiritual spring when he refined the spiritual root. And when he condensed a drop of watter essence, he almost sucked it dry. For the Spiritual Spring to naturally recover, it would need fifty years.
“I can give you a lot of money, no matter how much you want. See this restaurant? If you like it, you need just say it and I it’s yours!”
Hearing this, Huang Yao was so shocked she almost yelped, ‘Giving a 5 star restaurant? What kind of concept is that? That’s the same as tens of million RMB, if not a hundred.’
“Come on, give it to her. We want the restaurant and I will help you manage it.” Huang Yao pulled on Li Mo’s clothes stronger.
Li Mo shook his head, “Even if you give me ten, I am unable to give you water essence.”
Qin Menglu was crestfallen. Only now was she convinced Li Mo spoke the truth, that he had no water essence.
‘Qin clan is ruined…’
Qin Menglu’s head blanked out and her body swayed, on the verge of collapse.
When Qin Menglu recovered, Li Mo was leaving with Huang Yao.
“Director Qin, Director Qin, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have neglected your honorable guest. I deserve death, I deserve death.”
Chen Zhengzhong came sobbing before Qin Menglu, slapping himself over the face. After ten or so slaps, his face was swollen, but didn’t stop hitting.
“Don’t blame yourself, it’s fine.”
Qin Menglu sat on a chair in a daze, waving listlessly at Chen Zhengzhong to stop.
“Go for now, I want to be alone with my thoughts.”
“Li Mo, I’m returning.”
Leaving Empress Restaurant, Huang Yao mentioned departing. Her face showed a thorough disappointment.
Huang Yao walked to a cab and when she was about to enter she turned her head, “Li Mo, we truly…”
Li Mo smiled, “Don’t match? I know, we do not fit together. Young miss Huang, rest assured, we won’t interact again in the future.”
“As long as you understand.”
Huang Yao left.
In the Empress Restaurant’s number one VIP room, Qin Menglu was dispirited for a long time. She picked up her phone and called Qin Zhen.
“Grandfather, I found the expert, but no matter what I offered, he said the spiritual spring is now dry, that he can’t make any more water essence.” Qin Menglu choked with sobs.
“What of the expert?”
“He left.”
“Left?” Qin Zhen coughed twice, startled.
“He can’t refine water essence, but does he have other means?
“You… how are you so foolish?”
“I… I…”
“That expert must have refined the water essence on a whim, so how could his ability resume to just that? An expert with such skill has unfathomable power. Lu Lu, you are the smartest among your peers, but why today… cough, cough…”
Qin Zhen took a long time before his coughing fit ceased.
“And your attitude towards an exceptional expert must be one of respect. You were to snobbish, thinking he can’t help us and were rude!”
Qin Menglu woke up and ran out the room. Chen Zhengzhong was reprimanding Chen Hai outside the door, and shivered in fear at Qin Menglu’s anxious behavior.
“Chief Qin, you…”
“Get lost!”
Qin Menglu ran like the wind to the elevator.
Chen Zhengzhong muttered, “Being close to one’s boss is as dangerous as lying next to a tiger. Son, remember this…”
By the time Qin Menglu came out of the restaurant, Li Mo already left.
“Right, Chen Zhengzhong!”
Qin Menglu’s eyes shined.
Li Mo sat in a cab on his way back home.
His phone rang and saw it was his best friend Du Fei.
He answered and the first thing he heard was a howl.
“Brother Li, my savings!”
