Su Manor

"Back already! How did your business go?"

A hotel in the French Concession. On the third floor, someone opened the door to a room. A beauty lying at the head of the bed and catching up on sleep opened her eyes when she heard the noise, looked at the man who entered, and called out softly.

"Give me a kiss!"

Gu Sheng came to the bedside, stroked the young lady’s hair, and kissed her.

"By the way, weren’t you out handling business? How did it go? Don’t tell me Marshal Wu refused to see you again!"

Liu Daimei frowned in displeasure. They had been in Shanghai for seven days already, and Gu Sheng had visited Marshal Wu’s residence five or six times. Each time, he had failed to meet him, wasting who knew how much time over it. Hadn’t he said he was bringing her here for their honeymoon?

"I saw him!"

Gu Sheng smiled. "That Marshal Wu is a man of some ability. After meeting me, he praised me without end and appointed me South Zhili Mixed Brigade Commander on the spot. Now I have the authority to expand the brigade and recruit troops. As long as I do well, becoming a division commander is practically guaranteed."

Unlike The Nine Cauldrons, whose background was that of a completely different world, Wu Xin: The Monster Killer was set in an alternate world based on reality. Its history matched that of Blue Star in the first lifetime.

Since Gu Sheng knew the world’s background, he had naturally tried to gather information and formulate a rough plan, even though the history of modern-day Blue Star differed from that of the first lifetime.

Even so, historical development was similar. The world had undergone the same transitions from ancient times to the modern and contemporary eras. Many major events were alike, and many things could serve as references.

"Marshal Wu is really that easy to talk to?"

Liu Daimei was somewhat bewildered. Her impression of these so-called marshals came from television dramas in her memories and the unbelievably goofy Gu Mengmeng. Weren’t they all crude, burly men who would fight to the death over their pride? How could he be so easygoing?

"You mustn’t underestimate Marshal Wu. He’s a far-sighted and important figure. After he read the plan I presented, he immediately made the decision, acting with great speed and force!"

Gu Sheng kept boasting to highlight his own abilities, nearly bragging through the roof. "Besides, Marshal Wu isn’t some crude brute. He’s a genuine scholar, a Xiucai from the previous dynasty. If the revolution hadn’t happened, he might even have become a Juren or a Jinshi!

"He’s a decent man, too, and his calligraphy is excellent. Before I came back, he even wrote a piece for me. Take a look and see what you think!"

"Let me see!"

Liu Daimei rose casually and walked to the table. She took a piece of calligraphy from Gu Sheng’s bag without the slightest concern that she had exposed herself in front of him, then sat back down at the head of the bed and leaned against him. With a slight movement of her jade finger, she unfolded the cursive couplet.

"*******, *******!"

The two lines were vigorous and forceful, revealing the author’s extraordinary skill with the brush.

"Not bad! A calligrapher’s standard. This piece and the author’s handwriting don’t exist in the modern world. Taken back there, it would count as a unique surviving original!

"If someone helped promote and hype it, it might fetch a price with six zeroes. What do you think? How about spending some points to take it back?"

"No. Take it back and hang it at Zhang Residence!"

Gu Sheng shook his head and solemnly warned Liu Daimei, "Mei-jie, remember this. From now on, don’t spend your Fortune Points recklessly. If you don’t come across anything suitable, save them!"

Gu Sheng spoke earnestly. No one understood the truth behind Lord God Points better than he did. That thing was Fortune Points—the manifestation of a living being’s fortune. If too much fortune was consumed and one’s reserves ran low, it was easy to end up in a position one didn’t deserve. You might not even understand how you had met your end.

"Got it!"

Seeing Gu Sheng’s solemn expression, Liu Daimei nodded obediently. Having a girlfriend who could "change faces" had this one advantage: she could be fiery and alluring or delicate and adorable. When she was considerate, she filled him with satisfaction. It felt unbelievably good!

"By the way, now that things at Marshal Wu’s residence are settled, it’s time to handle the real business. We should go pay a visit to Su Manor!"

Gu Sheng’s expression instantly turned serious. He turned Liu Daimei by the shoulders to face him. "Mei-jie, you’ve been keeping watch for so many days. Have you figured out the situation with the Su family?"

"When I make a move, are you still not at ease?"

Liu Daimei pounded Gu Sheng’s chest with her tiny fists and spoke in a tone that seemed to ask for praise. "The Su family is a scholarly household. They’re said to have originated from a prominent Northern Song clan. By the previous generation, they had established Su Trading Company, and business was doing fairly well.

"Unfortunately, after the Su family’s old master died three years ago, Mr. Su took over the business, but his ability was limited, and the Su family’s situation declined sharply. Some time ago, a shipment was detained in Zhili, making matters even worse."

"So they’re in trouble!"

Gu Sheng’s eyes lit up. He was determined to obtain the thing inside the Su family, but if he could avoid using force, it was better not to.

Liu Daimei answered while lying against Gu Sheng’s shoulder, "That’s right. What exactly are you planning? You’ve kept asking me to watch the Su family."

"You’ll know tomorrow!"

Gu Sheng deliberately kept her in suspense, provoking another bout of displeasure from Liu Daimei. She bit his neck and shouted that she wanted to suck his blood. Naturally, Gu Sheng did not sit around and wait to be attacked. He fought back and pinned Liu Daimei beneath him, followed by another round of creaking and squeaking sounds that made one seriously question the quality of the bed.

At the Su family residence in Shanghai, the head of the Su family, Mr. Su, sat alone in the main hall. A calligraphy copy lay on the tea table beside him, and its contents had left him deeply irritated. One of his shipments had been detained in Zhili. He had asked someone to use their connections to deliver a message, but the other party had completely ignored him and had never given him a response.

"Master, someone has come to visit!"

A butler-like man knocked on the door outside the sitting room before entering. After bowing to Mr. Su, he lowered his voice and said, "Master, they appear to be soldiers. They have guns!"

"Invite them in."

Master Su was so anxious that he did not clearly hear the butler’s description. Although he found it strange that someone would come to see him at such a time, he still received visitors as he always had.

"Greetings, Mr. Su!"

Gu Sheng was the first to step into the Su family’s main hall, followed by Liu Daimei in plain attire. Seeing the handsome man and beautiful woman, Mr. Su noticed the pistol at Gu Sheng’s waist, and a trace of confusion flashed through his eyes. He did not understand why this young man had come to find him.

Moreover, Su Trading Company currently had accounting problems, and another shipment had been detained in Zhili. He was already irritated. Having an unfamiliar visitor arrive—apparently a gun-carrying soldier, at that—put him in an absolutely foul mood.

"Hello. May I ask your name, sir? Do you have some past connection with me?"

Mr. Su could not suppress the questions in his heart and directly asked Gu Sheng.

"Mr. Su, there’s no need to be nervous!"

Gu Sheng smiled at him. "I’m just a rough soldier, fit to serve as chief of staff under Commander Gu of Wen County, Zhili. I’ve come this time because there’s something I’d like to discuss with you."