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墨書 Inktalez
Wu Family, a villa on the outskirts of City A, appears unremarkable from the outside, but in reality, it is quite special. After all, being able to build a villa in such a location indicates that its owner is not an ordinary person.
Isn't the outskirts just a place where the wealthy establish villas? Why is this particular villa so special? The answer lies in the fact that there are no other buildings nearby.
Although this area hosts only one villa, it is surrounded by a private land that spans a kilometer in all directions, where no one is allowed to build anything for any reason. Of course, if you have permission from the landowner, that would be another matter.
However, ordinary people really lack the ability to gain such permission to build a villa here, or to even approach the owner to request land for any construction.
This is all because this land belongs to the Wu Family. In City A, the Wu Family is undoubtedly one of the most prestigious families, yet most people are unaware of their existence.
Rooted in City A, known for its jade industry, the Wu Family also primarily focuses on jade as their leading business.
If you were to go down Gambling Stone Street and ask someone if they know about the Wu Family, very few would respond affirmatively. Even those who do might hesitate to share information. After all, associating with the Wu Family is not as easy as it seems; unless you belong to that social circle, you really have no right to know about them, let alone establish any connections.
Conversely, if you were to ask if anyone knows about the Qian Family on Jade Street, people would look at you strangely. It would be surprising for someone involved in the jade industry not to know about the Qian Family, which suggests they are not doing well in that field.
When comparing the Qian Family with the Wu Family, not only would others refrain from making such comparisons, but even Qian Hong, the head of the Qian Family, would likely not consider himself qualified to compete with the Wu Family. Any member of the Wu Family could easily overshadow Qian Hong and everything related to the Qian Family.
This illustrates that sometimes, families that are more low-key can be more powerful; the Wu Family is a prime example.
At this moment, in the central room of the Wu Family villa, an elderly man nearing seventy is reclining in a rattan chair, slowly enjoying the afternoon sun.
The architecture of this villa is quite sophisticated; there is a square opening in the ceiling of this room through which sunlight pours down, perfectly illuminating where the old man sits.
Of course, this opening is covered with reinforced glass. Not only rain but even a person would find it difficult to sneak in through there.
Initially, when they planned to create this opening, younger members of the Wu Family opposed it. They believed it would make it easy for thieves to enter. Losing valuables would be minor; if something happened to the Old Master, it would be a serious issue—after all, the Wu Family cannot function without their guiding leader.
However, when the Old Master slammed his hand on the table and glared while saying "Are you trying to oppose me?", those who disagreed quickly fell silent. In the Wu Family, what the Old Master says holds absolute authority; no one dares to defy him because doing so would mean betraying the family.
In the Wu Family, ignoring what the Old Master says equates to betraying the family itself, highlighting his significant influence within it.
Thus, by noon the next day, this opening was completed along with all necessary security measures put in place to ensure both compliance with the Old Master's wishes and his safety.
Since they proceeded with this plan, the Old Master had no objections. Although he believed that with his skills, ordinary so-called experts could not harm him, he appreciated his children's concerns and nodded in agreement without further comment.
After lunch, the Old Master always sat here. He didn't go out to bask in the sun; instead, he preferred to sit indoors, enjoying the faint light that streamed down through a hole in the roof, then closing his eyes to doze lightly.
The Old Master had a rosy complexion, clearly a robust elder. His face was quite blessed-looking, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin. His hair was already mostly white, and he wore a long robe that gave him an air of ethereal grace.
Suddenly, his lightly closed eyes snapped open, and he revealed a smile that felt like a refreshing spring breeze. He murmured to himself, "Xia Yanran has come; it's been a while since I've seen this girl."
After about five minutes, just as he expected, there was a knock on his door.
"Come in, little girl," the Old Master said with a smile, his face full of affection for the person outside.
The door opened, and in walked a stunningly beautiful girl.
If Lin Feng were here, he would definitely recognize this woman; she was the same girl who had been watching him at the Gambling Stone shop of the Qian Family.
The newcomer was Wu Yanran. After Lin Feng left, she drove her BMW straight here to tell Grandpa about Lin Feng's situation and to make him happy.
Of course, she wasn't entirely sure if Lin Feng was indeed the person their family had been searching for all these years. So, aside from bringing good news, she wanted Grandpa to send someone out to gather information about Lin Feng for confirmation.
In the Wu Family, ordinary family members could mobilize certain resources to investigate specific matters. However, an intelligence team that belonged solely to the Old Master could only be commanded by him. This meant that no one in the Wu Family could direct them—regardless of whether they were the Old Master's biological son or grandson.
Wu Yanran believed that as long as she reported Lin Feng's situation, Grandpa would definitely send this intelligence team to search for information about Lin Feng.
"What's wrong? Xia Yanran, is it rare for you to come visit Grandpa?" The Old Master's face remained filled with a kind smile as he asked Yanran.
Among many children and grandchildren, the Old Master doted on Wu Yanran the most; this was no secret in the Wu Family. The reason was simple: he knew this girl was exceptionally intelligent, especially in her studies of jade. Her understanding was profound. Moreover, she was very attentive to him and knew what he needed. Thus, it was only natural that the Old Master favored Wu Yanran—the eldest daughter of his eldest son and the first granddaughter of the Wu Family.
"Hehe, can't I come see Grandpa if there's nothing wrong? Am I not welcome?" Wu Yanran smiled back at her Grandpa's affectionate expression and teased him.
In the Wu Family, perhaps only she could joke with the Old Master. Although he wore a smile that felt like spring sunshine every day, those familiar with him knew he could be quite temperamental. If anyone angered him, he wouldn't spare them any mercy.
Over time, his sons could only pray not to provoke their father—who always wore a smiling face but had a bad temper—let alone have time to joke with him. They feared that if he suddenly lost his sense of humor, they might end up being scolded instead.
"Hehe... You little girl, I know you well. Once you start studying jade, it's not an exaggeration to say you forget to eat or drink; how could you have time for an old man like me? Come on, what difficulties have you encountered now?" The Old Master accepted Wu Yanran's teasing with a smile.
Though there was some playful sarcasm in his tone, the Old Master genuinely appreciated Wu Yanran's dedication to jade studies. He remembered being just like her when he was young—once engrossed in research; time seemed to slip away completely.
He believed that only through such dedication could one truly understand jade.
He believed that with this girl's understanding of jade and her enthusiasm for research, it was indeed possible that another leader of the Wu Family a hundred years from now could be this little girl.
He knew that his sons were quite capable and each could handle their own affairs, but when it came to understanding jade, after studying for twenty or thirty years, their level might not even match that of Wu Yanran at her current age. After all, talent is crucial in the study of jade.
Because of this, the Old Master had given up on training his sons and instead focused on nurturing Wu Yanran. Their lack of talent meant that even if he locked them up to study jade, it would be of no use. It was better to let them develop some practical skills so they could assist Wu Yanran in managing the Wu Family in the future.
Despite being nearly seventy years old and belonging to an older generation, the Old Master did not hold any traditional views favoring males over females. He always believed that true ability was what mattered most, regardless of whether one was male or female, as long as they were part of the Wu Family.
"Grandpa, don't look down on me. I used to come to you for funding, but that was for researching jade. Didn't you say that as long as it's for jade research, I can have as much money as I want? What's wrong? Are you feeling stingy?" Wu Yanran always appeared knowledgeable and graceful in front of others, like a refined lady from ancient times, but now she revealed a playful side appropriate for her age.
Only her Grandpa could bring out this side of her. Those so-called young masters pursuing her were all overly accommodating, yet they could never earn her smile.
"Still trying to be cheeky with Grandpa? Alright, alright, it was my mistake. So, little girl, what brings you here this time?" The Old Master laughed heartily at his granddaughter's playfulness and readily admitted his mistake before asking. This showed how much he indulged her.
"Well, well, your attitude is pretty good; I won't hold it against you. Okay then, considering your usual willingness to provide funding for my research, I'll share some good news with you—something that will definitely keep you awake with excitement," Wu Yanran said to her Grandpa after joking around.
"What good news?" The Old Master still didn't believe that this little girl could bring him any news worth losing sleep over. After all these years, aside from news about finding that person, nothing had made him happy enough to lose sleep.
"Haha... I tell you, I might have encountered the person that our family has been searching for but has never found," Wu Yanran said excitedly to her Grandpa.
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