Chapter 106: The Niu Mother and Son, A Mysterious New Owner
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“I don’t know,” Jiang Fuyue denied.
In the next moment, she suddenly became assertive, exuding a powerful aura that made Niu Rui almost unable to withstand it. “With the jade pendant in my hand, I am the owner of the Mechanical Hall. Tell Niu Chunhua to get out!”
This outburst completely silenced Niu Rui. He stammered, “My… My mother isn’t in the country.”
Missed!
Jiang Fuyue didn’t seem too disappointed. What she had to do today could still proceed even if Niu Chunhua wasn’t present.
She smiled warmly, as if bathed in a spring breeze. “Little Niu Er, why don’t you invite me in for a cup of tea?”
“….” Damn it, that Little Niu Er felt terribly embarrassed!
“Hm?” Jiang Fuyue’s tone changed, with a rising intonation.
“Up… upstairs, please.”
On the second floor of the bar, there were no private rooms, only an office space.
Niu Rui had her sit on the couch, then poured a glass of water for her.
“You… who are you really?”
Jiang Fuyue didn’t respond. She got up, paced around the office twice, and finally stopped in front of a large oil painting. The painting depicted Niu Chunhua in a qipao, holding a folding fan, with lowered eyes, looking charming and shy, identical to her appearance twenty years ago.
Niu Rui didn’t move, staring at her back with a hint of anxiety, but he also tried to maintain his composure. “Come over and sit, let’s talk.”
Jiang Fuyue turned back and said, “You seem quite nervous.”
He swallowed hard, “Do I? Maybe it’s because the Mechanical Pendant, which disappeared for twenty years, has suddenly reappeared….”
“No,” Jiang Fuyue interrupted with a half-smile. “You’re worried that I’ll discover the secret behind this painting.”
As her words fell, she reached out and pressed a section of the intricately carved hollow part of the painting frame. With the mechanical clanking, a previously stationary mahogany cabinet suddenly shifted aside, revealing an entrance about half a meter wide.
Niu Rui stood up in shock. “Stop!”
Jiang Fuyue leisurely looked back. “Now you say that? Isn’t it a little late?”
“Who are you, exactly? Why do you know my mother’s real name, and how do you know about the entrance switch?”
“I thought that once you’ve seen the Mechanical Pendant, you wouldn’t ask such a foolish question.”
Niu Rui clenched his teeth, his gaze unkind.
“What? Did I say something wrong? Isn’t Mechanical Hall always about recognizing jade over people?”
“You even know about that? Unfortunately, you’re mistaken. Starting with Aunt Lou, Mechanical Hall only recognizes people now!”
“Oh?” Jiang Fuyue raised an eyebrow, a hint of interest flashing in her eyes. “How did it change starting with her? What about all those rules and restrictions?”
Niu Rui furrowed his brow. “In any case, just having a jade pendant is not enough!”
“What else is needed?”
“Of course, it’s Aunt Lou’s approval!”
“If she’s dead…”
“Shut up!” Niu Rui suddenly erupted in anger, his eyes reddening, resembling an enraged beast. “You’re not allowed to curse her!”
Jiang Fuyue felt a mix of emotions at that moment.
The Mechanical Hall was founded by her master, Ye Qianji, and later handed over to her mother, Zhao Chuxiu. After Zhao Chuxiu’s death, it was inherited by Lou Mingyue.
Niu Chunhua was someone she personally groomed back in the day.
The rule of the Mechanical Hall had always been that whoever held the jade pendant was the owner of the Mechanical Hall.
She had taught this to Niu Chunhua back then, but she never anticipated…
“I have a personal letter from Lou Mingyue.”
Niu Rui was visibly shaken and took a quick step forward. “What did you say?! You know where Aunt Lou is? No… you’re lying! You just said you didn’t know her!”
Jiang Fuyue produced the prepared letter.
Yesterday when she retrieved the mechanical pendant from the cemetery, she had prepared this letter in Lou Mingyue’s handwriting in case it would come in handy.
She had never expected to use it….
Niu Rui took it and opened it urgently. The letter only had four words on it: “In jade, we trust.”
With just a glance, he recognized it as genuine. In that moment, the tall young man was close to tears.
However, he didn’t jump to conclusions and instead went to the safe, entered the code, and took out a scanning device.
He first input the program, then placed the letter into the scanning slot. In no time, the reflection area displayed a purple watermark with “MATCH 100%.”
The handwriting matched!
“It really is her….” Niu Rui said, trembling with excitement.
In the next moment, he turned around and bowed deeply to Jiang Fuyue. “Master, I apologize.”
Jiang Fuyue helped him up, and Niu Rui stayed in a bow. She raised an eyebrow.
“Master, can you tell me where Aunt Lou is? My mother and I have been searching for her for the past twenty years, but there has been no sign of her.”
“…” Silence.
“I mean no harm; I just want to know if she’s doing well.”
“….She’s doing well.”
“Then we can be reassured!” Niu Rui exhaled with relief, stood upright, and glanced at the dark entrance. “I’ll take you inside.”
With that, he walked ahead.
Jiang Fuyue followed closely.
The underground passage leading to the basement was not particularly long, but it was filled with traps, with an infrared sensor appearing almost every three steps.
It was a far cry from what it had been twenty years ago.
If it weren’t for Niu Rui’s guidance, Jiang Fuyue thought that forcing her way in might not be so easy.
Passing through the dark passage, they reached an expansive underground chamber with a central console, two command stations, and neatly arranged electronic screens on all sides. Over a hundred integrated machines were running efficiently.
Intelligence from around the world was transmitted here via encryption algorithms. Whether it was a national draft policy or the secret of an affluent family, as long as you entered the information you wanted to access, it could be found here.
One line connects ten thousand machines, achieving fame and success through the Green Jade Stairs.
This was the origin of the “Mechanical Hall.”
Jiang Fuyue assessed the environment, which was both familiar and unfamiliar, more organized and advanced than twenty years ago.
It was clear that in these years, Niu Chunhua and her son had managed the Mechanical Hall very well.
Jiang Fuyue sat at one of the command stations and in front of her was an embedded integrated machine. She placed her ten fingers on the keyboard.
Soon, the clattering sound of typing echoed through the underground chamber.
Niu Rui watched her with a sense of familiarity that suggested she wasn’t here for the first time, further deepening the mystery of this new owner in his mind.
But he didn’t ask anything or say anything.
Jiang Fuyue: “Permission key.”
Niu Rui asked, “…What level?”
“S.”
“… I don’t know.”
Jiang Fuyue furrowed her brows.
He quickly added, “My mom knows. I’ll call her now!”
Afterward, he took out his phone and quickly dialed.
After an extended series of beeping sounds, Niu Rui was almost desperate when someone finally picked up.
“Little brat, do you have any idea what time it is now?! Disturbing your mother’s beauty sleep, thinking I’m getting wrinkles, huh?” The woman’s voice was crisp and sharp.
Niu Rui switched to speakerphone and coughed lightly, his face somewhat embarrassed. “Mom…”
“Speak, what is it?” The woman dropped her scolding tone and suddenly turned cold.
“S-level permission key.”
“What?” Niu Chunhua thought she had misheard, “Say that again?”
Niu Rui looked awkwardly at Jiang Fuyue, then repeated it.
The woman’s tone grew icy. “To the person holding my son hostage, listen carefully. There’s no way you’re getting the permission key. Even if you kill him, I won’t tell you. That’s it. Goodbye.”
Niu Rui: “?” A bit bewildered.
Jiang Fuyue: “…”
This woman was as fierce as ever!
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