Chapter 569: Chapter 568: Ingrained Disgust
"County Magistrate Sun, allow me to introduce to you our current helmsman of the Tong Family, Tong Yunshu. Don’t be fooled by her young age; her capabilities are exceptional, and she’s now our family’s leader," Tong Jinchuan said as he walked over and shook hands with Sun Chaoyi, pointing to Tong Yunshu.
Sun Chaoyi remained seated in his chair, not bothering to stand up to greet her.
His gaze stayed firmly on Tong Yunshu’s face, and he even brazenly sized up her beauty and figure. In his heart, he considered her as his prey, but deep down, he did not respect her and didn’t take her seriously.
Tong Yunshu frowned slightly.
She understood the nature of men well; every normal man on earth is lustful, the difference lies in whether they know how to restrain themselves and hide their desires well.
Now a martial artist herself, and having reached the Energy Transformation Realm Sixth Rank, she felt her perception had become countless times more sensitive than before. Thus, she saw right through the meaning behind Sun Chaoyi’s gaze.
If it were in the past, Tong Yunshu would not mind flaunting her unique feminine charm in front of men. She even enjoyed watching them become infatuated and submit to her beauty.
But now, she had changed.
She had someone she cared about deeply—a man she held dear.
Now, she would only reveal her charm to Yang Fei alone.
Let alone others, even her way of dressing had greatly changed since getting involved with Yang Fei, becoming much more conservative.
A woman dresses for the man she adores, and she would only show her best side when meeting Yang Fei.
"Hello," Tong Yunshu said politely, nodding and smiling at him, a gesture of greeting.
Sun Chaoyi’s eyes lingered on Tong Yunshu, and with a chuckle, he said, "I’ve long heard that the Tong Family has a new leader, an impressive rising star. Today, seeing you in person, the reputation is indeed well-deserved. Miss Tong is truly beautiful."
Tong Yunshu thanked him and then sat in the chair opposite Sun Chaoyi.
Tong Jinchuan had originally pulled out the chair next to Sun Chaoyi for her, but seeing her choose to sit across, maintaining a distance, he quickly sat next to Sun Chaoyi instead, easing the awkwardness.
Sun Chaoyi felt annoyed by Tong Yunshu’s action and snorted coldly, displaying the powerful presence of someone in a higher position, and got straight to the point, "Miss Tong, since you’ve come here, you should be aware of our local policy changes, right?"
As the Vice County Magistrate, Sun Chaoyi was aware of the existence of the Martial World. The Tong Family was just a declining little clan; after the death of Tong Yan, this generation lacked any strong members.
Even when Tong Yan was still alive, facing the local policy’s authority, the Tong Family had no choice but to comply, much less the Tong Family now.
Martial Artists, mere brutes!
To ordinary people, martial artists possess certain privileges, but when facing national laws, martial artists must still obey, otherwise, it’s defying the law with force.
"I’ve heard about it. However, I must say I don’t quite agree with your ever-changing policies here in Jiangbei County," Tong Yunshu said lightly, pouring tea into her cup.
Tong Jinchuan’s pupils contracted, and he grew anxious, shooting Tong Yunshu warning glances.
This was an important figure who held life-and-death power over the Tong Group’s assets; how could you casually offend him?
Sun Chaoyi also did not expect Tong Yunshu to speak so frankly and paused, slightly startled. Then his anger grew, and with a sneer, he said, "Miss Tong seems to be dissatisfied with the national policy."
"Oh, County Magistrate Sun, now you’ve wronged me. I couldn’t possibly bear such a big accusation," she responded.
Sun Chaoyi squinted at her, taking a serious look at this woman for the first time. He suddenly realized that her excellence lay not only in her appearance and figure.
"The Tong Family secured that medicinal herb base in Bear Mountain City twenty years ago, and we paid the rent for fifty years upfront. According to the contract we signed at the time, we still have nearly thirty years of rights to use that land.
Apart from that, our Tong Family’s medicinal herb base has deep cooperation with the top three pharmaceutical factories in Jiangbei and even exports overseas. It could be said that the medicinal herb market in Bear Mountain City was driven by our Tong Family’s development, and the rise of many industries in Jiangbei also relied on our Tong Family’s support over the years. Our family’s contributions to the development of Jiangbei County are well known among the over a hundred million residents.
"Every Prefectural Governor of Jiangbei County has praised our Tong Group with flattering words and offered many preferential policies for our industries.
It could be said that there’s an inseparable relationship between the economic development of Jiangbei County and the Tong Family. Our cooperation has always been mutually beneficial and highly pleasant. I’m not sure why, after County Magistrate Sun took charge of this area, there’s suddenly been targeted actions against our Tong Family, even looking to reclaim that land."
Sun Chaoyi’s brow furrowed; he had not expected Tong Yunshu to be so direct. He spoke in a stern tone, "This was not a personal decision but the result of discussions at meetings. It just so happens that I was transferred to oversee these businesses this year, and it fell on me to play this unsavory role. But I assure you, I’m not personally targeting the Tong Group."
Tong Yunshu smiled at these words, "But from my point of view, Vice County Magistrate Sun, it seems you are indeed deliberately targeting our Tong Family."
As she spoke, her gaze briefly swept over the man sitting across from her who bore a resemblance to a Japanese person, and asked, "And who might this gentleman be?"
"Hello, my name is Jingshang Chuner, the General Manager of the Great China region for Zhu Corporation." The slovenly-looking middle-aged man stood up and gave a bow to Tong Yunshu.
As expected, a Japanese man.
Tong Yunshu’s expression turned colder as she addressed Sun Chaoyi, "I hear that it’s the Zhu Corporation that wants our land, correct?"
Sun Chaoyi replied, "That’s correct. The Zhu Corporation is planning to make a significant investment in Bear Mountain City, which bears historic significance for the city’s future development. After several meetings, Jiangbei County decided to seize this opportunity."
"Bringing in foreign capital to develop local enterprises is commendable, but surely that shouldn’t be at the expense of native enterprises in Divine Continent Country?" Tong Yunshu retorted with a cold laugh.
Sun Chaoyi nodded with a feigned sigh, "Indeed, and that’s precisely the dilemma I’m in. That’s why I asked Mr. Tong to come and discuss possible solutions to see if there’s a potential for a win-win cooperation."
"Sorry, our Tong Family does not collaborate with forces of an alien race. Especially not businesses from Japan," Tong Yunshu said decisively.
Jingshang Chuner’s face turned angry as he raised his voice, "Baka, Miss Tong, this is racial discrimination."
"You’re actually right. I have a deep-seated disdain and hatred for Japanese people, innate within me. I can’t help it, I can’t change it." Tong Yunshu said and then turned to Tong Jinchuan, "Are we the hosts today?"
Tong Jinchuan was taken aback, not quite understanding her meaning, but he still nodded his head.
Tong Yunshu continued, "There’s a rule in our Tong Family ancestral teachings that forbids doing business or making friends with Japanese people. Have you forgotten?"
Tong Jinchuan’s face changed, and he hurriedly said, "I haven’t forgotten."
"Then how did this man end up sitting here?" Tong Yunshu’s presence grew stronger, her gaze piercing as she asked.
Tong Jinchuan began to sweat, shifting uneasily in his seat and awkwardly looking towards Sun Chaoyi.
Sun Chaoyi’s face turned an iron shade of blue, looking at Tong Yunshu with disbelief.
Had this woman gone mad? How dare she be so disrespectful in front of him?
"Hmph, throw him out!" Tong Yunshu huffed.
This huff contained the aura of a Martial Artist at the Energy Transformation Realm Sixth Rank, enriched with the special charm acquired from cultivation at the Great Yellow Court. The pressure it exerted was so powerful that Tong Jinchuan’s legs trembled, and even Sun Chaoyi, despite his high position, felt a chill in his heart, as an ominous pressure swept over him, making it palpitate.