Chapter 37: The Heirloom Beaded Bracelet

Compared with Huang Jianren’s mother, his father had weathered plenty of storms in the business world and possessed considerably better judgment.

So, after hearing Cao Kun’s price and demands, he immediately realized that this seemingly upright, sunny young man was aiming for far more than met the eye.

First of all, it was obvious that Cao Kun intended to profit from both sides.

Although he had only asked them for three million, he had in fact swallowed the Wang family’s share as well.

After all, he had demanded eighty thousand in exchange for a letter of forgiveness.

In other words, the Wang family would hand over eighty thousand to them.

Yet they would not truly become the owners of that money.

The eighty thousand would merely pass through their hands before being transferred to Cao Kun.

Not only that, they would also have to make up the remaining two million nine hundred and twenty thousand themselves.

So, although Cao Kun appeared to be asking only them for money, he was actually taking advantage of both families.

Second, if he could rescue Wang Yifu so easily, why had he chosen not to? Why cooperate with them instead, leaving Wang Yifu to remain in prison?

What was the point of doing that?

Was it merely for the three million?

No!

It could not possibly be that simple!

Based on his many years of experience judging people, Huang Jianren’s father was almost certain that Cao Kun was not particularly interested in the money.

When Cao Kun had named the price of three million, his expression, his eyes, even his tone had all been far too calm.

That was not the composure of someone truly interested in money.

At the very least, he clearly did not care much about those three million.

But if he was not after money, then what was he after?

A person?

To be fair, Wang Shanshan was indeed an exceptional woman.

Whether in looks or figure, she was unquestionably among the finest.

If Cao Kun liked her and wanted to make her his woman, that would be perfectly understandable.

But even then, there would be no need to leave Wang Yifu in prison.

If anything, Cao Kun should have been trying to get him out.

After all, once he and Wang Shanshan became a couple, Wang Yifu would become his father-in-law. They would be one family. What kind of son-in-law would leave a member of his own family rotting in prison?

Besides, Wang Yifu was still in the prime of his life, fully capable of earning money.

Wouldn’t it be better to get him released and have him earn money to support the household?

Unless…

As a daring thought surfaced in his mind, Huang Jianren’s father drew a sharp breath once more.

Damn!

Could it be that Cao Kun was not after Wang Shanshan?

Or rather, could it be that he wanted more than Wang Shanshan alone?

Could he also be planning to take Wang Yifu’s wife, Bai Jing, for himself?

Huang Jianren’s father had just watched that video, so the images remained vivid in his memory.

Wang Yifu’s wife, Bai Jing, was truly an extraordinary mature woman.

Her beauty and full, graceful figure were in no way inferior to Wang Shanshan’s.

In fact, compared with Wang Shanshan, Bai Jing was more mature and intellectually refined, possessing a charm unique to an experienced woman.

So…

Could Cao Kun be planning to take both mother and daughter?

If that was the case, everything suddenly made sense.

Why had he refused to save Wang Yifu when he clearly could have?

Obviously!

He had his eye not only on Wang Yifu’s daughter, but also on his wife. Why would he rescue Wang Yifu and ruin the good thing developing between the three of them?

And why had he demanded that they issue a letter of forgiveness for eighty thousand?

Because that eighty thousand represented the entirety of the Wang family’s wealth. Once they handed it over, the mother and daughter would be left penniless and helpless.

That would be the moment when they needed someone to rely on most.

If Cao Kun stepped in then and became their support, it would only be a matter of time before the two women began serving him together.

The more Huang Jianren’s father thought about it, the more certain he became that his guess was correct.

What a ruthless bastard. To toy with another man’s wife and daughter, he was even willing to leave their husband and father in prison for the rest of his life!

A man like that was the kind of merciless killer who could take a life without blinking.

Fortunately, he and Cao Kun were not enemies. In fact, they were on the same side.

After all, they shared a common enemy: Wang Yifu.

Otherwise, if he had to face someone like this as an opponent, Huang Jianren’s father felt he would have to sleep with the lights on for the rest of his life.

These thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant. Huang Jianren’s father immediately said, “No problem. We can give you the three million you want, but we hope you will keep your word and make sure this video never reaches the police.”

Hearing her husband say this, Huang Jianren’s mother was stunned.

He had agreed?

Just like that?

Wasn’t he going to demand a written guarantee or try to bargain the price down?

That was three million! It was no small sum even for them.

Their son had been beaten to death, yet they were expected to pay three million and prevent the murderer, Wang Yifu, from receiving the death penalty.

That sounded like an absurdly one-sided deal.

Shouldn’t they think it over a little longer?

“Old Huang, I think this matter…”

Huang Jianren’s mother had just begun to speak when her husband interrupted her.

“All right, don’t concern yourself with this. Just listen to me.”

As he spoke, Huang Jianren’s father gave her two subtle winks.

The moment she saw the gesture, Huang Jianren’s mother closed her mouth.

The couple had a few private signals unknown to outsiders.

The one he had just used meant danger.

Whenever Huang Jianren’s father sent that signal, his wife was expected to follow his instructions without question.

After all, when it came to urgent matters like this, he was still the more alert of the two.

Watching their little exchange, Cao Kun smiled faintly.

“Mr. Huang, rest assured. Once the three million is in my hands, this video will absolutely not appear at the police station. You have my word.”

As he spoke, Cao Kun slowly turned the string of wooden beads around his wrist.

He had bought them from a street stall the night before for eight yuan. The vendor had claimed they were made of sandalwood.

Cao Kun removed the beads from his wrist and said, “Mr. Huang, this string has been handled and polished by my ancestors since their generation. By the time it reached me, it had already been passed down for more than two hundred years. Three million isn’t too much to ask, is it?”

The corner of Huang Jianren’s father’s mouth twitched. He had no idea what to say.

Those shabby beads were obviously brand-new. How could Cao Kun possibly claim they had been polished for more than two hundred years?

Besides, had anyone even been collecting and handling beads two centuries ago?

Of course, although that was what he was thinking, he could not possibly say it aloud.

He smiled and nodded.

“Not at all. Absolutely not. Collectibles are a matter of personal taste—one person’s treasure is another person’s trash.”

“To someone who doesn’t like them, they may not be worth a single yuan. To someone who does, they may be worth a fortune.”

“And this particular string is exactly to my taste. I’m willing to pay three million for it. The only question is whether you can bear to part with it, Brother Cao.”

Cao Kun burst out laughing and immediately tossed the beads over.

“Since you like them so much, I suppose I can bear to part with them. Three million, then. My bank account number is…”