Chapter Twelve: Trusted Confidant

“Sister Chu? Wh—what brings you here?” At that moment, Sun Yunzhao’s face showed a flicker of surprise, and she hurried forward to greet the newcomer.

The woman addressed as Sister Chu appeared to be around thirty years old. Her appearance was impeccably refined and poised, dressed in a tailored black uniform, her hair cropped short and neat, her bare face exuding innate femininity. With only the lightest touch of makeup, she possessed a natural, ethereal beauty that stood out from the ordinary. Her figure was striking, her curves far surpassing those of most women, her waist slender and supple, her body shaped with a near devilish S-curve—such a woman was often far more alluring to men than the willowy sort.

Within the Blue Rose, her status was second to none—she was the owner’s most trusted confidante. She enjoyed a sterling reputation both in legitimate and less savory circles, and in the entirety of Hong County, she was a figure of considerable renown.

Sister Chu glanced at the two, her voice cool and even. “If I hadn’t come? Had I not shown up, these two would have torn the place apart.” She turned her gaze to Lu Hao. “Is this your friend?”

She inspected Lu Hao from head to toe, her expression hinting that she might have seen him somewhere before.

“Yes, Sister Chu,” Sun Yunzhao replied earnestly with a nod. “Here’s the situation, my friend—”

Sister Chu nodded. “I see. All right, you two come with me. And as for your boyfriend, let him go.”

She cast a pointed look at Wu Jian. “I’ve warned you plenty of times—this man is no good, not to be trusted. But you never listened.”

At her words, Sun Yunzhao’s eyes clouded with sadness. No matter how difficult things had been before, she’d always held out. But now, at last, she’d reached her limit.

“Sister Chu, I am Yunzhao’s boyfriend! Why? Why are you helping this outsider?” Wu Jian, who had been sprawled on the floor, now scrambled to his feet, disbelief written all over his face. “They betrayed me first!”

Sister Chu let out a cold laugh, her dignified face now marked by disappointment and disgust. “And you think you have the right to speak? There’s nothing about your dirty dealings I don’t know. Get out. If you dare make trouble at Blue Rose again, next time I’ll take a leg.”

Wu Jian’s face turned ashen. Without another word, he stumbled to his feet and fled the room.

Soon after, Lu Hao followed Sun Yunzhao into Sister Chu’s office.

The office was oval-shaped, vast, and opulent—an extravagant space adorned with calligraphy, fine wines, and a trove of contemporary collectibles. It was clear that Sister Chu had a distinctive taste and a penchant for the finer things in life.

“Introduce yourself,” Sister Chu said, settling into her chair and pouring a glass of beer each for Lu Hao and Sun Yunzhao.

“Hello, Sister Chu. I graduated from Kyoto Medical University—here’s my graduation photo. I majored in pharmaceuticals, received the National Excellence Award, and finished my thesis ahead of schedule. As for the medicine I’m selling…” Lu Hao began to explain its effects.

Yet it was obvious that Sister Chu was not particularly interested in the medicine itself. “Just give me your price.”

Lu Hao replied, “There are fifteen bottles in total, five thousand per bottle—seventy thousand altogether.”

At this, Sun Yunzhao frowned. Five thousand for a single bottle? Might as well be robbing them. Even the most expensive ones in regular shops are only a few dozen per pill at most. This was practically the price of a miracle cancer cure.

Sister Chu felt a sudden urge to curse. Trying to rip me off? But she maintained a calm exterior. “Fine. Read out your bank account number. I’ll transfer it directly.”

Lu Hao was taken aback by her briskness. “Bui—” But the money had already arrived: seventy thousand deposited.

“I’ve paid. Leave the medicine and you can go,” Sister Chu said, waving him off.

Lu Hao stood up. “Sister Chu, just a word of warning—the effects of this are very strong. Don’t let guests drink too much, especially the older ones. Otherwise, there could be… incidents.”

With that, he and Sun Yunzhao left the room.

Sun Yunzhao looked at Lu Hao with deep concern. “Lu Hao, whatever your intentions are, as a friend I have to warn you—Sister Chu is a formidable figure, with means you can hardly imagine. If you need money, you can come to me. If there’s anything wrong with the medicine, I’m afraid you might…”

She trailed off, recalling a few rumors about Sister Chu. She remembered hearing that Sister Chu had once been targeted by an online scam ring, cheated out of over four million from her company accounts. The very next day, Sister Chu vanished—rumor had it she boarded a plane to Xishuangbanna to confront them personally. On the fourth day, she returned by car via the Yunnan-Burma road, carrying a wooden box in which lay a pair of severed hands.

Though the tale was likely exaggerated, it nevertheless spoke to Sister Chu’s strength and character.

“Don’t worry—there won’t be any problems,” Lu Hao said, patting his chest reassuringly.

Meanwhile, in the office, Sister Chu stared silently at the fifteen bottles of murky yellow liquid, packed in boxes that once held traditional medicine pills. At that moment, her trusted aide Su Jie entered, eyeing her with confusion.

“Sister Chu, this stuff sold for seventy thousand? Did we just get taken for a ride?”

Sister Chu shook her head and downed her beer. “I’m just following orders.”

“Whose orders?” Su Jie picked up one of the bottles, uncorked it, and inhaled the pungent, medicinal aroma, which made him cough.

“Isn’t this just ginger water?”

“I’m following Madam Tang’s orders,” Sister Chu replied evenly.

“Madam Tang?” Su Jie nearly dropped the bottle, his face changing dramatically. “No wonder! I was wondering how you could fall for a scam like this. That kid must be someone Madam Tang knows. Could this stuff actually be the real deal? Want me to try it for you?”

Sister Chu remained calm. “If you want to try something new and aren’t afraid of being poisoned, go ahead.”

Su Jie laughed. “Five thousand for one bottle—how could it be poison?” He took a small sip, smacked his lips. “Tastes pretty good, actually. Sweet and mild—I thought ginger water would be spicy.”

He licked his lips again. “Doesn’t feel like anything. Maybe we really did get swindled.”

No sooner had he spoken than a sudden, fierce heat surged from his lower abdomen.

“Oh no!”