Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

"Mr. Shen, there's no need to be so nervous." Inside the room, after the door closed again, Suzuki sat behind the large mahogany desk that originally belonged to John, looking leisurely at Shen Jingyuan and the other man who were sitting opposite him with tense expressions.

"Now, we can talk openly about your...background." He tapped his fingers lightly on the table, deliberately lengthening the ending tone. It seemed like a question, but in fact it was a naked interrogation.

Shen Jingyuan snorted coldly, his face showing no sign of disguising his sarcasm. "Be frank? Mr. Suzuki, please forgive me for being blunt, but it seems your Chinese needs some improvement."

"From what I understand, 'openness and honesty' requires sincerity from both sides, not the current situation..." He paused, his eyes sharply scanning the surrounding warriors holding swords. Then, with a sarcastic tone, he added, "Swords are drawn against each other, using force to suppress the enemy."

Despite being ridiculed so bluntly, Suzuki didn't show any anger on his face. Instead, he nodded in agreement as if he had heard something interesting.

"Mr. Shen is right. I was disrespectful with my choice of words." He leaned forward slightly, a false smile on his face. "Then, let me first express my sincerity. My name is Suzuki Kenichiro. I am not some businessman's assistant, but the head of the Imperial Army's Special High Section's Jinmen Office."

Speaking of his position, Suzuki's eyes revealed a bit of uncontrollable complacency, but he quickly concealed it, "I took the liberty of inviting Mr. Shen here today, out of admiration and a desire to make friends."

He paused, as if trying to formulate his words, before continuing in his high-sounding tone, "My teacher, Mr. Tokugawa, has always greatly admired the bustling prosperity of your southern country and often lamented that he was never able to experience it firsthand, make friends, and appreciate its customs and people."

"Of course, I'm a pragmatic person. If I could get to know your 'boss' through Mr. Shen, and then establish connections with the wise men in the south, and achieve business cooperation, mutual benefit, and common development, that would naturally be great."

I don't know if he was sure that he could dig something out of Shen Jingyuan's mouth, or if he was completely sure of the situation before him.

Suzuki did not hide anything about Shen Jingyuan's test, but explained his origin very generously. He even emphasized "cooperation" and "common development" in his tone. His eyes were burning and his ambition was obvious.

When Shen Jingyuan heard the surname "Tokugawa", his pupils shrank slightly, almost imperceptibly.

This surname is one of the core nobles of the Japanese country who supported the false emperor on the ruins of the former court.

Although he was mentally prepared, when he confirmed with his own ears that the other party was from that notorious spy agency and that such a person was behind it, Shen Jingyuan couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

He suppressed his turbulent emotions, maintaining a stern expression. He said in a calm and perfunctory tone, "Mr. Suzuki, I'm afraid you've got the wrong person. Shen's boss is just an ordinary businessman in Shanghai, doing some small business. As for purchasing some equipment, it's just to protect himself in this chaotic world. He really doesn't deserve the word 'cooperation'."

Seeing that Shen Jingyuan was not cooperating, the smile on Suzuki's face faded a little, but he still maintained his patience. He leaned forward slightly, folded his hands on the table, and made a gesture of being open and persuasive.

"Mr. Shen, why are you so cautious?" Suzuki's voice slowed down, sounding sincere. "You and I are both sensible people. In these troubled times, what's most important? Strength and security. Since your boss has the courage to purchase such a large amount of military equipment, he must be a man with great ambitions."

He observed Shen Jingyuan's expression and continued, "Our empire is very powerful. Whether it's in terms of funding, technology, or... international influence, we can provide support far beyond your imagination."

"There's an old Chinese saying that goes, 'A wise bird chooses the right tree to roost in.' As long as your employer is willing to cooperate with us, not only can we offer this batch of arms at the most favorable price, we can even provide it as 'aid.' In the future, more and more advanced equipment will also be readily available. By then, your influence in the South will be unmatched."

Seeing that Shen Jingyuan still had no expression on his face, Suzuki offered another very tempting condition. "As for safety, Mr. Shen, there is no need to worry. The Empire has many 'friends' in East China and South China, enough to ensure that our cooperation will proceed smoothly."

He even tried to paint a "beautiful" picture: "Think about it, Mr. Shen. If we work together and open up the north-south trade route, with the resources of the empire and your foundation in the south, there's no need to worry about not achieving great things. Then, wealth and power will be within easy reach. This is the true meaning of 'harmony brings wealth,' isn't it?"

However, no matter how eloquent Suzuki was or how "bright" the prospects for cooperation he described, Shen Jingyuan remained unmoved.

He would either lower his eyelids and respond evasively, or simply remain silent, staring back at the other person with a cold and wary gaze, as if he were watching a clumsy performance that had nothing to do with him.

This stubborn and unyielding attitude finally exhausted Suzuki's patience.

The last trace of hypocritical smile on Suzuki's face finally disappeared completely, and a sinister look appeared in his eyes.

He snorted coldly, his tone turning icy. "It seems Mr. Shen has decided not to give me this face and no longer intends to 'make money through harmony'. If that's the case, don't blame me for using some...unique methods to make Mr. Shen realize his current situation."

Upon hearing this, Shen Jingyuan, who had originally had a blank expression on his face, suddenly became serious. He subconsciously tensed all his muscles and entered a state of high alert.

However, Suzuki's sinister gaze passed by Shen Jingyuan and locked onto Lin Xi, who was standing behind him with only half of her pale face and a pair of frightened eyes, like a poisonous snake.

"I was so busy discussing business with Mr. Shen just now that I neglected your wife. How rude of me." Suzuki suddenly forced a cold fake smile, his tone slow and low, "If I remember correctly, Mrs. Shen seemed to have twisted her ankle in the corridor just now?"

When Lin Xi heard this, her body trembled violently, alarm bells rang in her heart, and her nails almost dug into Shen Jingyuan's arm.

Shen Jingyuan's expression tensed instantly. He stretched out his hands to protect Lin Xi behind him, and met Suzuki's gaze without flinching. "Don't worry, Mr. Suzuki! Just let us go, and I will take my wife to find the best doctor!"

Suzuki simply smiled grimly and said slowly, "Neglecting a guest, especially causing injury to a lady, is the greatest disrespect for the host. Fortunately, I have a doctor with me. He is highly skilled and is particularly good at... treating various difficult and complicated illnesses."

As he spoke, he raised his hand and waved it gently, "Keiko."

"Yes!" A crisp female voice responded, and then a slender woman stood out from the crowd.

Lin Xi looked at her carefully and her pupils shrank slightly. The person was the waitress who led her to the bathroom before.

At this moment, she no longer had the appearance of pretending to be submissive. Her back was straight, her chin slightly raised, and a subtle arrogance lingered around her.

"Take Madam Shen down and give her a thorough 'check'. Be sure to be... 'careful'." Suzuki's eyes swept across Lin Xi's face, which had instantly lost its color, and he gave a "thoughtful" instruction.

"Yes!" Huizi bowed and accepted the order, then turned to Lin Xi, with a light in his dark pupils that seemed to be flashing with contempt mixed with morbid excitement.

Meeting her eyes that were like a venomous snake staring at its prey, Lin Xi felt a chill running from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Her whole body was cold, and she couldn't help but hold Shen Jingyuan tighter, as if he was her only life-saving straw.

Suzuki seemed very satisfied with Lin Xi's fearful reaction, and added in a seemingly unintentional and sinister tone: "Mr. Shen, don't worry. Huizi once studied at the top medical school in the empire. She is particularly good at anatomy and has a deep understanding of the human body structure. If she examines your wife, it will definitely be... foolproof."

"How dare you!" Seeing Huizi approaching step by step, Lin Xi, who had just recovered from her phobia, suddenly froze. She glared at him and shouted fiercely, "Do you know who I am?"

When Shen Jingyuan heard this, his eyes changed and he subconsciously tightened his grip on Lin Xi's hand, signaling her not to speak.

But Lin Xi seemed to be stimulated and did not notice his reminder. She glared at Suzuki with anger and said again: "Do you know who I am? If you dare to touch me, I will make you pay for it!"

"Oh?" Suzuki seemed to have not expected Lin Xi to be so easily frightened. A triumphant smile flashed across his eyes. As if he had found a breakthrough, he looked at her with interest and said sarcastically, "Mr. Shen said that you are just ordinary businessmen. Could it be that Mrs. Shen has some shameful identity?"

"Bah!" Lin Xi was so angry at his contemptuous tone that she spat at him. Unconvinced, she poked her head out from behind Shen Jingyuan and said indignantly, "You are the one who is ashamed. Is your whole family ashamed? Listen carefully, my identity is..."

Seeing that she was about to reveal her identity impulsively, Shen Jingyuan was shocked and reached out to stop her, but the second half of Lin Xi's sentence had already come out of her mouth.

"My identity is——your great aunt!"