I Don't Agree to the Terms
Chapter 31: Unpredictable Human Heart

Chapter 31: Chapter 31: Unpredictable Human Heart

"Hey Kiddo, did you happen to see my third son last night?" Qian Lao hesitated for a moment, then stopped Gu Shanhai and the others as they were leaving and asked.

"Last night? No, we went to bed pretty early," Heavenly Immortal drunkenly said without hesitation, "Maybe he went out to have some fun."

Hearing this, Qian Lao couldn’t help but feel a thud in his heart, worrying something might have happened.

As for going out for fun, that was impossible. Not to mention that Fengtai Village didn’t have much to offer in terms of entertainment, even if there were, he wouldn’t have money to spend.

Qian Lao’s family had seven sons; they struggled just to feed them all, let alone afford entertainment.

But he didn’t want to make a scene, especially since he knew exactly what he had sent Qian Tiezhu to do the previous night. If he started digging too deep, it would only reflect poorly on him.

Even though the others were outsiders, it wouldn’t be right to use brute force to interrogate them.

"I’ll go ask around some more; maybe he did go out somewhere to have fun," Qian Lao said with a forced smile.

"You could ask the village chief if there were any arrangements to visit the ancestral hall or some other place. It’s such a small village; he can’t have gone far," Gu Shanhai added.

"Right, right," Qian Lao said, albeit distractedly, as he left.

The three of them were somewhat puzzled.

"He doesn’t suspect us," Emperor’s Mercy quickly concluded.

"That’s strange. Maybe something similar has happened before in Fengtai Village. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have let it go so easily," Gu Shanhai chimed in. He had expected the man to insist or protest, but surprisingly, that was not the case.

"Do you mean there are other hidden issues?" Heavenly Immortal asked.

"Yes, and they’re not minor. We..." Gu Shanhai began, but stopped mid-sentence.

Because someone was heading straight towards them.

"Boss, the village chief forgot to tell you earlier. Please don’t stay at Qian Lao’s old house tonight. We’ll arrange another place for you," the person said with a somewhat ingratiating smile.

It was the same young man who had been at the ancestral hall earlier.

After all, they were dealing with a big boss, who’d discuss investments worth millions or even billions. It wouldn’t be fitting to let him stay in that shabby house, as it might reflect poorly on the etiquette of the villagers.

So, it was definitely necessary to arrange a better house.

"It’s okay, that old house is actually quite nice. It’s just a bit dirty and disordered. If cleaned up and transformed into a farmhouse style, tourists could stay for at least 500 per night. It’s also a practical inspection," Gu Shanhai said, each sentence laced with considerations about money.

"Five hundred for a night in that dilapidated place!" the other was startled by the thought, as accommodating someone in Qian Lao’s broken house for five hundred meant his own could fetch a thousand.

"Yes, but it definitely needs a complete renovation. It definitely won’t work if we keep it as it is," Gu Shanhai observed the man’s reaction accordingly.

This made the other man give a wry smile, showing some embarrassment. Renovation would require money, so he fell silent.

"Don’t worry, if this project passes the review, we’ll fund the renovation and rebuilding," Gu Shanhai said grandiosely, knowing full well it was all a facade.

"Boss, you really are generous. Please, this way; I’ll show you to your new place," the young man said, clearly pleased.

On the way, Gu Shanhai spoke again, "By the way, I heard that Qian Lao’s third son went missing. He asked me if I’d seen him last night. What’s that all about?"

The young man felt uneasy upon hearing this. He knew Qian Tiezhu well – he wasn’t exactly a good character in the village, and the same could be said for Qian Lao’s entire family.

Asking if anyone had seen him last night could only mean one thing: he must have seen Zhou Family’s Kiddo spending money freely and got tempted to do something he shouldn’t.

If it were just about their money coming in, it would be one thing, but the deal wasn’t even settled. If Qian Tiezhu succeeded in his schemes, it would surely leave a bad impression. If they managed to get their hands on the money, they wouldn’t have to work another day in their lives.

"He might have gone wandering around; that’s just how Tiezhu is," the young man said, forcing a smile, offering a temporary explanation.

"That doesn’t seem right. Didn’t something happen? I saw how lost Qian Lao looked," Gu Shanhai deliberately steered the conversation in a particular direction, sensing that Qian Lao might know something.

But the young man appeared baffled and seemed unaware.

"It can’t be. Who would leave the village at night? Besides, there’s nothing dangerous nearby, no tigers or wolves. Each household has a dog; it’s unlikely anything happened, he probably just went out to play," the young man was puzzled by the idea but didn’t dwell on it.

"Oh, could he have fallen into some pit or hole?" Gu Shanhai pressed further.

At this, the young man gave Gu Shanhai a look that suggested he thought he was a fool for worrying so much about others, especially when they were trying to take his money.

Upon further reflection, if Gu Shanhai wasn’t such a fool, why would he just give their village ten billion out of the blue?

"It’s possible, I’ll mention it to the village chief later," the young man didn’t linger on the topic or worry about where Qian Tiezhu might be.

His opinion of Qian Tiezhu wasn’t high, even though they were related. Qian Lao’s family had often taken advantage of their large number of male family members to claim more than their fair share in the village.

Soon, he brought Gu Shanhai to the new accommodation.

The living conditions were considerably better than before, at least environmentally.

After showing him the place, the young man left, not bothering with small talk since he had matters to attend to - obviously in a hurry to be somewhere else.

Who knows what he was preparing to do?

"What are you planning to do next regarding Qian Tiezhu’s situation?" Heavenly Immortal asked with a frown, after they entered the house.

This wasn’t likely to be resolved easily, and though their fabricated identities meant they wouldn’t face much backlash, it didn’t mean they wouldn’t be suspected.

"Don’t worry. Tomorrow is the Mountain God ceremony, and we can leave after staying just one more day. What’s there to worry about?" Gu Shanhai was completely unconcerned.

Today was probably intended for puzzle players to make their moves. If the puzzle players managed to solve it, they could head back directly.

But if they couldn’t solve it, they might have to start fighting.

Gu Shanhai was familiar with all these processes in "The First Epoch," so he wasn’t worried about the people of Fengtai Village.

"Besides, even if they find out, what can they do? I’ve already prepared fire starters in everyone’s homes. If trouble arises, just light them up."

"I, as a player of the Evil Path, am not scared of NPCs."

Saying this, Gu Shanhai was full of confidence, while Heavenly Immortal and Emperor’s Mercy were a bit speechless. Playing the Evil Path and being proud of it?

But thinking about his skill system, it seemed rather fitting.