Outside the meeting hall.
Lin Fan walked down the steps step by step and onto the arch bridge he had just crossed.
The gurgling stream flowed down from the mountain, passing through gullies covered with green moss, and rushed towards the downstream.
The colorful ornamental fish, presumably not lacking food, were plump.
Lin Fan’s ears twitched. He heard two people approaching behind him, one with a light step and the other heavy.
Without thinking, he knew it had to be Li Yusheng and Li Yurou.
Lin Fan did not turn around, still staring at the fish in the water.
“Brother Lin has a refined taste.”
Li Yusheng, mustering his courage, walked up and stood by the railing, just like Lin Fan.
Seeing Lin Fan looking down and not speaking, he tried to ease the awkwardness by reciting with scholarly elegance: “Fish and birds chirp in harmony, flowers and leaves exude fragrance, before one realizes…”
“What are you doing? You’ll scare all my fish away.”
Lin Fan kept his head down and didn’t look at Li Yusheng.
Li Yusheng felt bored, not knowing whether to stay or go.
“Hey, how dare you…”
Li Yurou’s words were cut short as Lin Fan suddenly flicked his arm.
Whoosh!
A sharp whistling sound cut through the air.
A small stone shot out instantly and hit a plump black carp.
Splash!
Water sprayed everywhere.
The fish, which were foraging, had no idea they were about to suffer a calamity. They immediately flipped over and drifted downstream with the current.
“Heh!”
Lin Fan looked around, placed his hands on the railing, and with an elegant posture, leaped off the arch bridge, which was over three meters high. In a few steps, he caught up with the black carp in the stream.
“As expected, it’s quite plump.”
Lin Fan scooped up the black carp, brought it under the bridge, and cleaned it.
After finishing, Lin Fan stomped his foot and, using the slippery and steep rock walls of the gully, leveraged himself several times to return to the bridge.
The brother and sister watched in stunned silence.
So, he had been eyeing which fish was plump enough!
He was too…
The brother and sister were utterly speechless at Lin Fan.
“Shh, take it with me when I leave. I’ll make spicy fish tonight. I can’t get used to Siamese food, so I’ll have to cook myself.”
Lin Fan smiled at the brother and sister.
Li Yusheng felt a little embarrassed.
The siblings felt guilty and were thinking of apologizing to Lin Fan.
They hadn’t expected Lin Fan to have completely let it go, remaining as generous and forthright as ever.
Li Yurou said hesitantly, “Lin Fan, we really didn’t mean to drag you into this. The situation back then…”
“Alright, intentional or unintentional, it’s already happened. What else can be done?”
Lin Fan initially harbored some resentment towards the siblings, but after stepping into the meeting hall and seeing their remorseful eyes, he wasn’t as angry anymore.
If they were to really pick it apart, he was also responsible. If it weren’t for the benefits offered by the Zheng family, he wouldn’t have come to Siam, no matter how much Zheng Yue knelt and begged him.
“Let’s have spicy fish together tonight.”
“Spicy? It has to be sweet and sour to be delicious!”
Li Yurou said, clenching her small pink fist.
Li Yusheng, his heart eased, laughed heartily, “I think the fish is big enough. How about half spicy and half sweet and sour?”
“Deal!”
Lin Fan agreed readily.
Zheng Yue, overhearing their conversation from not far away, couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile.
So, the supposed master was so uninhibited in private.
A servant rushed over.
“Master Lin, the Patriarch requests your presence.”
“Okay, I’ll be right back.”
As Lin Fan passed Zheng Yue, he noticed a hint of worry in her eyes and stopped. “Are you scared?”
Zheng Yue hesitated for three seconds and replied, “If I say I’m not scared, would you believe me?”
“Then how about this, I’ll make a bet with you. If I win, you lose three million to me…”
“I’m not betting with you!”
Zheng Yue immediately saw through Lin Fan’s trick and refused without hesitation.
“See? You have confidence in me then.”
Lin Fan returned to the meeting hall.
Everyone cast complicated glances at him.
Some were curious, some gloated, and some their eyes flickered.
“Master Lin, the ring has been hidden. Please find it for us.”
Zeng Shu’s tone was playful, tinged with sarcasm, as if Lin Fan was bound to lose.
Zheng Qiong sat beside her mother, tilting her head, seemingly afraid Lin Fan would see through her.
“Immediately.”
Lin Fan remained calm and first scanned Zeng Shu with his divine eye.
The ring emanated a green light in his divine eye, and he could find it as soon as he scanned it.
“Not here?”
Lin Fan calmly shifted his gaze to others.
Besides Zeng Shu and her daughter, no one knew where the ring was hidden, not even Zheng Xingchao.
They only saw the mother and daughter disappear into the back hall for a while, and then walk around the meeting hall. No one saw when they hid the ring.
Now, everyone was curious to see if Lin Fan could find the ring in such a short time.
It was important to note that although there were over a hundred people in the meeting hall, the space was still vast, almost two hundred square meters. Finding a small ring in such a short time was like searching for a needle in a haystack, impossible with ordinary means.
Lin Fan, unhurriedly, walked with steady steps to the mother and daughter.
Zheng Qiong pretended to look at the watch on her wrist and urged, “Master Lin, time is short. Aren’t you going to look for the ring?”
“I’ve already found it.”
Lin Fan chuckled, his voice clear and cheerful.
“Ah?”
“So quickly?”
“Is it true?”
A collective gasp erupted from the crowd.
Countless people looked at Lin Fan with shock, some even suspecting he was joking.
“Take it out.”
Lin Fan extended his hand towards Zheng Qiong.
Zheng Qiong trembled, “Wh-what did you say?”
She raised her head, a flicker of panic in her eyes, “How could the ring be with me? Do you think I’m that foolish? Go look for it quickly and don’t waste time here.”
Lin Fan grinned, “It’s in your belt, near your navel.”
Zheng Qiong’s face turned red.
Being spoken of like that, especially in front of so many people, made her feel extremely embarrassed.
“Hiss~”
Zeng Shu gasped, her pupils constricting sharply.
How could he know?
The mother and daughter had discussed their plan: if they hid it in the back hall, they feared Lin Fan would make excuses later, claiming they hadn’t explained clearly beforehand and would cause trouble.
But if they hid it in the main hall, with so many people watching, they feared there might be spies.
Finally, Zheng Qiong came up with an idea: the most dangerous place is the safest place. Why not have her wear it?
After all, there was a distinction between men and women. Even if Lin Fan had the courage of a tiger, he wouldn’t dare to do anything to her.
This way, it was foolproof.
However, to their surprise, Lin Fan, as if he had foreseen it, discovered the ring’s location in less than half a minute!
“Little Qiong, if the ring is indeed on you, take it out. Don’t make the elders look foolish.”
Zheng Xingchao suppressed the excitement in his heart and said to his daughter.
“Yes, Father.”
Zheng Qiong fumbled and unfastened her belt.
A radiant green ring appeared!