In the heart of Modu, at the Xiao family headquarters.
After finishing his call with Xiuluo and receiving the latest news from Jinling, Lu Ming hung up.
Under Lu Ming's meticulous arrangements, She Yong and his group had been completely eliminated.
The moment he left Jinling, he had anticipated that someone would make a move against Jiang Lan, so Lu Ming had been prepared from the start.
The X-Team was the sharp weapon Lu Ming left behind to protect Jiang Lan.
This was a highly trained and ferocious team, entirely different from the other units Lu Ming had trained. They were a terrorizing force composed of executioners.
Due to their excessively brutal methods, Lu Ming rarely deployed the X-Team under normal circumstances.
Except for certain special situations.
This time, Lu Ming assigned the X-Team to deal with She Yong, which was akin to using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. The purpose was to kill one to warn a hundred, a demonstration to deter others.
With She Yong as a living example, Lu Ming believed that others would not dare to target Jiang Lan easily.
After this incident, Jiang Lan would be safe for a considerable time to come.
As he was contemplating this,
He saw a high-ranking member of the Xiao family rushing into the conference room. Jiang Mengxin followed closely behind and called out to Lu Ming, "Come over for the meeting!"
Putting away his phone, Lu Ming followed them into the conference room.
Everyone took their seats.
Xiao Zhan, the eldest young master of the Xiao family, stated concisely, "Urgent notice: The day after tomorrow is the 20th birthday of Ma Tengyun, Modu's richest man, and his daughter, Ma Xiaoling. The Ma family has extended an invitation to all jewelry stores in Modu. Whoever can create a pendant that satisfies his daughter will have the opportunity to collaborate with the Ma family!"
*Phew—*
Everyone's eyes lit up in the conference room.
"Incredible! This is a golden opportunity for our Triumph Jewelry to soar!"
"Ma Tengyun, Modu's richest man, is among the top ten globally. If we can forge a connection with him, we will truly prosper."
"With the Ma family's backing, we won't have to fear Murong Ba anymore!"
Everyone's hands itched with anticipation.
Xiao Wenrong, the patriarch of the Xiao family, maintained a degree of rationality. "The Ma family has invited all jewelry stores, not just us. It won't be easy to stand out. Furthermore, I believe Murong Ba will spare no effort in creating the pendant. If Murong Ba takes the lead, and the Murong family forms a strong alliance with the Ma family, Triumph Jewelry will be completely finished."
In other words, this was both an opportunity and a crisis.
Jiang Mengxin said, "Besides being Ma Tengyun's daughter, Ma Xiaoling is also the world's top jewelry designer. Ordinary jewelry will hardly catch her eye. However, if she takes a liking to it, it will bring immense publicity, greatly enhancing our brand's reputation."
This meant that they absolutely had to win the pendant for Ma Xiaoling's birthday banquet!
Xiao Zhan declared, "Let's use that emerald that I acquired for 60 million to craft the pendant."
As he spoke, Xiao Zhan glared fiercely at Lu Ming. That emerald was the one Lu Ming had chosen, having swindled Xiao Zhan for 60 million.
However, despite the high price, the quality of the gemstone was undeniable.
An emerald of absolute top-tier quality.
Jiang Mengxin nodded, "Yes, I agree. The quality of that emerald is exceptional. If it can be crafted successfully, it will be an unparalleled gem. The question is, who will craft it?"
Xiao Zhan patted his chest and said, "Rest assured about this. I have already hired a senior jewelry designer from abroad with a hefty sum—Mr. Peter."
As he spoke, a foreigner with curly hair walked in, responding to everyone with a sunny smile.
While everyone eagerly shook hands with Peter, Lu Ming's brows furrowed.
He recognized this Peter!
To be fair, he was a very talented jewelry designer, but he had a serious flaw: impracticality!
Peter's designs were too exaggerated and bold, completely disregarding the quality, structure, and shape of the raw materials.
As a result, his designs were often excellent, but ultimately, the raw materials could not meet the requirements, leading to their wastage. With Peter, creating a perfect piece would require at least ten times the raw materials.
Lu Ming had suffered losses because of him in the past.
In Xijiang, Lu Ming had once obtained a piece of extremely high-quality "fire silk stone." He had asked Xiuluo to have Peter craft a necklace from it, but within three days, it was ruined. Lu Ming had been heartbroken.
Never did he expect to encounter this "scammer" again today.
As Peter was boldly designing with the emerald, Lu Ming said very seriously, "Everyone, I don't think we should let Peter handle the emerald."
"Hmm?"
Everyone turned to look at Lu Ming.
Xiao Zhan asked doubtfully, "Lu Ming, what's gotten into you now? Spouting nonsense."
Lu Ming explained, "Indeed, Peter is a very excellent jewelry designer, but his designs are too bold and often fail to adapt to the specific material, leading to the wastage of raw materials. Xiao Zhan, this emerald cost you 60 million. Wouldn't you be heartbroken if Peter ruined it?"
Xiao Zhan paused.
He had indeed heard about Peter's flaw.
However…
Xiao Zhan would rather trust Peter than Lu Ming's nonsense!
He sneered and said, "Lu Ming, can you spend less time on Doule? Watching fake news all day and maliciously slandering Mr. Peter, is that amusing? Peter is an internationally recognized master jewelry designer. Am I supposed to believe you over him?"
Lu Ming sighed, but still insisted, "Actually, I know a very outstanding jewelry designer and engraver whose skills I have witnessed firsthand. They are absolutely world-class. Entrusting this emerald to them to craft will surely result in a perfect pendant."
Hearing this, Xiao Zhan burst into laughter.
He mocked, "So after all that, Lu Ming, you're trying to trick me and get my emerald! Do you think I'm that foolish to hand over the emerald to you, and then you'll just give me a small pendant and sell off the rest for a fortune? Lu Ming, are you out of your mind with poverty?"
"Sigh…" Lu Ming was at a loss for words.
He genuinely wanted to help Xiao Zhan, but unfortunately, the other party not only didn't appreciate it but also thought Lu Ming was trying to scam him.
It was utterly speechless.
Jiang Mengxin, standing beside him, also turned cold and said to Lu Ming, "What, are you desperate for money? Cheating even your partners, do you have any shame?"
Lu Ming said, "I really know a very excellent..."
"Enough!" Jiang Mengxin retorted sarcastically, "You, a grave keeper, where would you know any excellent jewelry designers? You're caught in a lie and still refuse to admit it. Lu Ming, you are truly disgusting."