She answered the phone impatiently. "Who is it? What's the matter?"
"Hehe, is that Miss Gu? I finally got you. I was wondering who asked us to kidnap Miss Xu. It turns out it was your idea. Now three of my brothers have been arrested. Does Miss Gu plan to stay out of this?"
Hearing this, Gu Anrou tightened her grip on the phone. She subconsciously looked around and quickly walked to a spot without surveillance near the stairs.
"Who are you? I don't understand what you're talking about. What does the kidnapping of Xu Qingqing have to do with me? I never did such a thing. Don't slander me here!"
As she spoke, Gu Anrou was about to hang up the phone, but the other person's voice came through. "Miss Gu, don't even think about disappearing or not answering my calls. Since I dared to call you, it means I have enough evidence to prove that you were the one who gave us the information."
"I just didn't expect that the seemingly delicate Miss Gu actually knows people in the underworld. It seems that Miss Gu had quite a wild past."
Gu Anrou carefully recalled. She was sure she had used a burner phone when she talked. How could the other person have traced her? But if they didn't have solid evidence, how could they have called her accurately?
There are all kinds of people in the mafia, and many of them are good hackers. Gu Anrou realized she had been too careless and let the other person get hold of something against her.
Although annoyed, Gu Anrou had to ask on the surface. "What exactly do you want?"
"Name your price. How much do you want to let me go?"
The man laughed. "Miss Gu, you're being too polite. I'm not really that interested in money. There are many ways for people in my line of work to make money, but they're all quite risky. I think the connections and status you have are more useful."
"Oh no, that sounds too formal. How about we help each other, Miss Gu? You can leave all your shady business to me, including dealing with the women you don't like and getting the men you want. I'll take care of it."
"By the way, Miss Gu, I heard your family has some connections in the antique business. I have a lot of stuff that's not easy to sell openly. How about you help me find a legitimate way to deal with them?"
The man's attitude was polite. It seemed like he wanted to have an open - ended cooperation with Gu Anrou, but it just didn't feel right to her.
Subconsciously, she wanted to refuse.
"Although I'm the only daughter in the family, my father has always been in charge of family business. He even wants to find a son - in - law to manage the family business in the future. So I don't understand any of this. Just be straightforward. I'll give you money."
Hearing this, the man laughed even louder. "Really? Then how about we meet in person? What do you think of me, Miss Gu? Can I be your ideal son - in - law?"
"Then Miss Gu can do whatever she wants. I won't restrict you. It seems like a good deal, doesn't it?"
The man's words successfully enraged Gu Anrou and all her patience vanished.
She said angrily. "Don't threaten me here. I can find out your information if I spend enough money. We can go down together. Even if I go to jail, my parents will find a way to get me out. But it's different for you. You probably have a lot of crimes on your hands. You'll be in jail for a long time!"
Hearing Gu Anrou's retort, the man laughed louder.
"Hahaha, Miss Gu, I thought you were a stupid person at first, but now it seems that as the daughter of the Gu family, you're really something."
"I was just joking, Miss Gu. I still hope we can cooperate well. But this phone number is a bit unsafe. Let's contact each other in another way."
After the man finished speaking, he hung up the phone, but soon sent Gu Anrou a text message with his contact information on a certain platform.
Gu Anrou added him out of some strange impulse. She knew that this man was like a ticking time - bomb to her, but she had no way to defuse it for now.
Her anger towards Lu Chuanbai was now completely transferred to this man.
On the other side, Xu Qingqing arrived at the shop. Lu Qi was very concerned and comforted her when he saw her come to work.
Xu Qingqing thanked him with a smile. "Thank you, young boss. I've adjusted myself already."
Just as they were talking, three customers walked in from outside the shop. They looked very young, like college students.
The leading man was wearing a brand - name suit and sizing up the antiques on display in the shop.
"I heard your shop does cultural relic restoration. I have a jadeite bracelet passed down from my ancestors. Can you repair it here?"
Lu Qi's eyes widened slightly. A jadeite bracelet? Could that be considered a cultural relic?
"Sir, you may have come to the wrong place. We restore cultural relics. You'd better take your jadeite bracelet to a specialized jewelry shop for repair."
Hearing Lu Qi's words, the girl next to the boy raised her voice and said disdainfully. "I told you. How could a place like this repair a jadeite bracelet? Your bracelet is so expensive. Don't just take it to any random shop to be repaired. You might end up wasting it if they damage it."
Her words were full of contempt for Lu Qi's shop.
Even though Lu Qi was usually a kind - tempered person, he couldn't help but feel like punching the girl. How could such a young girl be so mouthy? Didn't anyone teach her to respect her elders? She would learn how cruel the world was when she entered society.
"Girl, I hope you'll look at the shop name before you come in next time. We do cultural relic restoration. Can a jadeite bracelet be considered a cultural relic?"
"If you're here to cause trouble on purpose, I'll call the police if you don't leave right away."
Lu Qi's attitude was a bit tough, and the three of them sensed his anger and seriousness. Although they were still a bit dissatisfied, they didn't say anything more offensive.
Xu Qingqing just happened to look at the leading man and sensed something strange in his bag.
"Maybe you can take out your jadeite bracelet and let me have a try."
Xu Qingqing suddenly spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her.
Seeing a girl, the man was a bit unhappy. "Who are you? I'm talking to the person in charge of this shop. You look so young. Do you really know how to repair a jadeite bracelet?"
Although he didn't know how to repair a jadeite bracelet, he knew some basic things. Usually, only experienced craftsmen could repair jadeite bracelets. Just looking at this woman's delicate hands, she didn't seem to be in this line of work.
Lu Qi got even angrier.
Damn it. It was one thing to look down on him, but to look down on Miss Xu too? Who gave him the nerve?