Finest Servant

Chapter 156 Annual Meeting

Big sis? Lin Wanrong was momentarily dazed before abruptly realizing who she meant—Xiao Yuruo.

Turning back, he saw Eldest Miss Xiao clenching her delicate fists, her eyebrows furrowed in anger, her face pale. Looking at Liu Yue'e, she voiced her anger: "Sister Liu, what nonsense are you spouting?"

Liu Yue'e naturally had a loud voice. Even though she had lowered it, Eldest Miss Xiao, who sat very close to her, heard every word clearly and her face immediately changed color.

'What the hell does she see in me?' Lin Wanrong thought as he watched Eldest Miss Xiao's angry expression. 'Has she not noticed this Eldest Miss' fierce demeanor? I have charmed countless girls, all of whom have been gentle and docile towards me. I have never met such a domineering young lady before. Even if she fancies me, I wouldn't give her the time of day.'

Liu Yue'e was straightforward by nature. Seeing that Miss Xiao was truly angry, she felt that her words were indeed inappropriate and hurriedly said, "Please forgive me, big sis. It was a joke; I didn't mean to speak carelessly. You know me, I often speak without thinking. And you, brother Lin, don't take it to heart."

Laughing, Lin Wanrong replied, "Our Eldest Miss is beautiful, magnanimous, and extraordinarily talented. The gentleman she deserves should, of course, be unparalleled in the world. Common folk like us can't even begin to compare. Sister Liu, stop joking around."

Eldest Miss Xiao gave him a glance and snorted, "You're deliberately saying these things to upset me, aren't you? I won't waste my breath on you."

Seeing that Eldest Miss Xiao was still upset, Liu Yue'e quickly apologized and spoke some comforting words. Eldest Miss Xiao knew that Liu Yue'e was straightforward, and they had formed a friendship from their past encounters. Such harmless jokes were naturally not taken seriously by Eldest Miss Xiao. After a while, she was chatting and laughing with Liu Yue'e again. However, when she looked at Lin Wanrong, there was something strange in her eyes.

Lin Wanrong, who was getting bored, suddenly heard the Chairman exclaim, "Young Master Tao, you've finally arrived."

Looking over, he saw Tao Dongcheng walking in with a smile on his face, and a petite and exquisite woman was following him, wearing a fiery red dress, like a ripe chili in the autumn field.

'This little lady, always skipping work to play around. Damn, taxpayers' money all goes to feeding the worms.' Lin Wanrong scornfully thought as he looked at the woman. It was Miss Tao Wanying, whom he had once disciplined. Only today, she had changed her outfit, looking alluring in her fiery attire.

However, Eldest Miss Xiao seemed to pay no attention to the Tao siblings and continued chatting with Liu Yue'e.

Tao Wanying carefully scanned the room, finally finding Xiao Yuruo and instantly lighting up with joy. She was about to rush over after loudly shouting "Sister Yuruo", but noticed that Lin Wanrong, the servant standing by her side, was looking at her with a cryptic smile.

A shiver ran down Tao Wanying's spine and she stopped in her tracks. The memory of being humiliated by him in front of everyone that day rushed back to her.

Mixed feelings of embarrassment and anger filled her, yet a part of her was afraid of him. She hesitated for a long time before finally walking over and cautiously called out to Eldest Miss Xiao, "Sister Yuruo, have you been here long?"

As she spoke, she cast a defiant glare at Lin San, seemingly mustering her own courage.

Lin Wanrong chuckled, his eyes tracing up and down her figure. As if remembering something, Tao Wanying quickly covered her backside with both hands, her cheeks blushing furiously.

Eldest Xiao Miss, noticing her demeanor and remembering the mischief Lin San had caused, felt a mix of amusement and irritation. She shot Lin San a glare, then turned to Wanying with a smile. "Miss Wanying, what brings you here?"

Tao Wanying, noting Xiao Yuruo didn't seem to blame her, quickly said, "Sister Yuruo, I came especially to apologize to you today. I was wrong that morning. I am sorry. Please, don't hold it against me."

Xiao Yuruo replied calmly, "Miss Wanying, I made myself clear that day. As long as you don't make things difficult for the Xiao family, we can still be friends."

Tao Wanying nodded, saying, "You're right. As long as this Lin San from your family stops bullying people, I won't cause trouble for him."

‘How the hell do I look like a bully?’ Lin Wanrong thought, irritated by her warning. Even Eldest Miss Xiao frowned at Tao Wanying's words. "Miss Tao, I know Lin San's temperament. Although he's not exactly good-natured, he wouldn't bully anyone without reason. The incident that day, Young Master Hou was the one at fault. You were there; you should be clear about that. Moreover, if he really did bully someone, it's for the courts to judge. We don't need others to meddle."

Lin Wanrong grinned. He liked Eldest Miss Xiao's firm stance. People like Wanying needed to be dealt with sternly; if she wasn't put in her place, she would overstep her boundaries.

Feeling guilty and not daring to offend Eldest Miss Xiao, Tao Wanying remained silent. Just then, her brother Tao Dongcheng finished talking with Chairman Yu. She eagerly waved him over. "Big Brother, Big Brother, Sister Yuruo is over here."

Tao Dongcheng saw Xiao Yuruo and approached with a smile, "My dear sister, I visited your mansion a few days ago intending to invite you to join me, but unfortunately, I didn't find you. Later, Wanying told me she ran into you. I then realized you had already arrived in Hangzhou. Have you been well these past few days?"

Xiao Yuruo responded coolly, "Thanks to you, Young Master Tao, things have been going well."

Tao Wanying hurriedly grabbed Tao Dongcheng's arm. "Big Brother, let's sit here, at the same table as Sister Yuruo."

At this merchants' annual meeting, the rules weren't too strict; men and women could sit together, hence Wanying's suggestion.

Seeing Tao Dongcheng intending to sit next to her, Eldest Miss Xiao's brow creased slightly. However, she couldn't think of a good excuse to reject him and involuntarily looked at Lin San.

Understanding Eldest Miss Xiao's call for help, Lin San stepped in just as Wanying was about to seat Tao Dongcheng next to Miss Xiao. "I'm sorry, Young Master Tao, but you can't sit here."

Having had a conversation with Lin San before, Tao Dongcheng still hadn't figured him out. At this point, hearing Lin San's statement, he shot him a glance and asked, "Why?"

Lin Wanrong chuckled and said, "My Eldest Miss has been devoutly turning to Buddha recently. Just yesterday, she prayed before five hundred Bodhisattvas at the Lingyin Temple and made a wish upon receiving the top fortune stick. The head monk warned that this fortune is not trivial. To ensure its potency, apart from members of the Xiao family and women, she should not be close to strangers for a few days. Hence, Young Master Tao, I'm afraid you can't sit here. We wouldn't want to anger Buddha."

Upon hearing his glib fabrication, the Eldest Miss stifled a laugh, finding the blending of truth and fiction intriguing. Indeed, she had been to Lingyin Temple and sought a fortune, but the latter part of the story was certainly a fabrication. Such a speech, however, appeared convincing with its finely detailed lies.

Tao Dongcheng cast him an annoyed glance, unsure of how to respond. Even if it were a false fortune, it had to be respected. Tao Wanying, however, bluntly retorted, "You're speaking nonsense!"

Lin Wanrong shot her a fierce glance, "Who's speaking nonsense?"

His words triggered a general uproar. Everyone holds respect for Buddha, especially these merchants. All the people at the table glared angrily at Tao Wanying. Blaspheming Buddha was indeed unforgivable.

Tao Dongcheng hastily pulled at her sleeve and bowed towards everyone, "Colleagues, my younger sister is still naive and doesn't understand things. I beg your pardon."

Tao Wanying, realizing her words were inappropriate, looked at Lin Wanrong, who was standing on the side, smiling indifferently, she knew she had fallen into the trap of this villain again.

Knowing she was no match for Lin Wanrong, whether verbally or physically, she quickly turned to Xiao Yuruo and said, "Sister Yuruo, after I stopped you that day on the road, my brother gave me a good scolding when I got home and dragged me here to apologize to you. He thinks of you and cares about you, I don't think anyone could match that. The mistakes I made before were because of my own willfulness, please don't misunderstand my brother."

Lin Wanrong sighed, amazed that this girl could utter such cheesy words without her teeth souring. Despite her terrible temper, she had doggedly pursued them from Jinling to Hangzhou, all to match her brother with the Eldest Miss. Her tenacity was indeed undeniable.

Tao Wanying had been explicit, and with so many people watching, Xiao Yuruo blushed. She was a bit annoyed at the girl and realized she needed to set things straight today.

The Eldest Miss smiled and said, "Thank you, Young Master Tao and Miss Wanying, for your concern. But I am of humble blessings, and my relationship with Young Master Tao is merely one of colleagues. I have never thought about anything else. Please don't misunderstand."

Everyone present knew that Tao Dongcheng was courting Eldest Miss Xiao. However, they never thought that the young lady of the Tao family would propose marriage on her brother's behalf in front of everyone, even before the annual meeting had begun. What was even more surprising was Eldest Miss Xiao's straightforward refusal. It was truly unexpected.

Lin Wanrong gave the young lady an approving look. She handled the situation decisively and efficiently. However, at today's annual meeting, countless people were coveting the most profitable businesses of the Xiao family. And now, having offended the Chairman of the Jinling Chamber of Commerce, the annual meeting might not be easy to navigate.

The Eldest Miss was no stranger to the precarious situation, but being obstinate by nature, she was unwilling to dwell on this matter. After declining, she remained silent. But upon seeing Lin San's indifferent smile, she couldn't help but huff in annoyance and deliberately looked away from him, saying to the Tao siblings, "The annual meeting is about to begin, it would be best if you both returned."

Tao Wanying, with an anxious expression, wanted to say more, but Liu Yue'e, who was sitting next to the Eldest Miss, stood up and said, "Isn't this our Miss Wanying? It's been a long time since you visited our shop for jewelry. How have you been lately?"

Wanying, interrupted, had no choice but to respond, "Ah, Sister Liu, I've been busy these days. When I have time, I will come over..." But before she could finish her sentence, Tao Dongcheng had abruptly pulled her away.

Tao Dongcheng, the Chairman of the Jinling Chamber of Commerce, had been directly refused by Xiao Yuruo today. It was a severe blow to his pride, his face ashen, he held Wanying's hand tightly, and promptly headed towards the Chairman's table.

Liu Yue'e looked at the Eldest Miss and said, "Big sis, you've offended Young Master Tao, what should we do?"

The Eldest Miss thought to herself that she had already offended plenty of people, one more today wouldn't make a difference. With that thought, she glanced at Lin San once more.

After a deafening round of firecrackers, the plump Chairman, Yu Zhenqian, stood on the stage, bowed to the audience and said, "Fellow colleagues from Jiangsu and Zhejiang, old man Yu Zhenqian greets you."

Applause broke out, and the annual meeting of Jiangsu and Zhejiang Chamber of Commerce officially began. The Hangzhou Chamber of Commerce certainly put on a grand event, inviting the Prefect of Hangzhou to give a speech, adding much prestige to Chairman Yu.

Next came the speeches from the Chairman of the second provincial chambers of commerce. When Tao Dongcheng took the stage, he seemed to imply that the development of the Jiangsu merchants was all due to his great contribution, which greatly displeased Lin Wanrong.

Tao Wanying, seeing her brother's grandstanding, was extremely delighted. She kept glancing over at the young lady, the meaning was clear.

When Chairman Yu took the stage again, he lavishly praised Tao Dongcheng, lauding him as handsome, young, and a model for all merchants. Lin Wanrong snorted, 'Model my foot! If it weren't for his father's privileges, this kid would be worth less than nothing.'

The next part was a summary of the year. Chairman Yu listed the substantial progress of the two provincial chambers of commerce's operations over the past year, including the total revenue, the number of new industries, etc. Lin Wanrong wondered how Chairman Yu got these figures and whether he had inflated them to create an illusion of prosperity.

The next part of the meeting was dedicated to speeches by representatives from the two locations. These were all businesspeople, and were skilled in the art of eloquence, delivering a few sentences with ease. After a representative from the Zhejiang merchant group had spoken, Liu Yue'e, who had been selected by the Jiangsu Chamber of Commerce, took the floor. This Sister Liu was quite straightforward in appearance, but her speech was orderly and well-reasoned. This past year, her jade and jadeite business had expanded significantly, inspiring admiration. Lin Wanrong couldn't help but nod in approval. Sister Liu indeed had a knack for meticulousness beneath her coarse exterior.

Once the two representatives had finished speaking, Chairman Yu nodded at the crowd, saying, "In addition to the two colleagues who just spoke, you are all aware that the Jinling business world has been blessed with several pieces of good news this year. I'm sure anyone with daughters, wives, or concubines at home has already heard that two precious items are currently spreading throughout Jinling and Hangzhou. These items are like nothing I've ever seen or heard of before, even their names are quite poetic: perfume and soap. These two items are causing quite a stir in Hangzhou and Jinling, and I fear it won't be long before they make waves in the capital as well. Now, I'd like to invite Miss Xiao Yuruo from Jinling to share some insights on perfume and soap with us."

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