Chapter 530 — Who's Playing Whom

Kang Jinglong nodded and smiled. "My apologies, then. I misunderstood Mr. Lai a moment ago. It seems Mr. Lai was never after the thousand-year snow lotus at all—he simply wanted that pretty box! And here I was, accusing Mr. Lai of having no healer's heart. I am ashamed, truly ashamed!"

"Of course! What would I want with a thousand-year snow lotus? It's neither tasty nor fun to play with," Feng Xiaoxiao snorted. "Well, now that you know, aren't you going to yield it to us?"

Heh heh. Kang Jinglong sneered inwardly. Even if you hadn't said it, I would have yielded it to you anyway! Only what I yield is not the thousand-year snow lotus—it's the box! You like that box, do you? You want to take it home and use it as a makeup box, do you? Very well, then, I'll grant you your wish! Let's see you keep up this little act with me. Who do you think I am, Kang Jinglong? You dare play these games with me? I'll play you until you're crippled!

"Heh, of course you may!" Kang Jinglong smiled. "Since it was all a misunderstanding, that makes things easy! Little Sister Xiaoxiao likes this box, does she? Then how about this: once I've won the thousand-year snow lotus, I'll sell you the box for fifty million! I won't make you break the bank either—we'll split it down the middle, each of us getting what we want. How does that sound?"

Having said his piece, Kang Jinglong watched Fatty Lai and Feng Xiaoxiao with a cold, sly glint in his eyes, waiting to see how they would wriggle out of this one. He was already certain that Feng Xiaoxiao's talk of buying a box to use as a makeup box was nothing but nonsense. Had no one ever heard the tale of the man who bought the casket and returned the pearl? Who would ever do anything so idiotic?

And so Kang Jinglong had turned Feng Xiaoxiao's own nonsense against them, putting them squarely between a rock and a hard place! If they wanted to save face, they would have to slap their cheeks to look fat, swallow their broken teeth and the blood with them, and cough up fifty million to buy the box back. If they abandoned all shame, then of course Kang Jinglong could not force them to buy—but in his eyes, Fatty Lai's company had only just been founded, and the man was a figure of some standing. He would never risk his face over a thing like this; that would be far too humiliating!

Divine Doctor Kang and Kang Guifeng both stared at Kang Jinglong in astonishment. They had never expected him to be so shrewd: in a few words he had seized the initiative in the bidding, and now he was even going to turn around and sell the shabby wooden box that held the snow lotus to Fatty Lai for fifty million!

This was nothing short of brazen, high-handed extortion! The Kang family had just been fretting over how short they were on funds, and in the blink of an eye they had fleeced fifty million out of the man!

True, most of the people at the auction did not believe a word of what Feng Xiaoxiao had said, but there was really nothing to find fault with in Kang Jinglong's proposal. You want to buy the box? He's selling it to you. What could possibly be improper about that?

"You—" Feng Xiaoxiao widened her eyes in feigned fury and pointed at Kang Jinglong, too outraged to speak.

Kang Jinglong was bursting with smug satisfaction. That little chit's cleverness might fool a fool like Wu Chengtian, but compared to Kang Jinglong, she was nowhere close! How did it feel now? Hoist by her own petard! This time she had no choice but to buy!

"Fine! Fifty million it is—many thanks to you then, young Kang, for granting us this!" Fatty Lai's expression too was a sight to behold as he gritted his teeth and spoke in a voice thick with resentment.

With that, Fatty Lai sank back into his seat, his face dark—yet inside he was over the moon. He had never imagined that the little girl beside his boss was so formidable: a few words and she had gotten him the box at a bargain, less than half the price to boot! The girl was simply incredible!

Beneath the table he gave Feng Xiaoxiao a stealthy thumbs-up. She bared her teeth in a grin, then turned to Wei Zhao and said, "Hey, I said I'd do it, didn't I?"

"Heh..." Wei Zhao had not expected Feng Xiaoxiao to have so many dirty tricks up her sleeve: yesterday she had conned the man once, and today she had conned him again! Not only that, but she had left the man she had conned thinking he had gotten the bargain of a lifetime!

"Aren't you going to say something?" Feng Xiaoxiao asked, a little put out. She was angling for praise from Wei Zhao, yet his expression showed nothing in the way of delight.

"Haven't I already been talking to you?" Wei Zhao shot back.

"Hmph!" Feng Xiaoxiao turned her head away in a huff. What a man! She had kindly helped him, and he could not even manage a word of thanks.

Over on Divine Doctor Kang's side, both Divine Doctor Kang and Kang Guifeng were beaming. Divine Doctor Kang praised him: "Guifeng, that son of yours is no ordinary fellow! It seems our Kang family is destined for greater glory in his hands! A snow lotus worth over a hundred million, and he shaved half its price off, just like that!"

"Heh, it was all just playing it by ear," Kang Jinglong said modestly. "Over a hundred million is far too steep a cost. Even if we make it into a beautifying and muscle-nourishing wound medicine, that amount would yield only about thirty doses. And even at an exorbitant five million a dose, that would just barely cover our costs. We are sparing no expense to break into the great families, it's true, but wouldn't it be better to save a little where we can?"

"That Feng Xiaoxiao girl probably hates your guts by now," Divine Doctor Kang said with a chuckle.

"Those in the same trade are born rivals. Even without today's business, she would hate me already," Kang Jinglong said, unconcerned—and rather smug. "That dinner yesterday was her little con, and if I don't take it back from her doubled, how could I ever do her justice?"

"But might they go back on it afterward? Find some excuse to back out?" Kang Guifeng was a little worried that the meat at his lips might yet vanish again—fifty million, after all! For the Kang family in its present straits, that was no small sum.

"Of course they might! That little girl spins stories out of thin air. She might well claim she no longer likes it and try to back out," Kang Jinglong said, already having anticipated this. "So we must strike while the iron is hot. I'll go to the back office right now and handle the transfer procedure. We'll sell that box to Fatty Lai in front of the whole crowd. I refuse to believe he would dare lose face and refuse to buy!"

Divine Doctor Kang and Kang Guifeng both nodded in heartfelt agreement. Kang Jinglong's plan was a good one indeed!

In fact, when Kang Jinglong brought the box before Fatty Lai, Fatty Lai did indeed wear a pained look, staring at the box in Kang Jinglong's hands and delaying over pulling out his checkbook.

"Mr. Lai, I have brought the box over. Please have a look!" Kang Jinglong, however, was in no hurry, holding the box with the air of one certain of victory: "This box really is quite beautiful. As a makeup box, it is truly excellent!"

"Aren't you charging a bit too much?" Feng Xiaoxiao pursed her lips. "Hey, Brother Zhaolong, we have eaten together before, haven't we? Couldn't you just give it to me?"

"Heh heh, Sister Xiaoxiao, I paid money for this box too, you know. It is only out of regard for our friendship that I sold it to you cheap." Kang Jinglong spoke mildly, while thinking to himself: sure enough, Feng Xiaoxiao wants to back out! But how could Kang Jinglong let her back out so easily?