Movie variety show soul travels between two worlds to become a rich man

Chapter 489 Sharpening the Knife - A Slaughter of Old Bitden

"Hmm? You're Aning's younger brother?" Gao Dongxu leaned back lazily on the mahogany sofa, his slender fingers tapping lightly on the armrest, his gaze slightly amused as he looked at the young man in front of him.

The young man was in his early twenties, lean and dark-skinned. He vaguely resembled A Ning in his features, but lacked A Ning's cold beauty and possessed a wild and untamed nature.

"Yes! How is my sister now? Where is she?" Ah Ning asked in a low voice, his voice filled with barely suppressed urgency. His fingers twitched unconsciously, as if he couldn't wait any longer.

Gao Dongxu narrowed his eyes slightly. In the story he had read, this young man was a complete sister-obsessed person, to the point of being almost pathological. After A Ning's death, he would hunt down Wu Xie like a mad dog, ultimately meeting a tragic end.

"Nothing serious now." Gao Dongxu slowly picked up a blue-and-white porcelain cup from the coffee table, took a sip, and said, "As for where it is, I can't tell you."

"What do you mean?!" Ah Ning's younger brother's expression changed drastically, and a fierce glint appeared in his eyes. The air in the entire reception room seemed to freeze instantly.

Gao Dongxu suddenly put down his teacup, the porcelain clinking against the mahogany tea table. He slowly raised his head, his eyes sharp as knives: "I really dislike your gaze. If it weren't for your sister, believe me, I'd kill you."

Gao Dongxu's eyes were cold and mocking, revealing an unbridled arrogance and domineering nature.

"You—" Ah Ning's younger brother's expression changed, his fists clenched tightly, looking like he was about to start a fight at the slightest provocation.

"Shut up—" Jude Kao's deep voice came from behind, carrying an unquestionable authority.

Ah Ning's younger brother immediately suppressed his anger and shut his mouth, but his slightly reddened eyes and clenched fists clearly showed his resentment. Gao Dongxu observed the young man with great interest—his tense body seemed to contain a volcano that could erupt at any moment.

"Reckless, impulsive, hot-blooded, belligerent," Gao Dongxu silently assessed in his mind, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Truly a handy and effective blade."

Jude Kao, leaning on his cane, his silver-gray suit gleaming coldly under the light, said, "I'm sorry, Mr. Gao. This child has relied on Aning since he was little, and upon hearing of his sister's accident, he inevitably lost his composure."

"I can understand," Gao Dongxu said with a noncommittal smile.

“Mr. Gao, Aning is my adopted daughter. I came here this time to take her back. I wonder what your conditions are for handing Aning over to me.”

Jude Kao had already realized that Gao Dongxu had been pretending to be ignorant all along, so he stopped hiding it and going around in circles and got straight to the point.

He had been dealing with Chinese people since the Republican era, and with a group of ruthless tomb raiders and antique dealers who lived in the underworld, living on the edge. Therefore, Jude Kao's understanding of Chinese people was not just superficial.

This is why, before the liberation, he was able to deceive the Nine Gates and many other tomb raiding gangs, pocket all the funerary objects that had been gathered in his possession and searched for a market, then fled back to the United States, thus becoming a wealthy man.

Gao Dongxu shrugged noncommittally, his gaze shifting to Wu Xiaowei, who was brewing tea at the tea table. Watching her slender fingers deftly manipulate the tea set, she seemed completely oblivious to the tense atmosphere.

"Xiao Wei, you can go down now," Gao Dongxu said gently.

Wu Xiaowei raised her eyes and smiled faintly, her exquisite face particularly captivating under the light. She rose gracefully, her long, fair legs, faintly visible through the slit of her cheongsam, tracing an alluring curve as she walked.

Only after her figure disappeared around the corner of the stairs did Gao Dongxu look at Qiu Dekao again and say calmly.

"When I found Aning, she had been starving for several days and was seriously injured. She had also been burrowed into by a corpse beetle that was eating her flesh and blood, and she was on the verge of death."

She was lucky to have met me. I not only saved her life, but also pulled her out of such danger. You could say I saved her twice...

Aning's younger brother's body began to tremble uncontrollably, and the resentment and anger in his eyes were gradually replaced by tension and fear.

Jude Kao tapped his cane lightly on the floor: "What does Mr. Gao want?"

Gao Dongxu suddenly laughed, looked at Jude Kao and shook his head, saying, "Mr. Jude Kao, I'm afraid you've misunderstood. It's not about what I want, but how Aning can repay me for saving her life twice."

I never do anything that loses me, and I never want anyone to owe me anything. Since I saved you, I must repay your kindness.

"You—" Ah Ning's younger brother stared wide-eyed at Gao Dongxu, his face full of anger, but he didn't know what to say.

Jude Kao frowned, his sharp eyes fixed on Gao Dongxu as he said, "Mr. Gao, name your price—"

"Hahaha... Why don't you name a price and let me hear how much Aning is worth in your heart?" Gao Dongxu couldn't help but laugh, looking at General Qiu Dekao with a mocking expression.

Sure enough, as soon as the question was raised, Jude Kao's face immediately turned pale and he fell into a dilemma.

This is a tricky question; no matter how you answer it, it will be inappropriate.

Not saving Aning was not an option; Aning's brother and the other subordinates were watching, and refusing to save her would undermine their loyalty. "Ten million—as a reward for saving Aning," Jude Kao finally stated his offer.

"Dollar?" Gao Dongxu asked jokingly.

Ah Ning's younger brother and the other woman both twitched their lips a few times, staring intently at Gao Dongxu.

“RMB,” Jude Kao said with a faint smile.

"How about this, I'll give you ten million. From now on, Aning will be mine. What do you say?" Gao Dongxu said with a mocking smile.

"You're dreaming—" Ah Ning's younger brother was the first to lose his temper and said angrily.

Gao Dongxu ignored him and looked at Jude Kao with a smile: "Cox Hendrick, a missionary at a church school in Changsha during the Republic of China era, secretly engaged in the business of smuggling cultural relics from the Celestial Empire."

On the eve of liberation, before returning to the United States, you made a large-scale purchase of funerary objects. Taking advantage of the Chinese people's reliance on old connections, you shamelessly swindled away a large number of cultural relics with extremely cheap deposits.

At the same time, knowing that some of the people you had deceived were not to be trifled with, in order to avoid future troubles, you sent a telegram from the ship to the local police station, revealing all the traces of the tomb raiders you had deceived to the authorities.

On that very day, you, shameless and despicable, returned laden with your spoils, while those old fogies who had amassed your wealth were either executed or imprisoned, amidst a chorus of wails.

Although those tomb raiders deserved their fate, their deaths were far too tragic.

After returning to the United States, you auctioned off those artifacts, made a fortune, and became a millionaire, a rising star in high society. You also wrote a biography about your experiences in China, which became widely circulated.

"Isn't that right, Mr. Jude Kao!"

At this moment, Jude Kao's expression was cold and expressionless. His gray-blue eyes were sharp as a hawk's, revealing an almost cold clarity. He seemed not to be surprised that Gao Dongxu knew about his situation.

As for Aning's younger brother and another follower, their expressions changed slightly, their eyes flashing with astonishment and a complex, unfathomable light.

"I didn't expect Mr. Gao to know me so well. I'm truly flattered," Jude Kao said with a calm smile.

"Hehe, it was Wu Sansheng who told you that A Ning was in my hands, right?" Gao Dongxu suddenly changed the subject and said.

Jude Kao was taken aback at first, then laughed and said, "As expected, you can't hide it from Mr. Gao. Wu Sansheng suddenly contacted me and asked me to help him organize a team and a ship. In exchange, he told me some information."

"Back then, you tricked Wu Laogou out of the Warring States Silk Manuscript and almost killed him. I didn't expect Wu Sansheng to not hold a grudge against you. Instead, he cooperated with you. It seems that you and the Wu family are really closely related." Gao Dongxu sneered.

"People in China often say that one should look forward. As long as there is enough benefit, friends can become enemies, or they can become friends again. Don't you think so, Mr. Gao?" Jude Kao said with a smile.

Gao Dongxu sneered disdainfully, "Didn't Wu Sansheng leave any message for you to relay to me?"

Jude Kao looked at Gao Dongxu with some surprise and said, "He did ask me to relay a message to you, which reads, 'Young Master Gao, I had no choice but to do this. I hope you will forgive me. Next time we meet, you are free to do as you please. I accept whatever punishment you may give me.'"

"Hmph—" Gao Dongxu snorted coldly. He knew that Wu Sansheng and Xie Lianhuan, these two slippery old foxes, were about to disappear completely into the background.

However, knowing the plot well, he will always have a chance to catch these two old foxes, and when that time comes, he will definitely squeeze something out of them.

"Do you know that Wu Sansheng brought you here to see me to set you up?" Gao Dongxu said to Qiu Dekao with a half-smile.

Jude Kao frowned, and A Ning's younger brother and the woman tensed up, staring intently at Gao Dongxu.

"Mr. Gao, I don't understand what you mean." Jude Kao had a bad feeling. Looking at Gao Dongxu's ambiguous smile, he suddenly felt as if he were being stared at by a bloodthirsty monster.

"Hehe, don't be nervous. If I'm not mistaken, you're about to die. Come to think of it, from the Republic of China era to now, you're over ninety years old. Hmm, that's quite a long life. Even if you die, it'll be a happy funeral." Gao Dongxu said with a smile, looking at Qiu Dekao with a meaningful tone.

Jude Kao's heart tightened, his gray-blue eyes narrowed sharply, and he stared intently at Gao Dongxu. His breathing became rapid, and the veins on his pale hands, gripping the cane tightly, bulged from the force.

"What do you mean?!"

Gao Dongxu simply smiled, sniffed the air with a slightly exaggerated air, and looked at Jude Kao, whose face was becoming increasingly pale and who was starting to break down, with a look of pity and mockery. He said, "When did this cold fragrance start appearing on you? Do you know where this fragrance comes from? Do you want to know how to suppress it? How to get rid of it completely?"
Ten million dollars per question, honest and straightforward, satisfaction guaranteed!

(End of this chapter)