Hearing Liang Jinyu's invitation, Murong Xuann'er naturally felt pleased and quickly agreed.
But in the next moment, she sensed the strange atmosphere in the elevator.
"Who is this?" Murong Xuann'er asked, pointing at the disheveled Xu Que.
Although she had seen Xu Que's photo before, she didn't recognize him immediately, especially since he now looked as though he had just crawled out of a coal mine.
"This is the Chief Blacksmith of the Zaitian Company. He will be forging C-grade and B-grade equipment for the representatives of the Legendary Company," Liang Jinyu explained with a smile.
"C-grade and B-grade equipment?"
Murong Xuann'er was secretly shocked, immediately glancing at Xu Que again.
She felt that this man seemed vaguely familiar, but because of his filthy appearance, she couldn't place him.
Upon seeing how Liang Jinyu smoothly handled the unexpected appearance of Murong Xuann'er, she finally relaxed.
However, she couldn't understand why Liang Jinyu had brought Murong Xuann'er along. Was there a change in the plan? Or was Xu Que perhaps planning something?
As the elevator descended slowly, the atmosphere inside remained tense, and each person stood in a different position.
Although the elevator was large, only Xu Que had a noticeable gap between himself and the two people standing nearby. The three women, however, stood very close to one another, which left Xu Que somewhat speechless.
Noticing Lu Ang and Bell gesturing at their sleeves, Xu Que realized that the two of them were likely scheming something.
Just as the elevator was about to reach the third sub-level, Lu Ang suddenly turned to Xu Que with a proposition. "Mr. Xu Que, here are our blueprints. We hope you can complete this task."
Hearing his name, Murong Xuann'er was about to turn and speak, but Liang Jinyu suddenly tugged at her sleeve.
Murong Xuann'er, being sharp, immediately understood the meaning behind Liang Jinyu's action. Reflecting on the words exchanged as they entered the elevator, she quickly grasped the situation.
Xu Que stared at the four items Lu Ang had handed over, momentarily stunned, before smiling and accepting them.
"Thank you, Mr. Lu Ang," Xu Que said, his voice filled with subtle meaning.
"You're welcome. It's our honor," Lu Ang replied with a smile.
Both Lu Ang and Bell believed their plan was foolproof, unaware that their every move was falling right into Xu Que and his associates' hands.
As the elevator doors opened again, the six of them arrived at the third sub-level.
Seeing the rows of forging equipment, materials, and remnants, Lu Ang and Bell nodded in satisfaction.
In their minds, this was clearly a workshop that had been used frequently, and the traces left behind were fresh.
What they didn't know was that, just the day before, this place had been an empty shell.
As Xu Que skillfully lit the forge and added materials, the two men were somewhat taken aback.
Though the forging process resembled that of Blue Star, the materials and tools used here were far beyond what any Blue Star forge could offer.
The first time they saw Xu Que in action, Liang Jinyu and Murong Xuann'er were still in a state of shock.
While Liang Jinyu knew Xu Que was skilled in forging, she hadn't expected him to be able to craft B-grade equipment so effortlessly.
Murong Xuann'er, on the other hand, was entirely captivated by Xu Que's focused expression, her gaze fixed on him with complete admiration.
What is the pinnacle of a "green tea" act?
It was the way Murong Xuann'er looked at Xu Que, her eyes shining with admiration!
As the mold opened, Xu Que continued hammering and tempering, and soon a B-grade armor appeared before them.
But what stunned Lu Ang and Bell even more was how quickly he crafted a C-grade shoulder guard right after.
The speed! The efficiency!
It could only be described as lightning fast!
"Well, how about it? Are you satisfied?" Xu Que asked arrogantly.
"Very good," Bell smiled. "I believe we can now move forward with a closer partnership with your company."
Upon hearing this, Shen Mengchu and Liang Jinyu exchanged glances, both instantly understanding that the next steps were in their hands.
"Since both of you have confirmed the quality of our work, why not come upstairs and discuss the details?" Liang Jinyu asked, turning her gaze toward Bell and Lu Ang.
Bell and Lu Ang had no objections, but to ensure everything went smoothly, Lu Ang smiled and approached Xu Que.
"Mr. Xu Que, would you care to join us for a drink?"
Xu Que pretended to be surprised, rubbing his hands on his clothes before shaking Lu Ang's hand.
"I think..."
Before Xu Que could finish, Shen Mengchu quickly interrupted. "Mr. Lu Ang, he is merely a blacksmith. I'm sure he knows little about the company's affairs. Perhaps we should head upstairs to discuss things further."
"Ah, sorry, I was just a little too excited," Lu Ang apologized with a forced smile, retracting his hand. "Then, let's head upstairs to talk."
As the five of them left, Xu Que couldn't help but smile. He then unfolded the note that Lu Ang had discreetly passed him.
On it was a phone number, and a brief message. Xu Que saved the number into his phone.
When the elevator reached the 48th floor, Murong Xuann'er apologized to Shen Mengchu, then stepped out.
Although Shen Mengchu didn't want to involve too many people, she had no choice now but to ask Xu Que later. After all, she couldn't make up her mind about the matter.
...
Half an hour later, Bell and Lu Ang smiled as they left the International Skyline Tower.
Both men were quite pleased, feeling that not only had their task been completed, but it had been done exceptionally well.
Inside the top-floor office, Shen Mengchu looked at Liang Jinyu with concern. "Sister Jinyu, do you think Murong Xuann'er might interfere with our plans?"
"I'll talk to her in a bit," Liang Jinyu said reassuringly. "She should have figured things out when she saw Xu Que forging. You don't need to worry about this."
"Alright, I'll go downstairs and ask Xu Que. After all, the secret of forging might not be hidden for long," Shen Mengchu said.
"Dream Chu, you're overthinking," Liang Jinyu smiled. "There's no need to worry about her. Xu Que didn't intend to hide his forging skills. The more he knows, the stronger he becomes. Those people won't easily give up on him. And don't forget, he founded this company for a reason."
Shen Mengchu froze, blinking her large eyes as the realization hit her.
Indeed, ever since Xu Que caused a ruckus in the capital, the attitudes of many had changed. Even companies and families had begun flocking to Shanghai, and the ruins of buildings that were once abandoned had begun to be rebuilt!
"Thank you, Jinyu," Shen Mengchu said gratefully.
Liang Jinyu nodded with a smile before leaving Shen Mengchu's office with a hint of guilt.
She now understood why Xu Que liked Shen Mengchu.
A woman who was not only as beautiful as herself but also stood by Xu Que's side in times of need, with a military background to boot... if she were a man, she too would choose Shen Mengchu first!
If Xu Que knew what Liang Jinyu was thinking, he would probably give her a warm hug.
Because her thoughts were completely off the mark, but… it was a great excuse!
In truth, Xu Que only wanted to make up for the good woman he had missed in his past life. As for her background, that didn't matter to him at all!
But Shen Mengchu's loyalty, that was real, and Xu Que wouldn't dare deny it.
Meanwhile, on the third sub-level, Xu Que was quickly sending messages. His current conversation partner was Murong Xuann'er.
For this high-level "green tea" act, Xu Que could only admit, it was quite impressive.
Compared to Han Xiaoyu, it was like the difference between a fox and a fox demon.
Take the previous message as an example—it was enough to make Xu Que admire her.
"Brother Xu, your company is so big! Can you show me around? I have so much to talk to you about…"
Now that's what I call an expert! Tea that leaves you with no rebuttal!
Just as Xu Que was enjoying teasing this "green tea," Liang Jinyu's message suddenly came through.
Seeing the contents of Liang Jinyu's message, Xu Que quickly replied to Murong Xuann'er, then deleted the chat history with the three of them.