Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 451
"I'm feeling tired from the walk, why don't we go back and take a rest? It's been a long time since I talked to you, come to my room," Mo Fan replied.
Xinxia's face was so red it looked like one could squeeze some water out of it. If she rejected the suggestion, Mo Fan would simply continue with his shameless acts in the park. She would rather go to his room, at least she would not be worried about being spotted then! Xinxia was so worried that someone would stumble into them when Mo Fan was fondling her, as it would be utterly embarrassing.
A little lamb was no match against an experienced driver. Mo Fan burst out laughing on the inside when he saw Xinxia nodding softly.
On the way back, Mo Fan had the urge to give himself a slap to the face. Why hadn't he learned the Advanced Space Spell yet? It would be so cool if he could Blink right back to his room!
Chapter 1028 - The Zhao Brothers
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
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"What a surprise, they were sold for two hundred and fifty million in an auction. Mo Fan, you've made bank this time!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed to Mo Fan excitedly.
Since Mo Fan rarely had a chance to see Xinxia, he had spent a few days with her. He also went to visit some great attractions together, experiencing how it would feel to go on a honeymoon trip together in advance.
"Not bad! Are there any nice Soul-grade Seeds?" Mo Fan asked.
Mo Fan had just sent Xinxia off. It was time for her to return to the Parthenon Temple. After the training, she would become an official member of the Parthenon Temple's Hall of the Goddess. He could easily tell how impressive it was when he saw the shock on Nanrong Ni's face before.
"Head to Venice; the City of Canals will surely have the thing you are looking for. The world's biggest auction house is there. You can buy many things as long as you have the money!" Zhao Manyan told Mo Fan.
Mo Fan now had a total of eight hundred and fifty million. It was quite an insane amount of money. He never thought he would be this rich one day back when he was studying at school.
That being said, Mo Fan never thought he would be spending even more while he was getting richer. The money he had was only enough to buy a single Soul-grade Seed!
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After arriving in Venice, they found the city built on water had a unique charm that no other city in the world had. The old clock towers, churches, and colorful buildings from the Middle Ages was like going back in time to revisit Europe's history.
Venice did not have vehicles, and it did not even have bicycles. All their transportation consisted of boats and a Water-type beast called a Gondola.
The Gondola Water Beast perfectly suited the atmosphere in Venice. Their backbones were slightly sunken, but around their tails and heads a bone poked up. If they were lying still with half their bodies in the water, they perfectly resembled a small, crescent boat that could fit around five people.
These Gondolas could be thought of as the cabs of Venice. They were specially trained, and each was 'driven' by a special person. The Gondolas were able to bring visitors and the locals to any corner in Venice. Going out to the sea was an option, too!
When Mo Fan arrived in Venice, he immediately went to take a ride on the unique beasts as he explored the City of Canals.
"I heard every person in Venice is a Water Mage, is that true?" Mo Fan sat on the Gondola and asked the driver.
The driver was an old man. Perhaps because of being exposed to the sun too much, his skin tone was as dark as an African, even though he was a European. He was extremely friendly. He explained to Mo Fan with a smile, "Not everyone, but at least half of the people here can cast one or two Water Spells. Unfortunately, I'm from the other half."
"Half of the people are Water Mages, that's pretty scary!" Zhao Manyan exclaimed.
The ratio of Mages to ordinary people was extremely low, so it was quite shocking to learn that half of the people in Venice were Water Mages!
"If you're heading for the San Marco Auction Hall, you'll find it by going down this way. The World College Tournament is just around the corner, meaning that there will be lots of people coming to this city. I bet I will be quite busy soon too," the driver smiled.
Saying this, he handed a card to Mo Fan, telling him that he was available if Mo Fan was interested in booking the Gondola.
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When the two went ashore, the Piazza San Marco was right in front of them. The luxurious San Marco Auction Hall was within sight too, with two griffins guarding the entrance. The place looked stunning!
"Zhao Manyan!" As soon as they went in through the entrance, a handsome man in beach shorts with a pair of sunglasses came up to Zhao Manyan.
Beach shorts and slippers, the man's simple outfit did not really suit the environment. Only the branded sunglasses were able to slightly offset his casual temperament.
"Big Brother, you're so busy, why did you bother waiting here to receive me..." Zhao Manyan said excitedly when he saw the man with sunglasses.
However, before he could finish, the man raised his brows and said, "Why the heck are you here?"
"I told you I was coming! Did you seriously not read any of my messages?" Zhao Manyan was left speechless.
"Oh, I didn't pay much attention to it. Speaking of which, didn't dad send you to some other countries for training? Why are you here, then? I'm warning you, it's useless trying to hide here if you have done something shameless. I'm too busy to even care about you, every minute of mine is worth a hundred million, do you understand?" the man berated him.
Zhao Manyan's face darkened. He forced the words out between the gaps of his teeth, "I'm here for the World College Tournament. Could you at least pay some attention to me?"
"Oh, oh, I heard someone mentioning it before, saying that you've wasted a lot of money," the man murmured.
Mo Fan could easily tell that the man was none other than Zhao Manyan's brother, Zhao Youqian.
As a matter of fact, Mo Fan was struggling to understand what Zhao Manyan's parents were thinking. The name they gave to their second child, Zhao Manyan, was fairly restrained, yet they had to give their eldest son such a blatant name. Youqian, anyone could easily tell it meant he was loaded!
{TL Note: Youqian sounds the same as the term 'have money'}
"This is my good brother, Mo Fan, the one I mentioned to you before… oh, forget it, I bet you didn't read any of my texts. I was asking you to help me..." Zhao Manyan said.
Before Zhao Manyan could finish, Zhao Youqian interrupted, "Just head inside, I have an important guest to receive."
"..." Zhao Manyan was left speechless. He had no choice but to bring Mo Fan inside the San Marco Auction Hall.
Only the ric.h.e.s.t and most powerful people in the world were able to hold shares of the San Marco Auction Hall. The Zhao Clan was the ric.h.e.s.t family in China, and the main reason was that it owned quite a huge share of the San Marco Auction Hall, meaning that their clan was involved in every world-class auction that was held here.
"Your brother is quite interesting!" Mo Fan could not help but burst out laughing.
Zhao Manyan said helplessly, "It's been the same since I was born. I'm always invisible to him. To be honest, I'm quite surprised that he was able to recognize me just then from so far away. The guy only has money in his eyes. If I say an extra word, he thinks that I'm wasting time that he could use to earn more money. He is not interested in women, food, magic, or any kind of relationship. His only interest is making more money, just like my dad."
"So, did your family adopt you?" Mo Fan said.
"Maybe, if I was not relatively talented as a Mage to cover up for the Zhao Clan not having any powerful Mage, I bet no one would bother to come and find me if I went missing," Zhao Manyan admitted.
"Why does it sound so sad coming out of your mouth? Do you know how many people are jealous of how you can use the money of your clan as you wish without being restricted at all? If I was born in your family, why the heck would I bother killing demon creatures? Why would I choose a harder life?" Mo Fan said righteously.
"You asshole, since the incident related to the Mother Scale Skin Phantom, how many times have I risked my life following you? It's true that I'm rich, but I need to be alive to spend the money!" Zhao Manyan countered instantly.
"I'm just trying to add some fun to your boring life. If you don't have any ambitions, how different are you than your brother?" Mo Fan replied.
As the two were bullshitting, they had entered the most luxurious VIP cabin, reserved for the Zhao Clan. The cabin was as luxurious as a royal palace. Having money alone was far from enough to create this sense of luxury. Mo Fan was struggling to comprehend how these rich people enjoyed their lives!
The waitstaff inside the royal cabin, outfitted in long blue dresses, were incredibly gorgeous. Their b.r.e.a.s.ts and bottoms were tightly wrapped by the dresses, possessing irresistible charm.
"Do you always pick on these women?" Mo Fan asked in an evil voice.
Normally, Mo Fan would not have such random thoughts, but it was just that the waitresses were all so damn pretty!
"Don't be ridiculous, these women aren't the kind that you can touch even if you want to. They have to be v.i.r.g.i.ns to work here, and any who lose their v.i.r.g.i.n.i.t.y will be fired straight away. They are purely here to receive the most respectable guests without being involved in any kind of s.e.x trading. Can you stop thinking that the rich are only a vile and filthy bunch? These women aren't that desperate for money. Money alone isn't enough for them to sell themselves… the person will need to have a perfect, handsome face like mine!" stated Zhao Manyan confidently.
Soon, a receiving staffer in a blue dress came up to them and said with a smile, "Mister, we only accept reserved guests here, may I ask you to move to the next cabin?"
"I am Zhao Youqian's brother," Zhao Manyan told her calmly.
"I'm sorry, but Director Zhao has made it clear that this cabin is reserved for a VIP guest. I will bring you to the next room. You can ask the staff there to make arrangements for you," the woman said.
The woman was of mixed blood. She had the solid, attractive features of a Westerner, and the elegance of an Asian. Zhao Manyan was taken by surprise by her polite, yet firm attitude.
"Let's head over to the next cabin, HAHAHA!" Mo Fan simply burst out laughing.
Zhao Manyan's expression darkened.
Normally, Mo Fan was superior because of his outstanding strength. Zhao Manyan was completely no match for him. However, when he finally had the chance to impress Mo Fan with his background and money, he kept bringing shame upon himself instead. Zhao Manyan was starting to feel anxious. "Humph, even though Zhao Youqian is fully in charge of this place, you must know that I do have a certain amount of shares here. I'll be taking this cabin, and if there's any problem, ask Zhao Youqian to come talk to me, I would like to see who the VIP guest is!"
Zhao Manyan sat on the couch made of the feathers of swan like a properly arrogant fuerdai.
The woman in blue dress was stunned. She did not expect Zhao Manyan to be this unreasonable!
Mo Fan was fairly surprised, too. Zhao Manyan did not look like the kind that would stir up trouble like this. He was willing to stay in both run-down inns and high-end mansions, so it was unlikely that he would insist on taking the luxurious cabin.
Could it be that the relationship between the Zhao brothers wasn't as peaceful as he thought initially?
Chapter 1029 - I Wouldn't Want Her Even If She Volunteers!
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Is that really necessary? It's your own family business, the guest that Director Zhao personally went to receive must be very important. If your actions result in them being unable to reach a deal, you won't be able to explain yourself to the clan master either," the woman in the blue dress advised.
"Is that any of your concern?" Zhao Manyan snapped.
"Brother Zhao, let's go to the next cabin. It's not that bad either," Mo Fan advised him.
"This is the one. Ask Zhao Youqian to discuss his business in the next cabin. It's not like I'm here very often, I can pick whatever cabin I want. I don't really care if it's the royal cabin, I'm just displeased by your attitude. I can accept it if Zhao Youqian treats me like that, because he's my elder brother, but who do you think you are, asking me to leave?" Zhao Manyan cursed her.
The mixed-blooded woman in the blue dress paled when she learned that Zhao Manyan was putting the blame on her. She did not argue with him further, but asked the rest of the staff to move the dishes to the next cabin.
"Don't touch my delicious food and drinks, set some up in the next cabin yourself!" Zhao Manyan frowned and snapped coldly when he saw the staff trying to move the tables and chairs away too.
The eyes of the mixed-blooded woman flickered with hate, yet she knew it was unwise to argue with Zhao Manyan again. Regardless of what happened, Zhao Manyan was still the second son of the Zhao Clan's leader. As hired personnel, it did not matter if she was in the right, she would most likely be punished anyway!
Seeing the look in the woman's eyes, Mo Fan grabbed a bunch of gr.a.p.es and started shoving them into his mouth. He looked at Zhao Manyan curiously and asked, "Do you have a grudge against her?"
"Grudge? Not really, I just don't like my brother's subordinates treating me like he did. If I don't teach them a lesson, they might even forget that my surname is Zhao too!" Zhao Manyan spat.
"I guess a fuerdai like you does have the right to act arrogantly, but I bet you always get beaten up by your father!" Mo Fan chuckled.
"That was before, at least I'm a representative of the national team now. I no longer eat meals for free, do I?" Zhao Manyan said.
"No wonder a lazy man like you is surprisingly hardworking lately. If you weren't on the national team, I bet you wouldn't even dare vent your frustration on the woman like that," Mo Fan snickered.
"Isn't that true? I could endure it if they treated me like that in the past, since it's true that I only know how to spend money and pick up chicks. I was up to no good them, but I'm now an Advanced Mage, a member on the national team, a future pillar of the country, and a rising star! Perhaps my father would even consider me as his successor, and yet my brother's subordinates thought they could treat me like dirt!?" Zhao Manyan huffed.
"What's that woman's name? I can tell she's going to complain to your brother," Mo Fan said.
"I have no idea, but every person that works for my brother is the same, they all lack a good memory," Zhao Manyan said.
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Not long afterwards, Mo Fan heard footsteps walking on the rug outside the cabin. As Mo Fan was a Space Mage, he was fairly s.e.n.s.i.t.i.v.e to even the slightest movements.
Judging from the footsteps, it was very likely that Zhao Youqian had received the important guest, and it seemed like the guest was actually a woman. Her footsteps were extremely light, like a noble cat walking past elegantly on the rug.
As Mo Fan expected, the two went into the next room. Mo Fan could vaguely sense the woman in the blue dress whispering something into Zhao Youqian's ear. Zhao Youqian hesitated for a moment, before following his guest into the next room.
The VIP guest did not stay too long in the room. She left after a brief conversation.
The woman did not let Zhao Youqian send her off. She left the room on her own, as if she was heading for some other place in the San Marco Auction Hall.
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In the next room, Zhao Youqian flung his hand and knocked an ornamental teacup to the floor with a thud.
He hit the cup hard, and it almost smashed into pieces even though it had fallen on the rug.
The waitress felt her heart ache. The cup was worth a few hundred thousand, and it was almost broken!
"Do you have the brain of a pig? You knew he came to mess with me, and you still didn't know to invite him into the next room politely?" Zhao Youqian rose to his feet and scolded the woman in the blue dress.
"I...I didn't know he was your brother," the woman admitted softly.
"You're stupid beyond belief! Even if you never met him in person, you should have seen his photos!" Zhao Youqian cursed.
"I've failed you."
"She decisively rejected my offer that quickly. I wonder who she's going to work with next, since she didn't agree to work with me. Hopefully it's not that old fox Cario! Why is it so hard to read her mind!?" Zhao Youqian mumbled to himself. He immediately fell silent as he started pondering about his guest's attitude.
The woman in the blue dress was startled. She could not believe that a man who was on a tantrum just a second ago had immediately started to reflect on the meeting with his guest. The way he switched his focus was rather intimidating.
Zhao Manyan came into the room with a gloating grin. "Brother, I can tell that you failed to reach a deal just by looking at your face."
Zhao Youqian lifted his gaze and glanced at the teacup on the ground. He instantly smiled, "Who the hell knocked the cup onto the ground? Quick, pick it up, it doesn't look good. Oh Zhao Manyan, please don't stir up trouble whenever I'm scheduled to meet with an important client. If you cross the line, I'll surely go tell father about it, and you won't be able to spend your allowance as you wish again."
"The two rooms don't really differ that much, and judging from how she rejected you so quickly, I bet she never had the intention to work with you right from the beginning. She was just being polite by coming here in person and telling you her decision. It has nothing to do with me, so please don't put the blame on me. Besides, weren't you supposed to prepare the room for me since I told you that I was coming over?" Zhao Manyan shrugged with the same gloating look.
"Fine, you're right that it has nothing to do with you, but since I've failed to reach a deal, you won't be getting any benefits either. I'm afraid the resources allocated to you next month will shrink greatly. Oh, leaving that aside, I've read your texts. You're asking for a Soul-grade Lightning Seed?" Zhao Youqian said.
