60: Chapter 60 Why did he call me "Mom" so openly?
Yun Zhuo rode with Teacher Su, speeding all the way to the Ling Mansion.
This place was called Genting City, built in the city center; it was a behemoth of a high tower.
Standing at the foot of the tower and looking up, the entire structure resembled a giant mushroom.
The alloy-forged tower body shimmered with a digitalized cold light, and the massive umbrella-like canopy at the top was layered, full of a hardcore cyber-tech feel.
It was said that people with money and status lived up there. The tower didn't just have mountains and water, but also lush vegetation, looking no different from the scenery on the ground.
The two had just come to a halt at the base of the tower and taken a couple of glances when a security guard clutching an electric baton ran over quickly. His voice rang out before he even arrived: "Hey! Stop right there! What are you two doing?"
When Yun Zhuo and Su Qingyuan turned to look, the guard's eyes froze for a moment. He hurried to put away the baton, his tone instantly becoming respectful: "So it's Second Miss Su! Orders were sent down long ago; you can go straight up once you arrive.
By the way, the Ling Mansion is in Sector B. The entire Sector B is our Ling Family's territory. Do you need me to lead the way?"
"No need, go about your business," Teacher Su said flatly. Her distant tone turned her back into that untouchable goddess of No. 8 Middle School.
After dismissing the guard, Su Qingyuan turned to look at Yun Zhuo, a hint of worry hidden in her eyes: "Do we really have to go up? It's not too late to leave now."
"Teacher Su, you're shaking the troops' morale.
If I desert the battlefield this time, will I ever have the guts to face my Mother-in-law in the future?"
"Then you must promise me that when we leave later, you must take me with you." Su Qingyuan gripped his hand tightly, staring intently at him as if refusing to miss any of his micro-expressions.
Then her tone shifted, threatening: "If you dare leave me behind alone, I'll jump off this tower and die right in front of you."
Yun Zhuo laughed and wrapped an arm around her waist: "Let's go. Take me to see this legendary Genting City."
The two entered the Genting Elevator, and in less than a minute, they reached the top of the tower.
The moment the doors opened, the scene before them was indeed as the rumors described: green mountains surrounding clear waters and lush greenery, looking exactly like a grand park built above a sea of clouds.
Under the sunlight, villas were scattered among the landscape, and even the air carried the scent of fresh grass.
Even more strangely, there were actually birds hopping on the branches. Their size and chirps were identical to the birds Yun Zhuo knew from his previous life, not mutated at all.
At that moment, a man in a black tailcoat with a straight posture walked over quickly and bowed slightly: "Second Miss, I am Ling Lingyi. This way, please."
The three of them got onto a shuttle car within the park and arrived at the Ling Family's Genting Manor.
This was another cluster of villas, and the shuttle stopped in front of the main building.
Led by Ling Lingyi, they arrived at a small garden on the sixth floor.
Climbing roses covered the trellises, their bowl-sized blossoms as red as burning fire, swaying with vibrant color in the wind.
Ling Xiangjun sat under a trellis. Beside her was a small white iron floral table with a set of celadon tea-ware on it.
As Yun Zhuo and Su Qingyuan approached, she was drinking tea alone. Her features actually bore some resemblance to Su Qingyuan's; though well-maintained, she was no longer young.
She sat there putting on airs. Even when Yun Zhuo and Teacher Su stood before her, she acted as if she hadn't seen them, continuing to sip her tea slowly with an elegant yet distant posture.
This woman was not simple. Although she was a War Princess, Yun Zhuo felt an inexplicable sense of crisis from her.
He felt that if she wanted to kill him, it would be very simple—and that was without the control of a War Spirit Master.
Isn't it said that War Princesses have no combat power once they are separated from a War Spirit Master?
Then where is this damn sense of pressure coming from?
"Mom!"
This clear shout of 'Mom' came from Yun Zhuo. That single word broke the oppressive atmosphere.
At the same time, it caused Ling Xiangjun to choke, spraying a mouthful of hot tea onto the small table as she coughed incessantly.
Teacher Su subconsciously tightened her grip on Yun Zhuo's hand and turned to glare at him. This kid was way too bold, calling anyone he met 'Mom.'
However, once he called her Mom, the pressure emanating from her mother vanished instantly, giving one a feeling of relief.
Ling Xiangjun slammed her cup heavily onto the table and snapped her head around to look at Yun Zhuo.
Sunlight fell on the youth's face, blurring into a layer of soft light. His features exuded a youthful spirit; was this not the legendary 'sunshine boy'?
Damn it, why am I suddenly thinking about this?
I came here to give this kid a hard time, so why am I suddenly acting like a fangirl?
But she couldn't help but size him up again. To be fair, this kid was truly handsome, and that 'Mom' he just called out was quite cheerful. If she could have a son like this, she'd probably wake up laughing from her dreams.
Ling Xiangjun shook her head violently. Was this kid poisonous?
She took a deep breath. Besides the fragrance of flowers, her nose didn't detect any other strange odors. So why did she suddenly want to accept him as a son?
On the other side, Su Qingtang, who had been driven away by Ling Xiangjun earlier, really couldn't stop worrying about Su Qingyuan.
After all, her identical twin sister hadn't been liked by their parents since childhood, and she was afraid she would suffer.
Currently, she was hiding behind an attic window, peeking through the glass.
Though she only saw Yun Zhuo's back, she stared in a daze, sighing inwardly: Little Yuan really has good taste. Where did she find such a handsome boy?
But passing Mom's test might be a bit difficult.
...
In another villa of the Genting Manor, Ling Lifeng, who was waiting to watch a good show, didn't get his show but instead saw Ling Lingyi running over in a hurry.
"Ling Lingyi, you're considered a veteran of our Ling Mansion. Why are you still as flighty as a youngster when something happens?"
"No, Family Head..."
Ling Lifeng glanced at the hesitating Ling Lingyi. "Were the people delivered?"
Ling Lingyi nodded: "Delivered."
"Was the Appraisal Device sent over too?"
Ling Lingyi shook his head: "The Eldest Miss didn't want it."
"Forget it, my sister might have something better. Right, what did you want to say?"
"Family Head, I wanted to say... Chen Kun's vault was dug up, but, but it was empty inside."
"Is that so? Wait a minute, what did you just say? Empty? How could it be empty?"
"I don't know, but it is indeed empty."
Ling Lifeng asked repeatedly: "Who opened the vault? Who was there at the time?"
"We and the Qi Family people were all present and saw it clearly. There wasn't even a single hair inside; it was cleaner than if it had been licked."
Ling Lifeng was instantly struck as if by a bolt from the blue, slumping into his chair.
The container in the Temple of the God of Wealth was empty, and now the farm's vault was also empty.
He had plotted against Chen Kun this time, so many people died, and in the end, he didn't even get a single hair. It was a total loss of both men and wealth.
And if his sister hadn't arrived in time, he might have had to drag the entire Ling Family down with him.
In the eyes of outsiders, the role he, Ling Lifeng, played in this entire incident was that of an utter trash and a fool.
Suddenly, Ling Lifeng leaned his hands on the table and said, "Could the Qi Family have beaten us to it?"
"Family Head, the town has always been in our hands."
"That's right, the town has always been under our control." Ling Lifeng slowly sat back in his chair, muttering, "The Qi Family didn't get any money this time; they must suspect we've tampered with things."
"Family Head, do you think it's possible Chen Qi was behind this? Before I came, the Qi Family had already sent people to pursue Chen Qi."
"What does this have to do with Chen Qi?"
"Family Head, it was just confirmed that the person who drove the truck away from the Temple of the God of Wealth yesterday was Chen Qi. To go to Tomorrow City, he has to pass through Sunset Plain, and to go to Sunset Plain, he has to pass through the town. The route matches up.
So, did he enter the town before going to Sunset Plain?
Also, when we occupied the town yesterday, all the town's turrets were in a dormant state. Logically, it's impossible for the Chen Family people stationed there to make such a low-level mistake.
Unless someone did it on purpose."