Maeda Gingawa had recovered from his illness, bringing new hope to the Maeda Family''s competitive pursuits. On the day Fang Jueyu arrived, the entire Maeda household was filled with a celebratory atmosphere.


    Although no one from the Fang Family had visited the Maeda Family for centuries, every time they moved, they would build a special villa in their residence. No one was allowed to live there, but it was cleaned daily in anticipation of the Fang Family returning one day to visit.


    Today that day finally came, and for the first time, the villa that had never been inhabited was now occupied.


    This room was decorated entirely in a modern Huaxia style design, so Fang Jueyu felt right at home, not out of place at all. He even felt a sense of warmth as if he were in his own home. Fang Jueyu wondered what kind of methods his ancestors had used to ensure this family''s loyalty for over two thousand years.


    "This villa isn''t any worse than the one in my Jiangnan residence!" Fang Jueyu remarked as he soaked in the hot spring, enjoying this rare moment of peace.


    "Host, the value of this villa is significantly higher than your Jiangnan residence," Xiaoyi said. "Their country only has a land area of about 200,000 square kilometers, but they need to sustain almost 80 million people. It''s as challenging as the Sun Country and even a bit more so."


    "Are the housing prices here very high?"


    "The average house price in their country is much higher than in Huaxia. At normal market rates, this area''s price would start at no less than ten million yuan, and that''s mostly for undeveloped land. Saying this villa costs a few billion isn''t an exaggeration, though the furnishings inside don''t quite measure up."


    "But no matter how expensive, it doesn''t matter. I still have 500-year property rights for 20,000 square kilometers of their central land!" Fang Jueyu laughed; this was truly an unexpected gain.


    "Host, don''t settle for just this," Xiaoyi remarked. "Do you think that''s the only land you own? You have land, big and small, in almost every country. Some property rights last one to two hundred years, and some last over a thousand!"


    "Cough, cough, cough!" Fang Jueyu was taken aback by this revelation. Did he suddenly feel like a land baron of the world? In earlier years, he could have faced severe criticism for this.


    "Creak!" The wooden door of the hot spring slid open. Fang Jueyu was too relaxed in the bath and had let his guard down, not realizing someone was entering.


    "I told you there''s no need for anyone to serve me. I can manage on my own, you can leave," Fang Jueyu said in the local language.


    Earlier, Maedano had brought him to this villa and arranged for twenty maids to attend to his every need, each dressed in white silk maid outfits. How could anyone sustain themselves like this?


    Fang Jueyu quickly requested Maedano send them away. Having twenty people assist him with a bath would be too risqué!


    "Young Master, it''s me," Maeda Ai approached Fang Jueyu. She wore a traditional ethnic dress unique to their country, incorporating elements of both kimonos and Hanfu, reflecting the cultural amalgam due to their proximity to the Sun Country.


    "Oh, Ai? Why are you here?"


    "I brought you clothes, Young Master," Maeda Ai put a tray by the hot spring. "I checked your suitcase and found you only packed everyday wear and didn''t bring any pajamas, so I brought some for you."


    "Oh, I see." Fang Jueyu felt relieved, "Thank you for that."


    "Splash!" Before Fang Jueyu could catch his breath, Maeda Ai jumped into the hot spring. Her loose clothing immediately clung to her body, outlining her curves clearly.


    "Whoa, what''s she doing?"


    "I''m outta here. Host, I''m going into hibernation. Take care of yourself!" Xiaoyi chuckled mischievously, shutting down some of its functions.


    "Oh shoot, she''s not wearing anything underneath!" Fang Jueyu accidentally caught a glimpse of something he shouldn''t see and quickly looked away.


    "You... Ai, what are you doing?" Fang Jueyu wrapped himself in his towel, stepping back a few paces.


    "Father thought you sent the maids away because you''re worried they might not serve you well, so he sent me to tend to you."


    "No way, what kind of father pushes his daughter into the fire like this?"


    "I can give you a back scrub, Young Master." Maeda Ai moved closer to Fang Jueyu.


    "No, no, no! No need, seriously! You should go. I can do it myself!" Fang Jueyu retreated further.


    Suddenly, Maeda Ai fell silent.


    Fang Jueyu glanced at her to see her eyes glistening with tears against her flushed face.


    "Am I not good enough for the Young Master?"


    "No, that''s not what I meant. It''s just... uh... I''m not used to it."


    "All right, fine! You can scrub my back!" Fang Jueyu saw Maeda Ai on the verge of tears and didn''t have the heart to send her away. Sёar?h the n??el Fire.nёt website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.


    "I can handle this!" Fang Jueyu lay on the edge of the hot spring, feeling her smooth, fair hands gently rub his back.


    "Oh wow, this feels pretty good! No wonder rich folks enjoy this kind of luxurious service," Fang Jueyu thought as he relaxed.


    ...


    "By the way, Young Master, Father asked me to tell you that the President called earlier. He mentioned he''s planning to visit the Maeda Family tomorrow," Maeda Ai said.


    "Oh?" Fang Jueyu chuckled. They were quick indeed. He had never intended to return the money. Even if he lived frugally, how many years would it take to repay tens of trillions of US dollars? He only wanted to shift his passive position to an active one.


    Sure enough, upon seeing those two contracts, Kazama Suke panicked.


    "Will you meet them, Young Master? Or should we handle negotiations for that meteorite?" Maeda Ai asked, as they dared not make rash decisions knowing how much the meteorite meant to Fang Jueyu.


    "It''s fine; I''ll meet them myself when the time comes. But they shouldn''t find it so easy to meet me," Fang Jueyu smirked. "If I directly negotiate for the meteorite, it turns into a transaction, and we''d lose a lot of bargaining chips."


    "So what do you propose, Young Master?"


    "They need to understand who the weaker party is. They''re the ones who seek me out for this deal, not the other way around," Fang Jueyu said. "Ai, you stay here tonight!"


    "Ah?" Maeda Ai''s hands trembled, although her father, Maedano, had hinted that becoming Fang Jueyu''s woman would be a heavenly blessing.


    Fang Jueyu was young, wealthy, talented, and gentle, seemingly devoid of flaws. Not only Maeda Ai, but any woman would find themselves irresistibly drawn to him. Even without Maedano''s words, Maeda Ai had her own expectations.


    Still, wasn''t this a bit too fast?


    But Fang Jueyu''s following words shattered her illusion.


    "There are plenty of rooms in this villa, so find one you like and settle in. Tomorrow, when Kazama Suke arrives, let them wait for me in the living room downstairs. Make them wait as long as possible!"


    "I understand, Young Master." Maeda Ai hid her disappointment. Fortunately, Fang Jueyu''s back was turned, so he couldn''t see her expression.


    "Oh?"