The young woman was beautiful.

But her words hit Lu Yuanbin right where it hurt.

He couldn’t help but size Gu Jiaojiao up again.

The young woman’s beauty was dazzling, the type that was so striking it was almost aggressive. Though they had only met twice, she was unforgettable.

Lu Yuanbin had always treated Gu Jiaojiao like a pretty little sister.

But after what she’d just said, it was clear she was more than just a pretty face.

Gu Jiaojiao knew a lot about the black market and was even aware of the feud between him and Old Nine.

That wasn’t information one could easily dig up. Lu Yuanbin narrowed his eyes.

Gu Jiaojiao didn’t mind his scrutiny.

’If she wanted to enter a market, she naturally had to learn about its key players beforehand. Otherwise, she’d just be barging in, offending people, and finding herself with no business to do.’

That was why she had specifically looked into the feud between Lu Yuanbin and Old Nine.

Old Nine had been the boss of the black market before Lu Yuanbin’s arrival. Back then, he reigned supreme, and all the underlings had to pay him protection money.

Then Lu Yuanbin entered the scene. He not only took Old Nine’s place as the black market boss but also captured more than half of the market.

The key was that Lu Yuanbin didn’t require his underlings to pay him. Instead, he took a commission from their sales.

This way, his men earned money, and so did he, a system that won him the approval of many.

Naturally, Old Nine was furious about losing his market share and income, and had been causing trouble for Lu Yuanbin for years.

He was even trying to find Lu Yuanbin’s suppliers, hoping to snatch back his position as the king of the black market.

But there was a reason Gu Jiaojiao had chosen to approach Lu Yuanbin in the first place.

Old Nine had a terrible reputation. He was greedy and lecherous, often using his bit of power and his cronies to humiliate women from "bad" political backgrounds.

Given the constraints of the era, these women didn’t dare to speak out, even after being violated.

Gu Jiaojiao had always despised men who preyed on women. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

As for Lu Yuanbin, he had a good reputation. He was a man of his word and never bullied anyone; he was just a straightforward businessman.

This was why she’d dared to approach him directly.

She was just bluffing to scare Lu Yuanbin. Even if he really refused to take her pills, Gu Jiaojiao had no intention of working with Old Nine.

But Lu Yuanbin had genuinely been spooked.

Still, he offered a well-intentioned warning.

"You’re a young woman. It’s best if you stay far away from Old Nine. He’s not a good person."

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t meddle in other people’s business.

But he had taken a liking to Gu Jiaojiao, so he couldn’t help but give her a warning.

Gu Jiaojiao was surprised. ’He’s surprisingly decent, even warning me.’

"I’d love to work with you, but you don’t trust me and won’t even try my product. What am I supposed to do?!"

Lu Yuanbin was speechless.

’So now it’s my fault?’

However, he did start to seriously consider what Gu Jiaojiao had said.

"Alright. Give me some time to think it over. I’ll give you an answer in three days."

He knew that Old Nine had been sniffing around about the facial soap recently.

He wanted to poach the business right out from under him.

’If Gu Jiaojiao’s pills were really as effective as she claimed, there was no way he’d just let this opportunity go and watch her work with Old Nine. He would never give that bastard a single chance to get back on his feet.’

Seeing Lu Yuanbin relent, Gu Jiaojiao knew he would agree. It was just a matter of time.

She was just about to agree.

When a familiar voice sounded from behind them.

"Third Master, you’re here shopping too! What a coincidence."

The smile on Lu Yuanbin’s face vanished in an instant.

His entire demeanor shifted, and he suddenly gave off a fierce, formidable aura.

This, perhaps, was the true face of the black market’s Third Master—ferocious and not to be trifled with.