The luxurious private room that had been lively just moments ago now seemed like a vacuum. Li Mu looked expectantly at the Hu family, while Li Jiao Jiao, both delighted and fearful, glanced at Hu Li. Although Li Fu was displeased with Li Dong’s recklessness, he waited quietly for the Hu family’s response.

He had heard about the purple-gold crown ring, which was as valuable as the Heart of the Ocean from Titanic. He couldn't deny wanting his daughter to have it.

Hu Mu snorted coldly and pretended not to hear, wiping her mouth. Hu Fu, however, remained calm and smiled warmly, saying, “That item is indeed exceptionally precious, but it is Hu Li's personal possession.”

Li Fu and Li Dong blushed slightly. Hu Fu’s gentle words carried a hint of disdain for their greed, while the latter part of his sentence deftly shifted the matter away. Though they were father and son, a father should not meddle in his son’s belongings, leaving no room for fault.

Li Dong was now in a difficult position. Hu Li’s icy gaze made him more fearful than any reaction. How had he been so foolish to underestimate this man? Reflecting on this, Li Dong regretted his earlier rashness even more.

Spilled water and spoken words cannot be taken back. For the first time, Li Dong felt as if he were sitting on pins and needles, his facial muscles stiff.

“That ring is no longer mine,” Hu Li said. It belonged to Hua Yan, the one who had stolen his heart and then disappeared. Though the ring was still with him, it would always belong to Hua Yan as long as he lived.

Hu Mu glared at her son again, still displeased that such an expensive item had been given to Hua Yan. Unfortunately, Hu Li ignored her completely.

“If you’re going to marry my Jiao Jiao, you should retrieve the engagement ring. How could you give it to someone else?” Li Mu grumbled. Despite Li Jiao Jiao’s repeated attempts to hush her, she didn’t stop. Li Jiao Jiao pleaded with her eyes to Hu Li.

Noticing Hu Li’s increasingly dark expression, Li Fu finally intervened, finding an excuse to take Li Mu outside.

Despite Li Mu’s untimely interference, the formal meeting between the Hu and Li families, though not perfect, was largely successful thanks to the efforts of Li Fu and Hu Fu.

On the way back, Hu Mu stopped Hu Li, who was heading to rest at the company. “Is it true that you don’t know the whereabouts of the purple-gold crown?”

With Hua Yan missing, could the ring have disappeared too?

“I can’t find it.”

Lying on the office sofa, Hu Li loosened his tie as Hu Er made him a cup of tea. “Still no news from Hu Da?”

“No, sir. Even the master’s men can’t find any trace of Miss Hua Yan.”

“Have them expand the search area. I can’t believe she vanished into thin air.” He worried she might be suffering. Could she be trapped in a cellar somewhere?

Just the other day, he saw a report about a farmer keeping a woman in a cellar for four or five years. She was so tormented she had gone mad when rescued. Hua Yan hated being confined. If she was indeed in such darkness, how much pain would she endure?

The thought made him restless and constantly on edge.

Could she have been mutilated and left to beg on a foreign street, exposed to the elements? Could she have been captured by organ traffickers, her organs being taken one by one?

“Drink with me.” His mind was flooded with gruesome images, his body trembling uncontrollably. He was terrified. He had never been scared before, even as a child when he killed many and waded through blood.

The last time Miss Hua Yan left Haibin City without a word, his master had filled the office with alcohol. He drank heavily every day, but no amount of alcohol could numb the pain in his heart. It was the only way his master could release his grief.

Now, with Miss Hua Yan in danger, her fate unknown, the office was stocked with even more liquor. Many clients, wanting to curry favor, heard about his master’s love for alcohol and sent bottles of aged wine.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

If Hu Er didn’t personally handle it, he would have kept the alcohol.

In the increasingly oppressive heat of the Golden Triangle, men, women, and children in the areas under the control of the armed base were busy every day. Initially, she didn’t know what they were doing.

After asking Ashui, she learned they were planting poppies. Under the scorching sun, they carried small woven baskets filled with tiny poppy seeds as black as ink and white as snow, planting them in the soil.

Watching these people, who looked like ordinary farmers, sowing the world’s most evil seeds with smiles on their faces, she felt a complex mix of emotions she couldn’t express.

She heard that poppy planting was a skilled task. Each local family needed one or two people proficient in it. Those with good skills were respected by the villagers.

And every year, these skilled poppy growers in the base could get more money, daily necessities, and even luxuries. Of course, here, luxuries meant electronics, vehicles, and weapons, not the fashion handbags and designer clothing we typically think of.

If Brother Qiang led the base, Hua Yan wouldn’t have to follow him everywhere. She would sit at the edge, watching hundreds of people labor in the poppy fields for hours on end.

Occasionally, lively children would come over to see her. Initially worried and afraid, they gradually found that Hua Yan didn’t get angry and even gave them treats. Their relationship with Hua Yan improved, to the point that even several adults would greet her when they saw her.

Because of this, some people in the base were worried for a while. They feared that Hua Yan’s seemingly casual approach to the poppy fields was actually a cover for some conspiracy.

Once, Brother Qiang half-jokingly told her this. She rolled her eyes at him and said, "Conspiracy? More like strategy! They underestimate your abilities too much." With her surveillance and vigilance, any real conspiracy would be futile.

Brother Qiang laughed heartily at the time, and any suspicion in his eyes disappeared. Of course, he was only reassured for that moment. Later on, Brother Qiang continued to be cautious around her, neither trusting nor suspecting her.

This made the people around them increasingly unable to understand the relationship between Brother Qiang and her. Hua Yan didn't care about these matters, and she couldn't change them either.

As time passed, the poppy fields grew seedlings that looked like lettuce. Every day, someone would inspect the growth of the seedlings and record their progress.

Watching this professional farming operation, Hua Yan couldn’t help but sigh at their dedication for something that would pay off months later.

After a few months of observation, Hua Yan learned that many drugs circulating worldwide were chemical synthetics. Only top-grade drugs contained a small percentage of heroin.

Real natural heroin was enjoyed by several world business giants and military and political leaders. Some used it for recreation, while others used it for pain relief.

Brother Qiang also had some of this. In remote areas like barren mountains or dense rainforests where there were no doctors to follow, if injured and in pain, they relied on these substances.

They were especially effective for dizziness and abdominal pain. Even locals in the Golden Triangle used poppy shells to treat some illnesses.

However, these substances were not used lightly. Even if used once or twice a month, using them more frequently could lead to addiction, similar to drug addiction.

Sometimes, the base would distribute poppy shells as benefits to workers, especially in hospitality jobs, because some hotels and restaurants would mix poppy shells into hot pot broth or noodle soup.

After eating these foods, guests felt the dishes were extraordinarily delicious and addictive. They couldn't bear to be without them after a meal and were anxious if they missed one.

Unknowingly, these guests would become addicts, harming their health, threatening their families, and endangering society.

After learning all this, Hua Yan asked Ah Jin if there was poppy shell in the base’s food, because she felt the variety of dishes in the base was limited but exceptionally tasty.

"Are you saying poppy shells are everywhere like dust? Besides, such things would never happen in our base. That's what sets this base apart from others.

However, if you accidentally consume food with poppy shells, drink more water, eat more vegetables, and speed up your metabolism to eliminate toxins; dietary fiber in vegetables can also inhibit the absorption of toxins."

Although other bases also prohibited drug use among their subordinates, management wasn’t as strict. But Brother Qiang demanded exceptionally strict standards in this regard. If any addict was found, Brother Qiang would execute them without exception.

Knowing this, Hua Yan admired Brother Qiang even more. He not only managed to control those brutal subordinates but also possessed such foresight and perseverance.

Fast forward to early summer, the entertainment headlines in Haibin City were dominated by the Hu and Li families. This was because the engagement of Hu Li, the only young master of the Hu family, and Li Jiao Jiao of the Li family, was imminent.

Today, Li Jiao Jiao came alone to find Hu Li at Asia-Pacific, wanting him to accompany her in choosing a wedding dress. However, Hu Li refused without hesitation, dismissing her with his secretary. She ran to the bathroom and cried for a while before calming down. Regardless, she was engaged to him, and she would dress herself up beautifully.

"Master, your dress has arrived. Would you like to try it on? If it doesn't fit, we can have them modify it immediately."

"No need." Hu Li now felt disgusted at the sight of that dress. If it weren't for the Asia-Pacific image, he would just pick one casually from the closet.

Seeing Hu Li's impatience, Hu Er's eyes twitched slightly, lamenting how much he despised this engagement. He delegated everything about the engagement to others, not allowing anyone, even himself, to intervene, despite having plenty of leisure time.

I wonder what the day of the engagement will be like. If Hu Li lets Li Jiao Jiao take his arm, will he face guests demanding a kiss, holding hands, hugging, and other physical contact?