Chapter 9: Ruox (Triple Chapter Update)

"Not a single clue?" Grayson frowned deeply, suspicion flickering in his eyes. Could this have something to do with Chen Dong and the Wei family father-daughter duo?

The middle-aged man shook his head. "Nothing for now. But one thing's certain—the group monitoring us at the Emperor Garden is not from any of the local forces."

"Not among any of the local forces?"

Grayson's heart skipped a beat. That likely meant this wasn't connected to Chen Dong or the Wei family, but if that were the case, what exactly were these people after?

Suddenly, Grayson thought of Ouyang Shanshan, whom he had recently met.

Could these people be targeting her? Or perhaps this entire situation revolved around her and her friend's ongoing transaction?

With that thought, Grayson quickly excused himself to the middle-aged man and left the security office.

....

"Ms. Ouyang Shanshan? This is Grayson," he said after finding a quiet spot to make the call.

Ouyang Shanshan sounded surprised to hear from him so soon. "Oh, little brother, you didn't waste any time calling your big sis, huh?"

Grayson explained the situation before asking bluntly, "I need to know, Ms. Ouyang, who exactly are your enemies? I won't risk my life for money without understanding the strength of the opposition. If we can't properly evaluate their capabilities, I see no reason to continue this transaction."

Rather than getting angry at his forthrightness, Ouyang Shanshan sighed softly. "Fine. Since they've already started targeting this place, I'll explain.

"But it's too complicated to discuss over the phone. Come to my friend's residence—the large mansion at the far end of the Emperor Garden. I'll make sure you're let in."

After hanging up, Grayson drove an electric car to the mansion she mentioned.

He had heard of this property from the security team earlier—it was the most luxurious villa in the entire estate. Oddly enough, the area lacked any identifying nameplates, and the villa's owner rarely resided there.

The doorbell rang, and a maid soon ushered him inside.

As Grayson entered, he couldn't help but observe the surroundings. The villa's owner was no ordinary person; even the maids appeared exceptionally skilled. While none of them had achieved the postnatal stage of cultivation, many were just a step away.

"Please wait here, Mr. Grayson. The young lady and Ms. Ouyang will be down shortly," the maid said, apologetically offering him a cup of coffee.

Moments after Grayson finished his coffee, Ouyang Shanshan descended the stairs alongside another striking woman.

Unlike Ouyang Shanshan's alluring charm, the newcomer had a commanding presence, exuding a soldier's sharpness.

A military background. Grayson immediately identified her as a seasoned combatant, someone who had reached the early stage of the postnatal body refinement realm.

"Little brother, meet my good friend and the key person in this transaction, Ruox," Ouyang Shanshan said with a smile before turning to her friend. "Ruox, this is Grayson, the one I told you about."

Ruox didn't respond immediately, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized Grayson.

Unfazed, Grayson addressed Ouyang Shanshan directly. "Let's not waste time. Tell me, what's going on here?"

"Hold on," Ruox interrupted with a smirk. "You want answers? Prove yourself. If you can beat me, I'll tell you everything."

Her dismissive tone was hard to miss. In her eyes, this so-called expert Grayson couldn't possibly measure up. It would be safer to handle things without him than to carry dead weight.

Grayson chuckled and shook his head. "Little girl, as a postnatal body refinement martial artist, you don't stand a chance against me."

"How… How did you know my cultivation level?" Ruox gasped. For him to identify her abilities so easily, he must either possess exceptional insight or be far stronger than her.

But Ruox wasn't easily convinced. As one of the top young talents from her prestigious martial arts family, she didn't believe this outsider could be better.

"Stop bluffing," she muttered before launching a swift kick like a steel whip.

Grayson sighed. With a swift movement, he caught her ankle, pulling her off balance. In a single motion, she tumbled into his arms.

Yet Ruox wasn't done. Her hand darted forward, thumb aiming sharply for his chest.

"Enough, Ms. Roux. Are you done playing around?" Grayson growled, catching her wrist mid-strike. With a firm yet effortless toss, he flung her onto the nearby sofa.

At that moment, Ruox finally understood—she was completely outmatched. Pouting, she lowered her head, mumbling under her breath.

"Ha! Took you long enough to get knocked down a peg!" Ouyang Shanshan teased, poking Ruox playfully. Her flirtatious gaze flickered toward Grayson, clearly intrigued.

Ruox glared at her friend. "Ouyang Shanshan! So, you set me up to make a fool of myself, huh?"

"And what if I did? Opportunities like this are rare! I wasn't going to miss the show," Ouyang replied with a mischievous grin, completely unfazed by Ruox's irritation.

"Enough with the theatrics," Grayson interjected, cutting through their banter. "Let's get to the point."

"Oh, you caught on, huh?" Ouyang said, sticking her tongue out sheepishly before explaining the situation.

It turned out this wasn't merely a private matter—national interests were at stake.

The story began two months ago when a cargo ship from a certain country was hijacked by pirates. This ship, belonging to a major industrial conglomerate, carried two state-of-the-art precision lathes—equipment vital to Western Isles's industrial development.

Unable to act openly, the Western Isles government had discreetly enlisted Ruox to collaborate with Ouyang Shanshan in purchasing the equipment from the pirates.