Chapter 138: Guests in the Mountain Villa

Upon hearing the momentous phrase "the absolute pinnacle of the estate's treasures," Fernando couldn't help but tremble slightly.

These individuals were the supreme titans within their respective fields, and if even figures of such magnitude possessed a treasured centerpiece of that caliber, just how unimaginably precious must it be?

With this thought in mind, he cleared his throat.

"Ahem, if it is Mr. Westfu's desire to extend a gesture of goodwill, I suppose I could bring myself to accept a gift."

Faced with this blatant hint, the people around him immediately scrambled to offer their tributes.

The jeweler from moments before hurriedly thrust forward the gift he had just prepared, and the others followed suit in a frantic rush.

"Mr. Fernando, this is a masterpiece of cutting-edge technology from the Lighthouse Country. I went to great lengths to secure it. Do try using it tonight; the pleasure is quite extraordinary, oh yes."

"What is that supposed to be? Mine is a genuine calligraphy scroll from the ancient land of China! Now that is what I call true pricelessness!"

"..."

A short while later, Fernando surveyed the towering stack of gifts piled behind him, nodded with a satisfied smile, and turned back to face the crowd.

He raised his tall crystal goblet high into the air. "Come, let us all drink a toast to Mr. Westfu's grand plan!"

Lingering in the company of these people, his demeanor actually took on a fleeting veneer of elegance.

Everyone in attendance raised their glasses in unison. "A toast to Mr. Westfu's grand plan!"

After draining the rich red wine in a single gulp, Fernando looked at the assembled crowd with eyes full of utter disdain.

He muttered inwardly to himself: *Or rather, let us drink to your imminent demise.*

That very evening, these formidable tycoons arranged a night for Fernando that he would remember for the rest of his life.

So much so that when he sat up in bed the following morning, flanked by two stunning beauties, he was greeted by a dull, aching soreness across his lower back and limbs.

Yet he did not lose his head in the indulgence; after all, Feng Tianlin was still waiting for him up at the manor.

The guests who had attended the banquet were all top-tier elites, but he remembered clearly that Feng Tianlin had only asked him to round up around ten individuals, so he made sure not to exceed that number.

If Feng Tianlin had known the truth, he surely would have been so infuriated as to vomit blood.

He retrieved the roster of yesterday's banquet attendees, singled out the few who had presented him with the most lavish gifts, and summoned them together.

"All of you, come with me to the Westfu family manor."

Upon hearing Fernando's words, the heavy boulders hanging over their hearts finally crashed safely to the ground. *Thank goodness, thank goodness—our sacrifices were not in vain.*

Thus, they obediently followed Fernando up the winding path toward the estate.

Meanwhile, back at the manor, no sooner had Fernando departed than four men clad in immaculate black suits arrived at the gates.

They wore dark sunglasses, and their jackets concealed the outlines of handguns at their waists.

They marched straight up to the heavy doors of the Westfu residence and knocked firmly.

"Hello, we are here to see Mr. Westfu," one of the men in suits announced.

The heavy door slowly swung open, leaving them somewhat bewildered as they stepped inside.

"What is the meaning of this? They didn't ask who we were, nor did they inquire about our business before letting us walk right in. Is this really the legendary Westfu family?"

A man in a floral cap, also dressed in a suit, glanced back at the guard, only to find that the sentinel had no intention of acknowledging them whatsoever.

"Who knows? Let's just secure an audience with Mr. Westfu first," another suit-clad man replied.

The man in the floral cap was named Amy, and the one who spoke just after him was Koro. Together, they held the most authority among this group of operatives.

Although entering with such absurd ease left them feeling rather uneasy, their primary objective was to see Westfu, leaving them no time to ponder such anomalies.

The four of them pressed forward along the path leading deeper into the manor, not a single soul to be seen along the way.

Their keen instincts warned them that something was amiss, but unable to uncover any clues, they could only press their lips together and march resolutely ahead.

At last, they arrived before the main doors of the inner manor and knocked once more.

Once again, the doors unceremoniously glided open without the slightest resistance, leaving them even more baffled than before.

"This... this..." Amy was too shocked to form a coherent sentence.

"Let's go inside first and figure it out," Koro suggested.

The others nodded in agreement. Having come this far, there was no turning back now—doing so would be an unforgivable sign of disrespect toward the Westfu family.

They stepped into the estate grounds, completely unable to locate the person who had just opened the gate for them.

Gazing upon the ancient castle before them—so drastically different from its former appearance—everyone present swallowed hard.

"Could we have come to the wrong place? This doesn't look like Mr. Westfu's home; it looks more like the lair of some lunatic who's watched one too many horror movies," Amy muttered, his eyes fixed on the towering fortress as he half-jokingly offered the remark.

Naturally, it was said in jest; even if they were to forget their own names, they could never forget the location of the Westfu family estate.

Just as they were wondering why the servants wandering the grounds all seemed so devoid of spirit, a young girl dressed in pink Lolita fashion approached them and cast a single, fleeting glance in their direction.

"You're here. Mr. Westfu sent me to escort you. Follow me."

Upon seeing the young girl, Koro's face instantly broke into a friendly smile.

He squatted down slightly to meet her level. "You must be that Chinese girl adopted by Mr. Westfu, aren't you?"

Yet his inquiry met with total silence. The little girl ignored him entirely and turned on her heel, marching straight toward the interior of the castle.

Watching her retreating figure, Koro shook his head.

"I finally understand why Mr. Westfu redesigned his castle like this. It must be because this little girl fancies it."

"What makes you say that?" asked one of his companions, puzzled.

"Look at her demeanor. She has all the hallmarks of an adolescent chuni who has indulged in far too many horror flicks—typical of people from China, I suppose, their thought processes are inscrutable to us. Besides, I went through a phase like that myself."

"You used to be a young girl!?" Amy blurted out in utter astonishment.

"Shut your damn mouth!" Koro roared in indignation.

Amidst their muffled banter and laughter, the four men followed the young girl deeper into the fortress.

Though they joked lightly among themselves, they all understood one undeniable truth: Mr. Westfu undoubtedly cherished his adopted daughter immensely. She might very well be the future heir to the Westfu family dynasty, and offending her was out of the question.

Stepping across the threshold of the inner castle, they involuntarily fell silent.

It was not for lack of things to say, but rather because the atmosphere within was suffocatingly oppressive—a heavy, suffocating weight pressing down on their chests, making it difficult to draw breath.

They trailed quietly behind the girl until they reached the formal dining hall. A lavish feast was already laid out across a grand table, and Westfu sat in the seat of highest honor at the head.

The young girl naturally took her place right beside Westfu, cradling a stuffed toy bear in her arms as she cast an icy, detached gaze upon the newcomers.

Seeing them arrive, Westfu offered a faint, placid smile. "You've arrived. Sit down and share a modest meal with me first."

The four men froze for a brief second before instinctively waving their hands in refusal. Koro stepped forward and hurriedly spoke up, "No, no, we shouldn't. We will hand over the items and take our leave immediately."

With that, he glanced back at the operative carrying a heavy metal briefcase. The man caught the signal and instantly passed the case forward.

Koro walked slowly up to Westfu, extended his hands bearing the briefcase toward him, and forced a polite smile.

"Mr. Westfu, as per our annual custom, this is the tax revenue share from the Sunset Country, representing the portion rightfully belonging to the Westfu family."

Indeed, the briefcase contained only a single item: an official verification document, a certificate capable of redeeming an incalculable, astronomical fortune from any major bank within the Sunset Country.

This immense wealth far exceeded the limits of ordinary checks, necessitating direct authorization and documentation from the royal family of the Sunset Country itself.

Centuries ago, the ancestors of the Sunset Country's royal house had forged a binding pact with the progenitors of the Westfu family: ten percent of the entire nation's annual tax revenues would belong in perpetuity to the Westfus.

This was the true reason why the Westfu family never engaged in commerce, possessed a sparse bloodline, and resided year-round in China, yet commanded such terrifying, fathomless wealth.

And Koro and his companions were elite special agents of the Sunset Country, specifically tasked with delivering this monumental tribute.

Seated at the head of the table, Westfu gave a slow, measured nod. He accepted the briefcase from Koro's hands and gestured toward an empty seat beside him.

"Since you are already here, sit down and partake in a simple meal."

Faced with Westfu's second invitation, Koro no longer dared to display any hesitation. He bowed respectfully toward the patriarch and pulled out a chair.

"Pardon our intrusion."

Despite Westfu's uncharacteristic hospitality, Koro didn't read too much into it; after all, Westfu had lived in China for many years and notoriously loved to rope guests into casual meals, claiming it was simply the customary way of things among the Chinese.

"The rest of you, take a seat as well," Westfu instructed, turning his gaze toward the other three agents.

Once everyone was seated, Westfu announced that they could begin dining. The men picked up their gleaming silverware and began to slowly sample the dishes before them.

Yet... why did the food taste just a little bit peculiar?