MWC – Chapter 64 Gift

I AM DROPPING THIS NOVEL. IF ANYONE WANTS TO CONTINUE THEY CAN. IF POSSIBLE PLEASE SHARE THE LINK SO I CAN BINGE READ TOO.

In the middle of it, Pamela had returned, seeing Lu Ming and Zhen Shi embracing on the sofa, she tutted and left with Bess.

When Pamela and Bess returned again, Lu Ming had already helped Zhen Shi prepare the meal. It was a simple four dishes and a soup, with two of the dishes made from ready-to-eat foods.

Zhen Shi’s pretty face was blushing, lost in thought. Despite the master’s great day, she didn’t feel any guilt for preparing such simple dishes.

“Uncle, when will sister give me a little sister?” Bess suddenly asked with a smile during dinner.

She was wearing a snow-white princess dress with little white lace socks, looking extremely cute. But her words left Lu Ming stunned.

Pamela immediately glared, “Little children shouldn’t talk nonsense!”

Zhen Shi was still absent-minded and clearly didn’t hear what Bess said.

Lu Ming laughed, “Uncle has been promoted to a second-tier lawyer, Bess. Do you have a gift for uncle?”

Bess blinked her big blue eyes, “Uncle, can I give you my first time?”

Lu Ming’s smile instantly turned particularly ugly.

Pamela, already quite angry, lost all composure. She was holding a soup spoon and lightly tapped Bess on the head with it, mumbling who knows what. But when she glanced at Lu Ming’s donkey face, she suddenly found it a bit funny.

“From now on, you are not to associate with those friends anymore! No, you are not allowed to go to school. You are grounded for a month!”

Needless to say, she had learned it from those problematic girls, listening to them talk about such topics, making her think these were not taboo words.

Bess immediately had tears in her big eyes. Lu Ming frowned and said, “Take a drumstick and go eat in your room! If I don’t say otherwise, you are not allowed to come out!”

“Okay…” Although Bess’s eyes were filled with tears, she still agreed, took her small bowl, placed a drumstick in it, and then slowly walked out of the dining room back to her room. Her small body swayed slightly. For the first time, this light in her life had harshly scolded her, leaving her completely heartbroken. She didn’t even want the drumstick; she only took it because her uncle said so.

Watching her back, Lu Ming suddenly felt a pang of heartache.

“Ah, what happened to Bess?” Zhen Shi finally snapped back to reality.

“I scolded her…” Lu Ming said sullenly.

“Ah?” Zhen Shi was extremely surprised.

Lu Ming sighed lightly, “Alright, go check on her.”

Zhen Shi wanted to go but was unsure if the master would be unhappy. Hearing Lu Ming’s words, she quickly said, “Okay!” She stood up and took small steps to Bess’s room.

Pamela looked at Lu Ming’s gloomy expression, originally wanting to mock him. Previously, when she told him not to let Bess associate with those people, what did he say? Why get angry now?

But seeing Lu Ming’s expression, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

After thinking for a moment, she said, “Actually, Bess doesn’t understand anything. It’s not as serious as you think.”

Lu Ming sighed softly, “I think I won’t be a qualified father.”

Pamela’s deep blue eyes quietly looked at him, “I don’t think so. Meeting you was the best gift from heaven for Bess and me.”

Lu Ming shook his head, not noticing her tone and gaze. After scolding Bess so harshly, his mood suddenly turned bad.

“Let’s talk about something happy. So, today, this table is a late celebration!” Pamela chuckled.

Lu Ming hummed in response.

“In that case, there’s a gift to celebrate your promotion to second-tier. Can I bring it out now? They all said to wait until you’re not so busy with your current case before giving it to you.”

Oh? Lu Ming looked at Pamela in confusion.

Pamela had already returned to her room and came back with a thick red gift package, the cover adorned with auspicious dragon and phoenix designs.

“Boss, see for yourself.” Pamela placed the gift package in front of Lu Ming.

“Playing tricks!” Lu Ming shook his head but also took it, opened the package seal, and reached inside. The first thing he pulled out was a hard red paper greeting card.

“Congratulations to Lawyer Lu Qianxing: Entering the Han Academy at a young age, a boat of justice crossing the river. We admire you, Northern Gate, a prodigy by nature…”

It was a long congratulatory message, quite literary and appropriate. The signature at the end was, “Your brothers: Liu Laocai, Wen Liangyu, Liu Hanming, Meng Dezhu, Zhao Xingwang…” and so on, more than a dozen names.

Under the greeting card were a few pages of house deeds and land deeds, and in the red gift package, there was also a thick stack of photos.

Lu Ming was stunned, gradually understanding that this gift was a three-story standalone villa with a small courtyard. The address on the house deed was “23 Hepu Road.”

Hepu Road was truly a wealthy area. Even Liu Laocai lived there.

Several Western tycoons in Beiguan also lived there, as well as over a dozen parliament members.

Hepu Road was essentially a road surrounding the West Lake in Beiguan, lined with standalone villas, inhabited by the rich and powerful.

The area was completely closed off, and common people couldn’t enter. The guards were from a free city-state in the Western Region called Dietuoluo. The Dietuoluo people seemed to have a knack for being guards, wearing thick green turbans, giving them the nickname “Green Turban Soldiers.”

In the empire, the status of the Western Region tribes was low, ranked fourth. Westerners, Japanese, and Central Continent people, despite their rankings, recognized each other as members of civilized society. From Lu Ming’s understanding, the low status of Central Continent people was more due to centuries of precaution and deliberate suppression. After all, looking at scientific achievements, if starting points were the same, Central Continent people were a highly intelligent group. Westerners and Japanese were somewhat wary of Central Continent people making a comeback, especially with the existence of the independent Central Continent Federation in the Northern Region.

The Western Region tribes and the Southern Sheikhdom conglomerates were not recognized by the empire’s three main ethnic groups as part of civilized society.

Thus, the fourth-tier Western Region tribes were genuinely considered inferior races, unlike the third-tier Central Continent people.

The Dietuoluo people, even within the Western Region, were from a lower-tier tribe but loved to boast. Being guards and servants for wealthy families was their favorite job.

It was said that the wealthy community on Hepu Road employed hundreds of “Green Turban Soldiers” who patrolled day and night, making the community extremely safe.

Looking at the house deed, Lu Ming rubbed his nose and picked up the stack of photos, which were various angle shots of the 23 Hepu Road courtyard.

A beautiful three-story villa, deep courtyard, various trees, and the back was next to the picturesque Bi Lake.

“Director Liu and the others had prepared this long ago. But it’s a great joy, and you’ve been troubled by the recent case, so Director Liu handed the gift to me, asking me to choose a suitable celebratory moment to give it to you!” Pamela explained, handing over another sheet of paper. “There’s also this. Have a look.”

It was a list of contributions from those over a dozen people, which wasn’t suitable to put in the gift package but was given to Pamela for Lu Ming’s reference.

The villa, including recent renovations, totaled 37,000 yuan.

Director Liu contributed 7,000 yuan, Wen Liangyu 7,000 yuan, Liu Hanming 7,000 yuan, Meng Dezhu 5,000 yuan, Zhao Xingwang 5,000 yuan, totaling 31,000 yuan.

The remaining amount was divided among a dozen others, including Director Liu’s company shareholders like Wang Xingwu, whom Lu Ming had met; Wen Liangyu’s capable subordinates; senior partners from Liu Hanming’s law firm, and so on. Each contributed over 500 yuan.

Lu Ming looked at Zhao Xingwang and Meng Dezhu’s contributions.

He was currently not on good terms with Zhao Xingwang. Meng Dezhu, a parliament member, had a decent relationship with him, but contributing 5,000 yuan? That was a joke. Meng Dezhu, being a school principal, earned a decent amount compared to ordinary people, but with an annual salary of 2,000-3,000 yuan, and many social obligations, he couldn’t afford that much.

“Director Liu called, possibly intentionally letting me hear, that Meng Dezhu’s share was temporarily covered by Director Wen, and Zhao Xingwang’s share was paid by Director Liu.” Pamela explained.

Lu Ming nodded, finding it logical. This gift was indeed heavy.

“Director Liu mentioned that Liu Hanming first approached him, hinting at giving you this villa. Director Liu was overjoyed. After twenty years, it was the first time Liu Hanming came to him with a request. But he knew if Liu Hanming directly gifted such an expensive item, you wouldn’t accept it. So, he gathered old friends to pitch in for this gift.”

Lu Ming was stunned, quickly understanding. Liu Hanming wasn’t just thanking him. If Liu Hanming directly gifted him such a villa, it could be seen as a transfer fee and part of the attractive package for joining his firm.

But Liu Hanming was unsure if he could move him. Logically, such a villa would dazzle a rookie lawyer with potential, practically binding him to Liu Hanming’s firm.

However, Liu Hanming was cautious, first visiting Director Liu, a relative he hadn’t contacted in twenty years, to inquire about Lu Ming.

Director Liu wouldn’t reveal much and wasn’t fully aware of Lu Ming’s true financial capacity.

But Director Liu knew that if Liu Hanming directly gifted such a villa, it would be like using money to force Lu Ming into submission, which would surely backfire.

He didn’t lead Liu Hanming into a pit, thus gathering old friends to pitch in for the gift.

Looking at the house deed, Lu Ming rubbed his nose. Any gift, no matter how small, wasn’t given without expecting something in return. Even gifts between lovers anticipated emotional reciprocity, right?

Especially such a heavy gift.

But there was no reason to refuse it.

“Hanzhu, Bess, come out. Let’s go see the house!” Lu Ming suddenly called.

Bess’s bedroom door immediately opened. The little girl looked at Lu Ming with a wronged expression, as if to say, “Uncle, did you really call me?”

“Let’s go out for a walk!” Lu Ming smiled, “But your one-month grounding punishment still stands!”

“Okay…” Bess replied reluctantly.

“Come here! Uncle will carry you to the car!” Lu Ming squatted down and opened his arms.

Bess slowly walked over. As soon as she entered Lu Ming’s embrace, she started sobbing softly. Lu Ming held her small body, smiled, and said, “Alright, Uncle won’t scold you anymore. Let’s go take a car ride…”

On a whim, he tried to lift Bess and spin her around for fun but instead let out a grunt and ended up sitting on the carpet. He felt helpless—was the ginseng soup fake?

Zhen Shi hurriedly came to help him up. She was already aware of the master’s physical condition.

Pamela, surprised by the scene, couldn’t help but turn and stifle a laugh.