Chapter 795: Be It Prosperity or Decline

"Let’s just say it’s a good deed."

Gu Shuo: "..."

’So hard to understand.’

’Oh well. If this is what my daughter wants to do, I should just let her.’

’As her father, I can’t fall behind or hold her back. It looks like I have some research to do on wastelands, deserts, and the Northwest.’

Ye Qianning leaned against the carriage window, lifting the curtain to look outside. The streets were filled with a bustling crowd, and vendors called out to sell their wares with smiles on their faces.

’I’m no savior.’

’When a nation is unjust, it’s the common people who suffer, and no one else has the power to change that.’

’From now on, whether Nanyuan prospers or falls into decline, I will no longer get involved...’

’The wasteland, the desert, and the Northwest may have nothing to offer now, but if I can make them prosper, the fortune value in my space is sure to increase.’

「The Inn.」

As Ye Qianning and Gu Shuo stepped out of the carriage, a burly, middle-aged man from the Barbarian Clan who had been standing at the entrance came forward to greet them.

"Miss Ye." Li Zhuang stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting.

Ye Qianning nodded. "Clan Leader Li, are you here specifically to welcome us?"

"Hehe, not exactly," Li Zhuang said with a sheepish laugh, scratching his head.

"Oh?"

Ye Qianning was a little curious.

"The people from the Guanghai Shuiyuan Clan are inside. I found it a bit too stifling and uncomfortable, so I came out here for some air." Li Zhuang glanced toward the inn. "The Shuiyuan Clan hasn’t been seen for many years. To be able to get them to show up... Miss Ye, you’re really something."

"You flatter me, Clan Leader Li. I’m just a merchant. I go where the profit is."

"Haha, it’s an honor for our Barbarian Clan to have caught your eye, Miss Ye. Come, come, let’s go inside and discuss the details." Li Zhuang ushered them into the inn.

Ye Qianning fell back a step, and Gu Shuo, taking the hint, walked in front of her.

"And this is?" Li Zhuang asked.

"My father."

Li Zhuang’s eyes widened in realization. "Ah, so you are Mr. Ye. Forgive my rudeness."

"My surname is Gu."

Li Zhuang repeated, "Gu?"

"I took my mother’s surname," Ye Qianning explained with a smile.

"Oh, I see! Many of us in the Barbarian Clan take our mother’s surname as well. It’s not uncommon at all," Li Zhuang chuckled, leading the two of them upstairs.

Walking behind Gu Shuo, Ye Qianning glanced up at Li Zhuang’s broad back. With his sturdy, powerful build, he looked almost twice as wide as Gu Shuo.

The people of the Barbarian Clan were generally quite burly. Li Zhuang was about thirty-seven or thirty-eight, with a deep, resonant voice and a typically wild aura. His body was packed with muscle, radiating immense strength.

On the third floor, they reached the first private room past the top of the stairs.

Li Zhuang pushed open the door. "Mr. Gu, after you. Miss Ye, please."

Hearing the sound, the people inside the room all turned toward the door in unison. They were momentarily stunned by the sight of the first person to enter, only snapping out of it when they saw Ye Qianning. They all stood up at once.

"Miss Ye."

"Miss Ye, please, come in."

A man and a woman came forward to greet them.

The woman was the representative from Loulan, Huang Lihua, and the man was the representative from Beijiang, Hu Han.

Ye Qianning nodded with a smile. "Miss Huang, Young Master Hu."

"Miss Ye, what brings Boss Gu here as well?"

Nearly every major figure in the business world recognized Gu Shuo, so they were surprised to see him.

"Allow me to introduce you. This is my father. This collaboration is his idea," Ye Qianning said, attributing the business deal to Gu Shuo.

Upon hearing this, the representatives from the Barbarian Clan, Loulan, and Beijiang showed a flash of surprise in their eyes, but it quickly vanished.

"Boss Gu, Miss Ye, please, have a seat. Have a seat." The representative from Beijiang recovered and began to play the host.

’It didn’t matter who was behind the deal; as long as it was profitable, it was a good deal. Besides, Boss Gu was famous in the business world, known for his honesty and integrity.’

’If they had been harboring suspicions about Ye Qianning before, hearing that Boss Gu was the true mastermind put them much more at ease.’