Chapter 128: Delivering the Money

"Do you think the Huayutou Resort is really willing to put up that kind of money?" Zhang Xiu'e hesitated for a moment, looking at Tang Long as she asked softly.

We are talking about hundreds of millions—this is not a small sum. Of course, in Tang Long’s view, Wen Nuanchun simply had the advantage of being early. If she were to provide the funds as a loan to Yutou Village, it was purely a favor she was bestowing; if it were anyone else, Yutou Village might not even accept the money.

"Let's wait and see," Tang Long said with a smile. Anything said now is just speculation; after all, no one can read another person's mind, and it is impossible to be certain of what she is truly thinking.

If Wen Nuanchun is willing to provide the capital, that would be for the best. If she isn't, Tang Long has other avenues for funding; he won't be stifled by a mere few hundred million.

It was already the middle of the night when Wen Nuanchun arrived at Taoyuan County, and Jiang Xiuzhi went to the highway exit personally to meet her.

"Can we contact Tang Long directly right now?" Wen Nuanchun asked point-blank the moment she saw Jiang Xiuzhi.

Jiang Xiuzhi was stunned. She hesitated and said, "Ms. Wen, it is already the middle of the night. We might be able to reach him, but wouldn't that be a bit inappropriate? Why don't we wait until tomorrow morning?"

Disturbing someone at this hour seemed rather inconsiderate.

Wen Nuanchun shook her head expressionlessly and said, "You don't understand. Many things change in an instant. We have an opportunity now, but by daybreak, it might be gone. Many opportunities are fleeting."

Fleeting? Was it really that serious? It seemed like Yutou Village was the one looking to borrow money from them, so why did it feel like she was the one about to gain some monumental advantage?

Jiang Xiuzhi truly couldn't grasp it, but she admired Wen Nuanchun’s sensitivity in business; in that regard, the other woman was far superior to her.

At Wen Nuanchun's insistence, Jiang Xiuzhi dialed Tang Long's phone number.

When the call came through, Tang Long was sitting with Zhang Xiu'e by the edge of Liangouwazi, looking up at the moon. As for the specifics of how they were "admiring" it, that is perhaps better left undescribed.

Zhang Xiu'e, blushing, leaned into Tang Long’s arms and whispered, "I don't know why, but I keep feeling like this isn't real. Do you feel that way too?"

Tang Long chuckled, his fingers tracing circles in her hair. "I’m the exact opposite. I feel like this is the most real life has ever been."

"Why?" Zhang Xiu'e asked, looking up at him, puzzled. Real? A hundred-meter-long prehistoric giant python—something that only appeared in movies—had now truly and tangibly appeared in their lives. Such a shock could hardly be described as "real."

Just because she hadn't seen such things before didn't mean others hadn't. Tang Long had witnessed too much bloodshed; never mind a giant python like "Big Black," he had encountered even more terrifying existences. Having lived a life where he flirted with death, he had found it hard to get used to the current peace upon his return.

Whenever he woke in the middle of the night, it was often from a nightmare, the feeling as if he had been transported from this world to another. In this current world, he was living far too comfortably.

"You have to learn to adapt. There is no such thing as what is real or not in this world; there is only what you can reach. If you can reach it, it means it has entered your world. Perhaps they have existed for a long time, and you were simply unaware of them," Tang Long said with a smile, trying to explain in terms she could understand that the world she found so surreal was, in fact, the true reality.

Zhang Xiu'e leaned against him, thinking for a moment before whispering, "You mean to say that creatures like 'Big Black' have actually always existed in the world?"

This was the first time Zhang Xiu'e had used the name "Big Black" to refer to the Black-Scaled Jiao, which showed that, subconsciously, she was ready to accept this massive exotic beast, whether as a "village guardian" or as a strange friend.

"Yes, they have always existed. They just live in places far away from the secular world, where ordinary people cannot easily reach them," Tang Long nodded.

This world does not belong to humans alone; humanity is only a part of the Earth. Perhaps if the Earth were missing humans, it could still exist perfectly fine, whereas if humans were to leave the Earth, it would be the end of their race's fate. Humans have the right to survive on Earth, but so do other species. It is just that the habitats of these creatures are being squeezed, becoming smaller and smaller.

As Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e sat under the moon talking about Big Black and monsters, his phone suddenly rang.

Looking at the caller ID, Tang Long smiled and said to Zhang Xiu'e, "It seems my guess was right. Our big boss Wen is an impatient one. She couldn't even wait until dawn to come and deliver us the money!"

Zhang Xiu'e blinked, leaning in his arms without getting up. "Since she is so sincere, you should answer it!"

Wen Nuanchun was making a choice, but in the same vein, Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e, representing Yutou Village, were making one as well.

"Hmm." Tang Long answered the phone with a smile.

"Boss Tang, I am truly sorry to disturb you so late!" Jiang Xiuzhi’s apologetic voice came through.

Tang Long replied with a lazy smile, "It's fine, I wasn't asleep anyway. Tell me, what’s the matter?"

Jiang Xiuzhi glanced at Wen Nuanchun, who was sitting in the seat beside her. The latter didn't speak but gave a slight nod. They were already on their way back.

"It’s like this: Ms. Wen has arrived in the county. She would like to meet with you right now to discuss matters regarding Yutou Village. I wonder if you have the time?" Jiang Xiuzhi asked tentatively. Whether he had time depended on Tang Long; if he said tomorrow morning, they would just have to wait.

Tang Long smiled. "Since Ms. Wen is so sincere, how could I say I don't have time? Come on over; we can have a midnight chat."

"Very well, we should arrive at Yutou Village in about an hour!" Jiang Xiuzhi didn't waste any more words.

After hanging up, Tang Long looked down at Zhang Xiu'e and asked with a grin, "Guess what the first thing is that Wen Nuanchun will ask when she sees us?"

Zhang Xiu'e’s eyes flickered. "That we take her to see Big Black?"

If they didn't see the Black-Scaled Jiao, she surely wouldn't have the confidence to dump hundreds of millions into Yutou Village. It was the same logic as Wu Zhengyao, who never believed what Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e said until he saw the creature himself.

"Something like that!" Tang Long laughed. "This young lady of the Wen family is very smart... but I think my wife is even smarter."

Zhang Xiu'e blushed, rolled her eyes at him, and said coquettishly, "Stop the flattery. Who is your wife!"

"Are you not?" Tang Long whispered playfully in her ear, teasing her. "You know, this seat is highly sought after. If you don't hold onto it firmly, someone else might just snatch it away!"

"Hmph, let them take it if they want. As if I care!" Zhang Xiu'e pouted. She was a woman, after all; how could she not have a temper?

Among the women Tang Long knew, Zhang Xiu'e was certainly the one with the least temper, but also the one with the biggest. It was best not to make her truly angry, or it would be very difficult to coax her back.

Zhang Xiu'e was the kind of woman who was sensible and knew exactly where she stood. When she first got together with Tang Long, she had already stated that they had no future—they were just boyfriend and girlfriend, or rather, they would only talk of moonlight and flowers, not of growing old together.

That was the past. She didn't know if she still held that view. Once Yutou Village developed and became one of the top-tier villages in the country, or even the world, Tang Long, the "country bumpkin" village chief, would naturally see his status rise accordingly.

By then, it wouldn't be a matter of others disliking him; Zhang Xiu'e's parents and relatives might not be able to refuse him. To put it bluntly, bringing Tang Long home in the future wouldn't be "embarrassing." He would be the boss of Yutou Village, with all the money and influence one could want. He would be the one to reject others, not the other way around.

When the Yutou Village company was founded, Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e each held fifteen percent of the original shares. Although they had to tie themselves to the village for ten years, looking at it now, let alone ten years—twenty, fifty, or a lifetime would be worth it.

How much wealth would fifteen percent of the Yutou Village company represent? Zhang Xiu'e didn't know, but she could foresee that the shares would be worth a fortune.

Bringing Tang Long home?

Zhang Xiu'e blushed, the thought startling even her. No, she couldn't change her original intent. They had agreed on just dating, and that was that. Whether she was deceiving herself was something only she knew.

"I’m actually not a very good person," Tang Long whispered into her ear.

Zhang Xiu'e was stunned, then giggled, "Get off, stay away from me. You're tickling me! I don't expect you to be a good person anyway. What kind of person you are has nothing to do with me!"

"Really, nothing to do with you?" Tang Long, thick-skinned, leaned back in.

"It does!" Zhang Xiu'e blushed and whispered, "How can you be so shameless? If you aren't a good person, what am I supposed to do? Should I raise my hand and slap you? Even if I did, would you change? You men are all the same."

Tang Long laughed. "And how is that?"

"Can't stop eating filth!" Zhang Xiu'e leaned into his embrace. In some ways, he wasn't a good person, but was she? People are selfish and flawed; no one is perfect. Those who appear too perfect either hide their flaws well or are complete devils in disguise. Ordinary people all have their shortcomings.

One hour passed quickly while Tang Long and Zhang Xiu'e discussed life. The car sent to pick up Wen Nuanchun didn't even stop at the Huayutou Resort, driving her and Jiang Xiuzhi directly to Yutou Village.

"Ms. Wen? I have long heard of your reputation!"

Tang Long was slightly taken aback when he saw Wen Nuanchun. He had a faint sense of familiarity, though he couldn't recall where he had met her. Given his memory, the chances of that were slim.

"Boss Tang is too kind. As for you, I am the one who has long heard of your reputation!" Wen Nuanchun smiled, and her smile really lived up to her name—as warm as spring.

Tang Long couldn't recall where he might have met her, so he stopped wasting his brain cells on it, shaking the thought away. If it was indeed a memory, it must have been from at least a decade ago.

"Boss Tang, you seem like a straightforward person, so let's speak plainly. Could we start by seeing that 'guardian beast' of Yutou Village?" After the pleasantries, Wen Nuanchun didn't waste any time. She had to see the creature from the photos; otherwise, the doubt in her heart would never fade.

Tang Long looked at Zhang Xiu'e, who smiled slightly and nodded, as if this was within their expectations.

"Sure!"

Tang Long’s prompt agreement surprised Wen Nuanchun. His attitude proved that the photos were likely genuine—that Yutou Village really did house a giant beast beyond the imagination of ordinary people. Whether it was a "guardian beast" or an "ancestor," it didn't matter. The label didn't matter; what mattered was that it actually, truly existed.

"Let's go!"

Tang Long led Wen Nuanchun, Jiang Xiuzhi, and their party toward the cliff behind the mountain.