Chapter 60 Even Thieves Have a Code, Let Alone Gentlemen?

"Mr. Murong, I, Jiang Cheng, am not someone who fails to repay a kindness. You loaned the Murong family 2505 million, and I said I would return thirty million to you—I will certainly not break my word!"

Looking at the text message notification showing thirty million transferred to his account, the corners of Murong Shan's mouth twitched involuntarily.

His face was as dark as a thundercloud!

Humiliation, absolute humiliation!

Especially when Jiang Cheng mentioned the phrase "failing to repay a kindness," Ye Rong, standing nearby, clenched her teeth in fury.

Those were the very words she had just used in an attempt to morally coerce Jiang Cheng, yet now they had been thrown right back in her face!

She felt as though her old face was being slapped repeatedly and resounding!

Five million was less than a drop in the bucket for the Murong family.

Yet Jiang Cheng deliberately used that very five million to fiercely slap the Murong family across the face.

With that, Jiang Cheng and Chu Chuanyi walked out of the jade-cutting yard.

Lin Zhou and Wang Hao followed closely behind.

Liu Ruiming stared straight at the retreating figures, let out a long sigh, and cast a complex look at Murong Shan.

He said in disappointment, "Xiaoshan, for the sake of a piece of Imperial Green jade, your Murong family has truly thrown away all your pride! Even if you had bought it for five hundred million, you would have made at least six or seven hundred million. By acting this way, you've completely disgraced yourselves! Greed knows no bounds. Mr. Murong, Mrs. Murong, I, Liu Ruiming, am old and no longer have the energy to manage the Murong family's business. I simply wish to tend to my antique shop and spend my remaining years in peace. From now on, take care of yourselves!"

Having said that, Liu Ruiming shook his head and walked out of the jade-cutting yard.

Upon hearing this, Murong Shan completely broke down.

Elder Liu had been working for the Murong family since his father's generation. Relying on Elder Liu's discernment and expertise, the Murong family had risen rapidly from a minor household to become Qingzhou City's largest jewelry brand and antique dealer.

The group's assets now exceeded ten billion.

Elder Liu Ruiming could truly be called the cornerstone of the Murong family!

Without Liu Ruiming presiding over the Murong family's jade, jewelry, and antique business, how could it have ever reached its current scale?

Yet now, simply because of his momentary greed, even Elder Liu had been reduced to despair!

At this thought, his bowels turned green with regret!

Murong Shan hurriedly and respectfully tried to persuade him, "Elder Liu, you watched me grow up, you are my elder—the Murong family cannot do without you!"

"Xiaoshan! This is the last time I will call you that! Let me leave you with this: even thieves have their own code of conduct, let alone a man of honor!"

Liu Ruiming patted Murong Shan on the shoulder, cast a burning gaze at him, and walked straight out of the yard.

"Elder Liu! Elder Liu!" Ye Rong still wanted to persuade him, but Liu Ruiming did not even look back!

"Even thieves have a code!" Murong Shan felt as though his chest was tightly blocked by a foreign object, overwhelmingly heavy.

Indeed! Even thieves had their own rules of behavior, let alone a businessman like himself.

A gentleman loves wealth, but takes it in the right way!

Elder Liu's ability to utter such words showed just how deep his disappointment was.

He, Murong Shan, was not even as good as a thief!

A bitter smile twitched at the corners of Murong Shan's mouth, the brilliance in his eyes instantly fading away as he suddenly looked a dozen years older.

"Darling, are... are you alright?"

Seeing Murong Shan's condition, Ye Rong's heart clenched tightly.

The atmosphere in the jade-cutting yard was chillingly heavy. The jade-cutters looked at one another in silence, not daring to utter a single word.

After a long while, Murong Shan let out a long breath, instantly casting aside his dejection, and beckoned to the old housekeeper, Xu Ping.

"Sir!"

A fierce glint flashed across Murong Shan's eyes. "Uncle Ping, investigate thoroughly and find out who leaked the news about the jade to Chu Chuanyi! Once you find them, cut out their tongue!"

"Understood!" Xu Ping nodded, his expression entirely calm.

...

On the other side, Jiang Cheng was riding in Chu Chuanyi's Rolls-Royce Phantom, heading toward a star-rated restaurant for dinner, when his phone suddenly rang.

It was Gu Zhixia calling.

As soon as the call connected, Gu Zhixia's urgent voice came through.

"Brother Cheng, it's bad! We've been surrounded, and Little Shu... he's been beaten!"

"What?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Cheng instantly flared with rage.

"Where are you now?"

"Wanfu Jade-Cutting Yard!"

"Call the police first, I'll be right there!"

Hanging up the phone, Jiang Cheng's face turned terrifyingly dark and cold!

Just as he was about to say something to Chu Chuanyi, she instructed the driver ahead of time, "Xiao Wang, Wanfu Jade-Cutting Yard!"

Jiang Cheng cast a complex look at Chu Chuanyi, his gratitude beyond words.

"Thank you, Miss Chu!"

Chu Chuanyi merely offered a gentle smile and said nothing.

Fifteen minutes later, the Rolls-Royce Phantom slowly pulled into the Wanfu Jade-Cutting Yard.

Jiang Cheng hurried out of the car and saw from afar that the open ground of the yard was surrounded by people.

They were all workers from the yard.

From a distance, noisy arguments could be heard rising from the crowd.

"Step aside! All of you get out of my way! If any of you dare lay a hand on us again, I'll sue you until you're bankrupt!" This was Qin Xiaoshu's roar!

"We won't move! Qin Xiaoshu, your heart is too ruthless! We used to be old colleagues and old friends with Jiang Cheng—what? Now that you've struck it rich, your heart has turned black too?"

"You took over the yard and fired us. Without jobs, how do you expect us to live?"

"Exactly! Which of us doesn't have a family to support, relying entirely on the wages from this yard? If you don't pay us each one hundred thousand in compensation today, no one is leaving!"

Jiang Cheng pushed his way through the crowd, listening to the overlapping voices, his expression turning grim.

"Jiang Cheng is here! Jiang Cheng is here!"

A worker spotted Jiang Cheng and shouted out.

In an instant, the entire jade-cutting yard erupted!

The crowd hurriedly cleared a path.

Before long, Jiang Cheng reached the center of the crowd, seeing Qin Xiaoshu and a visibly anxious Gu Zhixia.

Standing nearby was a young and beautiful woman—none other than Zheng Wanfu's daughter, Zheng Xinxin!

"Are you hurt, Xiaoshu, Zhixia?" Jiang Cheng examined them closely with concern.

Gu Zhixia shook her head. The moment she saw Jiang Cheng, the paleness on her face regained a trace of color.

She let out a silent breath of relief!

Qin Xiaoshu spat fiercely and said viciously, "I'm fine, just took a few kicks from Old Liu!"

Seeing that Qin Xiaoshu was still lively enough to joke around, Jiang Cheng finally set his mind at ease.

He coldly swept his gaze across the crowd and demanded in a chilling tone, "What is going on here?"

At that moment, a dust-covered middle-aged man stepped forward.

Jiang Cheng recognized him—it was Song Lao San, a worker from the yard.

"Jiang Cheng, we've been old colleagues and friends for four or five years. You had Qin Xiaoshu take over this yard, yet you fired us without a word. What? Struck it rich and forgot your roots? Forgot about us old colleagues?"

Another worker chimed in, "That's right! Jiang Cheng, we're just wage earners with families to feed. Several mouths depend entirely on this salary! Firing us for no reason is completely devoid of morality!"

"Exactly! We're this old, and without jobs, how are you telling us to survive? Either you keep us on, or you pay us one hundred thousand in severance!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the workers grew utterly indignant, shouting in agreement until the entire yard was in an uproar.

Each of them tightly gripped their tools, looking ready to fight to the death if money wasn't handed over.

Qin Xiaoshu suddenly spat on the ground and furiously retorted to the worker who had shouted the loudest, "Bah! Compensation my foot! You still have the nerve to ask for one hundred thousand? Do you people have any shame left? You were fired by Zheng Xinxin, what does that have to do with us? Go ask Zheng Xinxin for your severance! Dare to cause trouble again, and I'll sue you for extortion!"