"Class monitor..."

Upon hearing Feng Yang's words, the man with glasses beside him suddenly tugged on his arm, hoping to stop him from acting rashly. Wenwen also began trying to talk him down.

Lu Jia, however, was pulling on Qin Luoli's arm. "Luo Li, let's just let it go. We're all friends here."

She had secretly sent a message to her family to ask about the card. It turned out the Supreme Emperor Card was exactly as Manager Wang had described, possessing unique markings that were impossible to counterfeit. Moreover, her family's elders had told her that there were fewer than ten Supreme Emperor Cards in all of Huaxia. The owner of each and every one was either the head of a massive consortium or a regional tycoon. All of them were middle-aged men over fifty; not a single one matched Lin Mu's description.

Because of this, Lu Jia also began to suspect that Lin Mu's Supreme Emperor Card was either a fake or a forgery. She started to advise Qin Luoli, urging her to convince Lin Mu not to be so impulsive.

This is a matter of life and death! It's not child's play; one wrong move could lead to a disaster.

"Lu Jia, you don't need to say anymore," Qin Luoli said coolly. "A wife follows her husband, for better or for worse. I married Lin Mu, so I will listen to him in all things."

"Even if it means death, I will die together with Lin Mu!"

Qin Luoli lifted her chin slightly, a queenly aura radiating from her.

The atmosphere in the private room fell silent. Everyone stared at Qin Luoli, their eyes filled with an incredibly complex mix of emotions.

Is this the same aloof goddess we used to know? Is this the same Qin Luoli who thought no man in the world was her equal?

A confident and proud expression appeared on Qin Luoli's face as she declared forcefully, "Furthermore, the man I, Qin Luoli, have chosen, is beyond suspicion from anyone!"

"Luo Li!" Lu Jia panicked. How could Luo Li join in this foolishness? This could turn into a huge mess. If this isn't handled well, we might not even be able to be friends anymore.

"Luo Li, I think we should just forget it, okay?" Wenwen added, trying to mediate.

"There's no need for persuasion!" Qin Luoli said flatly. "We all know who started this, so I won't rehash it. But this is a matter between men, so let them resolve it themselves!"

"Fine!" Feng Yang, as if provoked, roared with bloodshot eyes, "Lin Mu, do you dare make a man's bet with me?!"

"You've decided?" A cold smile played on Lin Mu's lips. "Since you're so eager to die, I'll grant you your wish."

"Who lives and who dies remains to be seen!" Feng Yang sneered and turned to Manager Wu. "Manager Wu, go and have this card authenticated!"

At that moment, Feng Yang's face radiated confidence. He had just asked a friend, who had sent him a picture of a Supreme Emperor Card. It looked completely different from the one Lin Mu had produced. The reason he was so sure was because an elder in that friend's family possessed one of these very cards! Therefore, Feng Yang was one hundred percent certain that Lin Mu's card was a fake!

"Manager Wu, hurry up," Feng Yang said impatiently. "I'd love to see if someone can remain so calm and composed after being exposed."

Manager Wu's back was drenched in cold sweat. Feng Yang was a friend who often brought business here; their relationship was decent, and he was a senior executive at Fang's Consortium. On the other hand, a man who could produce a Supreme Emperor Card like Lin Mu undoubtedly had a powerful background. He couldn't afford to offend either side. Manager Wu began to regret getting involved in this murky business.

"Manager Wu, go on," Feng Yang said, his confident smile returning as he gave the manager a slight nod.

Manager Wu's heart skipped a beat. Why does Feng Yang look so certain? Does he have proof? Was I really mistaken? The thought sent a jolt of fear through him. If the card is fake, I was almost fooled myself! At this realization, Manager Wu's expression hardened. "Alright, I'll go and verify it right now!"

The restaurant had a dedicated card machine that would settle the matter instantly.

"If you'll all excuse me for a moment, I'll be right back." Manager Wu offered his apologies, pushed open the door, and almost crashed into someone in the hallway.

He was about to lose his temper when he saw who it was and was so frightened he collapsed onto the floor.

"Greetings, Elder Zheng! Greetings, Young Master Zheng!"

The people Manager Wu had nearly run into were an old man and a young man. The elder was over sixty, dressed in a traditional Tang suit, and looked to be in poor health. This was the Family Head of the Zheng Family, one of Jiangling's preeminent families, who had already passed the family business to the younger generation. Still, no one dared to underestimate his influence. The young man supporting him was his grandson, Zheng Junyi, himself one of Jiangling's few outstanding young talents.

"Manager Wu, what's the rush?" Elder Zheng chuckled. "You look unwell. Could it be... Ah! A custom Supreme Emperor Card!"

As he spoke, Elder Zheng's eyes bulged, staring intently at the card in Manager Wu's hand, his face a mask of utter disbelief.

"Ah?" Manager Wu was stunned. He looked down at the card and stammered, "Isn't this just a Supreme Emperor Card?"

"Yes, I remember Grandpa has one too... but wait, the color seems wrong." Zheng Junyi took the card from Manager Wu's hand. "This card has nine dragon patterns on it! And it's purplish-gold. Grandfather, are you sure you're not mistaken?"

"Absolutely not!" Elder Zheng shook his head firmly. "Standard Supreme Emperor Cards are black and gold with an engraved snake pattern."

"Then what is a custom Supreme Emperor Card? Is it even more prestigious than a regular one?" Zheng Junyi asked.

"It's far beyond just being prestigious!" Elder Zheng's voice trembled with excitement. "A regular Supreme Emperor Card can be obtained by anyone with sufficient status. But a custom Supreme Emperor Card... as far as I know, only three exist in the entire world. And those three each have only a single dragon. This one has nine!" His excitement mounted as he demanded, "Manager Wu, where did you get this card?"

"From... a guest." Manager Wu's face was deathly pale. He felt things were spiraling far beyond his control.

"Quick, bring him to... no. Manager Wu, please, do me the honor of introducing me to this distinguished guest," Elder Zheng said eagerly. "A Nine Dragons Supreme Emperor Card! This is the first time in my entire life I have ever laid eyes on such a thing!"

"What?" Not just Manager Wu, but even Zheng Junyi was dumbfounded.

With Elder Zheng's status, he wants to personally pay a visit? Just how terrifying is the identity of the person who holds this Nine Dragons Supreme Emperor Card?

"Elder Zheng, are you certain you aren't mistaken?" Manager Wu asked, clinging to a final, desperate thread of hope.

"See for yourself!" Elder Zheng quickly pulled a card from his own pocket and handed it to the manager. "Look closely. Is the material of the two cards not the same? Aside from the color and the pattern, they are identical! Furthermore, the value of the material used to make this card is immeasurable!"

Manager Wu ran his thumb over Elder Zheng's card. The more he looked, the paler he became. He realized Elder Zheng wasn't lying. The two cards, apart from their color and pattern, were identical in every other way. They even had the same distinct warmth to the touch, a sensation impossible to replicate with ordinary materials.

Was I really wrong?

Noticing Manager Wu was dazed, Elder Zheng prompted him again. "Manager Wu? If you would please make the introduction, I would be very grateful."

A titan of Jiangling was thanking him, yet Manager Wu felt an icy chill spread through his body. He could only respond numbly, "Yes, of course."

Deep in his heart, he was certain of one thing. I'm dead. I'm completely and utterly dead.

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