sea ​​situation

Throughout the afternoon, Lu Ming sat blankly in front of the desk, his mind was in chaos, and he looked at the white paper on the desk stupidly.He knew that he was committing an old emotional problem again. Although he was young, the problem was not small. Once he was depressed, it would take a long time to recover.

In fact, Yuan Mingzhu got closer to those girls and had a better relationship, but after hearing the unfortunate news, she was sad for a while and then calmed down.At this moment, she shuttled between the rooms, greeted the maids in the inner house, and gave them some small gifts, which made them all smile.

Yuan Mingzhu's affinity is incomparable to that of Lu Ming. She laughs and laughs, sniffing out news from others without showing any trace.

During dinner, the housekeeper called Lu Ming, saying that the master invited him to eat alone.It was already late, and it was only when I left the house that I realized that it was raining heavily, and a young servant was waiting outside with an umbrella.There is a lantern hanging under the eaves of each house, illuminating the clear stone pavement, as if you are in a quiet mountain.

The butler led Lu Ming to Sheng Youde's study. The dining table was already set, but there were only two chairs, and Sheng Youde was already sitting there.He knew that Sheng Youde had a stomach problem, and the food he ate was soft. Although he always ate alone, he never avoided others. He arranged to eat in the study today, so he was naturally separated from other people.

Lu Ming bowed politely, and sat on the chair opposite. Sheng Youde nodded and did not speak.

After a while, the servants brought the wine and food, and the two ate and drank silently. Of course, Lu Ming would not treat himself as a guest, eating and drinking as usual.

This is a typical mix of Chinese and Western buildings. The spacious study room is brightly lit, and the fireplace is blazing, as warm as spring, but Lu Ming still feels a little cold. It is the coldness deep in his heart, which cannot be driven away by the fire. of.

"You're still young, the road you've traveled so smoothly before." Sheng Youde suddenly said something out of nowhere.

Lu Ming raised his head, not understanding the meaning of Sheng Youde's words.

"I don't seem to have asked you why you want to go back to China. Isn't it good to stay in the United States? If you think the United States is not good enough, you can go to England, France, or Italy." Sheng Youde asked, staring into his eyes.

"This..." Lu Ming couldn't think of what to say.

The United States is good, the United Kingdom is also good, Paris, France, as the cultural capital of the world, is of course good, and Italy's cultural customs are also very special.During the five years abroad, he used his holidays to visit many cities one after another, and thought about settling in a certain place, but finally returned to China because he couldn't find home in those places.

Once a person's heart is big, it is difficult to get smaller.After returning to China, he stayed in his hometown of Huzhou for a short time, and then got up and went to Shanghai. In the chaotic, deformed and prosperous Shanghai Bund, he seemed to have found his own direction of struggle, and wanted to do something for the peace of this society.

Sheng Youde stared into Lu Ming's eyes, waiting for him to answer the question.

"The living conditions abroad are better than those in China, but it's not home, people always seem to be floating there." Lu Ming simply replied.

"Well, very good, then I can rest assured." Sheng Youde lowered his head and began to eat, but stopped talking.

Lu Ming was stunned for a while, not understanding why Sheng Youde asked him this question at this time.

After he returned to China, Sheng Youde never asked him about the situation of studying abroad, but more about the situation in his hometown and Shanghai, as if he had never studied abroad.Today, he was uncharacteristically, and discussed his life goals with him.

"At least one thing is good about people who love their families. They don't forget their ancestors and their roots." Sheng Youde sighed.

Lu Ming laughed dumbly.Is he a lover?If he really wants to keep his roots, he should stay in his hometown in Huzhou, listen to his mother, marry a wife early, have a lot of children, guard the family business of his ancestors, and play the role of slowly changing from the young master of the Lu family to the master of Lu .

But he doesn't want to live like that, and that kind of life is not what he likes. He likes to stay in Shanghai Beach, live leisurely and alone, imagining the future Chinese Pinkerton detective out of thin air in the undisturbed detective agency. The occasion of the society.

What he seeks after returning to China is peace of mind, and the place of peace of mind is his hometown.

He knew that in the eyes of his hometown people, he was just a spoiled child. After going abroad, he was infected with a bunch of foreigner's stink problems.He chose a career unheard of in his hometown: detective.This profession is completely imported, can it support itself?Lu Ming himself didn't know.

Sheng Youde invited him to join the company, promising a huge salary of 2 yuan a month, obviously placing high hopes on him.He knew that he was not a qualified management talent and could not be an assistant to Zhan Shengyoude. Instead of quitting in despair after a year or so, it would be better not to step in from the beginning.

Both of them understood that today's meal is not the point, it's just a formality. After eating something simple, Sheng Youde asked the servant to remove the cups and plates, brought tea, and waved the servant to retreat.

"I came to you today to talk to you about something very, very important, can I trust you?" Sheng Youde stared into Lu Ming's eyes again.

"Uncle Sheng, although my nephew is useless, he is still trustworthy." Lu Ming laughed.

"Nonsense, if you are really useless, a mediocre person, what do I need you for? What I'm talking about now is about the future fate of the Sheng family, so don't joke with me." Sheng Youde's face was slightly serious.

"Ah, this matter...you should always find someone else, I really can't do it." Lu Ming shook his head and waved his hands hastily.

He didn't know what "the future fate of the Sheng family" referred to, but it must be something big and not a simple matter.The disappearance of Sheng Muyi has already made him feel a lot of pressure, but he must face it and cannot avoid it. Even though this case is very weird, he will face it.As for the other matters of the Sheng family, they will not be explained in his book.

"Oh, if there was someone else to choose from, I wouldn't look for you, and I have no choice." Sheng Youde frowned.

What Sheng Youde said was the truth. When it comes to managing the family wealth and running the business, Lu Ming is indeed not the best candidate. There are many people who are more suitable than him. But can these people withstand the pressure and threats?Can you live up to your trust under the pressure and even the threat of a bayonet?

If there are these additional conditions, Lu Ming is naturally the best candidate.

If Lu Ming knew Sheng Youde's evaluation of him, he would be so ashamed to get under the table. What he feared most was pressure and burden. He escaped from marriage because he didn't want to bear the burden of the family prematurely. Instead of avoiding the marriage that has basically become a fact.

It is true that he is not afraid of threats, he is not afraid of any threats, otherwise he would not dare to go to the meeting alone, to have tea with the Qinghong gang, that is a purely Hongmen banquet.

"Let me tell you straight, I want you to be the guardian of the Sheng family and the Sheng family's property." Sheng Youde didn't want to make any more detours, and went straight to the bottom line.

"What guardian?" Lu Ming felt that he didn't understand.

"I'll say it again, please be the guardian of the Sheng family and the Sheng family's property. I will pay you a high salary, but if necessary, you will protect it with your life! Do you understand!" Sheng Youde's words were sonorous and forceful.

"Uncle Sheng, you are making fun of your little nephew, right? Who doesn't know that you have a wide network in Shanghai. How can I, a fledgling kid, take on such a heavy responsibility?" Lu Ming was startled, and quickly declined, shaking his head and following Like a rattle.

"The most important thing about connections is trust. If there is no one else, it is you!" Sheng Youde said in an indisputable tone.

"But...but the Sheng family has you, old man, so why do they need a guardian?"

Lu Ming couldn't understand what he heard, let alone Sheng Youde's status in Shanghai, his status in China is equivalent to Ford in the United States and Krupp in Germany.From the late Qing Dynasty to the government of the Republic of China to the present, the government has changed the Dawang Banner every few years, and politicians and warlords from all walks of life are on stage like a lantern, but Sheng Youde's status has never changed. If you insist on saying something Change, that is, more money than before.

Lu Ming couldn't figure it out, with such a status as a cow, not to mention Megatron Shanghai Bund, it also responds to everyone, so does it need others to protect it?

"My life is not long, I may not be able to pass this test." Sheng Youde sighed.

"What difficulties have you encountered?" As soon as these words came out, Lu Ming was taken aback. What difficulties made Sheng Youde turn to others for help?

Looking at the sadness buried in the dense wrinkles on Sheng Youde's face, Lu Ming suddenly felt a pain in his heart.Outsiders only see the infinite scenery of the Sheng family, but there is so much suffering and sadness hidden under this infinite scenery.

"Nephew, don't ask. The more you know, the more dangerous you are. I won't hide it from you. Someone has started to attack the Sheng family. I don't know whether I can survive this time." His expression didn't change much.

"Who dares to lay hands on you? Have you eaten the heart of a bear!" Lu Mingjian raised his eyebrows.

"There's nothing impossible. You'll understand when you live to my age. There is no such thing as impossible in this world. Dao is as high as one foot and the devil is as high as ten feet." Sheng Youde felt calm after saying this.

"What kind of monster is this? I didn't expect such a force to exist in Shanghai." Lu Ming felt a gloomy chill pass over his body.

With Sheng Youde's contacts and financial resources in Shanghai, it is definitely not the local forces who want to lay hands on him.Which side is it?Foreign firm or foreign consortium?

After thinking about it, only those foreign consortiums have this ability, but the strong dragon does not overwhelm the local snake. Although the foreign consortium has strong financial resources and connections at the top of the government, this is Shanghai Bund, and Sheng Youde is not as famous as Huang Jinrong and Du Yuesheng on the surface. Big, but he is the veritable richest man in Shanghai.

It can be said that no matter whether the local forces in Shanghai are official, business circles or several major gangs, no one has the strength to wrestle with Sheng Youde.

"Don't ask, you will know in the future. Today, I only want you to agree to my invitation and protect the Sheng family and the property of the Sheng family!" Sheng Youde slapped the table with his fist.

Lu Ming didn't get to the bottom of it any further. He instinctively had a feeling of resistance to the relationship between the Sheng family and the major gangs. He stayed in Shanghai for half a year, but he rarely came to Lingering Garden, because he didn't want to get involved in the Sheng family's affairs.

This evening, speaking of this, Lu Ming understood in his heart that what Sheng Youde entrusted to him was no less than the glowing charcoal in the fireplace, and he might not be able to do it if he didn't take it, but can he take it?Anyway, if you can catch it, you have to pick it up, and if you can't catch it, you have to pick it up.

"You don't have to worry so much. Let's put it this way, I will make an agreement with you. If I am still alive in this world after five years, it means that the Sheng family has passed this test, and you will have nothing to do. If this I couldn't make it through a level, and Mu Yi couldn't get back, or..."

"No, Uncle Sheng, nothing will happen. I must bring Mu Yi back and hand it over to you." Lu Ming's tone was firm, and he was unequivocal about this point.

"I mean in case, if Mu Yi really can't come back, then you have to bear the responsibility of keeping my Sheng family and the Sheng family's property. As for how to keep it, I will make detailed arrangements in the will, and you can do it .”

"You've already made a will?" Lu Ming asked in surprise.

"Well, Mu Yi's accident is just their first move, and there will be big things happening later. In order to prevent accidents, I made a will. You don't care which lawyer from which law firm I hand it over to, really On that day, a lawyer will find you and hand over my will to you, and then you will know what to do."

"But what about Brother Di? He is the heir of the Sheng family?" Lu Ming said.

Sheng Youde sighed: "Silly boy, if something happens to Mu Yi and I, what good will Xiaodi have?"

Lu Ming understood, and suddenly thought of that sentence: Under the overturned nest, there are still eggs.

If there are really extraordinary forces attacking the Sheng family, Sheng Di will definitely not be spared.

"During these five years, I will pay you one hundred thousand dollars in one lump sum. If nothing happens after five years, you will have free one hundred thousand dollars. If I fail to survive, you have to be prepared to risk your life for this one hundred thousand dollars. , do you want to do it?"

"Can I just say no?" Lu Ming said with a long sigh of relief.

"No!" Sheng Youde said categorically.

"Then what are you talking about, but let's not pay the rewards. One day if you really want to, I will do what you told me, and I will do it even if I risk my life!" Lu Ming stood up.

"Very good, but the reward still has to be given. The friendship between our two families belongs to the friendship, but this is a business, and it can be regarded as an insurance that I put in. You have to accept it." Sheng Youde waved his hand and signaled Lu Ming sat down.

Lu Ming nodded and sat down again.

He knew that Sheng Youde had always been strong, and no one could change the decisions he made, but he was still full of doubts. What kind of mission did he undertake? It was one thing to risk his life, but another to be able to accomplish things. one thing.

Lu Ming originally thought that Sheng Youde wanted to talk to him about Sheng Muyi's disappearance, but Sheng Youde didn't say a word from the beginning to the end.

The two talked about serious business, and then started chatting again. What they were talking about was not Shanghai Bund, but the situation in Europe. In Sheng Youde's view, the European War would break out again in a few years, and the revived Germany would not be content to be bound by The Treaty of Versailles will definitely break free, and Europe will be torn apart.

Lu Ming is generally familiar with the current world situation, but he is not interested in international affairs, he just chats with Sheng Youde.The two talked until late at night.

In the past few days, Sheng Youde was tired and mentally tense, and he couldn't bear it anymore, so he dozed off while talking.

Lu Ming slowly exited the room, and asked the servants to help the master to bed.It was still pattering outside the house, and it rained lightly all night. The autumn wind and autumn rain were so sad.

Back in his room, Lu Ming didn't feel sleepy at all. He was circling the details of Sheng Youde's conversation with him, and suddenly realized something: After talking all night, Sheng Youde talked about Europe and the United States, but he didn't Speaking of Asia.

But Asia, especially Japan, is an important issue that China has to face. Why didn't Sheng Youde mention it?Is it implying something?

Does he have something to hide?

It's not that he doesn't want to talk about Japan, but what taboos do he have?

He shook his head and stopped thinking about it. After talking with the old man all night, he wasn't sleepy but felt tired, and his heart was filled with panic.