Chapter 64: Of Honor and Reputation

The Spanish woman, Elsa, finally tore her gaze from the laptop screen and fixed it intently on Yu Chengmin for a long moment. “So, this is your plan and solution?”

Yu Chengmin felt an immense pressure weighing down on him, but the person who was supposed to step in and save the situation was nowhere to be seen. He had no choice but to muster his courage and reply in English, with a tinge of apology, “I’m truly sorry. Given the tight schedule, it’s difficult for me to come up with a more refined plan right now.”

“You seem to have conveniently omitted the fact that you lost my money. Is this selective memory?”

With studied elegance, Elsa crossed her legs. Those around her knew this was a sign she was about to lose her temper; before she did, she always needed something to stimulate her nerves. Her assistant, well-versed in her habits, promptly produced her ivory cigarette holder, attached a slim lady’s cigarette, and handed it to her.

Elsa took it gracefully between her slender fingers, and the assistant hurried to light it. She drew in a deep breath, leaving a faint imprint of her lips on the holder, then set it down. The assistant quickly extinguished the cigarette.

By habit, she always took only the first draw.

Elsa was just past thirty. Her features were beautiful, but her true distinction was her figure—striking and voluptuous, the kind only a woman of mixed Spanish and East Asian descent could possess. Her appearance leaned more towards the Castilian side. She was the owner of this very ship, the Poseidon.

“Why don’t you answer?” Elsa asked again.

Yu Chengmin replied, “It was just a small sum…”

Elsa cut him off. “It’s not about the amount. It’s about principle. In business, ‘credibility’ is crucial. No matter the scale, when something goes wrong, people lose trust in you. Don’t you think so?”

Sweat beaded on Yu Chengmin’s forehead. “I wasn’t aware of the details. I only handled the operations. I assumed someone had already explained.”

Elsa’s tone was cool. “You think Huo Dongjun is your lifeline? I basically grew up with that fool. He’s a complete idiot. I’ve never trusted him—not since we were children, because he’s always making trouble. That’s why I don’t believe a word he says now. Do you understand how important credibility is? And yet, you managed to ruin it over a small sum of money!”

Yu Chengmin was at a loss, his expression pleading.

Elsa glanced sideways at the laptop screen. “Actually, your proposal is somewhat interesting. I’m tempted. But the main issue is, I usually don’t do business with people I can’t trust, no matter how enticing the offer.”

At that, Yu Chengmin’s face turned ashen.

The seat beneath Elsa’s ample figure was an old, worn leather sofa, looking both rustic and aged.

She gently stroked the armrest, then asked, “Do you think this sofa looks old and out of place?”

Yu Chengmin nodded awkwardly. “A bit, yes.”

“It’s more than a bit—it’s truly ancient. My ancestor once sat in this very chair, commanding the Spanish fleet—the very Invincible Armada you’ve heard of in history.”

Yu Chengmin was speechless.

Elsa continued, “Tradition is a strange thing. The object itself doesn’t matter; its significance does. Later, when the British pirates rose to power and seized hegemony, they also took this very chair I’m sitting in.”

She paused. “What do you think the Brits wanted with this battered old chair?”

“It must be… for honor and credibility?” Yu Chengmin hazarded, his scalp prickling.

“Exactly.” Elsa nodded, crossing her legs again. “You’re right. They wanted the meaning and the glory. Just like when they burned down the White House—not because they liked arson.”

She caressed the leather again. “For a while, this chair sat at 10 Downing Street. That old smoker—yes, Churchill himself—sat in it when he rejected the Germans’ generous offer and chose to go to war.”

Elsa paused again. “To cut a long story short, later my second brother—an old drunk—paid 10 Downing Street a visit, gave them a solid beating, and took the chair back. For this chair, worth less than ten dollars, we went around the world. Why, do you think?”

Yu Chengmin felt his scalp tingle even more. He murmured, “For glory and credibility.”

“Correct.” Elsa nodded once more. “So, after you teamed up with Huo the Fourth, you dared come here and try to fool me—you lost my ‘two-hundred-million-dollar chair’ just like that. I gave 10 Downing Street a thrashing over a chair, and you lost my ‘two-hundred-million-dollar chair’. Do you think I’ll let you off lightly?”

Yu Chengmin’s face drained of all color. Now he vaguely understood why Jiang Yaowen hadn’t shown up, and also why the so-called “big shot” behind him was keeping his distance.

Just then, the door was kicked open.

Everyone stared in shock, mouths agape. This was surreal—no one dared crash Elsa’s domain like this.

Elsa’s face darkened as she turned to see who it was, then frowned deeply: What is that damned troublemaker woman doing here?

Indeed, the stunning Zhang Ye had arrived.

Zhang Ye always walked with a brisk, graceful stride. She marched straight in, snatched the wineglass from the coffee table, and splashed its contents in Elsa’s face. Pointing at Elsa’s delicate nose, she snapped, “F*** you!”

Elsa had never experienced anything like this; tens of thousands of curses flashed through her mind. She sprang to her feet. “Are you out of your mind?”

“I warned you not to meddle here, not to get involved. It affects my mood,” Zhang Ye replied icily. “Did you think I was joking?”

“I’m the one who should say f*** you! You’re just an outsider—don’t think you’re him!” Elsa retorted, raising her own cup of tea and splashing it right in Zhang Ye’s face.

“Ah—!”

Elsa was immediately floored by a punch from Zhang Ye, landing comically on her back with her legs in the air, her skirt flipped up, and even her underwear exposed.

“Hey, calm down, calm down!” Huo the Fourth was truly panicking now. He rushed over and dragged Zhang Ye away.

Elsa tried to retaliate, but her entourage quickly swarmed in, pulling the bouncing Elsa back as well.

No one wanted to see these two titans come to blows. It would be disastrous.

Huo the Fourth was dizzy with anxiety. He had hoped for Zhang Ye to save the day, but not like this—beating up Elsa without warning could bring real trouble. If he didn’t intervene, Elsa might let it go out of face, but if she was truly enraged, he, Huo the Fourth, would be the one to pay for it later.

Elsa’s people didn’t dare make a move either. Whether Zhang Ye was truly an outsider was debatable, but her presence here meant Huo the Fourth might not be bluffing—perhaps “he” really had burned the money.

Just as Elsa valued honor and credibility, the Grand Demon King, though indifferent to Zhang Ye, still saw her as an extension of his own reputation to some extent. Offending Zhang Ye too deeply would cause an earthquake.

Fortunately, once separated, Elsa, being shrewd, didn’t pursue the matter further. In fact, she was quick-witted enough to realize what her own people thought: whether or not the Grand Demon King was involved, since Zhang Ye had intervened, striking her now would be tantamount to striking the Grand Demon King himself.

Elsa sat back down, face still stormy, but this time she did not return to the chair she had occupied before.

Zhang Ye, now calmer, folded her arms and hesitated a moment before giving Huo the Fourth a sharp kick. “Go talk to her. What are you standing there for?”

But Huo the Fourth hesitated, uncertain and anxious.