671: Chapter 660 671: Chapter 660 When Qingluan returned to Song Yun’s room, she had a drawing board in her hand.
Song Yun looked at Qingluan in astonishment and said, “Qingluan, you’re not really going to draw me, are you?”
“Of course.” Qingluan nodded with a smile and said, “It’s not like we have anything else to do.”
“But… if you want something to do, there are things we could do.” Song Yun said, somewhat shyly.
“Like what?”
“Like talking about life, discussing dreams, or studying mechanics and piston motion.
There are still many things we could do in this room!” Song Yun said.
“Hehe, I think you’re asking for trouble,” Qingluan squinted her eyes coldly at Song Yun, set up the drawing board on her own, and then sat down in front of it with several pencils.
“Should I put on some makeup first?” Song Yun asked.
“No need, I’m doing a sketch,” Qingloam said as she began to draw on the board.
Song Yun was momentarily unsure of what to do.
“Brother, I’m off to class now!” Song Yuxue pushed the door open and came in.
Seeing Song Yun sitting on the bed looking conflicted, and Qingluan sitting in front of the drawing board, she said, somewhat surprised, “Brother, what are you two up to?”
“Sister Qingluan said she wanted to draw me,” Song Yun said shyly.
“Oh, that’s so romantic!” Song Yuxue gazed at Song Yun enviously.
“Isn’t this just like the scene from Titanic?
Jack drew Rose too!”
“But their drawing involved nudity, how can I compare to that?” Song Yun asked.
“But essentially, it’s the same!” Song Yuxue said, holding back her laughter.
“These days, didn’t someone say it?
‘Be like Chen Guanxi, bring a camera indoors.’ But Brother, you’re more retro, going straight to sketching, hehe.”
“Oh, Yuxue, I’m finding you bolder by the day,” Song Yun looked at a smug Song Yuxue and said, “Looks like our parents not being here has turned you into a little devil.
Don’t believe I won’t report you when they get back.”
“Oh, maybe that’s not necessary.
Brother, you and Sister Qingluan just enjoy your romantic moment, I need to get to class!” Song Yuxue laughingly left Song Yun’s room, leaving Song Yun to sit helplessly on the bed, leaning against the wall.
“What kind of agreement did you reach with White Tiger yesterday?” Qingluan suddenly asked.
“Nothing much, just that he wants to transport goods through me into Pudong.
He originally planned to offer me something in exchange, but I didn’t take his offer.
I let him move his goods through my area for free,” Song Yun said.
“Well done,” Qingluan said with a smile.
“Trading a shipping route for favors from a kingpin in the southern circles—an advantageous deal indeed.”
“Of course,” Song Yun said proudly.
“To be honest, I’m not short of money now; the earnings from my industries could be likened to a fortune daily.
Why would I need his trivial items?
Better establish his indebtedness to me, then when the time comes, I might even wave the big banner of White Tiger to scare off others.
Wouldn’t that be great?”
“However, White Tiger is no simple character either,” Qingluan said.
“You must not underestimate him when dealing with him.”
“A joke, who would I underestimate if not him!” Song Yun said earnestly.
“Surviving an explosion under the watch of the National Security Bureau and fleeing abroad is no mean feat.
Flourishing overseas and even securing a vast territory is practically godlike.
I truly admire White Tiger.”
“Yeah, now some people in our Song family branches are getting restless.
Old Xi hopes you can secure your ground here in the south, it’d be best if you could expand your influence.
If you can extend your power wide enough, you’ll balance against certain people so those in the Song family who bully others won’t be as arrogant as they are now.”
“I’ll try,” Song Yun sighed.
“My territory is still small.
After all, we’re not in ancient times where one could easily dominate north and south.
Nowadays, it’s more about resources and backing, and the authorities won’t just watch me expand.”
“My pressure comes from many angles.
Here in the south, White Tiger surely won’t let me grow strong enough to threaten him.
Though we cooperate well now and he owes me a favor, he’ll definitely not be merciful when I’m truly a threat.”
“In the north, I heard there’s a person from the Song family playing in this circle too, and playing big.
I believe many Song family members side with him.
If he hasn’t heard of me, that would be too dubious, and he’ll surely have his counteractions.”
“And then there’s the families of Zhao, Li, Tang, and Zhou—they all put pressure on me.
After all, it was their joint effort that ousted my father from Shen Zhou.
If I grow big and strong, they will be my first enemies, and none can ignore my rise, indifferent though they may like to seem.
It’s quite sad to think that I might have offended just about every influential person in the interior!”
“But you also have an advantage,” Qingluan said.
“Your edge lies in facing yourself more honestly than anyone else.”
“That’s always been the case; I’ve always seen myself as just an ordinary person, at most lucky and diligent to have achieved what I have.
But all these things are ephemeral—people’s only needs in sleep are a bed, and in death, a few square meters of space.
If I take myself too seriously, then I’m really nothing.”
“You have another huge advantage!” Qingluan said earnestly.
“Many support you, like Old Xi, your sect, and your aunts and uncles.
Just the support from Old Xi alone is enough to intimidate most, as long as you’re alive, no one would dare to openly confront you or challenge Old Xi’s bottom line.
The consequences of Old Xi’s wrath are not something anyone here can fully withstand!”
“That’s true,” Song Yun laughed smugly.
“Our main Song family line has always produced remarkable figures, so it’s only natural to be a bit aggressive.”
“Including you?” Qingluan asked with a smile.
“Of course, ‘Count the men of charm; look at the present!'” Song Yun stretched lazily, then said to Qingluan, “So, Qingluan, are you done?
My back is starting to ache.”
“Done,” Qingluan nodded, took the paper off the board, and handed it to Song Yun.
Song Yun looked at it and exclaimed in surprise, “What is this thing?
Why does it look so much like a turtle?”
“It’s Xuanwu,” Qingluan couldn’t help but cover her mouth and laugh.
“I was going for abstract art.”
“Qingluan, you’ve gone naughty too!” Song Yun gave Qingluan a look full of complaints.