Chapter 149: We Won't Be Younger Than We Are Today!

Chapter 149: We Won't Be Younger Than We Are Today!

The arrival of Old Liu was not unexpected to Su Ping,

even though he hadn't informed the other party. However, knowing Old Liu's personality, it wasn't surprising that he would come to show support.

What was surprising, however, was that Su Ping's partner turned out to be Dong Muchun.

"Old Liu, you should've told me you were coming. I would've come down to greet you!" Su Ping said with a smile.

Old Liu waved his hand and looked at Dong Muchun with great interest. "I didn't expect that the production of Wolf Heart would involve Miss Dong. I wonder if this is a collaboration between the Dong Family and Tianyun Group, or..."

Liu Fuhai didn't even respond to Su Ping's greeting and directly asked Dong Muchun this question.

The latter clearly understood what Old Liu meant and quickly replied, "Old Liu, this is a personal collaboration between me and Su Ping. It has nothing to do with the Dong Family or Tianyun."

Lin Lei, who had accompanied Liu Fuhai, laughed and said, "I can vouch for Miss Dong on this matter..."

Old Liu looked at Lin Lei in surprise and then nodded without saying anything more.

Dong Muchun also understood the situation and quickly said, "Old Liu, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to start. I'll go check on the preparations downstairs and take my leave for now."

After Dong Muchun left, Liu Fuhai finally turned to Su Ping.

"Xiao Ping, as your mentor, I'll be blunt and advise you to keep some distance from the Dong Family, especially the Dong Family's internal affairs. It might not be an issue with Dong Muchun herself, but if it involves the Dong Family, it's best to avoid getting too involved!"

Su Ping was taken aback and then nodded.

"The higher-ups are putting a lot of pressure on these ancient Beastmaster families. You have a bright future ahead of you, and there's no need to get entangled in the muddy waters of factional struggles!" Liu Fuhai said with a meaningful smile.

Without waiting for Su Ping's response, he immediately changed the subject. "I heard from Sun Zhaoju that you inquired about Mu Yu's matter because the Origami Person's progress wasn't going well?"

Upon hearing this, Su Ping was slightly startled.

Damn, Sun Zhaoju is such a blabbermouth; he can't keep anything to himself!

Su Ping nodded and then shook his head. "It's not that bad. I was just curious before. As for the Origami Person, there's been some progress!"

"Oh?"

Compared to Sun Zhaoju, Vice President Liu was more impressed by Su Ping's talent.

He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Su Ping, I heard from Qin Erlong that your second pet beast is the Origami Person, right?"

"Yes, a mutated Origami Person."

"You've got guts! Mu Yu's troubles with the Origami Person led him to make some mistakes, which allowed others to take advantage. Of course, his willpower was also not firm, and he idolized that Necromancer from Eagle Country."

Old Liu sighed.

But after a pause, he continued, "Mutated pet beasts are difficult to restrain with established evolution patterns. For all Necromancer Beastmasters, the Origami Person is a taboo. However, if your Origami Person is mutated, there might still be a chance for it to complete its evolution."

Undoubtedly, Old Liu had a lot of authority on this matter.

Su Ping immediately became interested. "How so?"

Currently, both of his pet beasts were mutated: the Wood-Poison dual-type Forest Wolf and the Golden Undead Origami Person.

It could be said that compared to regular pet beasts, his mutated ones had somewhat restricted his Beastmaster path.

Now, hearing Vice President Liu talk about the cultivation and evolution of mutated pet beasts, Su Ping became more attentive.

"Mutated pet beasts are extremely rare and are formed under specific conditions. Their mutated characteristics, traits, and attributes are different from others.

Having an extra mutation means having a higher rarity, and their characteristics, traits, and attributes are different from regular ones.

Vice President Liu continued, "In theory, pet beasts' evolved forms have infinite possibilities. This is a rule in the Beastmaster world.

The essence of evolution is the breaking of shackles after a pet beast's corresponding abilities reach a peak. So, if you want to attempt evolution in this direction, you can start with the Gold type or the so-called Sword type.

Gold-type skills, resource cultivation, and Sword-type skills are all viable directions.

Vice President Liu patiently explained, even though he wasn't a specialist in Undead cultivation. Still, he had been a high-level cultivator for many years.

In many ways, pet beast cultivation was a skill that opened doors to many others.

Su Ping had not chosen other wolf pets as his second contract beast, which he felt was a bit of a pity. However, he would continue to assist Su Ping tirelessly in this regard.

In a short time, Su Ping's understanding of mutated pet beasts underwent a tremendous change.

Mutated pet beasts were often more valuable than regular ones, even surpassing race potential assessments.

As Old Liu put it, it was a matter of 'high risk and high reward'! Indeed, every mutated pet beast carried both high risk and the potential for great rewards.

Moreover, the evolved forms of mutated pet beasts were often much stronger than regular ones.

This was why Su An Yong had chosen a mutated Poison-type as Su Ping's first pet beast.

Then, he had entrusted Rong Qiu and that Rong Family to help with Xiao Qing's evolution and cultivation.

In the world of Beastmasters, mutated evolutions often symbolize the epitome of various wondrous abilities.

Su Ping and Old Liu had an extensive chat, leaving Su Ping so disenchanted with this desolate place that he was eager to rush back home and watch Qian Yi practice his sword skills, and Xiao Qing tend to her garden.

Pet Beast breeding, compared to starting a company, was far more intriguing with its social interactions.

Finally, as Su Ping was greedily absorbing knowledge like a sponge, the door was knocked.

"Su Ping, Teacher, it's time..."

"Alright, if there's time later, we can chat at the Beast Breeder Association..."

Vice President Liu stood up and left with Su Ping.

As expected.

The stage was prepared, and the host was already on stage, delivering a speech.

The seats were filled with row upon row of tightly packed figures.

On the sides and at the back, various media reporters with their cameras and microphones were all focused on the host, but their eyes were fixed on the silhouettes sitting in the front row.

Among them were Li Shu and his son, Li Senlin.

"Look, isn't that Queen Dong? Her aura is so strong!"

Li Shu sighed beside them, but he was self-aware enough to know that even the so-called school flower, Yin Yin, was someone far beyond his reach.

For once, Li Senlin didn't retort his son's whispers. At this moment, sitting in the front row, their mere silhouettes commanded respect.

She wore a crisp beige ladies' suit with a sleek shoulder-length haircut, sitting in the center.

She was undoubtedly the focal point of everyone's attention.

Li Senlin couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy.

Who wouldn't want to be the center of attention, no matter the time or place? Alas, some things were not easily attainable.

But soon, Li Shu whispered again:

"Hey, why is the seat next to Queen Dong still empty?"

As expected, the people around them had noticed it too.

At this moment, all the seats marked with identities were filled, except for the two seats next to Dong Muyun, which remained empty.

"I know, hehe, it's probably reserved for Dong Mutian, but I just saw him leave. I wonder what happened!"

"It doesn't seem likely. Who doesn't know that the two siblings are arch-rivals?"

"After all, they're siblings; they should at least keep up appearances, right?"

Some whispered, clearly discussing the two empty seats.

The host on stage continued reading the script, but it was evident that no one was paying attention to them.

However, not long after, two figures descended from the company building and headed their way.

Initially, these two figures didn't attract much attention.

One of them was too young, looking like a student who hadn't even graduated yet.

Such a figure naturally wouldn't draw the attention of most people; perhaps it was just a staff member.

But at that moment, Dong Muyun, who had been sitting there all along, stood up. Under the spotlight and everyone's gaze, she approached the two figures walking towards them.

"Please take your seats; the ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to begin..."

Were these two seats for this old man and young man?

Everyone was slightly taken aback.

However, Li Shu, who had been chattering non-stop, blinked a few times, only realizing that the two figures had sat down with their backs to him, and he hadn't even reacted.

He looked at his father, who was adjusting the camera, and tugged at his sleeve.

"Dad, I think I saw Su Ping!"

"What? Who?"

Li Senlin turned to look at his son.

"I think I saw Su Ping! He's sitting next to Queen Dong..."

Li Senlin gave his foolish son a suspicious glance. Had he pushed his son too hard, driving him to madness?

He glanced at the silhouette, which indeed seemed to be a young man.

But young people are young; this was too much of a leap!

"This isn't your school reunion; why are you rambling to me?"

"It's true!"

Li Shu suddenly became extremely excited, stretching his neck to try and peer forward. However, the reporters were positioned on both sides, making it impossible to see the front row's faces.

"Alright, the ribbon-cutting ceremony is about to start. After the ceremony, the reporters will ask questions, so you better behave."

Clearly, Li Senlin was right.

After the host finished reading the entire script, he finally spoke:

"To celebrate the establishment of Pingyun Company, we invite the company's General Manager, Miss Dong Muyun, shareholder Su Ping, Beast Breeder Su, and the Beastmaster Association's Vice President Liu Fuhai and Beastmaster Lin Lei to join us for the ribbon-cutting ceremony!"

The original plan was for only Su Ping and Dong Muyun to do the ribbon-cutting.

However, after seeing Vice President Liu and Lin Lei arrive, Dong Muyun had a sudden change of heart.

When she suggested it, neither of them refused.

But as soon as they did, the venue fell silent.

Most of the people present didn't know who Lin Lei was, but coming from the Beastmaster Association, he was likely no ordinary person.

However, while Lin Lei was unknown to Su Ping and Dong Muyun, how could they not know the Beast Breeder Association's President Liu?

Could it be that this man, with his squinted eyes, was the one who truly held the reins of the Beast Breeder Association now?

This was a surprise to some.

And to the few who knew Su Ping's identity, it was even more so.

For example, there were a few bank managers who had a good relationship with Dong Muchun.

It was obvious that they had known for a long time that Dong Muchun had an unusual relationship with the young man who had brought them loans.

But they never expected that the so-called Pingyun Company he established would be with Su Ping.

However, the most special thing, without a doubt, was the father and son duo standing beside them.

"Little Shu, did I hear that wrong?!"

Li Forest's face was filled with disbelief.

"You didn't hear wrong! I'm telling you, there's no way I could mistake him!" Li Shu incredulously looked at the front row of the stage, and sure enough, four figures stood up and walked towards the podium.

The scissors, wrapped in red cloth, were held in the hands of the four individuals.

And among them was Su Ping, with his signature 'Su Ping-style fake smile' that Li Shu could recognize at a glance.

Li Shu's eyes lit up with excitement.

This feeling, similar to 'meeting an old friend in a foreign land', made him feel quite peculiar.

However, compared to his own son, Li Forest could understand what this represented and what had happened.

Li Forest had already seen it back then; this young breeder was not an ordinary person.

But Li Forest never imagined that in such a short time, this extraordinary person would already be on the verge of success.

Li Forest's gaze was somewhat complicated.

Li Shu, however, had already snapped out of his daze. Without a second thought, he directly took out his phone from his pocket.

He took a picture of Su Ping and the others on stage, following the host's instructions!

Then he sent it directly to the long-unseen classmates' group chat.

Su Ping had already left the group chat after graduation, and the classmates in the group had all gone their separate ways, so the chat wasn't very active.

Undoubtedly, Li Shu's photo seemed out of place.

So, he added a sentence:

"Brother Ping looks so handsome!"

"Is that Su Ping? Is he cutting the ribbon? Did their breeding base open a new branch?"

These words were spoken by none other than Yin Yin, the so-called school flower who Li Shu had always been interested in.

If it were any other time, Li Shu would have responded.

But at this moment, looking at his phone, he frowned slightly.

They opened a new branch? Why would they think that? Don't they know who those people on stage are?

If it's just a new branch, how could it create such a big stir?

For a moment, Li Shu didn't know what to say.

His message, undoubtedly, caught the attention of some of his classmates.

They had all witnessed Su Ping's abilities before.

At this moment, most of them were praising him, even Zhou Shuchen, who sent a message: "Su Ping is indeed amazing. Perhaps in the future, he will be the pride of our Class 2, Grade 6. We should learn from Su Ping!" followed by three thumbs-up emojis.

This attitude was vastly different from a few months ago.

Clearly, a few months was enough time for the class president to understand the reality of the situation.

In the world of beastmasters, the rules were completely different from those of school.

They had all felt the harsh reality.

But perhaps it was precisely because of this that Li Shu didn't know what to say.

Should he help Su Ping show off in the group chat to these former classmates? Should he tell them that the elderly man standing by Su Ping's side with a warm smile was the vice-president of the Jianghai Beast Breeder Association, and the woman next to him was the famous Queen Dong of Jianghai?

Should he tell them that Su Ping had started a company with one of their classmates, and even cooperated with Dong Muchun, the vice-president of the Beast Breeder Association? But even if he told them, would they understand the significance of Dong Muchun's identity?

Perhaps, in the end, the result would be the same.

For most of them, the Su Ping from back then and the Su Ping of now were essentially the same—they were both incredibly impressive.

So, after discovering this shocking secret, Li Shu's initial excitement to share it with others calmed down, and he didn't know what to say in the group chat.

He seemed to somewhat understand some of Su Ping's feelings.

Sometimes, some things were just not that exciting.

At this moment, Li Shu suddenly understood a lot.

He somewhat understood why Su Ping had left the so-called classmate group chat long ago.

He also understood why, after returning from Wood Heart, their communication had become less frequent], and compared to the occasional casual chats before, their last conversation was already over a month ago.

And even a month ago, they had only exchanged a few meaningless words.

Originally, Li Shu knew that he should be like the other classmates in the group, searching for their own path in the midst of confusion, ultimately leading to an ordinary life.

But at this moment, things seemed a little different.

Because of his father's unique profession, he seemed to have caught a glimpse of a completely different world.

"The establishment of Pingyun Company is mainly attributed to Breeder Su, and I consider myself as working for him..."

"Please don't listen to Miss Dong's nonsense. Regardless, you all came here because of me..."

Li Shu watched Su Ping on the stage, then looked at the interactions between Su Ping and the people around him, and below, some polite laughter followed. Li Shu's expression became somewhat dazed.

Until Li Forest, standing next to him, spoke to the photographer:

"Get ready, the media reporters will be asking questions soon."

Li Forest held up a press pass and said to the person next to him.

The questions from these media outlets were more or less the same.

What does Pingyun Company produce?

How effective are the products?

What is the company's production capacity and future plans?

That's what the media does, and that's how they make their money.

If you had the money, you could start a pig farm to raise Pig Beasts, and you would still be asked questions like, 'What kind of evolution will make the meat more tender and juicy?'

Essentially, it’s just a channel for promotion.

However, at this moment, Li Shu suddenly said:

"Dad, can I go up and interview with you?"

Li Senlin gave his eldest son a suspicious look.

After sending the message, the kid had been in a daze, lost in thought.

But Li Senlin knew what his son was thinking.

He pursed his lips and then gritted his teeth.

"Alright, but you need to know what kind of occasion this is. If you want to reminisce with the person up there, pick the right moment!"

Li Shu, of course, knew that his father was risking his career to help him fulfill his wish. If anything went wrong, even the editor-in-chief wouldn’t be able to help.

For instance, if this brat were to ask Dong Muchun about Dong Mutian and got kicked out, that would be the least of it.

"The ribbon-cutting ceremony is complete. Journalists, you may now come up to the stage for interviews."

Instantly, the local media from Jianghai Province moved forward and took their places.

Following the order.

"Miss Dong, what made you choose to collaborate with Su Breeder as a personal investor to establish Pingyun Company?"

Dong Muchun smiled and took the microphone.

"Of course, it’s because we have absolute confidence in our product. It’s a groundbreaking product called 'Wolf Heart'..."

As Dong Muchun introduced it, gasps of surprise echoed from the audience.

This time, it wasn’t an act; it was genuine.

If the Wolf Heart really had such remarkable effects, then its future was indeed bright.

When they heard that orders had already been placed by the military, various breeding bases, and even the association, they looked at each other in astonishment.

Next came the second question:

"Miss Dong, the Wolf Heart is truly amazing. What is its price?"

"Hehe, this is indeed a question everyone is concerned about. Before launching, we conducted thorough market research..."

One by one, the journalists, who had been prepared, took turns to ask their questions. Finally, it was Li Senlin’s turn.

"Miss Dong, Pingyun Company has currently launched only this product. What is the future positioning of Pingyun Company...?"

"About that..."

Su Ping had not been paying much attention to the interviews. He was still chatting intermittently with Liu Fuhai.

However, upon hearing this voice, he turned his head in surprise and immediately saw Li Senlin, who, while asking Dong Muchun questions, kept glancing at him involuntarily.

He and Li Senlin had only met once before.

So, he took a while to recall who this person was.

Meeting his surprised gaze, Li Senlin smiled at everyone and walked off the stage.

What Su Ping did not expect was that Li Shu actually walked up.

Even Dong Muchun was slightly taken aback, seemingly not expecting such a young journalist to be arranged.

The host was also surprised.

Li Shu, however, paid no heed to the surprised gazes, his fingers turning slightly white from gripping the microphone.

"I would like to ask Su Breeder..."

Unfortunately, before he could finish, the host interrupted him directly:

"Excuse me, sir, Su Breeder is not accepting interviews. If you have any questions, you can ask me or ManagerD Dong Manager."

Su Ping, however,, laughed, Seeing Li Shu and gestured with his hand:

"No problem, let him speak."

Dong Muchun gave him a surprised look, and Li Shu smiled, took a deep breath, and asked a question that, while quite common, relieved most of the audience:

"Su Breeder, you are so young and have achieved so much. Do you have any advice or words to share with your peers or former classmates?"

Su Ping was slightly taken aback. He had even prepared for this guy to come up with something unreliable or a bizarre question.

But to his surprise, when he thought the other was unreliable, the other suddenly became reliable?

Perhaps this was a form of unreliability?

The microphone was handed to him, and Su Ping became a bit more serious this time. After some thought, he said:

"I don’t think I’m qualified to answer this question. In my opinion, I’ve just been lucky and not in a position to give advice to my peers.

However, if I were to share some experience, it would be this: just work hard.

If you want to become a certain kind of person, work hard towards that goal.

Of course, I’m not giving motivational speeches, nor am I suggesting that one must achieve success specifically as a Beastmaster or Breeder. It’s about asking yourself what kind of person you want to be or what you want to do.

If you want to do something, just do it. Because no matter what day in the future, it won’t be more suitable than today. We won’t be any younger than we are today."

The autumn sunlight filtered through the yellowing leaves, casting a warm glow on his face.

Su Ping’s smile was gentle.

Li Shu seemed lost in thought,

and the audience, whether genuinely or not, clapped their hands.

Only Liu Fuhai sighed, mumbling something about buying osmanthus flowers...

But halfway through his sigh, he scratched his head, unable to recall the second half of the phrase, and could only shake his head helplessly.

However, in his peripheral vision, he saw Dong Muchun, who had lost her composure, her chin resting on her hand, her eyes shining as she stared at Su Ping.

Liu Fuhai smoothed out his forehead lines.

At that moment, he suddenly felt that Qin Erlong’s previous concerns were not unfounded.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end