Chapter 213

C213 – I Didn’t Cause Any Trouble

“Pleasure to meet you, boss,” Zhang Chun responded to the greetings of those in his shop while scanning the surroundings.

He finally comprehended the allure of money. Money was truly a powerful asset. In Zhang Chun’s previous life, he had been entangled with gangsters. Now, he not only craved status but also needed money. He had transitioned from despair to prosperity. How could he remain unmoved?

Periodically, he visited his own business to examine its operations and scrutinize the finances. He monitored the dedication of his employees closely. Those who excelled received bonuses, while those who dared to engage in dishonest practices faced severe consequences.

Consequently, the arrival of this boss elicited mixed feelings of affection and apprehension from the employees, but overall, they displayed a positive attitude.

Little Luoyuan followed behind Zhang Chun, his small stature hidden by Zhang Chun’s presence, causing him to go unnoticed.

Seizing the opportunity, he sneaked into the rows of shelves and gathered a variety of items.

“Isn’t this a toy car made by my father?” Little Luoyuan held a red sports car toy, his brow furrowing in thought.

Tang Yue was undoubtedly the most significant figure in the world. He wouldn’t allow anyone to touch anything that belonged to Tang Yue.

The servants in the Crown Prince’s Palace were well aware of the young master’s peculiar habit. He cherished whatever the Crown Princess bestowed upon him, never permitting his servants to touch those items. However, if something was gifted by someone else, it might disappear within a couple of days after some play.

Little Luoyuan selected a piece of fabric from the shelf and used it to bundle up a row of toy cars. He tied it securely and dragged the bundle out of the area.

The commotion naturally drew the attention of others. Two young men rushed over to investigate, their eyes widening in disbelief. Where had this young troublemaker come from? He not only disorganized the shelves but also dared to pilfer items!

Under normal circumstances, such an incident might be manageable. But today, the boss was present. Witnessing this scene, wouldn’t they all lose their jobs?

Most of the employees in Zhang Chun’s shop were civilian hires. He didn’t consider using any of the idling individuals from the Crown Prince’s Palace, seemingly adhering more to a modern employment system.

“If you work for me, I’ll compensate you. We don’t owe each other anything,” was Zhang Chun’s approach.

The two young men cast a glance at Zhang Chun. Observing that he had retreated to the back room and remained oblivious to the situation, they hastened to escort the intruder out. As for the disarrayed shelves, they never expected a child to assist in tidying up.

“Young master, this isn’t a place for play, and you can’t take things indiscriminately. Otherwise, they might send you to the authorities for food!” One of the youths tried to reason with him.

Little Luoyuan was already five years old and had acquired a good deal of knowledge. His father had informed him that he was Wang Sun’s son and must behave properly when outside, lest he tarnish his father’s reputation.

However, Uncle Chun had asserted that he was the Crown Prince’s eldest son, and outside the palace, he could do as he pleased without worrying about offending anyone.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

After considering both aspects, Little Luoyuan arrived at two conclusions. Firstly, his social status was quite high, as nobody dared to harm him outside the palace. Secondly, he couldn’t engage in major misdeeds; otherwise, the consequences when his father found out would be severe. However, he felt free to indulge in minor mischief.

“This is my father’s car. I want to take it back!” Little Luoyuan didn’t want anything that belonged to his father to be left here for others to choose.

He had kept his own toy car for several years. Even if the wheels were broken, he couldn’t bring himself to discard it.

“Young Master, these items belong to our trading company, meant for sale. If you wish to take them back, you’ll need to pay for them.”

“How much?”

When the two young men heard his inquiry, their eyes gleamed with anticipation. The young master before them wore fine attire and had an air of distinction, clearly not an ordinary person.

Securing this deal could earn them the boss’s favor.

“It’s not too expensive. Each toy car is priced at five gold coins. You’ve taken all 52 of them, so it totals to two hundred and sixty gold coins.”

If others were to hear this, they might scoff at the price. Wasn’t it too much for a toy car? For many families, this was several years’ worth of income.

Except for nobles, regular families couldn’t afford such expensive toys.

Even in aristocratic households, such a sum was considerable. It could buy a house or several hundred acres of fertile land for two hundred gold coins.

“I don’t have any money!” Little Luoyuan was eager to leave and hadn’t brought any money with him. Even if he had, he wouldn’t have had that much. His father, Tang Yue, was strict with his allowance, which only covered snacks and small purchases.

The two men’s smiles froze, and their lips twitched. “If you don’t have money, you can’t take these items with you.”

If it weren’t for the fact that this young master was dressed so lavishly, they wouldn’t have been as courteous. They might have thrown him out.

Little Luoyuan furrowed his brow, displaying his frustration. “These things belong to my family. Why can’t I take them?”

The two young men chuckled once more, but this time it was a derisive grin. “Young master, let’s not joke around. These toys belong to our trading company. How could they be yours? If you want to possess them, you’ll have to pay with real gold and silver.”

It wasn’t that they were unfamiliar with haughty young masters. These young masters had grown up spoiled and accustomed to arrogance. When they saw something they liked, they simply seized it without any qualms.

However, Little Luoyuan wasn’t acting arrogantly; he was simply quite possessive about certain things.

“Enough of this chatter with a young child. Let’s hurry and escort him away. The boss will appear soon.”

They exchanged glances and moved to Little Luoyuan’s sides. Each of them grabbed one of his arms and lifted him up.

Nevertheless, even in this situation, Little Luoyuan clung tightly to the bundle in his hand. He didn’t release his grip despite the pain in his fingers.

However, he was just a small boy, and his strength was no match for the two youths. They easily wrested the bundle from him and then tossed him aside.

Observing their young master thrown onto the ground, the concealed guards in the shadows frowned. They were pondering whether they should intervene and help him. The young master appeared pitiable.

“How dare you!” Little Luoyuan dusted himself off, placed his hands on his hips, and shouted indignantly, “Do you even know who I am?”

The two young men couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing the clichéd threats of a spoiled son. Since the establishment of their Pure Kindness Trading Company, they had encountered this type of intimidation countless times.

Young masters who couldn’t afford their purchases, young masters who refused to pay for what they bought, and young masters who were compelled by others to acquire the things they desired—all of them were not uncommon.

However, regardless of who made a scene in their trading company, the ultimate outcome was unlikely to be favorable.

This trading company had ties to the Crown Princess. Who was the Crown Princess? She was the Crown Prince’s beloved child and a renowned miracle-working physician who both saved and healed people. Which family in Ye City would dare to disrespect her?

Even if the Crown Prince didn’t seek revenge, one should contemplate whether they’d ever receive treatment from the Crown Princess in the future.

Offending a divine healer was more severe than offending any influential person.

“Haha, young master, refrain from voicing such words at the door. If you’re capable, summon the most influential person from your family. Let’s see if they dare to stir up trouble in our trading company!”

Little Luoyuan felt a mix of embarrassment and anger. His small face turned crimson. “This young master didn’t create any trouble! I merely reclaimed what rightfully belongs to my family.”

Passersby were drawn to the commotion, and a crowd started to gather, with many onlookers pointing and discussing the scene.

Some individuals couldn’t stand by any longer and called out, admonishing, “Hey, don’t go too far. Why are you bullying a child?”

“Are we bullying him? He was attempting to take something from our shop. He denied it when we caught him.”

“I didn’t steal it. I took it!” Little Luoyuan protested. He would never steal anything; his father had taught him that stealing was wrong.

“If you don’t ask, it can be seen as stealing. Young master, you should go home and study, learn how to read and write.”

When the crowd heard that the child was accused of stealing, their sympathy waned. “You really can’t judge a book by its cover. This young master looks so noble and proud; why would he steal something?”

“Didn’t you hear what he said? He took it, didn’t steal it! Haha… He must be used to taking things from his own home.”

“He’s still quite young. It’s understandable that he doesn’t know how to use money to buy things. But whose child is he that he can’t even take other people’s belongings?”

Little Luoyuan looked down with a sense of sorrow as he listened to the whispers around him. At that moment, he realized he had made a mistake. Even though he knew those toys belonged to his younger father, he shouldn’t have taken them without asking. He should have told his father and let his father decide.

Hmph, he was well aware of his father’s possessiveness. His father was even more possessive than anyone else. Even a single strand of his younger father’s hair couldn’t drift outside.

Zhang Chun, who had been engrossed in reading an account book, also heard the commotion outside. He didn’t pay it much mind, thinking that his shop was doing well.

When he finished perusing the nearest ledger and stepped out of the room, he only then noticed something was amiss upon seeing the large crowd gathered at the entrance.

“Oh no! Where is Luoyuan?” Zhang Chun smacked his forehead, finally recalling that he had brought his son along when he went out today.