After thinking for a long time, Shen Mingshan finally made up his mind.
He looked at Zhou Bo and ordered directly, "Book the next flight. We're going back immediately."
Zhou Bo was slightly startled, but he quickly lowered his head.
"Yes, Old Master."
Shen Mingshan did not say anything more.
His face remained calm, but inside, he was already preparing himself.
This time, no matter what, he had to make that little drunkard agree.
Otherwise, with her temper, who knew how many more chances she would ruin for Mingxiao in the future?
So the very next morning, Shen Mingshan returned to Mingxiao Hall.
Outside, Shen Yueran and many of Mingxiao Hall's members were already waiting to welcome him back.
The black car stopped slowly.
When Shen Mingshan stepped out, everyone greeted him respectfully.
"Old Master."
"Welcome back, Old Master."
Shen Yueran was the first to step forward.
She naturally hooked her arm around his and looked up at him with a bright smile.
"Grandfather, how was the vacation?"
Then she blinked and asked curiously, "Why did you come back so quickly?"
Her tone was warm and sweet, as if she were the most obedient granddaughter in the world.
But Shen Mingshan did not answer her.
He only glanced at her once, kept a cold expression on his face, and walked straight inside.
Shen Yueran froze for a moment.
The smile on her face stiffened slightly.
She immediately sensed that something was wrong.
Still, she did not ask outside. She simply followed him inside.
The members behind them quietly exchanged glances, but none of them dared say anything.
Inside the office, Shen Mingshan went straight to the main seat and sat down.
There was a deep frown on his face.
But inside, he was already arranging his words carefully, preparing a long speech for his troublesome granddaughter.
He had to be firm.
He had to be clear.
And most importantly, he had to make her accept this matter.
A moment later, Shen Yueran entered the office.
The moment she stepped inside, Shen Mingshan lifted his eyes and looked at her seriously.
"I've already arranged a meeting with Huo Corporation regarding the business deal," he said directly.
Shen Yueran's expression changed slightly.
But before she could speak, Shen Mingshan continued.
"One of their conditions is that you personally lead the team."
"And you must personally act as the bodyguard and take responsibility for the safety of the CEO of Huo Corporation."
The room instantly fell silent.
The moment she heard those words, the expression on Shen Yueran's face turned cold.
Her eyes narrowed.
The sweetness and laziness from earlier disappeared almost at once.
But even so, she did not immediately object to her grandfather.
She only stood there quietly, her face cold, listening.
Seeing her like this, Shen Mingshan sighed inwardly.
Then he spoke again.
"Girl, I know you always love acting free. You don't like working under another person."
His tone was no longer as harsh as before.
"But you have to consider the situation of our subordinates."
Shen Yueran remained silent.
Shen Mingshan continued, "When we decided to leave the underworld, everyone followed us without asking a single question."
His gaze became heavier.
"No one left. No one betrayed us. All of them stayed."
At those words, Shen Yueran's eyes moved slightly.
She knew this very well.
Back then, when Mingxiao withdrew from the old business and began walking on a legal road, not a single one of their people had abandoned them.
That was why Shen Mingshan continued carrying the burden until today.
But Shen Mingshan was not finished.
"Now many of them are jobless," he said. "And our company still cannot properly support everyone."
His expression turned uglier the more he spoke.
"They are barely surviving."
"If this deal with Huo Corporation succeeds, it will be a huge boon to our people and to the company."
As he spoke, Shen Mingshan kept watching her face, not missing even the slightest change in her expression.
Because he knew her too well.
She would never openly show disrespect or dissatisfaction in front of him.
But on the other side?
That would be completely different.
Too many times in the past, she had looked obedient in front of him, then turned around and caused a huge disaster outside.
That was exactly why he had never liked forcing her too hard in these matters.
Because if he pushed too hard, no one would gain anything.
In the end, only one thing would remain—
the giant trouble she left behind, which he would once again have to clean up himself.
So this time, Shen Mingshan deliberately chose his words carefully.
He wanted her to accept it willingly.
After a while, Shen Yueran finally opened her mouth.
"Okay, Grandfather."
Her voice was calm.
"I will obey your orders."
But even though she said that, the coldness on her face did not lessen at all.
Shen Mingshan saw it clearly.
This girl had agreed on the surface, but inside, she was still completely unwilling.
He frowned slightly.
Then, after thinking for a moment, he finally spoke again.
"Alright," he said. "I won't let you suffer a loss."
That made Shen Yueran lift her eyes.
Shen Mingshan slowly continued, "If you do this job properly and don't cause any trouble on the other side, then I have already spoken with Old Man Li."
The moment she heard the name Old Man Li, Shen Yueran's expression changed.
"With great effort, I convinced him to sell the whiskey factory to you."
Shen Yueran's eyes widened slightly.
Shen Mingshan watched her calmly and delivered the next blow.
"And you can become the twenty-seventh successor of that thousand-year 711 legacy."
For the first time since entering the office, real shock appeared on Shen Yueran's face.
Her cold expression cracked completely.
Shen Mingshan continued in an even slower voice, as if making sure every word entered her ears clearly.
"He will personally teach you all his methods."
Then he added the sentence that truly struck her heart.
"And there, you will be able to drink the original version of 711 whiskey—not the diluted and secondary version being sold in the market."
The moment those words fell, the coldness on Shen Yueran's face slowly melted away.
In its place, a beautiful smile gradually bloomed.
She slowly walked toward Shen Mingshan.
Then, without warning, she bent down and kissed him lightly on the cheek.
"Love you, Grandpa," she said sweetly.
Her voice was full of happiness.
Shen Mingshan snorted, but inside, he finally relaxed.
As expected.
Bribing her with benefits really was the best method.
On Shen Yueran's side, however, an indescribable happiness was already rising in her heart.
This was her dream.
That old man Li had always been like an immovable mountain.
No matter who came.
No matter how much money they offered.
That whiskey factory had always been unsellable.
He had said it countless times—he would only pass it down to his future successor.
And that successor would be carefully chosen by him.
Even though he had known Shen Yueran since childhood, and even though she had begged him many times, the answer he gave her every time was still only one word.
No.
He was Shen Mingshan's close friend.
Because of that, Shen Yueran had visited that place many times when she was young.
she had heard the stories about the thousand-year 711 legacy.
she had seen how firmly Old Man Li protected that inheritance.
And without realizing it, that story had become an obsession in her heart.
It was also one of the reasons drinking slowly became her habit.
And it was also why, when she got drunk, she would sometimes become far more excited than usual.
That original 711 whiskey…
That real legacy…
That succession…
All of it had once felt impossible.
Yet now, her grandfather had actually obtained a chance for her.
The more she thought about it, the happier she became.
As for the deal with Huo Corporation?
In her heart, that had already become a very simple matter.
She could handle it.
So at this moment, all the unwillingness she had felt earlier toward Huo Corporation had been pushed aside temporarily by the overwhelming joy in her chest.
And Shen Mingshan, watching the clear excitement on her face, finally let out a silent breath of relief.