Tyler Kwan flipped through the contract, his expression darkening by the second. Heh, the little girl had some nerve. She was bossing them around like contract workers!
"Miss Iris, you're the one footing the bill, so we'll do as you say," Tyler said evenly, signing the document. If it weren't out of respect for Master Dalton, he would have exploded on the spot. Whatever. They were grown men; there was no point in bickering with a little girl.
RUMBLE—
At that moment, the sound of rolling tires echoed from outside the main gate. A sedan pulled in slowly, followed by two large trucks packed with cargo. The truck beds were loaded with heavy steel frames, causing the large vehicles to sway unsteadily as they rolled in.
Tyler craned his neck for a look. Those steel frames were materials used for building greenhouses.
"Miss Iris, are these your people?" Tyler frowned, slightly surprised.
They had only just signed the contract, and the members of the Mercenary Group hadn't even all arrived yet, but the greenhouse materials were already delivered to the site. Just how impatient was she?
Tyler shook his head inwardly. Little girls were just too impulsive. Cultivating ancient medicinal herbs required the utmost patience; it was all about having everything perfectly prepared and letting nature take its course. With such a restless and impetuous mindset, what could she possibly manage to grow?!
He couldn't help but feel a bit annoyed. Lighting a cigarette, he puffed on it in silent frustration.
The sedan came to a halt, and two young men stepped out. One of them was unshaven, his dark skin looking rather greasy. He chuckled upon seeing Iris Dalton. "Where did this little girl come from? Morgan Vaughn, is she your sister?"
He noticed a few burly men standing beside the teenage girl. Every one of them wore an unfriendly expression and looked like they were not to be messed with. Yet Sean Carson subconsciously felt that these men weren't the ones calling the shots; the little girl was the key figure.
Morgan Vaughn looked at Iris, his gaze entirely apathetic. His mentor, Professor Nolan, had taken a liking to this plot of land and wanted to build a field experimental zone. Morgan had gone out of his way to call his aunt and beg her to lend them the property. But his aunt had told him that Old Mr. Sherwood had the final say over this land, and it had already been transferred to the Sherwood Family's youngest daughter, Iris Dalton.
Morgan had heard this in passing but hadn't taken it seriously at all. What right did a little girl have to make Old Mr. Sherwood transfer the ancestral property to her? His eldest female cousin, Claire Sherwood, was an outstanding student at Lumin-Umbra University, and even she hadn't received such treatment.
Morgan had also caught wind of some of the events that transpired after Iris returned to the Sherwood Family. Strictly speaking, she was his blood cousin. But he had absolutely no interest in this cousin—in fact, he felt a sense of aversion toward her.
His aunt's family had no shortage of children, and their days were peaceful and stable. He heard that this youngest daughter had come from some remote mountain village. Now eighteen, she was said to be extremely unruly and domineering. The moment she returned to the Sherwood Family, she had to be the best at everything and assert her dominance, angering his second cousin, Serena Sherwood, so much that she nearly ran away from home.
It seemed this little cousin was a complete troublemaker. Now that she was back, the Sherwood Family would never know a day of peace!
"Assistant Teacher Chandler, don't talk nonsense. Not just anyone is fit to be my sister. I don't know her. Let's hurry up and unload the stuff; I still have to go back and report to our mentor." His tone was indifferent as he turned to direct the two truck drivers, completely dismissing Iris's presence.
"Phew!" Tyler blew out a smoke ring and cast a cold glance over. He didn't lose his temper, quickly resuming his composed, unbothered demeanor.
He could tell that these people weren't with Iris, and whatever they were here to do was clearly in conflict with her plans. This was going to be a good show.
Tyler exchanged glances with his subordinates. A hint of amusement flickered in their eyes, and no one said a word. They had no intention of interfering; they were more than happy to stand on the sidelines and watch the drama unfold. They wanted to see just how capable this little girl really was. If she got bullied into tears, it would be the perfect excuse to scrap this whole herb-planting endeavor. Then they wouldn't have to waste their time here and could all just go home!
"When are the workers arriving?" Morgan asked after answering a phone call. He turned his head, only to realize that Iris was still standing in the same spot.
She actually hadn't left.
The afternoon sun slanted across the young girl, stretching her slender and delicate silhouette. Despite her lazy and casual demeanor, she exuded an aloof, fiercely independent aura. She wore a single earphone, the brim of her baseball cap pulled low. Her eyes were slightly downcast, as if she were completely immersed in her own world.
Morgan froze for a second before an inexplicable wave of irritation rose in his chest. He put away his phone and strode forward. "Why haven't you left yet? This is private property, not some playground for you. Hurry up and leave, and don't delay our actual business!"
The girl slowly raised her head. An apathetic, icy glint flashed through her cold eyes, piercing straight to the soul.
Morgan shuddered, involuntarily taking two steps back. What kind of terrifying look was that?! He half-expected an arrow to shoot out from her eyes and pierce right through his chest.
Tyler tossed his finished cigarette butt onto the ground, shrugging as he spoke in a deliberately mocking tone. "What does this have to do with us? Why don't you ask the owner right here if she's the one who hired us to plant medicinal herbs?"
"Who's the owner? You don't mean her, do you?" Morgan laughed out of sheer anger. "Let me tell you, this land belongs to my aunt's family, and we're building an experimental planting zone here. Do you lack any sense of decency, running wild on someone else's property?"
Sean Carson stood nearby, staring speechlessly at Iris with a hint of exasperation in his gaze. "Little girl, cultivating medicinal herbs is all about inheriting experience and knowledge. Without a master guiding you hand in hand, how can you confidently claim you can grow anything?"
What arrogance!
His voice was loud, prompting the two truck drivers to immediately hop out of their cabs. They circled over, clear threats lingering in their eyes. Instantly, the atmosphere grew tense and hostile.
"Morgan Vaughn, we're here to do business. Don't cause any unnecessary complications. Just chase them off; don't bother pursuing it any further. We don't have that much free time." Sean didn't want to waste his breath. Checking his watch, he added, "Once the workers arrive, we'll get the materials unloaded. We can't handle heavy lifting like that on our own."
Iris had remained silent the entire time. Sweeping her apathetic gaze over them, a layer of resistance clouded her brows. "Slick, run a check on these two."
DING—
[Slick]: "Target individual Morgan Vaughn, male, 26 years old, the biological nephew of Mrs. Sherwood, Leona Vaughn. He is a graduate student at the Stellan University Pharmaceutical Institute... Your Highness, the Pond Lord, he is your cousin. Target individual Sean Carson, male, 29 years old, an assistant teacher at the Pharmaceutical Research Institute of Stellan University. He shares the same mentor as Morgan Vaughn, Professor Nolan."
Iris scoffed lightly. So someone had taken a liking to this place and wanted to snatch her territory.
She lifted her gaze, a bright glint shining in her clear, translucent eyes. Suddenly, she smiled faintly, revealing two shallow dimples beside her lips. It was an expression of innocence laced with a subtle, captivating allure.
The men before her instantly blushed. As if struck by lightning, their hearts began to pound violently in their chests. This wasn't the typical flustered heartbeat of seeing a pretty girl; it felt more like getting stabbed straight in the chest, the blade twisting fiercely twice to leave them instantly bloodied and mangled. Blood gushed out, and a deep, penetrating chill froze them to their core.
It was not a pleasant feeling!
Morgan snapped out of his daze, his face darkening. For the sake of them being cousins, he was trying to leave her with some dignity, but she was just too stubborn, insisting on making a scene! His real business couldn't be delayed. He had to drive Iris away today. She only had her own ignorance to blame! She could have gone off to play anywhere else, yet she just had to come here and mess with his plans!
"Did you not hear what I just said? Are you deaf? If you don't leave right now, I'm telling my aunt, and you can wait to get lectured when you go home," Morgan said, stepping forward as he tried to shove Iris.
CRACK!
The teenage girl reached out and pinched Morgan's wrist, forcefully twisting it upward. A horrifying crack echoed from his wrist bone.
It was broken!
Everyone: "!!!"
What a terrifyingly violent young girl!
"Iris Dalton, do you even know who I am?! How dare you lay a hand on me!" Morgan yelled in shock and fury, completely exasperated.
Soon enough, his blustering shouts morphed into a miserable wail. His entire hand swelled up like a pig's trotter, and the pain in his wrist felt like a knife gouging out his heart. He broke out in a cold sweat, gasping continuously in agony.
Tyler was stunned. The move the little girl just pulled off was clean and ruthless. The skillful technique she used was exactly the same as Master Dalton's. Could it be that she and Master Dalton...
Ignoring the shocked expressions all around her, Iris leisurely took a few steps to the side, distancing herself from the trucks. "If you don't want to die, don't go near there. If you get caught in the crossfire, I'm not paying your medical bills."
Everyone: "..."
Their scalps inexplicably went numb, and a chill ran down their spines. It felt as though something terrible was about to happen! They all stared wide-eyed at the young girl.
Iris curled her lips, a glint of near-excitement flickering in her eyes. She pointed at the trucks. "You trespassed on private property and had an atrocious attitude. I'll take care of these things for you."
With that, she lowered her eyes slightly. "The Golden Arowana, get ready. Lock onto the target and fire!"