Do You Dare to Stand Up?

Jonathan King was momentarily stunned before he remembered there were guests in the house.

Samuel King wiped away his tears and asked, "Dad, who are they?"

Jonathan King introduced Arthur Evans and Su Li's intentions to his son. Unexpectedly, although Samuel King looked frail, he was quite courageous. He immediately said to Jonathan King, "Dad, look, isn't this our big client right here? As long as we do business with Mr. Evans, won't our troubles be solved?"

Jonathan King hesitated and said, "Samuel, but the Qians and the Ma Family gave us specific instructions..."

"Dad, why should we care about the Qians or the Ma Family! They're pushing us to the brink—either way, it's do or die. Why not take a chance? Worst case, we make this batch of silver and leave Kingston! The business environment here is terrible and we're constantly being squeezed. You have inherited porcelain skills; wherever we go, we can still make a living!" Samuel King said.

Jonathan King already resented the Qians and the Ma Family, and now, with nowhere left to turn and inspired by Samuel's words, he hardened his heart and said, "Alright, it's do or die. Why should we listen to those Qian and Ma bastards! They've bullied us enough—now it's our turn to fight back! Worst case, we finish this deal and run, start over somewhere new!"

Then Jonathan King turned to Arthur Evans and said, "Mr. Evans, we'll take the deal!"

Arthur Evans and Su Li exchanged glances, their faces lighting up with joy. Arthur Evans said, "Thank you, Mr. King. You're really helping us out!"

"No need to thank us. We just can't stand those Qian and Ma bastards!" Jonathan King said angrily.

And so, the two families immediately signed the contract.

Su Li and Arthur Evans happened to buy back the batch of goods from the King Family that had been left unsold. Since the King Family had decided to leave Kingston, they simply included the remaining miscellaneous items as a bonus, handing them all over to Arthur Evans.

To avoid any unforeseen complications, that very night Su Li secretly arranged for the porcelain to be shipped out and loaded onto a boat bound for Chang'an.

Normally, once the deal was done, Su Li should have returned to Chang'an.

Unexpectedly, Su Li did not leave Kingston immediately, but chose to stay in town.

“Mr. King, are you really planning to leave Kingston just like that?” Su Li chatted over tea with Jonathan King and Samuel King.

The King father and son could only sigh. “What choice do we have? We’ve defied orders from above—if they come after us, we’re doomed. It’s best to take the silver and leave while we still can.”

Su Li smiled at the King father and son. “After all these years of oppression by the Qian Family and the Ma Family, are you really content?”

Jonathan King took a sip of tea, his face full of resentment. “Of course not, but what can we do? I’m just a commoner—what can I do to the Qian Family? The Ma Family are their lackeys, and now Martin Ma is the mayor of Kingston. How could I possibly go up against the mayor? The Qians have always run this town, doing whatever they want. For years, we’ve suffered in silence and no one could stop them.”

Su Li looked at Jonathan King, her expression shifting slightly. “But things are different now. Kingston is under Qin rule, not the Qian Family.”

Jonathan King shook his head. “That’s what they say. But the King of Qin hasn’t done anything about the mess in Kingston. I doubt the government can really reach us here!”

Su Li’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Jonathan King. “Mr. King, if you have the courage to expose the crimes of the Qian Family and the Ma Family, I promise I can deal with them. So—do you dare?”