The Love that Never Really Dies (Sasha and Sebastian)
Chapter 1855

After putting down his phone, lan was about to wash his face when he heard another voicedownstairs calling for Susan.

"Hey, Small Fry,” the man asked upon seeing lan emerging from his room, "have you seen Ms.Jadeson?"

NA

Looking as proud as ever, lan's already foul mood worsened when he heard yet another request forSusan, prompting him to give a retort that was as cold and stiff as his stance

Why does everybody only want her help? What about the rest of us volunteers? We might as wellgo home!

"Oh man, who's going to help me count for the sale of my wares if she's not here?" the middle-agedman wailed. *I'm selling all my lumber today, Small Fry! Say, are you as good as Ms. Jadeson? Whydon't you come with me instead?"

"Me?" lan wondered if his ears deceived him.

Before he could give a definite answer, the panic-stricken villager was already bounding up thestairs toward him.

"Yes, yes, you will do just fine," the man said impatiently as he tugged on lan’s arm. "Hurry up andcome with me please; the driver is about to leave. What if I get scammed without an accountantpresent?"

lan instinctively took a few steps back.

As was the culture within the village, every important sale necessitated an educated opinionwherever possible

Even the sale of timber required the careful calculation of its mass to ensure equity for both parties.In the end, lan decided to consider it a favor to Susan by obliging the villager.

Several minutes later, his snow-white shirt caught the crowd's attention almost as soon as he arrivedat one of the drying fields of the village.

Aside from his natural good looks, he had an aura of nobility emanating from his bones. Upon hisarrival there, even his fellow volunteers stared at him blankly.

"What are we evaluating today?"

Pretending not to notice the stupefied glances, lan turned to the villager who sought his help.

The man, who was a farmer, immediately pointed to a pile of peeled fir trees on the ground. "All ofthat,” he said. "The buyer will come and measure it. After that, please record it in my ledger andexchange the necessary documents with him.”

That's it?

lan took the paper and pen.

The buyer arrived soon after.

With a single disdainful glance at the seemingly inexperienced teenager, he took out a measuringtape and conducted his usual routine while mumbling the dimensions under his breath.

"Wait a minute. Is that all?" lan stopped the pair of burly men stepping forward to carry the wood.The buyer glared at him.

"Yeah. What else are you expecting?”

"What about the foliage?" lan asked as he cast a glance at the sizable mass of branches while optingto ignore the man's impertinence.

He noticed that the buyer measured only two-thirds of the actual length while conveniently leavingout the top of the tree.

What is this wily fox up to?

"Don’t they teach you how to measure wood in university, young man?"

"Enlighten me."

"The leaves and branches are useless to us," the buyer retorted. "Why should we pay for it?"

By that point, the villagers around lan, especially the middle- aged farmer, were glancing at eachother in dismay. After witnessing the newcomer's anger, he began to panic at the prospect of losinga reliable buyer.

"Small Fry, let's just-" the farmer began.

"Fine," lan cut across to address the buyer, instantly crushing the latter's arrogance. "Then they'llsaw off what you didn't pay for, and you can keep the part you do have a use for."

The buyer and the villagers were struck dumb with astonishment.

Such a demand to saw off the branches is unprecedented! Will the buyer still agree?

Sure enough, the buyer did not take the threat kindly.

"You are deliberately causing trouble, aren't you? Well, I don't want the wood anymore. You can sellit to someone else!” At that, he turned around and made to storm off to the villagers' horror.

lan’s voice rang out again impassively at that moment and interrupted the villagers’ flattering pleasto the buyer.

"I would think twice if I were you. If you leave this village today, I guarantee you will never be ableto do business here again.”

"What did you say? Who are you to make this kind of 'guarantee?™

"Try me."

Clad in his white shirt, the eighteen-year-old young man stood positively sparkling in the brightmorning sun as he held a man twice his age in a vice grip with nothing more than several words anda refusal to lower his gaze.

Although he did not lose his temper or raise his voice, that was a warning sign to those who knewlan well

Fortunately, the buyer was wise enough to hesitate. After regaining his composure from his shortburst of temper, he noticed how his young adversary carried himself. Not only did he fail tointimidate the boy, but the boy's presence had him at an unusual loss for words.

Finally, he turned to address one of his subordinates without taking his eyes off lan. "Who is he?""They're volunteers from a famous university, boss. And expensive, too. Their families must bepowerful people.”

The buyer gulped.

Ten minutes later, the measurement was redone without so much as a twig left out of theequation.q