In a private room at the Empire Hotel, a group of young men and women sat together, chatting. Most were in their early twenties, the eldest no older than thirty. The men were dashing, the women stunningly beautiful.
“I never expected Tianhai City’s business networking event to bring us all together. The Liu family’s influence is impressive,” a young nobleman said with a hearty laugh.
“The Liu family?” a youth in blue snorted disdainfully. “If not for my family’s orders, I wouldn’t bother with this event. A small-time Liu family managing to summon all eight top families? I’d love to know what pull they have.”
“What pull? Your elders must have told you. If not for the power behind Tianhai’s four major families, would we be here?” the first nobleman, surnamed Jin, replied. “Honestly, I’m curious too. What force backs these four families to make our clans so wary?”
“Wary?” The blue-clad youth, Ma, sneered. “Brother Jin, you know our families’ status. Is there any force in China we’d fear?”
“Brother Ma, don’t be so sure. China’s vast, and there are powers that match our families,” Jin said with a faint smile, glancing at Ma. “I have a guess about the force behind Tianhai’s four families. It might be the government.”
“The government?” Ma scoffed. “Impossible. If it were, they wouldn’t be so secretive. Besides, the four families’ ties with the government aren’t exactly warm.”
“Nothing’s impossible, Brother Ma. You know how our eight top families stand. The government’s long been displeased with us. It’s not unthinkable they’d cultivate a force against us,” Jin said, turning to another youth. “Brother Li, don’t you agree?”
If Li Feng were here, he’d recognize this youth as Li Wu. “Brother Jin, I don’t entirely agree. From what this force has done over the years, it doesn’t seem like the government’s work. Besides, I’m sure your family has investigated them. You must know something about it,” Li Wu said.
“Haha, Brother Li knows quite a bit. Looks like you’re getting closer to the Li family’s secrets. Becoming the heir is almost certain,” Jin laughed heartily.
“Almost certain? It’s definite. If the Li family doesn’t choose Brother Li, who else? That nobody?” Ma said.
“Hmph,” a cold snort interrupted. Ma turned to see a youth in a cap sneering—Fu Yanxiong, whom Li Feng had humiliated by shaving his head. “What, Brother Fu, you disagree?” Ma asked.
Fu Yanxiong snorted again. “Li Wu’s only the second heir. His chances of becoming the main heir are slim, Ma Xiaoyong. Isn’t it too early to judge?”
“Too early? Who else in the Li family is more suitable than Brother Li? His younger brothers are either still in school or underage. Surely Brother Li can handle a few kids?” Ma Xiaoyong said, eyeing Fu Yanxiong curiously.
Not just Ma, but Jin and a nearby woman also looked at Fu Yanxiong with interest, agreeing that Li Wu was the obvious choice for the Li family heir. Even Li Wu himself stared at Fu Yanxiong, confident he was the best candidate. Was there someone better?
“Don’t forget, above Li Wu is Li Feng,” Fu Yanxiong said, a cold glint in his eyes.
“Li Feng?” Ma Xiaoyong was stunned, then scoffed. “Brother Fu, you’re joking. That nobody, Li Feng, as the heir? If he becomes the Li heir, I’ll eat dirt.”
Jin and the woman chuckled. Li Feng, a nobody, as the Li family heir? Absurd.
“Brother Ma, get ready to eat dirt,” Fu Yanxiong sneered. He, too, once dismissed Li Feng, but that led to his own humiliation at Li Feng’s hands.
“What do you mean?” Ma Xiaoyong’s face darkened, thinking Fu Yanxiong was insulting him, not realizing Fu believed Li Feng would become the heir.
“Brother Li, your cousin Li Feng is no simple man. You’re in for trouble,” Fu Yanxiong said to Li Wu, ignoring Ma. He despised Li Feng and wanted him dead, but to secure the Nine Dragon Jade, he couldn’t confront him directly. Mu Jiajia had suggested using Qin Feng as a tool to eliminate Li Feng, but now, seeing Li Wu, Fu saw another opportunity. As the first and second heirs, Li Feng and Li Wu were bound to clash fiercely. If Li Feng were a nobody, he’d lose, but Fu knew Li Feng was far from that—skilled and cunning, surpassing even Li Wu. Fu didn’t care who won; he just wanted to stir trouble for Li Feng. Knowing Li Wu still saw Li Feng as a nobody, Fu saw a chance to provoke him.
“What do you mean?” Li Wu asked, stunned. He didn’t think Fu was speaking baselessly.
Bang! The door burst open, and a lively girl bounced in, saying, “Guess what I just saw outside?”
“Jin Xiaoya, don’t you know how to knock?” Jin Songyang’s face darkened. “Can’t you see we’re talking?”
Jin Xiaoya stuck out her tongue, lowering her head. “Brother, I’ll be more careful next time.”
“Jin Songyang, don’t be so harsh on Xiaoya,” the woman who hadn’t spoken yet said. “Xiaoya, come to big sister.”
“I knew Sister Suyan was the best,” Jin Xiaoya said, skipping over to the woman called Ying Suyan.
“Ying Suyan, I’m disciplining my sister. What’s it to you?” Jin Songyang said coldly.
“Got a problem with me? Come at me then,” Ying Suyan retorted, glaring. “You think I’m scared?”
“Enough, you two, stop flirting in front of us,” Ma Xiaoyong interjected.
“Shut up!” Jin Songyang and Ying Suyan snapped in unison, glaring at him.
“Total love-hate couple,” Ma Xiaoyong muttered, shrinking back.
“Ma Xiaoyong, tired of living? Say that again, and I’ll show you why flowers are red,” Ying Suyan warned coldly. Ma Xiaoyong shrank further, knowing she meant it.
“Xiaoya, what did you see?” Ying Suyan asked.
“I saw the Zhu family’s heiress get slapped,” Jin Xiaoya said.
“What? Zhu Yuanyang got slapped?” The group was shocked, staring at Jin Xiaoya in disbelief.
Ma Xiaoyong asked, stunned, “Jin Xiaoya, are you sure? Zhu Yuanyang got slapped?”
“I saw it with my own eyes,” Jin Xiaoya replied.
“How’s that possible?” The group couldn’t believe it. Zhu Yuanyang, like them, was an heir of one of the eight top families. Who would dare?
“Who slapped her, Xiaoya?” Ying Suyan asked.
“Li Feng,” Jin Xiaoya said, glancing at Li Wu.
“What?” Li Wu shot to his feet. He couldn’t fathom Li Feng slapping Zhu Yuanyang, the Zhu family’s top heir. That was like slapping the entire Zhu family, putting the Li and Zhu families at odds.
“That nobody Li Feng slapped Zhu Yuanyang? Xiaoya, you must be mistaken,” Ma Xiaoyong said, shaking his head. “The Li family’s representative here is Li Wu. Li Feng probably can’t even get into the Empire Hotel, let alone slap Zhu Yuanyang.”
“Hmph, I’m not mistaken. Believe it or not,” Jin Xiaoya pouted.
“I believe it. If anyone would dare slap Zhu Yuanyang, it’s Li Feng,” Fu Yanxiong said, glancing at Li Wu with a gleam in his eyes. “Li Wu, your big trouble’s here.”
