“Brother Zhang, don’t forget the purpose of this business networking event,” Liu Dongjian said with a faint smile. “As long as he attends, won’t he be at our mercy?”
“Brother Liu, I think you’re being too optimistic,” said Zhang Yunhao, the head of the Zhang family, one of Tianhai City’s four major families, shaking his head. “If it were those old-timers, they might yield, but Li Feng is young and fiery. He might…”
“Brother Zhang, you think he can turn the tables?” Liu Dongjian sneered. In Tianhai City, the four families decided everyone’s fate, and Li Feng was no exception. Liu Dongjian didn’t believe Li Feng could challenge them, especially since they had support beyond just the four families. If Li Feng were the head of the Li family, one of the eight top families, they might hesitate, but as merely the young master, not even the heir, failing to handle him would tarnish their reputation.
“From how Li Feng dealt with Han Wei, beat Xu Shaohua, and slapped Zhu Yuanyang, he’s clearly lawless. I’m worried this could spiral out of control,” Zhang Yunhao said gravely. “Besides, if Li Feng leaves the Empire Hotel now, all your plans are for nothing.”
Liu Dongjian’s face darkened, glaring at Liu Shijie on the monitor. “That brat nearly ruined my plans.”
“Youngsters, who can stand such provocation? Everyone here respects Liu Shijie, but Li Feng mocks him. How could he take it?” Qu Xiuwen chuckled. “If it were anyone else, they might back down, but Liu Shijie met Li Feng, who doesn’t even care about Zhu Yuanyang. Still, Brother Liu, Liu Shichao performed well today. Are you really giving up on him?”
Liu Dongjian snorted. “Liu Shichao is too frivolous to be our family’s heir.”
Qu Xiuwen glanced at Liu Dongjian, letting out a dry laugh, his eyes flickering with a strange light as they fell on Liu Shichao on the monitor.
“By the way, when’s Zhao Xiu coming? He’s not skipping this event, is he?” Liu Dongjian asked suddenly. Zhao Xiu was the head of the Zhao family, another of the four major families.
Zhang Yunhao gave a wry smile. “Brother Liu, you know Zhao Xiu’s a cultivation fanatic. Whether he comes depends on his mood.”
Just then, a door opened, and a hearty voice boomed, “Talking about me?”
“Zhao Xiu?”
“You actually showed up!”
“Zhao Xiu, this is rare…”
Liu Dongjian, Qu Xiuwen, and Zhang Yunhao looked at the burly middle-aged man, surprise on their faces. They hadn’t expected Zhao Xiu to appear, let alone so early. In decades of knowing him, he’d never arrived at a networking event this soon.
“Zhao Xiu, have you gone mad from cultivating? Why so early? This isn’t like you,” Qu Xiuwen said, staring at him in disbelief, as if this wasn’t the Zhao Xiu he knew.
“What’s that, Qu Xiuwen?” Zhao Xiu glared, sitting opposite him, then snorted. “Want to spar?”
“Hmph, brute,” Qu Xiuwen muttered, not daring to accept. Zhao Xiu was the strongest among them; even Qu Xiuwen, Liu Dongjian, and Zhang Yunhao combined might not match him.
“Coward,” Zhao Xiu sneered.
“Enough, you two always bicker the moment you meet,” Liu Dongjian said with a wry smile. Qu Xiuwen and Zhao Xiu were natural adversaries, always at odds.
Qu Xiuwen snorted. “I won’t stoop to his level.”
“Zhao Xiu, coming so early, something’s up, isn’t it?” Zhang Yunhao, knowing Zhao Xiu well, suspected a significant reason for his early arrival.
“The Lord issued a command,” Zhao Xiu said, looking at the three.
“What?” Their faces changed. They knew who Zhao Xiu meant by “the Lord.” They hadn’t expected a command during the event, unprecedented in decades. Had something happened?
“What’s the command?” Zhang Yunhao asked gravely.
Zhao Xiu picked up a teapot, poured a cup, dipped his finger in the tea, and wrote a few words on the table. Seeing them, Zhang Yunhao and the others paled. Liu Dongjian asked in shock, “Really?”
“It’s the Lord’s command,” Zhao Xiu said calmly.
“But this is too…” Liu Dongjian couldn’t believe it. He’d never imagined such an order.
“Enough. The Lord has his reasons. Our job isn’t to question but to figure out how to fulfill it,” Qu Xiuwen said firmly.
“Exactly,” Zhao Xiu nodded, a rare agreement. “The Lord is our sky. Without him, our families wouldn’t be here. You know what to do.”
“No need for reminders,” Qu Xiuwen snorted. “But this won’t be easy, even with our families united.”
“The Lord’s command is clear. I’m just the messenger. I’m good for action, not planning. It’s up to you three to make it happen,” Zhao Xiu said, pausing. “But the Lord also warned us to be wary of Li Feng.”
“Wary of Li Feng?” Zhang Yunhao and the others were stunned. The Lord himself cautioning about Li Feng?
They exchanged glances, shock in their eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Zhao Xiu asked, puzzled.
“We were just discussing Li Feng,” Zhang Yunhao said with a wry smile, recounting the events.
“Didn’t expect Li Feng to be so bold,” Zhao Xiu said, his eyes gleaming as he stared at Li Feng on the monitor, grinning. “I’d love to test him.”
Zhang Yunhao ignored Zhao Xiu and turned to Liu Dongjian. “Even the Lord warns about Li Feng. Brother Liu, will you proceed with your plan?”
“Yes, if it fails, we’ll find another way,” Liu Dongjian said. The Lord’s warning showed Li Feng wasn’t as simple as they thought. His confidence wavered, but he pressed on.
“Testing him isn’t a bad idea,” Zhang Yunhao said, a cold glint in his eyes. “I’ve been curious about Fengyuan Group’s Smart One. We must get it this time.”
“No need to state the obvious. Brother Liu’s been eyeing Smart One for a while. Inviting Li Feng to this event is partly for that, right?” Qu Xiuwen chuckled.
“Exactly. In Tianhai City, new tech must go through us, or it’d be chaos,” Liu Dongjian said with a smile. His Liu Group researched AI, but their results paled compared to Fengyuan’s Smart One, which their lab deemed twenty years ahead. Controlling it would be a game-changer for him and his group. If not for Li Feng’s Li family ties, he might have seized it already. Now, with the Lord’s backing, even the Li family couldn’t touch him.
“Brother Liu, don’t hog it all,” Qu Xiuwen said, eyes gleaming.
“There’s enough for everyone,” Liu Dongjian replied with a smile.
In the Empire Hotel lobby, as Zhu Yuanyang left, Li Feng smirked coldly. Slapping her meant he wasn’t afraid of her retaliation. Though Zhu Yuanyang was a stunning beauty, and hitting her felt a bit ruthless, he might not have done it outside the hotel.
Turning to Qin Feng, Li Feng said, “Young Master Feng, still want to be friends?”
Qin Feng’s expression shifted. The slap had fully offended Zhu Yuanyang. If he claimed friendship with Li Feng, she might turn on him. The Qin and Zhu families weren’t close, but they weren’t enemies either. Was it worth crossing Zhu Yuanyang for Li Feng? Besides, he and Li Feng were bitter rivals, constantly plotting against each other. Denying it now, though, would be a slap to his own face. Qin Feng was caught in a dilemma.
“Haha, I knew you wouldn’t be my friend,” Li Feng laughed, stepping closer and whispering, “Besides, Young Master Feng, I haven’t settled the score with you over Su Xin and Sun Xipeng.”
