Chapter 74: The Letter of Challenge

Xue Rong let out a dark, heavy laugh, the muscles in his cheeks twitching up and down. “Old Tang, this isn’t like you. You know Xiao Kaitian is still tinkering with that so-called ‘Overthrowing the Tang Dynasty’ project—it’s not a small operation.”

“I heard the capital chain’s already broken. Only a fool would get involved in something like that. My apologies,” said the man surnamed Tang, who was Tang Jian, the patriarch of the Tang family—one of the three great families of Haidu. His voice was gentle. “I’m not in the habit of bullying the disabled.”

“Hmph,” Xue Rong sneered coldly. “But someone from the Zhao family has given Xiao Kaitian a hand. If the Zhao family truly steps in, that ‘Overthrowing the Tang Dynasty’ project might still have a chance.”

Tang Jian merely shook his head. “In any case, I have no interest in this matter. Of course, I won’t stand in the way if you two wish to get involved. Everyone knows I, Tang Jian, have only one daughter. No matter how big the business grows in the future, it will all go to my son-in-law. Since that’s the case, why make life so exhausting?”

Xue Rong exchanged a glance with Du Yangming; both understood Tang Jian’s meaning. He intended to remain neutral and uninvolved. Whatever they planned to do to Xiao Kaitian, or however they aimed to carve up the ‘Overthrowing the Tang Dynasty’ project, it would have nothing to do with him.

The meat was only so much; the fewer the people to share it, the better. Xue Rong and Du Yangming were satisfied with this answer, especially given that behind Tang Jian stood the Jiang family in the capital—the family of Xiao Kaitian’s mother. For Tang Jian to maintain neutrality now was already the best possible outcome.

“Come, let’s drink!” Xue Rong raised his glass. “I hear Xiao Kaitian’s started some ‘Qixi Media Consulting.’ It seems to be thriving. Looks like it’s time to find something for him to keep busy with.”

Du Yangming also raised his glass. He chuckled, “Such a tiny company it can’t even get a star rating. Xiao Xue, this matter…”

“Leave it to me. I’ll find a minor martial artist. If there’s a hint of trouble from that fool Xiao Kaitian, it’s best to nip it in the bud as soon as possible.” Under the lights, perhaps due to the wine, Xue Rong’s face glowed with an unusual flush.

Tang Jian arched an eyebrow and smiled, raising his glass as well.

The three men, each harboring their own designs, had not really come for the wine. With the negotiations settled, they soon found excuses to take their leave.

No sooner had Tang Jian returned to his villa than a woman with long, wavy hair came up to him. “Dad!”

Tang Jian frowned. “Tang Tian, I heard you applied for a job at Fenghua Holdings not long ago just to get rid of your competitor. Was that really necessary?”

Tang Tian froze, embarrassedly rubbing her hands together. “Dad, how did you find out about that?”

“Fenghua Holdings is a Tang family enterprise, but a company is still a company,” Tang Jian sighed, taking off his suit jacket, hanging it up, and settling onto the sofa. “Your mother left us early. I’ve always indulged you, but Tang Tian, you must remember your status.”

“The Tang family’s status is not for you to use to bully others. It’s taken generations of caution to build what we have today. You must understand that.”

“Yes,” Tang Tian replied meekly. In truth, after intimidating Guo Lei, she hadn’t felt any particular joy; rather, she was left feeling empty inside. She didn’t know why she felt this way.

“Your classmate—what’s her surname, Guo? Do you know where she’s working now?” Tang Jian gestured to the water across from him. Tang Tian obediently poured him a glass and handed it over. “I don’t know.”

“Qixi Media Consulting. She’s become a vice president.” Tang Jian took a sip, washing away the taste of wine in his mouth. “Do you know who owns that company?”

Tang Tian shook her head, and Tang Jian gave a self-deprecating chuckle. “Xiao Kaitian.”

“Xiao Kaitian?” She had heard much about him. “Isn’t he the capital’s number one fool? And Guo Lei is his vice president?” For a moment, her mind went blank.

“Yes. So I have a task for you,” Tang Jian said, his expression turning stern. “I don’t care about your issues with that Guo girl, but for the time being, keep a close eye on this company’s movements.”

“Is there a problem? Isn’t Xiao Kaitian just a fool? If he wants to make a fuss, just let him.”

Tang Jian sighed, blaming himself for sheltering his daughter too thoroughly. She knew nothing of the world’s dangers. Yet some things could not be explained; she would have to learn them herself. “Keep your thoughts to yourself for now. Just keep watch. If Xiao Kaitian approaches Fenghua Holdings for funding, I want you to agree.”

“What?” The more Tang Tian heard, the more confused she became. She didn’t understand why her father suddenly took an interest in a fool. “Dad, are you losing your mind?”

“Perhaps,” Tang Jian murmured, shaking his head. The Jiang family’s instructions were simple: if Xiao Kaitian was a worm, erase him; if he was a dragon, give him full support. A family that always sided with profit and never took risks—it was a helpless position to be in. He sighed deeply, looking at his somewhat naive daughter. “Since you managed to return safely from Japan, I hope I haven’t misjudged you…”

Xiao Kaitian had no inkling that his return had already drawn the attention of Haidu’s old guard. His focus was fixed on digesting the materials from Qixi Media Consulting’s first strategy meeting.

Guo Lei lacked much work experience, yet her abilities were undeniable. She was meticulous and thorough. Under her management, the meeting’s materials had been sorted and organized, with complete sets of both data and hard copies for future archiving.

Xiao Kaitian’s mind swept over the documents, grasping all the information in an instant.

The meeting had not produced any definite answers, but it had outlined several possible directions. His task now was to select the one that suited him best.

He focused on the lack of substantial technological innovation following the energy revolution—a huge gap in the market for innovation.

Then there was the matter of martial artists and the balance of national power. These he could not ignore, for he was too short on funding. Without the support of state power, ‘Overthrowing the Tang Dynasty’ would be hard to revive.

On top of that, there was a film to shoot. Chen Jingming’s progress was steady, but financing remained the key.

Given the current credit of ‘Overthrowing the Tang Dynasty,’ obtaining further bank loans was nearly impossible.

That left only funds and venture capital. If he wanted their investment, he would need a compelling proposal.

That was why, for almost a week, he’d holed up at home, working tirelessly on a comprehensive plan for the next round of financing.

But during his absence, a serious incident occurred at Qixi Media Consulting.

Guo Lei held a letter in her hand, nervously licking her lips as employees gathered around her, whispering and gossiping. When Lin Xiang entered, he found the office in complete chaos.

Thanks to everyone’s efforts, the company had finally stabilized; such scenes had not been seen for some time. Puzzled, he asked, “What’s happened?”

“President Lin,” Guo Lei handed him a sheet of paper, “someone has issued a challenge to our company. This is a letter of challenge.”