Chapter 8: The Scales of Negotiation

The warmth of his breath spilled across the side of Rin Ogihara’s neck, causing her flawlessly delicate skin to flush with a sudden bloom of crimson that quickly spread over half her face. As the princess of the Ogihara family, she had never been in such close contact with a man, especially in so ambiguous a posture.

Yet, to her own surprise, she did not fly into a rage. Instead, she composed herself, gathering her scattered thoughts as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “It’s simple—a long-term, stable alliance.”

A cold chuckle slipped from Xiao Kaitian’s lips as he slowly retreated, his handsome, refined features gradually emerging in full before Rin’s eyes. He seemed to have stumbled upon something highly amusing, grinning like a child with a new toy. “If I hadn’t made it out of here today, would you still be talking to me about this so-called ‘alliance’?”

“If you hadn’t made it out, it would only prove that the Xiao family’s downfall was inevitable.” Rin recovered her composure, her voice crisp and cold. “If you can’t even handle a regional syndicate, how could you possibly face something far larger and more dangerous? The Ogihara family would have no reason to waste our time.”

What a shrewd calculation. Xiao Kaitian was no fool; he was intimately familiar with such tactics. Syndicates and families were nothing new to him—he’d managed not just cities, but entire nations, even star systems and universes.

“So, I should be grateful for how things turned out today.” A faint, elusive smile played at the corners of his lips. “Didn’t you say I was the Xiao family’s good-for-nothing? Is someone like me really worth your investment?”

“We Japanese put our faith in what we see with our own eyes.” Rin decided to speak plainly; with someone like Xiao Kaitian, any scheming would only backfire. “The fact is, you handled your problems on your own. As for what people say, the Ogihara family does not live by hearsay.”

Xiao Kaitian fell silent, weighing the situation. He could understand the Ogihara family’s initial stance, but he was far from pleased. Regardless of their reasons, they had acted against him and his people; the fact that he had spared their lives was already a concession.

“And your terms?” he asked after a pause.

“We will guarantee your safety in Japan and help you reclaim the Xiao family. In return, once you control the Xiao family, you must fully support us in entering the Han-Tang market.” Rin delivered her terms steadily, confident that he could not refuse.

Xiao Kaitian laughed. Now that he understood the world’s conflicts, particularly between Han-Tang and Japan, he realized that accepting Rin’s terms would amount to betraying Han-Tang. Economic infiltration was, after all, a form of assault.

“Is that acceptable?” Rin’s eyes widened.

“No.” The word slipped through Xiao Kaitian’s teeth, and Rin was stunned. Though he was formidable, he was far from invincible. She couldn’t fathom why he would refuse. She drew a deep breath.

“There’s no need.” Xiao Kaitian deftly picked up another cigarette, lit it, and exhaled a cloud of smoke that lingered between them, making Rin almost reach out to scatter it. “But I have a proposal for cooperation—would you care to hear it?”

Rin’s face froze. She hadn’t expected Xiao Kaitian to turn the tables and propose his own terms. Were it not for her ingrained poise, she might have leapt up and cursed him. “Speak.”

“I have no power or subordinates at the moment. The Ogihara family must guarantee the safety of my relatives,” Xiao Kaitian stated, his tone calm. “In exchange, I will support the Ogihara family in becoming Japan’s number one clan.”

“Insane!” That was the first thought that thundered through Rin’s mind. If, until now, she had seen Xiao Kaitian as the Xiao family’s disgrace and the greatest fool in Han-Tang’s capital, now her impression was vividly confirmed—he was a complete idiot. She even wondered if his triumphant entrance into the Ogihara firm was nothing but a farce.

How could he offer such lopsided terms? On what basis? Rin stared at him in silence.

“I’m sure you think I’m just painting castles in the air,” Xiao Kaitian said with a lazy smile, blowing smoke as he returned to his seat and casually examined the various ornaments on the low table. “But this is my condition.”

“You—” Rin’s face flushed red.

“Believe it or not,” Xiao Kaitian smiled, “it’s natural for you to have doubts, but as you see, you cannot fathom my strength.”

“A man once regarded as his family’s fool now sits before you. Have you ever really considered why?” Xiao Kaitian spoke with measured confidence. “You’re a businesswoman. Surely you understand that extraordinary profits are always accompanied by equally extraordinary risks—the simplest of truths.”

Rin’s gaze grew deep and contemplative. Xiao Kaitian’s words were reasonable, flawless even. The problem was, this man—until recently a ‘good-for-nothing’—had tossed the dilemma right back into her lap.

If she accepted his terms, it would mean convincing her entire family. That gave her pause. For all of Xiao Kaitian’s dazzling performance today, which contradicted their intel, she doubted her ability to sway all of them.

“What gives you the confidence to make such a proposal?” Rin finally asked, without realizing that, in speaking, she had shifted the balance of the negotiation in Xiao Kaitian’s favor.

“What you need is the ability to persuade your family,” Xiao Kaitian replied, catching her drift, a hint of satisfaction in his expression. “That, I can give you.”

A crack finally appeared in Rin’s composure. Such a promise could not be made with empty words.

“Three days. Come to me in three days,” Xiao Kaitian said, idly toying with a sake cup. “I will provide your family—or, more precisely, you, as their advocate—the opportunity you need.”

Yes or no—this game of chance now filled Rin’s mind, just as her father, the family head, had once given her a task: kill him, or become his woman.

The world was silent, save for the bamboo tube knocked by the falling rain, echoing “dong, dong, dong” throughout the courtyard.

“Very well.” In the end, Rin made her decision. “I hope you can give me a satisfactory answer then.” It was her greatest concession.

A faint arc curved Xiao Kaitian’s lips, but before they could speak further, the privacy of their meeting was broken. Footsteps sounded, and the main hall’s door was pulled open. A man in a black suit knelt in the rain.

“Your Highness, I beg your pardon for the interruption, but…the police are here.”

“The police?” Rin’s pupils contracted. To recover from Xiao Kaitian’s oppressive presence, she even took a sip of sake. “Who is it—the riot squad?”

“No,” the man bowed so low his body nearly touched his knees. “It’s the traffic police!”

Rin nearly spat out her drink. Since when did the traffic police in this country become so audacious?