Chapter 59: My Deep Affection Was Not in Vain

Grand River Restaurant.

Xu Zhaocai couldn’t shake the feeling that this alliance banquet he’d organized was exceedingly strange.

Why were the young masters of these five great families all glued to their phones, occasionally grinning like fools?

And as for the restaurant’s signature dish, Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, priced at 1,666 each, Lin Bei had ordered twenty plates in one go, insisting on taking the leftovers to go…

The Lafite, though not from 1982, still cost several thousand per bottle. Yet he’d ordered two dozen bottles as if they were beer and proceeded to down them straight from the bottle!

This meal alone would cost over a hundred thousand, and all he got for his money was watching them play on their phones.

Xu Zhaocai was utterly baffled…

Sure, Mingzhu City couldn’t compare to the dazzling capital, but it was still a second-tier city, wasn’t it?

How could the sons of these distinguished families behave as if they’d never seen the world?

He couldn’t tolerate it any longer and decided to speak plainly.

“Let’s join forces to take down the Su family first. Then you five can compete again for the title of the wealthiest family!”

“So, gentlemen, what do you think of my proposal?”

Zhang Yunjie, eyes still fixed on WeChat, read out the exact words Lu Ye had sent him: “The current Su family is at the height of its power in Mingzhu City. Even if the five of us join forces, bringing them down would come at a tremendous cost—losses we can’t afford to bear.”

Lin Bei nodded in agreement. “Exactly. We could join forces to take down the Su family, but the funds required to wage this business war must be provided by you, Second Young Master Xu.”

Xu Zhaocai hesitated…

Just a glib tongue wouldn’t be enough to persuade them to act.

Why should these five great families help him topple the Su family if there was nothing in it for them?

After a moment’s thought, Xu Zhaocai said, “As long as you can bring down the Su family, the Xu family from the capital will offer you countless lucrative opportunities for collaboration, more than enough to compensate for any loss. What do you say?”

Another empty promise—Xu Fugui had tricked them with the same spiel before!

Once bitten, twice shy.

Zhang Yunjie shook his head, sneering, “Second Young Master Xu, words are wind. Your so-called conditions can’t compare to the real value of cold, hard cash.”

For once, this wasn’t something Lu Ye had coached him to say. After spending enough time with the Lu couple, Brother Jie had grown shrewd on his own.

Xu Zhaocai gritted his teeth. “Fine. To launch a business war against the Su Group, how much do you think you’ll need?”

Zhang Yunjie and the other four exchanged glances, putting on a show of serious discussion, as if weighing the matter carefully. In reality, they were all messaging Lu Ye in the Young Masters’ Alliance group chat for guidance.

After receiving detailed replies, Zhang Yunjie spoke first. “Our Zhang family is mainly in building materials. The cost of waging a business war is relatively high for us. I’ll need at least two billion just to hold out against the Su family for one month.”

Lin Bei said, “Our Lin family mostly works in mining. Generally, we don’t directly clash with the Su family’s main business, but we do have some smaller ventures in competition with the Su Group. I don’t need much—just give me two or three hundred million and that’ll suffice.”

The Yang, Huang, and Sun families all quoted their prices as well.

Altogether, the five families demanded a total of five billion—for just one month!

And if the business war dragged on, Xu Zhaocai would have to keep injecting more money.

Seeing Xu Zhaocai hesitating for so long, Zhang Yunjie smiled, “Second Young Master Xu, if you have to think so hard about a measly five billion, how can we trust in the capital Xu family’s strength?”

Lin Bei chimed in, “If you don’t have the nerve, Second Young Master Xu, then we won’t trouble you any further. Farewell!”

Xu Zhaocai gritted his teeth and shouted, “Wait!”

“Five billion it is! I’ll go back tonight and raise the funds. Tomorrow, you’ll have your money!”

He said it with a flourish, every word ringing with bravado.

The young masters of the five families buried their faces under the table, stifling laughter for a good long while.

Brother Lu was right—when dealing with someone as vain as this, nothing works better than a little provocation!

Zhang Yunjie was the first to compose himself, replying solemnly, “Second Young Master Xu, may our Young Masters’ Alliance have a fruitful partnership!”

“To a successful partnership! I’ll take my leave now.”

Xu Zhaocai couldn’t help feeling ill at ease among them. Once the agreement was reached, he got up and left at once.

As soon as he stepped out, raucous laughter erupted from the private room behind him. He turned back, opened the door, and peeked inside.

Strangely, as soon as he opened the door, the laughter died away.

The scions of the great families sat up straight, not a trace of amusement on their faces. Instead, each looked at him in confusion. “Is there anything else, Second Young Master Xu?”

Xu Zhaocai paused, wondering if he’d imagined it all.

He shook his head. “Nothing,” he said, and closed the door again.

The laughter exploded once more inside.

In less than a second, Xu Zhaocai threw the door open again!

But the laughter vanished instantly. The young masters sat in their previous poses. Zhang Yunjie was bending over to pick up some food, glancing up in puzzlement. “Second Young Master Xu?”

“It’s nothing. I must be hearing things.”

“That’s a sign of kidney deficiency, you know. You should take care.”

Utterly defeated, Xu Zhaocai fled in embarrassment, and the uproarious laughter inside never ceased.

The next day.

Xu Zhaocai did, in fact, transfer the money to them. The five young masters split it evenly among themselves, ten billion each.

Xu Zhaocai waited eagerly for this so-called war of the century.

He waited over a week.

The New Year came and went, yet Mingzhu City remained as calm as ever.

When he called to ask, he discovered—to his outrage—the young masters had all left on a fifteen-day group tour of six countries in the continent!

Only then did Xu Zhaocai realize he’d been had…

The capital’s Xu family inquired more than once about the progress in Mingzhu City, but how could he dare tell them the truth?

If the elders found out he’d been swindled out of five billion so easily, they’d surely cast him out like a fool.

Helpless, Xu Zhaocai had no choice but to swallow the bitter pill in silence.

…

That midday.

Xu Zhaocai was in his office at Wealth Real Estate, fretting over his predicament.

His assistant suddenly brought in a woman. “Second Young Master, she knows the whereabouts of Third Young Master.”

Xu Zhaocai was startled. “Leave us. I want to speak with this lady alone.”

“Yes, sir!”

Examining the young woman his assistant had brought, Xu Zhaocai was puzzled.

She was very attractive, exuding a capable and valiant air.

Given the Xu family’s network in the capital, they’d spent nearly a month searching without finding a trace of Xu Fugui—how could this woman possibly know?

Xu Zhaocai barely had time to voice his suspicion. “You are…?”

Chen Xi replied coolly, “Xu Fugui is dead. He was murdered.”

“What?”

Though he’d long suspected his brother’s fate was grim, hearing the news still made Xu Zhaocai’s heart pound in terror.

“Who killed my brother?”

The woman before him was none other than Chen Xi.

She dropped a stack of files onto his desk.

Xu Zhaocai picked them up and leafed through them, astonished. “My brother… was actually a special agent?”

There it was in black and white—Xu Fugui was a Level One agent with the Shield Bureau, with his code number and position clearly recorded.

Every piece of evidence was there, making it impossible not to believe.

Chen Xi nodded, speaking with a touch of regret. “Yes. He was assigned to Mingzhu City to investigate a spy organization called the Hongying Society. Unfortunately, a traitor leaked the information, and Fugui fell into their trap and was killed.”

“How do you know all this?”

“I was his colleague. My name is Chen… Chen Erfeng.”

Chen Xi casually invented a pseudonym, and Xu Zhaocai believed her without question, replying solemnly, “Miss Chen, thank you for telling me the truth.”

Chen Xi nodded. “I’m already violating confidentiality by telling you this. Please don’t let anyone know it was me.”

Xu Zhaocai nodded gravely. “Understood, Miss Chen. I’ll never forget what you’ve done for me.”

Chen Xi let out a long sigh. “I told you all this in the hope that the Xu family of the capital will expose the mastermind behind the scenes, and avenge Fugui. That way, my deep feelings for him won’t have been in vain.”

Xu Zhaocai was taken aback. “You loved my brother?”

Chen Xi stifled a wave of nausea, managed to squeeze out two tears, and replied in a choked voice, “Yes, I’ve always secretly admired him…”