Chapter 44: I Want a Compensation
Translator: DavidT Editor: celllll
After going around in circles for half a day, spinning the Xiao family head deep into it, Ling Tian finally self-righteously dropped the bombshell. For a moment, he felt overjoyed in his heart.
However, Xiao FengHan was knotted with anger! To think that with his own intelligence, he had actually been dancing in the palm of a little kid’s hand today! For that moment, his heart was unbearably depressed and could only rage impotently, "The marriage has already been annulled and there is no possibility of it ever happening again, so what kind of compensation do you want? Say it out, as long as this old man is able to achieve it, I would go to all lengths to get it for you."
Ling Tian answered with a loud laugh, "Don’t tell me there are things that grandpa Xiao cannot achieve in this world?" This sentence was a blatant labelling. As long as Xiao FengHan were to acknowledge as such, then it would be as good as letting Ling Tian do as he wished!
Thus, how could Xiao FengHan not know the weight of this sentence? Deeply sighing, he said, "As long as it is within this old man’s capabilities, I will comply without exception." In this sentence, even he himself did not realize that he had unknowingly started to treat the little child in front of him as someone on his level of playing field!
"Pa!" Slapping his palms together, Ling Tian looked extremely happy as he spoke, "Since grandpa Xiao has spoken as such, then, let this matter come to an end."
Xiao FengHan snorted, "You have not specified what you want yet!"
Ling Tian only answered, "What this grandson wants is insignificant to grandpa Xiao, and to the Xiao family, it is merely the hairs on a cow."
With a face full of doubt, Xiao FengHan continued staring at Ling Tian.
Ling Tian laughed and said, "I heard that grandpa Xiao has a property in the capital and that it is a building workshop which is extremely run down. As grandpa Xiao is situated so far away, it would be considered beyond your influence to manage it. So could this grandson have the fortune to temporarily inherit it in order to take care of it on your behalf for the next few years?"
Yet another bombshell!
Never in his dreams did Xiao FengHan think that Ling Tian would actually want a military workshop in which the Ling family had absolutely no use for! Both generations of Ling were people of authority within the military, so if they needed weapons, they could directly draw them from the empire’s armory. No one would bother to gossip no matter how much they took! Thus, to Xiao FengHan, for the Ling family to request for the military workshop, it was practically useless.
However, while that workshop was of little use to the Ling family, it was actually a secret military base as well as an important supply line! If they were to lose this base, it would definitely affect the Xiao family’s entire deployment strategy, especially the strategic position of being placed within the capital of the Sky Bearing Empire. The whole plan of revolting against the Sky Bearing Empire would have to be recalculated, and the previous plans would have to be scrapped! From this, one could tell the importance of this military workshop.
Ling Tian smiled to himself. Of course, he wanted to use one move to completely disrupt the enemy's plans! This young master here hasn’t grown up yet, but you want to mess around here and there? That’s impossible! Furthermore, if Ling Tian were to obtain this military workshop, then all sorts of fine and delicate weapons would definitely appear from within. Just based on the skills Ling Tian possessed in his past life, his methods of forging metal definitely far outstripped anyone from this world.
Xiao FengHan finally became aware of how he should not have despised the little doll in front of him. Just a casual move rendered him into a trap with no choice but to agree. Moreover, Ling Tian had definitely done his preparations, using words to drive him into a corner. If he were to disagree now, this would make him a shameless person. First, arranging the marriage, then annulling it, then even rejecting the other party’s requests….
Seeing how Xiao FengHan was muttering irresolutely to himself, appearing to be in difficulty, Ling Tian only laughed, and within his slight laugh contained traces of ridicule. "Hahaha, what a Xiao family! What a person whose words are worth enormous weight, as the head of the family of the top financial magnate in this world! Ling Tian finally understood as to why the Xiao family can become the number one under heavens! The secret is to take this and want that, going back against their words, and only allowing entry but not exit! Even if you bullied someone, who under the heavens would dare to breathe a word? Hahaha, so what if it is the grandson of a sworn brother? Gains come first, the rest can be thrown aside like rubbish! HAHAHA!"
This sentence was not only sly, but also vicious and poisonous! Each word was like a steel knife viciously stabbing deep into Xiao FengHan’s heart! To be teased by a person with such a big age gap between, how could one endure it? Xiao FengHan’s face alternated between red and green concurrently, and he almost flew into a rage due to his humiliation. He fiercely shouted, "I originally thought you were going to take advantage of the situation, never did I think that you only wanted a small workshop that the Xiao family had long wanted to discard! This has certainly surprised this old man here! The Xiao family has tens of thousands of them that I do not even place this small workshop in my eye! Why don’t I just gift it to you instead?"
Taking the chance to cling onto this sentence, Ling Tian immediately followed up, "Gentleman’s word?"
Without hesitation, Xiao FengHan immediately replied back in his rage, "Once spoken, will not be taken back!"
Ling Tian could let go of the burden in his heart at last. He heartily laughed, "This grandson had known it all along, that grandpa Xiao is of an outspoken and straightforward character, and can spend money as though it is water. He values relations above all else, and each promise is worth its weight in gold! Indeed, this is as the rumors say! Please forgive this grandson for his rudeness just now. Taking into account that grandson is still young and ignorant, I’m sure you will forgive me, right, grandpa Xiao?" With a sincere tone and a sincere expression, it was as if the words he just spoke were absolute truths!
In his rage, Xiao FengHan was impetuous and did not even process what he was saying, hence the phrase, "Once spoken will not be taken back," came out from his mouth. After speaking those words, only a while later did Xiao FengHan finally clear his head; recounting what exactly happened, he felt utterly despondent!
A sentence spoken out was just like spilled water! While it was only a few simple words, they represented a rearrangement which would cost the Xiao family at least two years of time! During such chaotic times, when the current political system was still unknown, two years of time was enough to change both the heavens and earth!
Thinking up to here, he could not help but wish he could give himself a few tight slaps. As though he was a ball that had lost its air, he fell back onto his chair, his eyes vacant. However, inside, he was rapidly processing this new information, devising a plan to redeem himself from this situation. However, no matter how much he thought, he was at his wits’ end!
Looking at how Ling Tian’s face obviously wore the expression of someone that had prepared in advance, Xiao FengHan felt as though he had swallowed a huge steamed bun which got lodged inside his throat; he could not swallow and neither could he spit it out! It was extremely uncomfortable.
For the arrangement within the Sky Bearing Empire’s capital, he went to the trouble of travelling such a long distance personally, armed with an array of strategies, to fix the appropriate measures. Furthermore, he gave immensely generous terms to the other huge family clans, all to create a suitable backdrop for his grand plan. How was he to know that after all of this was completed, he himself would actually throw the plan away at such a critical juncture!
In that moment, Xiao FengHan had the desire to look at the heavens and sigh! The eyes he used to look at Ling Tian had also become incomparably focused. Recalling Ling Tian’s every action and movement when he stepped into the room, he could not help but be enlightened all of a sudden!
From the moment he had questioned Ling Tian this sentence, "Based on your views, what would you do?", he had already unknowingly taken a disadvantageous position! All the talks after that were guided by Ling Tian himself, leading him into a dead end step by step!
To think that he had walked unhindered through the business world, yet lost to a child today! Furthermore, it was an utter defeat! Although he had not placed him in his eyes at the start, underestimating his enemy; however, even with this sort of attitude, how many under the heavens could actually calculate his moves and behavior?
He could not help but suddenly remember the heroic bet made with Madam Ling right after he had annulled the marriage! At this moment, Xiao FengHan truly understood, there was no need to wait for ten years for the bet between him and Madam Ling to come to fruition. He had already lost right here and now! Even though Ling Tian and Xiao YanXue would not walk side by side in the future, he still lost, and miserably indeed!
Having eyes but not being able to see! Taking a treasured jade as rubble, this sort of preposterous event could actually happen to himself!
Xiao FengHan could not help but let out a bitter laugh at this scenario.
Meanwhile, Ling Tian who was about to step out of the door, suddenly turned around and faced a certain direction in the room and let out a grin. This grin was just like a greeting, but also an understanding smile, as though he knew everything like the back of his hand, and there was even a hint of wit and playfulness. However, the strange part was that in the direction he faced, there was nobody at all!