Chapter 748: It’s All About Survival
Chen Zixue swallowed the Oden in his mouth, then took the water bottle on the table and sipped it. Then, he replied, “Please do ask, I’ll answer the best I can.”
“What would you choose if you had to pick between a wolf and an eagle?” Asked Tang Xiu.
“I’d choose an eagle,” said Chen Zixue without hesitation.
“Why? A wolf is wild in nature, always going all-out with its strength, tough and tenacious—just like you started eight years ago. Although an eagle indeed can fly high in the sky, it doesn’t have a wolf’s personality, and can only survive in the food chain by virtue of its inborn endowment.”
“The eagle can soar to the vast sky and look down at all walks of life and sentient beings. I would rather sit up high and aloof. I don’t want to be a wolf even if… an Alpha of its pack.” said Chen Zixue.
Tang Xiu sighed inside. If it was a wolf he would still have the intention to tame it, but it would not be so easy if it was an eagle. One had to be on guard so as not to get pecked and blinded when catching and taming an eagle, and though Tang Xiu had the ability to protect himself, he did not want to waste too much time for that.
More so that Chen Zixue had too much wealth. If he were to become a cultivator, he would have the capital to stay in the competition, vying for resources. After Tang Xiu returned to Earth, he found that there were indeed many precious herbs here, but those precious herbs were limited, and he did not want to add more troubles.
“It’s really a pity.”
Tang Xiu took out his wallet and took a hundred bill yuan and placed it on the table. He then got up and said, “I’ll see you at the project tender!”
Having said that, he greeted Yi Lianyan and directly left the 24-hour convenience store. He could approve Chen Zixue’s means in the striking business deal and also recognized his ability, but he could not acknowledge him as an individual.
Chen Zixue did not get up. All sorts of thoughts churned up and swirled inside his mind, recalling Tang Xiu’s words before he left. Although he also realized that Tang Xiu allowed him to participate in the project bidding and was highly likely to choose his Senyuan Group, what did he mean with his last sentence?
He could not figure it out and it somewhat depressed his mood.
“Would you like to have another serving of Oden, Sir?”
Yi Lianyan came to Chen Zixue’s front with a smiling face and asked after cleaning up the disposable meal box left by Tang Xiu.
Chen Zixue raised his head to look at her pretty face. Suddenly, his heart moved and he asked, “Are you called Yi Lianyan? I’m Chen Zixue, the Senyuan… Forget it. Just call me Big Brother Chen if you don’t mind!”
“Alright, how do you do, Brother Chen?” Yi Lianyan smiled.
Chen Zixue nodded and said with a smile, “Would you like to sit and have a chat?”
Yi Lianyan complied and sat on the chair previously used by Tang Xiu. She then smiled and said, “Brother Chen should be a quite capable man, right? I just overheard your conversation. You want to have a business partnership with Tang Xiu, right?”
Chen Zixue found it funny, so he asked, “Does it mean I’m very capable because I want to form a partnership with Tang Xiu?”
“That’s of course,” Yi Lianyan smilingly said. “Tang Xiu is a very capable person. If you don’t have any skills, how could he possibly miss his sleep and come here to discuss business with you otherwise? However, I can tell that it’s you who are asking him after hearing the exchange between you two.”
Chen Zixue couldn’t help laughing and said, “That’s right. It’s me who’s asking him to give me a source of income and a fortune.”
“You can make your dream come true as long as you are sincere. That’s what I believe,” Yi Lianyan laughed. “As for Tang Xiu, he… sometimes has his soft side in some cases, though.”
“Do you perhaps know him very well?” Asked Chen Zixue, surprised.
Yi Lianyan pondered before shaking her head and saying, “Nah, I don’t know him that well. But I can sense that side of him shine sometimes. Brother Chen, you’re a very handsome man, but you don’t have Tang Xiu’s charm. I recall from before…”
Yi Lianyan’s words abruptly halted as though she realized that it was something that could not be said. Finally, she said with a somewhat awkward expression, “I recalled when Tang Xiu saved me.”
A smile outlined on the corner of Chen Zixue’s mouth and his depressed mood turned for the better. He had a calm personality, to begin with, and rarely engaged in idle talk with strangers. But as a impulse he wanted to chat Yi Lianyan at this time, so he was not in a hurry to leave. Then, he said with a smile, “Could you tell me what abilities he has that he can be a savior for such a pretty woman like you?”
“I’m sorry. I can’t tell you that.” Yi Lianyan declined with a dry smile.
“Oh?” Chen Zixue looked at her straight on.
Being stared at by him made Yi Lianyan a bit stunned. She secretly regretted talking too much just now. She hurriedly got up and said, “Brother Chen, I don’t think you’re a bad person, so I’m going to tell something. Do not ever have sinister thoughts toward Tang Xiu, or you will end up very miserable otherwise.”
With that said, she immediately returned to the checkout counter and never looked at Chen Zixue’s direction.
Chen Zixue slightly furrowed his brows and took back his vision. His eyes reflected that he fell n thought. The secret that Yi Lianyan did not want to say was probably because the matter was not simple. Though his curiosity was indeed piqued, he still suppressed the urge.
****
Early in the next morning.
When Tang Xiu woke up from his sleep, he found that the one who was beside him before had disappeared. After getting dressed, cleaned his face and rinsed his mouth, he went to the first floor, and then heard some sounds from the kitchen.
“Got up early?” Tang Xiu leaned on the door and watched Kang Xia’s back, who was now wearing an apron and cooking.
Kang Xia turned around and smilingly said, “Wasn’t it you who got up late at night? Why not sleep more?”
“There’s something very important we gotta do today. It’s best to get up early and join in the fun, no?” Tang Xiu laughed. “Anyways, the host of the project tender will still be you, though. I will just listen and watch.”
Kang Xia let out a smile and said, “You really are one hell of a Big Boss, always idle and carefree. Anyways, just go to the dining room and wait there for a while. Breakfast will soon be served.”
Tang Xiu did not leave, however, but said, “Anyways, it was Chen Zixue who called me last night, hence I met him.”
Kang Xia was stunned and she immediately turned around to ask, “What did he want from you?”
“His company, the Senyuan Group, has yet to finish the entire blueprint, but he wanted to make a deal with me,” said Tang Xiu. “This guy is very good, and I admit that he’s by far the most business genius I’ve ever seen. I gotta tell you another issue as well. The latest development plan of our Magnificent Tang Corporation has been leaked out.”
“What?” Kang Xia’s face greatly changed and there was a faint anger in her eyes.
“I already sent someone to investigate it,” said Tang Xiu. “All of the senior executives of the Magnificent Tang Corporation will be investigated, and I’m sure the results will come out soon. What I want to tell you is this. The Senyuan Group has completed a large part of the overall blueprint design, and I’ve seen more than half of it. It’s excellent. If there is no special design and low bidder at today’s tender, pick this Senyuan Group!”
“But this is not something trivial.” Kang Xia frowned.
“I know. I get what you mean,” Tang Xiu nodded. “But Chen Zixue told me his original idea, and it was the kind of ulterior motives behind the bidding. Although the amount of work in Shanghai will be quite big, it’s obvious that he wants to produce the complete high-quality blueprint design, and yet he has not much time for that. He wanted to give up, so he offered another option…”
After a few minutes, Tang Xiu narrated Chen Zixue’s plan and finally concluded, “He wants to bet on me, then we’ll let him do the gamble. We’ll hand over the construction of our company’s HQ and industrial park to his Senyuan Group. Once it’s completed, involve him in managing the construction of our branch offices and exclusive stores. As long as he’s not greedy, we don’t have to pay much attention to him again later.”
Kang Xia thought deeply for a while before she forced a smile and said, “You are oversimplifying this matter. This Chen Zixue obviously understands that we must establish branch offices and exclusive stores in the second half of the year, hence he made this request. But you must not overlook something. It’s impossible to finish the construction of the Magnificent Tang Corporation’s HQ and industrial park within half a year. Not even a year is enough. According to our estimation, it can be fully completed at least by the end of next year.”
“I’m aware of that. But then again, we’re also saving the matter of constructing our branch offices and exclusive stores in different provinces one after another, aren’t we? It’s not like we can build them all at once. We can give the Senyuan Group the projects in one or two provinces. After the work in the first province is completed, and if this company dares to rob us in broad daylight and become greedy, we can stop the cooperation in time.”
Kang Xia thought about it and said, “That’s quite sound and reasonable indeed! So be it, then! If there are no good surprises from the other bidders today, we’ll pick the Senyuan Group, then!”
The breakfast was quite lavish and tasted great.
After Tang Xiu and Kang Xia had finished their breakfast and were preparing to go out and head to the Paradise Manor, an uninvited guest arrived and ruined all Tang Xiu’s plans for today.
“Why did you come here, Grandpa?”
Tang Xiu looked at the worried-looking Tang Guosheng and asked with a surprised expression, while Kang Xia looked somewhat uneasy standing before him.
The person who accompanied Tang Guosheng was Tang Min. There was an uneasy look on her face as she looked at Tang Xiu, seemingly wanting to speak a few times but hesitated. Despite seeing Kang Xia and Tang Xiu living together, there was no thoughts regarding this issue inside her head at the moment.
“Let’s have a talk inside your study room, Xiu’er!”
“Alright!”
Tang Xiu took Tang Guosheng and Tang Min to the study room, while Kang Xia prepared to serve tea. When the tea was delivered and served to Tang Guosheng and Tang Min, she then prepared to leave.
“Sit there!” said Tang Xiu as he pointed to the chair next to the desk.
Kang Xia looked dull and walked over obediently, albeit hesitantly.
Tang Guosheng, however, was a bit surprised. He looked at Kang Xia and shifted his vision to Tang Xiu before he slowly said, “A major incident happened. It’s about the lives of hundreds of thousands of people, along with a large number of intelligence personnel and servicemen. It’s also about… the survival and destruction of the hidden force of our Tang Family.”
Tang Xiu’s heart thumped and he could not believe what he heard. One must know that now was the age of peace. How could such a grave issue occur?
“Exactly what happened, Grandpa?”
Tang Guosheng looked hesitant. He spent a lifetime in the military judging and reading countless people. Although he could see that Kang Xia and Tang Xiu had an unusual relationship, he did not know whether he could trust her, because what he was going to say was of the utmost importance. The situation as a whole was important, and was even more important in regards to Tang Xiu himself.
With his excellent wisdom, Tang Xiu found Tang Guosheng glanced once again at Kang Xia and immediately understood what he had in mind. Then, he said, “Grandpa, Kang Xia is my woman. Someone very close who I can trust other than her being a cultivator as well. You can feel at ease to say anything.”