Tang Fei displayed a mix of fearlessness and honesty in a brazen manner, which left both grandfather and grandson a bit taken aback.
Can you really chat ?
Even if you truly think this way, there’s no need to say it outright, is there?
"Are we such uncultured people, attacking and killing upon first meeting?" Huo Dongbai angrily said.
What do they take the Huo Family for? Clowns unfit for public appearance?
"Who knows?" Tang Fei said. "I have no kinship or prior relation with you all, and I don’t even know you. Yet here you are visiting me early in the morning... who knows what for?"
"The people on New Star are quite bad. Just yesterday, minding my own business at the mall, someone tried to kill me... I have to be cautious."
Seeing his grandson about to burst into a rage again, Huo Zhenwei glanced at Huo Dongbai and interjected, "Dongbai, Mr. Tang has a point. Being a little cautious in a new place is never a bad thing."
"Yes, Grandpa." Huo Dongbai, quite intimidated by his grandfather’s authority, refrained from responding.
Huo Zhenwei cheerfully looked at Tang Fei and said, "Mr. Tang is so naive and straightforward, it’s truly amusing. I’ve seen many young people over the years, and you are by far the most interesting."
"Who have you seen?" Tang Fei asked.
Huo Zhenwei knew this youngman harbored hostility towards him; hostility was good—it meant he was still a naïve fledgling.
Hostility means vulnerabilities, and vulnerabilities make negotiations easier.
As a successful businessman, he never minded others’ attitudes, only the benefits they could bring.
"Since it’s our first visit, it wouldn’t make sense to come empty-handed. Dongbai, bring the gift we brought." Huo Zhenwei still smiling, instructed.
So, Huo Dongbai handed over the box he was carrying.
Huo Zhenwei walked over to open the box, revealing an exquisitely crafted, completely white Maitreya Buddha with a big belly.
"This is an antique from before the great disaster, brought up when my ancestors migrated to New Star. It’s carved from a whole block of Hetian jade from the Southern Border, by the famed artisan Lu Zifeng, taking three years to complete. It’s quite hard to find such a big, intact piece of jade these days, let alone one with such pure color and quality..." Huo Zhenwei explained.
Huo Zhenwei handed the box over and said, "Please, Mr. Tang, don’t disdain it and kindly accept the gift."
"Kindly?" Tang Fei asked.
"Kindly," Huo Zhenwei repeated.
"As you wish," Tang Fei said, accepting the box, "Then I shall take it."
"Hahaha, Mr. Tang is straightforward."
"Mr. Huo is quite generous too," Tang Fei replied with a smile.
One doesn’t strike the smiling man; Tang Fei invited Huo Zhenwei to the tea table and asked Little Fatty to come out and brew some tea.
The tea leaves were provided by Phoenix, so they shouldn’t be bad.
Although Phoenix didn’t live here, his traces were all over the house.
Looking at Huo Zhenwei, Tang Fei asked, "Mr. Huo mentioned having a request, may I know what it is?"
"Ah, it’s rather embarrassing. I’m here on someone else’s behalf, also here to apologize to Mr. Tang," Huo Zhenwei said, looking ashamed.
"Is that so? Who carries such influence to have the head of the Mandala Chamber of Commerce come forward on their behalf?" Tang Fei asked cheerfully.
From the moment he introduced himself, Tang Fei knew why Huo Zhenwei had come.
Those willing to speak on behalf of Yan Wangshu at such a time must be his close friends or relatives. Naturally, Tang Fei would not show them any courtesy.
The friend of an enemy is my enemy...
"Mr. Tang probably knows already, Yan Wangshu is our vice-chairman at the Mandala Chamber of Commerce, and Xin You is a junior we’ve watched grow up..."
Tang Fei, looking disgusted, said, "So the young people you’ve seen are like Xin You... no wonder you say I am the first. How can you compare me with them?"
"That’s not what I meant. Xin You is my junior, indeed someone I’ve watched grow... However, the young people I mentioned are all exceptional talents from Phoenix City, meant in no way to put Mr. Tang down..." Huo Zhenwei hurriedly explained.
"So, you are here to intercede for Yan Wangshu and his daughter Xin You?" Tang Fei, holding his tea cup, asked while gazing at the pine tree in the courtyard.
The courtyard wasn’t small, but having only a pine tree made it somewhat monotonous.
He thought the Phoenix Pavilion of Phoenix was quite nice; they should get that landscaper to design their garden.
Right, their courtyard didn’t yet have a name, what should it be called?
Tang Fei Pavilion? Gong Shu Courtyard? Little Fatty’s Kitchen?
Nevermind, I’ll decide later....
"Indeed." Huo Zhenwei did not mind Tang Fei ignoring him and smiled as he said, "Please, Mr. Tang, show them some mercy this once...."
"Do you know what they did to me?" Tang Fei asked.
"Then tell me," said Tang Fei.
"... Mr. Tang, let the past be the past?" Huo Zhenwei said helplessly.
How could he relay such matters?
Besides, this was a negotiation, why bring up old grudges and deepen conflicts?
Such negotiation mistakes, Huo Zhenwei would not commit.
"If I’m not mistaken, the version you know is probably that Xin You discovered a Great Tomb in the Old Land, found treasures like hammers and cloaks, and I, greedy at the sight of money, wanted to kill for treasure, but she luckily escaped back to New Star, and, furious, wanted revenge... is that it?"
"Of course, they were also wrong; they shouldn’t have used such extreme and appalling methods on you... They are willing to take all the responsibility, and our Mandala Chamber of Commerce is ready to offer generous gifts..." Huo Zhenwei admitted to Tang Fei’s guess as he explained.
"No, no, no, you misunderstand," Tang Fei waved his hand and said, "Because you don’t really care about the truth, you only care who is one of your own... If it were me in his shoes, would you stand up for me? I doubt I’d even get a chance to meet you."
"Now it’s Yan Wangshu’s bad luck, so the only thing you want to do is downplay it, is that it?"
"As I said, they are willing to take all the responsibilities and compensate for Mr. Tang Fei’s losses..." Huo Zhenwei looked at Tang Fei with a sincere expression.
"In the Great Tomb of the Old Land, it was us who found something. They, overpowering in number, tried to murder and rob... of course, you know the situation, they failed, and Xin You escaped back to New Star under the protection of her bodyguard Cultivators..."
"But that time, I nearly got killed by those Cultivator bodyguards..." Tang Fei touched his chest, still sensing the pain there. "Right here, broke several ribs, and if not for Little Fatty... if there hadn’t been a highly skilled person to save us, we would both be dead by now..."
"And about that incident yesterday in the shopping mall, if it had not been Princess by my side, if I had been taken to the police station with such charges... Mr. Huo, do you think I would still be alive? Could I still be living?"
"Every time they targeted me, they wanted me dead. Why should I give them a chance to live when it’s my turn to act? What, because they are richer? Or because their lives are worth more than ours?"
"Absolutely not, if we talk about value, then certainly Mr. Tang’s life is worth more," Huo Zhenwei hurriedly shifted the topic, knowing that Tang Fei was still angry about that incident, "I heard that when Princess faced an assassination in the Old Land, it was Mr. Tang Fei who risked his life to save her..."
"Just with that act of saving her, Mr. Tang Fei’s future is boundless. We at the Mandala Chamber of Commerce still have many things that we need Mr. Tang’s help with, and we hope Mr. Tang can lend us his assistance."
"Of course, we are businessmen, and businessmen believe in equivalent exchange. Our Mandala Chamber of Commerce will certainly not let Mr. Tang suffer any losses."
"That’s for the future, we’ll talk about that later," Tang Fei said.
"Mr. Tang Fei and your brother just arrived at New Star, you must have many expenses..."
"I don’t need it. I have the Princess’ support," Tang Fei said.
"Hahaha, naturally, after all, you are the Princess’ lifesaver..." Huo Zhenwei was about to lose his temper being contradicted by Tang Fei.
This kid, impervious to both hard and soft approaches?
"Pretty boy." Huo Dong Bai scorned.
Tang Fei glanced at him, saying, "You won’t get such a chance."
Tang Fei disliked Huo Dong Bai, so he never invited him to sit, and he stood behind his grandpa like a pole until now.
"You say you don’t need what you can’t do."
"Dong Bai..." Huo Zhenwei shouted.
After Huo Dong Bai shut up, Huo Zhenwei turned to Tang Fei, looking sincere, "Yan Wangshu is our Mandala Chamber of Commerce’s vice president, and I’ve watched Xin You grow up, their family’s women came crying to my house, both emotionally and logically, I must stand up and plead for them..."
"They and their daughter have recognized their faults, and after suffering this loss, they surely won’t offend Mr. Tang again..."
"Moreover, I can guarantee for them, any time Mr. Tang needs anything, they absolutely will not refuse..."
"Also, you’ve gained the friendship of our Mandala Chamber of Commerce. The Mandala Chamber of Commerce is the largest in the Phoenix Empire, and our words carry some weight."
"Your assurances don’t persuade me," Tang Fei shook his head and said, "If I had been killed in the Old Land, could I have come to New Star? If I had been framed in the shopping mall, would I have had the opportunity to sit here and accept your apologies?"
"Look, my house was a gift from the Princess, my car was given by the Second Prince, the Crown Prince gave me a gun... even the Emperor wanted me to take office, which I declined, thinking I’m still young and want to learn..."
"If I had died, could I have enjoyed all this? They wanted me to have nothing, so I’ll use the same means against them... only then I don’t feel cheated or taken advantage of. I hate it most when people take advantage of me."
Huo Zhenwei looked at Tang Fei and said seriously, "Mr. Tang, leave some room, it’s better to leave things unfinished so we can meet in the future."
Tang Fei slammed the teacup on the table, resolute and decisive, "No room."
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