Following the head of the Bai Family, Bai Yuanhao, Lin Tian arrived on the second floor of the villa. There were several corridors on the second floor with many rooms, and as they continued to walk further inside, the chatter from the living room could no longer be heard.
"The study is over here, Mr. Lin, please come in," Bai Yuanhao seemed afraid that Lin Tian would misunderstand something and explained.
After turning a corner, there was only one room left. Bai Yuanhao didn’t knock on the door and simply pushed it open and entered. After Lin Tian entered, he discovered that it was indeed a study. The bookshelves around the room, filled with an ancient charm, were neatly lined with books.
He glanced briefly and noticed that the books on the shelves showed signs of wear, which meant that the books here weren’t just for decoration, and the master of this place often read them.
This made Lin Tian respect Bai Zhengchu even more. In today’s society, not many people could settle into seriously reading books, and of course, those who read novels were not considered true readers. Many rich people’s studies were just for show, with books that had never been flipped through.
Sitting behind the desk was Bai Zhengchu, and standing behind him was none other than Bai Yuze. It was unexpected that the kid had woken up so quickly. Lin Tian gave him a surprised look and got straight to the point, "Old Bai, did you want to see me for something?"
But Bai Zhengchu just smiled at him without speaking. Instead, Bai Yuze nodded and said, "Brother Lin Tian, hello. The main reason for inviting you here is my issue. I want to formally apologize for our previous conflict and hope that you can accept it."
An apology? This was completely unexpected for Lin Tian. He scrutinized Bai Yuze carefully, finding nothing amiss or reluctant.
That shouldn’t be right; Bai Yuze must hate him to death. Would he apologize so willingly? Lin Tian looked at Bai Zhengchu, and only that explanation made sense. Surely, it was his grandfather’s request that demanded the apology, so even if Bai Yuze was extremely unwilling, he would have no choice but to comply.
"Old Bai must have something to discuss, so feel free to speak frankly." Instead of responding to Bai Yuze’s apology, Lin Tian turned his attention back to Bai Zhengchu.
"Haha, straightforward, that’s what I like. I enjoy dealing with straightforward people," Bai Zhengchu chuckled. Such words from a cunning old man felt rather uncomfortable. He continued, "Lin Tian, although you are young, your skills are extraordinary. Have you ever thought about your future development, or are you willing to settle for being a bodyguard forever?"
So they were trying to recruit him. Lin Tian was no fool, and he understood the intention behind those words immediately. And they had the gall to talk about future development, as if they really cared about someone else’s prospects.
"Heh, I’m not a very ambitious person. Being able to afford a house, drive a car, marry a wife, and raise children is quite a good life already. Why would I have so many desires? Isn’t that right, Old Bai?" Lin Tian said with a laugh, ignoring the subtext of his words.
Old Bai stood up, in no hurry, and chuckled, "For a young person, your views are indeed rare. Nowadays, every young person aims too high, thinking they are the center of the world and everyone should conform to their wishes. Isn’t that funny?"
"I don’t think so. I’m not sure what kind of young people Old Bai has met, but the friends I know are all quite charming. Their desires are not as you describe. Even though their ideas are very common, I think that is the thinking of most ordinary people: simple and sincere," Lin Tian talked back without any fear of his status.
Perhaps there were some foolhardy young people, but Lin Tian found his classmates from senior year class three to be quite endearing with their simple thoughts. So he was genuinely expressing what he felt.
"Heh, the world is cruel. What if someone doesn’t let you fulfill those simple wishes easily? You wouldn’t have to work as a bodyguard for the Xiao Family otherwise. If you want, you can have much more," Bai Zhengchu said, looking at him.
Your grandmother’s... every word had to be so roundabout; Lin Tian was done playing along. He already disliked the Bai Family and didn’t want to engage in further nonsense, saying, "If someone deliberately makes my life difficult, I’ll make his life even more so."
"Individual power is always limited, but our Bai Family can help you accomplish many things that aren’t easy to do. Just join the Bai Family, and your status will be a hundred times higher than in the Xiao Family," Bai Zhengchu threw out the olive branch.
Rich people always like to issue empty promises to make their subordinates loyal and work hard for them, promising huge benefits. And yet, these huge benefits are nothing to the wealthy. Lin Tian detested this kind of rhetoric, which only a fool would believe.
His eyes flashing, he deliberately said, "A status a hundred times higher? Even higher than Old Bai’s status?"
"You..." Bai Yuze couldn’t hold back and wanted to explode, but his father Bai Yuanhao stopped him.
Three generations of the family looked at Lin Tian, creating a somewhat tense atmosphere. Lin Tian didn’t care about them and dismissively said, "Old Bai, you must be busy entertaining guests, and I won’t disturb you anymore. I will be leaving now."
After saying this, Lin Tian really began walking toward the door, and suddenly Bai Zhengchu said, "Stay a moment!"
Without turning his head, Lin Tian waited for him to continue. Bai Zhengchu went on, "The doors of the Bai Family are always open for you. If you’re unhappy at the Xiao Family, you’re always welcome to join the Bai Family."
With a wave of his hand, Lin Tian said nothing more and left the study. Although he moved away, he still observed the room with his x-ray vision. It wasn’t until he reached the stairs that Bai Yuze finally couldn’t hold back anymore.
"Grandfather, Lin Tian is too rude. Why should we value him so much? Even if he is an Ancient Martial Artist, can he be mightier than bullets? To say nothing of the fact that he chose that piece of jadeite was just good luck. We don’t need to lower our faces to woo him, do we?"
Bai Yuze became more and more indignant as he spoke, having suffered losses at Lin Tian’s hands repeatedly. Despite his deep-seated hatred, he still had to apologize in person.
"Yuze, you need to temper your temper. Don’t dismiss others’ success as just luck; that mentality will lead you to a loss sooner or later," Bai Zhengchu advised his grandson, then continued, "Trying to recruit Lin Tian this time would be a good thing if successful, possibly replacing the Tribute position. Even unsuccessful, we haven’t lost anything. And by making this gesture, we avoid exacerbating our conflicts, keeping our plans from sprouting complications."
"But Lin Tian..." Bai Yuze was not content, but his father cut him off.
"Yuze, listen to your grandfather. Think more long-term. As long as we crush or absorb the Xiao Family, Lin Tian will choose to join us. Once he becomes our subordinate, you will be his Young Master; what’s the rush?"
"Yuanhao, how much of the raw materials has the Xiao Family requested been shipped? Keep a close eye on it; we can’t afford any mistakes. This is the first step of our plan," Bai Zhengchu inquired.
This chapter is updat𝙚d by f(r)eew𝒆bn(o)vel.com