Learning that the force behind the Zhang Family was the Tuoba Family of Ning Province made everyone present feel even more wary of the Zhang Family.
Of course, they also never expected that Zhang Wei, the head of the Zhang Family, would be completely helpless against a young man named Bai Feng, and even be forced to bring out his backers.
If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, they simply wouldn't have believed it!
At the same time!
They naturally understood the implication behind the words of Zhang Wei, head of the Zhang Family: the Zhang Family would never let this matter rest.
"Zhang... Zhang Family Head... Everything that happened was solely the doing of this bastard Bai Feng, and the Xu Family is completely innocent.
Yesterday evening, I also had someone deliver the Xu Family's jade pendant into Young Master Zhang's hands, though it was just snatched away by Bai Feng.
Starting today, Xu Shuyin will be permanently expelled from the Xu Family. As for the profits from the future cooperation between the Xu Family and Xianyun Group,
we are willing to offer eighty percent of them as compensation for this incident. We only hope the Zhang Family Head will not blame the Xu Family and will leave us a way out."
Panicking inwardly, Matriarch Xu carefully weighed her words, her entire body hunched over with an extremely humble demeanor, looking as if she wanted to drop to her knees right then and there.
Things had reached this point; she knew that clinging to her pride would truly spell absolute disaster for the Xu Family.
Inside the banquet hall, the crowd watched the scene quietly, wearing various expressions.
Zhang Wei, head of the Zhang Family, gave Matriarch Xu and her group a deep look, saying nothing, his expression remaining gloomy and dissatisfied.
"If it weren't out of respect for Old Master Xu's spirit in heaven and for Shuyin's sake..."
Bai Feng looked coldly at Matriarch Xu and her group, leaving the sentence unfinished, but his meaning was painfully obvious.
"Since you've brought up this so-called Tuoba Family and your masters are coming anyway, I'll personally make a trip to the Zhang Family this afternoon to demand an explanation.
Now take your people and get lost, or don't blame me for changing my mind and leaving you lying here as well."
Shifting his tone, Bai Feng slowly lifted his foot from Zhang Shihao's arm, casting a cold gaze at Zhang Wei, head of the Zhang Family, standing in the room. He didn't look like he was joking in the slightest.
This made the eyes of everyone present widen even further, feeling that Bai Feng had truly lost his mind!
"Don't even think about leaving Ning Province during this time," Zhang Wei glared fixedly at Bai Feng, his expression shifting rapidly, his eyes filled with fierce malevolence.
"From this moment on, enforce a total blockade against the Xu Group. Also, keep a close watch—if any member of the Xu Family is found trying to flee Fengcheng, make them disappear permanently."
Withdrawing his gaze, Zhang Wei spoke with extreme sternness and ruthlessness before turning and walking out of the banquet hall.
Swish!
The expressions of Matriarch Xu and her group instantly turned ghastly, their eyes filled with panic.
True to their worst fears, the Xu Family's last resort had been completely cut off!
After Zhang Shihao and Zhao Heilong were carried away, the people in the banquet hall quickly dispersed, not daring to linger for a moment longer.
However, more than a dozen people stayed behind, all glaring menacingly at Matriarch Xu, Xu Shuyin, and Bai Feng's group.
"Let's head out as well."
Seeing the deep worry written across Xu Shuyin's face, Bai Feng offered a soft word of comfort, then took her hand and walked outside, not even glancing at Matriarch Xu and her group.
Seeing Bai Feng and Xu Shuyin about to leave, Xu Shuyin's second uncle, Xu Yuxian, wore an anxious look and tried to step forward to block them.
"Never mind that little beast; someone will keep an eye on them. The Xu Family has fallen to this state today entirely because of the old man's foolish decisions during his lifetime.
Right now, our only choice is to go and sign the contract with Xianyun Group, and then I will humble this old face of mine once more to beg the Zhang Family, striving for a new turning point."
Matriarch Xu's complexion remained extremely ugly, and deep down she had zero confidence about securing the Zhang Family's forgiveness. If worse came to worst, they would simply have to hand over the entire Xu Group as well.
Twenty minutes later, in the parking lot outside Fengyun Building, upon seeing Bai Feng and Xu Shuyin arriving as well, Matriarch Xu grew even more furious and promptly ordered someone to step forward and block them.
"You little wretch, you actually have the nerve to show your face here! The profits from the cooperation with Xianyun Group will now have to go to the Zhang Family, and we might even lose the Xu Group itself. Do you know that everyone is going to be killed because of you?"
Matriarch Xu stared angrily at Xu Shuyin, her eyes filled with disgust and loathing, trembling all over with rage.
"Young man, since you've offended the Zhang Family this time, I hope you live to see tomorrow."
Matriarch Xu cast a dissatisfied glance at Bai Feng beside her, as if looking at a dead man.
"If you let this shameless bitch inside, the both of you will be stripped of everything and kicked out of the Xu Family."
Matriarch Xu shouted angrily at Xu Shuyin's mother, Xiao Nan, and Xu Shushan, before striding toward the building.
Without a second thought, Xiao Nan and her son Xu Shushan stepped in front of Xu Shuyin and Bai Feng, their eyes filled with resentment and anger.
"No rush. Let's wait here for a bit and go in later," Bai Feng said with a smile.
Xu Shuyin nodded gently, keeping her head lowered to avoid looking at her mother Xiao Nan and her younger brother Xu Shushan.
She knew her grandmother would undoubtedly return empty-handed, because Brother Feng had already made a phone call that morning and settled everything.
"Xu Shuyin, stop daydreaming. You've already been expelled from the Xu Family. Even if the Zhang Family decides not to trouble the Xu Family later, you won't get a single benefit."
Wary of the presence of Bai Feng beside her, Xu Shushan didn't dare to speak too insolently.
Upon entering the building, Matriarch Xu and her companions spotted Li Qingmo, president of Xianyun Group, sitting in the first-floor lobby lounge area.
"Hello, President Li. I am Liu Fengying, the person in charge of the Xu Group, here to sign the contract with Xianyun Group."
Facing Li Qingmo, who was decades younger than her, Matriarch Xu lowered her posture completely, her face plastered with flattering smiles.
"Didn't Xu Shuyin and the others come?" Looking at Matriarch Xu and her group, Li Qingmo stood up with a faint smile.
"President Li, I am truly sorry. Because of a grave mistake, Xu Shuyin has been expelled from the Xu Family and has no relation to the Xu Group whatsoever."
Taken aback for a moment, Matriarch Xu Liu Fengying hurriedly explained with a forced, ingratiating smile.
"Are you certain she has been expelled from the Xu Family?" Li Qingmo looked at Matriarch Xu and her group in surprise, her expression turning serious.
"Yes, President Li, she has been expelled from the Xu Family."
Though puzzled by Li Qingmo's suspicious look, Matriarch Xu replied earnestly all the same.
"The only reason Xianyun Group agreed to cooperate with the Xu Group is because of Xu Shuyin. Since she has been expelled from the Xu Family, you may all take your leave."
Watching the deadly serious Matriarch Xu, Li Qingmo sat back down, her tone icy cold and brooking no argument.
Swish!
The expressions of Matriarch Xu and the others changed instantly, their eyes filled with panic. They couldn't for the life of them understand why Li Qingmo had chosen Xu Shuyin.
Could it be because of that Bai Feng? Matriarch Xu and the others all entertained the thought, but immediately dismissed it as completely impossible.
"President Li, I was just joking earlier. Xu Shuyin is right outside; she'll be right in."
Matriarch Xu quickly changed her tune, squeezing out an ugly smile while gesturing to Xu Yuxian beside her to go outside and fetch them.
If the Xu Group failed to sign the contract with Xianyun Group, it meant losing their absolute last sliver of hope, plunging them into genuine disaster.
"Very well, I'll wait a little longer."
Li Qingmo nodded with a cold expression, her overwhelming aura leaving Matriarch Xu and the others gasping for breath.
"Yuxian, has the contract been signed?"
Seeing Xu Yuxian step out in a hurry, Xu Shuyin's mother, Xiao Nan, asked anxiously, while the others also looked over.
"Xu Shuyin, your grandmother wants you inside."
Xu Yuxian glanced at Xiao Nan and the others before speaking to Xu Shuyin, his expression quite foul.
Hearing that the old matriarch wanted Xu Shuyin inside, Xiao Nan and the others were somewhat surprised, their hearts filled with doubt.
"Go on in, I'll wait for you here," Bai Feng said with a smile, having anticipated this outcome all along.
In front of everyone, Xu Shuyin shook her head with a firm expression and took a step back.
"Xu Shuyin, what is the meaning of this? Are you throwing a temper tantrum on purpose? Get in there with me right now."
Xu Yuxian's face darkened instantly, extreme dissatisfaction written all over him.
"Second Uncle, I'm sorry, you don't call the shots for the Xu Family. It's not that I refuse to go in."
Seeming to have figured everything out, Xu Shuyin first glanced at Bai Feng beside her, then looked straight at Xu Yuxian with a growing sense of resolve.
Swish!
The people outside the building wore looks of utter disbelief, having caught the subtext in Xu Shuyin's words.
"You..."
Xu Yuxian was choked with anger, momentarily at a loss for words.
"You little fool, get in there right this second, did you hear me?"
Although Xiao Nan was consumed with confusion, seeing her daughter refuse to enter made her deeply anxious and furious, and she moved to grab and pull Xu Shuyin.
"Since she doesn't want to go in, nobody has the right to force her."
Smiling, Bai Feng stepped forward to block Xiao Nan, inwardly quite surprised by Xu Shuyin's sudden shift in attitude.
"So you want the old matriarch to come out and invite you personally, is that it? Shuyin, my girl, you really something."
Giving his niece a deep look, Xu Yuxian wore an extremely disgruntled expression as he turned and walked back into the building.
"Xu Shuyin, have you lost your mind? Do you have any idea what you're doing?"
Xiao Nan's face was full of anxiety and annoyance; she felt as though she no longer recognized her own daughter, Xu Shuyin.
Before long, Matriarch Xu walked out with her complexion darkened to the extreme.
"Xu Shuyin, come inside with me right now. President Li is waiting."
Matriarch Xu looked coldly at her granddaughter Xu Shuyin, her tone filled with extreme displeasure. She never imagined her granddaughter would pull such a stunt at a critical juncture like this.
In response, Xu Shuyin shook her head firmly once more, not moving her feet an inch.
"The shares belonging to your parents and your younger brother will not be reclaimed by the family—I can promise you that much. Now come inside with me immediately."
Watching her resolute granddaughter, Matriarch Xu tried her utmost to control her tone and demeanor, though her heart grew more and more dissatisfied.
"If you have any other demands, state them."
Seeing that her granddaughter remained unmoved, Matriarch Xu took a deep breath, her voice sinking very low.
"Grandmother, as long as you stop opposing Brother Feng and me, publicly acknowledge him as the Xu Family's son-in-law, and apologize to him, I will go inside with you.
If you don't agree, I refuse to step inside. Besides, the only reason Xianyun Group chose the Xu Family this time is entirely because of Brother Feng.
As for our current troubles, Brother Feng can easily solve them without implicating the Xu Family."
Looking at her grandmother Liu Fengying and the others present, Xu Shuyin voiced the thoughts in her heart and made her stance clear.
Her reasoning was simple: she wanted to do everything in her power for the Brother Feng she loved so deeply.
Even though these efforts might seem insignificant in Brother Feng's eyes, they carried her absolute sincerity and her deepest affection.