Wang Hao slammed his wine glass upside down onto the table, his expression murderous.
"Who I am is none of your concern, but I'm taking this pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets today."
"Heh—" Lin Hui sneered. "You're taking them? Ten billion—do you even have that kind of money?"
If he really had ten billion, why would this fellow need to hide his head and tail?
"This pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets of mine is certainly no cheap stall item."
"Yours? Are you worthy? Miss Lin's skin is certainly thick. If I'm not mistaken, I heard this originally belonged to the Xiao family!"
At the mention of the Xiao family, Lin Hui's expression changed completely. "Shut up!"
"Mention the Xiao family to me again and I'll tear your mouth apart!"
The Xiao family was her dark past.
No one was allowed to mention it.
"Heh, Miss Lin, could it be you have a guilty conscience?" Xiao Zining sneered. "However, I happen to find this pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets exceptionally pleasing. I wonder if Miss Lin would be willing to part with them?"
"Get lost—" Lin Hui roared.
Wang Hao waved his hand and shouted angrily, "Security team, break the dogs' legs of these two impostors and throw them out immediately!"
A group of security guards surged forward aggressively, surrounding Xiao Zining and his companion.
The atmosphere was taut as a bowstring!
"Yue Xihua, Mayor of Fengcheng, has arrived!"
"Hu Tiantu, garrison general of the Fengcheng Garrison Headquarters, has arrived!"
"Jiang Haosheng, Chairman of Longyue Group, has arrived!"
"..."
Voice after voice rang out like thunder, crashing into their minds.
The mayor, the general, and business tycoons—every single one of them had arrived in person!
This, this...
Lin Hui's expression changed instantly.
Was her prestige really this great?
Good god...
Wang Hao was dumbfounded too. "Fall back! Fall back! Fall back immediately! Don't block the lords' path!"
With a look of flattered disbelief, he said, "It is our absolute greatest honor for the mayor, the general, and the others to attend our charity gala!"
The guards immediately retreated.
If the mayor and the others were to witness such a farce, wouldn't it be terribly impolite?
Outside the doors, two middle-aged men walked in side by side. One wore a Zhongshan suit and possessed an extraordinary bearing; the other was in full military uniform, radiating a fierce murderous aura.
Behind them followed several heavyweights from the local Fengcheng business circle.
"Mayor!"
"General!"
The crowd quickly bowed respectfully.
"Mayor Yue, General Hu, esteemed bosses, it truly brings great splendor to our humble event that you could all come to our charity gala..." Lin Hui and Wang Hao hurriedly stepped forward, currying favor as they greeted them.
The next moment, Lin Hui snapped her head toward Xiao Zining and his companion.
"Why haven't you lost yourselves yet? For the sake of these lords, I won't bicker with you today, but otherwise, I'd make sure to break your legs today!"
Wang Hao quickly explained, "My lords, please don't take offense. This fellow is just a troublemaker, we'll chase him out right away..."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than Hu Tiantu's expression turned pitch black.
"Slap!"
A crisp crack of a palm nearly knocked Wang Hao's teeth flying out of his mouth!
"Who the hell are you trying to chase away?!"
That fierce murderous aura pressed in, nearly scaring Wang Hao into pissing himself on the spot!
"General, I..."
Smack!! Another heavy, powerful slap sent Wang Hao rolling across the floor several times, spitting out a mouthful of shattered teeth mixed with blood...
"Do you have any idea who this is? A mere charity gala, and for our Governor-General to attend is already the blessing of eight lifetimes cultivated by your family, yet you actually dared to chase him away?"
"I'd say you've grown tired of living!"
Hu Tiantu's angry roar echoed through the crowd, leaving them all dumbstruck...
Th-The Governor-General?!
Chapter 53 Preparation
"Hiss—"
Everyone drew a sharp, collective breath of cold air.
This man wearing the Asura mask was actually the Governor-General?
They were completely stupefied...
Lin Hui's legs went soft, her head spinning in a dizzy blur...
Such a major figure was right in front of her, and not only had she failed to butter him up, she had completely and utterly offended him to death. She was finished for sure!
Wang Hao was so terrified his liver and gallbladder felt like they were splitting apart!
He was done for...
A major figure of this level could wipe him and the Wang Family out without leaving a burial site with just a single word!
Yue Xihua, Hu Tiantu, Jiang Haosheng, and the others walked in a neat line right behind Xiao Zining, bowing ninety degrees in salute. "Greetings, Governor-General! Congratulations, sir, on taking office as the Governor-General of the Three Provinces!"
The massive banquet hall was now terrifyingly silent...
Xiao Zining waved his hand.
He said nothing.
Both Lin Hui and Wang Hao were frightened out of their wits, their eyes filled with terror...
"Come here." Xiao Zining crooked a finger at them, and they immediately scrambled over on all fours, cold sweat pouring all over their bodies.
"Governor-General, we..."
Xiao Zining offered an amused smile. "What did you say just a moment ago? You wanted to break my dog's legs?"
"I..."
Plop!!
The two of them dropped to their knees on the spot. "We were just joking with you."
"Is that so..."
Xiao Zining nodded. With a single kick, Wang Hao's body went flying sideways, several of his ribs snapping as he nearly passed out from the shock...
Xiao Zining swept his foot out, and one of Lin Hui's legs broke instantly. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead from the excruciating pain... yet she didn't dare utter a single syllable!
Xiao Zining's smile grew richer. "Was the joke this Governor-General played with you funny?"
The crowd: "..."
Lin Hui and Wang Hao forced out awkward smiles, nodding repeatedly like lapdogs. "Funny! So funny! Governor-General, you're truly humorous!"
Xiao Zining looked down at them from above.
Not a word did he say.
That gaze made their hair stand completely on end!
For some unknown reason, the two of them felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity in those eyes...
"Remember, never casually take things that do not belong to you."
"Otherwise... when you spit them back out, the price you pay will be ten or a hundred times greater."
"This is only the beginning."
With that, Xiao Zining put his hands behind his back and strode forward.
He gathered up the pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets.
A trace of nostalgia flashed through his eyes, and with a soft sigh, he turned and left.
Seeing the object evokes memories of the person!!
The entire hall maintained an eerie, dead silence.
It wasn't until Xiao Zining left that the immense pressure weighing on their bodies and minds slowly dissipated, allowing them to let out heavy sighs of relief...
"Terrifying!"
"Just what background does this Governor-General have? That overwhelming presence, that murderous aura..."
In front of Xiao Zining, they doubted they even had the courage to keep standing!
Lin Hui and Wang Hao both turned pale as paper.
They had wanted to rely on this charity gala to make a name for themselves in one fell swoop...
Instead, it had turned into a complete joke!
And on top of that, they had been beaten half to death.
After today, the two of them would become the laughingstock of all Fengcheng...
Outside the doors.
Hu Tiantu and the others cautiously followed behind Xiao Zining.
"Lord Xiao, with your identity, you could crush the Four Major Clans in a matter of minutes. Why bother wearing them down like this? You could just flick these two ants to death whenever you feel like it."
"Don't ask about things that are none of your business," Xiao Zining said indifferently.
"It was my place to talk too much." Hu Tiantu immediately shut his mouth, not daring to say another word.
Yue Xihua spoke up cautiously, "Lord Xiao, Nevernight City in Fengcheng is about to open for business very soon. This is the largest project in the history of Fengcheng. Might I invite you to attend our ribbon-cutting ceremony when the time comes?"
"With your presence, our Nevernight City will surely be graced with extraordinary splendor!"
"Not interested."
Xiao Zining's reaction was lukewarm. He shifted his gaze to Jiang Haosheng. "Longyue Group is planning to develop a new 50-million project recently?"
Chapter 54 Give This Project to My Wife
"This..." Jiang Haosheng thought for a moment before replying, "A fifty-million project—there is indeed such an investment project, and we haven't found a partner for it yet."
"My wife is going to secure this project. Also, this project must absolute not be given to anyone else, including anyone from the Bai family."
"Understood." Since Xiao Zining had put it that way, how could Jiang Haosheng dare not obey?
To Xiao Zining, tens of millions really was just a very small amount of money.
However, he also knew very well that Bai Xining would never accept money given to her directly. What he needed to do was quietly support everything she did from behind the scenes!
Respect her choices.
Respect the fruits of her labor.
Escort her safely along her path.
Only then could the two of them cultivate genuine affection. Was Bai Xining the kind of woman who cared only about money?
If she were truly that superficial, she wouldn't have quietly endured so many years of hardship all by herself. The wealth of the Xiao family was something entirely within her grasp.
Therefore, Xiao Zining respected her choice!
Since she wanted to prove herself, he would just quietly support her from behind the scenes.
"Understood."
Jiang Haosheng nodded hurriedly. "I'll brief my subordinates."
---
Back at the Xiao family residence.
Xiao Yi had already prepared the meal and was waiting there for Xiao Zining to return.
"Brother, you're back? Let's eat!"
"Uncle Fu and I have been waiting for you for a long time, the dishes have been reheated twice already."
Xiao Zining felt a pang in his nose.
"Alright, let's eat."
As soon as he stepped back into the Xiao home, it reminded him of the days when their family of four lived in harmonious joy. Yet now, everything was gone and could never return to the past!
After dinner, Xiao Zining took out the pair of dragon and phoenix bracelets. "Look, what is this?"
"The dragon and phoenix bracelets!"
"Brother, you actually managed to get these back?"
Xiao Yi's face was full of pleasant surprise.
"That's right!"
"Things that belong to our Xiao family cannot be taken away by anyone!"
"Very soon, Tianyu Group will return to our hands once more."
Xiao Zining said in a deep voice.
His tone was brimming with confidence.
"But, Brother... Tianyu Group has already been transferred under Lin Hui's name now, and she has the Wang family backing her. It's going to be too difficult for us to take it back."
"Don't worry, we will!" Xiao Zining smiled, reaching out to pat her head.
The Four Major Clans?
In his eyes, what difference was there between them and ants? He had never taken them to heart.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After coaxing the two children to sleep and resting for a moment, Bai Xining began rushing to finish her proposal.
This was a fifty-million investment project, after all.
A massive company like Longyue Group—
there were simply too many people wanting to cooperate with them, and the competition was incomparably fierce.
Therefore...
She had to do her preparatory work well.
This was a real estate development project, and the proposal played a crucial role.
Although Bai Xining had not attended university, over the past few years she had also enrolled in adult education courses, never pausing her journey of learning. Every single exam result of hers had been top of the class, making her countless times better than those college students who merely coasted by.
She pushed through the night until three or four in the morning...
Two or three days passed in a flash.
The hype surrounding the arrival of the Three Provinces Governor-General in Fengcheng also gradually faded away.
And Bai Xining's proposal was finally completed in its preliminary form...
Looking at the fruit of her bitter, hard labor, a trace of a smile appeared at the corners of her mouth.
If she could really reach a cooperation agreement with Longyue Group this time, then the new learning environment for her two children would be secured!
Today was the day Longyue Group would officially and publicly begin recruiting partners.
She dressed up meticulously, put on professional attire, and hailed a cab straight to Longyue Group.
"So many people!"
She was somewhat surprised to see a great number of people holding briefcases and wearing battle-ready expressions. She felt intensely nervous...
"Yo, if it isn't our Miss Bai?" A BMW X-series parked right beside Bai Xining. A young woman stepped out from the front passenger seat and, the moment she laid eyes on Bai Xining, spoke in a tone dripping with sarcasm.
"Zhou Xin?" Bai Xining knitted her slender brows. "You're here too?"
"Heh." Zhou Xin let out a derisive scoff. "Why shouldn't I be here? You wouldn't happen to be here to compete for Longyue Group's project as well, would you?"
"You? Overestimating your own capabilities!"
She mocked with a cold, biting tone, "You don't stand a chance, stop daydreaming."
Chapter 55 The Competition Begins!
Hearing this, Bai Xining offered a radiant smile. "How would I know if I don't try?"
Zhou Xin was her former high school classmate. Back in high school, Bai Xining's grades, family background, and beauty had all been top-tier.
She had firmly suppressed Zhou Xin, forcing the other girl to settle for second place.
And Zhou Xin had always harbored deep jealousy and hatred toward her.
Therefore...
The two of them had never gotten along.
Especially after that incident when Bai Xining was expelled from the Bai family, Zhou Xin's attitude toward her had turned infinitely more malicious.
"Heh, try? Are you even worthy? Do you think you're still the young miss of the Bai family from back then? What absolute wishful thinking!"
"Besides..."
"Even if the Bai family came today, they still wouldn't be able to secure this project."
Zhou Xin acted loftily, her head held high.
She wore the expression of someone who had already won in advance.
The male companion beside her chuckled. "Xin'er, is this the old rival you mentioned?"
"She used to be. Now, she's no longer worthy," Zhou Xin said indifferently. "Darling, it's all thanks to you that I was able to complete so many tasks so quickly."
Han Hanzhong smiled. "Don't worry, I'm a scion of the Han family after all. I still carry that much clout; Manager Fang of this project has already promised to give it to me."
"Thank you, darling. When we get back, I'll definitely reward you properly..." Zhou Xin was immensely excited.
Once she secured this project, her standing within the company would rise significantly.
"Bai Xining, an illiterate who didn't even go to university—where do you get the confidence to come here? Hurry back home to raise your two bastards!"
Zhou Xin's taunts pierced like a nail straight into Bai Xining's heart.
She fell silent and walked inward. Wasting breath arguing with such people had no real meaning.
Zhou Xin sneered, strutting inside with the triumphant air of a victorious fighting rooster!
Seeing the motivated expressions of those people made her want to laugh out loud. The project had already been pre-assigned behind closed doors, yet these poor fellows still knew nothing at all...
Later on, she would definitely slap Bai Xining's face swollen to vent her pent-up anger!
Walking into the conference room, she found it already packed with people.
Every single one of them was a competitor for the project cooperation.
Bai Xining felt the pressure mounting. Although she had a certain degree of confidence in her project proposal... still, the odds were terribly slim!
"Yo, you actually really came?" Bai Ting and his sister caught sight of Bai Xining and couldn't help letting out scornful laughs.
"You really have zero self-awareness," Bai Yuexin rolled her eyes. "A high school graduate actually putting on airs and making a proposal, hahahaha... Don't go embarrassing the Bai family completely later on!"
Bai Xining lowered her head.
That remark struck right at her sore spot...
Back then, because she was pregnant with her two babies, she had been unable to attend university.
That was the lifelong regret of her life!
However, she did not regret it!
To her, her two babies were little angels sent to her by the heavens!
"Educational background doesn't represent everything," Bai Xining said flatly, clenching her fists in secret.
At twelve o'clock sharp.
A middle-aged man in a suit with an imposing bearing walked up to the main seat. This was the development manager in charge of the project, Fang Huazhen.
"Manager Fang is here."
Han Hanzhong muttered in a low voice, "Don't worry, ultimate victory belongs to us."
Zhou Xin was also full of confidence.
The Han family was one of the Four Major Clans of Fengcheng, after all. Even if he were just borrowing their name, would this Fang Huazhen dare not show some face?
Only Bai Xining sat there feeling anxious and uneasy.
Meanwhile, inside the chairman's office, Jiang Haosheng suddenly recalled something...
Today seems to be the day for selecting the cooperation partner for that project Lord Xiao mentioned?
"There are too many things going on, I actually forgot to brief Fang Huazhen!"
"Forget it, I'd better go take a look in person..."
Chapter 56 Plagiarizing the Fruits of Labor!
Meanwhile, inside the conference room.
Fang Huazhen swept his gaze across the room and spoke. "I'm honored that you could all come to our company's project development meeting. Longyue Group also hopes to find a reliable partner through this meeting."
"Now, hand over your project proposals and plans so we can review them. We will select the most suitable cooperation partner."
A glimmer of hopeful light appeared in everyone's eyes as they hurriedly handed in their plans.
"Please wait a moment, everyone," Fang Huazhen said indifferently. Although the spot had already been pre-assigned internally, surface-level procedures were still necessary.
After they walked out, murmurs and whispers broke out within the conference room.
Just who would manage to stand out among the numerous competitors?
Behind the scenes.
The corporate members of Longyue Group's project department were reviewing the proposals that had been handed in.
A moment later...
"Manager, I think this one is a really great plan."
A young woman picked up Bai Xining's proposal and placed it before Fang Huazhen.
Fang Huazhen glanced at the proposal, noting the signature—Bai Xining. He said indifferently, "This plan can be kept; we can use it when we implement the project. However, I already have a candidate in mind for the cooperation partner."
"What?"
Hearing this, the staff members were all stunned.
"Manager, this..."
Wasn't this plagiarism?
"Enough!"
"I naturally have my own ideas. Ask fewer questions about things that aren't your concern!"
Fang Huazhen's tone was overbearing as he cut them off with a cold bark.
The employees didn't dare speak another word.
Fang Huazhen was their manager; dissatisfied though they might be, how could they dare cross him?
"Bring me a pen, I'm going to reprint this proposal and change the signature."
"Manager, this is really..." The young woman couldn't stomach it any longer.
Someone else had put in painstaking effort to create the fruits of their labor, and with just a single sentence from him, it was stolen away? And moreover, this labor of love was going to be credited to someone else's name!
Fang Huazhen was utterly shameless to the extreme!
"Are you teaching me how to do my job?" Fang Huazhen let out a cold snort. "Know your place!"
"......Understood." The young woman lowered her head.
A fresh copy of the proposal was printed out. Fang Huazhen directly edited away the original signature using correction fluid and signed Zhou Xin's full name in its place.
In this way, Bai Xining's brilliant plan now belonged to Zhou Xin.
After all, Young Master Han had given him quite a generous kickback, so naturally, he had to handle this matter securely.
As for that nobody named Bai Xining, who cared? Someone like that had no background or status—where would she get the capital to fight them?
Pure wishful thinking!
Holding the proposal, he strode back into the conference room.
Everyone grew tense once more!