Chapter 100: The Ling Family Wants In

In the South China Sea conference room of the Huaxia Nation, after all the elder gentlemen had departed, only the Premier and the Chairman remained. The Premier took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, slowly savoring it before speaking to the Chairman: “This Yunwu tea is truly delightful. The last two taels I secured from Lin Chuan Yan of the Lin family are nearly finished. I honestly don’t know what I’ll do once this tea supply runs out. That remarkable fellow, Lin Feng—I hope he doesn’t falter. I don’t want this opportunity to stimulate Huaxia’s economic growth to be held up because of that young man.”

The Chairman also took slow sips of the tea, and after a few small cups, reluctantly set down the cup and responded, “You lot are something else. Since I’m the last to taste this tea, it seems I must find time to meet this celebrated young prodigy of Yanjing.”

“Haha, be careful. Meeting that youngster will surely frustrate you to no end!” The Premier chuckled upon hearing the Chairman’s interest in Lin Feng, recalling his own encounters with the young man. Smiling warmly, he warned the Chairman.

Hearing the Premier’s assessment, the Chairman’s curiosity about Lin Feng deepened. Finishing their tea, the Chairman resumed a serious tone: “If Lin Feng agrees smoothly, the Lin family has indeed contributed greatly. We cannot simply take from them without reciprocation. It’s not enough to say the nation will remember their contributions. How about this—Lin Chuan Ming, the Lin family patriarch, is somewhat familiar to me. I believe he’s a Lieutenant General. He’s held his position for some time and, based on seniority and merits, is eligible for promotion to full General, though age has been a limiting factor—he’s a bit young yet. This time, we could grant an exceptional promotion as a reward for the Lin family’s efforts.”

The Premier nodded thoughtfully after the Chairman’s suggestion, then expressed satisfaction: “I agree with what you said. Once the proxy rights issue is resolved, we should convene a high-level meeting to discuss this matter and gauge others’ opinions.”

The Lin patriarch had yet to learn that the state would provide additional compensation to the Lin family. If he knew, he might be overjoyed—promotion to General is no easy feat. At Lin Chuan Ming’s current pace, it would take at least five more years to be nominated, and even then, promotion is not guaranteed. This shows just how seriously the state values this proxy rights matter.

Meanwhile, Lin Chuan Zhi remained unaware that the state had set its sights on Lin Feng’s overseas agency rights. Unexpectedly, he received a call from Ling Weihua inviting him out for tea. Since there was nothing pressing at the Lin household, Lin Chuan Zhi agreed to the invitation to get some fresh air.

They met at a teahouse on a commercial street about ten kilometers from the Lin family compound. It was still working hours, so the teahouse was sparsely populated. Besides, tea-drinking is mostly favored by the elderly; few young people have the leisure to frequent teahouses.

Despite the few patrons, the teahouse was spacious and well-arranged, giving an immediate impression of quiet elegance—a place to soothe restless spirits. Lin Chuan Zhi was very pleased with Ling Weihua’s choice, surprised that such a fine spot existed in Yanjing.

After giving the reservation name, a waiter guided Lin Chuan Zhi to a private room where Ling Weihua had been waiting some time.

“Brother Weihua, I apologize for being late and making you wait,” Lin Chuan Zhi said anxiously as soon as he stepped inside, before even sitting down.

Ling Weihua, seated directly opposite the door, politely refused the apology. Standing up, he took Lin Chuan Zhi’s hand to welcome him and led him to sit before saying, “Brother Chuan Zhi, you are too courteous. I am honored that you came out to see me—I dare not accept your apology!” Ling Weihua spoke sincerely; Lin Chuan Zhi’s status, career, and accomplishments far surpassed his own. That he would take time to meet him was already a favor.

Once seated, Lin Chuan Zhi immediately bombarded Ling Weihua with questions. “Have you been in Yanjing all this while? How are things going? Why haven’t I seen that girl Shi Xuan?”

Ling Weihua happily explained, “Indeed, I haven’t left Yanjing recently. Fortunately, I’ve completed all the tasks I needed to. I’m heading back to Zhanhai City in a couple of days. That restless girl, Shi Xuan, couldn’t stand the loneliness here without anyone to play with, so she returned to Zhanhai yesterday.”

“Oh, as long as things are going well, that’s good,” Lin Chuan Zhi nodded while sipping his tea, uncertain of the true purpose behind Ling Weihua’s invitation. He trusted that it was not just a casual tea meeting.

Sure enough, seeing Lin Chuan Zhi silent, Ling Weihua grew anxious and revealed his true intent: “Brother Chuan Zhi, yesterday I heard from a friend a rumor—though I don’t know if it’s true—that Lin Feng’s company’s overseas agency rights are about to be publicly tendered. I wanted to confirm with you.”

Lin Chuan Zhi smiled knowingly and looked at Ling Weihua. “There is some truth to that. So, Brother Weihua, you’re interested?”

Excited, Ling Weihua pounded the tea table. “This matter is of great interest not only to all of Huaxia but worldwide. Anyone who wants to make money is watching closely.”

Lin Chuan Zhi encouraged him: “Well then, if you’re interested, you should participate in the bidding.”

Ling Weihua laughed bitterly. “Brother Chuan Zhi, don’t laugh at me. With the small scale of my Ling Company, we can barely compete in Zhanhai City. How could we possibly stand against major financial groups, multinational corporations, and powerful families on a national or global level? Didn’t you see the news this morning? Many world-class business figures arrived in Yanjing last night.”

Lin Chuan Zhi’s curiosity peaked. “Then why exactly did you call me out here?”

Ling Weihua finally revealed his true purpose: “Don’t laugh, but the Ling family has been around a long time. We’ve built some channels in South Korea, so I want to secure the Korean agency rights. That way, Ling Company can ride Lin Feng’s coattails to a higher level. But we lack the strength to compete, so I had to come to you. You’re Lin Feng’s father. If you speak on my behalf, I believe it will have much more impact.”

He looked at Lin Chuan Zhi expectantly, hoping for a favorable answer.

Lin Chuan Zhi hesitated. To be honest, agreeing to meet Ling Weihua was already an acknowledgment that some trouble might come. He hadn’t expected it to concern Lin Feng’s agency rights. Moreover, Ling Weihua was a rare old friend from Zhanhai City, making the favor difficult to accept or refuse.

After a long silence in the private room, Lin Chuan Zhi finally made up his mind. Addressing Ling Weihua, who appeared anxious and kept drinking tea to calm his nerves, he said: “Weihua, I can’t promise you immediately. You know I don’t interfere in Lin Feng’s affairs. At most, I can talk to the boy. If he agrees, I’ll get back to you. If he doesn’t, there’s nothing I can do.”

Excited by this, Ling Weihua hurriedly poured tea into Lin Chuan Zhi’s empty cup and graciously raised his own. “Chuan Zhi, thank you so much. No matter the outcome, I’m deeply grateful you’ll speak to Lin Feng on my behalf. I toast you with this cup of tea in place of wine!”

Lin Chuan Zhi returned the gesture politely, raising his cup and drinking the tea.

...

Upon arriving in Yanjing from the island nation, Iga Tengxiang immediately brought an assistant to visit the Wang family. The Wang family’s business thrived in the island nation thanks to connections with the Iga clan, which helped pave the way for their products’ success there.

In the Wang family’s living room, Elder Wang and third-generation scion Wang Manzheng welcomed Iga Tengxiang. Ever since she entered the Wang household, Wang Manzheng had been captivated by her. No wonder—someone of Iga Tengxiang’s caliber, trained within the island’s organization, exuded every ounce of feminine charm and allure. Her barely concealed skin and enticing features constantly drew the eyes of men.

Wang Manzheng was unaware of her background, but Elder Wang, who had cooperated with the Iga family for many years, knew well that despite her youth, she was a ruthless force to be reckoned with—one not to be underestimated.

Noticing Wang Manzheng lost in her beauty, Elder Wang cleared his throat heavily to snap his grandson back to attention. Calmly, he addressed Iga Tengxiang, who sat elegantly and radiated charm in every gesture: “Welcome to Huaxia Nation. How is your grandfather?”

Iga Tengxiang was pleased with Wang Manzheng’s reaction. She loved seeing men enchanted by her beauty and was satisfied with her seductive power. Hearing Elder Wang’s question, she gracefully set down her cup, causing Wang Manzheng, who had just been pulled back from his daze, to be drawn in once more by her movements, his lips trembling with barely concealed desire.