Fyren shot a glare at Chloe, who immediately fell silent.
"To put it bluntly!" BinChen slammed his palm on the table. "My daughter will never marry you. Put that idea out of your head now, before you bring disgrace upon both our families!"
Fyren forced a smile. "Understood. Actually, my purpose today—"
"I don't care why you're here. Just remember your place. Look at yourself, look at your family. Don't think you're special just because our old man took a liking to you. You know exactly what you are—need I spell it out?"
"Uncle Chen, I came to discuss business—"
"Our families have minimal business dealings. Just some trivial contracts here and there. Have your people talk to Cora's staff. There's no need for us to meet."
"If you have time to lecture me, can't you spare five minutes to review—"
"My time is precious, and currently—"
"Enough of this shit!" Fyren suddenly roared. "This isn't the same tone you used when Cora and I met you and Auntie in your parlor last week!"
BinChen looked stunned. "What did you just say? You dare curse at me?"
"Damn right I did. Got cotton in your ears?"
BinChen trembled with rage. "That day I was maintaining appearances in front of my wife and daughter—playing the gracious host, the devoted family man! It didn't mean I approved of you!"
Fyren shoved a document forward. "Read this contract carefully. I'm here to secure your family's twelve-billion-dollar investment. This has nothing to do with your daughter! I'm not interested in her—not even slightly!"
BinChen sputtered, "You—how dare you—"
"Of course I dare!" Fyren snapped. "I'm the youngest son of the Zhang family. Our assets dwarf yours. I've endured your nonsense for minutes without even being offered tea. Who else should I curse if not you?"
"You—"
"What? What?" Fyren retorted. "I brought this deal out of goodwill, but do you truly think our Zhang family needs yours? Nobility? What good is an empty title? Were your ancestors born wealthy? You're just complacent gentry. My father built his empire from nothing—what right have you to look down on anyone?"
"I—"
"Go reread your Confucian classics. Frame 'benevolence, righteousness, propriety, wisdom and fidelity' for your damn parlor wall. The contract stays. Sign it or don't—the offer stands indefinitely! Zaring! Chloe! We're leaving!"
"Hey, you—"
Fyren was about to leave but turned back abruptly. "Listen here, Chen Bin, if it weren't for my good relationship with your daughter and the fact that I'm buddies with your son, I wouldn't even offer you this contract—I'd tear it up instead! Whether your daughter is precious or not is your business. I'm not interested in her. Keep an eye on her—don't let her follow me around all day. Piss me off, and I'll knock her up and send her back to you. Let's see how you handle that!"
BinChen was stunned.
Never in his life had he seen Fyren act so rude, so crude, so insolent—so utterly furious.
Fyren jabbed a finger viciously at BinChen's forehead. "Keep your damn eyes open from now on!"
With that, Fyren and his entourage swaggered out.
BinChen stood frozen, unable to regain his composure for a long while.
The butler cautiously approached. "Master, that… young man was exceedingly disrespectful."
BinChen nodded slowly. "Hmph, you have to admit… the kid's got some nerve, doesn't he?"
The butler thought to himself, I don't know about nerve, but Master, you were acting a bit petty just now.
Meanwhile, at the Leng Residence…
EltonLeng was on the verge of a breakdown.
Otto was doing fine. Eliza was managing.
But!
The Leng family's financial chain had snapped.
Not "would snap"—it had snapped.
Otto didn't have the funds to proceed, and while Eliza had money, she'd need to re-sign her contract to stay on—locking her in for at least five more years!
Fyren's Zhang Group project had already raked in tens of billions in the stock market—more than enough. But the Leng family had invested $4.9 billion of their own.
The full $4.9 billion!
And now, it was about to go up in smoke.
Everyone was saying Fyren had played them hard.
Even if the shantytown project lost money, he wouldn't lose the entire $50 billion, right? But with the stock market gains, he'd recoup tens of billions—at least breaking even.
And given the circumstances, the additional resources Fyren had secured were staggering.
In the coming years, the Zhang Group would become the government's key supported enterprise. All the lucrative deals would inevitably tie back to them—perhaps even be orchestrated by them.
And the mastermind behind the Zhang Group's maneuvers?
None other than Fyren—the man who seemed like nothing more than a scheming opportunist.
The truth behind the scenes was far more calculated.
With this single project, the Zhang Group had sacrificed tens of billions in cash to drag down the Xu and Chen families—tying up over $30 billion in liquidity. Like shackles around their legs, it kept them from advancing.
At the same time, the project served to cripple the Leng family. They were no longer a major player—now, they were bound and shoved into the incinerator by Fyren himself.
While the Zhang family was winning on another battlefield, the competitiveness and capital of both the Chen and Xu families would be severely limited in the coming years. As for the Leng family—they had become the Zhang family's first piece of tender meat, ready to be swallowed in one bite.
What devastated Elton Leng even more was that the land he had been coveting had slipped through his fingers.
Yes, just as he was negotiating with several banks to secure an additional two billion loan for bidding on that parcel, the Land Bureau officials informed him the land had already been given away.
Given away!
A plot worth ten, twenty billion dollars—just given away!
When he demanded to know who received it, they refused to say.
But the Leng family wasn't powerless—they had connections. After some digging, the truth emerged: Fyren.
Elton Leng felt as if he'd been plunged into an icy abyss.
Recalling past events, he suddenly realized how terrifying Fyren truly was.
His head spun as memories flashed before him:
Fyren's antics at the engagement party; Otto's appearance and Fyren rejecting the marriage; Fyren claiming disinterest in the land and amusement park project despite Elton's own confessed desire for it...
How Fyren had ostensibly helped Eliza while actually leading her into the shantytown project quagmire;
How he'd secretly taken the land for himself—no bloodshed, not a single dollar paid...
Fyren had won completely.
The Leng family's carefully planned turnaround investment project lay in ruins, dragged down entirely. The entire Qingfeng Group had fallen into Fyren's trap without warning. In less than six months...the Leng family would collapse completely, becoming just another of Fyren's acquisitions...
Remembering his earlier disparaging remarks about Fyren, Elton Leng felt utterly ridiculous.
Fyren's apparent disinterest at the time—he must have been laughing at Elton's stupidity internally.
Who could have imagined? The old fox who had outmaneuvered rivals for decades was now being outplayed by some kid in his early twenties.
He was about to...be destroyed completely.
Just then, an attendant announced: "Young Master Fyren of the Zhang family requests an audience."
Elton Leng's face darkened. "Let him in."
Internally, he panicked:
I need to placate him. I must find a way to make him spare the Leng family.
But it makes no sense! He holds all the cards now—why would he show mercy?
Eliza! He likes Eliza! I'll give her to him freely if he'll just let us go!
But I'm being stupid—if he devours our family, Eliza would be his anyway. Why bargain?
Moreover, analyzing his actions...his treatment of Eliza was likely just part of his scheme. She probably means little to him!
What to do?
What to do, what to do, WHAT TO DO?!
Fyren was fuming as he approached.
These old men—each more cunning than the last, each better at pretending!
You've already surrendered your power, yet still putting on airs!
Not satisfied with cheating me?
I send you money, you send me trouble?
Every damn one of you deserves to be cursed! Especially Elton Leng—the worst of the three!
Damn it! If he dares play games with me, I'll make sure he regrets it! Not a single concession!
The gates opened. Fyren strode in aggressively.
"Aigoo, Fyren! What brings you—"
"Shut your mouth!"
Fyren's eyes burned red as he slammed a contract onto the table. "Read it carefully! One more word and I'll end you!"
"Oh, oh, of course..."
Trembling, Elton Leng began examining the contract.
Fyren gasped, "Don't skip a single word, and no pointless arguments. I'm in a particularly foul mood today."
"Yes, yes, I'll read it first."
Elton Leng finished reading and looked up at Fyren in confusion: "Fyren...what does...this mean?"
"Don't worry about what I mean. Just tell me—are you signing this contract or not?"
Elton Leng bit his lip, completely baffled by Fyren's behavior.
"This...contract seems...to only benefit us. I—"
"Stop the bullshit! I don't have time to waste with you people. Answer plainly: Sign! Or don't sign! Say no and I walk out right now—we'll settle this another time! If you want to sign, hurry up and write your name. Your daughter can stamp it later!"
Elton Leng felt utterly humiliated.
He thought bitterly:
See? The drum beaten by ten thousand hands gets broken.
Now that his scheme has succeeded, we've lost all bargaining power. Even our words carry no weight.
After carefully reviewing it again, Elton Leng looked at Fyren: "There's no trap in this contract...I can sign it."
Fyren said to Chloe, "Give him the pen."
Watching Elton Leng obediently sign, some of Fyren's anger dissipated. "At least you've got some sense."
Elton Leng forced a smile. "Fyren, about what happened before...this uncle was wrong. Don't hold it against me."
Fyren paused, then nodded. "Oh, I...I lost my temper too. Don't take it to heart, Uncle Elton. Honestly...I've been to three houses today. For this kind of contract, normally people would beg me on their knees to sign it. But those two old bastards...they started lecturing me without even looking at the terms! Really pissed me off."
"The Chen and Xu families...they signed too?"
"Yeah."
Fyren said, "Got any water? I'm parched."
"Of course, of course."
Elton Leng hurriedly called for mineral water.
Fyren took a sip. "That ZhiXu—what a piece of work! Convinced I'm after his daughter, thinks I'm trying to buy her with twenty billion! That girl wouldn't be worth twenty billion even if she were made of solid gold!"
"Oh, yes, quite right."
"And BinChen! Came in lecturing me about my father, called us nouveau riche! Damn it, we made ourselves rich!"
"Absolutely, absolutely."
Fyren nodded. "But you—you're being reasonable."
Elton Leng sighed. "Ah Fyren...you're a good kid at heart."
Fyren slapped his chair and told Chloe, "He's got me emotional now! Really! Touched my heart!"
Elton Leng ventured carefully, "It's just...with this move of yours...can the Leng family...survive?"
Fyren froze. "Whether you live or die is your business. Why ask me? What do I care? Right now I only care about myself and our Dasheng Group. Whether your three families live or die means nothing to me! After signing this, we follow the contract terms—no debts between us!"
Elton Leng said mournfully, "Let this old man beg you—leave the Leng family a way out!"
Fyren's face twisted like he'd tasted something vile:
"What did you just say to me?"