Chapter 60: Ambition

October 7th, 2056, Saturday, was the day when the five members of the Flame Hammer Squad had agreed to meet at the HR Alliance Mall.

Morning.

A sleek and elegant coupe glided gracefully into the plaza of the HR Alliance Mall, coming to a halt directly before the entrance of the HR Skyscraper’s grand lobby. Luo Feng and Chen Gu, clad in understated yet refined casual shirts, stepped out of the vehicle and strode through the doors, where they were greeted by the attentive doorman into the opulent first-floor atrium.

“Please wait a moment, sir.”

As Luo Feng stepped into the lobby, his eyes immediately caught sight of Xu Xin, dressed in a white shirt like a professional woman, smiling and chatting with some warriors at the bar counter in the distance. Suddenly, she inadvertently saw a figure walking toward the bar counter. Upon closer look, Xu Xin’s eyes couldn’t help but flicker with a hint of surprise.

“Luo Feng,” Xu Xin smiled and called out.

“Xu Xin,” Luo Feng smiled as he approached the bar counter. “Give me a cup of Pu’er tea, by the way, do you have time? Let’s chat a bit, old classmates?”

Xu Xin hesitated slightly, smiled, and then gave instructions to another waiter nearby before walking out from behind the bar and smiled, “It’s not too busy here today, not many customers. Come on, Luo Feng, let’s chat over there.” At this moment, Chen Gu, sitting on the sofa far away, raised his thumb towards Luo Feng from a distance.

In a quiet corner of the bar, Luo Feng and Xu Xin sat facing each other.

“Luo Feng, when did you return from the wilderness area last time? Was it not long ago?” Xu Xin sat quietly, holding a cup of tea, the green tea leaves making the transparent teacup glow slightly green.

“I’ve been back for some time,” Luo Feng replied.

Xu Xin smiled, unable to help but laugh, “You’ve been back for so long, yet you never came to visit your old classmates. Are you… looking down on your old classmates? Among my three high school classmates, you’re the only one who became a warrior, you know. I’ve always been thinking about the day when you, Luo Feng, would become famous so I could brag about it to others.”

“Hehe, Xu Xin, which university are you attending now?” Luo Feng asked.

Thus, Luo Feng and Xu Xin sat there, chatting casually about each other’s current life situations. Although Luo Feng secretly admired Xu Xin, and Xu Xin also knew that Luo Feng had feelings for her… both consciously avoided touching upon that subject, just quietly chatting like this.

Seemingly calm conversation, Luo Feng himself was quite satisfied.

…

At this time, a young man wearing a black shirt and black trousers walked out from the elevator area. His eyes scanned and immediately spotted Xu Xin and Luo Feng in the corner of the bar.

“Who is Xiao Xin chatting with?” The young man slightly frowned, looked carefully, “Seems to be… Luo Feng, one of the three senior students from the high school where Xiao Xin studied?” He was very familiar with the high school where Xu Xin studied, and he had also seen the profiles of Luo Feng, Zhang Haobai, and others who were quite famous there.

The young man sneered slightly, “A few days ago, during dinner at home, Xiao Xin mentioned this Luo Feng. So they two have already reconnected.”

The young man walked to the other side of the bar and silently sat down.

…

Luo Feng felt he was chatting happily with Xu Xin when someone seemed to call Xu Xin from the bar counter. Xu Xin stood up apologetically, “Luo Feng, sorry, I need to go back to work.”

“Go ahead, don’t worry about me,” Luo Feng smiled.

“Xiao Xin, is this your friend?” At this moment, a male voice sounded. Luo Feng turned his head and saw a handsome young man standing beside them, resembling Xu Xin slightly. He smiled at Xu Xin and then at Luo Feng. Xu Xin was delighted, “Brother, you also came to the mall today. By the way, this is my old classmate Luo Feng. Brother, I’ll go back to work now; you can chat with Luo Feng.”

“Alright, you go,” the young man smiled and nodded, then turned to Luo Feng, “Hello, Luo Feng. Let me introduce myself. I’m Xu Xin’s older brother, Xu Gang.”

Older brother?

If I can win over Xu Xin, this would be my brother-in-law?

“Hello,” Luo Feng also stood up and shook hands with him.

“Hello, Luo Feng,” Xu Gang smiled and sat down, “I’ve heard of you for a long time, Luo Feng. I heard that at my sister’s high school, there were only three senior warrior students, and you were one of them! And I heard from my sister that you are now an official warrior?”

Luo Feng smiled and nodded.

“Ah, truly remarkable, an 18-year-old warrior,” Xu Gang praised, then smiled, “Was my sister very low-key at school?”

“She was indeed very low-key; no one could tell how wealthy her family was,” Luo Feng also smiled. Indeed, the Xu Xin back then was a simple and quiet girl.

Xu Gang’s face blossomed with a smile, “Haha, actually, it was my grandfather who was worried that the young lady of the house would become spoiled, so he insisted that my sister attend a regular school rather than a noble one. He wanted her to experience life among ordinary people up close! Now, looking back, my sister did very well.”

Luo Feng slightly furrowed his brow. Family’s young lady? He had known for a long time that Xu Xin was the eldest daughter of the Xu family.

“My sister didn’t tell you about our family situation?” Xu Gang asked in confusion.

“She didn’t say, but I know, the Xu family,” Luo Feng smiled calmly, “This is one of the twelve major family conglomerates in the HR Alliance domestically.” Luo Feng had already sensed the deeper meaning in Xu Gang’s words. Xu Gang didn’t speak directly but deliberately steered the conversation to one topic—

Xu Xin is the eldest daughter of the Xu family!

“Oh, you know,” Xu Gang sighed, “Actually, big families also have their troubles, such as marriage matters, which sometimes cannot go as one wishes. Take my sister, for example; there are now many excellent young men pursuing her. For instance, Wang Xingping from Jingdu City, and a mid-level warlord warrior named ‘Guo Hai’ who is only 21 years old from our Jiangnan City.”

Luo Feng was taken aback.

Others pursuing Xu Xin?

“That Guo Hai is really shameless,” Xu Gang shook his head and scolded, “Just because he is a warlord warrior, does he really think he is someone important? The Xu family also has some status in the world, how could we easily marry our eldest daughter to a warrior whose life is uncertain? Who knows when he might die in the wilderness area.”

Luo Feng frowned.

” Luo Feng, what do you think? Warriors walk on the edge of life and death; one day they might just die. How could my family allow our eldest daughter to marry a warrior? Right?” Xu Gang smiled as he asked, seeing Luo Feng’s expression, he quickly added, “Oh, don’t take it the wrong way. I’m not referring to you.”

Luo Feng’s mood was very bad.

Didn’t refer to him?

Xu Gang didn’t say anything else, but deliberately brought up this topic, clearly telling him—that the eldest daughter of the Xu family could never marry a warrior who might die any day. So, Luo Feng, don’t flatter yourself.

“Actually,” Xu Gang sighed, “Comparatively, I prefer Wang Xingping. Wang Xingping is the eldest son of the Wang family in Jingdu City, a family that also controls massive wealth. He only needs to stay at home, sign documents, and issue orders. Many warriors will serve him without risking his life and limb.”

“As an older brother, of course, I hope my sister can live a stable life,” Xu Gang sighed, “Compared to a warrior, a wealthy family’s eldest son like the Wang family and my Xu family would be a more suitable match for my sister.”

“A warrior?”

“Among the top families like the Wang family and my Xu family in the HR Alliance, which family doesn’t have a group of warlords? Not to mention countless warrior-level fighters.” Xu Gang shook his head with a smile, clearly showing his disdain for warriors, especially warrior-level fighters.

He had the capital for that!

The HR Alliance, one of the twelve major family conglomerates in the Huaxia Nation, indeed controlled a large number of warlords and countless warrior-level fighters.

“Luo Feng,” a voice came from afar.

Luo Feng turned his head and saw that the team leader Gao Feng and the Wei brothers had already arrived and were sitting with Chen Gu. Luo Feng smiled and shouted, “Captain, I’m coming.”

“Master Xu Gang,” Luo Feng smiled at Xu Gang.

“Hmm?” Xu Gang showed a slight smile.

Actually, after saying so much earlier, Xu Gang believed that the other party should have understood his meaning clearly. His family didn’t even look up to a mid-level warlord at the age of 21; how could Luo Feng, a newly turned warrior, dare to have such pretensions? He should know his place and stop bothering his sister.

“Master Xu Gang,” Luo Feng smiled at him, “Your Xu family is indeed impressive, controlling a group of warlords.”

“But, I wonder if your Xu family can make a war god come and go at your beck and call?”

Xu Gang was taken aback.

A war god? How many of them were there in Jiangnan City? His Xu family had war gods, but that was only by spending a lot of money and using connections to flatter them.

“Also, I wonder if your Xu family can even meet someone beyond the war god level?” Luo Feng added.

Xu Gang’s face turned grim.

Transcending the realm of War Gods, beings like the world’s mightiest warrior “Hong” and his peers stood as figures even national armies dared not slight, engaging with them as equals. For a mere corporate dynasty like his, the privilege of an audience with such apex existences remained forever beyond reach—let alone daring to measure themselves against these legends.

Compared to the peak existences like ‘Hong’ and ‘Thunder God,’ the Xu family was just an ant!

“Master Xu Gang, since we can be considered friends, let me remind you one thing… don’t look down on warriors,” Luo Feng looked at Xu Gang. Since the other party didn’t give him face, why should he give face to the other?

After saying that, Luo Feng turned and walked away.

…

The lobby’s air conditioning blew cool air, and the music was soft like a gentle stream, but Luo Feng’s heart was filled with a fire of anger. Xu Gang’s words echoed repeatedly in Luo Feng’s mind: “Like the Wang family and my Xu family, each of the top families has a group of warlords under their command, not to mention countless warrior-level fighters.”

“Xu Gang!”

“You said so much, just to make me back off and stop pursuing your sister?” Luo Feng’s eyes were cold, “Rest assured, in my life, I will definitely reach the peak of warriors! I will become a powerful being that even the government’s army will treat equally! And then I will make your Xu family welcome me with smiling faces into your home!”

Of course, he would pursue Xu Xin…

But also make the Xu family lower their stance, humbly and warmly receive him!

“Warriors are the ultimate power in this world!”

“The so-called family conglomerates are just trash in front of the strongest warriors!”

At this moment!

On the morning of October 7th, 2056!

Luo Feng’s first encounter with Xu Gang caused his ambition to finally begin to sprout!