Chapter 247: Hitting the Nail on the Head

Liu Hua had never imagined that when she faced Xiao Yufan again, it would be such an awkward situation. Indeed, the latter had changed significantly compared to a year ago…

If during the financial summit Liu Hua hadn’t had the chance to truly understand this man, now, in close proximity, she could feel even more clearly the tremendous transformation he had undergone.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became oppressive. Facing Xiao Yufan’s striking profile, Liu Hua stubbornly turned her head in another direction…

“Don’t drink this kind of tea anymore; it’s bad for your health!”

Liu Hua had never imagined that when she faced Xiao Yufan again, it would be such an awkward scene. Compared to a year ago, Xiao Yufan had indeed undergone significant changes…

If at the financial summit, Liu Hua hadn’t had the chance to truly understand this man, now, with their close proximity, she could more clearly sense the drastic transformation he had undergone.

The atmosphere in the office suddenly became somewhat oppressive. Facing Xiao Yufan’s bold profile, Liu Hua stubbornly turned her head in another direction…

“Don’t drink this kind of tea in the future; it’s not good for your health!”

Looking at the tea on the desk, Xiao Yufan glanced at the delicate woman beside him, a gentle curve forming at the corner of his lips, which warmed Liu Hua’s heart. However, Xiao Yufan’s next words once again struck a painful chord in her.

“If you can’t even take care of your own body, how can you accompany me in this game? Don’t worry, the Liu family will be fine, and Duxing will recover soon. What you need to do is think carefully about how to serve me better!”

Flirtatious but not vulgar, this was Xiao Yufan’s principle. However, it was different for Liu Hua, who was destined to become a sacrificial lamb for him. He was more than willing to make her pay for her past actions, regardless of whether he loved her or not…

“What’s the difference between you, Xiao Yufan, and him? Aren’t you both just after my body? In the end, men are all creatures driven by their lower instincts. Even if I can’t escape my fate, I will still hate you!”

Her voice was light and devoid of any emotion. Perhaps Liu Hua had already shed all her tears, and now she was numb, neither happy nor sad, slowly turning into a puppet controlled by others—first by the Liu family, and now by Xiao Yufan.

What Xiao Yufan owed her might only be repaid in the next life, while what she owed him would undoubtedly be repaid in this lifetime…

“It’s best if you keep hating me and never fall in love with me, otherwise, you’ll suffer even more!”

The corner of his mouth twitched, and Xiao Yufan felt an inexplicable pang of heartache. Was it for Liu Hua? Even he wasn’t sure. He didn’t deny that this woman was truly exceptional, but their intersection was destined to be filled with helplessness…

“Oh, by the way, I’ll find a way to resolve the financial attack on Duxing by the Capital Club as soon as possible. These days might be a bit tough for you, Miss Liu!”

Since Cheng Jingran had already left in frustration, Xiao Yufan naturally didn’t want to linger here any longer. He believed that the other party wouldn’t give up so easily, but this was also good—an early confrontation with the Capital Club would mean an early resolution to this trouble.

After Xiao Yufan left the office, Liu Hua’s eyes once again became empty. Perhaps she had thought about getting closer to Xiao Yufan, but his coldness had completely frozen her heart. In his eyes, she was always just a plaything.

“If this makes you feel better, then let me bear all the hurt alone…”

Her smile was bitter, and Liu Hua’s delicate face showed a trace of sorrow. A year ago, she had deeply hurt this man, and now, a year later, some things had to be repaid. She hated Xiao Yufan but didn’t have much to complain about.

After leaving Duxing, Xiao Yufan headed straight for Huihuang. Since the Capital Club had already made the first move, he had to prepare in advance. Being too passive could be very detrimental to Huihuang…

Now, Huihuang was even more prominent, not only surpassing its previous peak but also overshadowing the twin stars of Fengyun and Lingyun. Every member of Huihuang was filled with enthusiasm, as they could see the brilliant future of Huihuang.

Xiao Yufan had once told these young people of Huihuang that within three years, he would make them millionaires. At the time, although they were passionate, they also knew that this was just a motivational tactic.

But now, the people of Huihuang fully believed that in three years, Huihuang would create a myth in the business world—a myth where employees could earn millions in salaries…

In the lower-level office of Huihuang, Xiao Yufan sat quietly alone, his fingers tapping on the desk, his eyes flickering with a sharp light, as if deep in thought.

“Is Xuan’er adapting to this life? Has she missed the place she lived in for over twenty years…”

After a long hesitation, Xiao Yufan shifted his gaze to the corner where Tianxuan was, asking softly, as if he had been pondering for a long time without any emotion.

“Of course, I’ve thought about that place, and about my master. I believe everyone in the Tianzu misses it too, after all, it’s where we lived for over ten or twenty years. I’ve been there since I can remember!”

Tianxuan was momentarily taken aback by the somewhat inexplicable question, but she quickly recovered, a faint smile forming on her lips as she looked at the man she deeply loved.

“The Situ family has the Tianzu as its force, something many people might not know. If I’m not mistaken, some long-established families must also have their own forces. In other words, no one knows about these hidden forces!”

Xiao Yufan murmured to himself. Against the Capital Club, Huihuang had a fifty percent chance of success, while the forces behind the Capital Club and Fengyun Enterprises would be left to his grandfather. But no one knew what cards the Capital Club held, and he didn’t even know who the mysterious president of the Capital Club was…

“Some long-established families usually have strong connections with the military and political circles. It takes three generations to cultivate a noble family, so it’s not difficult for a big family to produce a major figure in the military or political circles.”

Although Tianxuan didn’t know much about these so-called big families, she knew that there were many forces like the Tianzu, controlled by big families and powers, serving as hidden forces to be used at critical moments.

“Then why are there so many hidden forces? Although these forces are far from the underworld, in the complex web of relationships, they still violate the principles of the business world…”

“Because the brighter the light, the darker the shadow. Just like the underworld, it can never be completely eradicated. This is the so-called balance!”

Tianxuan hit the nail on the head, and Xiao Yufan’s eyes lit up slightly. He finally understood why his grandfather had handed the Tianzu over to him. Rather than keeping it as the Situ family’s hidden force, it was better to control it himself, which would be beneficial for taking over the entire Situ family in the future…

“If you can’t even take care of your own health, how can you accompany me in this game? Don’t worry, the Liu family will be fine, and Du Xing will recover soon too. All you need to do is think hard about how to serve me better!”

Charming but never vulgar—that was Xiao Yufan’s principle. Yet with Liu Hua, it was different. She would be the sacrificial lamb destined to become his woman, and he was more than willing for her to pay for her past actions, regardless of whether he loved her or not…

“What makes you any different from him, Xiao Yufan? Aren’t you both just trying to get my body? In the end, men are all ruled by their lower instincts. Even if I can’t escape my fate, I will hate you!”

Her voice was light and emotionless, perhaps because Liu Hua had already shed all her tears. Now she felt numb, indifferent to joy or sorrow, slowly turning into a puppet unable to escape others’ control—previously the Liu family, and now Xiao Yufan.

What Xiao Yufan owed her might only be repaid in the next life, while what she owed him was destined to be paid with her entire life…

“It’s best if you keep hating me and never fall in love with me. Otherwise, you’ll only suffer more!”

A faint twitch of his lips, and inexplicably, Xiao Yufan felt a pang of pain—was it for Liu Hua? Perhaps even he himself wasn’t sure. He didn’t deny that she was truly exceptional, but their interactions were destined to be filled with helplessness…

“Oh, by the way, I’ll try my best to resolve the financial attack from the Beijing Club on Du Xing. These few days might be a bit uncomfortable for you, Miss Liu!”

Since Cheng Jingran had left in humiliation, Xiao Yufan naturally had no intention of lingering here. He believed that person wouldn’t give up so easily, but that was fine too—it would be better to confront the Beijing Club sooner and resolve this trouble quickly.

As Xiao Yufan left the office, Liu Hua’s gaze became vacant once again. Perhaps she had once hoped to grow closer to Xiao Yufan, but his coldness completely froze her heart. In this man’s eyes, she had always been just a plaything.

“If this can make you feel better, then let me bear all the pain alone…”

Her smile was bitter, her beautiful face tinged with sorrow. A year ago, she had deeply wounded this man. A year later, some debts were finally being repaid. She hated Xiao Yufan, but she had no real complaints.

After leaving Du Xing, Xiao Yufan headed directly toward Huihuang. Since the Beijing Club had already made the first move, he had to prepare in advance. If he remained too passive, it could be very disadvantageous for Huihuang…

Now, Huihuang was thriving even more, not only surpassing its previous peak but also subtly overshadowing the twin giants Fengyun and Lingyun. Every employee at Huihuang was filled with enthusiasm, able to see the brilliant future ahead.

Xiao Yufan once told the young people at Huihuang, “Within three years, I’ll make every one of you millionaires.” At the time, they were passionate but also aware it was likely just a motivational tactic.

Yet now, the people of Huihuang fully believed that in three years, Huihuang would create a legend in the business world—a myth where employees could earn million-dollar salaries…

In a quiet office at the base of Huihuang, Xiao Yufan sat alone, his fingers continuously tapping the desk, his eyes flashing with sharp glimmers, lost in thought.

“Has Xuan adapted to this life? Does she miss the place she lived for over twenty years…”

After a long hesitation, Xiao Yufan shifted his gaze to where Tian Xuan stood in the corner, gently asking, as if his long contemplation had left him completely emotionless.

“Of course she misses it, and she misses her master too. I believe everyone in the Tian Team feels the same. After all, that place was where we lived for decades—my earliest memories are all there!”

Caught slightly off guard by the unexpected question, Tian Xuan hesitated momentarily before smiling gently, looking at the man she deeply loved.

“The Situ family has the Tian Team as its hidden force, and many people may not realize it. If I’m not mistaken, many ancient and influential families must also have their own secret forces, meaning these hidden powers remain unknown to everyone.”

Xiao Yufan murmured to himself. Facing the Beijing Club, Huihuang had a fifty percent chance of success, while his grandfather would handle the forces behind the Beijing Club and Fengyun. Yet no one truly knew what hidden cards the Beijing Club held, and even Xiao Yufan didn’t know who its mysterious president really was…

“Many of these ancient families generally have strong connections with the military and political circles. It’s said that three generations are needed to cultivate a true aristocrat. Imagine how easy it must be for a powerful family to produce a major figure in the military or politics!”

Although Tian Xuan didn’t know much about these so-called aristocratic families, she understood that many forces like the Tian Team existed, controlled by these powerful families as hidden reserves, ready to be deployed when necessary.

“Then why are there so many hidden forces? Although these forces are far weaker than the underworld, in the complex web of relationships, they still violate the principles of fair business…”

“Because the brighter the place, the deeper the shadow. Just like the underworld, it can never be completely eradicated. That’s what balance is all about!”

Tian Xuan’s words struck the mark. Xiao Yufan’s eyes lit up slightly. Finally, he understood why his grandfather had handed the Tian Team to him. Rather than keeping it as a hidden force for the Situ family, it was better placed directly in his own hands—beneficial and harmless for him to eventually take over the entire Situ clan…