Volume 4: Hidden Struggles, Chapter 288: Unwelcome Guests

“Don’t you think this competition itself is unfair?” Ao Xue clearly wasn’t convinced by Chu Tianyu’s answer.
“Hehe, there’s no such thing as absolute fairness in this world. Feeling unfair only shows your weakness. Just like the rules of a game, they’re always in the hands of the stronger ones…”
This time, before Chu Tianyu could finish speaking, Ao Xue immediately objected, “If that’s the case, what’s wrong with your elder brother choosing this path, choosing to become strong and successful?”
Chu Tianyu smiled slightly to calm the atmosphere before saying, “You’re right, but there’s a prerequisite—getting what you want must be done the right way!”
“Get it the right way?” Ao Xue repeated slowly, seemingly beginning to understand Chu Tianyu’s point.
“That’s right. Actually, before I prepared to take over the Chu family, the rivalry between my elder brother and my cousin Chu Tianao had already reached a boiling point. My cousin had my second grandfather’s full support behind him. As for my elder brother, although our grandfather didn’t directly intervene or give him advice, allowing him to use most of the Chu family’s resources was already the strongest form of support. Moreover, our grandfather wanted to test my elder brother’s abilities through this competition. If he could still win with such substantial resources, then he wouldn’t be worthy of becoming the successor of the Chu family!” Chu Tianyu explained at length.
“And then?” Ao Xue listened intently.
“Having resources isn’t enough if you don’t know how to use them. Clearly, my elder brother was far less experienced compared to my cousin Tianao, who had my second grandfather’s guidance. He lost the first few rounds, which was quite normal. After all, my elder brother had only been in business for a few years. What he learned from books is ultimately theoretical, and business is like war—situations change rapidly. A single impulsive decision could determine the outcome of a competition!”
“Then isn’t that still unfair to your elder brother?” Ao Xue asked persistently.

Chu Tianyu smiled and said patiently, “Actually, at first, Grandpa also intended to make my elder brother suffer a bit. In his words, without going through some hardships, how can one grow? He originally planned to wait for the right time before stepping in and training my elder brother thoroughly. With his intelligence, I believe he would quickly get the hang of things and become the true successor in Grandpa’s eyes! But unexpectedly, after those few failures, my elder brother seemed to be blessed by luck, closing several big deals in a row, turning defeat into victory, almost completely undermining my cousin Tianao’s power. His influence even expanded so much that even Grandpa was losing control over him. That’s why the sensational Chu Family meeting in the business world allowed me and Nianran to take charge of Chu Family openly. One reason was for Grandpa to test the loyalty of the entire Chu Family organization to him, and the other was to deliberately push me, a playboy who only knows how to indulge, to the forefront, sparking endless speculation. This led people to ponder his unusual behavior and discover my extraordinary qualities and hidden advantages. Compared to my elder brother’s shady powers, it became clear who had more potential and who should be chosen!”
“So, there’s such a complicated process behind this?” Ao Xue was surprised after hearing this.
Chu Tianyu smiled silently and didn’t continue the topic. Instead, he said, “Hehe, let’s go first. We can talk as we walk… Actually, the help you need to provide this time is just to wear a mask, use some energy to cool things down, then show up and threaten them a bit—that’s it. The rest is left to me…” As he spoke, Chu Tianyu unconsciously took hold of Ao Xue’s delicate hand, as if it were perfectly normal.
“Do you really want me to play the villain?” Ao Xue’s mind was entirely focused on Chu Tianyu’s plan, ignoring his “illegal” actions.
“Hehe…” Chu Tianyu smiled without saying more. Ao Xue thought everything was self-evident, but who knew that at that moment, Chu Tianyu was gently touching her smooth, jade-like hand, feeling the ripples of excitement spreading from it. He thought to himself, “She’s naturally charming, full of temptation! Even I can’t resist—how could an ordinary person handle it? Hehe, but I like it!”
Thinking of this, Chu Tianyu increased the pressure on her hand slightly, which finally made Ao Xue aware of it. Her hand trembled, and her heart raced. Although she didn’t pull her hand away or resist, a sense of shame filled her heart, and she lowered her head in silence.

Chu Tianyu could clearly sense the emotional changes in Aoxue’s presence. A resonance seemed to arise within him as well—a natural attraction between the energies of heaven and earth—that made him act impulsively. His hand, which was holding Aoxue’s, moved further upward, encircling her waist and slowly drawing her delicate body into his arms…

…

At night, in a secluded mountain villa complex, two dark figures flew across the sky like two large birds, evading all security and surveillance systems before landing in a luxurious villa. In an instant, the figures disappeared. Not only was no one able to see them, but even those who happened to be nearby, staring in shock, would only think their vision had failed them.

“Hey, isn’t this considered trespassing?” After spending so much time with the lecher Chu Tianyu that afternoon and evening, Aoxue no longer felt the initial shyness or restraint.

“Well, it can’t be considered that, right? Besides, it’s not your first time either. If it weren’t for that night in the courtyard when we spied together and followed each other secretly, we wouldn’t have had the chance to meet, right? Hehe!” Chu Tianyu whispered.

“How is that the same? I had a mission—to deal with those scoundrels from the Nether Realm. That’s completely different from your sneaky behavior and acting like good guys and bad guys!” Aoxue retorted angrily.

“Mm, mm. Actually, under normal circumstances, I also strongly oppose such sneaky actions because they’re immoral and, to some extent, even illegal. If it weren’t to give my brother a chance to repent, I would never do this! And what we’re doing now is at most just being uninvited guests—far from any kind of misdeed!” Chu Tianyu lied convincingly. God only knew how busy he had been lately—spying outside Tai Ye’s villa and eavesdropping downstairs in Aoxue and Ning Shuang’s residential complex!

Aoxue clearly didn’t believe Chu Tianyu’s words, but she didn’t know how to refute him right away, so she changed the subject. “Is your brother inside today?”

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu smiled and channeled his energy. Aoxue suddenly felt a surge of pure energy flowing from her hand into her meridians. Her mind exploded with clarity as if her thoughts were soaring into the sky, with her senses rapidly spreading throughout the entire villa.

Aoxue kept her eyes closed, but to her surprise, she found that she could now sense everything inside the villa, as vividly as if she were seeing it with her own eyes. Aside from a few servants downstairs, there was only one other person on the top floor of the villa, walking back and forth in the study. His blood circulation was rapid, and his breathing was chaotic and restless, as if he had some serious concerns or was anxious about something. That person was Chu Tiancheng, Chu Tianyu’s elder brother! Just as Aoxue was experiencing the wonder of this inner vision, a warning sensation suddenly came from Chu Tianyu. Moments later, she heard a sound of something breaking through the air. Following the sound, she saw several dark figures reappearing from the direction they had come from, landing inside the villa in an instant. At the same time, Chu Tianyu’s voice rang in her mind: “Look, the real uninvited guests have arrived. Coming in disguise at midnight like this is truly despicable behavior.” “I don’t see any difference,” Aoxue tried to speak using her inner energy. “There’s a big difference. At least we’re visiting our elder brother’s house, even if secretly. But they don’t have that kind of relationship, do they? And judging by their sneaky looks, it seems you might not even get to sing tonight. Come with me and save people!” Chu Tianyu laughed at the sight of the three men preparing to sneak into the villa; these guys really knew how to pick a bad time. Listening to Chu Tianyu’s joking words and looking at the lead dark-clad man, Aoxue felt a sense of familiarity. Just as she was about to ask, Chu Tianyu spoke again: “Heh, right. That’s Lord Qin. We really came at just the right time tonight. What a coincidence!” “Oh? Wait, aren’t they working with your brother? Then why do you say I won’t be singing anymore and we have to save people together?” Aoxue was puzzled. Chu Tianyu sent a confident smile through his thoughts and said softly, “Didn’t you see they’re acting separately? His two subordinates are hiding in front and back, while only he enters. It seems either our brother is no longer useful, or they have other plans and aren’t fully confident in their cooperation with him. If you don’t believe it, let’s wait and see.” Aoxue didn’t jump to conclusions about Chu Tianyu’s analysis but focused her attention on the inside of the building. “Young Master Chu, long time no see!” Lord Qin appeared behind Chu Tiancheng like a ghost, suddenly breaking the silence in the room with a loud voice.

Deep in thought, Chu Tiancheng was startled by this sudden noise. He immediately shuddered and turned around in horror, clearly unprepared for Lord Qin’s appearance. After a while, Chu Tiancheng’s face turned pale as he said awkwardly, “Lord Qin, how… how did you end up here?”
“Why, doesn’t Young Master Chu welcome me?” Lord Qin strode over to the sofa and sat down without waiting for an answer.
Chu Tiancheng was stunned and hadn’t yet recovered from his shock when Lord Qin continued, “I heard you were frantically looking for me recently. I’m sorry, but I really had no time at all back then!”
Faced with Lord Qin’s sarcastic tone, Chu Tiancheng didn’t dwell on it much. Clearly, that wasn’t the main issue at hand. After regaining some composure, he quickly stepped forward and sat next to Lord Qin, grasping at straws as he said urgently, “Yes, I couldn’t reach you no matter what I tried recently. Things here were critical—all the messages I sent to you went unanswered, and none of the plans we agreed on were carried out. It’s seriously holding me back. Now I’m in a dilemma: not only have the funds I should have received not arrived, but I can’t even invest my existing money. It’s not even possible to talk about expanding our business anymore; even Chu Corporation itself is on the verge of collapse!” By the end, Chu Tiancheng was almost shouting, showing just how great the pressure he had been under was. Lord Qin, however, remained calm, as if sitting idly by the fish pond: “Young Master Chu, there’s no need to rush. As the saying goes, there’s always time. How can one become rich in just one day? With your intelligence, such a small setback is nothing, haha…”
Facing Lord Qin’s indifferent words, Chu Tiancheng calmed down from his initial panic and began to wonder. He studied Lord Qin carefully, hoping to detect something from his expression, but aside from his smile, nothing seemed unusual. This made Chu Tiancheng even more uncertain. Thinking of Lord Qin’s sudden visit, he asked doubtfully, “By the way, Lord Qin, what brought you here this time…”
“Haha, nothing serious. I came mainly to explain that we encountered some tricky issues recently, which is why we couldn’t get in touch with you. Our plans were also put on hold temporarily. Besides, it was also for your safety, after all…”

After all, Lord Qin didn’t go on explaining. He just chuckled and said, “As you know, with a major threat at hand, we need to keep a low profile in business matters. Otherwise, if any unnecessary troubles arise, we’ll be overwhelmed! By the way, Young Master Chu, how much of the fund we collaborated on do you still control?”
The last question was asked casually by Lord Qin. Though his tone was calm, it sounded like an explosion in Chu Tiancheng’s ears, hitting him hard. Chu Tiancheng immediately understood Lord Qin’s purpose for coming here and trembled as he said, “Lord Qin, what do you mean by asking this? Didn’t we agree that you’d keep this fund with me for fifty years? There are contracts and legal terms involved!”
In the face of Chu Tiancheng’s intense reaction, Lord Qin remained calm and unhurried, saying, “Young Master Chu, stay calm. I think you’re overthinking it. I’m just asking to get an idea of the situation. Actually, you don’t need to answer—we already have the data…”
“What exactly do you mean?” Chu Tiancheng asked, growing impatient.
“Nothing much. It’s just that the organization needs a large amount of funds recently to acquire some diamonds, so I wanted to borrow it temporarily from you. I promise that once this phase is over, as long as we work together on a few more ‘projects,’ this money can be recovered quickly!” Lord Qin replied calmly, though his true intentions were clearly revealed.
Chu Tiancheng fell silent. He wasn’t someone who would get entangled in pointless disputes. With things having come to this, further arguments or questions would only lead to more frustration for himself.
Lord Qin leisurely picked up a Cuban cigar from the coffee table, trimmed the end, and lit it, looking thoroughly satisfied. Clearly, he was confident about controlling Chu Tiancheng, so he had no rush.
Indeed, after much consideration, Chu Tiancheng decided to compromise. After all, he knew too much about Lord Qin’s tactics. Today, it was less of a negotiation and more of an order that couldn’t be refused!

It was only today that Chu Tiancheng truly understood the meaning of the idiom “trying to skin a tiger.” What were agreements or legal deadlines worth in the face of people who saw killing as nothing unusual? He regretted his foolish questions just now, and even more so his past greed, which had made him naively believe that with his grandfather’s influence and the Chu family’s background, he could still reap some benefits through mutual exploitation. Now it seemed like pure delusion—all those prospects and gains vanished the moment Lord Qin made his bare demands, and he had no power to resist. How tragic! With these thoughts, Chu Tiancheng gritted his teeth and resolutely said, “Fine, you can take all the funds. But our partnership ends here. From now on, we go our separate ways—complete separation!”
“Hehe, Young Master Chu, don’t get angry. There’s still a long road ahead. Didn’t I say it’s just a temporary loan? Once this is over, we can repay it many times over…”
But this time, before Lord Qin could finish, Chu Tiancheng cut him off firmly, “Lord Qin, I can sign the transfer document right now. You can transfer the money first thing tomorrow, and we’ll be even!” Without waiting for Lord Qin’s reply, he made a gesture to send him off.
“Young Master Chu, let’s talk this through. Calm down first, and we can discuss it slowly. But since you’ve put it this way, I’ll be direct. This time, we not only need the financial support from you but also all the shares in your fixed assets, including half of the Chu family’s assets under your control!” Lord Qin said in a leisurely tone.
At Lord Qin’s astonishing words, Chu Tiancheng angrily pointed at him, too furious to speak for a long time.
Lord Qin leaned back, exhaled a ring of smoke, not looking at Chu Tiancheng, as if talking to himself, “I know about the power behind your Chu family. But as you know, that power holds no restraint over us at all. We chose to partner with you casually, just picking someone randomly—no different from choosing Zhang San, Li Si, or Wang Ermazi!”
Lord Qin paused, glanced at Chu Tiancheng, and continued, “However, the scale of your Chu family exceeded my expectations, especially its influence in business—profoundly significant. So I thought I could borrow the entire Chu family group from you temporarily, how about that?”
“You’re delusional!” As soon as Lord Qin finished speaking, Chu Tiancheng shouted, his face red and neck swollen.

“I heard you have a capable younger brother who constantly opposes you, especially since he has several beautiful girlfriends, all seemingly from wealthy families. The backing they have is nothing to underestimate. Hehe, do you want me to take care of this brother for you first? As for those girls, whichever one you like, I can take care of her for you as well. Haha, even if you want to have them all, that’s no problem! Haha…”
“Dare you touch my family? I’ll fight you to the death!” Saying this, Chu Tiancheng frantically pulled out a pistol from his pocket and aimed it at Lord Qin, who was looking extremely smug.