NOVPUB"Big brother, wait a moment, my grandpa will be here right away," Wang Yuan said as he returned to the hall and spoke to Lin Tian.
"Not bad, kiddo, you’ve got quite the family fortune," Lin Tian said with a smile as he saw Wang Yuan come back. "But why so timid? When they caught you, you should have thrown a punch before admitting defeat."
"..." Wang Yuan.
Hearing Lin Tian’s words, Wang Yuan couldn’t help rolling his eyes in his mind. What do you mean I should have fought before admitting? I don’t have a masochistic streak, and how am I timid? I’m just being clear about the situation.
"Big brother, I’ve got good news: my grandpa has agreed to go collecting debts, and my uncle will join him," Wang Yuan said with a raised eyebrow and a smug look on his face.
"Oh... so you’re saying it’s a sure thing that you’ll get the money back, aren’t you?" Lin Tian also raised an eyebrow and said with a sly smile.
"Of course, with my uncle involved, how could they dare not pay?" said Wang Yuan, sounding confident as if the money was already in his hands.
"Then I’m relieved. Just remember, I’m owed half of what you collect," Lin Tian said with a smile, his face bearing an expression of leaving everything in your hands.
"Ah... Big brother? No, you want to take half?" Wang Yuan’s face fell as soon as he heard Lin Tian say he was entitled to half, and he cried out in dismay.
"What’s the matter? You’re not planning on hogging it all to yourself, are you?" Lin Tian said with narrowed eyes. "I was involved in not one, but two bouts myself."
"..." Wang Yuan.
Looking at Lin Tian, Wang Yuan felt at a loss for words, because, damn it, that made sense, but why did he feel so queasy inside?
Damn it, why don’t you share half of the hundred billion you won in the Fighting Ring with me? Even though all that money was yours, doesn’t seeing mean sharing? And I even ran errands for you, didn’t I? If I hadn’t put down a billion, how could you have won those hundred billion?
Now, now you’ve won all this money and yet you’re here to claim half, can we still play nicely? Isn’t it clear that you’re just bullying me for being honest?
Of course, these are things that Wang Yuan could only dare to think in his heart; he wouldn’t dare let Lin Tian hear them, or he really would be asking for a beating.
He didn’t doubt for a second that Lin Tian would dare to beat him up in his own home; this was the man who dared to kill both Li Dong and Li Guan. To him, beating Wang Yuan would be a piece of cake.
"Heh... of course I’ll share, it’s your rightful due, big brother. Whoever dares not share, I’ll be the first to not let them off," said Wang Yuan with a heavy heart, as if it cut him like a knife; five billion gone just like that.
"What are you guys talking about, looking so happy?" Just then, Wang Jing walked in from the outside and saw them both laughing and asked.
"Nothing, nothing... We’re just talking about the previous bets on the fights," said Wang Yuan, who became noticeably more well-behaved when his grandpa arrived. His expression then stretched into something resembling a dead fish, puzzling Lin Tian to no end. What the hell, changing faces? But not even face-changing happens this fast, right?
As his gaze shifted to Wang Jing, at first glance, Lin Tian didn’t notice anything particularly remarkable about him. He looked like any ordinary old man, albeit neater dressed and with a healthier complexion.
But looking closer, you would realize you couldn’t see right through him. Despite his surface-friendly smile, being looked at by him gave you the feeling of being seen through, as if you were wearing nothing at all.
"Humph, you do nothing but play all day long; can’t you find something more serious to do? Right now, us old folks are still around, but I wonder what you’ll do when we’re gone," Wang Jing scolded Wang Yuan with a stern voice and then turned to Lin Tian. "This must be the Lin Tian that Xiao Yuan mentioned, right?"
"Yes, I am. Elder, sorry for the disturbance. I didn’t know what you like, so I didn’t bring anything; I hope you won’t blame me," Lin Tian replied with a smile, unflinchingly meeting Wang Jing’s gaze.
"Hmm?" Wang Jing’s eyes flashed with surprise as he looked at Lin Tian’s gaze, not expecting Lin Tian to dare to look him in the eye. This was uncommon; most people of his age wouldn’t dare to do so, not even his own grandson in his presence would seem so fearful.
While surprised inside, Wang Jing’s face showed nothing out of the ordinary as he smiled and said, "Not at all... it shows you are genuine, and I like genuine people. Those who are fake and pretentious truly can’t stand tall."
"You flatter me, elder," Lin Tian said politely, and indeed, he was speaking the truth. As part of Capital City’s three major families, the Wang Family lacked nothing. Instead of agonizing over what to buy to please them, it was better to bring nothing at all. Although he wasn’t without impressive things to offer, he felt no need to do so.
After all, he was only familiar with Wang Yuan when it came to the Wang Family, and it would be impossible for him to be absolutely open and frank.
"Being humble is good, young man, but too much can be deceitful," Wang Jing said to Lin Tian, then he turned to Wang Yuan. "What are you standing there for, dazed? Go and get my Tieguanyin tea; I want to have a nice chat with young brother Lin Tian."
"Right away..." Hearing this, Wang Yuan’s face lit up with joy. The elder’s Tieguanyin tea was not something just anyone could drink. The fact that he was willing to share it meant he recognized the person, and this undoubtedly showed that the elder held Lin Tian in high regard.
Wang Yuan was very pleased inside. Bringing Lin Tian to meet his grandpa was precisely for this purpose.
After watching Wang Yuan leave the hall, Wang Jing sat down on a chair next to Lin Tian. His expression suddenly turned somewhat serious as he looked at Lin Tian and spoke. "Wang Yuan is somewhat foolish, acting solely with his heart. He might act impulsively without thinking about the consequences; he’s that kind of a person. You’re his friend, and while I welcome you to our home as his guest..."
Lin Tian raised an eyebrow at this. He hadn’t expected Wang Jing to be so candid right from the start, saying that he was welcome as Wang Yuan’s friend. This pegged him in the friend zone for sure, because it’s normal for friends to hang out, but it limits them to just being friends.
"If I’m not mistaken, the Wang Family and the Li Family don’t get along, right?" Lin Tian didn’t directly address Wang Jing’s statement but instead posed a question.
"Yes, we don’t see eye to eye, whether in politics or in business," Wang Jing replied, confirming with a nod.
"Then why not seek another ally? After all, our enemy is the same," Lin Tian said, smiling faintly as he saw Wang Jing nod.
"An ally? Heh... To be an ally of the Wang Family, you need more than just a common enemy," Wang Jing laughed upon hearing Lin Tian suggest they become allies. "Although we both detest the Li Family, you haven’t shown me any worth in partnering with you. Although the Wang Family isn’t afraid of the Li Family, we are not arrogant enough to confront them casually. Cooperating with you would not only bring no benefits but would also only increase the Li Family’s hostility towards us. That kind of thankless task, I think nobody would want to undertake, right?"
