The Crazy Son-In-Law

Tan Haohan seemed to perceive that Xiao Shun was wary of the government, adopting an air of superiority.

“Kid, when you go back, pass a message to Starline Bio for me. The land that the Investment Office allocated to Starline Bio, including the surrounding area, has been idle for many years. No one dares to take it over. Now the government’s public bidding has only led to failed bids. The reason behind it should be clear to them, Starline Bio,” he said with a hint of condescension.

“So, my advice to them is to not wade into these troubled waters. They are just a small company from out of town and are not qualified to compete with the Tan family.”

“Give up that plot of land, look somewhere else to build your factory, or simply move to another city. Isn’t it all the same? The Tan family has been operating in Harrow for decades. What we set our eyes on, no one can take away. Certainly not by a small out-of-town enterprise. The wise one knows when to advance and when to retreat. That’s all I’ll say, I hope you will act wisely.”

“You’re skilled. If you’re interested, you could stay with the Tan family. The remuneration will surely satisfy you,” Tan Haohan added after a pause.

“Thanks for the offer, but it seems we’re at an impasse. That’s fine; now that I know your stance, it makes things easier for me,” Xiao Shun replied with an almost imperceptible sigh.

“I can tell you right now, the Starline Bio branch factory in Harrow is a done deal, and yes, it will be built right on that plot of land,” he declared with determination.

“Then let’s wait and see. If you insist on going through with this, then what we’ve done so far are merely appetizers. There’s a whole banquet of tactics waiting for you. I hope you can handle them. The Tan family hasn’t encountered a worthy opponent in a long time. I hope Starline Bio will prove to be a competent one,” Tan Haohan said, a sneer curling at the corner of his mouth.

“You won’t be disappointed,” Xiao Shun raised an eyebrow.

With those words, he turned and leisurely walked out of the courtyard.

“Are we just going to let him leave?” Tan Wu asked, looking toward Tan Haohan.

“Let him go. He’ll carry the message. If they back down knowing the difficulty, it’s for the best. Making a big fuss isn’t necessarily good for us either.”

“After all, such a large plot of land has been vacant for so many years; the government is aware of what’s going on. There’s already plenty of murmuring about the Tan family. We should avoid giving them any leverage,” Tan Haohan stated.

“How did the talk go?”

Xiao Shun left the Tan residence and returned to his car, where Duan Jia asked.

“It fell through,” Xiao Shun replied.C0ntent © 2024 (N/ô)velDrama.Org.

“Have you ever had a successful negotiation before?” Duan Jia prodded further.

Xiao Shun thought for a moment and responded, “It seems I really haven’t.”

His master had not taught him this skill, probably believing that if he were powerful enough, he wouldn’t need to negotiate at all.

Duan Jia was speechless.

“But I’ve figured it out. I won’t initiate negotiations with others anymore. I’ll find a way to make them come to me. That should make things easier,” Xiao Shun suggested, raising an eyebrow.

“That’s a good idea,” Duan Jia smirked, starting the car. “Where to?”

“It’s getting late, to Lakeview Ranch, home for dinner.” Xiao Shun glanced at the sky, noting it was nearing dinner time.

If he didn’t return for dinner today, it would be the third night in a row not eating at home. The person at home had already banned him from the bedroom the previous night; any further delay and he might find himself expelled from his own house.

“So, what’s the plan now that negotiations have broken down?” Duan Jia asked while driving.

“We have a contingency plan. The Tan family’s growth owes partly to Persimmon Commercial. If we can’t touch the Tan family for now, let’s start with Persimmon Commercial,” Xiao Shun stated.

If the Tan family was a fierce tiger, then Persimmon Commercial were its fangs and claws. If they could be broken and chopped off, the tiger would struggle to jump around. Then, they could gradually deal with it.

The government might protect the Tan family, but it probably wouldn’t extend the same courtesy to Persimmon Commercial. These underworld forces are a source of instability in society; if someone could take them down, it would be most welcome.

Although the Pearl Commercial Chamber was also an underground force, with Xiao Shuninvolved, Mayor Zhuang still showed him respect, at least not causing trouble without reason.

Additionally, he had been gradually moving away from the grey areas and undergoing a transformation. The members of the commercial chamber largely came from the lower echelons of society. If they could live well, nobody would choose violence unless they were inherently belligerent.

After about half an hour, the car slowly entered the driveway of the Lakeview Ranch villa.

“Stay for dinner,” Xiao Shun said to Duan Jia.

“No, I have a moon-viewing date with a beauty,” Duan Jia replied with a grin.

The idea of moon-viewing, full of poetry and romance, sounded somewhat incongruent coming from this burly man.

Xiao Shun looked up at the overcast night sky: “Alright, then enjoy yourself.”

After watching Duan Jia leave, Xiao Shun returned home just in time for dinner.

“Hurry up and wash your hands, let’s eat. We thought you’d be back later, so we didn’t wait for you,” Yao Cen said.

“Why wait? Just eat when the food’s ready. If I come back late, just reheat it,” Xiao Shun replied as he walked to the dining table, rubbing Hu’s head with a smile.

Hu swatted his hand away and rolled her eyes at him.

“Cheeky,” Xiao Shun chuckled.

“Come on, wash up and eat,” Yao Cen reminded him again, and he finally went to wash his hands. Returning to the table, Long San’s mother had already served him a bowl of rice.

“Can it be resolved?” Yao Cen asked with anticipation.

“Oh, it’s a small matter; it’s all been handled. Just find a new office location as soon as possible, and there won’t be any more harassment,” Xiao Shun mumbled through a mouthful of rice.

“That’s good,” Yao Cen sighed in relief.

Xiao Shun said this mainly to avoid worrying Long San’s mother.

They had all rushed out that morning, and Xiao Shun knew she must have been anxious all day, unable to help and just fretting internally.

He often appeared carefree and negligent, but he was actually quite thoughtful.

Noticing the change in her expression, Xiao Shun could tell she felt more at ease.

After dinner, as Long San’s mother was cleaning the kitchen, Xiao Shun and Yao Cen sat on the living room sofa, where he briefly recounted the day’s events to Yao Cen.

“So, the Investment Office is setting us up. They’re giving us land that no one dares to bid on to build our factory. Isn’t that leading us into a trap?” Yao Cen said angrily after hearing the story.

“That Mr. Liang probably has an affair with Wei Rong; they’re setting us up,” Xiao Shun added.

Yao Cen was somewhat aware of Xiao Shun’s grudge against the Wei family, so this didn’t surprise her.

“Or we could just drop it. Building a factory elsewhere isn’t a big deal. It doesn’t have to be in Harrow. They spoke so nicely when they granted us the land for the factory. Behind our backs, they’re just snakes in the grass!” Yao Cen said, clutching the pillow in her lap angrily.