Reborn to Redeem: Their Abusive Love-Chapter 107: Two Worlds

Anshi meticulously analyzed the pros and cons, sentence by sentence, leaving no detail unexamined.

"We’ve done our due diligence. Even though the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce controls many of the powerful families, the old, established ones—those in an alliance with us—are privately dissatisfied with the current situation. If it were discovered that you have ties with the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce and the syndicate behind them, I’m afraid those alliance members might hold you responsible for this humiliation."

"Our Xu Group has never been suppressed by the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce, nor do we have any strategic alliances with officials. We’ve become quite conspicuous. Business isn’t as smooth as it used to be; it could even be described as difficult.

If any other compromising information were to leak, they might assume you’ve been colluding with criminal organizations from the start.

At that point... our position could become very passive. They fear the mysterious organization behind the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce and won’t rebel. However, if they band together, they could negatively impact the Xu Group."

"Please consider the long-term development of the Xu Group. Keep your contact with the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce a secret and avoid any suspicion. Otherwise, it would be too risky."

Anshi delivered his final words with some difficulty. Essentially, having followed Xu Si for all these years, he had always supported her decisions, believing she was invariably right.

But he was a man nurtured by Mr. Xu.

His very purpose was to support the heir of the Xu Group.

So, even though the Young Lady likely understood all this, he still felt compelled to reiterate it.

Hazy moonlight spilled over the towering, nameless trees outside the window.

Xu Si listened calmly, her emotions remarkably stable, showing no hint of surprise.

These things, she knew.

Ever since the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce emerged and the Xu Group chose to stand alone, many mutually beneficial business opportunities had been stifled, a fact she found deeply troubling.

It was precisely because she knew this that she had remained rational at the banquet, insisting on leaving by herself to maintain distance, even when thoroughly drunk.

But for Anshi to phrase it this way, rumors must have already started circulating.

Xu Si smoothed her hair, her coat slipping from her shoulders. Her expression wasn’t exactly stern, but undeniably haughty. Her fingers resumed tapping on the wooden table.

Each tap resonated with a startling impact.

She held the phone and, after a long pause, said, "I will keep this matter secret for now. If any rumors surface, you quash them immediately.

Once the hotel is completed, we’ll need to expand further, which will inevitably encroach on others’ interests. They are in a precarious position while we are thriving. With the balance disrupted, alliances cannot last forever.

In business, it’s not about mutual destruction. We should seize this opportunity to win over some of the new elites backed by the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce, expand our business to its maximum extent, and then see if they dare to challenge us."

The world is too chaotic.

Sometimes, the way these powerful families conduct business is no different from the Triad Society—their methods even more despicable, akin to low-life ruffians from the dregs of society.

And Xu Si excelled at finding opportunities in chaos.

Those financial news reporters love to analyze the conduct of decision-makers from powerful families, and their commentary on Xu Si is always bitingly incisive.

They simultaneously demean her for being a woman and condemn her for her cunning and ambition, accusing her of aiming to monopolize all commercial business in the whole harbor.

No matter how harshly they condemned her, Xu Si never once denied it.

What she has always wanted is for the Xu Group to be grand, splendid, and resplendent.

The Underground City has the Triad Society reigning supreme.

So why can’t Hong Kong Island have the Xu Group as its sole dominant force?

She had to outcompete everyone else to avoid being swallowed by this dark world.

After a moment’s thought, she instructed Anshi to use one-third of her personal assets to build an orphanage and its affiliated school.

Unlike criminal syndicates, a legitimate enterprise and its leader need to maintain a philanthropic image.

Anshi was somewhat puzzled. "We’ve already assisted many orphans, and you, personally, are the businessperson who has contributed the most to social welfare. Will the standard be the same this year?"

Xu Si nodded, her thoughts drifting to Pei Zhen from that year, and her gaze softened considerably.

"The same."

Anshi proceeded to carry out her orders.

The Young Lady might often be criticized for her ambition, Anshi thought, but she never forgot to give back to society with the money she earned. If it were merely for show, she wouldn’t need to contribute nearly so much.

「Meanwhile, in a room not far away.」

Hei Shi entered the room, bringing the latest news from Organization X.

Pei Zhen, dressed in a dark robe, leaned against the window to listen.

A few strands of silver hair fell across his forehead. His skin was very pale, and his lips had a tinge of red. Upon closer inspection, that redness was an injury from Xu Si’s bite.

Perhaps the night was too tranquil, or perhaps there was someone in the adjacent room capable of soothing the darkness of the night.

His aura finally seemed less dangerous and fierce.

After listening to Hei Shi’s report, he unusually issued no orders.

Hei Shi glanced at the table, noticing a few gemstone rings, a card, and a thick wad of cash, but remained silent.

Until Pei Zhen said:

"Count how much money there is. Add another five million, and establish a school in a residential district of Hong Kong Island, in the name of the Xu Group, as a donation to society."

Hei Shi nodded.

"Also, purchase a cruise ship from the Underground City. Make it available for Xu Si to use with her Identity Card at any time. Consider it a gift for her."

"Yes."

"When donating for the school, be discreet. Don’t let anyone trace it back to us."

Hei Shi looked puzzled. "You don’t strike me as the type to do good deeds anonymously."

After a long moment, Pei Zhen finally chuckled. "I would like to leave my name, actually. But Hei Shi, her circumstances are difficult. Someone of her status isn’t suited to get involved with organizations like ours; we are from two different worlds."

"Sister-in-law might not think so."

"No, you don’t understand her. That’s precisely what she thinks; she sees it even more clearly than you do."

"Don’t be angry, perhaps..."

"There are no ’maybes.’ I’m not angry; the truth is often hurtful," Pei Zhen said, a faint smile playing on his lips, his voice soft. "We are indeed from two different worlds. It’s just that I desperately wanted to be with her."

Just like that.

To have a suitable identity, to stand closely by her side, to possess her.

He was already very content.

「Early the next day.」

When Xu Si awoke, she suddenly noticed many more people in the hotel.

Just like the day before.

All of them were the newly affluent, backed by the Sanlian Chamber of Commerce.

Xu Si almost suspected her phone was bugged. How else could it be that just as she considered reaching out to these new elites, they appeared before her in droves? 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

After pondering, she returned to her room and meticulously searched all conceivable hiding spots for a listening device, but found nothing.

She simply gave up.

She put on a coat with a high collar that covered her neck.

Pretending to be just another hotel guest, she went to the tea room for morning tea.

Not far from her, a relatively young man was discussing foreign trade with a group of people. She found their conversation quite interesting.

Then, she glanced around and, among the new elites, spotted a vaguely familiar face. He didn’t look like an invited guest; from his posture and behavior, it seemed his family had forced him to attend, and he looked incredibly irritated.

Upon closer thought, could that be the young master of the Chen Family? The one in textiles?

She had seen this boy before.

Back when she attended a parent-teacher conference for Pei Zhen, this boy had been holding a very cold soda, trying to give it to Pei Zhen.

She had been quite irritated at the time.