The Modern Martial Immortal-Chapter 28: Relationships

"Yaoguang, my dear nephew, with your strength alone, it would be very difficult for you to inherit the assets that belonged to Su Huaifeng. But our Zhang family is your solid backing. With our support, you wouldn't lose a single cent of what should be yours," Zhang Hong said quickly.

But Yaoguang paid him no mind. He simply packed up his things and prepared to leave. Seeing him behave so discourteously, Zhang Ya was just about to say something, but Zhang Hong reached out and stopped her.

He did not explain. Instead, he addressed Yaoguang. "Even though you are related to Su Huaifeng by blood, you never actually lived in the Su family. And Su Huaifeng only has a short time left. Once he is gone, you will have no one in the Su family to rely on. Who would bother to acknowledge you then? But the Zhang family is different. Your mother is still here. A family supports its own in times of difficulty. We could never ignore you. So I hope you think this through carefully. When you understand, the Zhang family's doors will always be open to you."

After speaking, he took Zhang Ya and Zhang Rufeng and left. Zhang Ya looked confused, but Zhang Hong did not rush to explain. He waited until they entered the elevator before saying, "Your relationship with him hasn't been good lately. It will take some time to smooth things over."

"I didn't expect that after just a year or two of not managing him, he would become so bold. He used to be so obedient," Zhang Ya said with a frown.

"It's fine," Zhang Hong said with a chuckle. "Newborn calves are unafraid of tigers. He may have entered society, but the circles he moves in only involve tens of thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands at most. Benefits at that level aren't enough to make people commit truly vile acts. But a few hundred million, several billion... that amount of profit is enough to turn good men into devils."

He sounded completely confident. "Once he truly witnesses how the Su family operates, he will naturally understand that only by relying on us can he reclaim what is rightfully his."

"Su Huaifeng won't last much longer. If we don't take advantage of the time now, we might end up with nothing," Zhang Ya said.

"The Su family still needs to maintain some semblance of respect. They won't divide up Su Huaifeng's assets the moment he dies."

Zhang Hong looked at her. "During this period, you should ease your attitude toward Su Yaoguang. I know his incompetence has disappointed you, but for the sake of those billions, you will have to give him some face when necessary."

***

"Let's go." Yaoguang finished packing and put his things into the suitcase.

"Hold on." Lin Xiaowei looked at the Chengying Sword in his hand.

Even though it was sheathed, and the sheath was crafted so exquisitely that it resembled a piece of art, she could not shake the ominous feeling she got from it. After all, she had personally seen him use this sword to slit more than one man's throat.

"You're just going home... why bring a weapon?" she asked.

"A weapon?" Yaoguang glanced at the sword. "The Chengying Sword is a thousand-year-old sword worth tens of millions. Is there a problem with carrying such a valuable collectible with me?"

"Uh..." Lin Xiaowei found herself momentarily speechless.

Su Yaoyu, however, recalled the long conversation she had with Lin Xiaowei last night and could not help asking, "Yaoguang, did you actually achieve something in your martial arts? Xiaowei said you seemed pretty strong?"

Yaoguang glanced briefly at Lin Xiaowei. When it came to a major case like Yulong International, Lin Xiaowei naturally did not dare reveal too much to Su Yaoyu. Even if she was certain in her heart that Yaoguang was the culprit behind the recent string of murders, she could not say anything before it was officially established, so she had spoken vaguely.

Yaoguang, however, did not hide anything. "Yes. I've already reached the grandmaster tier."

The moment he said this, Lin Xiaowei's expression changed. Even though Xia Wuyuan and the others had already estimated the killer's strength to be at that tier, hearing Yaoguang admit it himself still made her gasp.

Caiyun, who had no preparation at all, was utterly stunned. She looked at Yaoguang in disbelief.

But that astonishment only lasted a moment before she shook her head inwardly. One year... even if he has extraordinary talent, becoming a martial master would already be a rare case. But grandmaster? One year of training, and he dares claim to be a grandmaster? Does he even understand what that means?

But Su Yaoyu, who was completely ignorant when it came to martial arts, could not contain her awe. "Grandmaster! I've heard of that. It's a title only those who've reached the mastery stage of Martial Dao can obtain. Yaoguang, you really are amazing. To earn such a high-level title in just one year... you're incredible!"

Yaoguang looked at her and instantly understood that she did not truly grasp what a grandmaster represented, which was normal.

Most ordinary people could not truly comprehend the authority and privileges a grandmaster possessed. Even Su Yaoyu, though not an ordinary person and very familiar with elite circles, was not part of the Martial Dao world, so her understanding remained superficial.

Whether she fully believed him was another question. He certainly would not hold her head down and repeatedly explain that he really was a powerful grandmaster.

"Let's go. Time to meet the Su family's head," Yaoguang said.

Su Yaoyu nodded. "Now that you're back, Grandfather will be very happy. He loves seeing the Su family's bloodline flourish."

"Su Yaoguang..." Lin Xiaowei opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but after a moment, she stopped herself.

What right do I have to interfere in his affairs? Yet the Su family's situation is complicated, and I'm truly afraid that if Yaoguang goes there, something will happen again. With that thought, she rephrased her request. "I'd like to visit the Su family as well. Could I have that honor?"

"Of course."

Su Yaoyu smiled. "Old Master Lin and Grandfather were close friends, and even in recent years, the two families have kept in touch. Xiaowei, if you want to visit, we would be more than happy to welcome you."

She had been worried that her younger brother might feel bored going back alone. The Lin family could not compare to the Su family, but Old Master Lin adored Lin Xiaowei. With that backing, her standing was not much lower than the direct descendants of the Ye or Zhang families. Going with Yaoguang as a friend would undoubtedly help give him some support.

***

Within all of Tiannan province, the Su family absolutely stood as one of the most renowned, top-tier families.

Especially the Buzhou Group, personally established and developed by Old Master Su, which had grown into one of the most powerful conglomerates in all of Tiannan.

Even though the speed of its expansion slowed after reaching the peak of Tiannan's corporate world, only a handful of enterprises, those partly owned by the royal family and controlled by the great aristocratic families, could truly compare.

Its annual revenue exceeded one hundred billion, and its net profit surpassed twenty billion. Despite the Buzhou Group having other shareholders, nearly half of that profit still flowed into the Su family's pockets.

Holding on to such a golden goose that provided them with tens of billions in profit every year, the Su family's influence in Tiannan was naturally immense.

Caiyun was driving a business vehicle headed toward Tiannan's provincial capital, while Su Yaoyu, Lin Xiaowei, and Yaoguang sat in the back.

Su Yaoyu said, "Other than several siblings, Grandfather has three sons and two daughters. On the board of directors, only Father and Second Uncle hold seats. And Second Uncle is the one Grandfather has been grooming as his successor..."

Su Yaoyu patiently explained the Su family's internal structure. Among the three sons of the Su family, Su Huaifeng, although the eldest, was hopeless. Not only had he indulged himself in women from a young age, but his health was poor as well.

He had relied entirely on his lucky gamble back then, investing in the land where the Xingyu Center now stood. Once the Xingyu Center became the headquarters of the Buzhou Group, he was barely able to secure his position as a director.

Under such circumstances, the head of the family, Su Chiming, who was also the father of Su Huaifeng, naturally no longer viewed him as someone worth betting on.

In contrast, the second son, Su Huaigu, had shown outstanding talent in business since childhood. Over time, Su Chiming shifted the focus toward Su Huaigu.

And right now, the two who coveted Su Huaifeng's remaining assets the most were Su Huaigu and the youngest aunt, Su Huayue.

After introducing all this, Su Yaoyu paused, then said softly, "Yaoguang, you need to be careful with Second Uncle. He looks agreeable, but..."

Halfway through, she felt it wasn't appropriate to speak ill of an elder behind his back. So she simply shook her head and said, "Just be cautious. Don't agree to anything easily."

"Although I shouldn't meddle in the Su family's internal matters, would Old Master Su really allow the other sons to divide the eldest son's assets? Wouldn't that be the same as a family power struggle?" Lin Xiaowei, worried that Yaoguang might stir up trouble again, could not help but ask.

"There's more to it than you think," Su Yaoyu said. "The Buzhou Group has nine directors. The Su family holds four of those seats... among them, Grandfather has served as chairman for ten consecutive years. In theory, the Buzhou Group should be a solid iron wall. But recently, the conglomerate's development has encountered some obstacles, and that has caused dissatisfaction among several shareholders. That dissatisfaction has been directed at the non-Su directors..."

She took a deep breath. "If our Su family still keeps four seats and maintains good relations with the other two directors, things will be fine. But if my father loses his seat, and the Su family fails to secure that seat for one of our own..."

She did not continue, but Lin Xiaowei already understood. If this matter were mishandled, it would shake the Su family's absolute control over the Buzhou Group.

It was no wonder that until now hardly anyone from the Su family, outside of direct relatives like Su Yaoyu, had bothered to reach out to Su Yaoguang, the "only" surviving male of Su Huaifeng's bloodline.

Most of them probably did not want him returning to the Su family, sharing the assets, or disrupting the succession arrangements that affected the board seats.

However, Yaoguang himself did not care about the Su family's attitude. His visit to the Su family had only one purpose: to make them provide a reasonable explanation.

If they spoke reasonably, he would respond reasonably. If they did not, he would not mind handling the situation unreasonably.