Volume 14
Chapter 4: The Boy of the Past (Part 3)
“Mr. Chu, let’s get down to business first.” Lu Li didn’t call him Uncle Chu. He was here today to meet with Chu Xiaodong on equal footing. Chu Xiaodong, however, had created an atmosphere of an elder and a junior. If he wasn’t careful, he would probably have been led by the nose.
Chu Xiaodong gave Lu Li another look. “Little Lu has grown up.” So in his eyes, the Lu Li of the past hadn’t grown up, was just a little three-clawed cat?
“Then, Little Lu, in what capacity are you seeking cooperation this time? As an ally, or as a vassal? As Zhu Xi’s representative, or in your own capacity as Lu Li?”
Lu Li knew this meeting was very important. He had to think over every word three times before speaking, so he spoke very slowly. “I represent both Zhu Xi and myself. I am here to discuss with you this time as an equal ally, seeking cooperation.”
Chu Xiaodong poured the hot tea over the tea pet. “Little Lu, do you know why I agreed to this meeting? Do you think it’s because I’ve taken a fancy to this cake that is the Yan family? No, it’s because of you that I agreed. In my heart, you are much more important than the cake.”
“Thank you for your high regard. But this cooperation is of great benefit to both sides. As the head of the Chu family, don’t you want the Chu family to go a step further in your hands?” Lu Li knew this was Chu Xiaodong’s tactic. If he had truly looked down on the Yan family, he wouldn’t have bothered to guard against them in the first place.
“Mm. Little Lu, the Yan family is already a great snake that has died twice. Your Inspection Committee’s entry has pulled out one of its tendons. The Yan family’s current size is no longer comparable to the Chu family’s. Maybe fifty years ago it was, but not now,” Chu Xiaodong said. “This is an objective condition. Next, you can talk about how we can cooperate on an equal footing.”
“It’s very simple. The Yan family’s business layout will be integrated into the Chu family’s commercial end, continuing to exist as a commercial branch of the Chu family. The Chu family will have control over Shenzhou Energy, and the actual operation will be my responsibility. Shenzhou Energy basically monopolizes most of Shenzhou’s basic livelihood industries. The cooperation between the Chu and Yan families can gain the greatest support from the common people, or rather, have absolute control over the common people.” This was already the optimal solution that Lu Li and Zhu Xi had discussed. With him, Lu Li, as a buffer, the Yan family’s autonomy would be preserved. As for the Chu family’s control—the direct line of the Chu family now only had Chu Xiaodong and Chu Jingyi. This control would most likely fall to Chu Jingyi’s husband or her children in the end.
Chu Xiaodong pondered for a moment. Admittedly, what Lu Li had said was extremely tempting. As a politician, he had to admit that cooperation with the Yan family was of great benefit to both sides. But from another perspective, the upper structures of the Chu and Yan families were similar; both were short on male heirs. Would agreeing to this cooperation plan lead to the Yan family turning the tables in a hundred years, or even giving birth to a more terrifying, centralized aristocratic family? For example, the Lu family?
“Little Lu, do you know how many people will be eyeing the Chu family if I cooperate with you now? No one wants to see a monopolistic aristocratic family in the political and commercial fields. Have you heard of ‘purging the emperor’s side’? After the constitutional monarchy was established, there was one ‘purging of the emperor’s side.’ Guess which aristocratic family was uprooted and kicked out back then?” Chu Xiaodong said. “Now the country is prosperous and the people are at peace, the weather is favorable. No one wants to see bloodshed again. Everyone is pursuing stability. Do you understand what I mean?”
“I know. Everyone is maintaining the stability of the class structure. The division of interests in Shenzhou has already been fixed.” Lu Li was relentless. “But, Mr. Chu, I respect your virtue, but I know you are a politician at the end of the day. You should understand that risk means profit. Is the profit brought by this cooperation with the Yan family enough to offset its risk in your heart?”
This was the first time Lu Li had emphasized his identity as a politician. All this time, this man had appeared before everyone as a husband, a father, and a leader. Many people had perhaps forgotten that he was actually a politician—a profit-seeking, unscrupulous politician. He was not a great, glorious, and upright person; he also had his dark desire for power.
Chu Xiaodong was speechless for a long while. He had actually already been persuaded, not by Lu Li, but by that strong desire. Imagine, the Chu family becoming the only super-aristocratic family in Shenzhou in his hands. He would be recorded in the annals of history, leaving behind a rich and colorful stroke. Perhaps in two generations, he would be posthumously given a title. Which character would his descendants use to posthumously name him? Wen? Jing? Of course, there would be many difficulties at the moment, but in reality, if they didn’t cooperate with the Yan family, would the Chu family not encounter difficulties? Chu Xiaodong, who had been honing his skills in the upper echelons of Shenzhou for a lifetime, understood better than anyone that this world was ultimately a world where the weak were the prey of the strong. If you don’t advance, you retreat. Even the strongest aristocratic family would have a day of decline. All he could do was to make it as strong and as large as possible. As long as they declined one day later than others, then they could forever maintain their dominant position.
“Empty words are no proof. Little Lu, you have to make me believe that the current Yan family still has a dominant position in the economic field.” Chu Xiaodong’s tone relaxed.
Lu Li quietly breathed a sigh of relief. He stole a glance at the screen and saw that the Old Master Chu sitting behind the screen was motionless, as if he were feigning sleep. It seemed the conditions he had offered still hadn’t exceeded the Chu family’s expectations. He took out the inspection team’s report that he had prepared beforehand, a thick stack, and handed it to Chu Xiaodong. He had actually also brought a computer, but in this kind of scene, paper documents still carried more weight. Chu Xiaodong seriously read through the report, looked at every table, and carefully chewed over the numbers on it. “This is just a paper document, Little Lu. I don’t believe in paper documents, because it cannot reflect the true situation of the Yan family.”
“It can be used as a reference. And I can guarantee that every number, every sentence on it is a fact, with a very small margin of error. If Mr. Chu agrees to cooperate, you can form your own working group to conduct a secondary review of the group. We will fully cooperate with the work,” Lu Li said. “Does Mr. Chu believe me?”
Believe Lu Li? This question had long been answered. When this young man had nothing, he had dared to say to his face that he both liked his own daughter and also liked other girls. Long ago, when Lu Li had given this answer, Chu Xiaodong had known that Lu Li was the type who would not lie to him. He nodded very seriously. “Zhu Xi said it, I don’t believe it. You said it, I believe it.”
“Thank you.”
Chu Xiaodong put on his glasses and carefully read the report. Time passed, minute by minute, second by second. Lu Li sat a little uncomfortably. He saw that Old Master Chu behind the screen was also swaying, as if he had been sitting for too long. He said, “Should we get the old master a cushion?” Chu Xiaodong looked up at the screen. “The old master still has the final say in the Chu family. If he doesn’t speak, we don’t have to make any decisions on our own.”
Lu Li felt something was a little strange, but he couldn’t say what. He said, “Oh,” and said no more.
