Chapter 348 — Breaking Off the Engagement

"OK, no problem!" Xu Yan agreed readily, deeply honored and delighted to be able to take part in Liu Yan's investment plan. This was an opportunity he had waited years for. If he could pull off this deal, then the status of a mere manager of a small Songjiang branch office would naturally rise with the tide. With real business established here—results he had personally driven—no matter how much those people at the head office wanted to snatch credit and pluck the peach, they would have no way to do it. After all, he was already the branch manager. Either they promoted him and brought him up to the group, or they let him keep this branch manager's seat—but by then he would no longer be a commander without troops. This office would have to be upgraded to subsidiary level at the very least.

Of course, Xu Yan was not afraid that those Liu family scions in the group would give him a hollow promotion—a nominal rise with real demotion—and transfer him to some idle post within the group. His role in bringing this deal about was there for all to see. If the group treated a meritorious man that way, who would dare sincerely expand business for them afterward? Who would dare risk their neck for the company? Even Old Master Liu, who rarely concerned himself with company affairs, would not permit such a thing—this time it would strike at the group's very foundation.

Problems like these could bring down a towering tree.

"One of the most important businesses of our Liu family is bank money transport—you know about that, don't you?" Liu Yan began introducing his family's operations to Xu Yan in detail. He needed to create the illusion that the Liu family was utterly sincere; only then could he lure Baolin's Mingyang Security Company step by step onto the hook.

By now Liu Yan no longer cared whether this Mingyang Security Company had any connection to Yan. Even if the connection was slight, he had decided to take a swing at it—after all, this was a fine opportunity. Who could blame Baolin for its bad luck? In Liu Yan's eyes, he represented the Liu family. When Baolin took a loss, let them come settle accounts with the Liu family. A low-class thug with a street punk's background—what could he possibly do to Liu Yan?

Liu Yan believed that any individual, however great, was weak before the absolute power of a united clan. One word from Old Master Liu could leave a man deserted by all his friends and family, unable ever again to make a living in the business world.

So Liu Yan had conceived a sinister scheme: borrow a hen to lay eggs. If this Mingyang Security Company had ties to Yan, then consider it a lesson for Yang Puqi; if it had no ties to Yan, then consider Baolin's misfortune simply well deserved.

"So we're going to do bank transport business here!" Xu Yan's eyes lit up at this. He also knew that Old Master Liu of the group placed great importance on this line of business. If, through his efforts, the Liu family smoothly extended this business into Songjiang, Old Master Liu would certainly look at him with new eyes and entrust him with weighty responsibilities—it was only a matter of time. Thinking of this, Xu Yan's blood ran hot.

"Right. But you had best not mention me—I don't want to show my face. When you negotiate, you can say you represent the Jiangyan Group of Haicheng," Liu Yan said. "I'm different from you. After all, my surname is Liu, but I'm only a nephew from a collateral branch. If I were too conspicuous, jumping up and down everywhere, I'd inevitably give the impression that I'm scheming for power, which would be bad for my future prospects. But you're different. Though you're a son of the Liu family, you're still an outsider by surname. No matter how far you go, you can only ever be a senior white-collar man in the group—Old Master Liu could never hand the group's authority over to you."

"That is indeed so." Xu Yan was elated. The more low-key Liu Yan was, the greater his own credit would be. At this thought, joy beyond description welled up in him. "Brother Fei, don't worry, I won't mention you! Your concern is well founded. After all, your surname is Liu, and you're quite close to Old Master Liu—not what you'd call a distant relative—so avoiding suppression by those direct-line sons is very wise of you."

"Yes, I'll have to trouble you then." Liu Yan's face showed nothing unusual, but inwardly he thought: fool, do you really think I'm being low-key? If there were truly a chance to showcase myself, how could I yield it to you? It's just that Yang Ce has seen through me before, and it's not quite convenient for me to appear in person. Better safe than sorry—if Yang Ce recognized me and warned Baolin to be on guard, my plan would come to nothing. So he had decided to be a manipulator behind the scenes. Moreover, Baolin's identity was not one he could entirely disregard. Though he spoke with contempt, in his heart he knew that a man with a thug's background might well still carry some gangster's ruthlessness. If, when the time came, he swallowed up the man's company assets and the man was driven to desperation, there was no telling what he might do.

In Liu Yan's view, such a man could stir up no great storm and could never shake the foundations of the Liu family's estate. But a worthless life was still a life—what if the man risked everything to take him down with him? Liu Yan was fine porcelain; the other was a worthless stone. To dash porcelain against stone—wouldn't that be foolish?

With Xu Yan involved, once Liu Yan wiped his hands of the matter and walked away, Xu Yan would still be in Songjiang. When Baolin came looking for someone to take revenge on, they would only find Xu Yan. At this thought, Liu Yan smiled a sinister smile.

He felt he was simply a genius—able to dream up such an awesome scheme. Looking at Xu Yan, still blissfully unaware with excitement all over his face, Liu Yan felt himself to be a regular master schemer.

In a small detached villa with its own courtyard, an old man dressed plainly sat with his eyes half closed, an old-fashioned radio in his hand, leisurely listening to opera.

The elegant, luxurious surroundings contrasted sharply with the old man's clothes and the battered 1980s radio in his hand, but he did not care in the least.

This man... was Fang Tian. Because the demolition of the shantytown was now inevitable, Yang Shuoxuan could not have Fang Tian stay on there as a holdout resident—that would be far too conspicuous, and it would be bad for Fang Tian's identity as well.

So Yang Ce bought Fang Tian a villa in a rather quiet residential development. Yang Juehuan had originally meant to buy him a unit in the Huashang complex, but Fang Tian did not want to come over—he was attached to the old place. Yang Ce had no choice but to buy Fang Tian a villa in the wealthy district beside the shantytown—that is, where his uncle's family lived.

Sun Jie also had a villa there, though she seldom stayed in it; ordinarily she lived in a high-rise apartment not far from the company. She went to the villa only occasionally, and only with Yan.

Since he was buying Fang Tian a house here, Yang Shuoxuan went ahead and bought one for himself, and another for Lin Yanhe's family as well. Though he would not be living there for the time being, it was good to have a place to stay. Sometimes Yang Mo would need to go consult Fang Tian on certain matters, and it wouldn't do not to have lodgings—he couldn't very well stay at Sun Jie's place forever, could he?

Fang Tian did not have much luggage—a few battered boxes, a few clothes, a broken television, a broken radio. Though Yang Ce had installed a 55-inch LCD television and high-end audio equipment for him, Fang Tian insisted on bringing his junk over anyway. Yang Ce found Fang Tian's sentimental attachment hard to understand, but he did not stop him.