Chapter 150: The Assembly

In the evening, Elder Hu’s golden-basin hand-washing ceremony officially commenced.

Liu Sheng and Ren Xiadong sat to the side, beaming with joy. Hu Yingqi was about to take office, which meant that soon, the two of them would become core members of Huayong, standing beneath a single person yet above tens of thousands.

At the same time, Hu Yingqi was both thrilled and extremely nervous. After all, once tonight passed, the entirety of Huayong would belong to him. His nervousness stemmed from the fact that while he knew this day would arrive sooner or later, he had never truly imagined what it would feel like to be the supreme leader of Huayong.

Liu Sheng glanced around the room, noticing that the leaders of Huayong from various countries had all arrived. One could say this gathering was even more spectacular than the last. An inner smile crept across Liu Sheng's face as he thought to himself, "In a moment, I will completely steal the spotlight in front of all these people. After tonight, every single one of you will have to answer to me!"

The guests were chatting amongst themselves, but around Liu Sheng’s table—aside from Hu Yingqi’s inner circle who greeted Liu Sheng and Ren Xiadong—the representatives from other nations completely ignored them.

"What is going on here? Weren't we supposed to be the main characters? Why aren't any of those foreigners paying attention to us?" Ren Xiadong finally asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

Liu Sheng smiled and offered an explanation: "This battle for succession took place domestically, so those overseas have no idea what actually transpired. Even if they caught wind of it, they wouldn't know of our existence yet. It's entirely normal. But by tonight, they will all know. Just wait for them to come crawling over to curry favor with you."

Hearing this explanation, Ren Xiadong wore a smug, triumphant smile once more. "Right, right, you make total sense," he said. "Later on, even if they come to suck up to me, I won't give them the time of day. We have to maintain our dignity and show them what happens when they judge people by their covers!"

"Liu Sheng, what do I need to do starting tomorrow?" Hu Yingqi walked over and asked. His concept of being the leader of Huayong was still extremely vague, and he had no idea what his duties would entail, fearing he would be completely at a loss when the time came.

Liu Sheng looked at the anxious Hu Yingqi and replied, "Have you ever seen a boss actually do manual labor? All you need to do is let the people beneath you make money for you. Isn't that exactly what Elder Hu does? He doesn't do a thing all day, as long as he can keep the people underneath him in check. The subordinates are much better at making money than you are; your only job is to manage them!"

Hu Yingqi still looked worried. "What if they refuse to listen to me?"

"Kill," Liu Sheng said suddenly, his expression turning fierce as he looked right at Hu Yingqi.

He continued, "Kill a chicken to scare the monkeys—that's how you establish authority. As for the killing, I'll handle that in the future. All you have to do is sit comfortably at the very pinnacle of Huayong!"

Hearing these words, Hu Yingqi was so deeply moved that he was left speechless. From beginning to end, he hadn't actually done anything; everything had been orchestrated by Liu Sheng and Ren Xiadong. If rewards were distributed based on merit, Liu Sheng should be the one leading Huayong. Unfortunately, Liu Sheng's surname wasn't Hu.

Yet, Liu Sheng never worried about such things, because he knew that Hu Yingqi was the sovereign and he was the subject. Regardless of how their relationship might change in the future, Liu Sheng at least knew that Hu Yingqi would spare the lives of both him and Ren Xiadong.

After all, the business world was a battlefield, and it was entirely normal for a monarch to purge his ministers. But as a founding contributor, at least the option to retire with honor and return to his hometown would remain available to him. And if things ever came down to a life-or-death confrontation, Liu Sheng wouldn't be afraid, for he possessed abilities far beyond ordinary men.

Most importantly, Hu Yingqi was incapable of doing anything on his own and could not function without Liu Sheng. As long as Liu Sheng did not attempt to usurp the throne, both he and Ren Xiadong would remain safe and sound.

Just then, Elder Hu emerged dressed in a brand-new Tang suit.

Seeing him appear, the crowd immediately quieted down, stopping their conversations to wait in respectful silence for the elder to speak.

Elder Hu surveyed the room, cleared his throat, and said, "I've worked hard my entire life, and today marks my eightieth birthday. Let us celebrate the birthday first; once the banquet concludes, I will officially abdicate and step down in favor of a worthy successor."

As his voice trailed off, the guests immediately began offering birthday congratulations, presenting an array of exquisite and precious gifts.

Elder Hu was in exceptionally high spirits today. Seeing the elder so happy, Liu Sheng felt a wave of joy himself. While Liu Sheng's happiness stemmed from rising to a position above tens of thousands, he couldn't quite figure out what Elder Hu was celebrating. Was it joy for his longevity, or the relief of being able to cast off his burdens and retire?

Regardless, everyone was happy, so Liu Sheng decided not to overthink it. He retrieved the gift he had prepared and stepped forward.

"Elder Hu, today is your esteemed eightieth birthday, and Liu Sheng offers this humble gift. Though it cannot rival the luxury of others, nor match their exorbitant value, it represents the utmost sincerity of my heart."

Liu Sheng felt slightly embarrassed presenting his gift after seeing that everyone else was offering pearls, jade, diamonds, and gold.

Elder Hu accepted the long wooden box from Liu Sheng, opened it, and burst into hearty laughter. "I consider Liu Sheng's generous gift to be the best one today," he declared. "What pearls, jade, diamonds, and gold have I not seen? The most important thing is giving someone what they actually appreciate."

The elder took out the gift, tested its feel, and added, "Splendid, and deeply practical."

What Liu Sheng had bought was a peachwood walking cane carved with the image of a dragon. In truth, it had no profound meaning; Liu Sheng had been so consumed with thoughts of the golden-basin hand-washing ceremony that he had completely forgotten it was also Elder Hu's birthday. Remembering it only at the last minute, he had rushed to the Chongshi antique market. Not knowing how to appraise such items, he relied on the infallible rule that the most expensive choice is always the best, purchasing the priciest cane in the market to present as a birthday gift.

"Liu Sheng is truly thoughtful," Elder Hu praised. "Knowing that I'm advancing in years and can no longer wield a cane of pure gold, he specially procured a peachwood one for me. And looking at it, it even carries some historical weight. Such genuine care!"

Liu Sheng blushed under the praise. He had completely forgotten the occasion and bought it on a whim, fully expecting the elder to toss it aside without a second glance. He never imagined Elder Hu would treasure it like a precious artifact.

Following this, Elder Hu arranged for a traditional opera performance, allowing the guests to enjoy the music while they dined.

Throughout this, Zhan Long kept his eyes fixed on Liu Sheng. Noticing Zhan Long's gaze, Elder Hu gave a sudden clap of his hands and announced to the assembly, "I recall that last time, Zhan Long lost a bout to Liu Sheng. I've noticed Zhan Long staring at Liu Sheng this whole time—he must still be unconvinced. Besides, none of you care for opera anyway; I arranged it just for show while you all only care about drinking. Rather than letting it go to waste, why don't we have Zhan Long and Liu Sheng put on a match? Let's see if Zhan Long can avenge his defeat today."

Hearing that Zhan Long was going to fight Liu Sheng, the crowd broke into enthusiastic applause. More than half of those present had witnessed the previous duel, which had been utterly thrilling. Having missed out on seeing enough back then, they were naturally delighted at the chance to witness another clash.

Zhan Long could barely contain his eagerness. He strode directly into the open courtyard and flashed a provocative hand gesture toward Liu Sheng.

Liu Sheng knew this fight was unavoidable. He thought to himself, "I'm not going to mess around with you this time; I'm going to knock you flat on your back!"

However, just as Liu Sheng rose to his feet, Ren Xiadong pushed him back down, stood up instead, and declared, "Is Zhan Long the only one who gets to seek revenge? Today, I'm going to settle my own old score from last time!"

Seeing Ren Xiadong step forward, Elder Hu laughed heartily. "Ha! Young people should have this kind of unyielding spirit. Very well, let Ren Xiadong go first."

Ren Xiadong looked at Elder Hu and said, "I refuse to yield, and today, I refuse to lose!"

Liu Sheng cautioned him, "Be careful of Zhan Long's kickboxing; his leg techniques are formidable."

"Just watch and see. You won't even need to step in today. I've been secretly training my leg techniques for the longest time just for this. I'm going to use my kicks to defeat his," Ren Xiadong said, walking straight toward the center.

He locked eyes with Zhan Long, beckoned with a mocking hand gesture, and said, "Make your move."

The spectators cheered at the display, eagerly anticipating the grand spectacle to come.

Liu Sheng lit a cigarette, took a sip of tea, and calmly waited for Ren Xiadong's performance to unfold.

At that moment, Steward Jin murmured to Elder Hu, "It seems Ren Xiadong has come thoroughly prepared this time."

"Hahaha, every bit of preparation Ren Xiadong has made is tailored for Zhan Long. Zhan Long is going to have a rough time today. Even if he manages to beat Ren Xiadong, he still has Liu Sheng waiting behind him."

Steward Jin made no further comment, merely smiling softly.

Liu Sheng glanced sideways at the crowd and caught Hu Jie staring right at him. Seeing Liu Sheng look back, Hu Jie raised his wine glass in a silent toast.