Chapter 46: Reaching an Agreement

“That’s good, that’s good. Young Master Lin, let me introduce you. The gentleman beside me is my father,” Young Master Ma said, gesturing to the middle-aged man next to him.

“Uncle Ma, I’ve long heard of your reputation. I always feared you were too busy and dared not intrude, but now I finally have the honor of meeting you in person!” Lin Feng extended his hand, politely greeting Young Master Ma’s father.

Seeing Lin Feng’s courtesy and modesty, Young Master Ma’s father was a little flattered. He quickly reached out to shake Lin Feng’s hand. “Young Master Lin, it’s your name that rings in everyone’s ears now. Recently, almost every media report is about you!”

“You flatter me, Uncle Ma. I’m friends with your son, so please just call me Lin Feng! Come, let’s sit and talk,” Lin Feng said, pulling gently at Uncle Ma’s hand.

“Very well, you’re right! Let’s sit. Then, I’ll be bold and call you Lin Feng,” Young Master Ma’s father replied happily.

After they were all seated, Uncle Ma looked at Lin Feng with a sigh. “It’s really something. You’re the same age as my boy, but in less than half a year you’ve managed to build a company like Future Technology. As expected of Lin Chuanzi’s son—you’re even more remarkable than your father!”

Lin Feng smiled. “You flatter me, Uncle Ma. I was just lucky! The Ma family is impressive too, the foremost family in Zhanhai City. Though your business interests aren’t vast, your political strength is formidable. If I’m not mistaken, the mayor of Zhanhai is from your family as well.”

“Oh, so you know quite a bit!” Young Master Ma’s father pretended to be surprised.

“Uncle Ma, you can’t fool me. I don’t believe you’d come out to meet me without having already investigated my background,” Lin Feng replied, seeing through the act.

“Haha, you sly little fox. Fine, let’s be straightforward. I came to see you today not only because you’re the talk of Zhanhai, but mainly because we’d like to cooperate with you,” Young Master Ma’s father said, getting straight to the point.

“Oh? You want to work with me? But your family’s business doesn’t seem to connect with my products. I don’t see any need for cooperation,” Lin Feng replied, puzzled.

“You’re mistaken, young man. What we want to work on isn’t business—it’s something else,” Young Master Ma’s father said, continuing to feign ignorance.

Since the other party wouldn’t be direct, Lin Feng played along. “If that’s the case, I really can’t think of anything I have that would interest the Ma family.”

Seeing Lin Feng’s pretense, Young Master Ma’s father finally confessed, unable to hold back. “You sly fox, you know but just won’t say it! Honestly, what the Ma family values is the power behind you: your Longteng Society, and your family in Beijing.”

Hearing this, Lin Feng fell silent, quietly weighing the tangled interests before him.

Since the conversation began, Young Master Ma hadn’t spoken, but as he watched Lin Feng now, he couldn’t help but feel unsettled. Who could have guessed that the friend he’d always shared drinks with was hiding so much? By the time he learned the truth, Lin Feng had become the person his whole family needed to court.

After a moment, Lin Feng asked Young Master Ma’s father, “Uncle Ma, could you tell me more about your proposal for cooperation?”

“First of all, while the Ma family is the leading family in Zhanhai, the city is small. Beyond Zhanhai, we’re insignificant. Your Lin family in Beijing, though, is one of the four great families of China. In the past, you ranked last, but with a genius like you joining, I believe your family will soon rise to the top. So, we want to take sides, to ally ourselves with your family politically,” Young Master Ma’s father explained. This proposal was the result of careful deliberation among the Ma family’s core members.

“That sort of political matter isn’t really something you should be discussing with me. You should talk to my father or the head of the Lin family in Beijing,” Lin Feng replied, puzzled.

“Lin Feng, do you still not realize your own importance? If we approached your father, he might not have the final say. As for your family’s head in Beijing, we don’t have the clout to reach him. Right now, you’re the most suitable person. Everyone knows what happened at your company recently. You single-handedly forced back two of the great families from Beijing—that’s no small feat! So talking to you is definitely more effective than talking to your father,” Young Master Ma’s father said with a smile.

“You’re too kind, Uncle Ma. It wasn’t as impressive as you think. I was just protecting my own interests and standing up for myself. What’s the second part of your proposal?” Lin Feng asked, not giving a clear answer.

“Speaking of your Longteng Society, I have to say you’re bold—daring to take on the Li family head-on!” Young Master Ma’s father continued, marveling at Lin Feng.

“I’d offended Li Si before and was afraid they’d harm my family, so I struck first. I was forced into it! But I suppose you don’t really believe that,” Lin Feng replied, still playing along.

“You sly fox. You know our Ma family is influential in politics here in Zhanhai, and the mayor is one of us. For the sake of our administration’s record, we hope to reach an understanding with your Longteng Society. We’d like you to keep Zhanhai’s underground forces in check so there’s no more trouble, and Zhanhai can become a more civilized and law-abiding city,” Young Master Ma’s father explained.

Lin Feng waited until he’d finished before replying. “If this is all you want from Longteng Society, there’s really no need to ask. You must have noticed the changes in Longteng Society lately, or rather, the entire underworld. I’ve always lived in Zhanhai, and I want a peaceful city too. So even if you hadn’t asked, I’d see to it. As for the political alliance, you should talk to my father. I rarely interfere in Lin family matters in Beijing.”

“That’s good to hear. I’ll have the Ma family head visit your father, Chairman Lin Chuanzi, another day. As for Longteng Society, let me thank you on behalf of our family,” Young Master Ma’s father said, standing up and extending his hand to Lin Feng.

“You’re too polite, Uncle Ma. Our Lin family needs friends too. It’s been a pleasure talking with you,” Lin Feng replied, standing and shaking his hand.

“Well, that’s enough for today. I have business at the company and must go. If you want to go anywhere, you can have my useless son take you,” Young Master Ma’s father said, letting go of Lin Feng’s hand and heading for the door.

Lin Feng quickly escorted him to the door. When they reached it, Young Master Ma’s father stopped. “That’s enough, don’t see me out. I’m not so old I can’t walk. And in the future, do look out for my useless son.”

“You must be joking, Uncle Ma. I’ve always been friends with your son, and he’s quite outstanding!” Lin Feng replied with a smile.

After that, Young Master Ma’s father said no more, waved, and left, leaving Lin Feng and Young Master Ma behind.

Once his father was gone, Young Master Ma turned to Lin Feng and asked courteously, “Is there anywhere you’d like to visit, Young Master Lin? I can arrange it.”

“No, that’s fine. I’ve bought what I needed, had a good meal, and now I’m tired. I think I’ll just go home and sleep,” Lin Feng said, stifling a yawn.

“All right. If you ever need anything, just give me a call!” Young Master Ma hurried to add.

Lin Feng didn’t respond, just picked up the boxed necklace he’d bought, waved at Young Master Ma, and got into his car to drive home. He hadn’t gone to deliver the necklace to Xia Ruoxi at the company, knowing she’d be busy at this hour. He decided to wait for another opportunity.

When he got home, his parents were still asleep. Bored and exhausted from the long day, he went straight upstairs to catch up on sleep.

…

Meanwhile, news of Lin Feng eliminating the members of the island nation’s organization had already reached Japan. In the head of the Iga family’s chambers, two men were discussing the incident.

Since becoming head of the Iga family, Fujiwara Iga had used iron-fisted tactics to suppress unruly clansmen and made several shrewd investments, causing the Iga family to quickly rise among Japan’s leading families, becoming one of the top two. Not long ago, news from China had caught his attention—a new operating system had been developed, and the laptop designed with it was a huge hit with consumers. He’d even acquired one from the black market.

Ever since, Fujiwara Iga had set his sights on this company. It was a veritable goldmine. If the Iga family could seize it, they would become Japan’s number one family and perhaps even gain international renown.

Fujiwara Iga stared coldly at the subordinate kneeling before him. “You’re sure our operatives have lost contact?”

“Yes, clan leader. We have secret codes for communication. When the time came, our men outside didn’t get any response. Upon verification, we discovered contact was lost with both of them,” the subordinate replied urgently.

“They were both top agents in our organization. Have you found out why we lost contact? Who took action?” Fujiwara Iga pressed on.