Oh, right, and Xiao Qing's father too! We can take advantage of that... Hmph, the position of Chief Financial Officer is the most lucrative job ever!!
In a large hall of the old house, dozens of prominent members of the Xiao family were preoccupied with their own thoughts and their emotions were running high. Only the old patriarch sat there, holding a pipe, silent, only occasionally taking a puff...
………………
………………
"It's really a mess."
Old Tian stood at the window of his inn room, looking at the chaotic scene in Xiao Family Town outside, and sighed.
Several young people from the Xiao family arrived at the inn today. The Xiao family is very powerful in the area, and some of them even went door-to-door knocking to inquire. Old Tian and the others were too lazy to waste time with these insignificant ants, so they simply handed the matter over to Fatty to deal with.
"In a situation like this, wouldn't it be enough if you stepped in?"
Shi Gaofei actually pulled out a pack of cigarettes. When Lao Tian saw it, he was furious. The cigarettes had been taken from his pocket by this bastard!
"You smoke? Aren't you a mad scientist? The kind of guy who even counts calories when he eats..." Old Tian watched as Shi Gaofei actually lit a cigarette and took a leisurely puff.
"Hmph, I already figured it out when I rebelled against Home Island. Why should I wrong myself so much in this life?" Shi Gaofei lay on the bed smoking, flicking ash all over the pillow, and chuckled. "That old man from the Xiao family knows you. You're General Tian, who has done the Xiao family a great favor. If you step in, it can prove that Phoenix is a member of the Xiao family, and things will be much easier..."
"Tch, you think things are that simple?" Old Tian shook his head: "It's not that simple!"
He sat down in front of Shi Gaofei, angrily snatched the cigarette case, and lit one for himself: "The Xiao family now is not what it used to be. Back then, the Xiao family was penniless, came to the south with no roots, and naturally they were grateful to me and obeyed my every word. But now? So many years have passed, and the Xiao family members who received my favors back then are all dead."
Of the current descendants of the Xiao family, apart from the old man in charge, who's somewhat interesting, the others are best left unmentioned. The issue today isn't whether Phoenix is a member of the Xiao family! The most crucial issue is the ownership of such a large Xiao family business! Chen Xiao's entry into the Xiao family is tantamount to blocking many people's path to wealth. This money… hehe, while it might not seem like much to you and me, it's an astronomical figure in the eyes of these ordinary people.
What use would it be for me to step in at this point?
Should I say: I have done good deeds for your ancestors, so now you should listen to me and hand over the family business to these young lads... Hahaha!
In this day and age, even a true savior might turn on you in a pinch. What's more, what about the kindness shown to their ancestors a hundred years ago?
"If they don't want to go in, then they don't want to go in. Is the Xiao family really worth all this trouble? Tch..." Shi Gaofei shook his head.
“You don’t understand…” Old Tian looked at Shi Gaofei: “You’re not Chinese. For Chinese people, whether it’s me, Chen Xiao, or Phoenix… we can be easygoing about other things, but who would give up ‘home’? Whether it’s a golden palace or a doghouse, it’s still our ‘home’! That kid Chen Xiao, and Phoenix, who would covet the Xiao family’s money? But ‘home’ is a complicated thing…”
The two exchanged a few words when suddenly the door was pushed open, and the fat man and the others rushed in.
"Something's happened! A fight has broken out at the entrance to town!!"
The fat man looked extremely anxious.
"What's wrong?" Lao Tian and Shi Gaofei looked completely unconcerned—of course, in a small place like this, who could they possibly care about, given their freakish nature?
"Those two Japanese girls somehow got here and are right at the town entrance! They were looking for someone to ask about Chen Xiao's whereabouts when they were surrounded by the Xiao family. When Xu Ershao and the others went to greet them, they were also surrounded by the Xiao family!"
"A Japanese girl?"
Chapter 275 [Stranger]
Tang Ying and Takeuchi Yako had just arrived. After getting off the bus and entering the town, they casually asked people at the station for directions to the Xiao family's old house. They then simultaneously asked if anyone had seen a young man named Chen Xiao...
As a result, it attracted the attention of several members of the Xiao family who were responsible for searching the station, and they came forward to question them.
Then... Takeuchi Yako's unruly temper meant that they would naturally start fighting after just a few words. One of the sisters was the granddaughter of a grandmaster of Japanese swordsmanship, and the other had even served as a bodyguard for the Japanese Imperial Family. Their skills were far superior to those of the ordinary young people from the Xiao family, and after the fight broke out, the Xiao family members suffered a minor loss.
But this was, after all, Xiao Family Town, where half the people were surnamed Xiao, and the other half mostly had close ties to the Xiao family. Seeing that the Xiao family had been wronged, someone quickly ran out to report it. Before Tang Ying and Takeuchi Yako could even leave the station, a large group of Xiao family members arrived and blocked Tang Ying and the Takeuchi sisters at the station.
Although the two sisters were quite skilled, the Xiao family was a martial arts family, and almost any of their young members knew some fighting techniques, including some skilled ones. Not to mention, the opposing side had more people and greater power. Moreover, being in a foreign country, the two sisters didn't dare to be as arrogant as they had been in Japan. In Japan, they had the protection of the Shangchen family and wouldn't dare to hurt anyone indiscriminately.
Fortunately, the Xiao family saw that the two girls were girls and did not go too far. They just insisted on taking them home for questioning. It seemed that the two girls had something to do with that traitor Chen Xiao!
Even more fortunately, both girls spoke Chinese and not Japanese. Tang Ying was rather naive and clueless, but Takeuchi Yako, as a member of the Imperial Guard, was more knowledgeable and worldly-wise. She knew that in China, especially in such a conservative little place, the perception of Japanese people was generally quite negative.
Soon after, Xu Ershao and his group of young men arrived at the station. Unfortunately, neither Xu Ershao nor Bai Cai possessed much fighting ability. Although Xu Ershao knew a little martial arts, any young man from the Xiao family was stronger than him. As for Bai Cai… besides her ability to become invisible, she had no other skills. They couldn't very well perform a "disappearing act" in broad daylight, could they?
And then there's the fat guy. Although he's robbed a bank before, his fighting skills are only slightly better than the average person. He's a bit stronger, but that's not much of a threat against someone who's trained in martial arts. At most, he's just tough and can take a beating.
After a heated argument, Fatty found an opportunity to run back and get reinforcements, while Xu Ershao and Baicai were stuck at the train station.
Fortunately, the Takeuchi sisters led the way into a waiting room at the station, firmly guarded the door, and held their ground while waiting for rescue.
...
Seeing the crowd outside, the young members of the Xiao family ultimately didn't go too far. They simply surrounded the outside and didn't rush in. However, looking at those strong and powerful members of the Xiao family, most of whom were carrying sticks and other weapons, Xu Ershao couldn't help but sigh.
"These guys, they're not going to break in, are they?"
Bai Cai glared at Xu Ershao: "Are you scared?"
"I'm not afraid of anything else... it's just that most people in these small places have a weak sense of the law. I've heard that some old families still retain some illegal vigilante justice! Sigh, I don't know what trouble that kid Chen Xiao got into. Why do those guys get so angry as if we've publicly harassed their wives when we mention his name?"
While complaining, Xu Ershao took out his phone and tried it again: "Damn it, there's no signal in this godforsaken place."
Bai Cai muttered, "Coward."
"Mr. Xu!" Tang Ying bowed to the Second Young Master Xu. "I'm so sorry, we've caused all this trouble... Please rest assured, you are Chen Xiaojun's friends, and Sister Ya Zi and I will definitely protect you and make sure you don't get hurt!"
With a mournful face, Young Master Xu quickly pulled Tang Ying up: "Hey, don't bow anymore, and don't keep calling me 'Mr. Xu' or 'Mr. Chen Xiao'... Anyone with a little common sense can immediately guess that you're Japanese. There are probably many people here who are anti-Japanese."
The cabbage next to her was a little annoyed: "Speaking of which, how did you end up here?"
Tang Ying glanced at the cabbage somewhat timidly: "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
"Enough with the nonsense." Young Master Xu frowned. "How did you end up here? I remember telling you to stay there and wait when we left Shanghai. And... I don't recall telling you where we went!"
Hmm... Champagne won't tell, and as for Mr. Lin San, he seems to have the least liking for the Japanese, so naturally he won't tell these two Japanese girls. Peacock, on the other hand, remains completely silent all day...