Starry Splendour, a private room.

  “He should have known about it long ago. Just think about it. Otherwise, just why would he have ordered the construction materials beforehand for a place like that? He already knew about the spending power of those white collar and gold collar workers long ago. Also, I predict that the middle and higher income families of the western riverbank will flock over as well,” Chu Lianyi suddenly said.

  “That does……seem to be the case,” Reminded by her, everyone unanimously agreed on this.

  “.……Why did he have to go through so much trouble then? Couldn’t he have set our target as Plot No.4 in the first place? He still fooled us into competing for Plots No. 1 and 2, facing such high pressure before slinking away and getting mocked to death,” Hu Shengming said resentfully.

  “Feeling good now, huh?” Gao Yupo asked.

  “Well, yeah. In my family, it’s now ‘Shengming has pretty good foresight’ left, ‘Shengming has proven himself capable’ right. Even my Dad looks like he wants to lunge over and hug and kiss me at times now. As for those two brothers of mine……hahaha……they’ve completely become fools!”


  They all laughed heartily and uproariously.

  “Actually, have you ever thought about it this way? If he had proposed going for Plot No.4 from the start, and also couldn’t tell us that the situation would turn out like it has today, would you guys truly have been interested in this venture, being willing to invest as much effort as you presently have?” Ye Qing asked, “At least, I wouldn’t.”


  “Sis Qing’s right. Actually, there are also all those benefits we received……at least, the notification of my promotion to office chairman is almost here,” Chen Yan smiled.

  Everyone else smiled as well, “No wonder he said back then that we should properly grasp those benefits as soon as possible.”


  “There’s still one more thing, actually,” Gao Yupo said, “If we had set our target as Plot No.4 from the start, it actually wouldn’t have been as easy for us to acquire it. There would still have been competition and contention, and this might have been very intense too. After all, it isn’t like Plot No.4 didn’t have any potential……in any case, it would have been impossible for us to acquire it at a low price without any competition at all as we have now.”


  “He utilised this process to create a difference, which was for us to fight for Plots No.1 and 2 with all our might, in the process clashing terribly with those people to the extent that they took the initiative to give Plot No.4 to us, even yearning for us to accept it.”


  “Also, in this process, some people left. Us remaining ones……whatever the case, there is really camaraderie between us now. We bore such immense pressure together, our relationships improving as a result as there is also more trust between us. We’ve more or less……’partied’ for real.”


  “What you mean is that he was also testing us in the process even as he consolidated the Black Horse Club too?”


  “Probably.”


  “He also strengthened us in the meantime, with virtually every one of us having grown stronger individually. With that, we’re clearly much stronger as a whole too.”


  “Doesn’t that mean that he truly intends to let us prosper alongside him in the future?”


  “I guess so……”


  “I think I’m very willing, anyway.”


  “Ha……me too.”


  Following their discussion, they were stunned as they now realised that……the fella they were discussing-he was just twenty? Oh, right. With the new year having passed, he was twenty-one now.

  This fella who was merely twenty-one years old had planned and gained so much for a single matter and its single process, having taking every factor into account……

  An indistinct trail of clues, extending over a thousand li.

  Like a spider weaving a web, crisscrossing majestically into a single whole.

  Was he really human? Not some demonkin in disguise?

  Also, his background……it was no wonder that the Fang family had allowed Fang Yuqing to be Zhicheng’s CEO, hence expressing support for Xu Tingsheng.

  Everyone was almost going to interrogate Fang Yuqing instead.

  Wu Kun had virtually not said even a word. He was inwardly rejoicing over having put his entire family and fortune at stake here. With that, the relationship between him and Xu Tingsheng would undoubtedly be much closer than for all these other members of the Black Horse Club.

  He had effectively pledged his allegiance. Also, having done so before the news regarding Plot No.4 were released and doing so now had a completely different significance.

  Everyone else was naturally preoccupied by their own thoughts as well.

  As they all pondered in silence, everyone unconsciously directed their gazes at that safe in the corner. Whatever guesses and whatever analyses-nothing could be more convincing that what he had written himself.

  “How about we see what he says?”


  Now, even Ye Qing, Chu Lianyi, Chen Yan and Wu Kun whom Xu Tingsheng felt could keep their cool well……even they could keep their cool no longer.

  “Let’s open it! We have five digits, and as for his, we can just try everything till it works,” Hu Shengming proposed.

  With that, he cast his gaze in the direction of Huang Yaming, Tan Yao and Fang Yuqing, with everyone else gazing over as well as their intentions could not be any more obvious, “You three are the closest with him. You won’t tell him we peeked, right?”


  The three exchanged looks before Huang Yaming slowly said, “When I left on the 11th, he told me that his code digit is 5……do you guys think that……”


  Everyone understood what Huang Yaming had left unsaid-he knew that everyone would not be able to keep themselves from looking, and therein was implied, “No need to try for the number. I’ll just tell it to you.”


  “He couldn’t be that terrifying, right?” Hu Shengming asked.

  “Let’s just open it first.”


  The safe was opened.

  The slip of paper that was placed on the second slot was retrieved and handed to Chu Lianqi who had the highest seniority of them all.

  “Rejoice! Then, make preparations, for the actual pressure will soon be coming. Also, we will have no path of retreat this time.”


  Chu Lianyi read out this one, simple line of words before handing the slip of paper over to the next person.

  The reason for rejoicing was very simple. With the price of Plot No.4 having risen multifold, whether in terms of face or actual profit, this was definitely a cause for celebration. Also, this entailed that he had really already known about the news regarding Plot No.4 a long time back.

  Therefore, everyone had not guessed wrongly. The earlier process had really been planned by him.

  Therefore, his background……was even more freaking unguessable by everyone.

  As for the actual pressure will soon be coming……no path of retreat……

  “What he means should be that there will be an increased number of people who are greedily eyeing our fortune, wanting to profit off it or be divided a piece of it……those wolves are ready to spring.”


  “Also, this time, unless we let them have a share of the benefits too, there really will be no path of retreat for us.”


  After a momentary silence.

  “The hell are we afraid of? We can’t give in no matter what. We fight!” Hu Shengming roared.

  “I agree with Shengming,” Chen Yan said, “Still, there’s something I can’t really understand here. Now that the Fang family is standing behind us, will there really be so many people lunging over and so great pressure?”


  “.……We can only ask him this!”


  Actually, Xu Tingsheng had really never thought that he would gain the support of the Fang family. He had just intended to push Fang Yuqing to try it without a care for the consequences. Still……everyone present would already not think like this. They would believe that he had truly not made any miscalculations whatsoever.

  There was still the third slip of paper inside the safe. The answer may well be in there……

  To look?

  Or not to look?

  “It’s already open anyway,” Ye Qing said.

  Wu Kun took out the third slip of paper and passed it to Chu Lianyi.

  “I knew that you guys would peek,” Chu Lianyi read out the first sentence.