Chapter 97: Wen Shao, Eldest Son of the Wen Family

Tang Xiwei turned her head to look at the man whose beauty was almost unreal. Not only did he possess devastatingly handsome features, but there was also an indescribable nobility about him that could easily intoxicate the soul.

Had it been any other day, upon seeing such an extraordinary man, her inner gold-digger radar would have sounded off wildly. She might have tried every trick in the book to win him over.

But now that she knew who he was, she scarcely dared to breathe.

He was none other than the elder brother of Wen Xiu and Wen Wan, the legitimate eldest son of the Wen family, and one of the Four Young Lords of the capital—Wen Shao.

“Master Wen, I will prove myself useful to you.”

Ever since she offended Wen Wan and Wen Xiu, Tang Xiwei had left Hangcheng. In her mind, having crossed two such powerful figures, she could forget about living a normal college life—survival itself was a distant hope.

With danger closing in from all sides, she had no choice but to gamble everything, seeking a sliver of hope in the capital where power and influence crowded every street.

No matter how formidable the Wen family might be, in the capital, even they had to tread carefully; wanton murder was still unthinkable here.

She never expected, however, that on her second day in the capital, fate would have her cross paths with Wen Shao, the Wen family’s heir.

After witnessing the power wielded by Wen Wan and Wen Xiu, Tang Xiwei realized just how small her previous notions of wealth and influence had been—she was truly a frog at the bottom of a well.

Two fierce desires rose in her heart: one was an infinite yearning for the upper echelons of power, a longing to be part of such a world; the other was an overwhelming urge for revenge.

Before, in front of Wen Wan, she had been powerless—a mere clown, incapable of vengeance; her life had been as insignificant as an ant to be crushed at will.

But if she could become Wen Shao’s woman, she would at least hold the power to avenge herself.

The struggle for the Wen family’s inheritance was intensifying; everyone among the elite knew about it. Even with just a little inquiry, Tang Xiwei learned that, at present, Wen Shao and Wen Wan stood as absolute adversaries—Wen Wan was the greatest threat to Wen Shao.

“I never believe in promises of the future. I’ll give you one minute. If you can’t give me an answer that satisfies me, you can get lost.”

Wen Shao’s voice was as gentle as ever, yet his words made the air around her turn icy cold.

Tang Xiwei felt a chill sweep across the back of her neck, as if a blade were pressed to her throat. The threat was palpable—deadly.

In that desperate moment, Tang Xiwei blurted out an idea that came to her in a flash.

“I loathe Wen Wan and Chen Luo more than anyone!”

“Oh?” Wen Shao’s lips curled into a faint smile. “Go on.”

“Master Wen, Wen Wan is your greatest threat. You won’t want to start an all-out war with her until the moment of truth arrives—am I right?”

She stole a glance at him, probing for a response. Wen Shao said nothing, his smile unchanged.

“That means you need a vanguard—someone to test Wen Wan’s limits.”

“By rights, you should have no shortage of such people around you. But as I said, you don’t want to provoke a direct conflict with her.”

“So this vanguard cannot bear any mark of your power, or else, if exposed, Wen Wan will inevitably trace it back to you.”

“Mm.”

Wen Shao finally made a sound—just one word, but it filled Tang Xiwei with hope.

She believed what she had said was at least of value to Wen Shao, and that he was highly likely to accept her offer.

“But I am different. Whatever I do to Wen Wan or Chen Luo can be excused as a personal vendetta.”

“Even if I’m exposed, Wen Wan will only see it as my own doing and won’t suspect you.”

She paused.

“In other words, in this world, no one is more suitable than I am to be your vanguard. Don’t you agree?”

Finished, Tang Xiwei fixed Wen Shao with a burning gaze.

But his smile faded, replaced by an expression cold as ice.

A chill ran through Tang Xiwei; her legs trembled, but she gritted her teeth and stood her ground.

“Very well. Your reasons are convincing.”

“I’ll give you enough funds, and assign you an assistant. To my subordinates in the Southeast, I’ll announce you as my mistress. You will be able to command their resources on my say-so.”

Wen Shao rose, stepped up to Tang Xiwei, and pinched her chin.

“Don’t disappoint me—otherwise, your life and your family’s lives will be forfeit.”

“Yes, yes, I won’t disappoint you!” Tang Xiwei agreed at once, collapsing to the floor, gasping for breath.

Wen Shao’s gaze then drifted southeast.

“Dearest sister, I’m about to play my first piece. Let’s hope you don’t disappoint me.”

…

The next day, in Hangcheng.

East City District, Hongru Building, twenty-sixth floor.

Ye Lina wore a fitted professional pencil skirt, gold-rimmed glasses perched on her nose. Before her sat a computer and a mountain of documents.

For three hours since morning, Ye Lina had scarcely paused in her work.

The Ye family’s businesses along the southeast coast rivaled even the Wen family’s. Ye Lina alone managed over a hundred companies, with an endless list of matters to decide.

Though she had a capable team of assistants and strategists to share her burden, many things still required her direct judgment.

“Ah, sitting like this every day will ruin my spine,” Ye Lina sighed, rubbing her waist as she stood, intending to stretch her legs, when a knock sounded at the door.

“Come in!”

A smartly dressed young woman with a high ponytail hurried in.

“What is it?” Ye Lina asked.

“Chairman Ye, the Zhou family just launched their new delivery platform, called MagGroup Eats, ten minutes ago. It’s already live and has over a thousand registered users!”

“What? Wen Wan moved this fast? That’s not like her at all. Have the data team pull all the intelligence for me at once!”