Chapter Fifty-Six: Confrontation

"Alright, let's do it this way!" Third Uncle Zhou Changxing clapped his hands in approval.

Zhou Xuan raised his glass and said, "Everyone, cheers. Since Liu Ze dared to make a move against our Universal Network, he must pay the price. If he still doesn’t know when to stop, then he’s messing with the wrong people. Tengfei Group and Liu Teng are nothing but mere pawns in my eyes."

"Cheers!"

"Bottoms up!"

"Zhou Xuan, so commanding!"

Everyone drained their glasses and looked at Zhou Xuan with great admiration.

Zhou Xuan’s bold words still echoed in their ears, the thunderous voice filling them with confidence about the future. To ordinary people, Liu Ze and the Tengfei Group behind him seemed like a formidable giant; those who knew the inside story surely trembled at Tengfei’s name. But when Wei Lian and the others heard Zhou Xuan’s voice, their confidence inexplicably swelled.

With the assurance of future knowledge, Zhou Xuan knew the Achilles’ heel of Tengfei Group and Liu Teng. If provoked, he could annihilate them along with their protective umbrella before they even realized it.

Zhou Xuan put down his glass, picked up some food, and continued, "Starting on the 3rd, we will launch a nationwide promotion of the Universal Internet Café Management System. Wei Lian, you will be stationed in Rong City; Third Uncle, you head to Huhai. Select capable personnel to head to six major cities: Yudu, Difu, Zhuzhou, Zhongzhou, Xijing, and Shencheng. Recruit promotion staff locally, starting with the central cities and then expanding outward to comprehensively promote our Internet café management system. We will lower the guaranteed sales amount to two thousand yuan, leaving one thousand yuan as commission for the promoters. It is imperative that within half a year, we dominate the majority of the Chinese market for Internet café management systems. Meanwhile, I will focus on promoting the Universal Internet Café Management System on the hao123 website. Wei Lian, recruit several customer service representatives to handle calls from Internet café owners nationwide, then assign them to various promotion teams for appointment scheduling and installation."

Hearing Zhou Xuan’s plan, Wei Lian and Third Uncle were thrilled. The more they promoted, the greater their shares. In six months, with their commissions, they would undoubtedly become millionaires.

More than two hours later, after finishing their meal, Zhou Xuan and the others left the private room and headed outside.

Just as they reached the lobby, an annoying voice rang out again.

"Hey, isn’t that Deng Cheng? And this must be Boss Zhou."

Zhou Xuan and the others turned to see none other than Liu Ze, the young master of Tengfei Group and their greatest adversary this time.

Seeing Liu Ze here, Zhou Xuan immediately guessed that Liu Ze must have heard about his arrival in Rong City and was deliberately waiting for him.

Zhou Xuan thought to himself, "Looks like Liu Ze’s influence in Rong City is not to be underestimated. I just arrived at noon, and he already knows. I’ll have to be careful from now on."

Wei Lian and Third Uncle glared at Liu Ze with hatred, itching to slap him a few times. Deng Cheng, recalling their earlier strategy, smiled slightly. "Well, well, if it isn’t Liu Ze. Heard that I was coming to the Qiushui Grand Hotel, so you’re waiting here to see me off? You must be joking—I can’t possibly accept such a grand send-off."

Zhou Xuan was amused by Deng Cheng’s newfound sharp tongue. Knowing Liu Ze’s nature, he was surely here to flaunt his power and humiliate him.

As expected, Liu Ze snapped back at Deng Cheng, "Deng Cheng, stop... stop showing off your tongue here."

Hearing Liu Ze mimic phrases he learned from TV, Zhou Xuan couldn’t help but laugh and mock, "Young Master Liu, perhaps you’ve been watching too much television that you’ve forgotten how to speak proper Mandarin. You’re so pedantic—it’s truly as awkward as it is ugly."

"You—" Liu Ze was left speechless for a moment, then snarled, "I know who you are, Zhou Xuan. Don’t think that with Wang Ximing protecting you, I won’t do anything to you. You’re just a country bumpkin who thinks you can make it big by clinging to Deng Cheng’s coattails and opening a small company, completely ignorant of your place."

"Oh? What’s your advice then, Young Master Liu? Isn’t Tengfei Group also founded by people from the countryside?" Zhou Xuan and Deng Cheng exchanged a smile before Zhou Xuan continued, "How pitiful—to forget your roots once you’ve made money. A classic nouveau riche attitude: boasting, bullying, and arrogance without knowing your limits. I think you should learn a thing or two about being a decent person and showing gratitude instead of abusing your little power to take what isn’t yours and act with impunity."

"Bravo!" Deng Cheng applauded without restraint. "That’s exactly what the Liu family is like."

Zhou Xuan’s words were not baseless. After their rise, the Liu family not only failed to give back to their hometown but instead bullied the locals and grew even more arrogant. In his past life, Zhou Xuan despised such people the most—they were societal toxins.

"You—" Liu Ze pointed at Zhou Xuan, grinding his teeth. "How dare you slander the Liu family like this? I guess you don’t want to live anymore. Mark my words, Zhou Xuan! Your little company won’t last long; I’ll shut it down before you know it. Your software? Don’t even think about selling it."

Then he looked at Deng Cheng, "And you, Deng Cheng! Your Blue Sky Group must be having a hard time this year. Several projects have been taken by Tengfei Group. Let’s see what land you have left to develop. I know you own a large piece near Xingyue Lake, but it’s too far from the city. Developing residential buildings there is just courting death. Without projects, how can you compete with us?"

Zhou Xuan and Deng Cheng looked at Liu Ze’s tirade as if he were a fool. How could he possibly know that Blue Sky Group had already decided to develop its first commercial real estate project on Xingyue Lake, which would become a benchmark in the commercial real estate industry and lead its development?

What Zhou Xuan hadn’t mentioned was that in a few years, the government would invest two billion yuan west of Xingyue Lake to build a high-end, large international convention center. To the east, fifty billion yuan had been invested in constructing the Global Center, covering over 1,300 acres and holding the title of the world’s largest standalone building.

For the coming decades, Xingyue Lake would remain the heart of the high-tech development zone, integrating high-end office buildings, international conference and exhibition centers, upscale shopping, leisure, entertainment, and luxury residences—a city center comparable to Manhattan in Rong City or Lujiazui in Huhai.

Despite Liu Ze’s repeated provocations, even a clay statue would have some temper, let alone Deng Cheng, who was naturally hot-headed. Seeing Liu Ze mock the Blue Sky Group that his father had painstakingly built, Deng Cheng was furious and ready to slap him.

However, Zhou Xuan pulled Deng Cheng back, whispering in his ear, "Don’t lose your temper. They have plenty of thugs. If we fight, we’ll be at a disadvantage. Let him have his moment of pride."

"Liu Ze, aren’t you here today just to brag that you stole our company’s software and sold it? I truly pity you. As the heir to a multi-billion group, to stoop to such low means for a few hundred thousand yuan in profit—tsk tsk, a true nouveau riche with poor morals," Zhou Xuan sneered, signaling the three to leave, leaving a dumbfounded Liu Ze behind.

"Damn, how could Zhou Xuan know everything?" Liu Ze muttered to himself, clueless about where the leaks had come from.

Zhou Xuan looked down on him. Liu Ze, who only knew how to eat, drink, and party, had no idea of the wonders of internet technology or the unprecedented tactics now employed.