Chapter Forty-Four: Deng Ting’an’s Worries

By now, after more than a decade, the Soaring Flight Group, along with Liu Teng and the entire Liu clan behind it, had become notoriously famous.
Yet this fame was not the fame of a legitimate empire in the public eye. In fact, before 2010, Soaring Flight kept an extremely low profile, and no one in the public had even known its market value had already surpassed four hundred billion yuan.
After that scandal in the later era that later shook all of China, Liu Teng and the Liu family were fully exposed. Over twenty years, with methods of trickery, coercion, and deception, he drove Soaring Flight to a frightening size of several hundred billion yuan.

Even with every kind of protective umbrella, they could not escape legal punishment. In the end, Liu Teng and the core of his gang were sentenced to death, and the whole criminal network was crushed in one sweep.

Liu Teng had built his fortune in 1993 in Yang City and neighboring districts to the north of Rong City. The company grew step by step, formally founded Soaring Flight Group last year, and this year moved aggressively into Rong City, the provincial capital.
For Liu Teng to have developed so smoothly, it was certain he had official backing. And since Soaring Flight was primarily in real estate and energy, conflict with Blue Sky Group—the titan dominating the southwest property market—was inevitable.

Of course, that was not the primary cause. The real reason was that the new mayor of Rong City, who took office last year, came from Yang City as well, representing one side of power. That side had recently come into serious conflict with the local Rong establishment backed by Blue Sky Group, and the tension was spreading across many sectors. Soaring Flight had become their spearhead. In the previous life, Blue Sky’s later decline was due in part to pressure from Yang City and the rise of Soaring Flight.

Seeing Liu Ze today made Zhou Xuan suddenly remember the many clashes between Soaring Flight and Blue Sky in that previous life, and a flicker of unease passed through him.
For a merciless, unlawful businesshouse like Soaring Flight, Zhou was an ominous threat. Of course, the Zhou who knew this life inside and out could have wiped out Liu Teng and his group without much effort.

“Soaring Flight should not provoke me. If they do, I will end them ahead of time and call it divine justice.”
Zhou thought that given Liu Ze’s humiliation and resentment, and the whole Liu clan’s way of operating, there was a fair chance they were helping themselves toward self-destruction.

Isn’t that how novels go? The lead character grows, and there are always cannon fodder to be used up along the way.
This time, though, because he had rescued Jiang Yun, and because Deng Cheng and Wang Ximing’s families were not shaken as violently as in the last life, Soaring Flight’s expansion this time could not have been as smooth.

After Zhou sent Wang Ximing and Deng Cheng off, he returned to the hotel to rest.
Since he had Deng Cheng’s VIP card, Zhou did not hesitate to book a luxurious business suite—one bedchamber, a living area, and a bath, over sixty square meters in all.
While Zhou Soaked in the hotel tub, Liu Ze, who had just come out in disgrace and disarray, was driving a luxury car to a bar and venting his dissatisfaction and anger.

“Little Cheng, find out what that student next to Deng Cheng is doing. I want to know exactly who he is.” Remembering Wang Ximing’s warning, Liu Ze could not take this lightly; he decided to investigate Zhou Xuan first.

At least with the mayor newly in office, no one wanted to cross the Provincial Party’s Organization Department chief, one of its heavyweight figures.

Across town, Deng Cheng drove to a villa in DH District, home to his father, Blue Sky Group chairman Deng Ting’an.
As soon as Deng Cheng stepped in, he saw his father sitting in the living room, tea cup in hand, looking at him with a stern expression.
Changing out of his shoes, Deng Cheng said, “Dad, you’re home already?”

Around fifty and all business as chairman of the group, Deng Ting’an kept his same serious air even at home. In a serious tone he asked, “You’re back. Did you meet that young fellow?”

“Yes. We also met his two employees. In just two days, his internet-café management system has been sold through thirty to forty units, bringing in well over one hundred thousand yuan in revenue.” Deng Cheng was not surprised by the question; since he had explained Zhou Xuan’s grasp of real estate to his father, his father had become deeply interested in him.

Deng Ting’an nodded. “That system is genuinely good. The costs are low, the returns high. I never expected the internet sector to be this lucrative. It’s making me want to jump in myself.”
Fortunately, Zhou Xuan did not hear this, otherwise he would never know how to answer his father.

1998 was only the first year of internet portals, and nobody had found a stable way to profit yet. The money-burning phase had only just begun. Soon 2000 would bring the internet bubble, and many companies would not survive it, disappearing without a trace.

Deng Cheng smiled. “By Zhou Xuan’s account, the internet is full of potential, but we know little about it. We should not rush in. Not everyone is a prodigy like him, earning so much at such a young age.”

Deng Ting’an had merely said it offhand, yet he nodded in agreement at his son’s reply. “You’ve grown steadier lately. That brush with life and death did have a use.”

Deng Cheng rolled his eyes. “Don’t worry, Dad. I won’t go anywhere dangerous again.” The last trip to Black Bamboo Valley still haunted him. If Jiang Yun had been harmed that day, who knows where his family or Blue Sky would be now?

Hearing this, Deng Ting’an sounded genuinely relieved. “Good. If you can think this way, both your mother and I can breathe easier. And tonight, invite Zhou Xuan for dinner. He did our family a great service last time. We should thank him properly.”

“Okay. I’ll tell Zhou Xuan later. By the way, I bumped into Liu Ze again today.”
Just remembering Liu Ze annoyed him; he had run into him two or three times already.

Even the usually impassive Deng Ting’an frowned. “Since the new mayor took office, Soaring Flight has become increasingly insolent. Many of our projects have been snapped up by them.”

“Dad, with this kind of under-the-table maneuvering, are they not afraid of a higher-level inspection? It’s too obvious. Do they think everyone is an idiot?” Since Soaring Flight entered the provincial capital, Blue Sky’s business had dropped sharply. Deng Cheng was openly resentful. Blue Sky had spent over a decade building itself; in the southwest, its project quality was among the top three. Soaring Flight, by contrast, was a crude upstart that had even caused a death through forced demolition.

Hearing his immature words, Deng Ting’an gave a bitter smile. “As you say. Who in Rong City’s real-estate world doesn’t know that? Many are unhappy, but has anyone filed a complaint? No. The new mayor was personally recommended to be transferred here from Yang City. A new official likes to burn three fires when he starts; with his temperament, who dares to speak out?”

“So we just let it go?” Deng Cheng knew it was true, but he could not accept it.

“School has started, so go back and study. Things are not that severe here. The Jiang family and the Wang family are not to be underestimated; this is not something you need to worry over. Since the southwest market is already saturated, Blue Sky should move outward.”

As he heard Deng Cheng speak of Zhou Xuan’s understanding of the future of real estate, a sudden heat rose in Deng Ting’an’s heart.