Chapter 442: Negotiation

The door was ajar, and Chen Erbao was the first to walk in.

The room contained only a massive desk, behind which sat a refined man in casual clothes. He watched Chen Erbao with a faint smile.

“Mr. Chen, I’m Huang Sanlang. Is there something you need?”

Huang Sanlang’s attitude was very respectful, and he showed none of the airs of a young master.

Chen Erbao sized up Huang Sanlang and gave a nod, then turned to look at Feng Qingwan behind him.

Feng Qingwan was taken aback by his gaze for a moment and pointed outside.

“Do you want me to leave?”

Chen Erbao looked at Feng Qingwan and the middle-aged man, then said unhurriedly,

“Mr. Huang and I have something to discuss. Could the two of you please give us some privacy?”

Feng Qingwan nodded sullenly, ready to turn and leave, but Uncle Xu shook his head, refusing.

“Mr. Chen, I’m responsible for the young master’s personal safety. Please forgive me.”

Chen Erbao raised an eyebrow but said nothing, merely looking at Huang Sanlang.

‘If Huang Sanlang doesn’t even have the courage to face me alone, I’ll have to reconsider working with him.’

Huang Sanlang gazed at Chen Erbao, considered for a moment, and said with a light laugh,

“Uncle Xu, you can wait for me outside. I trust that Mr. Chen means me no harm.”

Uncle Xu grew anxious. “Young Master, I…”

“Wait outside for now.”

Huang Sanlang repeated himself, his calm tone carrying an authority that couldn’t be denied.

Left with no choice, Uncle Xu followed Feng Qingwan out of the room.

Only Chen Erbao and Huang Sanlang remained in the room.

Chen Erbao walked straight to a chair and sat down. Looking up at Huang Sanlang, he said with a soft laugh,

“Ever since I came to Binhai, all I’ve heard is how Huang Baiwen of the Huang Family is a business genius. I wonder, what’s your take on that, Third Young Master Huang?”

Huang Sanlang’s brow furrowed at his words.

He didn’t understand why Chen Erbao would bring up his older brother.

“What are you getting at, Mr. Chen?”

Huang Sanlang asked cautiously.

Chen Erbao tapped his fingers lightly on the desk, looking Huang Sanlang in the eye.

“Young Master Huang, do you happen to know Hua Yueqing?”

“The captain of the Security Bureau’s special squad?”

Huang Sanlang’s confusion deepened.

“We’ve only met a couple of times. I don’t know her well,”

he said, his tone matter-of-fact.

Chen Erbao nodded, glanced around, and lowered his voice.

“Mr. Huang, Captain Hua speaks very highly of you.”

Huang Sanlang paused, his expression unchanging.

“I have no real connection to Captain Hua. Her assessment of me… is probably off the mark. My older brother is the most outstanding successor of our generation in the Huang Family.”

Chen Erbao let out a laugh.

“You’re too tense, Mr. Huang. I mean you no harm.”

“Then why did you seek me out?”

Seeing his opening, Chen Erbao decided to stop beating around the bush. He looked quietly into Huang Sanlang’s eyes.

“Let me introduce myself. I’m a businessman, and I’m also an Ancient Martial Artist. I imagine your bodyguard, that former Grandmaster, has already told you about my true abilities. But that’s only what he saw. My strength doesn’t end there.”

As Chen Erbao watched him, Huang Sanlang’s pupils constricted slightly. His hand instinctively went to the drawer in front of him.

“You’re an incredible man, Mr. Chen. It seems Uncle Xu underestimated you. Since you could tell he was once a Grandmaster, you must be a master of the same level.”

“You flatter me. I’ve only just advanced to the Grandmaster realm, it’s nothing special… Besides, Mr. Huang, if I wanted to harm you, that little pistol in your drawer wouldn’t be enough to protect you.”

Chen Erbao wasn’t being modest; his expression was supremely confident. Yet, the calm composure in his eyes put Huang Sanlang slightly at ease.

He was now certain that Chen Erbao truly meant him no harm.

So, Huang Sanlang withdrew his hand and leaned forward, his attitude growing more earnest.

“If there’s some way I can help you, Mr. Chen, please speak freely.”

Huang Sanlang knew perfectly well the significance of a young Grandmaster.

“I have a feud with Huang Baiwen,”

Chen Erbao said calmly.

‘It’s not just about what the Giant Whale Gang did, but also my feud with the Celestial God Sect.’

Hearing Chen Erbao’s words, Huang Sanlang’s heart began to beat a little faster, but his expression remained impassive.

“You have a feud with my older brother. Why are you coming to me?”

“I don’t want to make an enemy of the Huang Family. I only want to bring down Huang Baiwen. Of all the young heirs in Binhai, I believe you’re the most capable, Mr. Huang. Furthermore, it was Captain Hua who recommended you to me.”

Chen Erbao laid his cards on the table, his brilliant eyes locked on Huang Sanlang, gauging his reaction.

As for Huang Sanlang’s claim that he didn’t know Hua Yueqing well, Chen Erbao simply didn’t believe it.

‘If they weren’t close, why would Hua Yueqing have recommended him?’

And in fact, Huang Sanlang was lying.

For years, he had been secretly building his own power base. Part of that was approaching Hua Yueqing, hoping to win the friendship of the top figure in the Security Bureau’s younger generation and add her strength to his own ambitious ascent.

Unfortunately, Hua Yueqing had no intention of getting involved in the Huang Family’s internal struggles, so she had subtly rejected Huang Sanlang’s overtures on several occasions.

But even though she had no intention of cooperating, she had come to recognize Huang Sanlang’s ambition and capabilities.

A man who could accumulate significant power while being suppressed by the Huang Family elders and Huang Baiwen was no mediocre talent.

Huang Sanlang’s heart sank. Now that Chen Erbao had mentioned Hua Yueqing, he could no longer hide.

He stared intently at Chen Erbao and said, enunciating each word,

“You’ve misunderstood, Mr. Chen. That is my dearest kin, my own flesh and blood. Since you have a feud with him, I’m afraid I can’t entertain you. Please leave!”

‘Until my plans are in motion, I can’t say a word. If Huang Baiwen were to find out, all my years of hard work would be for nothing.’

‘Hua Yueqing knows, but since she already rejected me, she won’t go running to Huang Baiwen. I’m safe on that front.’

But he couldn’t yet bring himself to trust Chen Erbao without reservation.

Chen Erbao chuckled.

“You may see him as your dearest kin, but once he’s in control of the Huang Family, he won’t spare a thought for his younger brother. The day he takes over as the Huang Family Patriarch, will there be any place left for you, Huang Sanlang, in all of Binhai?”

Chen Erbao’s words struck a nerve.

The two men stared at each other, falling into silence.

In the end, it was Chen Erbao who broke the silence.

“I know you can’t trust me yet, Mr. Huang, and that’s fine. You’ll be hearing news about me very soon. Just pay attention to what your older brother has been up to recently. When that time comes, I think you’ll be more than willing to cooperate with me.”

Having said his piece, Chen Erbao didn’t plan to say anything more.

‘I killed all the assassins Huang Baiwen sent after Song Yao yesterday. As long as Huang Sanlang puts his mind to it and investigates, he’s sure to find out.’

‘And that will be the basis for our cooperation.’

Chen Erbao stood up, turned, and left the room.

After Chen Erbao was gone, Uncle Xu rushed in. He only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Huang Sanlang was unharmed.

“Young Master, what did he say?”