Chapter Four: The Manner of Command

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The Prodigal Son Without Restraint
Chapter Four: The Way of Giving Orders

Xu Guowei thought he must have misheard, so he hesitated for a moment before responding, “Heh, Mr. Xiao, I’ve already explained the Xiao family’s situation to you. How about this—if you need anything done, just tell me and I’ll arrange for someone to take care of it.”

When he said this, Xu Guowei was filled with confidence. Others might not know, but he was well aware of just how powerful the Xiao family truly was. Now that the last bloodline of the Xiao family was about to become its sole heir, whatever he wanted to do should be as easy as child’s play.

“Oh, really?” Xiao Tianci asked, a smile on his face.

Xu Guowei replied without hesitation, “Rest assured, there’s absolutely no problem.” Meanwhile, he thought to himself, “Seems this kid still doesn’t realize what the Xiao family represents. Could it be he wants help dealing with that misappropriated sum of money recently?”

Xiao Tianci shrugged. “Alright then, since you’re so sure, I’ll tell you—I want to go out and pick up girls, find myself a wife. What do you think? Can you arrange that for me?”

“This…”

Before Xiao Tianci could gloat, Xu Guowei replied in a startlingly forthright manner, “That is indeed a bit more difficult, but if you need me to handle it, it’s not a big problem either. Do you have a particular type in mind, or have you already set your sights on someone?” As he spoke, he professionally produced a pocket notepad. “Do you want simply to win someone over, or are you looking to cultivate a genuine relationship? If it’s just about winning over a specific individual, that’s simple enough, of course you can rest assured we would never do anything illegal. If you want a relationship, do you have a specific person in mind or should we conduct a broad search? Under what circumstances do you wish this relationship to develop? What kind of coordination or environment do you require…”

At this, Xiao Tianci finally understood why Xu Guowei could become a world-renowned lawyer, and why the wealthy would willingly pay astronomical sums to employ him. He’d always heard that money isn’t everything, but without it, you can do nothing. Now, however, Xu Guowei’s confidence seemed rooted not only in wealth but in a sense that—so long as you stated your desire—he could resolve any problem for you. Xiao Tianci felt only one thing: admiration.

“Um… Attorney Xu, pardon me, but what I actually meant was, I’d like to take care of some personal matters here before I leave.”

Xu Guowei replied with absolute professionalism, “Mr. Xiao, rest assured. If you need, we can mobilize staff and, within half an hour, bring everyone you wish to meet together. If it concerns your current company, you needn’t worry; we can complete its acquisition within an hour. Is there anything else you need to handle?”

Speechless…

Now, Xiao Tianci finally understood what it meant that there’s always someone better out there. For him to have achieved so much at such a young age, he naturally excelled in many areas. Negotiation was one of his strong suits, but he’d never encountered anything quite like today. This truly was the caliber of an internationally renowned attorney. If it had been anyone else, Xiao Tianci would have written them off as a braggart, but Xu Guowei was different—he represented the Xiao family.

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Taking a deep breath, Xiao Tianci pretended to gaze at the plane in front of him to avoid awkwardness, thinking, What should I do? In truth, what had just come to mind was that he wanted to go back and resolve things at his company first, and then... After being suppressed for so long, now suddenly free, he longed to see Tian Ni at once and pour out his true feelings for her.

But what to do about Xu Guowei standing before him?

Xu Guowei said, “Mr. Xiao, because this is a matter of great importance, the United Nations and many other countries have been making inquiries—they’re all extremely concerned. Even the major shareholders of Meihua are waiting for you. Only if you take charge promptly can the situation stabilize. There are also a great many documents you must sign and things that require your handover.”

Good heavens, thought Xiao Tianci, The United Nations is involved? Can that be real? Surely this is too far-fetched. But then again, without investigation, there’s no right to speak—this much he understood. While it wouldn’t matter much to go along with Xu Guowei now, his earlier wish to stay had been a fleeting thought. If it was for business, he could put that aside. However, if he was to set it aside, it had to be on his own terms. Letting Xu Guowei pressure him only made his resolve to stay even stronger.

“Hmm.” After a brief moment of thought, Xiao Tianci’s expression became exceedingly grave. “May I ask, Attorney Xu, on whose behalf do you work?”

“The Xiao family.”

“Then, as the sole master of the Xiao family, does that mean you must follow my orders?”

Xu Guowei smiled faintly, already knowing what Xiao Tianci was getting at, and nodded. “So long as it is your command, I will do my utmost to fulfill it.”

Seeing his smile, Xiao Tianci felt a bit embarrassed, but still tossed the problem back, “In that case, I don’t want to leave right now. Those inheritance documents, shareholders, and so on—you handle them for me. Oh, and as for the United Nations and those other countries, leave them to you as well.”

Originally, Xiao Tianci felt a pang of worry after saying this—Xu Guowei was so formidable, what if he said something that rendered him speechless again? Unexpectedly, this time Xu Guowei responded without hesitation, “Yes, sir.”

Hmm. Xiao Tianci looked at Xu Guowei, thinking, Could it be that simple? Is it really done?

Watching Xiao Tianci’s incredulous expression, Xu Guowei thought to himself, “He’s truly of the Xiao bloodline—he’s finally beginning to show the decisiveness of a Xiao.”

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“Mr. Xiao, are you heading back to your company now? Would you prefer to take the helicopter or go by car?”

This way, the meeting would certainly be missed, but now it seemed unnecessary anyway. As for the helicopter, Xiao Tianci wasn’t quite used to it.

“I’ll just take the car back,” said Xiao Tianci, turning to get in. Before boarding, he glanced at the luxury plane—one-third larger than a regular airliner—and felt as if he were in a dream.

In the car, Xiao Tianci asked Xu Guowei how he planned to handle all those supposedly urgent matters he’d mentioned before. Xu Guowei replied simply, “You are the boss, the center. Wherever you go, the center goes with you. Everything can be arranged according to your needs—wherever you choose to be, that’s where business gets done.”

Those few words left Xiao Tianci deeply moved. He could now sense, even more keenly than before, the difference between his current life and the past. As the saying goes, if you cannot change the world, you must adapt to it. Most people can only adapt—he, too, had been among them. But now, with his identity changed, the world seemed to adapt to him, so long as he willed it.

No. Xiao Tianci managed, just in time, to rein himself in—it was like a sudden bucket of cold water cooling his overheated mind.

There is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Lucky events and fortunate people—Xiao Tianci was willing to believe they existed. But what about his own situation? Real or not, his current status and this immense wealth were utterly disproportionate. Leaping several rungs was never so easy; now that things had come to this, it seemed he couldn’t even back out if he wanted to.

At twenty-seven, Xiao Tianci had earned his first fortune while at university, but circumstances forced him to return quietly to campus. In the two years after graduation, he used legitimate business tactics to drive his opponent to bankruptcy; in the end, that defeated rival, mentally broken, leapt to his death.

One cannot hesitate in action; those who aspire to great things must be decisive. Swiftly organizing his thoughts, Xiao Tianci made up his mind.

An elite among elites, having reached the top of the corporate ladder at twenty-seven, on the very first day he learned of his inheritance, he began to display a new kind of demeanor.

After that, it was as if Xiao Tianci had become a different person. Facing the unknown, which inspired an inexplicable fear in his heart, he began to conceal his brilliance, withdrawing into self-protection—until he understood, until he had the power to control the situation…

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