Chapter Eight: Choosing Marriage

Xiao Tianci sat there, pressing his hands hard against his head, desperately trying to calm himself, but he simply couldn’t manage it. Meanwhile, Tian Hao, ever the instigator, kept fanning the flames. At last, Xiao Tianci abruptly sat up, his eyes bloodshot as he stared at Tian Hao.

Tian Hao had been in the middle of speaking, but the look in Xiao Tianci’s reddened eyes made his words stick in his throat.

“Uncle Tian... I... I’ll listen to you...” Xiao Tianci said with difficulty, finally making a decision. The day’s events had been too much; even his usually sharp mind was beginning to falter.

Hearing this, Tian Hao was so delighted he could hardly remember his own surname. All he could think was that, at long last, he would become one of the most powerful figures around. Let those who had looked down on him, those who thought themselves above him, all get out of his way—he was about to become the patriarch of the Xiao family, and from now on, everyone would have to watch his mood.

Gripping Xiao Tianci’s shoulders, Tian Hao burst into wild laughter, all thoughts of whether his daughter would agree or object utterly cast aside.

Meanwhile, Xiao Tianci managed a faint smile, but whether it was joy, pain, or torment, only he himself knew.

“Tianci, from now on, we’re family... one family...”

“One family...” Xiao Tianci repeated the words, tasting their meaning. He wondered what Nier, the key to tying their fates together, would think of all this. After years of dreaming, his wish was about to come true, but the abruptness of it left him bewildered, as if suspended in midair.

From the moment Xiao Tianci agreed, Tian Hao had grown restless—he couldn’t sit still. In his mind, once the rice was cooked, he could finally relax. Everything needed to be settled as quickly as possible.

“Tianci, since you’ve agreed, we should move quickly—no doubt there’s a lot for you to handle on your end, and at the company as well...” He thought to himself, That’s nothing, really, but he must become my son-in-law first.

Having agreed to marry Nier, Xiao Tianci knew he ought to be happy, but instead, he felt strangely downcast, drained, and uneasy. When Tian Hao brought up company matters, he forced himself to respond, “Gu Qiang has always worked with me on the new product launch and sales. I’ve already asked him to take over, so I don’t think there will be any problems. As for the Xiao family, I doubt there’s much happening for now, so there’s no need to rush, Uncle Tian. What I mean is...”

Tian Hao, however, was not someone to let a morsel slip from his grasp. He chuckled, “That’s perfect. I trust you to handle it. And since you have no parents, from now on, we’re family. You’re my own son now. You’re still young, so you don’t understand these things—leave them to me.”

Though his feelings were in turmoil and his mind clouded by the day’s events, Xiao Tianci still felt a faint resistance at being called “son.” It was strange; he had long dreamed of marrying Tian Hao’s daughter, but he knew the old fox well.

Tian Hao, meanwhile, had already risen, said a few more words, and hurried away. He needed to rush home and begin preparations, especially with his own daughter—he knew that would be the trickiest part and had to handle it quickly, without letting Xiao Tianci find out.

Xiao Tianci escorted Tian Hao out of the building, watching as his car drove away before finally returning to his office.

He collapsed heavily onto the sofa, staring blankly upward. The events that had just unfolded felt even more dreamlike than suddenly inheriting the world’s greatest fortune.

In his car, Tian Hao rubbed his hands together in excitement. Over the years, he had amassed several billion, and especially after Xiao Tianci joined the company, the total valuation had surpassed ten billion—they were wealthy indeed. Yet, he had always felt oppressed, a minor tycoon forever overshadowed by the truly powerful and the high officials. For decades, he felt as though he had always been at the mercy of these people, forced to smile and greet them politely, unable to rebel.

Sometimes he felt like a whore—impressive to ordinary people and company employees, but when he saw those real elites, who could squander his entire fortune on a whim, he felt a pain sharper than any commoner’s. Because he was so close to them, he understood their world, envied it, and longed for it all the more.

He had once considered striving for more, but fear of losing his current life always held him back. So he simply kept the company moving forward slowly, never taking real risks.

He dreamed of making those officials and magnates bow and smile to him, dreamed of owning a private jet to travel the world, of gambling in the most luxurious suites in Las Vegas, of receiving head-of-state treatment in every country...

And now, all of this was within reach—not just a dream.

As his car left the city and made for home, he began to calm down. He realized he needed to settle things with Nier—knowing her temper, if she found out he had arranged her marriage behind her back, she would never agree. If that happened, and Xiao Tianci found out, it would be a disaster.

He had to resolve this, and quickly, without letting Xiao Tianci know. Damn, who would have thought Xiao Tianci would get so lucky, inheriting a fortune greater than the world’s richest? And as for his own old man, he’d only left him a couple of billion, leaving him neither here nor there, always uncomfortable.

Tian Hao was hopeless at actually running a business or making money, but when it came to lavish living, he was a master—otherwise, how could he have six sons and a daughter? Tian Ni was his only daughter and the youngest; she had six older brothers.

At home, three wives lived with him—five of his sons were born to these three wives, while another was from an affair and later brought home, just like Tian Ni.

Dissolute and devious—that was Tian Hao’s specialty. Soon, a cunning idea formed in his mind, and his face quivered with a sly, triumphant smile.

“Call Nier,” he ordered. Unlike Xiao Tianci, Tian Hao was a man who would never stand if he could sit, never sit if he could lie down, and commanding others gave him immense satisfaction. If he were of higher status, there would be even more he’d want to enjoy.

His secretary immediately dialed Tian Ni’s number. When Tian Ni answered, the secretary handed the phone to Tian Hao. “Chairman, she’s on the line.”

“Hello, Nier! Where are you now?”

“Oh, out dining with friends? You’re surprised I have time to call? Well, your father is always busy—of course I rarely have time,” he replied, shamelessly, as if it were perfectly true.

“Ha, always with the jokes. What are you saying about your own father? Enough, let’s get serious. I need you to come home soon.”

“What? Yes, it’s important. It’s about news of your mother.”

As he expected, at the mention of her mother, Tian Ni immediately agreed and hung up. Tian Hao’s face was lit with the smug, crafty smile of a man who had just won a great victory.

(This evening, help me race up the charts—support the book, vote, spread the word. There will be another update at 12:10 tonight, and all reviews will be highlighted. Thank you for your support.)