Chapter Thirteen: The Steward of the Xiao Family (1)

Chapter Thirteen: The Xiao Family’s Chief Steward (1)

Xiao Tianci still habitually used his former identity to frame his thoughts and approach problems. In truth, the one with real wealth now was him; Xu Guowei was merely serving him. He didn’t dwell on these matters, but regardless, Xiao Tianci finally felt at ease. He instructed, “Since that’s the case, help me prepare one hundred and fifty billion yuan—or better yet, just arrange twenty billion US dollars. Take care of the rest quickly. Haha, I’m getting married.”

Xu Guowei’s eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement. He turned them slightly and said, “Congratulations, Mr. Xiao. May all your wishes come true, and may your happiness last a lifetime.”

“Haha, I hope your words come true…” With that, Xiao Tianci stood up. After sitting for such a long time, his nerves had been taut and his mood tense. Most importantly, the inner struggle in his heart had never ceased. He could easily guess Tian Hao’s intentions, but knowing them didn’t mean much; he had considered far more.

When it came to his woman, he was different from those television protagonists or foolish romantics. Though he believed in love, he believed even more in life. Perhaps it was the result of growing up in a single-parent household—his mother had raised him with every hardship. Unconsciously, this shaped his worldview, and he had long resolved that he would never let his beloved suffer any hardship or pain.

He wanted to give his woman happiness and security, mingled with a certain masculine pride. If he had fallen for an ordinary girl, the achievements he had won through hard work would be more than enough to ensure she lived up to the standards he set for himself.

In the past, it wasn’t so much that he cared about Tian Ni’s status; rather, he was dissatisfied with his own. If he had possessed strength from the start, he would have disregarded any obstacles and seized Tian Ni for himself long ago.

Accumulating initial capital was the hardest and most grueling phase, and Xiao Tianci had just managed to complete this phase in recent years. During this period, he had begun scouting opportunities, and once he found the right target, he would stake everything to make his mark.

But things had turned out dramatically different from what he expected. After pacing twice, Xiao Tianci felt a bit unsettled. Although he considered Tian Ni his woman already, after all, he was a modern man. Skipping the pursuit and romance and heading straight for this path felt uncomfortable, so he continued to wrestle with his feelings.

Tian Hao, meanwhile, was excited, thinking he had persuaded or even tricked Xiao Tianci, but it would be more accurate to say Xiao Tianci had made his own decision. Now that he had the ability to provide happiness, security, and love, Xiao Tianci wanted the whole world to know Tian Ni was his wife.

When Tian Hao questioned him, it happened to be during the peak of Xiao Tianci’s internal struggle. But once he made up his mind, his heart was freed. He regained his spirit, and his whole demeanor changed, returning to his best state.

Xiao Tianci’s office, though not small and quite impressive by domestic standards, seemed modest to Xu Guowei—less than what their department managers had, let alone compared to some of the Xiao family’s enterprises.

So, to Xu Guowei, this office, decorated at the cost of several tens of thousands, felt a bit cramped. Watching Xiao Tianci pace back and forth in the small space, Xu Guowei spoke, “Mr. Xiao, I was thinking—since this is your joyous occasion and the moment you take over the Xiao family, why not use your wedding to invite the shareholders and friends from various countries? They could attend your wedding and also meet you, get to know you. What do you think? Of course, you can choose to meet them another time, but they are all ready to meet you. Now that plans have changed, having them come is unavoidable.”

Despite feeling as light and free as a bird about to soar, Xiao Tianci’s mind was clear, now that his heart was unburdened.

Hearing Xu Guowei’s suggestion, he nodded. “Good, let’s do it. It’s a win-win—why not?” His mood bright and happy, Xiao Tianci sized up Xu Guowei. “Ah, the great lawyer Xu lives up to his reputation.”

Xu Guowei smiled and nodded in thanks. “Mr. Xiao, you flatter me—I dare not accept such praise. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go take care of everything.”

Xiao Tianci thought for a moment. There were no major issues; even if there were, many people could solve them, so he wasn’t worried. He said to Xu Guowei, “Alright, go ahead. Sorry to trouble you.”

“It’s my duty.”

As Xu Guowei prepared to leave, Xiao Tianci suddenly remembered something. “Wait.” Xu Guowei stopped at the door, and Xiao Tianci said, “Since you mentioned inviting so many people, and earlier spoke of the Xiao family’s influence, this is both my wedding and the day I take over the family. Suddenly I thought we should make the wedding grand. What do you think?”

Xu Guowei turned and regarded Xiao Tianci, pondering. “You mean?”

Freed from the entanglements of inheritance and emotion, Xiao Tianci smiled with ease. “My meaning is simple: make my wedding the most spectacular, grand, magnificent—the ultimate wedding.”

After speaking, Xiao Tianci sat down on the sofa, smiling expectantly at Xu Guowei.

Perhaps he had seen too many unusual things from the Xiao family. For this sole heir he had only recently begun to know, Xu Guowei was not surprised.

“That’s no problem at all. With the Xiao family’s resources, throwing the most grand and magnificent wedding in history is easily done. However, there’s one matter you must decide.”

Xiao Tianci shrugged and laughed. “Oh? What do I need to decide—how much to spend?”

Xu Guowei shook his head. “These are internal affairs, handled by the chief steward. You needn’t worry. What you must decide is whether you want military cooperation, publicity, and media involvement for the wedding.”

Xiao Tianci had his own ideas and objectives. Seeing that Xu Guowei hadn’t grasped the true meaning of his ‘ultimate wedding,’ Xiao Tianci explained, “I don’t mean that. By ‘ultimate,’ I want all the high-level people connected to the Xiao family invited. The rest should remain low-key, kept at a certain level. Do you understand?”

Xu Guowei nodded. “Understood. If there’s nothing else, I’ll go arrange it now.”

“One more thing—you mentioned the chief steward?”

“The Xiao family’s chief steward of internal affairs is on his way. You’ll meet him soon.”

Xiao Tianci nodded and waved Xu Guowei off. Left alone, he murmured to himself, “There’s a chief steward of internal affairs… Could it be that one…?”