Chapter Eighty-Six: Multiple Tails

Page 1/3
Will, brimming with confidence, had not anticipated that Zhou Renjie would give him such a lukewarm response; Zhou’s refusal to immediately agree left Will quite disgruntled. Yet Zhou’s answer was, at least, acceptable—after all, it was only for a single day.
Both men were shrewd, needing few words between them; when straightforwardness was called for, their candor outstripped even the bluntest of merchants. At more ambiguous moments, they conversed like scholars, discussing lofty matters with poetic finesse.
Will was not afraid that Zhou Renjie might refuse to cooperate. This was why, before acting, he had counted on Zhou’s support—he knew that the Zhou family differed from the Xiao family. The Zhou clan were Chinese-Americans, with most of their assets based in the States; so, with government backing, he was certain that things would run smoothly on their end.
Of course, Will had no intention of souring relations with the Zhou family unless absolutely necessary; he would still need their assistance in the future. Xiao Tianci thought that by presenting his Desert Project and defense shield, he could stabilize Meihua. Will would show him that Meihua could not function without Will himself. Once he took full control, he could not only act boldly, but also foster a solid relationship with the American government.
With their support and the shield technology, Will could already envision the shape of his business empire.
The dishes had been served. Before Xiao Tianci began his meal, Chief Steward Lin Jian approached to report, “Boss, Xu Guowei and Zhou Ao have been notified; both will arrive tomorrow. Zhou Ao is preparing for a press conference—do you have any arrangements for Xu Guowei?”
Xiao Tianci, holding Meg in his arms, had already made her comfortable, requesting someone to serve her food. As he taught her to use chopsticks, he said, “I want to consult him about some legal matters. Wasn’t someone suing me recently? Haha, I’d better find out—I wouldn’t want to be convicted without even knowing why.”
“That’s right—don’t grip them together, use your fingers flexibly. Each finger has its own purpose; watch how I do it.”
Xiao Tianci demonstrated the use of chopsticks to Meg, who was remarkably clever; she mastered the basics after two tries, though she was not yet proficient.
The Chief Steward said, “Don’t worry, Boss. Xu Guowei has already handled the matter—they’ve all withdrawn their lawsuits.”
Xiao Tianci nodded. He didn’t ask how it was done; every profession had its own ways, and with the support of the Xiao family, handling such affairs was even easier. Besides, this was not Will’s main battleground; his victory in the stock market rendered those petty nuisances irrelevant. Now, as roots deepened, Xiao Tianci was more concerned with how he would operate Meihua once he fully took over—he wanted to act according to his own will, no longer under the control of the Xiao family or subject to anyone else’s direction or restriction.
“Good, have him resolve the remaining legal issues as well. When he arrives, let him know; after the announcement, we’ll find a chance to leave right away—this isn’t a place to linger.”
Xiao Tianci picked out some food for Meg, pleased to see her already able to use chopsticks to grasp the dishes. “Meg is so smart—eat more, so you’ll grow up strong.”
Little Meg nodded, eating everything Xiao Tianci gave her. Xiao Tianci began his own meal, and after eating, prepared to visit the underground storeroom with Chief Steward Lin Jian, which had been temporarily converted into a shooting range.
Martial arts could not be mastered overnight, so Xiao Tianci decided to focus on marksmanship for now. Over the past few days, he had made considerable progress, thanks to the expert guidance of Chief Steward Lin Jian; with a master at his side, anyone with a modicum of intelligence could advance quickly.

Page 2/3
“Meg, be good—go back and rest. I’ll come tell you a story later,” Xiao Tianci said as he stood up to practice shooting.
As soon as he took a step, he felt something tugging at him. Turning around, he saw Meg clutching his shirt hem, looking up at him. Xiao Tianci smiled, “Meg, be good—go with Uncle Lu Man back to your room.”
He felt awkward; he had accepted Meg as his sister, and though his relationship with Lu Man and the others was not strictly boss and subordinate, it was more of a brotherhood. Yet Lu Man and the others were already in their forties—having little Meg call them ‘brother’ would be even stranger. Still, Xiao Tianci didn’t let himself dwell on such trivialities.
Meg shook her head twice, and her single hand became two, gripping Xiao Tianci’s shirt tightly. He sighed, “Alright, then brother will take Meg back.”
But Meg still shook her head. Xiao Tianci was stunned—could it be she wanted to go with him to practice shooting? He tried, “Meg, do you want to go with brother to the shooting range?”
Sure enough, she nodded gently. Xiao Tianci felt dizzy—she was so young, what could she be thinking? He crouched down, gently touching Meg’s face, “Meg, be good. You’re still too young to play with guns. When you’re older, brother will teach you, okay?”
But she shook her head again, not speaking but her eyes pleading with silent resolve. Xiao Tianci wrestled with himself; if he let her start learning to shoot at such a young age, her path would surely not be ordinary or peaceful. Yet seeing her expression, he couldn’t bear to refuse. He thought, well, what does it matter? Even living quietly at home, there’s a chance of being blown up by terrorists; on the streets, cars are no less dangerous than assassins.
Rather than leave her defenseless, it was better to let her learn to use a gun—she might even become more cheerful because of it.
Resigned, Xiao Tianci surrendered, “Alright, Meg wins. Brother will take you to practice shooting.”
Meg’s face broke into a smile—a rare sight—and yet trouble soon followed. She was determined to cling to Xiao Tianci’s shirt hem, refusing to let go. He tried to take her hand—she shook her head. Tried to carry her—she shook her head. In the end, Xiao Tianci had to walk ahead, with Meg holding onto his shirt, trailing behind. He dared not walk too fast, fearing she couldn’t keep up.
It was awkward, as if dragging a little tail behind him. Fortunately, no one else was present, and Chief Steward Lin Jian and King Kong pretended not to notice.
Meg was wary of everyone except Xiao Tianci, so only he could teach her. He himself was still a novice, but with Chief Steward constantly correcting him, he could relay the instructions to Meg.
He specially selected a lightweight ladies’ handgun for Meg, with minimal recoil, for her to practice. Xiao Tianci was initially worried she might not be suited for it, but to his surprise, this tiny child handled the gun with greater ferocity than he did. If he hadn’t limited her time, she might have kept shooting indefinitely. Xiao Tianci pondered—though Meg never spoke, perhaps this was a form of release for her, or maybe an instinct to protect herself.
Whatever the case, she was much calmer with the gun in her hands than without. In the end, she refused to hand it back, so he had to remove the bullets and leave the gun with her.
After escorting Meg to her room and soothing the ‘three’ to sleep, Xiao Tianci finally stepped out.

Page 3/3
“Boss, Meg is exceptionally talented,” Chief Steward Lin Jian remarked as Xiao Tianci entered the room, removed his coat, and accepted the pajamas Lin Jian handed him.
Changing into his pajamas, Xiao Tianci moved to the small crystal table. “Bring a bottle of wine—let’s sit and talk.”
In truth, many things in life are like sex—after the first time, everything becomes easier. Chief Steward Lin Jian poured wine into two glasses and sat down to drink with Xiao Tianci.
“You said she’s exceptionally talented—haha, I’m still a bit worried. Is it right or wrong to let her learn to shoot at such a young age? Maybe I should find her a good school. Once things settle, and she’s healed, she should start studying.”
Chief Steward quickly replied, “She’s not so young—most start at six.”
Seeing Lin Jian’s expression, Xiao Tianci pointed at him, “Oh? Are you thinking of taking her as your apprentice?” From Fang Meng and the others, Xiao Tianci knew that Lin Jian’s marksmanship, though not ranking on any official list, was considered among the world’s best—and it was a family tradition.
Lin Jian indeed harbored such thoughts; Meg’s talent during her first practice had nearly made his mouth water. Hearing the question, Lin Jian said, “This kind of gift—or genius, perhaps—is not something that can be cultivated easily, so...”
Xiao Tianci laughed, “So you’re very eager, aren’t you?”
Lin Jian nodded without hesitation, “If she continues to practice, she’ll surpass me. Of course, I must be the one to teach her.”
Xiao Tianci said, “Actually, after seeing King Kong’s transformation, I keep wondering—what if we encounter someone like that? During King Kong’s second transformation, ordinary bullets couldn’t even hurt him.”
At this, Lin Jian replied with utmost confidence, “When someone reaches King Kong’s level, ordinary firearms indeed lose their effectiveness—but that doesn’t make them invincible. Guns can fire special bullets, designed to penetrate internal energy shields, and can be coated with various toxins. Besides, there aren’t many experts at King Kong’s level.”
Xiao Tianci was only teasing the Chief Steward; it was rare to see him so earnest. Since Meg was already learning to shoot, he would not let her be ordinary. As his own motto said: if you do something, do it thoroughly, or not at all.
==========================================================================
(Recommendation: Fatty Soccer King by Hong Feng—another competitive masterpiece. “Idiot Genius” /sho?b1_id=63123)
Page 3/3