Chapter 116 - State Power (Part II)

"If you truly possess the technologies you claim, our Hua-Zhu Clan has decided to stand by your side and offer our support. But first, you must tell me: exactly which clan have you offended?" Chairman Hua spoke with a hint of caution; this was no joking matter. Once a conflict between clans begins, the consequences are so severe that one cannot afford to act rashly.

"I have a girlfriend in City C named Su Xin. Her family, the Su Clan, is one of the established clans. Due to their declining fortunes, her father wants her to marry into the Song Clan to leverage their immense power. Naturally, I cannot accept this, so I have locked horns with Song Jie of the Song Clan." I shrugged helplessly and added, "Honestly, I have no desire to get involved in clan politics or power struggles, but as the saying goes, if one does not offend me, I will not offend them. I am forced into this."

"Song Jie, the runner-up in today's competition?" Chairman Hua frowned slightly upon hearing this. "The Song Clan's influence is vast; they are not to be trifled with, whether in the central government or the provinces. I believe the best approach is to find a way to rally other families to pressure them collectively. That might resolve the issue—provided, of course, that the other families are willing to exert that effort for you."

Hmm? Joining forces with other clans? That sounded like a decent idea. My interest piqued, and I asked, "Tell me, then, who are these eight great clans? I should keep them in mind so I can try to curry favor in the future."

"The eight most powerful clans in China are the Hua-Zhu Clan, consisting of myself and Minister Zhu; the Song Clan, to which Song Jie belongs, who hold significant official authority; the Xue Clan, which had the most founding fathers at the nation's inception; the Li Clan, with their deep-rooted aristocratic history; the Fu and Zhu clans from the military; the Chu Clan, which rose through commerce; and the Sun Clan, which originated from the martial arts world. These eight are currently the most powerful in China. The Sun Clan is the weakest, as few of them enter politics. However, legend has it that they have deep ties to the martial arts sects, and all the schools in the martial world show them great respect, making them a force not to be underestimated. As for the four declining clans—the Su, Wu, Fan, and Xu families—they once held great prestige and power, but in recent years, for various reasons, they have teetered on the brink of collapse. As the saying goes, where there is shadow, there is light; where there is prosperity, there is decline. No clan's power lasts forever. Xiao Qiang, since you have feelings for the girl from the Su Clan, you are bound to anger the Song Clan. In their eyes, you are the culprit attempting to snatch their bride."

"The Su and Fu clans? Chairman, is the Fu clan you mentioned led by an old man named Fu Rong? And could the Chu Clan be the one belonging to Chu Qitong's grandfather?" I realized through his introduction that I seemed to have acquaintances involved.

"Haha, the head of the Fu Clan is indeed Fu Rong. He is no simple man—you actually know him?" Chairman Hua seemed surprised. He explained, "Fu Rong has been a soldier his entire life and comes from a military lineage. With many collateral branches, he has built a massive Fu Clan with immense prestige among the military. To put it another way, the nation's military power is divided into three parts: the Hua-Zhu Clan holds one, while the Fu and Zhu clans hold the others. In other words, Fu Rong commands nearly one-third of the nation's troops. Alas, compared to me, a Chairman of the Military Commission in name only, the troops under his hand could have contended with me long ago. As for the Chu Clan you mentioned, it was indeed built by Chu Qitong's grandfather. Do not think that because he is a merchant, he only knows how to make money. Over the years, he has continuously cultivated protégés in the officialdom, placing his own people into the central government. He has built a vast network of connections that cannot be ignored..."

Had I really guessed correctly? I muttered to myself with a smile, "So, I am acquainted with both the Fu and Chu clans. Now, with the support of the Hua-Zhu Clan, that means if I gain the backing of the other two, I will have three clans on my side! That would give me enough leverage to go toe-to-toe with Song Jie."

"Exactly. That would be ideal. After all, a head-on clash between the Hua-Zhu Clan and the Song Clan is not the best strategy. The muddier the water, the more opportunities there are to fish." Chairman Hua chuckled, though his true intentions remained unclear. I nodded in agreement. "Indeed, if there is a way to unite those two families..." As I said this, I suddenly remembered that the prized ladies of both families seemed to have feelings for me. If I were to unite them, would I have to marry both? Sweat... I quickly shook the lewd thoughts from my mind and laughed helplessly. "Well, perhaps there is little hope in uniting the others. Chairman, from my perspective, as long as we prevent the marriage between the Su and Song clans, that should suffice. I believe that with the power of the Hua-Zhu Clan, that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Very well. Since I have decided to form an alliance between the Hua-Zhu Clan and you, I must step forward on your behalf. From today on, I officially appoint you as the Deputy Head of the Hua-Zhu Clan. Although you will not hold formal political power, it will be enough to earn you the same respect and authority as Old Zhu. What do you think?" It seemed Chairman Hua was going all out to win me over. Since he was so forthcoming, I could not be stingy either. I nodded. "Very well. Since you are being straightforward, I agree to hand over my latest technologies to the Hua-Zhu Clan. However, there is one condition: once these technologies are put into production, I must hold a thirty percent equity stake. This will represent our partnership."

"Agreed. That is no problem." Chairman Hua accepted my terms readily. I smiled and shook his hand. Today's meeting with the national leader had been highly productive; it meant that I, Xiao Qiang, had truly stepped onto the national stage. Yet, I was deeply aware that I was still far behind the eight great clans. An alliance with the Hua-Zhu Clan was merely a temporary expedient. As the saying goes, it is better to rely on oneself than on others. One day, I would use my own power to speak to all the clans as an equal, to show them that the student can surpass the master, and that the new waves of the Yangtze River push the old ones forward.

"Haha, congratulations on the alliance between Brother Xiao and our Hua-Zhu Clan. Chairman, I suggest we hold a banquet tonight to invite Brother Xiao to drink with our clan members," Zhu Guangde said, his face beaming with excitement. "With Xiao Qiang's help, I believe our clan will soar! By the way, Brother Xiao, how did you acquire so much technical knowledge? I never would have guessed you were only a high school student!"

"Haha, since Brother Zhu calls me brother, I will be bold enough to call you Elder Brother Zhu. Elder Brother Zhu, Chairman Hua, please rest assured: since I have formed an alliance with the Hua-Zhu Clan, I will certainly make the clan even more powerful." I nodded with a smile. "However, although the Su Clan is in decline, it is still the family of my girlfriend. I will also provide them some assistance. I hope the Chairman and Elder Brother Zhu will not mind." Some things had to be made clear to the Chairman, as the Su Clan would eventually become my in-laws; how could I not help them?

"That is perfectly fine," Chairman Hua agreed readily. He patted my shoulder and laughed. "Since your Elder Brother Zhu suggested a banquet, we shall have a few drinks tonight to welcome our new ally."

Since neither Zhu Guangde nor Chairman Hua had any objections, I certainly did not either. I smiled and nodded. "Since everyone is in agreement, I would not want to dampen the mood."

"Chairman, Song Jie of the Song Clan is already waiting in the Zhongnanhai conference hall. Shall we head over for the photo session?" Just as the three of us finished laughing, an official ran over to the pavilion and whispered to Chairman Hua. The Chairman nodded, and the three of us left the pavilion together, heading toward the conference hall.