Chapter 395 - Family Gathering (1/2)

Chapter 395: Family Gathering

Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations

“Oh?”

Chen Fan looked up at her cousin and taken aback.

Ever since last year’s annual gathering, Chen Ning had seldom talked to him. Her cousin and he had never liked each other, but they were shy of arguing with each other. However, after Chen Fan had risen to power, Chen Ning started to keep things to herself and grow reticent whenever Chen Fan was around.

“Umm…” Chen Fan hesitated.

He never liked her friends and neither was he interested in a teenagers’ party.

Chen Fan brushed shoulders with powerful and successful figures such as Li Wuchen, Yang Qinhu, Red Sparrow and Mitsui Kazuo, so the company of a group of youngsters simply could no longer pique his interest. However, Chen Fan felt reluctant to refuse his cousin who had just broken out of her sh.e.l.l and approached him for the first time in a long time.

“Only the heirs of the most powerful families in Jinlin City are invited to the party. The Chen family had just joined the club recently so we had to deal with a lot of bulls.h.i.+t. But I believe that your presence would help to quell the animosity and make things easier for us.” Seeing the hesitation on Chen Fan’s face, Chen Ning hurried to put in.

Chen Guoguo also popped out from nowhere and shouted at Chen Fan: “Brother Chen Fan, I want to go with you!”

Chen Fan cracked a smile and nodded.

He wouldn’t mind showing up for support, what harm could that do?

The party was held at a private club called Red Stone on the outskirts of Jinlin City.

Most of the heirs that showed up were the third generation in their family. Some of them had already started working in managerial positions in their family business. Each one of them commanded as much influence in the city as Shen Junwen, Nin Yuze, or Su Peng. The party was just a disguise for the real agenda of the gathering: to discuss the profit quota of each family.

The discussion would touch upon all the dealings, good and bad, between major families. Although Chen Fan was an outsider, he knew very well how these meetings would pan out. Compromises would be made in the end, and profit would be distributed, fairly or not.

Chen Ning had driven her Cadillac while Chen Fan sat in the pa.s.senger seat.

“In the Jinlin City, there are four traditional powerful families: Qiao, Song, Hua, and Ren. Of the four, the Qiao Family and the Song Family are the most influential. Old Man Qiao had run the Jinlin City for many years while Qiao Luoyin also packed significant clout. Although the Song family didn’t have any members they could brag about, they had a close tie with one of the major families in Yan Jin. Well, what am I talking about? Of course, you won’t take these guys seriously. Not even the family lord of the Song family dares to challenge you, I wager.”

Chen Ning said as a strange light came up in her eyes.

While she was working hard for the future of her family, striving to earn the approval of the elders in the family, Chen Fan had already earned enough prestige to sit around the same table with the family lords.

“Why did I fail to notice his talent?”

Chen Ning lamented in her mind.

“So, by your logic, we are the fifth great family of Jinlin City?”

Chen Fan asked Chen Ning while Chen Guoguo sat on his lap.

“There is no such thing as the four greatest family or the five greatest families.” Chen Ning let out a wry smile. “Things change all the time. The Qiao Family and Song family might have their hay days now, but without a good heir, they will fall from grace. The Qiao Family, for example, is facing such a crisis. They simply don’t have a competent heir to take over Old Man Qiao’s responsibility.”

“However, we are the only exception. As long as you remain strong, so would the entire Chen family. That is why other families hate us.” Chen Ning said proudly.

Chen Fan nodded.

Let it be the Qiao Family or the Song family, the foundation of their influence was power and wealth. However, those worldly possessions would eventually fade away. Martial arts families such as the Gu family were different. As long as each of their generations holds on to their personal strength, they could last forever until the technology had advanced to much that it rendered martial arts irrelevant.

“I think I will have to leave some Martial arts techniques for my family before I leave the earth. Otherwise, the Chen Family would be easily squashed by its enemies without my protection. ” Chen Fan’s eyes lit up as he pondered on.

Of late, he increasingly felt the need to gather a force for his personal use.

As he gets stronger, he would encounter more and more powerful enemies. Therefore, he might not be able to protect his family even using the Protection Talisman. No Protection Talisman could ward off the attack of a Grandmaster or the raid of an elite special force.

Chen Fan didn’t organize his own force early not only became he had to focus on Cultivation but also because he was wary of the Chinese leaders’ reaction.

China was a powerful country and she would not tolerate the existence of a personal militia. However, the table had been turned and China desperately needed Chen Fan to be on her side. The nation’s leader had even granted him a squad of personal guards. Chen Fan had gotten quiet consent from the Chinese government to organize his own personal militia.

“What should I name this militia group? I can’t operate under the banner of True Martial Celestial Sect, that’s too much to expect from these mortals. Maybe I will call it the Azure Talisman Sect, or the North Mystic Sect?”

Chen Fan rubbed his chin and pondered on.

Meanwhile, famous young men and women poured into the Red Stone club.

Members of Jinlin City’s major family had all came back for the spring festival. One of the main tasks for them during the annual gathering was to distribute the profit among all families. Needless to say, it was a zero-sum game.