Chapter 399 - Banquet (1/2)
Chapter 399 - Banquet
Nie Yan still vividly remembered the scene of himself camped out on that rooftop, pulling the trigger of his sniper rifle. The bullet shot straight through Cao Xu’s head just as he was about to enter his private car, splattering brain matter all over the ground.
That single gunshot vented out all the rancor Nie Yan had built up for Cao Xu over the years.
Nie Yan’s hatred for Cao Xu was no longer as intense in this life. After all, his parents were still alive. But if Cao Xu dared to harm anyone close to him, Nie Yan would make him pay!
Although Nie Yan was currently no match for the behemoth known as the Century Financial Group, he was slowly amassing more power. Eventually the day would come when he could rival their power!
Roughly 20% of the Century Financial Group’s profits came directly from the virtual reality industry while another 70% were related. If their position as a hegemon in the industry was shaken, it would greatly damage their business.
A youngster who looked to be about 24 years old sat across from Cao Xu. He had an unruly smile on his face which attracted the attention of all surrounding ladies. This fellow was undoubtedly a lady killer with his pretty boy appearance.
A few women in revealing dresses went up to greet him. He greeted them back with a faint smile, displaying elegance and grace.
His eyes swept through the crowd before finally settling on the star of today’s banquet, Xie Yao. Her unmatched beauty would make any man’s heart race.
“So, Young Master Fan, what do you think? Interested?” Cao Xu gazed at the youth across from him with a meaningful smile.
“Not bad, a bit immature. Give it a few more years, and she’ll definitely grow up to be a world-class beauty,” Fan Yuan replied. He had to admit that Xie Yao, who was the focus of attention, was beautiful enough to move even his heart.
“She’s the young lady of the Dragonsoar Financial Group. By obtaining her you’ll receive the support of the Dragonsoar Financial Group, allowing you to crush all your rivals and inherit the Euro Fortune Financial Group. Your prospects will be limitless. Then it’ll be my turn to rely on you, my friend.” Cao Xu chuckled before taking a sip from his wine glass.
“Assuming that day comes, will you still be able to tolerate my presence?” Fan Yuan asked with a teasing smile. He knew better than to trust the word of a sly old fox like Cao Xu. They might be on friendly terms right now, but that was because he was weak, and Cao Xu had a financial interest in supporting him. If he ever came to pose a threat to the Century Financial Group one day, Cao Xu wouldn’t hesitate to eliminate him.
Cao Xu chuckled and placed his wine glass back down on the table.
“What are your thoughts on the Dragonsoar Financial Group supporting Asskickers United?” Cao Xu changed the subject.
“What thoughts? Asskickers United is nothing compared to my Angel Corps. It’s a pity the Viridian Empire is so far away from the Satreen Empire. Otherwise, in just 10 days, I’d crush them so badly they won't even dare to step foot outside of Calore,” Fan Yuan stated arrogantly.
“Don’t underestimate the growth of Asskickers United, especially since they have the support of the Dragonsoar Financial Group,” Cao Xu warned. He had originally planned to sweep through and take over the entire Viridian Empire with the combined might of Victorious Return, Radiant Sacred Flame, Bloodlust Blades, Alliances of Mages, and Divine Protectors. However, this plan was foiled by the emergence of Asskickers United. Victorious Return and Radiant Sacred Flame had lost their value, and Bloodlust Blades was on the verge of collapse as well. Although Alliance of Mages and Divine Protectors seemed powerful from the outside, unless they captured all the strongholds of their several neighbouring cities, they were still vulnerable. Given the population of Calore, the unimpeded growth of Asskickers United would spell a bleak future for both guilds. Asskickers United had completely disruspted his business operations in the Viridian Empire. Fortunately, the 20 or so properties he owned were enough to support Alliance of Mages and Divine Protectors. He had diverted most of his capital to Angel Corps and several other guilds in the Satreen Empire. What left him feeling disgruntled was this youth before him—Fan Yuan, the guild leader of Angel Corps as well as one of the heirs to the Euro Fortune Financial Group. He was too cunning, making him harder to manipulate.
Asskickers United’s rise to power and subsequent growth was too astonishing. How could Cao Xu possibly not pay attention to them, especially so after they received the backing of the Dragonsoar Financial Group. With Asskickers United’s assistance, the Dragonsoar Financial Group had gained the business districts of six Basic Strongholds and one Intermediate Stronghold. The Dragonsoar Financial Group’s rapidly growing presence in the virtual reality industry was enough to even threaten the Century Financial Group!
Nie Yan was sitting too far away, so he couldn’t hear what Cao Xu and Fan Yuan were talking about. However, he could tell it was related to Xie Yao, especially with the way Fan Yuan was looking at her. It made him feel extremely uneasy.
At this moment, Fan Yuan and Cao Xu stood up and walked over to Xie Yao and her father.
Although Xie Yao’s father and Cao Xu greeted each other courteously with smiles, Nie Yan could sense the hostility between them. It appeared Cao Xu hadn’t come merely for the purpose of celebrating Xie Yao’s birthday. He clearly had ulterior motives.
“Long time no see.” Fan Yuan raised his glass in a refined manner to greet Xie Yao. “I remember you were only 12 years old the last time we met. The Euro Fortune Financial Group and Glory Financial Group had just finalized an important business deal. Who knew that little girl would grow into such a beauty in a short six years.”
“You’re flattering me. How is Auntie Fan these days?” Xie Yao politely replied.
Sensing the distance in Xie Yao’s voice, Fan Yuan briefly froze up before letting out a small chuckle. “She’s always talking about you. When will you be visiting Europe again? We can meet up, and I’ll show you around.”
Liu Rui was also in attendance at this banquet. But he no longer had the face to approach Xie Yao after recent events. Seeing Fan Yuan talk to her, hostility immediately surfaced on his face. He knew exactly who Fan Yuan was. This fellow’s background wasn’t that much inferior to his own. More importantly, Fan Yuan was one of the heirs to Euro Fortune, one of the largest financial groups in Europe, whose wealth even surpassed that of the Century Financial Group.