Douluo: A Century-old Legend I Am the Second Uncle Chenxin

Chapter 1513 Haotian's Man, Tang Potian
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……

After a brief silence, the oppressive atmosphere found an outlet, and the entire ancestral hall was instantly filled with a cacophony of astonishment and disbelief.

The elders and officials who had been sitting upright and observing the situation with composure suddenly changed color. Their eyes met rapidly, and they could no longer suppress their gasps and whispers, which quickly turned into an undeniable uproar.

Even if the Tang family takes on 40% of the standard military equipment supply for the Heavenly Spirit Legion, plus the hard work of maintaining scattered orders from the civilian sector and custom orders from workshops, the total revenue of all its industries throughout the year can only barely fluctuate around the level of "tens of millions of gold coins".

At this moment, the minimum order amount for the "civilian products" item alone, which was mentioned by Xia Ying, has already reached ten million.

This means that the trade volume represented by this contract is almost equivalent to 90% of the total revenue of the Xuanhuang Tang family.

What's even more suffocating is that the "ten million" Xia Ying mentioned is a clear, contractually written bottom line.

For the Xuanhuang Tang family, this is far more than a simple increase in orders—its scale is almost such that the Tang family's existing forging capacity must double out of its existing production capacity in addition to military and civilian supplies in order to handle the demand.

Even though everyone present was a core member of the Tang family, a genuine question instantly arose in their minds:
The family's workshops, the hundreds of craftsmen, the existing factories, furnaces, equipment, and material flow chains...

While ensuring the continued supply of existing military equipment, this sudden surge of massive civilian product orders, of equal or even greater scale...

Can the existing workshop system of the Xuanhuang Tang Clan, which is already operating under considerable strain, withstand the pressure?

What does that doubling of output mean?
Are there any insurmountable bottlenecks in the allocation of human, material, and financial resources?
Doubt seeped into the immense surprise that had just occurred, like ice water.

……

Just as the atmosphere was at its most tense, with doubts, elation, and worry still intertwined and tug-of-war, a calm and gentle voice rang out from the head of the guest seats.

Chen Zhang had already stood up at some point and was standing half a step behind Xia Ying.

His gaze, carrying a calming power, slowly swept over every trembling face, especially the elder who had asked in surprise.

"You need not doubt the minimum amount that Minister Xia mentioned."

"To show the sincerity of my family and to put everyone's minds at ease—"

He dropped the final and heaviest bargaining chip: "Regarding this long-term entrustment contract, my Chen family is willing to pay your family... two million gold coins as an initial deposit within ten days of the signing of the contract."

"Furthermore, all subsequent payments will be settled on a quarterly basis and paid on time."

"A two million deposit?!"

"Quarterly settlement?!"

Chen Zhang's final words were like boiling oil poured into water, pushing the already huge waves to a whole new and turbulent peak.

A 20% deposit is already quite high for any large transaction.

And quarterly settlements... this far exceeds the annual payments offered by the Celestial Legion as a major client.

This is no longer a blueprint or a verbal guarantee; it is a substantial amount of readily available gold and silver coins flowing directly into the long-dry pockets of the Xuanhuang Tang family!
……

The murmurs in the council hall continued. A Tang family steward hurried to the corridor outside the hall, his voice sounding somewhat abrupt in the suddenly tense atmosphere: "Reporting to the patriarch, elders... Tang Potian has arrived."

The announcement seemed to possess an invisible force, instantly suppressing the cacophony of noise in the hall.

Dozens of eyes in the hall turned towards the entrance, and several people simultaneously had a clear but silent thought in their minds—it's finally here.

Footsteps approached from afar, and a figure, slightly languid yet exuding a profound aura, stepped across the threshold of the hall.

The newcomer was a man in his forties, with a robust build. He wore a luxurious brocade robe with dark patterns and walked with a large, unrestrained gait, exuding an undisguised air of arrogance.

He was followed by several people with composed demeanors.

This person was Tang Potian, a powerful figure dispatched by the Haotian Sect to the Lankai County area.

The moment Tang Potian appeared, Tang Yuchen, who had been resting with his eyes closed as if he were an observer, seemed to have an extremely sharp glint flash in his eyes before returning to his calm, closed-eye state, as if he had nothing to do with anything here.

Ignoring the many complex gazes focused on him, Tang Potian walked straight to the main seat, clasped his hands slightly in greeting to Tang Jinghe, who was sitting upright in the grand chair, and said in a tone that showed basic politeness to an elder: "Grandpa, it's been a long time. I hope you are well."

Tang Jinghe nodded slightly, as unmoved as a rock, his eyes calm and undisturbed: "Potian has arrived. Thank you for your concern, it's alright."

Tang Potian casually glanced around, his gaze sweeping over the various expressions on the faces of the Tang family members. He then glanced at Chen Zhang and the others in the guest seats, a playful smile playing on his lips. He drawled slightly, "Oh, everyone's here today? It's so lively, it makes me seem abrupt." His cheerful words went unanswered, the hall deliberately quiet.

His gaze shifted slightly, finally settling on Chen Zhang in the guest seat directly opposite him. His languid demeanor now carried a hint of deliberate familiarity: "Oh my, isn't this Brother Zhang? It's been so many years, you're even more dashing than before!"

Chen Zhang met that gaze with a perfectly timed smile, rose to return the greeting, and said calmly, "Brother Potian, how have you been? Come to think of it, it has indeed been more than a dozen years since we last met."

He changed the subject, adding a touch of nostalgia, "I heard that two years ago, your father, Uncle Tang Feng, broke through to the top and became a Title Douluo, known as 'Rending the Heavens'."

"This was a grand event for the Haotian Sect. I have always regretted not being able to attend and offer my congratulations in person."

"Since Brother Potian is here today, please convey my belated congratulations and respect to Uncle Shi."

Tang Feng is Tang Yue's younger brother.

Just two years ago, he obtained his ninth spirit ring, becoming a Title Douluo with the title of Rift Sky.

Following Sect Master Tang Yue and Grand Elder Tang Shan, he is the third pillar supporting the Haotian Sect, making it proud to stand out on the continent.

Tang Potian was Tang Feng's second son, and his status within the Haotian Sect was quite significant—his position, the weight of his role in sect affairs, and his status as a core second-generation disciple were roughly equivalent to Chen Hua of the Chen family.

Tang Potian's smile remained unchanged as he casually waved his hand, "Of course, of course! Brother Zhang is very kind."

"My father only took that step by chance. How can it compare to your Chen family's current rapid development, like a roc spreading its wings and making a thousand miles in a day?"

His gaze swept over Chen Zhang, with an obvious probing tone. "Take you, Brother Zhang, for example. You're two years older than me, yet you're already a level 82 Soul Douluo. You're truly beyond the reach of us, and we feel quite ashamed."

Chen Zhang remained calm: "Brother Potian, you are too modest. As the pillar of the second branch of the Haotian Sect, you are only forty-six years old this year, yet you have already reached the seventy-fifth level of Soul Saint realm, far surpassing your peers. You are truly a leader of your generation, a pillar of the sect, and your future is limitless." (The previous text was incorrect; Chen Zhang is 48 years old.)
Tang Potian laughed heartily, a hint of pride on his face: "Not bad, not bad. I dare not slack off, lest I let down the sect's cultivation."

Tang Yusheng, who had been observing coldly from the sidelines, finally couldn't hold back any longer and let out a clear, cold snort: "Hmph! Seventh Brother Tang! This is an important meeting place for my Xuanhuang Tang family. What brings you here uninvited today?"

Tang Potian's smile remained, but it now carried a hint of forced humor: "Brother Yusheng, you're mistaken. 'Seventh Brother' sounds too formal, doesn't it? I admit I came somewhat uninvited. But..."

He changed the subject and looked at Chen Zhang, "I was really looking forward to hearing that Brother Zhang had condescended to visit Lankai County, and I was afraid of missing the opportunity to catch up, so I rushed over here."

Chen Zhang smiled slightly, seemingly oblivious to the probing in his words, and his response remained impeccable: "Brother Potian's kindness is quite flattering. It is my honor to have you travel so far to come here."

A barely perceptible glint flashed in Tang Potian's eyes, and his smile became even more "sincere": "Brother Zhang, you're being too formal! The bond between our two clans is far more than ordinary. Besides,"

He raised his voice slightly, "Who doesn't know that I've been assigned by the sect to be stationed here in Lankai? Brother Zhang, if you claim to be completely unaware of where you're going... that's just not true, is it?"

Chen Zhang's smile remained calm, and his tone was very sincere: "Brother Potian is joking."

"I just returned from the Star Luo Empire a while ago, and I'm still incredibly busy."

"To be honest, I am indeed not very familiar with the specific arrangements your sect has made here in recent years."

Tang Potian stared intently at Chen Zhang with his hawk-like eyes for a moment, and after a few breaths, he suddenly burst into laughter, breaking the momentary silence: "So that's how it is!"

"I was being presumptuous, Brother Zhang, please don't take offense."

His laughter subsided, and he returned to the core issue, "I just wonder what brings Brother Zhang to Lankai County this time?"

"Is there anything I can do to help you out? Please don't hesitate to ask."

Chen Zhang calmly replied, "It's nothing more than some trivial business dealings. Such petty matters are really not worth troubling Brother Potian."

Tang Potian's smile deepened: "A small matter? Brother Zhang, in my 'clan' territory, something that would make you visit twice within three days... can you call that a small matter?"

Tang Yusheng's anger flared up instantly, and he shouted angrily, "Seventh Brother Tang! Stop spouting nonsense! What do you mean by 'same clan'?!"

“Our two families have been separate for hundreds of years, each carrying on its own ancestral rites. This is a fact established by our ancestors. What nonsense are you spouting?”

Faced with Tang Yusheng's anger, Tang Potian watched as if he were watching a naughty child get angry, still wearing a mocking smile: "Oh, Brother Yusheng, why get so worked up?"

"We share the same ancestral bloodline, which is an indisputable bond that cannot be severed by any means of cutting or chopping! No matter how loudly you shout, it won't make a difference, will it?"

He effortlessly shut down Tang Yusheng's anger.

(End of this chapter)